Off Menu with Yong Chen of Nana’s Dim Sum and Dumplings

Chef Yong Chen peers over the shoulders of his fellow cooks at work, scrutinizing and approving, then moves down the line to his own station to continue mixing his dough. As head chef at Nana’s Dim Sum and Dumplings in Boulder, he believes the perfect dumpling is about a commitment to exactness. Achieving the perfect texture for the wrapper requires using the precise ratio of water to flour every time. Even the amount of time spent mixing the dough is crucial, so much so the chefs set a timer for each batch.

“The process of making the dough, mixing the water and the flour — it’s always the same ratio that we’re using,” he explained. “How long we need to mix all these — there’s math involved in all of it.”

After filling the wrappings, they go into the steamer, where cooking time becomes equally essential down to the second. “If we take it out too early, then it will be undercooked. If we let it steam for too long, then the meat will be dry,” Chef Chen said.

Walking into Nana’s, diners can immediately see this philosophy in action. The restaurant’s layout stretches deep into the building in an alleyway-like fashion, with the kitchen on one side and tables on the other. Guests can see down the line of chefs working at their delicate art: rolling and shaping dumpling wrappers, filling dumplings, steaming dim sum in large stacked bamboo steamers, pan-frying, monitoring dough rising times, and preparing scratch-made sauces and seasonings.

The challenge of dim sum is maintaining a high standard while working with urgency. The rhythm of the meal is vital, and the efficiency that the cooks have honed to serve large groups carries over seamlessly into this fast-casual setting. It’s quality craftsmanship at pace.

A map of Southern China.Image by: Croquant, licensed under CC A3U.

Chef Chen learned to cook in his home province of Fujian in southern China, where he attended culinary school. Fujian neighbors Guangdong, the province considered the birthplace of dim sum. His first job was at Zhen Xing restaurant in Fujian, where he perfected traditional Chinese dishes.

When asked how Nana’s differs from other typical Chinese restaurants in the U.S., Chef Chen emphasized his respect for the subtlety and quality of ingredients. “We pursue more of a natural taste over the other Chinese restaurants. A lot of [the other’s] stuff is deep fried and overly seasoned, too salty, or too spicy,” he said.

Boulder’s Nana’s is one of three restaurant chain locations, which started in Denver. The first Nana’s opened as an experiment to see how Coloradans would embrace traditional Chinese dim sum. It became a success almost immediately. The Boulder location opened in December 2023 and was the second in the chain, followed by a third in Aurora in March 2024.

This rapid expansion was part of a plan by a group of owner-chefs, including Chen, who spent years perfecting their menu and philosophy. Now, they are implementing their great dumpling vision in the Boulder location and beyond. Everyone involved embraced the calculated risk, bolstered by their confidence in the quality of their food. Chen believes that as long as they continue to make great dim sum, people will recognize it with their taste buds.

Yellow Scene asked Chef Chen what advice he would give aspiring dim sum chefs in America. He chuckled before answering that hard work and stick-to-itiveness are the most important qualities. You need to improve your craft throughout life constantly.

He said, “It mostly comes down to your own determination and willingness to learn, so you can keep improving.”

Staying true to his culinary background has not always been easy, and maintaining authenticity in a new cultural landscape can feel like an uphill battle. Yet, he and the other owners of Nana’s have managed to do just that, and Boulder’s diners are better off for it.