The big city China Towns I visited as a child were colorful and exciting; the food seemed exotic and the souvenirs cheap enough that even my limited allowance made it possible to purchase more than one.

Those memories surfaced when dining at Nana’s Dim Sum & Dumplings — not ones about the inexpensive keepsakes, but the vibrant colors and symbols reflective of a culture not mine. Because sure enough there were hanging lanterns, a large overhead, golden serpent-like dragon whose tail wove around the dining room and much more.

Nana’s is a busy, happening place with good reason. Decor aside, which was fun albeit a bit cheesy, it’s the food that was the main attraction. The two-sided half-sheet waxed menu came with a pen to mark the items to order. Our server made a few suggestions, answered questions and soon brought a large photo book so we could see what the dishes looked like.

At her recommendation we ordered the stir-fried green beans ($17.95) and dumpling roulette ($14.95). Then, because we also wanted to sample something from the dim sum section of the menu, we marked black bean spare ribs ($6.95) and shu mai ($6.95).

The bright green beans arrived in a large ceramic bowl that I thought would provide leftovers to take home. Wrong. Even though this was a plentiful serving, we enjoyed every last one. Topped with bits of fried onions, the beans and dried red peppers shimmered with a light coating of a savory sauce.

Each place setting included a small plate, a pair of chopsticks (and not the kind you break apart to use) and a napkin. Forks and knives are available upon request. There was also a small dipping bowl, glass containers of chile oil, soy sauce and dumpling sauce on every table.

Dumpling roulette was a plate of each of the six available dumplings: vegetable, shrimp and pork, chive and pork, chicken and corn, pork and mushroom, and beef and vermicelli. These were chewy, flavorful and frustrating; they were hard to share, because they were difficult to halve, and there was no offer to identify which was which.

Black bean spare ribs were bite-size pieces of pork with sliced jalapenos in a small amount of broth with the dark legumes. Some of the savory meat pulled right off the bone with the chopsticks, while other pieces required chewing around the bone and being careful not to chip a tooth. It was worth the effort and no dental issues ensued.

Shu mai, like the ribs, arrived in a covered steam basket. This kept them warm while furthering a sense of authenticity. Chefs in a small glass enclosed work station near the entrance shaped, filled and crafted trays of dim sum to be taken to the kitchen for steaming or frying.

The four tulip-shaped dumplings were packed with ground pork and shrimp in yellow-tinted dumpling paper. Soy sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil were the flavors that came through.

As each food item arrived it was marked off the menu, which was left on the table.

Nana’s Dim Sum & Dumplings

Asian cuisine

Location: 1895 Democracy Point, Suite 120

Contact: 720-908-7867; nanasdimsumanddumplings.com 

Prices: $6.95 to $47.95

Hours: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4 to 9:30 p.m. Monday–Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4 to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday. 

Details: Credit cards accepted. Alcohol. Wi-Fi. Enclosed outdoor seating.

Favorite dishes: Stir-fried green beans, dumpling roulette.

Other: Gluten-free and limited vegan options available.