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reviewed on August 24, 2007

Like everything that impacts our lives, I can still remember clearly the first time I had dim sum at a Chinese restaurant in Los Angeles’ Chinatown. And ever since that fateful day, I’ve never missed an opportunity to indulge in these wonderful little tidbits of Asian delight. I’ve had good, and I’ve had bad, and I’ve eaten things that were totally unidentifiable, which was probably a good thing. Dim sum in Denver, for some reason, has always required a bit of searching, and in other parts of the metro, it’s not found at all. So I was tickled to learn that Mee Yee Lin, a restaurant specializing in dim sum had relocated from West Alameda and Federal to Aurora.

Don’t go expecting anything fancy. Mee Yee Lin is a simple storefront eatery on the northwest corner of Iliff and Chambers. While it’s a very pleasant place with glass-covered tablecloths and comfy booths, you won’t find yourself exclaiming over the décor. But don’t let that lack of ambiance fool you—this is one of the best places for dim sum we’ve found in the city.

Dim sum is great fun when you get to pick your dishes from a stainless steel trolley—sort of like a rolling buffet. But, like all buffets, trolleys only work when you have a large, crowded dining room so the food turns quickly. In a small restaurant like Mee Yee Lin, you’re far better off knowing the food is being prepared as you order it. There are around ninety dim sum selections, some, like Spicy Pig Ear and Chicken Feet in Black Bean Sauce, definitely aimed at an Asian clientele. And they range in price, spread evenly across a range from less than $2 to $9.

And so we began the process of picking and choosing, knowing we couldn’t try everything and, actually, we ended up with about seven—maybe it was eight—dishes before we could eat no more. The nice thing about dim sum is that the portions are small, so if you really don’t care for something, you know that in a few bites it will be gone. The bad thing is that the portions are small, so if something is really great you end up wishing for more. One thing is that you never get bored with what you’re eating because there is so much variety. So, we consumed, among others, wonderful split jalapenos stuffed with a spicy ground shrimp mixture, fabulous egg rolls, incredible steamed buns wrapped around Chinese sausage, a quarter of a duck done Chinese style, and a huge plate of crunchy Chinese broccoli.

If you’re not up for dim sum Mee Yee Lin also offers a full Chinese menu with the usual array of dishes on it, and one thing you must try is their chrysanthemum tea. But, if you're unfamiliar with dim sum, this is the perfect place to begin.

Mee Yee Lin
2295 S. Chambers Rd. (NW corner of Iliff and Chambers)
303-368-8881