If you ask me, the “New Happy” is a great title. It beats the alternative: “Old and Depressing.” The words “New Happy” are like fresh cut roses, or daises. They’re colorful words that really brighten things up. Think about it. You could put the words “New Happy” in front of anything, and it would sound… well, better. If I had to get a root canal, I’d rather get the “New Happy Root Canal,” or if I were going through a divorce, I’d rather be going through the “New Happy Divorce Settlement.”
When we asked owner Michael Ying how he thought of the idea for The New Happy Restaurant, the bright eyes of an otherwise gregarious and comedic man grew very dim and cold. “I was born in Saigon Vietnam,” Ying says. “And before the fall of Saigon, my family and I were happy. But after Saigon fell, we were persecuted, and robbed of the happiness we used to know. So when my wife, my six children and I escaped to the United States, we came here in search of a new happy. And when I moved to Colorado, I wanted to take my passion for food and share it with the people.”
Thanks to the culinary talents of Mr. Ying, his vision has come to fruition. His customers have been filling their souls (and their bellies) with this idea of a New Happy for over twenty four years. But it’s more than just a philosophy that keeps customers coming back. The food will leave you satisfied, and the prices will even leave your wallet tingling with happy sensations.
If you’re not in the mood for fried rice, you can try some French fries. In an attempt to make sure that everyone leaves happy, The New Happy Restaurant serves both Chinese and American food. The majority of the food (regardless of its origin) is priced around $9.50. They serve a number of different hamburgers, from the bacon cheeseburger to the cheeseburger with mushrooms, with the most expensive burger on the menu at only $5.95.
Another component of the New Happy Restaurant that separates it from the competition is their drink selections. The root of happiness, for many people, circulates around the rim of a cocktail glass. And the people at the New Happy Restaurant have over 108 cocktails on their menu. Some of these mixed drinks have rather peculiar names like “Between the Sheets” or “The Tree Climber.” Perhaps, drinking too many of these will have you climbing trees. Who knows? It sounds like a tasty drink. They also offer beer and wine.
If you’re looking to find a “New” sense of “Happy” then journey over to this restaurant. The wait staff is more than friendly, the food is more than tasty, and the prices are less than expensive. Children menus are also available for larger families. So come on everybody, what are you waiting. Let’s all get happy.

3100 S. Sheridan Blvd.
Denver, CO 80227
Phone: 303.934.8802

Hours:
Mon - Thur 11 am - 9 pm
Fri - Sat 11 am - 10 pm
Sun 11 am - 8 pm

New Happy Restaurant Sample Menu

New Year Dinner
$11.95 per person (for 2 or more person)

Appetizer:
Egg Rolls, Teriyaki Beef, Fried Shrimp,
BBQ Spare Ribs & Crab Cheese Wontons.

Rice:
Ham Egg Fried Rice or Steamed Rice
Entrees: Choice of one Entree Per Person
Happy Green Pepper
Pineapple Beef
Sweet and Sour
Lemon Chicken
Mongolian Beef
Sesame Chicken
Orange Chicken
House Lo Mein

Special Menu
Special Hamburger Steak $7.95
Served with brown gravy, mushrooms, and sauteed onion

New York Cut Steak $14.95
Onion rings & mushrooms
Seafood Combination $9.95
Three shrimp, four scallops, fish fillet, onion rings, lemon tartar sauce, or cocktail sauce

Trout $9.95
Onion rings, tartar sauce & lemon

Club Sandwiches $5.95
Ham, turkey, American & Swiss cheese, lettuce & tomato

Entering Indian Oven is like jumping into a time machine. The walls are a shade of peanut that looks if it were scooped directly off one of their curry dishes. This texture paints a sure contrast to the maroon carpet covering their floor. Throw in a handful of blue aqua leather booths and this dining room looks like a vintage freeze-frame, a frozen moment captured in the midst of the 70’s. Their furnishings might not draw you in, but their menu will have you coming back. (And besides… they do offer take out).
If you’re the type of person that can’t decide what pants to wear with which shirt, you’ll be pleased to know that Indian Oven offers a lunch and dinner buffet. This reduces the pressure of having to make a decision. You can try as little or as much of this foreign banquet as you want. The lunch buffet is operating seven days a week from 11am until 2:30pm. The dinner buffet also runs seven days a week for over four and a half hours, from 5pm until 9:30pm.
If you don’t have the time, or the stomach, for an all you can eat buffet, you’ll probably want to stick around for a traditional meal. For starters, Indian Oven has an extensive list of appetizers. I tried their Vegetable Pakora. This platter is a mixture of fried cauliflower, onions and potatoes and is seasoned with a mild spice.
As far as entrees go, might I suggest the Tandoori, specifically the chicken (boneless) Tikka. The chefs of Indian Oven marinate the chicken in a creamy yogurt. Add in a little garlic sprinkle on some ginger, a few herbs and spices, and top everything off with a bed of onions, thin slices of cucumber, carrots, and tomatoes. The vegetables offer a fresh relief from all of the spice. When the fresh
Our photographer ordered the chicken and vegetable combination. And I watched the otherwise stern lips of a woman curve into a smile when a plate loaded with chicken makhani, lamb curry, vegetables, korma, daal, tandoori chicken, naan, and rice & kneer was set down before her.
The most popular dish at India Oven is Masala. It’s quite similar to most curries. Masala, however, uses a much thicker and heavier sauce. Whoever said “big things come in small packages” must have speaking about Masala. The gravy is so thick that it could bend your spoon, rendering it unusable. But the dish is so enjoyable, if you run out of spoons in your silverware collection, you can always use your fingers.
If you’re looking to end your meal on an international note, don’t order ice cream for dessert. That’s about as foreign as asking for French fries. I recommend Gulab Jamun; cream of milk balls in a light syrup. This delicacy is most often eaten at festivals and other major celebrations, like marriages and Diwali (the Indian festival of lights).

2890 S Colorado Blvd.
Denver, CO 80222
303.756.5866


Hours:
Sun - Wed: 11am - 10 pm
Thur - Sat: 11am - Midnight

Indian Oven Sample Menu

Appetizers
Chicken Pakauda $4.5
Deep fried chicken with spices served with achar

Samosa Chat $4.5
Samosa topped with yogurt, tamarind and mint chutney

Tandori Breads
Naan $1.25
Popular Indian style leavened of fine flour

Aloo Paratha $2.25
Paratha stuffed with spice, mash potatoes and onions

Dinner Entrées
Masala
Chicken Tikka Masala $12

Shrimp Masala $13.5
Best of both worlds. Involves both tandoori cooking and preparation similar to curries, but having thicker and spicy sauce.

Tandoori
Chicken Tikka (boneless chicken cubes) $11.95
Baked to order in clay oven mesquite charcoal, after marinating in yogurt, garlic, ginger, herbs, and spices on an onion bed in sizzler.

Chicken and Vegetables $16.95
Chicken makhani, lamb curry, vegetable korma, daal, tandoori
chicken, naan, rice & kneer.