Molly Martin
Audio By Carbonatix
“Denver is growing fast, and we felt like the style of hand-pulled noodles would spread quickly here,” Nina Zhang told Westword last May, as she was preparing to open Magic Noodle House in a former Qdoba at 1400 East 17th Avenue.
Spoiler: She was right. Magic Noodle House has only been open since December, but it’s been consistently busy since its debut, thanks to its magical combination of tasty Chinese fare and the chance to watch as chefs make hand-pulled noodles in full view of the dining room, a process that is mesmerizing and impressive.
But now, Zhang, who immigrated to the United States from Chengdu, China, about nine years ago, is making one big change to her business: She just gave it a new name.
As of February 2, Magic Noodle House is now Nina’s Noodle House, named for its owner, who also operates Kung Fu Tea and TKK Fried Chicken in Colorado Springs and Hana Matsuri Sushi in Westminster with business partner Sunny Sun.
It’s an abrupt shift for a concept that’s been open for less than two months, but Zheng says the decision was necessary in order to fulfill her long-term dreams for her noodle shop. “We want to open another franchise location,” she shares, “but we found out that there are a lot of ‘Magic Noodles’ everywhere, in all of the states, but we are a local business and we want to do the state trademark and things like that.”
Zheng hopes to continue to grow the concept, but only within this state, which has become home to her since she relocated. “I love Colorado. I love all the scenery — I like skiing,” she says, although she hasn’t gotten to do much of that this winter. “I’ve been [at the restaurant] six weeks nonstop, no days off. I just want to be perfect for the Denver community.”
And her restaurant is pretty perfect. We’ve only had the chance to visit once, but the hospitality was warm and the noodles — we went for the thicker, knife-cut version and tried the Mongolian beef stir-fry — were crave-worthy, with a nice bite and plenty of tender beef in a sweet but balanced sauce.
Molly Martin
Plus, watching the noodles being made gave us flashbacks of a now-closed favorite, Blue Ocean, aka Little Changdu in DTC, which for years was the only place to find hand-pulled noodles in town.
Now, there are other options, including Lan’s in Glendale, but Nina’s is the only spot where you can watch the action as you eat. We’ll be returning soon to explore more of the menu, which includes appetizers like crispy chicken wings and cucumber salad, dumplings and buns, and rice dishes.
So if you see a new “Nina’s Noodle House” banner hanging over the former Magic Noodle House sign, worry not. The name may have changed, but everything else remains the same, and we hope it sticks around for a long time to come.
Nina’s Noodle House is located at 1400 East 17th Avenue and is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit magicnoodlehouse.com or follow @ninasnoodlehousedenver on Instagram.
