I was intrigued by their unique menu and was pleasantly surprised by how tasty the food was. I'm Vietnamese so am always willing to support any restaurant trying to showcase our food. This is a non traditional Vietnamese restaurant which they state, in order to manage your expectations. I interpreted their menu as their version of Vietnamese dishes using similar flavors of the same dish. They recommend to order 2-3 dishes per person and share family style. We were a party of 3 and ordered 6 dishes. We were content but definitely not full. The portions are very small - even their main dishes. My biggest complaint is they use fish roe in many dishes. You can't just add fish roe to any dish and then feel justified to upcharge it. Restaurant is very modern. They try to create an upscale but casual environment. Service was very good. What we ordered: Crudo - refreshing. I liked the flavor of coconut milk and ginger Soft scrambled eggs - description sounds odd but it somehow works. It was very savory. Eggs were super fluffy Shrimp cake - I didn't like the butter sauce it was in but the shrimp itself was good. The sauce was too rich. The Vietnamese translation is kind of off. I think they were going for "chao Tom" Colorado trout - their version of "cha ca". fish was cooked very well and tasted very close to the traditional dish Pork shoulder - meat was flavorful and tender. Basically their version of "thit nuong" Khaoi chien (Curry French fries) - fries were super crispy and loved the curry flavor. It was spicy!

Right off of Colfax but a hit commodity to get into- small but well utilized space this limited seating so reservations go quick! Hostess inquired about special occasions (my bday) and so did the server which is always a nice touch. We were promptly seated (2) for our reservation (Saturday at 6:45PM). Our server arrived shortly after and reviewed the menu options, process, and recommendations for how much to order as most of their dishes are meant to be family style (shared)- roughly 2-3 dishes per person. Started with the tuna crudo (of note, this was apparently himachi crudo until recently swapped out); this was by far my favorite! Seasoned well with tiny pieces of jicama, plus coconut, lemongrass and chili oil sauce poured over it- SO GOOD. I was excited and forgot to take a picture of this. Our second dish was the charred cabbage - this was charred to perfection with a beautifully whipped egg yolk that enhanced the flavors. Don't be scared by the anchovy bread crumbs, there is no fishy flavor here, just added crunch! My drink was "let that shiitake go" which was an extremely well balanced and smooth rye. My wife had the "generational trauma" which was a lovely lemongrass forward gin (instead of floral heavy). Our third dish was the fried quail - this had a nice bit of heat for my Caucasian palette, where as my Filipino wife felt it tasted more sweet. It does come over a coconut ranch sauce to cool it down. It was nice but not my favorite dish of the night. Fourth dish was the pork shoulder - YOU SHOULD DEF ORDER THIS!!! Marinated, juicy and flavorful! Get the rice so you can soak up that delicious tamarind sauce! Fifth dish was the rainbow trout - well prepared but, IMO, wayyy too heavy on the dill. Felt like a dill salad. When removed some of the dill it was more enjoyable. Make sure to take bites with the peanuts for the full complexity of he flavors combined. Sixth dish (dessert) we ordered was the avocado semifreddo- i like avocados but my wifey does not; luckily this semifreddo provided the avo creaminess but without an actual avocado forward flavor, well complimented by the coconut cream, fresh strawberries, Thai basil leaves, and oil drizzle. We also got a surprise bonus birthday cake square- vanilla with pretty confetti but honestly the most bland item of the entire evening; it was a nice gesture though. All of the servers worked as a team with helping to deliver food and provide clean plates and utensils. They also provide a lovely detailed description of each dish as it is delivered. Overall very enjoyable experience and twist on Vietnamese cuisine. Would dine here again!

