Sap Sua
Vietnamese restaurant · Congress Park
2550 E Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80206
Highlights
Modern Vietnamese with inventive dishes, seasonal cocktails, and refined flavors
Modern Vietnamese with inventive dishes, seasonal cocktails, and refined flavors
"The light, bright flavors of Vietnam shine at Ni and Anna Nguyen’s white-hot East Colfax spot, where dishes like crispy veal sweetbreads in fish-sauce caramel, grilled pork shoulder with lemongrass and tamarind, and charred cabbage with anchovy breadcrumbs and egg yolk have gained an instantly loyal following. Cheeky cocktails such as the gin-based Tiger’s Milk flavored with orange and dill complete the vibrant picture." - Ruth Tobias
"Owned by Anna Nguyen and Ni Nguyen, this Denver establishment is recognized in the national categories by the James Beard Foundation." - Brenna Houck
"After national exposure, the restaurant saw an influx of diners who already understood its story, and the scrambled-egg dish developed by sous-chef Ben Carolan became the most-ordered item. The kitchen has become collaborative—many new dishes now come from young cooks (some not even Vietnamese) who are guided by leadership—which has allowed the chef to focus on growing the business, creating opportunities for staff, and sharing cultural foodways that feel healing and affirming to both community members and visitors." - ByElazar Sontag
"Besides Casa Bonita and its wonky, lottery-style reservations, Sắp Sửa might be the toughest table to get in town. That’s because everyone is jockeying for their unique brand of super-refined, modern Vietnamese food that just so happens to also put sake in a juice box. (It tastes better that way, a bartender swears. He’s right.) Dishes like the soft scrambled egg with brown butter and fish sauce, hamachi collar sticky with coconut caramel, and an avocado and pork larb tostada just can’t be found anywhere else. Ask for a seat at the bar for quick service and a view of the chefs’ impressive cookbook collection. " - allyson reedy
"Besides Casa Bonita and its wonky, lottery-style reservations, Sắp Sửa might be the toughest table to get in town. That’s because everyone is jockeying for their unique brand of super-refined, modern Vietnamese food that just so happens to also put sake in a juice box. (It tastes better that way, a bartender swears. He’s right.) Dishes like the soft scrambled egg with brown butter and fish sauce, hamachi collar sticky with coconut caramel, and an avocado and pork larb tostada just can’t be found anywhere else. Ask for a seat at the bar for quick service and a view of the chefs’ impressive cookbook collection. photo credit: Lindsey Alexander photo credit: Lindsey Alexander photo credit: Lindsey Alexander" - Allyson Reedy
