Best Tofu Menu for Non-Vegetarians 2024 | Tofu Story | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Best Tofu Menu for Non-Vegetarians

Tofu Story

Molly Martin

In Korea and throughout Asia, tofu provides different textural elements (depending on the firmness and preparation), and it's an inexpensive way to add nutrients to a dish — even one that contains animal proteins. At Tofu Story, a Korean eatery from restaurateur JW Lee's Seoul Restaurant Group, tofu rises from the position of simple filler to the main attraction. You'll even walk past a "tofu lab" at the front of the dining room, where rectangles of glistening white soy are magically rendered from the liquid of pale beans. Your best bet, whether you want meat or not, is the soon tofu, a spicy red stew loaded with options that range from kimchi and mushrooms to cured pork products and shrimp. It's time to tell a new story about tofu.

Best Late-Night Pho on Federal

Now Pho

Courtesy Now Pho

After taking over Pho Le, changing the name and finalizing a deal to buy the building in March 2020, Toan Le and Nhan Tran forged through the pandemic, but knew they wanted to make some improvements. In January 2023, Now Pho closed for six months, getting a remodel in the process and a revamped menu with plenty of additions beyond pho (though it does that very well). We love the rice cake omelet (bot chien), the specialty soups like bun bo Hue and the new boba tea choices, and we especially love that we can get them late — until 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, which is later than any other pho joint on Federal.

Best New Restaurant in a Convenience Store

Conu's Corner Cafe and Banh Mi Sandwiches

Molly Martin

Thuc-Nhu "Nhu" Hoang and her husband, Huy Pham, signed the lease for this spot in 2019, intending to open a coffee and sandwich shop. But faced with pandemic-related delays, they kept the business afloat by running it as a convenience store called Conu's Corner — and it continues to sell lottery tickets and stock the shelves with snacks and household items, only now it also has a food menu that includes pho, rice and noodle bowls, springs rolls and the highlight, banh mi sandwiches on rolls that are made in-house and are the perfect vehicle for the also housemade mayo and pickled veggies that accompany choices like char siu barbecue pork and pâté.

Best Non-Traditional Hamburger

NBX Asian Cuisine

Mark Antonation

China lays claim to the world's oldest hamburger, also known as a roujiamo, which dates back more than 2,000 years. You could dispute the use of the word "hamburger," but it's more fun to think of teenagers in ancient China wearing paper short-order-cook hats speedily filling orders at whatever passed for a drive-thru back then. At NBX, a chef-driven Chinese eatery with a short but intriguing menu of regional specialties from Shandong and Sichuan provinces (among others), the pace is more relaxed, and the Chinese hamburger (as it's called on the menu) takes the form of a housemade bun that's somewhere between a croissant and an English muffin, split and loaded with seasoned ground beef. It's a simple preparation, but the bun is light and delicate, and the meat holds layers of complex flavors.

Best Bar Snack in a Chinese Restaurant

Bistro King Asian Restaurant

Mark Antonation

Bistro King is one of those timeless neighborhood joints that seems to have always been there, and its menu of typical American-Chinese dishes interspersed with a little Thai, Vietnamese and even sushi does nothing to help it stand out. But last year, a new menu all in Mandarin appeared, giving in-the-know seekers of Sichuan specialties a new destination. Among the noodles and hot pots, something different lurks: jinsha corn. This dish would sell well at any bar, where salty, savory snacks are just the right foil for cold beers. Also called golden sand corn, it's a mound of wok-fried corn kernels coated in salted egg yolk and light seasonings — and a dusting of sugar, if that's your preference (it should be).

Best Rotating Dumpling Menu

Yuan Wonton

Molly Martin

After many delays, popular dumpling-centric food truck Yuan Wonton finally opened its shared brick-and-mortar in Park Hill in September 2023. Chef/owner Penelope Wong has had to make a lot of adjustments as she settles into the new setup, but the move has been especially great for diners, as the increase in space and team members means that Wong has been able to get even more creative in the kitchen. From tom kha and khao soi dumplings to birria bao buns, we're always excited to try whatever Yuan Wonton has on deck.

Best New Dumpling Restaurant

Nana's Dim Sum & Dumplings

Molly Martin

We're in the midst of a dumpling boom in the metro area, but of all the spots where we've been devouring a wide variety of dough with various fillings, Nana's has proven to be our favorite. It took over the space that was formerly the Fifth String and Old Major in October 2023 and quickly became a hot spot in a neighborhood filled with choices. While you may have to wait for a table and there is a time limit, it's all worth it when you're downing truffle soup buns, jumbo crab rangoons and bite-sized Thumblings. Nana's now has a fast-casual offshoot in Boulder, too, and a brand-new Aurora outpost.

Best Sesame Chicken

Peter's Chinese

Molly Martin

Peter Chan and his eponymous, mostly takeout restaurant have been staples in Congress Park since 1985. While nearly every Chinese American restaurant in the country makes sesame chicken, the version here stands out thanks to a double-frying technique that caramelizes the sauce and results in sticky, crunchy — but never gloppy — chunks of chicken served with rice...and often some good-natured sass from Chan himself.

Best (and Cheapest) All-You-Can-Eat Restaurant

Yuan Palace Mongolian BBQ

Hidden behind a car wash off Arapahoe Road, this Mongolian barbecue restaurant offers heaps of food at an unbeatable price: all-you-can-eat lunch for $13.95 and dinner for $18.95. The single-location, family-run business stands out from the HuHot and BD's chains in the state, providing higher-quality food in a more low-key atmosphere. But don't worry: Your dinner still comes with a show, as the chefs cook your meal in front of you on a sizzling griddle. After decades in business, Yuan Palace has become a beloved institution for those in the know.

Best Strip Mall Thai Food

Suvipa Thai Food

Tucked away amid the seemingly endless Vietnamese and Chinese options on South Federal lies Suvipa Thai Food, one of the best bets in the city for authentic Southeast Asian cuisine. While some may find the furnishings a tad modest, there's something comforting about seeing fresh herbs and peppers growing in the front window. Celebrating a decade of capsaicin-rich green papaya salads and perfectly rendered pork belly in the pad kana moo krob, owner Banthawan Glode hasn't changed much since opening in 2014. And she hasn't needed to, because the flavors speak for themselves.

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