Aurora is a true paradise for ethnic food lovers. A mecca of international gems, there are plenty of hole-in-the-wall spots to surprise and challenge the palate. Besides a number of ethnic grocery stores to test your own Morimoto skills like H-Mart, World Food Bazar, Arash International Market, and Lotus Asian Market), the variety of Korean barbecue spots, Vietnamese, Greek, and everything in between is overwhelmingly satisfying. It's the UN of food in one convenient suburb. But be prepared, you will need several trips to check out all these spots - and you may get hooked on some of them.
What started as a food truck on 16th Street Mall has morphed into a five day a week restaurant in Aurora. All the dishes are standard Thai fare - pad thai, crab and cheese wontons, dumplings, tom yum soup- and are prepared meticulously one at a time. If you’re a fan of spice, you may very well break into a sweat.
If you have a hankering for good Szechuan or Beijing style Chinese food, Chef Liu’s is where it's at. Menu highlights include dragon meatballs and beef cooked in numbing chili oil, a spicy broth loaded with peppercorns, red peppers, cilantro, and herbs. Enough said.
The 10+ page menu can be daunting. If you’re looking to sample it all, bring friends because the Korean BBQ combination dinners serve from 3-5 people with a variety of short ribs, pork belly, and spicy tofu stew among a plethora of banchan (side dishes). Come hungry, leave mesmerized with Korean food.
If you’re looking to venture beyond Federal for traditional Vietnamese rice noodle soup, Pho 888 a family-owned eatery is a good choice. Pho master Linh Dinh works tirelessly to keep a smile on his customers faces with his secret ingredient -love - and the deeply-flavored broth dotted to your liking with bean sprouts, basil, lime, and jalapeno.
Denver has no shortage of Indian restaurants, but Masalaa has been the talk of the town since its first Yummy Award given by the City of Aurora in 2004. Standout menu items include the Uthappam (lentil and rice batter pancakes topped with veggies) and Dosa (fermented crepes made out of rice batter and black lentils stuffed with a choice of ingredients). The popular lunchtime buffet allows you to try a little bit of everything.
If you’ve never tried Afghani food, now's the time. Sweet and spicy Qabuli rice is a must, complete with flavorful mint chutney, kabobs, and Mantoo, pan fried dumplings filled with meat and onions served in a split pea and garlic yogurt.
For Greek on the go, Gyroz dishes up gyros, hummus platters, and falafel sandwiches in a casual drive-through environment. Unpretentious and inconspicuous, this is one hole in the wall that’s worth a second look.
Who knew you can feel like you are on the Mediterranean on Iliff Avenue! Start your dinner with the flaming Saganaki and tasty moussaka followed by platters of kabobs. You’ll also get a complimentary shot of Ouzo, a Greek aperitif, to wash it all down and cleanse the palate.
At this unassuming family-owned restaurant, most of the dishes are from Ghana, but also include regional specialties from around West Africa. The eclectic menu is based on corn, yam, plantains, and cassava, served either fufu-style (boiled to a doughy consistency) or fried. Be sure to try the natural palm wine that's actually brewed inside the tree, a unique treat.
Hawaiian Barbecue is a fusion of Asian and American dishes prepared with unique island flare. Signature lunch plates include chicken katsu (breaded with a special dipping sauce), “Loco Moco” (hamburger patties, two eggs, and gravy), and mahi mahi, all served with a side of rice and macaroni salad.
Tucked in the back of an inconspicuous strip mall, Las Tortugas (“the Turtles”) dishes up flavorful tortas (Mexican sandwiches) filled with perfectly grilled pork and beef on fresh bolillo bread shaped like hard tortoise shells. Brush up on your high school Spanish because there's no English on this menu.
What started as a food truck on 16th Street Mall has morphed into a five day a week restaurant in Aurora. All the dishes are standard Thai fare - pad thai, crab and cheese wontons, dumplings, tom yum soup- and are prepared meticulously one at a time. If you’re a fan of spice, you may very well break into a sweat.
If you have a hankering for good Szechuan or Beijing style Chinese food, Chef Liu’s is where it's at. Menu highlights include dragon meatballs and beef cooked in numbing chili oil, a spicy broth loaded with peppercorns, red peppers, cilantro, and herbs. Enough said.
The 10+ page menu can be daunting. If you’re looking to sample it all, bring friends because the Korean BBQ combination dinners serve from 3-5 people with a variety of short ribs, pork belly, and spicy tofu stew among a plethora of banchan (side dishes). Come hungry, leave mesmerized with Korean food.
If you’re looking to venture beyond Federal for traditional Vietnamese rice noodle soup, Pho 888 a family-owned eatery is a good choice. Pho master Linh Dinh works tirelessly to keep a smile on his customers faces with his secret ingredient -love - and the deeply-flavored broth dotted to your liking with bean sprouts, basil, lime, and jalapeno.
Denver has no shortage of Indian restaurants, but Masalaa has been the talk of the town since its first Yummy Award given by the City of Aurora in 2004. Standout menu items include the Uthappam (lentil and rice batter pancakes topped with veggies) and Dosa (fermented crepes made out of rice batter and black lentils stuffed with a choice of ingredients). The popular lunchtime buffet allows you to try a little bit of everything.
If you’ve never tried Afghani food, now's the time. Sweet and spicy Qabuli rice is a must, complete with flavorful mint chutney, kabobs, and Mantoo, pan fried dumplings filled with meat and onions served in a split pea and garlic yogurt.
For Greek on the go, Gyroz dishes up gyros, hummus platters, and falafel sandwiches in a casual drive-through environment. Unpretentious and inconspicuous, this is one hole in the wall that’s worth a second look.
Who knew you can feel like you are on the Mediterranean on Iliff Avenue! Start your dinner with the flaming Saganaki and tasty moussaka followed by platters of kabobs. You’ll also get a complimentary shot of Ouzo, a Greek aperitif, to wash it all down and cleanse the palate.
At this unassuming family-owned restaurant, most of the dishes are from Ghana, but also include regional specialties from around West Africa. The eclectic menu is based on corn, yam, plantains, and cassava, served either fufu-style (boiled to a doughy consistency) or fried. Be sure to try the natural palm wine that's actually brewed inside the tree, a unique treat.
Hawaiian Barbecue is a fusion of Asian and American dishes prepared with unique island flare. Signature lunch plates include chicken katsu (breaded with a special dipping sauce), “Loco Moco” (hamburger patties, two eggs, and gravy), and mahi mahi, all served with a side of rice and macaroni salad.
Tucked in the back of an inconspicuous strip mall, Las Tortugas (“the Turtles”) dishes up flavorful tortas (Mexican sandwiches) filled with perfectly grilled pork and beef on fresh bolillo bread shaped like hard tortoise shells. Brush up on your high school Spanish because there's no English on this menu.
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