Mile High Asian Food Week celebrates culture, community and AAPI cuisine. Foodies can experience new Asian cuisine while receiving benefits such as discounts and access to secret menu items.
“In many Asian cultures, food symbolizes family. It’s how we show love, care, and protection for one another. Colorado is the place to find inspiration, try new foods, and enjoy new foods.” It’s great to have the opportunity to go to places and continue to support restaurants. They already do,” said Joanne Liu, founder of Mile High Asian Food Week.
She says it’s also an opportunity for Colorado to learn about neighboring AAPIs. About 3.5% of Colorados are Asian, according to state data.
Long Nguyen is the owner of a Vietnamese-born restaurant in Denver.when he opened anise, it was a way to make a living. With the crowds rolling in, Nguyen found a new purpose in sharing not just his love of food, but his love of culture.
“Everyone knows Chinese, Thai, Korean, Japanese. Vietnamese food is pretty new to American appetites,” Nguyen said.
Since Nguyen’s arrival, pho, a Vietnamese noodle soup, has exploded in popularity around Colorado. This is the most ordered dish in Anise. But when he opened, he didn’t want to have a “four restaurant.”
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“I don’t want to say it’s the best Vietnamese dish, but it’s the most famous one. Everyone knows pho!” Nguyen said. “There are many other Vietnamese dishes besides pho.”
He prides himself on having a menu full of traditional dishes and takes pride in telling diners about each one. Because of this, he says he rarely returns to Vietnam now.
Food and identity often go hand in hand.
Colorado used to celebrate Asian Food Month. When Joanne Liu began her journey to revive her Asian Food Week, she had her family in mind.
She showed a picture of herself eating soup dumplings as a child on CBS News Colorado. Another AFW restaurant, Chi Lin at Stanley Marketplace.
Her parents owned a Chinese restaurant. Now she is determined to cheer up Asian chefs.
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“I remembered my parents and the hard work and perseverance and sacrifice they made at the restaurant,” Liu said.
She is overjoyed by the #AFW posts on social media of foodies trying new restaurants, especially after years of challenges this community has endured.
“Unfortunately, the villains are now very vocal and very brazen about their actions. “We are now part of American culture. Asian Food Week is a time to show that our food is different, and that’s good. Different is good.”
Celebrate the plate and its culture with chopsticks or forks.
“The scene is growing. “It’s all about exploring and being able to share it with the Colorado community.”
Mile High Asian Food Week runs through February 26th. See below for more information. https://bit.ly/3KvpQtL