Best Banh Mi 2016 | Vinh Xuong Bakery II | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Best Banh Mi

Vinh Xuong Bakery II

Molly Martin

It's hard to find a good lunch special that's a true bang for your buck, but Vinh Xuong Bakery manages to leave customers with a full belly and a still-full wallet. For just $4.50, expert banh mi artists will slice a full loaf of French bread in half and fill it with pickled vegetables and your choice of grilled pork, barbecued pork, chicken, ham, pork meatball or a combination thereof, all to make the perfect Vietnamese sandwich. On weekends and special occasions, duck, tofu and brisket make the menu, too. Vietnamese iced coffee pairs perfectly with the banh mi; the sweet concoction is only $3 for a regular size, or it can be super-sized for $5 for people looking for an instant energy boost. Stretch your dollar and your appetite at Vinh Xuong, located in the northwest corner of Alameda Square Shopping Center.

Best Sushi Bar

Sushi Den

Sushi Den

Year after year, Sushi Den owners Yasu and Toshi Kizaki not only rise to the challenge of serving the freshest fish in town, but they also continue to innovate to exceed customers' already high expectations. That means serving in-season seafood from coastal and international waters, whether it's scallops shipped live from Boston, the best wild salmon from Alaska and Scotland, or glistening specimens still pristine from the cold waters off Japan. Beyond the simplicity of carefully sliced sushi and sashimi, there are also smart creations and reimaginings, like a wild yellowtail roll topped with black truffle, or kara-age (Japanese fried chicken) made with monkfish instead of the standard poultry. Each visit to the South Pearl shrine of sushi reaffirms that the Kizaki brothers still know how to put the Den in Denver.

Readers' choice: Sushi Den

Best Octopus

Bar Dough

Molly Martin

Like bone marrow and foie gras, octopus divides people into two camps: those who hate it, and those who can't get enough. Regardless of which category you're in, run, don't walk, to Bar Dough, where Max MacKissock's Sicilian-inspired preparation will have everyone singing this cephalopod's praises. True, you might never get over the look of those creepy arms, but trust us, you'll still love the octopus itself, which arrives tender, not rubbery, with a hint of char from mesquite and a cheery dose of lemon. Accented with charred eggplant, caponata and a pistachio-celery salad that does wonders for the plate's overall texture, the dish is a natural lead-in to whatever follows, be it braised lamb shank or pizza.

Best Oysters

Stoic & Genuine

Danielle Lirette

A fresh, ice-cold oyster served with nothing but its own liquor is a wondrous treat, somehow both elegant and primitive from the moment you tip the shell to your lips. Union Station's bivalve boutique teems with life and energy like a tropical reef, even if the star of the platter comes from chillier waters to the north. Sample the house specials: the bright and briny Stoic from Long Island, or the lush Genuine from Totten Inlet, Washington — each raised especially for the restaurant. Other varieties come and go like the tides, but they're all impeccably presented. Even an oyster can be dressed up for a night out, as the kitchen proves with fancy toppings, from frozen Aperol or lychee-sake granitas to a classic champagne mignonette.

Readers' choice: Jax Fish House

Best Oyster Treatment

Nocturne

Courtesy of Nocturne

Oysters don't really need anything, but when a good one shows up adorned with just the right flavors, it can be a beautiful thing. The oyster dish at Nocturne, the new jazz and supper club in RiNo, hits just the right notes. Its light cornmeal coating melds nicely with the accompanying slightly sweet and dense sorghum cake, which in turn balances out the savory elements in a drizzle of parsley purée, a tangy remoulade and a sweet-tart smoked-tomato jam. The better-than-the-sum-of-its-parts dish is currently being offered as part of the "Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five" tasting menu at this creative and vibrant spot, but Nocturne will let you order it separately. Either way, it's a shell of a good idea.

