Best of 2011

Best of 2011: As we ring in the new year, we reminisce on what we’ve learned in 2011 and what we’ve appreciated. We polled our readers and the votes are in. Lets reflect on the best of 2011.

BEST CHINESE
Super Star Asian Cuisine
2200 W. Alameda Ave, Ste 5A | Denver, CO 80238
Tel: 303-727-9889 | www.superstardenver.com

With dim sum served all day long, Super Star is famous for its colorful array of small plates—from its shrimp dumplings to the sweet pastries. In addition to its Cantonese flavors, the restaurant recently introduced new Chinese dishes with the addition of their chef who can create banquet-style feasts for small family gatherings up to large wedding parties. Super Star, located in the remodeled Alameda Square, makes patrons feel right at home with its speedy and friendly service.

BEST PHO
Pho 95
1002 S. Federal Blvd | Denver, CO 80219
Tel: 303-936-3322 | www.pho95noodlehouse.com

“Hello friend, welcome!” is the popular greeting at Pho 95. With an astounding 4.5 out of 5 stars on Yelp reviews, the restaurant aims to please all of its eaters. As more newcomers take a chance with “pho,” Vietnamese beef noodle soup, Pho 95 is often the place to have their first experience. The restaurant is also the second home to many frequenters, who just can’t get enough of its tasty broth and generous portions. The pho house also offers a variety of Vietnamese appetizers such as egg rolls and spring rolls. The family-run business opened a second location at the Streets of Southglenn that has received equal admiration and praise.

BEST FROZEN YOGURT
Yogurtland
550 Grant Street | Denver, CO 80203
Tel: 303-777-1656 | www.yogurt-land.com

Dozens of frozen yogurt shops have sprouted up in the past year across the metro area, so you must be one-of-a-kind in order for patrons to say, “lets go to Yogurtland!” and make a special trip to pick up fro-yo. So how do they do it? Yogurtland on 5th and Grant offers innovative and unique flavors including milk chocolate hazelnut, matcha green tea, and guava pineapple tart. Unlike other yogurt eateries, you rule your portions from beginning to end—as in the yogurt machine is self-serve and the counter of toppings is open for you to splatter your cup with some tasty add-ons.

BEST SUSHI
Sushi Den
1487 South Pearl Street | Denver, CO 80210
Tel: 303-777-0826 | www.sushiden.net

No surprise here. The award-winning Sushi Den is also an Asian Avenue favorite. Established in 1985, Chef Toshi and Chef Yasu came together to bring the idea of “raw fish” to Denver’s attention during a time when many did not understand the delicacy. Over the years, Sushi Den has continued to bring innovation to its menu and is “a feast for the eyes as well as the palette.” The restaurant is on the tip of the tongue every time sushi is brought up in Denver and has also begun to receive recognition nationally. The mission of the restaurant is to create one of the top Sushi restaurants in the world by providing consistently fresh, innovative, healthy foods using only the finest ingredients. Well done, Sushi Den.

BEST FUSION RESTAURANT
John Holly’s Asian Bistro
2422 S. Downing Street | Denver, CO 80210
Tel: 303-722-8686 | www.johnhollysasianbistro.com

Anyone can appreciate the modest fine dining of John Holly’s Asian Bistro. The restaurant offers a fusion of decorative sushi plates and traditional Chinese dishes. It is the perfect date spot—classy but warm, and with a variety of delicious desserts to end the evening. Contrarily, with the addition of its bar, it is also a fun location to stop by with friends for some drinks before hitting the town. John Holly’s also hosts many parties in its second floor party room. Chef and owner John Ye operates two locations, the other in the Park Meadows area. His culinary vision takes his guests on a food adventure every time they come through the door.

BEST ASIAN SUPERMARKET
H-Mart
2751 S. Parker Road | Aurora, CO 80014
Tel: 303-745-4592 | www.hmart.com

There just isn’t anything else like it. Where else will you find a rice cooker, kimchi and fresh fish? But you have to see it for yourself.

Headquartered in New Jersey, the Aurora H-Mart opened in 2004. Administration Supervisor Seong Jeon said, “We try to always serve new items such as produce, meat, fish, grocery.”

