This blog post will be regularly updated as I discover new restaurants and add to my list of favorites.
It has been since I have moved to Colorado. Only now that I feel ready to fairly judge Denver’s food scene. After spending some time here, I’ve gained a clearer perspective on the local offerings, without being heavily influenced by my upbringing in New York—where I lived for over half my life—and nearly a decade in San Francisco, both of which are known for their amazing, diverse, and nearly limitless food options.
I am starting small by introducing my favorite area to eat: Aurora, Colorado. I know, it’s not Denver, but it’s right next door, with some neighborhoods blending together, making it hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. Let me explain why Aurora is my top spot for food: I absolutely love Asian cuisine and have tried a ton of it over the years. I genuinely believe that Aurora has some of the best offerings in the area, apart from Federal near the Far East Center (which is a discussion topic for another time). Fun fact: Aurora is actually sister city to Seongnam City in South Korea! So naturally, all the best Korean food can also be found here! here!
Without further ado, here are my current favorite spots, in no particular order, to eat in Aurora, Colorado! These are spots that I come back to time and time again. This list will be regular updated as I discover new restaurants!
Tofu Story
2787 S Parker Rd, Aurora, CO 80014
Korean | Recommended dish: Soondubu (tofu stew)
Tofu Story is hands down my favorite Korean restaurant in Colorado. They make their tofu in-house (which you can also buy separately), and the flavor of their tofu stews is spot-on. They also offer unique Korean dishes that are hard to find elsewhere, like raw marinated crab, which is surprisingly delicious for a landlocked area. I’ve tried many other dishes dishes on their menu, and they were all fantastic. But honestly, I come here primarily for the tofu stews since I get cravings for soondobu time to time, the other dishes I get to try are just the cherry on top!
Katsu Ramen
1930 S Havana St #4, Aurora, CO 80014
Japanese | Recommended dish: Tonkotsu ramens & onigiris
One of my biggest disappointments since moving to Colorado has been the lack of good ramen. It’s been disheartening to visit nearly five-star places on Yelp (which, by the way, ratings tends to be overly inflated in Colorado) only to end up with an expensive bowl of ramen expensive bowl of ramen topped with arugula in or just something not ramen but an interpretation of ramen. Just getting your average quality New York or California ramen is just so hard to find. Would my ramen cravings only be satisfied by trips to Japan, California, or New York? And then, I discovered Katsu Ramen.
When you walk in, you see a large banner in the back highlighting their tonkotsu broth, boasting that they cook their broth for 16 hours. That is a good sign! I’ve tried nearly every ramen on their menu, and I can confidently say that their regular Tonkotsu or Black Garlic Tonkotsu is the way to go. It’s creamy, rich, and flavorful—the closest thing to Hakata-style ramen (like the ramen broths you get at Ichiran or Ippudo) in Denver. That said, the one thing they could do better is their egg. Usually a soft boiled egg is served with ramen, but they served their's hard boiled. But that is something I can let slide since they nailed the head on the broth where so many places in Denver has such a hard time doing.
Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodles
2000 S Havana St, Aurora, CO 80014
Chinese | Recommended dish: Rice noodles (specifically the pickled cabbage noodle soup), fried fish "dry hot pot" trays, fried chicken
Finding good Chinese food in Denver can be quite a challenge, as most spots are actually Viet-Chinese. Did you know that Denver doesn’t have a Chinatown? The history behind that is quite sad-- feel free to read more about it here. What I love about Ten Seconds is that their flavors are authentically Chinese. While they’ve expanded their menu to include ramen to appeal to a broader audience (since Chinese noodle soups aren’t as popular), I recommend steering clear of that—not because it’s bad (I haven’t tried it), but because there are so many better options that truly reflect their Yunnan cuisine.
When I lived in the Bay Area, there was a neighborhood Chinese restaurant that served a delicious pickled cabbage fish soup. I would order it at least once a month because the flavor is so good and it is so comforting and familiar to me. My mom used to make a similar soup with sour pickled Chinese vegetables and fish, and I’ve loved that flavor combination since childhood. It’s an underrated dish that I think many people overlook. Ten Second Noodle's pickled fish noodle soup is very close to that flavor I crave. Alongside their amazing Chinese rice noodle soups, their traditional appetizers are also fantastic. Some of my favorites include the spicy beef tendon and the refreshing cucumbers.
Moobongri Soondae
2787 S Parker Rd, Aurora, CO 80014
Korean | Recommended dish: their tangs aka milky bone soups
There’s this amazing Korean soup made with pork or ox bones, known as Gamjatang and Seolleongtang, that I absolutely love. It’s clean and simple, yet naturally rich and flavorful thanks to the long cooking time. Beef or pork bones are simmered for hours, resulting in a creamy, flavorful soup that highlights the natural sweetness of the meat and bones. It comes out lightly seasoned with seasoning options—like salt, fermented fish paste, and perilla powder—on the side, allowing you to customize the flavor profile to your liking.
nterestingly, this was the first Korean dish I ever tried when I was about 13 or 14. I visited a restaurant in Koreatown, NYC, with my Korean friend and her family after a day at the Museum of Natural History. To be honest, I didn't like it back then; I found it bland. But I think as kids, we often overlook those simple, subtle flavors. Now, it’s my second favorite Korean soup/stew (after Soondubu, of course!).
Anyways, this is a long winded way of saying, the bone tangs are fantastic at Moonbongri. I usually don’t revisit restaurants because there are so many new places to try, but I keep coming back for them!
Banh & Butter Bakery Cafe
9935 E Colfax Ave, Aurora, CO 80010
French + Vietnamese | Recommended items: Strawberry croissant, Croissants, Iced Vietnamese Egg Coffee
In New York City and San Francisco (including the SF Peninsula), you can find great bakeries every couple of blocks, but in Denver, they’re few and far between. Banh & Butter is the first bakery I discovered that actually meets my high standards (which might be a bit too high) for baked goods. As a baker myself, I really appreciate quality. Their laminated pastries, like croissants, are outstanding, featuring a shatteringly crisp crust and a tender center. I also enjoy their coffee—finding Vietnamese egg coffee is a rare treat, but they serve it here, which I love. Their coffee is strong and caffeinated, just as it should be and exactly how I like it!
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