"This is the expert on Vietnamese food," the Top Chef judges say to Colorado's Travis Masar in a preview of the episode that airs tonight on Bravo at 8 MST.

"Not fully yet," Masar replies. The French culinary trained Colorado native got interested in Asian food at a later age, and completely fell in love. "I learned Asian cooking techniques by going and visiting Asia with friends. I would watch my friends' grandmothers, aunts, and cousins cook in their kitchens. I also worked for a Vietnamese wedding catering company in Denver that catered only traditional Vietnamese weddings," he says.

Masar, whose mentor is Duy Pham of Epernay, adds "Denver's Vietnamese community and culture is really big and I feel that [the city] seems to hold its own when it comes to authentic Vietnamese food. I have also had some of the best sushi in Denver. Although the Korean population in Denver is comparatively smaller than the Korean population in L.A., I think Denver has some really authentic Korean restaurants."

So without further ado, here are the top 10 authentic Asian food restaurants in Denver, handpicked by the Vietnamese expert-in-training himself, Travis Masar.

chef Travis Masar in Vietnam [Photo: Facebook]

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