Lao Wang Noodle House

A staple of the Denver Asian food scene. Lao Wang's is a true hidden(?) gem. Yes, they have rules, but they're pretty reasonable - especially when you consider that the restaurant is often staffed by just Mrs. Wang herself. It's a small establishment, and the rules are there to keep her workload manageable and her tables moving. Order once, pay once, pretty simple. Personally, Mrs. Wang has been lovely to us. She did want us to order fast and pay fast, but the meal is so good and the service is fast and friendly, so there's really nothing to complain about for me. It's as authentic a Taiwanese dining experience as you can ask for, with all that entails. Know what you want ahead of time, bring an empty stomach, respect the rules, and you'll walk away incredibly satisfied. Best soup dumplings in Denver! The potstickers are also wonderful. We come at least once a year and are happy to do so.

This was my first time trying Lao Wang's as I was always concerned about waiting a long time. Luckily we got there on a Saturday at 11:40am and we were the 2nd party to be seated. No line! It reminded me a lot of being at my Aunt's house for dinner as everything is very authentic and delicious. It is just Mrs. Lao Wang now and she doesn't have a helper. So she does everything and it is quite impressive. But it was a calm day... so I could see on a busy day how it could be less of an enjoyable experience. I am also reminded of my days in Nepal where everything took so long as it was only one person cooking and doing all the work. Give her some grace and enjoy the food and company. Her prices are still super reasonable!

With so many dumpling places popping up nowadays, Lao Wang Noodle House on South Federal probably is one that predated all. The restaurants has been here before the millennium, endured the passing of namesake chef Lao Wang as well as the pandemic. Now Lao Wang's wife and her son carry on the legacy. The restaurant has a pretty simple menu, selling only the staples from all these years, such as potstickers, Xiao Long Bao, Dan Dan noodles, spicy wontons, wonton noodle soup, wonton soup, red chili dumplings, chicken cold noodles, cold noodles, with Taiwanese kimchi, five spice tofu and five spice braised beef shank as appetizers. The famed beef noodle soup was gone with the passage of Lao Wang. The dishes here are the nostalgic Taiwanese mainland style popular in Taiwan in the late 50s to 80s, which differentiated Lao Wang from the newcomers. I would say for many older generation Taiwanese, this was how potstickers, Xiao Long Bao, wonton and cold noodles tasted like in the yesteryear, simple and delicious and certainly a rare find in Denver. Here were their potstickers and Xiao Long Bao. Caution, be sure you abide by Mrs. Wang's rules as specified on the table. She was quite strict about these.

Delicious food but you're also in for an interesting experience that differs from "normal" ambiance and service. They're an old-school mom and pop. Literally the husband and wife are cooking, taking orders and running food. Limited English so limit your questions. They're eager to get people through the process but the wait for food is a little long. But again delicious and authentic. We thought it was worth it.