San San elevates Chinese American classics
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The General Tso's chicken from San San. Photo: Mitchell Byars/Axios Boulder
A James Beard-nominated Boulder restaurateur is giving casual Chinese American dishes the white-tablecloth treatment at his new downtown restaurant.
Why it matters: San San fills a gap in the city's dining scene, giving what would normally be considered takeout the kind of upscale, sit-down experience typically reserved for other cuisines.
Driving the news: San San, from Zoe Ma Ma founder Edwin Zoe, opened with 80 seats last month at 2014 10th St., replacing the recently closed Dragonfly Noodle.
- Zoe, a 2022 Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurateur, immigrated from Taiwan to Missouri at 9 before moving to Boulder in the early 1980s to attend CU.
What to expect: His new restaurant keeps the menu tight, centered on Chinese classics like General Tso's chicken and seafood chop suey.
- Diners can opt for a multi-course tasting menu, while less traditional offerings include a home-style burger (there's always a burger) and a Friday-only prime rib.
- Dinner entrées range from $20-$30, with appetizers coming in around $10-$20.
- The bar stocks beer, wine and cocktails.
My thought bubble: San San doesn't reinvent the wheel — it just makes the wheel taste better.
- The General Tso's chicken and the creamy crab and corn soup were highlights.
If you go: San San is open daily from 11:30am-9pm.