19751 East Main Street
Parker, CO 80138
TEL: 720-851-8559
www.indochine-cuisine.com
HOURS
Mon to Sat: 11:30 AM – 9:00 PM (Closed 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM)
Sun: 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Several years ago, Yume Tran did not cook. She did not own a restaurant and she certainly did not manage her own direct-sales business. But as she tells her two daughters, “Stick to your passion and it will all work out.”
After working more than a decade in corporate America, she and her husband opened Indochine Cuisine in 2003, specializing in authentic Vietnamese and Thai dishes, in Parker. The restaurant name derived from researching flower names, incorporating the Indochina reference, and ultimately, adoring the Vietnamese-French romantic film “Indochine.”
Tran came to the U.S. at the age of 14 as a refugee from Vietnam. In college, she loved Thai food and thus, originated the unique combination. She once taught cooking classes, but as of recent, focuses the majority of her time on Meals in a Minute (MiM), her direct sales company, scheduled to launch this September. MiM features the special sauces Tran created for her Indochine dishes bottled into purchasable, take-home jars.
As Indochine’s executive chef, Tran said her main job is to craft new items for the menu, which is constantly changing. The latest dishes are written on the special menu – a dry-erase board at the restaurant’s entrance. The restaurant emphasizes gluten-free options, as Tran says that Parker is one of the healthiest cities in Colorado.
The firecracker shrimp appetizer includes four pieces of shrimp wrapped in a pastry sheet and deep-fried for a crispy exterior. Each can be hand-eaten and dipped into a Thai sweet chili sauce. The latest novel salad is the salmon blueberry-yaki, which includes a mixture of greens, topped in blueberries and sauce with a strip of savory salmon. Tran aims to introduce new trends that she calls “super foods” to her customers, this one which fuses a teriyaki flavor with blueberry pulp.
The rice-crusted sea bass is a Chilean sea bass covered with rice flour, lightly fried and served with grilled zucchini and a basil curry puree. And last, Indochine’s famous flamed beef cubes – in Vietnamese, “Bo Luc Lac” – are squares of tender steak wok-tossed with butter, garlic, black pepper and a special blend of soy sauce. This dish is the most popular item Tran shares in her cooking classes and demonstrations.
Due to popularity and growth, the restaurant moved from its original location on Parker Road into the Parker Station building in 2008. This month, the restaurant will celebrate its third year in the new space. Ultimately, Tran’s vision is for her customers, which include Vietnam veterans and even her own parents, to be reminiscent of Vietnam at Indochine by providing a warm and romantic ambiance.
MENU
Starters
Fried Tofu $6
Grilled Egg $4
Satay Chicken $6
Entrees
Chicken Pha Ram $10
Chicken sautéed in curry peanut sauce and steamed vegetables
Pad Prio Wan Shrimp $11
Sweet and sour shrimp stir-fried with pineapple, tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers and onions
Clay Pot Catfish $12
Catfish simmered in a caramelized sauce, ginger, onions, scallions and black peppers
Specialties
Basil Seafood $19
Shrimps, scallops, and mussels simmered in basil sauce with Thai basil leaves, zucchini, onions and bell peppers
Garlic Scallops $20
Scallops, fresh garlic, white peppers stir-fried in garlic soy sauce and served with steamed vegetables
Pan Seared Scallops $20
Served with green curry sauce and steamed noodles
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