Mile High Asian Food Week Vendor Spotlight
As we gear up for the second annual Mile High Asian Food Week on April 28-May 4, 2024, we’re here to shine a light on some of the amazing participating locations this year. Please bookmark this page and check back often as we’ll share more faces behind MHAFW in the weeks to come!
Anise
Anise is named after star anise, a seed pod from illicium verum plant that’s native to northeast Vietnam that produces a pleasant licorice flavor when used as a spice and commonly used in savory dishes, especially those with beer or poultry such as Pho. Quyen Trinh, Anise's Owner and Executive Chef is passionate about showcasing the highly diverse food culture in Vietnam by introducing eclectic but extremely tasty Vietnamese dishes, like Gỏi Gá, Traditional Vietnamese chicken salad and Chả Cá Lã Vọng, a Hanoi fish dish with turmeric, galangal, and ginger flavored swai served on a skillet with ricẹ noodles on a bed of basil, cilantro, and daikon.
Asian House of Pastries
Asian House of Pastries (AHOP) is a cottage bakery that specializes in traditional Asian desserts. Founder Melissa Chang opened AHOP after moving from NYC to Denver, longing for old school Chinese bakeries that made fragrant pastries from her childhood. Her hunt for these desserts led her to her own kitchen. All Ahop desserts and pastries are made-to-order and available for porch pickup or shipping.
Colorado Cocoa Pod
Colorado Cocoa Pod was started in 2019 by Chocolatier Liane Pensack-Rinehart, who wanted to create beautiful and delicious bonbons that weren't too sweet, and also encompassed Asian flavors of desserts she grew up eating. At almost five years old, Colorado Cocoa Pod not only makes bonbons, but other chocolate confections like tablets, hot chocolate neko spoons, dragees (chocolate covered malt balls and dried fruits), and more! Everything is handcrafted and made with Fair Trade chocolate and quality ingredients. The chocolate-maker does not have a physical storefront but sells items online and participates in pop-ups and events throughout the year.
Coffee Sarap
Coffee Sarap is a mobile beverage cart dedicated to sharing locally roasted coffee infused with gourmet flavors and cultural Filipino influences (think Pandan and Ube Lattes or Mestiza, Filipino-style Horchata). Owners Chelsey and Hannah started Coffee Sarap because they saw a lack of representation of Filipinos in the food and beverage industry in Colorado and saw their mobile beverage cart as an opportunity to share their culture through craft beverages.
DABOBA
DABOBA opened in December 2022 in downtown Denver with the goal of creating a welcoming gathering space for the neighborhood. DABOBA offers artisanal Taiwanese boba along with unique and innovative espresso and tea-based beverages that always use the highest quality and freshest ingredients. Most items are made from scratch, from their house-made yogurt, delicious Crème Brule, fresh watermelon juice or Ube jam which starts with grated Ube, coconut milk and few other ingredients and then simmered down for an hour.
HoneyBee Asian Bistro & Sushi
HoneyBee Asian Bistro & Sushi in Aurora has been open since 2007, specializing in Chinese and Thai food. Co-owners Cindy and Helen have been best friends for over 15 years with Cindy manning the kitchen and Helen taking front of house duties. This dynamic duo share the belief that good meals bring harmony to family and relationships. Everything at HoneyBee is made from scratch from the dumplings to all the sauces. In 2023 the restaurant added a sushi program to their menu, led by Chef Felix who previously worked at famed restaurants such as Nobu and Nozawa Bar. At HoneyBee, Chef Felix expresses his creativity and passion for Japanese cuisine through food.
Kokoro Restaurant - Arvada and Denver
This family-run restaurant started in 1986 with the goal of exposing Americans to traditional everyday cuisine. District Manager Mas Torito credits his Panamanian mother for much of the restaurant’s success, as both a hospitality professional and face of the restaurant. With a number of employees that have been with Kokoro for 20+ years, Kokoro continues to provide quick, healthy and delicious Japanese dishes, like curry bowls, ramen, and sushi to the greater public.
