It was a quiet week all around for Denver’s dining comings and goings, with just a few notable closings and a smattering of openings. See all the action below.
Closed: Mian Fresh Noodle Bar
Among the highlights of Denver’s recent hand-pulled noodle craze was Mian Fresh Noodle Bar, which held court in a small strip mall sharing a parking lot with the Whole Foods on East Hampden Avenue. The noodles were fresh and chewy, the broth full of depth and flavor, and the spicy wontons wonderfully oily and hot. It had a solid menu and cute little to-go bags with varying designs, free with any order. We’ve learned that it has permanently closed, unfortunately, and it will be missed.
Closed: Mama Kim
While we’re sorry to see any restaurant shutter, this one seemed inevitable. Not because the food was bad or the service poor. Mama Kim was located in a terrible spot along East Orchard Road in Greenwood Village, just down the street from Spice Trade Brewery & Kitchen. The restaurant was in a unique combination: part day spa and part restaurant, all focused on wellness. The spa remains open, but the restaurant is now closed.
Mama Kim is relatively popular in Malaysia, where there are a dozen or so locations. The founders behind the concept, the Low family, brought the idea to Denver after the sons came here for school. But it was tucked between a Starbucks and Snarf’s Sandwiches, and seemed out of place with its surroundings.
Re-Opened: Knotted Root’s Circular Lounge
Speaking of surroundings, the Knotted Root Brewing Company’s Circular Lounge taproom is back on East Colfax. The temporary closure was blamed on one part BRT construction, one part production issues and one part staffing. (That’s a lot of parts.) But the taproom is open again on the struggling street, and we’ll take the positive news where we can get it.
“We know it’s challenging to navigate the construction,” reads the company’s Instagram post announcing the reopening. “We know it’s inconvenient. We also know how important local businesses are. You may not even realize they’re disappearing until they’re gone. You could wake up one day and find that the family-run, neighborhood-focused businesses you’ve known have slowly been replaced by beige, soulless, robot-operated machine storefronts.”
Opened: Flat Six Coffee
“Born from a love of Porsche flat-six engines, Flat Six is where cars, coffee and community meet: an industrial showroom on South Acoma Street built for small-batch coffee, car meets, and everything in between.”…