Denver Restaurant Makes James Beard Foundation's TasteTwenty

With two founders on the list of up-and-coming chefs, this is definitely a restaurant to watch.

May 5, 2025

Ni and Anna Nguyen, owners of Sắp Sửa, are part of the TasteTwenty. Casey Wilson

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Modern Vietnamese restaurant Sắp Sửa keeps bringing home awards and adding to Denver's place on the national culinary map. Its latest recognition again comes from the James Beard Foundation, which just announced its TasteTwenty list of up-and-coming chefs. The roster includes Anna and Ni Nguyen, the founders of Sắp Sửa, which was named a semifinalist for a James Beard Award in January, but didn't make the next cut.

“These chefs represent the future of American dining — combining culinary excellence with positive leadership that drives our industry forward. Their dedication to craft and community inspires us, and we're honored to showcase their talents on a national stage," says Clare Reichenbach, chief executive officer of the James Beard Foundation, in an announcement of the TasteTwenty cohort.

The TasteTwenty chefs are the foundation's annual selection of “ones to watch” in the industry; they'll represent their city throughout the national Taste America series, curated collaborations of dinners with special guests in twenty different cities that celebrate the local food culture.

click to enlarge

Casey Wilson

The Taste America: Denver dinner with the Nguyens will be held September 10 at the Edge Restaurant and Bar in the Four Seasons; tickets for the meal are $165.

The Nguyens' restaurant got off to a fast start when Sắp Sửa opened at 2550 East Colfax Avenue in June 2023; the couple had already run a popular cart in Longmont, and its future brick-and-mortar landed on our December 2022 list of the most anticipated openings of the next year. Soon after, Bon Appétit named it one of its eight most anticipated openings of summer 2023. And that November, Sắp Sửa was the only Colorado eatery to make the cut for Esquire's list of the fifty Best New Restaurants in America.

Gil Asakawa began his Denver media career at Westword, serving as its first music editor and writing news stories in the 1980s. He's worked for daily newspapers, magazines and online sites writing about food, culture and music. He also co-authored The Toy Book" (Knopf, 1991), a history of baby boom-era toys, Being Japanese American (Stone Bridge Press, 2014) and Tabemasho! Let's Eat! The Tasty History of Japanese Food in America (Stone Bridge Press, 2023). He's now back at Westword as our interim Food Editor. Learn more at nikkeiview.com.

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