I’ve had Chinese food on the brain lately. Luckily, this city has a plethora of Chinese restaurants—everything from super Americanized to extremely authentic. We’ve sampled our fair share of takeout spots close to where we live but this weekend I wanted to try something new. There are a handful of Chinese restaurants that have pretty stellar reputations, and sort of like throwing a dart at a map, I asked Colin which part of the city he did or didn’t feel like driving to, which would determine which spot I chose.

It was a narrow race but Cherry Creek’s Fortune Wok to Table won our Friday evening dinner date location. The space is small and there are no reservations, so a little bit of a wait wasn’t a surprise. Killing time walking around the shops and restaurants of Cherry Creek (bonus points for the holiday lights now strung up) was an easy solution.

I hadn’t heard much yet about this place, aside from the friendly employee at a recent PR visit to a local cocktail bar. He subtly raved about the food, noting he got takeout on his breaks at least once a week. That, to me, says a lot about a place—the return (or inability to resist is maybe more accurate phrasing) and reliability. Two things that score big when I hear word-of-mouth reviews.

Another great part about Fortune Wok to Table is that the menu is simple. Dumplings. Shanghai Street Noodles. Seasonal Plates. Drinks on drinks on drinks. The wine menu is pretty solid for a small place, and ordering a bottle to share with the table while also sharing whatever food you ordered seems pretty customary.

Pork dumplings were first on our list to try, and I’m thankful for our server who, when I asked if he suggested steamed or fried, said “fried” without an ounce of hesitation. They were perfectly crispy and packed full of flavor, served with a soy-vinegar sauce that was just tart and tangy enough to be a superstar on its own and still perfectly complemented the dumplings.

We’re both suckers for good noodles, so the Shanghai Street Noodles were must-haves. I chose shrimp for my protein, Colin went for the beef. Both were equally good and let me just say: those noodles are something else. Out fast, perfectly hot—straight from the wok with no “hang out on the counter” time—and a flavor and texture that I haven’t yet experienced. The noodles are thin, wiggly, and light on the tongue. The flavor has that not too sweet and not too salty soy flavor of perfect stir fry. The service was great and again, this is a simple place. Show up, order, enjoy. There’s something really enjoyable about that premise.

And obviously, we will be back. I’ve got to test out some other places first, but definitely heading back. Probably many, many times.