The Korean-owned supermarket caters to all ethnicities. They offer many South Asian products, for example Indian, Malaysian, Cambodian and Indonesian. Jeon explained that items and food are ordered from California and around the world.

“Because our area [Colorado] has high altitude, it can be hard to get fish items,” he said. “Our fish department is always fresh. We try to serve the best fish, many are live fish from Korea.”

“We customize your order and cut,” he continued. “We can cut, clean and serve a certain way. We want to provide the best fish in town.”

This is the same concept for their produce. H-Mart serves fresh vegetables and does not stock the product. Shipments are made from California three times a week.

Jeon shared that the purpose of the supermarket is to provide better deals and good prices for the most fresh and best quality products. In addition, there is an exchange of culture that takes place with each visit to H-Mart. The market provides demos to teach recipes such as Japanese California rolls and Korean bulgogi. The selection here is simply unbeatable.

BEST ASIAN-AMERICAN BUSINESS OWNERS
Huy Lam :: Oui Salon
Chinese-American

The good-natured owner of Oui Salon, Huy Lam, came to Denver in 1979 as a boat refugee, having left Vietnam at the age of 15. He stayed in a refugee camp in Malaysia for three months before being sponsored to come to the U.S.

As the oldest of five, he was the first to immigrate, living with an American family from 1979 to 1984 in Lakewood. When discussing with his American mom what profession he should pursue after graduating Golden High School in 1983, he said, “I want a job working with people.” With his interest in art and drawing, his mom suggested him to try hair and beauty school. Although his Chinese parents were not thrilled by the idea, he said, “I feel so grateful to have had that opportunity. When you have two cultures combined, you can pick the best of both and personally grow at what your best at.”

Lam has been working as a hair stylist since 1985. In 1992, he sponsored his family to come to Denver. He now lives with his wife and two kids, ages 11 and 8. When he first opened Oui Salon, he was not only the stylist but also the maintenance man and plumber, taking care of all issues and staying late to clean the floors each night. “Any business starts with a lot of overhead and takes time.”

“You have to believe in yourself and work hard,” he said. “Be a good person and respect people, so they want to work for you. Everything takes teamwork – it’s not just me that makes things happen.”

“Be patient and take things slowly. Enjoy what you have.”

Jo Dang :: BYOB
Vietnamese-American

Jo Dang began working with makeup at the age of 15. Growing up in a strict family, she was not allowed to wear makeup or nail polish.

“So after school I would always play around with makeup trying to imitate what I saw in my Seventeen magazines,” she said.

“I practiced on all my friends. Fast forward a few years and I started doing makeup and photos for high school seniors and modeling portfolios.” She then worked at MAC Cosmetics for a few years before venturing out on her own.

BYOB Beauty stands for Be You, Only Better. “I believe that nothing is sexier than confidence,” she said. “I have such a diverse range of clients. I think everyone is so uniquely beautiful and should embrace what that makes them different because that is what really makes them beautiful.”

Dang does not believe in putting on the same makeup for everyone and will take her time to get to know her clients and to find out who they really are and what they like.

“I want every woman to love the way they look and to feel like herself, only better!“ She works closely with photographers, offering packages that include makeup, hair, and a photo session.

“It’s amazing to see the reaction on our clients’ faces after they get their makeup and hair done and the results of the shoots! To see a client’s face light up with excitement is really what makes me love my job.”

In the future, Dang hopes to launch her own beauty products line, from skin care, cosmetics, hair extensions, to makeup brushes and tools. She hopes to recreate all products from the ground up.

In her free time, she enjoys watching the Food Network and is currently wedding planning.

Jim Tagawa and Family :: Tagawa Gardens
Japanese-American

Tagawa Gardens opened its door to the community 29 years ago. However, the greenhouses were built in the early 1960’s, initially supplying fresh cut carnations and long-stem roses to local wholesalers.

The Tagawa family with their background in farming purchased these greenhouses in 1976 and since added the retail storefront full of pottery, gardening supplies, plants, decor and more. Jim Tagawa noted that his vision is to continue to provide a good working environment using a sustainable business model to service the community.

