Asian street food abounds in Denver, though most of it isn’t served on the street at all – it’s served at tables. But it shares one thing with real street food: It’s cheap. We love that. Here are some of our favorites.
Taste of Thailand
504 E. Hampden Ave., 303-762-9112
Pad Thai, a dish that rose to prominence from the street-cart vendors in Bangkok after World War II, is usually one of the weakest dishes on any American Thai restaurant menu: gummy, tasteless and overfilling.
But the version at Taste of Thailand features beautifully cooked noodles and super-fresh fixins (many pulled fresh from their backyard garden, which really kicks in this time of year) with plenty of spice. Make sure you hit it with a squeeze from your lime wedge to kick everything up.
A great alternative to the strip of Thai food chains in town, and a great lunch for the folks at Swedish Medical Center. Delivery, too.
Ha Noi
1036 S. Federal Blvd. between West Tennessee and West Mississippi avenues, 303-975-0919
This city is lousy with restaurants serving pho, the popular Vietnamese soup (traditionally served street-side) filled with meat, vegetables, herbs and a heady, spicy-rich broth.
Most have names like Pho 76 or Pho 358 or Pho 83,252 and most are just fine, if not great. Not so Ha Noi, which boasts an excellent broth and a pile of add-in vegetables that includes purple basil, Vietnamese coriander, banana blossom, jalapeño and lime.
Super Star Asian
2200 W. Alameda Ave., next to Pacific Ocean International Market, 303-727-9889
Dim sum is the name of the game at Super Star Asian, where the constantly circulating cart has taro cakes, short ribs, shu mai dumplings, chicken feet … and a whole bunch of stuff that may be barely recognizable but is unquestionably delicious.
Come midafternoon on a Sunday to avoid the ubiquitous brunch-time rush at every other restaurant in town, and plan to stay a couple of hours, grazing your way through the menu as you go.
Vinh Xuong
375 S. Federal Blvd. in strip mall just north of Alameda, 303-922-4968
There may be no more delicious thing in the world than a banh mi, a French-Vietnamese mash-up take on the hero that piles pork, ham, pickled vegetables, jalapeño, and cilantro leaves on a fresh yeasty baguette that’s been generously slathered with salted butter.
Add to the fact that it’s made fresh (no pre-fab sandwiches here), and you walk out for less than 5 bucks, including an ice-cold soda. Grab a few, call your friends and stage a picnic at your favorite park.
Yoisho
7236 E. Colfax Ave. at Quebec Street, 303-322-6265
Most Japanese food in Denver focuses on sushi, but Yoisho, an unassuming mom-and-pop shop on East Colfax in spitting distance of Lowry, is a solid reminder that there’s more to the story than raw fish.
Choose the Gyoza dumplings, crispy-fried pockets of beef, pork or vegetables served with salty-soy dipping sauce. Or, choose the hiya-yakko, squares of fresh soft tofu with a bracing soy-ginger drizzle. And wing fans will love the mustardy sauce that comes with the savory barbecued drums.
