Best Banh Mi (Vietnamese Sandwich)
New Saigon Bakery and Deli
640 S. Federal Blvd, Denver, CO 80219
newsaigon.com | @newsaigonbakery
Located in the heart of Denver’s Vietnamese community, New Saigon® Bakery and Deli was established in 2012, specializing in banh mi sandwiches and food to go such as pâté chaud, a savory puff pastry, bánh bao, a bun containing pork or chicken meat, onions, eggs, mushrooms and vegetables, and other pastries and cakes. Be sure to try their top-selling sandwich, the grilled lemongrass pork banh mi and get a cup of Vietnamese iced coffee to go!
Honorable mentions: 1) Baker’s Palace; 2) 5280 Banh Mi and Grill
Best Pho
Pho Duy
925 S Federal Blvd, Denver, CO 80011
phoduyrestaurant.com
For years, Pho Duy and Pho 95 have sat at the top for the best pho in Denver. This year, Pho Duy reigns. If you are craving a bowl of warm and savory pho, Pho Duy always hits the spot! Delicious soup, tender meat, and a variety of options, Pho Duy has all the essentials you need to survive this pandemic as well as the cold winter months ahead!
Honorable mentions:
1) Pho 95; 2) Now Pho
Best Dumplings
Mason’s Dumpling Shop
9655 E Montview Blvd, Aurora, CO 80010
masonsdumplingshop.com | @masonsdumplingshop_co
Mason’s Dumpling’s story started in California, where the owner opened their first store in LA in 2001. At the beginning of 2018, the couple expanded to Highland Park, Colo., naming their new eatery Mason’s Dumpling Shop after their son. The new store in Colorado continues the tradition of hand making each dumpling from scratch and bringing delicious food to all dumpling lovers throughout the Denver metro. The menu includes boiled dumplings, steam dumplings, and pan fried dumplings as well as other delicious noodles and rice dishes.
Honorable mentions:
1) Yuan Wonton; 2) Uncle Zoe’s Chinese Kitchen
Best Sushi
Sushi Den
1487 S. Pearl St., Denver, CO 80210
sushiden.net | @sushidendenver
Opened on Christmas Eve 1984, and celebrating 36 years, Sushi Den continues to set the standard for high-quality seafood and is on the cutting-edge of Japanese cuisine. Prior to the pandemic, the restaurant served an average of 700 guests daily. Currently, the dine-in service is open by reservation and walk-in at Sushi Den. Sushi Den provides lunch and dinner take-out menus and they are also accepting online orders up to 5 days in advance.
Honorable mentions:
1) Uchi Denver 2) Izu Sushi
Best Dim Sum
Star Kitchen
2917 W Mississippi Ave Ste 5, Denver, CO 80219
starkitchenseafooddimsum.com
Ask any long-time Denver resident for their favorite dim sum restaurant and nine times out of ten they will say Star Kitchen. In fact, during Chinese New Year, this restaurant is packed with diners from all over metro Denver and the surrounding suburbs. It is common to experience two-hour wait times on weekends to get your favorite shrimp balls, pork shu mai, and turnip cakes. Dine-in and take out are currently available at Star Kitchen, so stop by and pick up your go-to dim sum items, which are just as delicious when heated up at home!
Honorable mentions:
1) Super Star Asian Cuisine ； 2) Empress Seafood Restaurant
Best Ramen
Katsu Ramen
1930 S Havana St #4, Aurora, CO 80014
ramendenver.com | @katsuramen_co
As the traditional Japanese ramen spot of Aurora, Katsu Ramen offers steamy and rich broth with fresh made noodles and an authentic Japanese experience in every bite. All of the food is authentically prepared by an experienced Japanese chef from Osaka, Japan. They also offer rice bowls, poke bowls, rice balls and other delicious appetizers. Now serving Japanese sakes, beers, and cocktails, enjoy a lunch or dinner meal from Katsu Ramen to go!
Honorable mentions:
1) Ajinoya Ramen; 2) Tokio ; 3) Uncle
Best Hot Pot
Seoul Korean BBQ & Hot Pot
2080 S. Havana Street, Aurora, CO 80014
seoulkoreanbbq.com | @seoul.koreanbbq
For many years, Seoul Korean BBQ has lured diners, who love Korean dishes and sushi. Seoul Korean BBQ has won many awards for best of Korean cuisine in Aurora. Last year, Seoul Korean BBQ began providing All You Can Eat Hot Pot, which includes a variety of meats, fresh seafood, noodles and vegetables. They have quickly become our readers’ favorite hot pot spot, which some even say they love more than their KBBQ! The experience is different than other hot pot locations in that you serve yourself versus having toppings brought to you (pre-pandemic). Seoul Korean BBQ & Hot Pot now offers dine-in, delivery and pick-up options.
Honorable Mentions:
1) Aki Asian Hot Pot 2) The Bronze Empire
Best Seafood & Crawfish Boil
The Yabby Hut
3355 S Yarrow St, Lakewood, CO 80227
yabbyhut.com | @yabbyhut
The Yabby Hut is a place to relax, scream for your favorite sports team with a beer in hand alongside with friends and family (pre-pandemic). Decked out their genuine fisherman gear, this casual restaurant has a unique bayside theme and food. Specialized in crawfish, their one-of-a-kind Cajun seasoning gives a little twist to your taste buds that is irresistible. With a twist of the bayside theme and traditional Philippines way of eating food (everything with bare hands and fingers), the good ol’ day is back in action. Ordering The Yabby Hut to go and getting excited for your seafood boil is just as exciting at home!
Honorable Mentions:
1) The Crawling Crab 2) The Asian Cajun
Best Korean Soup
Seoul Korean BBQ & Hot Pot
2080 S. Havana Street, Aurora, CO 80014
seoulkoreanbbq.com | @seoul.koreanbbq
Not only voted as best hot pot, Seoul Korean BBQ & Hot Pot also won the Best Korean Soup this year (a new category)! Seoul offers over 13 different soup and stew dishes including some of the most traditional ones such as Doenjang-Jjige, Kimchi-Jjige, Mandu-guk, and Soon-tofu. Definitely try out their Korean soup the next time you are enjoying your BBQ there!
Honorable Mentions:
1) Tofu House 2) DAE GEE Korean BBQ
Best Indian
Monsoon Cuisine of India
Monsoon Cuisine of India
24107 E Commons Ave, Aurora, CO 80016
monsoonsouthlands.com
Monsoon Cuisine of India remains faithful to the eatery’s Indian roots by wholeheartedly embracing the country’s bold, age-old cooking techniques and by using fresh, preservative-free ingredients, with no artificial flavors or food coloring. Simple-old fashioned great tasting favorites executed with over years of combined experience under one roof-making for a delicious traditional Indian meal served in a contemporary setting.
Honorable Mentions:
1) Yak & Yeti 2) Star of India
Best Asian Dessert
SNOWL
1930 S Havana St #5-6, Aurora, CO 80014
snowlcafe.com | @snowl.cafe
Decorated in a boho manner, the interior of SNOWL lures customers to stay and enjoy their dessert. The favorite at SNOWL is taiyaki, a fish-shaped waffle cone filled with ice cream. The menu board shows a wide range of options. Ask for suggestions because it’s hard to decide on which dessert to order!
Honorable mentions:
1) Meet Fresh 2) Milk Rolled Ice Cream