8 secret menu items to try during Denver’s first Asian Restaurant Week

Signature chili wontons from Yuan WontonPhoto byYuan Wonton

By Brittany Anas / NewsBreak Denver

(Denver, Colo) In many Asian cultures, food is a love language, says Joanne Liu, co-founder and CEO of the nonprofit Asian Girls Ignite.

“It symbolizes family, and it is our way of expressing care and protection,” says Liu, who saw firsthand how hard her parents worked at their family restaurant when she grew up in Boston. She says that the labor of love was a reflection of their Chinese heritage and one they enjoyed sharing with their customers.

Now, to celebrate the growing Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) food scene in Colorado, several eateries are joining Denver’s first-ever Mile High Asian Food Week later this month.

“Colorado has a very vibrant and active AAPI community,” says Liu, who is spearheading the project. “Although we only make up around 4 percent of the state's population, we do exist, and Mile High Asian Food Week is just one way to showcase who we are and what we contribute to this state.”

About two dozen spots are taking place in Mile High Asian Restaurant Week, including Milk T Boba House.Photo byMilk T Boba House

From Feb. 22-26, about 50 food and beverage spots will offer secret menus, pre-fixe meals and special discounts as part of Asian Avenue Magazine’s Asian restaurant week. Participants range from James Beard semifinalist Penelope Wong’s Yuan Wonton, which is a mobile dumpling truck that specializes in chili-garlic wontons, to modern Vietnamese at Anise, Milk T Boba House and Korean fusion dishes at Mukja.

Korean cheese dogs from Mukja.Photo byMukja

Seek out these eight secret menus:

• Ace Eat Serve: Hot n’ Cold dessert, $6, a house-made double vanilla bean ice cream, crispy chili oil, Chinese almond cookies.
• Glo Noodle House: Egg Rolls of the day, which will change daily from bbq brisket to duck to Philly cheesesteak, are priced between $10-$14.
• Meta Asian Kitchen: XO Stir-Fry Noodles for $13 and two 1.5 oz sauce jars for $7 (XO chili sauce and Uncle Tony’s chili oil).

A spread at Meta Asian Kitchen in Avanti Food and Beverage in Denver.Photo byMeta Asian Kitchen

• Osaka Ramen: Salmon Ramen with a miso broth with miso-glazed salmon, bok choy, ginger, scallions, and egg.
• Pho King Rapidos: Pho Dip, a French dip meets French onion soup dunked in pho broth.
• Umai Express: Secret Umai burger
• WongWayVeg: Items from the Lunar New Year menu, including 100% vegan sesame balls, dumplings, Sui Gok and more.
• Yuan Wonton: Scratch-made lotus paste mooncakes and XL Xiao Long Bao soup dumplings.