605090 Thu Mar 19 13:14:54 -0700 2009 32 6 Southwest 0 4519972 I know I'm in a minority who prefer King's Land to Super Star, but I suspect I'll be in a majority in preferring Heaven Star over both. One trip may be insufficient to confirm that suspicion, but of some 20 dishes shared among 9 adults and a couple of kids (at $20 per adult), not one was a dud, and several were up there among the best I've had in a long while. Servers came around with carts regularly, with no repeat dishes that I can recall, and we were allowed to order off the regular menu as well. Can't wait to go back for things we didn't have room to try—baked char siu bao, congee, steamed meatballs, etc.—as well as for dinner; live eel had better mean S&P fried eel... I've attached a photo for reference's sake, but there are plenty more in my blogpost: http://www.denveater.com/denveater/2009/03/heaven-star-the-best-dim-sum-you-can-get-from-a-place-not-named-super-dragon.html Thu Mar 19 13:14:54 -0700 2009 11106 tatamagouche 1 4522813 Mmmm, can't wait til Sunday.... :) What percentage of the items that you ordered were off of the menu vs carts? And is it my imagination, or are dim sum prices higher in Denver than the east coast? I remember never paying more than $12-13 per person in Boston/NYC/DC, including tax/tip - maybe prices have gone up everywhere tho and I am just stuck in 2005? Fri Mar 20 11:19:17 -0700 2009 4519972 165833 lotuseedpaste 2 4523414 Only one was off the dinner menu, but a couple were full-sized dishes listed on the dim sum menu—pan-fried noodles, salty fish fried rice, fried squid. So those were a bit more expensive, as was a plate of BBQ roast duck. But most things are $2-$4. And 20-plus dishes was way more than we all needed! Fri Mar 20 14:05:09 -0700 2009 4522813 11106 tatamagouche 1 4524439 I was part of the same group as Tatamagouche -- and I second everything she said. Wonderful dish after wonderful dish. I'd have a hard time picking which one I liked best. For anyone heading there, I'd suggest arriving when it opens or waiting till after 1:00. Around-noon crowd spilled out the door waiting for tables. More pix at http://culinary-colorado.blogspot.com/2009/03/dim-sumday.html Fri Mar 20 21:57:51 -0700 2009 4519972 54833 ClaireWalter 1 4527730 Just got back from dim sum at Heaven Star. We had a party of 12, I got there around 10:45 and managed to snag the last big round table with no wait. We had a hard time flagging down some of the carts, which seemed to prefer a different path through the restaurant, but still filled the table with food. In addition to some dim sum usuals, we also got a few other things. One of the first things that came around was a cart with larger plates - we got duck wings, baby octopus, and noodles. I really liked the baby octopus, which were cold with some kind of sauce (the only thing I could identify was sesame, but it wasn't the dominant flavor) and a nice, non-rubbery texture. The steamed shrimp dumplings, shu mai, and pan-fried dumplings with some kind of green vegetable (these came around on the same cart as the turnip cakes, but I don't know what they are called) were all favorites around the table. Someone in the party who spoke a little Chinese managed to special order some kind of baozi, which were very good (I'll endeavor to find out the name of these). We also had the don tot, taro dumpling, turnip cake, gai lan, coconut and peanut roll, and at least a dozen other things that I can't recall offhand. There were probably at least fifty stamps on our ticket, which came to about $19 per person, including tip. Sun Mar 22 12:52:47 -0700 2009 4519972 165833 lotuseedpaste 2 4529414 Were the dumplings leek? Baby octopus, I'm jealous! I think this is the place, man? Mon Mar 23 07:37:30 -0700 2009 4527730 11106 tatamagouche 3 4530179 The fried dumplings from the turnip cake cart might have had leek in them, although I think I'd put my money on some kind of cabbage. The special order dumplings were something like "shaowu baoza", whic I have no idea how to spell - they had meat and scallion inside. Oh, and I'm rethinking that the per person was more like $17, it was $204 for a party of 12. Mon Mar 23 11:02:07 -0700 2009 4529414 165833 