In the state of Colorado there are no ocean beaches, no coastline, and no salty sea fog. The state is landlocked. And while buffalo burgers are mighty tasty, nothing compares to the steaming pho and pan seared dumplings I grew up loving on the West coast. Immigrants from Japan, China, and the Philippines have been preparing their national delicacies in shops up and down the coast for years. Denver on the other hand, has not been so fortunate. I missed my boba tea and dim sum and amazing Bulgogi and yakitori stands. This was until I got lost on Federal Blvd.
I was in an adventuresome mood one Saturday morning, and decided to take my boyfriend for a little excursion on the streets of Denver. With a full tank of gas we headed West. After a while, the signs started changing from English to Spanish, and I knew we were headed somewhere good. Then signs changed to Vietnamese and Chinese, and by this point, my stomach was announcing its hunger. We pulled over in front of a lengthy strip mall, and walked into the first restaurant we saw: Ba Le Sandwiches.
The shop was tiny but very clean and neat. There were no tables and chairs on the bright white tile floors, just a beverage cooler and a counter to order. Ba Le Sandwiches specializes in the French-Vietnamese hybrid, the banh mi sandwich. We couldn’t decide on just one variety, so we ordered the pâté, chicken, and beef sandwiches ($2.50 each).
Within 5 minutes, we left with our made-to-order lunch. The steam wafting up through the bag was a dead giveaway–this was going to be delicious. We got in the car and tore open the white parchment paper. If sandwich making is an art, then the nice people at Ba Le Sandwiches are masters. The bread was divine: crusty, chewy, and soft all in one bite. The generous portion of pâté was smooth and rich with cilantro, jalapeños, pickled daikon and carrots to cut through the porky fat. The chicken and beef versions were slightly less memorable, but tasty nonetheless. Its almost hard to believe that you can get a satisfying lunch of house-made ingredients for under $5.00. But it is, at Ba Le Sandwiches.
Now a little thirsty, we began to look around for something to drink (the bottled soda at Ba Le wasn’t exactly what we wanted). Luckily, we didn’t have to search for long, as Lollicup Boba was right next door. For a Saturday afternoon, it was suspiciously empty. The TV blasted Korean music videos, and the comfy couches and chairs looked inviting. There were games and magazines strewn about, giving the impression that this quiet boba store came alive at night. The friendly owners looked relieved to see us though, and were patient as we decided what to order.
Unlike the sandwich shop, Lollicup offers an extensive list of hot and cold drink choices. There was tea, snow bubble (which is creamy like a milkshake), and slush (which is ice blended, like a slurpee). Each beverage came in over twenty varieties including Royal Milk tea, honeydew, sesame, and lavender (prices range from $1.30-$4.42). You also have to option to add goodies to your drink such as boba, which are large tapioca balls, or lychee jelly cubes ($.32 extra). Sucked through an enormous straw, boba are an acquired taste for some.
I happen to love the chewy black balls, a specialty that reminds me of Boba shops back home. The appeal of boba is that it is a snack and a thirst quencher all in one, and secretly, I have always enjoyed punching the oversized straw into the plastic top of the cup. I am happy to report that Lollicup lived up to my expectations. We got a passion fruit slush with lychee jelly and a mango snow bubble with boba. The frothy drinks were quite sweet, but this wasn’t a problem. The clear lychee jellies were tart and slippery, in a good way. We managed to suck the drinks down in no time, on the hunt to find our next culinary gem.
On Federal Blvd. and Alameda (down the street from Ba Le Sandwiches and Lollicup Boba) lies an Asian culinary hot spot: the Far East Center. With two markets, two bakeries, pho shops, Chinese restaurants, and more, the center was a hub of commotion. Parking was a little traumatizing, but we managed to snag a spot.
We strolled around the Little Saigon Supermarket first, gawking at the exotic fruits and spices. The smell was a little ripe at first, but I soon got over it. Forget King Soopers; this is the place to get your groceries! Fish sauce, oxtails, live fish, and durian, oh my! The produce section was kind of small, but the spices, rice, and canned goods abound. Boxes are everywhere, and the store isn’t the cleanest, but it kind of adds some Chinatown charm.
I bought five heads of garlic for $.59, and a pound of ginger root for $.89 (what a steal!). The shelves are loaded with shrimp flavored chips, curry pastes, Hoisin sauce, and ginger oil, all sold for practically nothing. The back of the store houses mortar and pestle sets, bamboo steamers, cute little bowls, and anything else a little old Chinese grandma might need. I got cut in the mile long line by several of those grandmas, but that’s alright.
All that sightseeing had made us hungry again, so we stopped into Celestial Bakery & Deli & BBQ. Like Ba Le Sandwiches, this place was tailored to the customer on the go: get in and get out! The petite bakery had picture menus on the wall of delights listed in English, Spanish, and Chinese, but we didn’t bother with that. Steamed pork buns ($1.00), lotus leaf wrapped "burrito chinos" ($2.50) and glaze-lacquered duck ($11.99) looked tasty, but we opted for dessert. We got a mixed bag of little sweets, all for under $2.00.
There was an almond cookie ($.25), which was delicately crisp and covered in an orange glaze. The egg custard ($1.00) was silky and the pastry crust was delightfully flaky and light. But the other two were no competition for the sesame ball ($.50). These have always been my favorite dim sum dessert: sweet red bean paste surrounded by chewy rice dough. The balls are coated in nutty sesame seeds and fried into crispy, crunchy, melt in your mouth, perfection. Celestials' version was a little bigger than I am used to, but still very good.
The day was an adventure alright, and left me tired and stuffed, but not that disgusting, guilty, greasy kind of feeling. I was satisfied and so happy to have found this little section of Denver. My memories of home are now less far away, as I can venture down Federal Blvd. anytime I please. Needless to say, next time I make the trek to Little Saigon Supermarket for some oyster sauce and rice noodles, I will definitely be treating myself to a Celestial sesame ball.
Ba Le Sandwiches
Vietnamese Sandwiches│1044 S. Federal Blvd., 303-922-2129│$2.50-$3.50│Monday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. All major credit cards accepted.
Front Burner: Traditional pâté on fresh French bread, with addictive pickled vegetables for just a few bucks.
Back Burner: Take out only, and limited beverage selection.
Lollicup Boba
Boba Tea│1046 S. Federal Blvd., 303-937-6392│$1.30-$4.42 │Monday-Thursday 11 a.m-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-11 p.m., and Sunday 12 p.m.-10 p.m. All major credit cards accepted.
Front Burner: Large drink selection and quick service.
Back Burner: Drinks err on the sweet side.
Little Saigon Supermarket
Asian Supermarket│375 S. Federal Blvd. Unit 104, 303-937-8860│Open daily 9 a.m.-9 p.m. All major credit cards accepted.
Front Burner: Low prices on produce, condiments, and non-perishable foods.
Back Burner: The smells range from delicious to disgusting, and the check out line is confusing.
Celestial Bakery & Deli & BBQ
Asian Bakery│333 S. Federal Blvd. Unit 207, 303-936-2339│Hours not listed. All major credit cards accepted.
Front Burner: Great dim sum selection and fantastic sesame balls for practically nothing.
Back Burner: Store gets cramped with more than two customers.
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