Nuclear family fusion: Golden Stix Chinese Restaurant

For Jason San, owning a successful Chinese-fusion restaurant in Conifer is a family affair, one that involves a hearty helping of all foods Asian.

Opened in January, Golden Stix Chinese Restaurant, at 25567 Conifer Road, Unit 105, features a variety of freshly made Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Hunan and Vietnamese food. Though it offers both dine-in and take-out, there’s no rush to eat and leave at the Golden Stix.

“With the full belly, life’s a little more relaxed,” San said.

San, 30, of Littleton was born in Hong Kong and came to America at age 6. He alternates easily between his diverse worlds: ancient Oriental medicine cures for a cold and downloading software updates for his trendy cell phone. But San’s passion is for all things that can be done well.

“That drive keeps burning, and makes you want to strive and go for perfection,” San said, “especially when you have an expectation of where you’re going to go. (The restaurant) far exceeded my expectations.”

San’s father and uncles have 40 years of culinary experience among them, and they created the menu and prepare the food. San says he pretty much stays out of the kitchen.

His previous jobs in sales gave him the entrepreneurial background, and he learned a basic formula: keep up the quality, keep up the service, create the right ambience, and people will come — and come back. The restaurant has eight tables and seats about 30, and the décor is a mix of Asian culture, complete with Buddha and bamboo, and has a dash of modernity in the gold-flecked walls.

“It might be small, but it’s cozy,” he said.

San sees a lot of potential in the restaurant’s location on the east end of the King Soopers shopping center. He thinks the area could become a social center for young people. San, a former Los Angeles resident, was surprised to find there’s no movie theater or bowling alley in Conifer.

Right now, his biggest challenge as owner of a Conifer restaurant is to get people to try his food, though they might not be accustomed to the fusion taste.

The menu encompasses a world of Asian favorites: soups, appetizers and entrees such as Mongolian Madness, Incredible Curry, Goodies in Garlic, Sesame Sensations, and Sweet and Sour Delight. San said meals are prepared with fresh vegetables and meats cooked to order and prepared with very little oil and a minimum of monosodium glutamate. The restaurant does not yet have a liquor license.

Rose Bradford of Morrison ordered take-out and carried her order in a traditional brown paper bag. She said she’s been to the restaurant a few times, and the extra-spicy Pad Thai is her favorite.

“The food is fresh and great,” Bradford said. “I give it a 10.”

San said his favorite dish is the sesame chicken, and he’s proud of the recipes created by his family.

“When you bite into it, you actually get chicken, not just oil and batter,” he said. “It’s sweet with a hint of spice.”

For San, the Golden Stix menu is a wonder of tastes and choices, and he’s proud to serve what he calls the best Chinese food in Conifer.

“I’m not here to change the world with this little restaurant,” San said. “But I want to create a sense of comfort, and people can just relax and enjoy the experience.”

This story ran in the September 15, 2010 edition of the High Timber Times