84 APRIL 4-10, 2024 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | in the kitchen. From tom kha and khao soi dumplings to birria bao buns, we’re always excited to try whatever Yuan Wonton has on deck. Best New Dumpling Restaurant Nana’s Dim Sum & Dumplings 3316 Tejon Street 720-769-4051 nanasdumplingsdenver.com We’re in the midst of a dumpling boom in the metro area, but of all the spots where we’ve been devouring a wide variety of dough with various fillings, Nana’s has proven to be our favorite. It took over the space that was formerly the Fifth String and Old Major in October 2023 and quickly became a hot spot in a neighborhood fi lled with choices. While you may have to wait for a table and there is a time limit, it’s all worth it when you’re downing truffl e soup buns, jumbo crab rangoons and bite-sized Thumblings. Nana’s now has a fast-casual offshoot in Boulder, too, and a brand-new Aurora outpost. Best Sesame Chicken Peter’s Chinese 2609 12th Avenue 303-377-3218 peterschinese.com Peter Chan and his eponymous, mostly takeout restaurant have been staples in Congress Park since 1985. While nearly every Chinese American restaurant in the country makes sesame chicken, the ver- sion here stands out thanks to a double- frying technique that caramelizes the sauce and results in sticky, crunchy — but never gloppy — chunks of chicken served with rice…and often some good-natured sass from Chan himself. Best (and Cheapest) All- You-Can-Eat Restaurant Yuan Palace Mongolian BBQ 7555 East Arapahoe Road, Centennial 303-771-6296 yuanpalaceco.com Hidden behind a car wash off Arapahoe Road, this Mongolian barbecue restaurant offers heaps of food at an unbeatable price: all-you-can-eat lunch for $13.95 and dinner for $18.95. The single-location, family-run business stands out from the HuHot and BD’s chains in the state, providing higher- quality food in a more low-key atmosphere. But don’t worry: Your dinner still comes with a show, as the chefs cook your meal in front of you on a sizzling griddle. After de- cades in business, Yuan Palace has become a beloved institution for those in the know. Best Strip Mall Thai Food Suvipa Thai Food 1015 South Federal Boulevard 720-379-6038 suvipathaifood.com Tucked away amid the seemingly endless Vietnamese and Chinese options on South Federal lies Suvipa Thai Food, one of the best bets in the city for authentic Southeast Asian cuisine. While some may fi nd the furnishings a tad modest, there’s something comforting about seeing fresh herbs and peppers growing in the front window. Cel- ebrating a decade of capsaicin-rich green papaya salads and perfectly rendered pork belly in the pad kana moo krob, owner Ban- thawan Glode hasn’t changed much since opening in 2014. And she hasn’t needed to, because the fl avors speak for themselves. Best Indian/Barbecue Mashup DJ’s Watering Hole 988 West Dillon Road, Louisville 303-604-6000 djswateringholerestaurant.com Darryl Johnson has won awards for his bar- becue, and cousins Jatin and Shivang Patel have a passion for Indian food, so when they decided to open a restaurant together in a former Outback Steakhouse, they com- bined their skills to create a mashup that we’ve fallen hard for. While there are items like cheese fries, burgers and fried chicken on the DJ’s menu, it’s the Indian-American combinations that really stand out. Try the Paneer Pboy, or opt for a barbecue plate of house-smoked meat topped with a slightly spicy masala sauce and an order of house- made naan on the side for the ultimate cuisine combo. Best Weekly Deals La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal 2233 Larimer Street 720-827-4158 ladiabladenver.com Chef Jose Avila’s La Diabla has been heaped with praise for everything from its namesake pozole to its tacos and stel- lar house margs, and rightfully so — it does a lot of things well, and it offers guests a lot of deals on those things. In addition to the Thursday-through-Sunday happy hour from 2 to 6 p.m., there’s a wings-and-beer special on Mondays for $10; $4 street tacos on Tuesdays; the Jose’s Gone Fishing offer on Wednesdays, with two al pastor tacos and a house margarita for $5; and two- for-one bowls of pozole on Thursdays. It’s enough to keep us coming back over and over — sometimes several times a week. Best Sunday-Only Special House of Bread 2020 South Parker Road 720-727-0000 houseofbreadinc.com You know about House of Bread, right? It’s just the best — okay, only — Armenian bakery in metro Denver, and it’s home to ajarski khachapuri, a canoe-shaped bread bowl brimming with molten cheese, sunny eggs and a pat of butter. Defi nitely stop what you’re doing now if you’ve never been, or if you’ve never had this Armenian take on a Georgian specialty. But if it hap- pens to be a Sunday, make sure you also or- der the jingalov hats (call ahead to shorten the wait time), thin fl atbread that, at fi rst glance, resembles nothing more than over- sized pita. But hidden inside is a thin layer of greens and herbs — 22, according to the bakery! — so bursting with fresh, bright fl avor that you’ll surely return the next week…and then it might just become a Sunday ritual. Food and Drink continued from page 82 continued on page 86 ......... ................... ...................... ................... Visit us for Colorado’s most extensive collection of family-owned, hard-to-find agave spirits. ..................................................
