80 APRIL 4-10, 2024 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | Best International Food Hall Mango House 10180 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora 303-900-8639 ardasclinic.com/mangohouse.htm Among the resources at this refugee center founded by Dr. PJ Parmar are a pharmacy, a dentist, a family lawyer — and a handful of stalls serving international fare. There’s Siri Tan’s Urban Burma, where you can indulge in tea leaf salad, and Mohamad Alnouri’s Jasmine Syrian Food, which serves dishes such as chicken shawarma and a sweet treat called Sooksay Snowballs. Bounce from Golden Sky Asian to Langano Ethio- pian, Nepali Spice and Swahili BBQ Grill. Aurora is known for having the most di- verse dining scene in the metro area, and at Mango House, you can experience that all in one place. Best West African Restaurant Akwaba Restaurant 16251 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora 720-467-2329 Most of the African restaurants in and around Denver specialize in Ethiopian cuisine, but there are a handful where you can taste a wider variety of dishes from the biggest continent in the world. Cozy and welcoming, Akwaba is owned by Linda Es- soh, who is originally from Côte d’Ivoire. The menu spans all of West Africa, tak- ing inspiration from places like Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal with dishes like crispy red snapper, goat stew, and an Ivorian-style gumbo called kplala. Best East Coast Transplant Kawa Ni 1900 West 32nd Avenue 303-455-9208 kawanidenver.com While we’re often wary of restaurant trans- plants, there are exceptions, and Kawa Ni proves that a concept founded out of state can bring something new, exciting and downright delicious to Denver’s dining scene without feeling forced or out of place. Chef/restaurateur Bill Taibe founded his Japanese izakaya-inspired eatery in West- port, Connecticut, in 2014. In November 2023, he brought it to LoHi and has fully embraced becoming a part of the neighbor- hood — while diners have fallen hard for Kawa Ni’s dumplings, bao buns and inven- tive plates like the aptly named Addictive Cabbage and the shaved broccoli with ham, burnt honey and crunchy ra-yu. Best West Coast Transplant Reckless Noodle House 800 Sherman Street 720-734-2518 recklessnoodlesdenver.com Bryce Sweeney and his business partner, Mario Eckert, fell for the food of Southeast Asia while rock climbing in the region and opened Reckless Noodle in Seattle in 2018. Their cocktail bar background combined with a menu created by chef Kenny Lee, whose résumé includes notable Asian eat- eries Lionhead and Din Tai Fung, was a hit. They’d been eyeing an expansion to Denver when the pandemic hit, but fi nally debuted an outpost in Capitol Hill in De- cember 2022, and it’s proven to be a very good move for Mile High diners. On our must-try list: the caramelized prawns, ma la braised beef cheek noodles and the bo la lot, grilled beef in betel leaves. Best Tofu Menu for Non-Vegetarians Tofu Story 2060 South Havana Street, Aurora 303-954-9372 thetofustory.com In Korea and throughout Asia, tofu pro- vides different textural elements (depend- ing on the fi rmness and preparation), and it’s an inexpensive way to add nutrients to a dish — even one that contains animal proteins. At Tofu Story, a Korean eatery from restaurateur JW Lee’s Seoul Restau- rant Group, tofu rises from the position of simple fi ller to the main attraction. You’ll even walk past a “tofu lab” at the front of the dining room, where rectangles of glis- tening white soy are magically rendered from the liquid of pale beans. Your best bet, whether you want meat or not, is the soon tofu, a spicy red stew loaded with options that range from kimchi and mushrooms to cured pork products and shrimp. It’s time to tell a new story about tofu. Best Late-Night Pho on Federal Now Pho 1195 South Federal Boulevard 720-739-3939 nowphodenver.com After taking over Pho Le, changing the name and fi nalizing a deal to buy the build- ing in March 2020, Toan Le and Nhan Tran forged through the pandemic, but knew they wanted to make some improvements. In January 2023, Now Pho closed for six months, getting a remodel in the process and a revamped menu with plenty of ad- ditions beyond pho (though it does that very well). We love the rice cake omelet (bot chien), the specialty soups like bun bo Hue and the new Food and Drink continued from page 78 continued on page 82 WORRY ABOUT WINE PAIRINGS, NOT YOUR HOA MANANGEMENT COMPANY. 3151 S Vaughn way | STE 100 | Aurora, CO 80014 | 303-693-2118