Kids Table
Kids Table is a mobile food business that provides plant-based versions of various childhood staples and familiar favorites, allowing for a more approachable vegan option even if it means replacing just one meal. What started with homemade cheese sauce for mac and cheese and nachos has turned into more expansive dishes that highlight owner Melissa Mooney’s Filipino heritage (think tofu pancit and Beyond Lumpia) and gives Filipino vegans a taste of home.
Kuluka
Kuluka is a women and family-owned business that specializes in unique treats. They offer a wide range of fresh brewed tea drinks, each carefully handcrafted using premium ingredients. Their mochi donuts are a delightful twist on the traditional donut. They make their mochi donuts in-house in small batches throughout the day to ensure the highest quality. They prioritize exceptional customer service and creating a welcoming atmosphere. Their friendly and knowledgeable staff is always ready to guide you through their menu, help you make choices, and ensure you have a pleasant experience with them. Kuluka strives to create a space where customers can relax, enjoy their sweets, and make lasting memories.
Lucky Noodles
Originally from Bangkok, Ploy Limpapath found that she was often homesick in Colorado, missing her grandmother’s delicious cooking. She opened Lucky Noodles in Northeast Denver as an homage to her grandmother’s recipes, with dishes like Khao Soi, Tom Yum Noodle Soup, and red and green curries, featuring some ingredients brought back from Thailand. Grandmother’s love can be tasted in each dish, as well as Ploy’s playful encouragement of each guest to finish their last bites—just four more bites and you’re done!
MAKfam
MAKfam opened last November and ever since the fine casual Chinese restaurant, in which Chef Kenneth Wan was a recent James Beard nominee, has taken the Denver dining community by storm. Step inside MAKfam and you’ll instantly be transported to an ABC (American Born Chinese) cultural journey that Wan and his wife and co-owner Doris Yuen have curated, blending influences from Chinese pop stars and NYC culture to artwork from Brenda Chi featuring the MSG Girl. You’ll wonder if you stepped inside a Hong Kong noodle parlor—and you’ll want to stay even longer for the Sizzling Spicy Noodles and Spicy Garlic Butter Rice Cakes.
Milk T Boba House
Co-owner Van An Tran is part of the growing Denver AAPI food culture, curating a menu with modern takes on classic bubble tea, fresh ingredients, and specialty teas sourced directly from Taiwan.
Moge Tee
Originating from China, Moge Tee is more than boba. They offer authentic high quality loose leaf teas that are brewed fresh daily. Teas come in many forms and flavors so Moge Tee aims to introduce customers to its authentic flavors through their blends and a combination of fresh fruits.
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Mukja
Mukja is a Korean fusion food truck that puts a creative twist to traditional Korean flavors. The family-run operation, who also won Food Network’s Food Truck Prize Fight last year, serves up delectable creations such as Korean Street Cheese Dogs and TTPC (Taiwanese Tteokbokki Popcorn Chicken). Check their schedule to see where they pop up (hint: they frequent breweries often)
Olive & Finch
Olive & Finch is a “fine-casual” eatery, blending the chef-crafted quality and ingredients of a fine-dining kitchen with the convenience of a fast-casual café. From familiar favorites to globally influenced flavors, everything is made 100% from scratch with real, whole ingredients for a delightful, energetic, and refreshing experience. Noted as one of the first fine casual concepts in Denver, Olive & Finish has since grown to multiple concepts that now fall under the Olive & Finch Collective, a family of eateries such as Olive & Finch and cafés, Little Finch, featuring chef-crafted gourmet fare made fast and affordable. Olive & Finch is owned by Mary Nguyen formerly of Parallel Seventeen and Street Kitchen Asian Bistro who is a first generation Vietnamese American.
Panda Bao
Panda Bao is a small start-up business offering authentic and flavorful cuisine inspired by Aimee Zheng’s family in the Sichuan province of China. Their feature items are handmade baos, and they pride ourselves on making baos all from scratch!
