Sắp Sửa

Sắp Sửa, loosely translating as “about to be” or “almost,” is a Vietnamese restaurant in Denver, Colorado.  The name reflects the restaurant’s philosophy that “that you’ll never be the best version of yourself. It should inspire you to never be complacent, and always strive to be better than you were yesterday.”  And I’ll say, everyday I’m trying to be a better version of myself, including getting better at sniffing out delicious eats!

I knew I was in for a treat when I saw Asian Aunties, Uncles, and Grandparents scattered throughout the restaurant’s diverse crowd. As a Vietnamese forward restaurant, Sắp Sửa does not shy away from playing with fusion in the kitchen. Starting with french fries! I know, what? But these were seasoned so well, probably one of the first times I wasn’t upset that the fries were thin cut. They were crunchy, crispy, and had the ideal fry interior – my friend and I could not stop reaching for more!

The endive salad, gỏi bầu nước chấm, was good. The refreshing bites of winter melon and the oro blanco grapefruit (google that) really made the dish stand out. There was a bit of extra bitterness, that I think the dish could have done without, that mainly came from a large portion of cabbage leaf stem. I was not ready after the sweet oro blanco for a bitter bite. Other than that, I really enjoyed the fish sauce vinaigrette, it brought some umami to those leaves .

If you’re an adventurous eater, then you’ve probably had tacos de oreja and are a cardholding member of the Eating All Parts of the Animal Association or EAPAA for short.  When I saw crispy pig ears on the happy hour menu for a half portion, I knew I had to order them.  And even luckier, they gave me a full portion (because I’m charming!).  The lỗ tai heo was delicious, these well seasoned and spiced pig ears are coated with egg yolk at the end and that worked really well to elevate the flavors of the dish.  A true happy hour snack! This dish really took me back to my days eating in Vietnam. Sometimes, you just need something to chew on.

All I am going to say is go on Yelp or Google and see the dish everyone is raving about, the soft scrambled eggs with the trout roe, brown butter, and rice.  I need to go back for it because I only had the vegetarian version, which was a 5/5 suya stick rating.  So I have no doubt that the full version is even better.  They perfected their soft scrambled egg game here, and I need them to cook these eggs for me every Saturday!

Yes, this cabbage tastes as good as it looks haha.  I still think cabbage is one of those interesting vegetables that is getting a lot of menu time these days.  For me, if I’m not making dumplings at home, I’m not even thinking about cabbage.  But it stands alone very well and the restaurant made it extremely enticing via its perfect presentation. Just look at that char!

I love porridge! I love oatmeal! I love rice!  When I saw the menu had congee with beef cheeks AND a soft boiled egg–I automatically knew how I wanted to end the meal and I was not disappointed! The congee was the perfect consistency, not too soupy and not too thick.  The egg mixed in perfectly and created this synergy with the rice (you could really taste the broth used in the congee), then the beef cheeks and fried scallions brought a rich and fatty flavor that completed the dish. Wish it had a bit more beef cheek in there, but overall it was pretty hearty – especially  in conjunction with everything else I ate. Every bite was delicious!

And for the last dish, it made me so grateful that I went with a vegetarian friend.  The đậu hũ dồn cà chua was the best thing on the menu that night! They fried the tofu perfectly, it was not overly soaked (which often diminishes flavor), and even in the rich tomato stew it maintained an amazing level of crispiness. I should have taken a video of me dragging a knife on that tofu block.  It paired so well with the rich and earthy stew, and the additions of peanuts made sure your mouth was not bored. A really well put together dish.

Although we skipped dessert, we had these cocktails with yuzu that were so good, gin-erational trauma, and I would order one again.  The atmosphere in Sắp Sửa is inviting and all the staff contribute to make your dining experience very enjoyable.  I chatted a bit with one of the front of house staff during my meal and you could feel the rays of excitement beaming from her person as we spoke about the menu.  I had a great experience and enjoyed just about everything that I ate. I recommend that you check this place out next time you’re in Denver–I’m giving it a 4.5 suya sticks rating–it’s about to be a memorable meal for you!!