Mile High Asian Food Week Is Back. Here Are the Specials We’re Most Excited For

Mile High Asian Food Week, a celebration of Denver’s growing Asian food and beverage scene, encourages diners to try something new—and participating businesses feel the impact. In fact, select vendors reported some of their busiest services ever during last year’s weeklong event.

“[Restaurants owners] met customers who arrived at their locations already wanting to love their food,” says Joanne Liu, founder of Mile High Asian Food Week (MHAFW). “My parents used to own a small Chinese takeout in Boston where I worked every weekend when I was in middle and high school. As a former restaurant kid, I see my parents in all of these chef-owners and absolutely can’t wait for them to feel the energy, love, and excitement from customers.”

This year’s MHAFW, running April 28 through May 4, features more than 100 Front Range restaurants, food trucks, cafes, and bakeries offering prix-fixe meals, discounts, secret menu items, and other perks. That’s double the number of businesses that participated in 2023.

While the mission of MHAFW is to encourage Coloradans to try different Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander cuisines and support Asian-owned and -influenced culinary businesses, Liu says the program has also sparked many fresh collaborations among members of the food and beverage community, resulting in several exclusive pop-ups and events. “The food and beverage industry can be a highly competitive space, but it’s been so great to learn about some vendors collaborating on their own to elevate each other,” she says.

There are tons of tempting offers in the vendor list on the program’s website—from dinner packages priced under $40 to five to 25 percent off meals—but here are the 10 we’re most excited for.

South Pearl Street Night Market
April 30–May 2
To support multiple Asian businesses in one place, visit the South Pearl Street Night Market hosted by Ruby’s Market and 5 Green Boxes. For three nights, vendors such as Mukja, Ninja Ramen, Sweet Rice Flour, and Vicky’s Thai Kitchen will sling bites and treats on the 1500 block of South Pearl Street. Ruby’s Market will also collect new slippers, potted plants and herbs, and new/used picture frames for care bags, which will be distributed to Asian community members in need. April 28–May 2; 5:30–8 p.m.; 1569 S. Pearl St.

Riceboxx Denver
May 1
Chefs Pannah Son and Lariza Amon cook plates inspired by their Cambodian and Filipino upbringing—think: fish-sauce-glazed wings, lumpia, and ube crinkle cookies— at their takeout-only eatery, Riceboxx Denver. On May 1, Riceboxx will bring back an OG favorite that’s no longer on the menu at Pho King Rapidos’ Avanti stall: crispy chicken adobo with garlic fried rice. 11 a.m.–sold out; 3200 N. Pecos St.

Panda Bao and MAKfam
May 1
Feast on fiery Sichuan specialties prepared by chef Aimee Zheng of Panda Bao at MAKfam, a tradition-inspired Chinese restaurant on South Broadway. Along with the spicy dishes from her hometown of Chengdu, Zheng will be preparing her signature steamed buns stuffed with spicy pork. Walk-ins available; 5–9 p.m.; 39 W. First Ave.

Welton Room and Tí Cafe
May 4
Join the beverage pros behind Five Point’s Welton Room and Monkey Bar, known for its whimsical cocktails, and North Broadway’s Tí Cafe, Denver’s only Vietnamese coffee shop, for a one-of-a-kind high tea experience featuring tea cocktails and a tower of sweet and savory bites. Also watch out for Instagram updates from Tí Cafe on a MHAFW-exclusive lineup of dim-sum-themed drinks. Reservations at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.; message @weltonroom on Instagram for a table; 2590 Welton St.

Rising Tiger
April 28
Enjoy a $75 four-course “Asian-ish” brunch prepared by Longmont-based Rising Tiger’s chef Devin Keopraphray, a first-generation Lao American, on the sunny rooftop of the Clayton Hotel & Members Club on April 28. Dishes will include mushroom-tea-infused jok (rice porridge) with smoked salmon, scallion pancake with fried egg, braised pork belly with sour sinigang soup, and toasted melon bun with ube milk. Reservations required; email events@claytondenver.com for a table; 233 Clayton St.

CoArk Collective
Multiple dates
This Korean food hall, which houses 10 food and dessert vendors, has curated five food, drink, and dessert packages priced from $26 to $37 that will be available during MHAFW (all options serve two diners). Opt for the dessert package to get two drinks, a Dalgona bingsu (shaved ice dessert), and a strawberry croffle for just $26. Reservations available; email sean@coarkcollective.com to order; 15775 E. Arapahoe Road, Centennial

Reckless Noodle House
April 28–May 4
Reckless Noodle House, a hot spot for creative cocktails and eats influenced by cuisines across East and Southeast Asia, will offer a three-course prix-fixe menu for $35 upon mention of MHAFW. Choose from dishes such as crispy Saigon caramelized prawns, lobster rangoon bao, mala braised beef cheek noodles, and Reckless fried rice with your choice of protein. Walk-ins only; 800 Sherman St.

Taeko-san Takeout
Multiple dates
Madeline Dunhoff uses modified versions of her grandmother’s recipes to produce mochi, onigiri, and curry, which she sells at local farmers’ markets and other pop-ups via her business, Taeko-san Takeout. While Dunhoff hasn’t released her MHAFW menu yet, her past mochi flavors have included coconut ube, tiramisu, and strawberry pandan. May 1, 3–6 p.m., Comrade Brewing, 7667 E. Iliff Ave.; May 3, 4 p.m.–sold out, Glo Noodle House, 4450 W. 38th Ave.; May 4, 8 a.m.–1 p.m., City Park Farmers Market, 2551 E. Colfax Ave.

Hop Alley
April 29–May 4
Snag a table at Hop Alley in RiNo, chef-owner Tommy Lee’s love letter to his Cantonese heritage and Denver’s lost Chinatown, to dig into discounted whole Dungeness crab. For just $61, you can get a two-pound crab prepared in the style of your choice; we like it Hong Kong–style, lightly battered and tossed with loads of garlic and chiles. During MHAFW, the restaurant will also give patrons the chance to enter a raffle for a chef’s counter experience for two. Reservations available; 3500 Larimer St.

Sweet Rice Flour
Multiple dates
This Aurora-based gluten-free bakery—which specializes in light and airy choux puffs produced with seasonal ingredients, delicate crêpe cakes, and rare-in-Denver Southeast Asian desserts—sells its treats at pop-ups and farmers’ markets throughout the Front Range. Mention MHAFW at any of Sweet Rice Flour’s pop-ups during the week to gain access to the new “Culture Shock” collection of choux puffs that feature tropical flavors from Asia. April 28, 10 a.m.–2 p.m., Moonflower at Full Tank Food Park Marketplace, 4200 W. Colfax Ave.; April 30 and May 2, 5–8 p.m, Ruby’s Market, 1569 Pearl St.; May 3, 3:30–8 p.m., Comrade Brewing, 7667 E. Iliff Ave.; May 4, 12–4 p.m., Tea Street, 4090 E. Mississippi Ave.

Disclaimer: 5280 Magazine is a sponsor of Mile High Asian Food Week.