Aimee’s culinary journey is deeply rooted in her family traditions. Growing up, she was captivated by the sights, sounds, and aromas emanating from her grandparent's kitchen. It was there that she learned the art of cooking, observing every technique with her eyes. Now, through Mile High Asian Food Week, Aimee is honored to share that cherished Sichuan cuisine with people, crafted with love and inspired by the rich tapestry of her family's culinary heritage.
Pho King Rapidos
PKR started as a food trailer in 2020 that has since moved into Avanti Food & Beverage in Lower Highland. While pho has been getting more recognition here in Denver, Chef Long Nguyen is passionate about educating guests about PKR’s intricate pho-making process. PKR’s rendition of pho, which is an extreme labor of love, involves lots of trial and error, as well as steps that are critical to the end result. Taking pointers and guidance from Long’s mom, such as parboiling the bones to prevent the broth from getting scummy, PKR walks the link of tradition and innovation by roasting the bones to provide an additional depth of flavor. From there, it’s additional touches such as charring the ginger and onion to caramelize the sugar for a deeper level of flavor, toasting the spices to release the oils, and frying those spices in beef tallow and adding that tallow to the pho for a slight spiced fat content that adds a richness to the broth. Finally, not common in traditional pho is the use of brisket—a protein that blends Long’s American and Vietnamese influences. The brisket is trimmed and sits in a pho-spiced rub for 24 hours, smoked, and finished via sous vide for a total of 24 hours to ensure a tender and consistent flavor. The final step is mom’s approval. When you head over to Avanti, make sure to try PKR’s pho (and perhaps try it without Sriracha and Hoisin sauce to see how the flavors come through).
Rising Tiger
Chef and owner Devin Keopraphay describes Rising Tiger as an “Asian-ish” diner and deli with a focus on brunch (think items like Scallion Pancake with egg foo young patty and gruyere or Japanese waffles stuffed with seasonal offerings). Based in Longmont, Rising Tiger utilizes local farms and ingredients whenever possible and you can find them at farmer’s markets in Louisville, Longmont, and Boulder throughout the summer.
RiceBoxx Den
RiceBoxx Den is a pop-up/catering business that brings elevated Cambodian and Filipino dishes that co-owners Lariza Amon and Pannah Son grew up with. The duo also works at Pho King Rapidos on the management team. Thus it only makes sense that the two worlds will merge for Mile High Asian Food Week where both concepts will have collaborative featured items on their menus.
Roll it Up Sushi
Roll It Up Sushi has been open for eight years servicing the city of Denver and beyond, specializing in quick and delicious sushi rolls. Every order is made fresh with plenty of gluten-free, vegan and non-dairy options.
Sesame Sandwiches
Sesame Sandwiches opened in the Whittier neighborhood last December offering Bánh Mì and breakfast sandwiches. Unlike the traditional Bánh Mì bread, Sesame Sandwiches uses an artisan baguette that doesn’t crumble and offers up an enjoyable bite.
Sweet Action
Sweet Action is craft ice cream made by pastry chefs using quality ingredients and wind power. Did you know? Their ice cream is wind-churned! Sweet Action buys wind credits through Xcel Energy's Windsource program to power their ice cream production.
Sweet Daruma Tea Wagon
Sweet Daruma Tea Wagon is a family-run food truck specializing in soda, tea and boba/milk tea. Drawing from their Asian heritage, Sweet Daruma’s beverages are heavily influenced by traditional ingredients with a modern twist while prioritizing low sugar and low-lactose milk choices. Teas and milk teas are uniquely cold brewed, while their coffee is made from traditional Vietnamese drip methods.
