Although it may seem miniscule living in the shadow of the towering, sparkling and historic Union Station—proudly standing at the heart of Denver—Zoe Ma Ma accepts no threat. Rather, this authentic Chinese restaurant takes advantage of the chance to stand out as the only one of its kind—with one location in Boulder and one downtown.

The unique Zoe Ma Ma is just one more addition to the emerging, eclectic scene of new restaurants that have made Denver a home for the up-and-coming. Our city happily welcomes all lifestyles, interests and cultures, which thankfully include genuinely tasty Chinese food, located on the north side of Wynkoop Street, just east of Union Station right before you hit the 16th Street Mall.

The exterior of the shop gives no hint as to what type of food they serve—it only provides a platform for intrigue. But, enter through the large glass doors beneath their yellow neon sign, “SUPER YUMMY STREET FOOD,” and be instantly transported out of Denver and into a little diner just off the busy streets of China. Vibrant lanterns, posters, haphazard seating and framed pictures of the owner’s family make for an inviting experience. Pops of reds and yellow shock your senses in preparation for the delicious meal you will soon devour.

Their exotic menu is centered around a unique lineup of daily specials, including meals like Wednesday and Thursday’s “Lion’s Head” dish ($7.95)— “Ginormous saucy pork meatball served with shitake [sic] mushroom, napa cabbage, bamboo shoots and rice”—or Friday and Saturday’s “Roast Duck Wonton Noodle Soup” ($12.79)— “Roast duck, baby bok choy, fresh handmade wonton and egg noodle in duck broth.” For those scared of pioneering unprecedented flavors, dishes like “Ma Ma’s Chicken Soup Noodle” ($7.99) will not disappoint. While very similar to the vietnamese soup “Pho,” the guarantee that all the ingredients came from all-natural origins and Ma Ma’s home kitchen make it all the more delicious. In addition, their menu also offers a wide selection of other noodle and rice dishes, dim sum—stuffed, savory dumplings—and several choices of teas, beers and wines. Ba Ba’s Jasmine Tea ($1.75), Oolong Tea ($1.75), and Tsingtao ($3.50), a beer from the Zoe Ba Ba’s hometown of Qingdao, are just a few of the options that make this restaurant stand out even more.

Zoe Ma Ma willingly separates itself from Americanized Chinese restaurants that unfortunately adorn the United States, fooling people into thinking that their dishes are as good as Chinese food gets. Zoe Ma Ma unequivocally goes above and beyond this misconception using only the freshest, most genuine ingredients and serving only food that is made true to its origin. There is no need to embellish the restaurant with flaunty descriptions; the culture itself does that on its own. It claims authenticity, but rightfully so: Zoe Ma Ma is a restaurant born out of the inspiration of a mother’s love for true Chinese cooking.