Since they opened this past June, sắp sửa, on East Colfax in Denver, has offered a unique and contemporary dining experience showcasing the diverse and engaging flavors of Vietnam through the lens of a first-generation Vietnamese American. Chefs Ni and Anna Nguyen strive to present a wide range of elements of Vietnamese cuisine to their community with their non-traditional food. Chef Ni describes his drive to include these aromas and flavors into Denver’s culinary canon by bringing up his experiences eating the same food growing up and possibly getting teased by his fellow classmates at lunchtime. “If I can get them to understand what fermented shrimp paste is, or what fish sauce is; the ingredients that we use in our daily lives,” Ni says. “Then, maybe in the future, stinky lunch boxes—like when I was growing up—won’t be a thing anymore, if we can expose more people to Vietnamese food.”
What finally came to fruition as a brick-and-mortar space this past June, had been percolating for over ten years, ever since the Nguyens met in culinary school. With both chefs previously working in a varied range of high-profile restaurants and cuisines in the Los Angeles area, Ni decided to hone his focus on the traditions he loved and learned about, growing up as a first-generation Vietnamese American. After both were unfortunately furloughed during the pandemic, they landed in Anna’s hometown of Longmont and plotted to do something of their very own. What started as a holiday-focused pastry business turned into evenings making traditional Vietnamese takeout out of the kitchen of a brunch-only restaurant. The popularity of the temporary takeout kitchen soon grew into featured pop-ups at some of Denver’s most beloved restaurants which, in turn, led to the inception of sắp sửa. With their own space, they weren’t bound by limitations and could build a menu and concept from the ground up, focusing on their unique perspective.
The nuance and refinement of French tradition and the balance and intensity of Vietnamese flavors are all evident in the cuisine at sắp sửa. Dishes like “trứng và trứng”; a soft scrambled egg with brown butter, fish sauce and trout roe on pillowy white rice, and "bắp cải luộc"; a generous portion of tender and charred cabbage over a luxurious egg yolk sauce topped with crisp anchovy breadcrumbs, display both comfort and luxury. The latter has become one of sắp sửa’s signature dishes. “Growing up my mom would make a version of this. It’s a really humble dish,” says Ni. “If you grew up in a Vietnamese household, I’m sure someone in your family cooked a version of this dish.” The result is a harmony of hearty, rustic, and lavish. Our server mentioned that she didn’t know a cabbage dish could be sexy until she experienced this particular version.
With Chef Anna at the pastry helm, the desserts are not to be missed. A coconut panna cotta with lychee, longan fruit, and almond granita achieves an incredibly uniform balance while still maintaining the ability to pinpoint distinct flavors. In contrast, “chè chuối”, a rich banana pudding with coconut, peanuts and nilla wafers leaves you wanting to take a bowl home for the next morning’s decadent breakfast. In November, they launched a Saturday and Sunday bakery concept to showcase Anna's family recipes and passion for baking: The Bakehouse by sắp sửa. An inaugural Lunar New Year celebration is also on the horizon on February 10, featuring a takeover with Chef Kevin Tien of Moon Rabbit in Washington, DC.
While Ni and Anna are the owner/chefs of sắp sửa, Chef Ni describes the pride he takes in teamwork and collaboration in the kitchen. “One of our goals is to get everyone in the kitchen to have a dish on the menu,” says Ni. “One of my favorite things is to be able to cultivate that creativity.” A commitment to collaboration is underlined by including the entire staff’s names on the bottom of the menu, which is usually only reserved for the executive chef.
The front-of-house team, led by General Manager Heeji Kim, leads guests through a bespoke and curated experience, leaning towards sharing so diners can experience the breadth of what sắp sửa has to offer. The wine and cocktail lists mirror the balance and creativity that the food menu emanates. “I think if people come in with an open mind,” says Ni. “Just come in and let us take care of you and let us guide you through the menu and what we’re excited about.”
Visit SapSua.com to make a reservation.