lotuseedpaste 1 4538097 I too am in love with Heaven Star. Have been here several times already and think it's the best in town. Wed Mar 25 14:57:04 -0700 2009 4519972 85132 hungrygirldenver 1 4623904 We went tonight for dinner, there were lots of open tables on a Thursday night. It was a bit more formal than dim sum (we were given steamed hand towels). We ordered: eggplant in garlic sauce sea bass with mango beef, mushroom, and goose intestine in XO sauce lamb casserole The lamb was the most dramatic dish, it arrived in a ceramic casserole, with an "outdoor use only" propane grill and a separate plate of spinach leaves. They turned on the grill and said to leave it to cook for a few minutes after adding some of the spinach. The lamb was bone-in in a thick sauce along with tofu, mushrooms, and the spinach, with big chunks of ginger. There was also a small side dish of some kind of vaguely mustard like sauce that had a strong, spicy flavor. The eggplant was in a strong garlicky sauce - just eggplant with no other veggies. The sea bass came in two slabs with a sort of mango sauce on the side, and little pieces of mango scattered around. I'm not a sea bass expert, but the person who had chosen it said it was excellent. I had picked out the goose intestine in XO sauce, which also had snow pea, chinese celery, mushrooms, and thin beef slices in the XO sauce - I think it was advertised as spicy on the menu, but wasn't that hot. The intestine was in little curls, similar in texture to squid or cuttlefish. All of the dishes were quite good, the lamb and the eggplant might have been overall favorites. There was free steamed white rice, and also free little mini sponge cakes after the meal. The total cost for four (no drinks) was $54 including tax but not tip. Definitely the best Chinese dinner that I've had within 20 miles of Boulder, and on par with Chopsticks in Denver. Thu Apr 23 20:12:05 -0700 2009 4519972 165833 lotuseedpaste 2 4626336 You and your intestines! But it sounds great. I'm delighted with the place too (and I'm also fond of Chopsticks). Fri Apr 24 16:32:58 -0700 2009 4623904 11106 tatamagouche 3 4626572 My coworker had recommended the goose intestines, actually (also the lamb). If I had to choose only one intestine dish, I'd go with the flaming pork intestines at Chopsticks, which is in a really tasty sauce. Fri Apr 24 18:08:59 -0700 2009 4626336 165833 lotuseedpaste 4 4785967 I wonder what will happen with Heaven Star and Heaven Dragon given the owner's legal woes: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_12620846 Thu Jun 18 17:48:37 -0700 2009 4626572 39038 rlm 5 4785979 RLM: Holy crap! LSP: Flaming pork intestines. I think that's my problem. Got to get that checked. Thu Jun 18 17:53:38 -0700 2009 4785967 11106 tatamagouche 5 4832501 So has anyone heard an update on what's happening to these places—will other family members run them? Will they revert to some other partner, or is he sole owner? Will they be seized? Be a bummer to lose Heaven Star so soon after such an auspicious debut. Mon Jul 06 05:40:06 -0700 2009 4785967 11106 tatamagouche 6 4832843 Ack! I really want to try this place now that I'll be living in Lafayette. I'm crossing my fingers that someone else will take them over. Mon Jul 06 07:48:59 -0700 2009 4832501 73722 RobynS 6 4833079 I had the impression that Heaven Star was opened by the people who run Super Star on Alameda and who might be no relation at all to Dan Khau Tang, owner of Heaven Dragon and the indictee in the weed-growing, money-laundering operation. So our fave new dim sum place is probably still safe -- but I'm not eating flaming pork intestines or any other animal gut no matter what. Mon Jul 06 09:04:28 -0700 2009 4832501 54833 ClaireWalter 7 4833782 I thought it was a joint project between the Heaven Dragon and Super Star guys, hence the name, no? But that alone suggests it may fall into more stable hands. Mon Jul 06 12:14:39 -0700 2009 4833079 11106 tatamagouche 8 4834282 Could be, Tatamagouche. Let's hope Heaven Star survives and thrives, regardless of the trouble Dan Khau Tang is in. Mon Jul 06 14:25:07 -0700 2009 4833782 54833 ClaireWalter 9 4834982 It is in the triptych of Super Star, Star Kitchen, and