Tse Ming Wang, the “elder” of his eponymous, beloved Lao Wang Noodle House in Denver, died on Wednesday at the age of 76.
Wang’s family announced the news over social media to patrons and fans of their small South Federal Boulevard restaurant. They said he “peacefully passed away” in the morning.
“Most of you knew him from the restaurant, and know that his passion for making great food matched his fire for life,” Wang’s son Danny wrote . “While he may be gone, we have plans to carry forward his legacy and continue on. We’ll be helping mom out in the kitchen in the short term while we figure out how to best honor what dad had created for so many of you to enjoy.”
Tse Wang’s lasting 22-year business has become a staple among Denver restaurants, inviting patrons into an unassuming shopping center dining room for steamed xiao long bao (also known as soup dumplings), dan dan noodles, potstickers and more Chinese comfort foods.
While Wang had brought many of the restaurant’s family recipes to Denver, his wife Chun shares “chef duties,” according to their son, Danny. “The food’s not going to change, period,” he said.
Prior to opening the Noodle House, Tse Wang had lived around the world in China and Taiwan, but also Denmark, the Netherlands and Bolivia. He bred show dogs and built furniture in addition to cooking and running a business.
“Hopefully soon there will be some kind of news coming from us,” Danny Wang said about developments to his family’s two-decades-old restaurant. “But we intend to keep the food and Lao Wang legacy obviously in Denver for a good time to come.”
Danny and his wife Emily continue to work in the food and beverage industry as well. They run a quality control business for breweries called Fermly, and they’ve recently collaborated with Jade Mountain Brewing to re-release a .
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Lao Wang will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday as the family makes arrangements, they told guests. They have where supporters can donate money for “medical and mortuary costs.” But the Noodle House will reopen for regular service on Friday.
“Dad’s got a hell of a legacy here in Denver,” Danny Wang said, “and we intend to absolutely honor it.”
