Mile High Asian Food Week returns for its fourth annual iteration this week, and the celebration of food, cultural awareness and restaurants is bigger than it has been before.
on the Front Range are participating in the special week, which runs April 26 to May 3, 2026. Most are offering one-week-only specials, discounts or special and/or secret menu items.
Of note: Kokoro, a Japanese restaurant that has opened and closed various locations over the years, will celebrate its 40th anniversary at its two current spots in south Denver and Arvada by offering 40% off.
Other highlights, according to organizers, include a six-course tasting menu at Chopstix Fusion; a Korean-Mexican Bulgogi Chopped Cheese Torta at Wild Taco; a complimentary Sago Brûlée at the soon-to-open Wellness Counter in Boulder; ube and pandan cake pops at Sweet Thu-th Desserts; and a Korean Cereal Latte at Lilac Coffee.
We picked a few additional deals and items, though, that sounded particularly good. For the full list of vendors and their promotions, go to .
Buns and beers at Ma’s Kitchen Next Door
When Ma’s Kitchen opened last October at 1514 York St., it quickly found fans in dumpling-crazed Denver. So much so that brothers Xi Yong Zheng and Xi Nuan Zheng decided to close Okinawa, a Japanese food staple next door and expand Ma’s Kitchen there as well. Signature dishes include pork buns, shumai, shrimp dumplings, claypot eggplant and Singaporean butter prawns. For Mile High Asian Food Week, Ma’s Kitchen Next Door (not to be confused with Ma’s Kitchen Dim Sum & Bar) will offer a $30 buckets and buns special with four Tsing Tao beers and one order of Ma’s Signature Buns. That will get the party started for sure.
Bo kho quesabirria tacos at Tum Yumz
Tien Luu and Selwyn Hansana opened the Tum Yumz food truck in 2024 to celebrate their roots in Laos, Vietnam and China, but the business serves dishes from all over Southeast Asia. For Mile High Asian Food Week, they are incorporating a little North American cuisine with their special: Bo Kho Tacos, a Vietnamese take on spicy quesabirria tacos. Each order of three tacos comes with a side of bo kho broth. The truck kicks things off on April 27 from 5 to 9 p.m. at Friends on Federal, an annual pop-up hosted by Adobo, 3109 Federal Blvd. Dates at other locations are April 30, May 1, 2 and 3. Go to tumyumz.com for details.
Chaatwala pop-up at MAKfam
Chaat, a northern Indian street food, is the focus of Chaatwala, which Pradyut Bansal and Michelle Buse started in 2023 as a farmers market vendor (they also sell dosas and chutneys). For Mile High Asian Food Week, Chaatwala will hit the road, popping up at a couple of locations before settling down into farmers market season. But the first will be a one-night-only Tangra Takeover on April 29 at MAKfam, 39 W. 1st Ave., Denver, which will feature “the bold, spicy, smoky magic of Indo-Chinese cuisine to the table,” Chaatwala said. “Born in the bustling neighborhood of Tangra, one of India’s oldest Chinatowns nestled in the heart of Kolkata-Indo-Chinese food is a fiery fusion that marries Hakkah techniques with Indian spices and local produce.”
Pig and Tiger’s Mapo Walking Tacos
Denver doesn’t have a lot of late-night menus. So it’s worth pointing out when a restaurant gives it a shot. Pig & Tiger, a modern Taiwanese-focused restaurant that was one of the best new spots to open in Denver in the past year, will offer a sneak peek at its planned “night market” menu on April 30 from 9 p.m. to midnight. Some of the offerings include glazed lamb skewers and zhajiang ragu sloppy Joe’s. But the crowning achievement might be the Mapo Tofu Walking Tacos: a small Fritos bag topped with mushroom mapo, cheddar cheese, onion, cilantro, and Sichuan creme fraiche.
Ca Phe Vietnamese Coffee and Banh Mi
Maybe you’ve tried banh mi, the sandwiches that marry French bread with Vietnamese cuisine. Maybe you even have a favorite spot in Denver. But have you tried Banh Mi Chao? This version is sort of a deconstructed version, where you dip the bread into the toppings rather than layer the toppings between the pieces of bread. Ca Phe Vietnamese Coffee and Banh Mi at 3911 E. 120th Ave., in Thornton, specializes in these sizzling platters — which include fried eggs, pate, sausages and beef — and during Mile High Asian Food Week, you can get three mini sesame balls when you order one. Ca Phe was founded by husband-and-wife Tuan Huynh and Nhu Tran, along with Thanh Huynh.
