One major omission is Sắp Sửa, the Vietnamese eatery from husband-and-wife team Ni and Anna Nguyen, which debuted at 2550 East Colfax in June 2023.
Even before its doors opened in the Lowenstein complex, the restaurant was getting a lot of buzz, including landing on Bon Appétit's list of the eight most anticipated openings of the summer of 2023.
Now it's being recognized by the national magazine once again. Bon Appétit just dropped its 20 Best New Restaurants of 2024, and Sắp Sửa made the cut. "The search for this year’s best new restaurants took us on a six-month expedition," Bon Appétit writes. "Chefs across the country are wholeheartedly embracing collaboration, pulling ideas from cooks and waiters, their mentors, and other restaurants to create unique menus infused with personality and a real sense of place. These dynamics shaped Bon Appétit’s Best New Restaurants of 2024."
Ni and Anna Nguyen, co-owners of Sắp Sửa.
Star Chefs
Of Sắp Sửa, it says: "Every team member’s name is listed at the bottom of the menu. There’s Ben Carolan, the sous-chef responsible for the trúng và trúng — cloudlike scrambled eggs laced with bright fish sauce and brown butter served over warm rice. And Theo Bodor, who helped develop a dish of fried tofu served in a rich tomato stew punctuated by bites of crunchy peanuts. Husband-wife owners Ni and Anna Nguyen moved to Denver from Los Angeles in late 2020, intent on introducing this city to the Vietnamese American cooking of Ni’s first-generation upbringing. Along the way they created a restaurant shaped equally by the influences of their talented, enthusiastic team. In a lively dining room that’s consistently packed, Vietnamese flavors blend into those of other cultures—turmeric-batter fried catfish sandwiches topped with slices of American cheese or grilled corn ribs with shrimp aioli—and point to two leaders who know when to stick to tradition and when to color outside the lines."
Sắp Sửa is also among our picks for the top 100 restaurants in Denver — check out that full list for more local dining inspiration.
