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“I’m beginning to think my love for Thai food is really just an obsession with peanut sauce.” I wrote these words three-and-a-half years ago, and the love affair hasn’t abated. Most recently, I satisfied my craving at Broken Rice, a three-month-old fast-casual eatery in Virginia Village.
There, the flaky, puffed-up Malaysian roti pancake appetizer (pictured, above)—an addition from a recent menu overhaul by new executive chef Tyson Wong Ophaso, who once competed on Iron Chef America—is served with a silky dipping sauce that’s part peanut sauce, part coconut curry, with chickpea chunks scattered throughout. It’s a tasty take on a familiar dish, and Ophaso continues that classic-with-a-twist theme throughout his menu.
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In the truffle noodle entree, long-life noodles receive an umami bomb of truffle flavoring. The dan dan noodles get a hit of freshness from cherry tomato purée. In addition to the traditional beef, vegetable, or chicken pho options, Broken Rice also hawks an inventive chicken curry version. And fried rice meets the current cauliflower rice craze in a colorful blending of the two, which also includes kimchi, scallion, egg, and sesame oil.
No matter which dish you choose, pair your order with the sake margarita—it’s only $6! The fragrant rice wine mellows out the lime’s tartness for a surprisingly refreshing sipper.
And if you run out of the aformentioned roti pancake but still have some of the dipping sauce left, tell your server to leave it on the table—in my opinion, a great peanut sauce goes with everything.
1390 S. Colorado Blvd., 720-399-6698
