CHINESE CUISINE
WITH FLAIR
Little Ollie’s Asian Restaurant serves fresh dishes the way you like them
by MARGARET MALSAM
Photography KIMBERLY DAWN

When I dined at Little Ollie’s Asian Restaurant in Cherry Creek North, I expected upscale American Chinese food served with flair and an appealing ambience, and that’s what I received.

The atmosphere was bright and inviting. The food was prepared with quality fresh vegetables and generous amounts of tender meats and seafood. All the Asian dishes were tastefully seasoned, not overpowered with heavy spices and sauces. There's no need to request "no MSG" because Little Ollie’s doesn’t use it.

Menu selections are not overly salted, sugared or drenched in oil, but they are tasty and served with efficiency as well as style.

Even their menu items with the “hot and spicy” symbol of a chile pepper are not overly hot. I particularly like their signature light green sweet and sour sauce for the egg rolls, which is very different from the traditional clear reddish sauces at many of Denver’s Chinese restaurants. Little Ollie’s serves its hot mustard and sweet and sour sauces in beautiful oblong ceramic dipping dishes.

Dining on a Saturday proved to be a good time. The restaurant and the streets were comfortably busy but not overcrowded. Parking was a breeze — not always the case on weekdays in Cherry Creek North. We did not have to circle the block several times to find an empty space, but found a convenient coin-operated parking spot for $1 an hour right across the street.

When we walked into Little Ollie’s, we were immediately seated at a table by a window. The sun would have been shining in our faces if not for the elegant opalescent window shades adorned with black and grey Chinese motifs. They block the full sun, but allow lots of cheerful light into this restaurant, where shiny black granite tabletops and counters accent the chic decor. A purple ceiling and bright splashes of modern art on the walls add a sleek, modern look. The outdoor patio has suspended lighting that casts a subtle glow.

Our first surprise was finding only one hot tea choice on the menu when my friend tried to order a traditional orange pekoe/black or herbal tea. Our waitress was very polite and suggested we have a soft drink instead, but we settled for their house green jasmine tea that tasted very good steeped in a heavy black cast iron pot on our table. We also could have ordered wine, as the restaurant has an extensive wine list featuring many California wines, Chinese plum wine and French and Italian wines.

For an appetizer, we opted for their fried Chinese dumplings ($4.95). They were steamed dumplings that had been lightly browned (not deep fried) on each side and filled with tender, lightly seasoned pork. The soy dipping sauce was pleasantly sweet. Underneath the parsley garnish on the appetizer plate were thinly sliced pieces of marinated ginger — a refreshing complement to the dumplings.

While waiting for our entrées, I chatted with a well-dressed woman sitting next to our table. She told me she comes nearly every Saturday to Little Ollie’s. For an appetizer, she ordered Peking Duck Salad ($7.95), which has warm duck — not the usual crispy duck— mixed with lots of fluffy fancy greens. She told us that she also likes their crispy Peking duck as an entrée. For her main course that day, she feasted on Black Pepper Tenderloin ($18.95), which was elegantly heaped high on a beautiful white square plate with black trim. “I always ask them to\ leave the jalapeño out," she said.

She added that usually she puts in a special order. “I really like their chicken chow mein, but it’s not on the menu,” she explained. “It’s delicious and full of chicken, onions and celery, and I ask for the chow mein noodles served on the side.” She added that Little Ollie’s will prepare almost any special Chinese dish on request.

Next we were served our soups. My friend had the hot and sour soup, and she said it was not too spicy. The hot mustard dipping sauce also was not super hot. I enjoyed my egg drop soup, which had the bonus of tiny pieces of corn and chopped tomatoes.

Our entrées arrived shortly after the waitress had removed our appetizer plates. My signature shrimp and fried rice entrée ($7.95 on the menu) was served in an attractive mound on a round plate. The fried rice, seasoned to my liking, was filled with medium-sized shrimp, plus generous bits of scrambled eggs, peas, corn and carrots.

My friend’s Kung Pao Chicken ($7.95 on the menu) had the traditional spicy chicken with fresh Chinese vegetables and peanuts, plus a nice extra: baby asparagus. Even though the entrée was marked “hot and spicy” (as many of the menu choices were), my friend remarked that it was not overly hot except for the tiny hot red peppers.

Our entrées were quite generous. We asked for a take-home box, thinking we would save room for dessert. When I asked for a dessert menu, however, the waitress said, “Sorry, we don’t have desserts.” Later she explained that they just did not have room in their kitchen to prepare desserts.

Our visit ended happily with crisp traditional fortune cookies graciously served on a pretty plate.

Little Ollie's is owned and operated by Charlie Huang. Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from noon till 10 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Reservations are taken for parties of six or more. Delivery and takeout are available during these hours. Happy hour is 3 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday

Little Ollie’s Asian Restaurant
2364 E. Third Ave.
(303) 316-8888
www.ufeedme.com/littleollies