Heaven Star. AFAIK, no relation to Heaven Dragon. My coworker, who has spoken with the owner(s), said that SS originally had three owners, and they now each have their own establishment. Star Kitchen is across from Chopsticks at Federal and Mississippi. Mon Jul 06 18:44:11 -0700 2009 4834282 165833 lotuseedpaste 10 4836734 Oh, perhaps I was wrong. Thx for the correction, guys! Edit: No, wait, I knew I didn't make it up: http://blogs.denverpost.com/thefoodsection/2009/01/ Is it no longer true? Tue Jul 07 11:11:30 -0700 2009 4834982 11106 tatamagouche 11 5081777 I have heard (third-hand) that Heaven Star has changed ownership, although the chef has remained the same, so far. The last time I went, I thought the siu mai and some of the dumplings were not up to the usual quality, I hope that isn't an indicator of things to come.... Mon Oct 05 22:30:07 -0700 2009 4836734 165833 lotuseedpaste 12 5124496 Yep, new ownership and the menu has changed a bit. Some of the dishes i would go for are no longer on the menu. They no longer have jellyfish and jellyfish with tendons. They also dropped the goose intestines dish. Bummer Thu Oct 22 23:09:00 -0700 2009 5081777 91772 liveloveat34 13 5124789 Entirely new ownership? Ah, that doesn't sound good. Fri Oct 23 06:11:59 -0700 2009 5124496 11106 tatamagouche 13 5127777 Some (perhaps even most) of us will not miss goose intestines or jellyfish with tendons. :-) To me, that's Andrew Zimmern fare. Sat Oct 24 12:12:36 -0700 2009 5124496 54833 ClaireWalter 14 5128222 I liked their goose intestine. I hope they have kept the cold baby octopi too. I'll be there for dim sum probably next weekend, and can report back if anything has changed there. Sat Oct 24 16:19:26 -0700 2009 5127777 165833 lotuseedpaste 15 5129048 Please do...especially about the octopus dish! Sun Oct 25 06:26:21 -0700 2009 5128222 11106 tatamagouche 15 5129730 i really liked their intestine dish as well- it was one of my favorites. the menu lists 'japanese style octopus' if that's the dish.... Sun Oct 25 13:53:04 -0700 2009 5128222 91772 liveloveat34 16 5130261 Yep, the japanese style cold octopus is it. Yay! I need to learn to cook with offal... Sun Oct 25 17:49:29 -0700 2009 5129730 165833 lotuseedpaste 1 5137844 I was just at Heaven Star (again)... The Jellyfish is still on the menu, we had it about two weeks ago. The service is what impresses me here as well. We are always treated with a friendly air, and one 'regular' server often stops to chat with us, even if we are not seated at her table. Some of my favorites: Sticky Dumplings. Tofu Skin wrapped around shrimp and mushrooms. Rice Paper Crepe with Tiny Shrimp. Shrimp Stuffed Eggplant. Crystal Leek Dumpling. Chicken and Dry Scallops Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf. And... OMG Custard Buns! Wed Oct 28 12:09:18 -0700 2009 4519972 1119862 Jadydangel 2 5137873 Jadydangel listed some of my faves too, but I'm afraid I'd still pass on goose intestines. Wed Oct 28 12:14:39 -0700 2009 5137844 54833 ClaireWalter 3 5138003 Ditto, that shrimp-stuffed eggplant is killer. Wed Oct 28 12:54:36 -0700 2009 5137873 11106 tatamagouche 1 5145960 We had dim sum there this morning. The shu mai are larger than they used to be (I prefer them on the smaller/daintier side). I also spotted tripe on the steamed dumpling cart, the server didn't offer it to us, but gave it to me when I asked - it was a little on the bland side, I prefer the spicier tripe. I'm not sure if they used to have tripe or not. About halfway through, a waiter came by with a big glossy poster of dim sum dishes that I guess need to be special ordered. We got fish balls, shrimp crepe, and the shrimp-eggplant from that menu instead of the cart. I did see jellyfish with tendon on the octopus cart, but we didn't get it. Sat Oct 31 18:45:32 -0700 2009 4519972 165833 lotuseedpaste 2 5146677 Awesome, thanks for the update. I remember thinking the same thing about the shu mai. The tripe they had before is the same version as they have now. I haven't gone on the weekend since the changes and when i went the selection was pretty limited with no poster. We'll have to try back on the weekend soon Sun Nov 01 08:19:13 -0800 2009 5145960 91772 liveloveat34