The Dumpling Boom Continues With a New Outpost of Mason's

Its the latest in a string of new dumpling options that have debuted in the metro area in the last year.

February 16, 2024

Soup dumplings at Mason's, which now has three Colorado locations. Courtesy Mason's Dumpling Shop

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Over the last year, new dumpling spots have been popping up all over the metro area. The latest is the third Colorado outpost of Mason's Dumpling Shop, which first came into Colorado from California in 2019. After debuting in Aurora, it added a location in Boulder and now has a third shop in Lakewood's Belmar neighborhood, at 6981 West Alaska Drive.

It's currently in soft-opening mode, welcoming guests from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday through Monday. In addition to its boiled, steamed and pan-fried dumplings — including a new addition, yuzu chicken soup dumplings — the Mason's menu includes noodle and rice dishes, steamed buns and appetizers like wood ear mushrooms and bok choy in oyster sauce.

Among the other dumpling spots that have debuted recently are Bryan's Dumpling House in DTC, which has become known for its rainbow-hued soup dumpling sampler; Chopstickers, which was founded by a former petroleum engineer in Fort Collins and now has an outpost on the 16th Street Mall; LingLon off South Colorado Boulevard; and Yummy Dumpling in Federal Heights. Dumpling Kitchen, which opened last year at 4045 Pecos Street, will recently added a second location on East Colfax.

Popular dumpling-centric food truck Yuan Wonton also made its move into a Park Hill brick-and-mortar in 2023 and will soon debut new daytime hours. And there are more dumplings coming.

click to enlarge

Bite-sized pan-fried Thumblings from Nana's.

Molly Martin

One of our favorite new dumpling destinations is Nana's, which took over the former Fifth String space in the Highland neighborhood last October. The restaurant has been buzzing ever since, with a steady crowd clamoring for its expansive list of selections that are ordered by marking your picks on a slip of paper.

Nana's has also introduced a fast-casual outpost in Boulder and will soon add a third location at 2495 South Havana Street in Aurora, with the possibility of a fourth in downtown Denver this year.

You can also dig into dumplings at new spots like MAKfam and Kawa Ni. All of this action has left us stuffed — though we always have room for more tasty dining scene additions.

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Molly Martin has been the Food & Drink editor at Westword since 2021. Prior to joining the staff, Molly reported on the Denver dining scene for more than a decade and contributed to Thrillist. At Westword, Molly monitors restaurant openings and closings, offers dining recommendations and reports on Denver-area food news and trends. She also publishes such annual lists as Top 100 Bars and Top 100 Restaurants, and contributes to the yearly Best of Denver edition. In 2023, she was recognized with the Colorado Restaurant Association's Outstanding Media Professional award.

Contact: Molly Martin

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