Food and Drink continued from page 68 rolls, rice noodle bowls and more. Long Shots’ deliciously inauthentic take on the banh mi, simply dubbed a “Vietnamese sandwich,” includes your choice of mari- nated grilled steak, chicken, pork or lamb, with cucumber, cilantro, lettuce, jalape- ños and green onion served on two thick, golden slabs of buttered Texas toast. It’s a long shot from a regular banh mi, but it’s also particularly tasty — especially when enjoyed alongside the kitchen’s crispy fried green beans and an ice-cold beer from one of the bar’s many taps. knocking back tiny glasses of soju. There are dishes for adventurous eaters (steamed sea snails and cow-stomach barbecue) as well as those who aren’t so interested in investigating intestines as food (mix-your- own rice balls, kimchi pancakes and Korean fried chicken). All of it is served in a lively, convivial atmosphere that’s so comfortable you’ll feel like a treasured regular by the time your check arrives. Best Korean Fried Chicken The Porklet 12201 East Mississippi Avenue, Aurora 303-364-1287 theporklet.com The Porklet, with its adorable porcupine logo, is so named because pork cutlets are the specialty, jacketed in an almost painfully crunchy breadcrumb shell and dripping juice with each bite. But you’ll also fi nd two kinds of fried chicken on the menu at this little joint that’s small on space but big on fl avor. There’s a chicken version of the house cutlet, called the Chicklet, of course, served sliced and presented on a wire rack to keep the bot- tom as crackly as the top, but there are also meaty wings that somehow manage to maintain their crunch beneath a sticky layer of sauce. Choose from sweet honey butter, tangy Buffalo, savory Garlic Bomb or the messiest of them all, the Black & White BBQ. It’s okay to make a pig of your- self with fried chicken this good. Best Border-Spanning Menu Woody’s Wings & Things 6817 Lowell Boulevard, Westminster 303-427-0302 woodyswings.eatintakeout.net Don’t judge this place by the cartoon chicken logo that looms over the entry- way. This Woody’s, a sparsely decorated strip-mall joint in Westminster (which is not affi liated with the Aurora or Arvada locations), sees a steady fl ow of diners who fi ll the booths and long tables. They fl ock here not for the wings (though there are a couple of varieties available), but for the binder full of dishes with their roots in the Indochina peninsula. Much of the Woody’s staff hails from Cambodia, the source of many of these dishes, but there are also items whose origins lie in Thailand, Viet- nam, China and Laos. From Thai duck larb to canh chua, a Vietnamese sweet-and-sour fi sh soup, a stop here is a crash course in Asian cuisine. Best Korean Restaurant Thank Sool Pocha 2222 South Havana Street, Aurora 720-485-3682 thanksool.com 70 In an age when dining out is serious busi- ness and frequenting restaurants is your patriotic duty, settling down for a meal at Thank Sool Pocha is just plain fun. The place is hopping, with families speaking Korean and English while digging in dur- ing the early evening hours before being supplanted by groups of all ages focused on Best Indian Restaurant Tikka & Grill 1300 South Broadway 720-476-7144 thetikkaandgrill.com Many Americans are stuck in a rut when it comes to Indian food, and if chicken tikka masala and saag paneer are as adventurous as you want to get, Tikka & Grill’s takes are exemplary, full of fragrant spices and depth. But you can also dig further into Indian — and Nepali — cuisine here. The street-food section of the menu offers the chance to snack with a newfound appreciation for the textures and bright, fresh fl avor of items like bhel puri. Momo, Nepali dumplings, are a draw as well, along with a slew of curries and other dishes that will expand your taste horizons. Best Specialty Grocer K Indian Grocery 1422 West 104th Avenue, Northglenn 720-524-4967 k-indian-grocery.business.site If you didn’t grow up in a South Asian household, you may not be familiar with the wonders of Indian grocery stores. K Indian Grocery can fi x that. It’s only been around about a year, but it has become a staple for Indian and Nepali specialty goods, and is one of the rare Indian grocers on the west side of Denver. From fresh pro- duce and bulk dry goods to frozen momo (for which there is a months-long wait- ing list), this place has all the South Asian goodies you didn’t know you needed. Pro tip: Once you see how affordable it is to get herbs and spices in bulk here, you will never spend $15 on another tiny jar from the grocery store. APRIL 7-13, 2022 WESTWORD | BACKBEAT | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | westword.com GETTY IMAGES
