Pan-Asian in Denver

Image: Blue Moon Asian Grill and Sushi Bar

2188 S. Colorado Blvd. Southeast Denver

303-782-4888

Blue Moon is rather pretty in a recycled way. The A-frame structure gives the place a pagoda feel that's ideal for a roster of Asian dishes: Chinese egg rolls, Vietnamese spring rolls and Thai summer rolls, edamame and lo mein, Thai curries, kung pao chicken, lettuce wraps and beef in Sriracha. Everything is made fresh and served beautifully arranged on huge white plates that capture the kitchen's overwhelming largesse.

1 article

Coark Collective Food Hall

15775 E. Arapahoe Rd. Centennial

720-998-2550

Pan-Asian

Housed in a former Golden Corral at the corner of Parker and Arapahoe roads, Coark Collective opened in January 2023 with eight vendor stalls, each housing an independently owned local business. Currently, it's heavy on Korean and Korean-inspired concepts like Korean toast sandwiches, bibimbop, and Korean fried chicken -- on a stick, no less -- but you can also nab udon, katsu and poke. Unlike other food halls, customers order at a single central counter that services all vendors, making it extremely easy to mix and match.

Dragonfly Noodle

2014 10th St. Boulder

720-580-1100

Pan-Asian, Ramen, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Slideshow

In need of a fresh start after the pandemic, chef Edwin Zoe rebranded his Boulder eatery Chimera as Dragonfly Noodle in 2022, adding a second location on Denver's 16th Street Mall later that year. This sister concept to his casual Chinese restaurant, Zoe Ma Ma, boasts noodle dishes that span Asia, from Japan to Singapore to Vietnam to Taiwan. Zoe's ramen noodles are still made in-house — a real rarity in Colorado — and deeply flavored broths illustrate a dedication to traditional ingredients and methods, with just enough experimentation to set the eatery apart.

6 articles

Dragonfly Noodle

1350 16th Street Mall Downtown Denver

720-543-8000

Pan-Asian, Ramen, Asian, Best Of

In need of a fresh start after the pandemic, chef Edwin Zoe rebranded his Boulder eatery Chimera as Dragonfly Noodle in 2022, adding a second location on Denver's 16th Street Mall later that year. This sister concept to his casual Chinese restaurant, Zoe Ma Ma, boasts noodle dishes that span Asia, from Japan to Singapore to Vietnam to Taiwan. Zoe's ramen noodles are still made in-house — a real rarity in Colorado — and deeply flavored broths illustrate a dedication to traditional ingredients and methods, with just enough experimentation to set the eatery apart.

1 article

Glo Noodle House

4450 W. 38th Ave., Denver Highland/Lower Highland

303-993-4180

Pan-Asian, Ramen

This playful, noodle-centric eatery debuted in 2022 and made a big first impression thanks to its mastery of big flavors, from miso bacon ramen, with a broth that takes 48 hours to prepare, to foie gras with yuzu marmalade. The bar program is Japan-inspired, with Japanese gin, whisky and shochu making appearances, and the bathroom resembles a bodega, complete with bouquets of flowers and Pocky Stick boxes.

Jaya Asian Grill

1699 S. Colorado Blvd. Southeast Denver

303-757-7887

Pan-Asian, Recommended, Menu

There's a lot to love at Jaya Asian Grill. The minute you walk through the door of this spot tucked into a strip mall, you're greeted by smiles from the friendly staff, curious glances from the regulars and the clatter of a busy kitchen working away in the back. The menu that kitchen is working off covers a wide swath of Southeast Asian traditions and canons, with fragments of Thai cuisine tucked in among the Indonesian and Malaysian specialties, some dull Amerasian plates offered like sops to the boring neighbors, and tastes of Singapore and China appearing like hidden temples in the jungle.

4 articles

Jing

5370 Greenwood Plaza Blvd., Englewood Southeast Denver Suburbs

303-779-6888

Pan-Asian

Jing, an upscale sibling to Cherry Creek’s Little Ollie’s, sports a sexy dining room, a well-stocked bar and a menu of nouvelle Asian cuisine -- just the thing for well-heeled locals hungry for good food in the environs of the Tech Center. Try the Peking duck and cioppino if you’re looking for something more traditional; the ribeye steak marinated in tropical juice and served with wasabi mashed potatoes and the miso sea bass with ginger beurre blanc are more of-the-moment. And so, of course, are the regulars who flock to Jing.

