New Saigon and DaLat Both Under New Ownership

Two Vietnamese stalwarts on Federal Boulevard have changed hands. DaLat Vietnamese Cuisine was purchased last last year, then closed for a renovation and reopened on New Year's Eve with a new look but the same chef who's been putting out refined and delicious dishes -- like the intense flavors of...

By Mark Antonation

January 12, 2015

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Two Vietnamese stalwarts on Federal Boulevard have changed hands. DaLat Vietnamese Cuisine was purchased last last year, then closed for a renovation and reopened on New Year's Eve with a new look but the same chef who's been putting out refined and delicious dishes -- like the intense flavors of steamed clams with Vietnamese mint -- for several years. Bigger news is that Thai Nguyen and Ha Pham sold New Saigon at the end of 2014. They're keeping New Saigon Bakery & Deli, though, so Denver won't be without the great banh mi and other baked goods from the family.

Nguyen and Pham had purchased New Saigon, one of Denver's oldest Vietnamese joints, and turned it into destination restaurant that was packed nearly every night. In 2012, Thoa Nguyen, the couple's daughter and a trained pastry chef, opened the bakery next door.

On January 1, the family posted this message on the New Saigon Bakery Facebook page:

Happy new years! It's been an amazing year. In fact, it's been a great 30 years with New Saigon Restaurant. As with every success story, there's always an ending. As some of you may know, our family is no longer affiliated with New Saigon Restaurant. It's been very bittersweet, but we're moving on to bigger things in the future with our Bakery. We appreciate all of your support in the past 30 years. Some have even became long time friends, but don't worry, you can always visit the family here at the Bakery! With much love and appreciation, the Nguyen/New Saigon Family.

Since then, one additional message has been added -- apologizing for not responding to complaints and comments about their former restaurant on social media. It was a wonderful run for the Nguyen family, so let's hope the new owners can continue to build on the success of the last four decades.

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Mark Antonation is the former Westword Food & Drink Editor. In 2018, he was named Outstanding Media Professional by the Colorado Restaurant Association; he's now with the Colorado Restaurant Foundation.

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