Best Japanese Restaurant

Ototo

It almost seems unfair, after successes with Sushi Den and Izakaya Den on South Pearl Street, that the Kizaki brothers could score another hit with the resurrected Ototo, which returned last year after a three-year hiatus and a conceptual update that impresses with its traditional, well-defined menu of small plates and robatoyaki — skewers grilled over oak and mesquite coals. Start with simple grilled vegetables and move on to skewered chicken wings, wagyu beef or short ribs. For the more adventurous, there's whole grilled squid, a choice of chicken hearts or duck gizzards, and ichayaboshi — semi-dried fish that receives a flavorful char from the white-hot coals. Raw-bar selections show the expected masterful Den touch, and a list of rare sakes provides a perfect sip for each bite. This Platt Park corner stop has become a launch point for a journey into Japanese cuisine.

Readers' choice: Domo

Best Chinese Restaurant

Super Star Asian Cuisine

Cassandra Kotnik

Super Star is a beacon in west Denver for those seeking a weekend dim sum banquet, and the endless parade of rattling carts stacked with dumplings, pastries and other nibbles certainly won't disappoint. While the kitchen shines with shumai and turns out tempting turnip cakes during daytime hours, a visit during dinner proves that its ability to impress doesn't end when the carts stop circling. Instead, things just get better. You can't go wrong with anything from the sea, including what might be the city's most complete list of abalone preparations, as well as the live-tank specials and a beautiful lobster in XO sauce. Bubbling clay pots filled with complex stews and family dinners featuring whole Peking duck and steamed fish — among many other traditional preparations — mean that you can share a quiet dinner for two or head over with the whole clan for a blow-out celebration. Ask for the Chinese menu for even more options; the staff is happy to translate.

Readers' choice: Star Kitchen

Best Dim Sum

King's Land

West Alameda Avenue near South Federal Boulevard is the Promised Land for seekers of dim sum. Among the many options, King's Land stands out for variety, quality and efficiency. The cavernous space can easily hold 300 people, so even a busy Saturday service runs smoothly, with plenty of food for all on the train of carts emerging from the kitchen and winding between tables. Beyond the standard har gao, shumai and pork buns — all of which are impeccable — top choices include sticky rice steamed in lotus leaves, savory taro-root croquettes and unctuous chicken feet in black-bean sauce. Go with a big group so you can experience a wide range of flavors and styles, and give in to wave after wave of food. And if something you were looking for doesn't make its way to your table, all you have to do is ask.

Readers' choice: Star Kitchen

Best Vietnamese Restaurant

New Saigon

Mark Manger

Nearly thirty years of serving a vast selection of dishes from a phone book-sized menu can take its toll on a restaurant, so in 2014, husband-and-wife owners Thai Nguyen and Ha Pham sold their beloved Vietnamese eatery, with plans to enjoy retirement. But they missed the daily bustle of the South Federal spot so much that they bought the place back last year and gave both the dining room and the menu an overhaul. Their renewed vigor can be tasted in Pham's cooking, in old favorites like the build-your-own rice-paper platters mounded with grilled pork, beef, shrimp and fresh, verdant greens, and in newer dishes on the specials chalkboard for fans of traditional Vietnamese cooking. Renewed attention to service was also a part of the reboot, meaning dinner comes with professional courtesy, patience and attentiveness worthy of the stellar food. An old favorite is back again and better than ever.

Readers' choice: New Saigon

Best Noodle Bar

Osaka Ramen

Katie Knoch

Ramen has never been more popular in Denver than it was last year, with restaurateur Jeff Osaka's two tidy noodle taverns — one in RiNo and one in Cherry Creek — leading the charge. No matter which of the two you visit, you'll be greeted by rich, steaming bowls loaded with springy noodles (courtesy of the illustrious Sun Noodle Company) in a variety of traditional styles. Choose from two lighter chicken broths, a meatless version based on Thai green curry, or something a little more porky, like the milky tonkotsu, loaded with so much meaty depth that it's almost like a liquid pork chop. And while ramen is the ringleader here, small plates of sesame green beans, okonomiyaki French fries and mochi doughnuts might stop your slurping long enough for you to sample the non-noodle noshes.

Readers' choice: Uncle

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