4 articles

Karma Asian

22 S. Broadway South Denver

303-871-0167

Pan-Asian, Menu

This is a small, smart neighborhood restaurant that offers a broad overview of the best of several Asian cuisines. Although Karma tempts the fates by featuring a tangled, border-hopping board of fare, it respects boundaries, and most of the small plate/large plate menu holds to a strict division. As a result, each meal becomes a minor lesson in geography and history, offering an intriguing balance between the peasant heat of Korean food and the restrained subtlety of Japanese, the epic span of Chinese cooking's development and the relative simplicity of the traditional Vietnamese.

2 articles

Kona Grill

3000 E. 1st Ave. Central Denver

720-974-1300

Hawaiian, Pan-Asian, Menu

3 articles

Moon Gate Asian Grill

745 Quebec St. East Denver

303-329-2921

Pan-Asian, Best Of, Menu

Although this itty-bitty Chinese/Vietnamese/Japanese/Thai joint looks unassuming from the outside, it really packs in the appreciative customers. That's because Moon Gate's Asian non-fusion is better than most of Denver's Far East offerings, and the kitchen isn't afraid to challenge American appetites with dishes such as soft-shell crab with yellow curry and seaweed salad.

6 articles

Peking Tokyo Express

3355 S. Wadsworth Blvd. Southwest Denver Suburbs

303-985-3040

Pan-Asian

Peking Tokyo not only smells better than many restaurants in town, it has what could be Denver's longest menu, a muddle of styles -- Szechuan and Mandarin and Amerasian and Vietnamese and Thai and Cantonese, as well as spaghetti and cheesecake and curry, all done very well. But except for teriyaki, there is no Japanese food here, and none of the classics of northern China. The place might as well be called Bombay Decatur or Venice Toronto, but don't let that deter you when you're in mood for a mish-mash of Asian dishes.

1 article

Pepper Asian Bistro II

3759 Lipan St. Northwest Denver

720-524-7818

Pan-Asian

1 article

Reckless Noodle House

800 Sherman St., Denver Capitol Hill/Uptown/City Park

720-734-2518

Pan-Asian, Vietnamese, Best Of

This Capitol Hill spot is decked out with fun design details, but it's the food that will steal your attention. The menu is primarily Vietnamese, though Cambodian, Thai and Chinese influences are evident. Reckless's libations are also no afterthought — and there are a lot of them to choose from. The drink menu is split into two parts, with both classics and a lineup of original creations. Pro tip: Those who venture away from the expected will be rewarded.

2 articles

Wok Uptown

1789 Ogden St. Central Denver

303-861-2888

Asian, Asian Fusion, Chinese, Pan-Asian, Seafood, Thai, Vegetarian, Vietnamese, Menu

2 articles

Wokano Asian Bistro

1078 Ogden St., Denver Capitol Hill/Uptown/City Park

303-831-8277

Pan-Asian, Recommended, Menu

Wakano's menu offers a broad spread of traditional Asian dishes on a board bulked up with a generous serving of Americanized Chinese favorites. It's a solid neighborhood spot for those craving Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese all together in one place.

1 article

Woody's Wings N' Things

6817 Lowell Blvd. North Denver

303-427-0302

Asian, Pan-Asian, Wings, Best Of

Don’t let the name of this strip-mall joint (which is not affiliated with the Aurora or Arvada locations of Woody’s) fool you: This is one of the metro area’s best Asian eateries, in disguise. The menu — a literal binder — is full of dishes with roots in the Indochina peninsula, from duck larb to whole fried fish to big bowls of Thai soups and so much more. Much of the staff hails from Cambodia, but there are also items whose origins lie in Thailand, Vietnam, China and Laos. If you do want a wing fix, that’s on the menu, too, but skip the buffalo sauce and go for the Thai lemongrass with peanuts or spicy Sichuan sauce instead.

6 articles

Pan-Asian in Denver

Newsletter Sign Up

Enter your name, zip code, and email