Popular Food Truck Pho King Rapidos Moving Into Avanti Denver

It's also gearing up to open a brick-and-mortar in Park Hill with Yuan Wonton and Sweets & Sourdough.

April 18, 2023

Image: Look for the big blue bear to find some pho poutine.

Look for the big blue bear to find some pho poutine. Courtesy of Pho King Rapidos

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In 2020, a new food truck hit the streets, wrapped with an image of a big blue bear wearing a crown and a thick gold chain. Long Nguyen and Shauna Seaman's Pho King Rapidos quickly gained a loyal following and snagged the award for Best Food Truck in the Best of Denver 2021, thanks to its fun spin on Vietnamese cuisine with Mexican and New York City influences — think lemongrass chicken over rice with "NYC chicken cart white sauce" and Szechuan chili crisp, a chopped cheese and a pho banh mi.

Now, Pho King Rapidos is gearing up to make two big moves. The truck is on pause because it's moving into Avanti Denver at 3200 Pecos Street, where it will debut on May 9. It's also teamed up with Yuan Wonton owner Penelope Wong and Sweets and Sourdough, an artisan bakery owned by Rachel Elkon and Amy Patterson, on a brick-and-mortar in Park Hill. The group is currently finalizing that project, which is expected to open soon as well.

click to enlarge

The pho banh mi from Pho King Rapidos.

Courtesy of Pho King Rapidos

“When we started the food truck in 2020, it was always a goal to transition to a brick-and-mortar location, and opening at Avanti is a great stepping stone,” Long says. “Our menu at Avanti will be very similar to what we’ve been serving out of the food truck, but now we can offer more noodle dishes and small plates. We are looking forward to being able to serve more guests on a regular basis and offer more creative menu items.”

Pho King Rapidos is taking over the stall that previously housed Meta Asian Kitchen, which is now serving at LoDo's haunted bar Honor Farm and planning to open its own brick-and-mortar location called MAKFam in Baker later this year.

To celebrate the moves, Pho King Rapidos will be a special pop-up guest at Meta Asian Kitchen's Honor Farm launch party on April 29. The event will take place from 5 to 8 p.m., and you can RSVP to attend online.

Also moving into Avanti Denver is Amá Modern Mexican, which is taking over the Vaca Gordo Tacos spot. This is the next evolution of food trailer Family Meal Co., which owners and life partners Emily Rabenneck and Martin Campos launched in 2021. Amá will debut on May 2 and will serve handcrafted tacos with fillings like fried hot chicken, seared garlic shrimp, roasted pork belly and tempura sweet potato, along with bowls and a grilled mixed plate.

Bottom line: A trip to Avanti should definitely be on your May calendar.

Molly Martin has been the Food & Drink editor at Westword since 2021. Prior to joining the staff, Molly reported on the Denver dining scene for more than a decade and contributed to Thrillist. At Westword, Molly monitors restaurant openings and closings, offers dining recommendations and reports on Denver-area food news and trends. She also publishes such annual lists as Top 100 Bars and Top 100 Restaurants, and contributes to the yearly Best of Denver edition. In 2023, she was recognized with the Colorado Restaurant Association's Outstanding Media Professional award.

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