Our expectations were high heading into dinner at Sap Sua. Overall, our experience exceeded expectations. Although there was some room for improvement (around course selection and balanced flavor profiles), my wife and I had a very enjoyable meal and look forward to going back with a larger group to try more items. Ambiance: We dined at the bar on a Friday night. Upscale but not formal. Pretty much the decor and styling you would expect from a modern urban asian restaurant. The bar's collection of cookbooks & Kobe Bryant memorabilia was a fun touch. Not as loud as expected, but it may have been louder at the dining tables (as the bar had a lofted ceiling). Service: Our bartender was wonderful. Knowledgeable of the menu and offered helpful advice on pairing and portions. We appreciated her recommendations and feel that she set realistic expectations. Drinks: I was a bit turned off to the cocktails from reading reviews, so we passed. Sitting at the bar we saw plenty of beautiful libations though. I did have the "Heineken, served over ice," explained as common in Vietnam due to the heat. It was fine - not as weird as expected. It felt gimmicky but also fit the setting. Would order again (even though I'm not a huge fan of Heineken). Given the intensity of the meals (lime & salt), I'm glad I passed on a sour cocktail. Beer paired nicely though. Food: The seasonal menu was larger than expected, which was a pleasant surprise. We shared 5 items, trying to hit the well reviewed "signatures." We enjoyed them all. Pacing was solid, with some intentional overlap but most coming out individually. The menu was described as "light to rich" from top to bottom, and this is the order they were generally served, which seemed thoughtful and intentional. However, our significant qualm of the evening was being overwhelmed with acidity (lime) and salt in courses 2-3-4, while courses 1 & 5 brought the fatty richness needed to balance it all. I'm still not sure if I'd order differently or just request a different item order to better balance the meal? The recurring theme that impressed us across dishes was the use of fresh herbs and spices (specifically basil, cilantro, and Serrano). I'm surprised this isn't highlighted more in other reviews, as it really stood out to us. We shared (in order): Trung Va Trung (Soft Scrambled Egg over Rice) - 3/5. But would order again to balance the meal. Good not great. Expected more of a fried rice, but it was pretty much a scrambled egg on white rice. You could taste the quality, but the flavor was egg. Roe added a nice texture. This came out first. I think we would have enjoyed this more if served to complement the bright, acidic middle courses. We saved a few bites, and it was remarkable how rich and mouth coating (in a good way) it tasted later in the meal. Hamachi Crudo - 5/5. Must order. Definitely Sap Sua's signature dish. The citrusy lime broth is beautifully balanced with coconut and spice. Ceviche vibes (although technically raw?). We easily ate it all, but the flavor was strong enough that I think it could go 4 ways. I drank the remaining broth and was sad when it was gone. Bang Xeo (Little Gem Salad) - 5/5. We agreed this was the standout. The most well balanced of salt (fish sauce) fat (avocado) acid (lime) heat (Serrano). Huge pieces of basil and cilantro were stars (not just garnish). Fish sauce vinaigrette was beautiful. A fried & puffy turmeric shell (tortilla?) covered the salad like a giant crouton, adding great flavor and texture. Our server promised the butter lettuce salad was wonderful as well. Beef Larb Tostado - 3/5. The structure was nice and it ate very well (not soggy). From bottom up: fried turmeric shell (similar to salad crouton), spread of avocado, ground beef, herb salad. The real challenge with this dish was the amount of salt and lime in the avocado layer. After the hamachi crudo and gem salad, our mouths were lit up. This took it over the top. It's also here that I revisited the scrambled egg rice and felt how rich it was. I'd consider getting this again with a large group (4-6 people), but it was too intense for 2. Thit Heo Nuong Sa (Grilled Pork Shoulder) - 4/5. Felt like a signature dish. Pretty much as expected, which is good but not overly creative. Well caramelized. Fresh herbs really stared again - basil, perilla (similar to basil?), cilantro, cucumber. Overly fatty cut of meat - we left a significant amount behind due to fat. Probably worth trying your 1st visit but don't need to get again. Value: Food prices felt appropriate given quality, creativity, and portion sizes. Although we didn't order cocktails (can't speak directly to quality), the $15 price tag felt a bit misaligned compared to the food prices and overall experience. Of note is that our bill had no added fees (service, living wage, kitchen, gratuity, etc.). While I don't mind those fees and understand the need, it was refreshing to see such a simple bill.