“I allow my employees to make important and wise decisions.”

Off Parker Road in Centennial, Tagawa Gardens “provides quality products and services in all that we do,” said Tagawa.

BEST IN SPORTS
Manny Pacquiao
Manny “The Pacman” Pacquiao is the hottest fighter in boxing and is currently named the #1 ranked pound for pound boxer by The Ring magazine and BWAA Fighter of the Year. Pacquiao, born in Kibawe, Bukidon, Philippines, is the first eight-division world champion. What does it mean to be an eight-division world champion? It means The Pacman has been champion in eight different weight classes ranging from a 130 to 150 pounds.

Manny stands at only 5 feet 6 and half inches but has defeated opponents like 5 foot 11 inch Antonio Margarito. Known for his blazing speed and overwhelming power Pacquiao has defeated some of the biggest names in boxing like Shane Mosley and Oscar De La Hoya. Manny’s most recent fight was his third bout against Juan Manuel Marquez in which he successfully defended his WBO Welterweight Title.

Pacquiao expanded his career outside of the ring by entering into politics in his home country. In May of 2010, he was elected to the House of Representatives in the 15th Congress of the Philippines. He was named congressman of the lone district of Sarangani. In 2011, Pacquiao had two fights both wins over the before mentioned Mosley and Marquez. What next? Hopefully a much anticipated match with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. which boxing fans and media alike are calling the match on the century. Regardless of this fight, Manny Pacquiao will still be known as one of the most prolific boxers of his time.

BEST YOUTUBE MUSICIAN
David Choi
After singer-songwriter David Choi paid a visit to Denver last April, he returned to Los Angeles to finish his latest album, Forever and Ever. Born in 1986, Choi performs a mix of original songs and covers of pop hits—originally building his fame on YouTube. He released his debut album, Only You, in October 2008. His songs and tracks have been heard on NBC, FOX, VH1, MTV, Disney, as well as in commercials internationally. On YouTube, he has over 900,000 subscribers, 97,000,000 total video views, and more than 12 million channel views.

BEST YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Wong Fu Productions
Wong Fu Productions has also visited the Denver and Boulder area in recent years. The trio is a Chinese American filmmaking group composed of Wesley Chan, Ted Fu, and Philip Wang. They met at the University of California, San Diego in 2004 and produced a number of music videos and short films released on their website and later YouTube before establishing a professional media company, Sketchbook Media, after their graduation. Their works have been featured at a number of national and international film festivals, including the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, San Diego Asian Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival. Wong Fu Productions’ YouTube channel has over 1,000,000 subscribers, more than 18 million channel views, and over 100 million upload views.

BEST ACTRESS IN A 2011 TV SERIES
Sandra Oh in Grey’s Anatomy
Sandra Oh, known for her role of Dr. Cristina Yang on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy has won a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award, playing the competitive and ambitious doctor that always speaks her mind. She has also received the Diversity Award (2005 Creative Liberty Award) for her portrayal of Cristina.

She was born in the Ottawa in Ontario, Canada to Korean parents. She grew up living on Camwood Crescent in Nepean, where she began acting and dancing ballet at an early age.

Oh is a vegan and has also played notable roles in the feature films Under the Tuscan Sun and Sideways, and had a supporting role on the HBO original series Arli$$. Other films she has appeared in include The Night Listener, Blindness and Rabbit Hole.

BEST ACTOR IN 2011 MOVIE
John Cho in A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas
John Cho was born in Seoul, South Korea and raised in Los Angeles, where his family settled in 1978. He is an actor and musician, best known for his roles in the American Pie films and the Harold & Kumar films. Cho began his career as a print model for Korean magazines, and after appearing in advertisements for companies such as Enterprise Rent-A-Car. After graduating from Berkeley, he moved to Los Angeles.

“A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas” is a feel good-flick for the holiday season about two ex-BFFs who reunite on Christmas Eve to hunt down the perfect fir, crossing paths with drug-sniffing babies, Ukrainian gangsters, and a sweater-clad Danny Trejo along the way. Stoner heroes Harold and Kumar have come a long way since 2004.

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