116 MARCH 26-APRIL 1, 2026 westword.com WESTWORD | FOOD & DRINK | MUSIC & VENUES | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | SPORTS & RECREATION | CONTENTS | ramen noodles, potatoes, spicy mayo and more. The small but friendly joint in Aurora usually has K-pop playing, plus a variety of street food on the menu for those not look- ing for a mouthful of cheesy goodness. The smoothies, which come in fl avors like honey- dew, blueberry and mango, are delicious, too. Best Suburban Surprise Big Sky Burger 1958 South Garrison Street, Lakewood bigskyburger.com This burger spot is unusual in a couple of ways: For starters, it’s hidden in a south Lakewood strip mall behind a U-Haul rental center. And though it serves great standard burgers, the surprise is that the menu also in- cludes burgers and other dishes infused with Asian fl avors. Korean American owner Sam — who prefers just his fi rst name — proudly brings his heritage to the table, cooking up ramen noodles, gyoza dumplings, and best- sellers like the bulgogi burger with Korean thin-sliced marinated beef, the kimchi burger and a spicy pork burger, as well as rice bowls topped with a choice of meat. Big Sky is defi - nitely not your typical fast-food burger joint. Best Place to Watch Tofu Being Made While Eating Tofu Tofu Story 2060 South Havana Street, Aurora thetofustory.com Let’s be honest, most of us have no idea how tofu is made. But at Tofu Story, where tofu is the name of the game, a glass-walled Tofu Lab lets you watch the entire process live. Clearly, tofu is more than a fi ller or a meat alternative here — it’s the star of the show. And it may be one of the few places left in the country where the tofu is made in-house, fresh and fabulous. Whether you’re a long- time plant-based eater or just tofu-curious, the tofu here will make you a believer. Best Hot Pot Seoul Korean BBQ & Hot Pot 2080 South Havana Street, Aurora seoulkoreanbbq.com Two restaurants. One common door. To the left of the Seoul Korean BBQ & Hot Pot entrance is the hot pot side of the es- tablishment, where each table is fi tted with a convection burner, allowing for the most choose-your-own-adventure kind of meals. Pick your broth, pick your protein, then stroll through the grocery aisle-like shelves of fresh vegetables, sauces, dumplings and more to round out your personalized meal. Not sure what to get? Relax. It’s all- you-can-eat for one fl at price. Start small, sample often, and fi nd your perfect bowl. Best Korean Restaurant Mr. Kim Korean BBQ 12201 East Mississippi Avenue, Aurora mrkimbbq.com The Denver area has its share of top-notch Korean barbecue, with many scattered along the Koreatown stretch of South Ha- vana Street. Mr. Kim is off that beaten path a bit, but still in the Asian part of Aurora in the Great Wall Supermarket strip mall. The menu is large and traditional, with not just the familiar bulgogi thin-sliced beef, galbi ribs and bibimbap (all great choices, to be sure), but also harder-to-fi nd treats like yangji seolleongtang (beef bone soup), yukgaejang (spicy shredded beef brisket soup with clear sweet potato noodles), imy- eonsu gui (broiled Okhotsk atka mackerel) or ojingeo bokkeum (fried squid). Best Ramen Tokio 2907 Huron Street mytokio.com Owner and chef Miki Hashimoto takes his ramen seriously. He special-orders ramen noodles to his exact specifi cations and serves them in a variety of styles, from authentic tonkotsu broth to creations like Cremoso Diablo, a pork and chicken broth with cream and cheeses added to familiar toppings like charshiu pork. And it works! So does the smooth-yet-zesty lemon ramen with chicken. He and his staff also make terrifi c sushi and sides such as handmade gyoza dumplings. Hashimoto is the real deal, as evidenced by the fact that he’s often asked to cater meals for the Japanese Consulate-General and his staff. Best Underground Sushi Restaurant Sushi by Scratch 1441 Larimer Street sushibyscratchrestaurants.com/denver The idea of a high-end sushi restaurant with thirteen out-of-state locations mov- ing into a subterranean space in Larimer Square above a burger joint co-owned by a pro skater — well, it had us scratching our heads a bit. But since its debut a year ago, Sushi by Scratch has proven to be a winner in Denver. Its impressive omakase option is intimate but not stuffy, and we love that it begins with canapé service in the lounge, followed by seventeen courses that are per- fectly paced for a dining experience that’s ideal for a date night or special occasion. Best Sushi Restaurant Sushi Den 1487 South Pearl Street sushiden.net Diners can quibble over the many excellent sushi restaurants Food & Drink continued from page 114 continued on page 118