Taeko-san Takeout
Taeko-san Takeout is a pop-up and delivery service, which will also be at the City Park Farmer’s Market this summer, in Denver that creates Japanese Classics with new flavors specializing in fresh Japanese mochi. Named after Chef and Owner Madeline Dunhoff’s grandmother Taeko, all her dishes use her grandmother's recipes for the base combined with Madeline’s pastry background to bring you unique mochi flavors such as Pistachio Cannoli, Fruity Pebbles, and Black Sesame Irish Coffee (which is Madeline’s way to bridge the gap showcasing the diverse culture she grew up with growing in California)
Teahee
Cat Doan has 20+ years of experience in bubble teas and loose-leaf teas having learned from Taiwanese tea masters. She opened Teahee with a foundation of pure passion for artistry and premium, authentic tea leaves. This commitment to quality, from leaf to pearl, guarantees a tea experience that is reflective of the culture, delightful to the palate, and embodies the genuine spirit of the beverage. The boba pearls are hand-selected to ensure optimal texture and consistency. The loose-leaf blends are personally mixed based on the recipes that Cat created throughout her career in tea.
The Enchanted Oven
The Enchanted Oven is a Japanese-style bakery located in Broomfield. Born and raised in Japan, owner Maki Fairbanks would visit her homeland with her daughter after moving to U.S., falling in love with Japanese custard buns. After their return, Maki began a decades-long study of baking, specifically Japanese-style baking where cakes and pastries were lighter, fluffier, and less sweet, while also acclimating to high altitude baking. The result is The Enchanted Oven, a labor of love.
Vita Cane
Vita Cane Denver is a franchise from CA specializing in sugarcane juices and açaí bowls. Their love for authentic organic Vietnamese sugarcane juices and sharing that nostalgia with our community is the driver behind the opening in Denver.
The sugarcane comes directly from Vietnam and fresh pressed per order with zero additives which is why the generation that immigrated to America has expressed their love for their shop and products. Vita Cane also offers unlimited toppings and bases for their açaí bowls for a flat price which their customers love so they don’t have to limit their preferences.
Welton Room
Welton Room is a lounge restaurant that brings a sensual and elegant social space to Five Points and downtown Denver. Combining modern American small plates and tapas with a global twist and imaginatively crafted libations, step inside the restaurant’s lush environment to enjoy cocktails with liquid nitrogen, mussels poached in chorizo butter and Chinese red belly bao buns.
Wild Taco
Wild Taco Denver offers traditional Mexican fare with delicious classic tacos at its core, flavored with the unexpected Korean and other Asian influences such as Bulgogi Taco and Ahi Poke Nacho. Both locations, Governor’s Park and Berkeley, are participating in Mile High Asian Food Week.
Wong Way Veg
Make it stand out
Wong Way Veg is a food truck and catering business launched in 2014 with a passion to prove that plant-based food can be creative, fulfilling, and not at all bland and boring as it's so often depicted. Check out their schedule online.
Yomie’s Rice X Yogurt
Originating from Australia, Yomie’s Rice X Yogurt is one of the leading yogurt shop brands in Asia and the brand has expanded to Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Japan, Korean, Macau, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines and the U.S. Yomie’s yogurt is made fresh daily, ensuring only the finest quality of yogurt. Purple rice is another popular ingredient used, which offers a sweet, chewy texture, high in protein, fiber, and antioxidants.
Yonggung Restaurant
Yonggung is a Korean and Chinese fusion restaurant in Aurora serving Korean soul food to Coloradans for the past ten years. When it comes to Korean soul food, think of items like Jjam Bong (spicy noodle soup with squid, shrimp, mussles, pork, shrimp and vegetables), Tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork but Korean style), and Ja Jang Myeon (black bean noodles).
Yuan Wonton
Yuan Wonton started out as a food truck in 2019 and have been so fortunate with the relentless support of their local community here in Denver that they were able to transition into a brick and mortar restaurant last September. Yuan Wonton specializes in hand-made/scratch-made wontons and dumplings, with an emphasis on a first gen’s recollection of dishes that bring nostalgia ranging from Cantonese and Thai, and also their renditions of Szechuan favorites.
Their sous chef, NgocAnh Nguyen, is Vietnamese American, and many of Yuan Wonton signature dishes have been created from 15 years of working together and bringing together familiar ingredients to both Chinese and Vietnamese culture/cuisine that we’ve both learned growing up in our parent’s kitchens. Shef Penelope Wong is a James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Mountain Finalist.