I've seen nothing but great things about Sap sua and I'm so excited that it did not disappoint. We ordered about 8 items so I'll just go over the highlights: The soft scramble egg dish was outstanding. By far my favorite bite of the night. The pork shoulder was also so so delicious. I didn't love the quail and I think it kinda messed with the flow of everything else since the rest of our choices were soft and delicate. I love the beer with ice and the servers explanation about why it is done that way (I'll let you ask) The server was amazing and described their dishes perfectly. We felt welcome and a very cozy and relaxed vibe. Definitely cannot wait to check them out again!

This place needs a Michelin star or Michelin recognition! I'm from San Francisco and I've been thinking about this establishment's cuisine ever since I have dined there. Will definitely be visiting again!

I think this was one of the best restaurants I've tried in Denver. Everything had amazing flavor and each dish was super unique. I went with a couple of friends and we got about 6 dishes to share. I felt like the portions were a good size. Reservations are only 30 days out and I highly recommend you make a reservation before you go. The staff were pretty friendly and helped us with basic questions about the menu. The restaurant itself was a little small but had a cute vibe! Their menu changes seasonally with a couple of items that are permanent to the menu. I highly recommend this place!

All I can say is wow, chef Ni. You out did yourself. Everything on the menu is a 10/10. Flavors are out of bounds and the experience is second to none here in Denver. Ordered "nuroc beo hanh " beef toast - this shit was wild idk how to even describe the flavor combo. Almost tastes like sofrito green sauce with a few other elements. The bread from the one and only Get rights in wheat ridge. Packed with fl Hamachi crudo- left me speechless. Made a tom ka thicken sauce that was poured over the crudo! Lord help me. That's a must every time. We got the pork and beef rib dish and lord have mercy. Both were perfectly done. The pork shoulder was in this vinegar/ Vietnamese sauce that had some sweet notes that was addicting. Served with fresh greens Ontop it was flawlessly executed. The beef rib was spectacular and a lot of food truly! We also got the French fries and they were done to perfection with this whipped sauce that was so airy and fluffy. Chef Ni personally brought out the "trứng và trứng" - which was spectacular and hugged my belly. Such a comfort food dish that was done to perfection. Then we got 2 of the 3 desserts the banana pudding and this exotic dessert that was so delicious and light you MUST try it. Grass jelly was out of bounds! Ambiance had me feeling like I was back in LA! With a Kobe picture and another up top if you pay attention. Lastly and mostly importantly was there old fashioned " leave your shiitake at the door" - best drink I've ever had the pandan had it tasting like lucky charms / fruity pebbles cereal milk. Out of this world!! I would come back just for the drink. Best meal I've had in Denver hands down.

Man. I was only in Denver for a couple days but this has to be up there in terms of food. Didn't really expect much from a Vietnamese inspired restaurant in Colorado, but this place blew me away. Firstly, the restaurant itself is beautiful. The space itself isn't large, but our party of four didn't feel like we were squeezed in between parties. The aesthetic incorporates a lot of light colored wood, soft lights, and smooth, ambient music. It's warm and welcoming from the moment you walk in. Secondly, the food is spectacular. We ordered the fries, beef tartare, the eggs over rice, shrimp cake, bun rieu, pork shoulder, chicken katsu, and hamachi collar. We got the avocado semifreddo and the grass jelly. Each dish was amazing but I personally had a fondness for the eggs over rice and the shrimp cake. Service was great--a server would always come by and check up on us, clean up the table (we made a bit of a mess because we were having such a good meal), and make sure we had clean plates. Overall, I would say this was my favorite meal in Denver. 10/10 would come again.

Definitely a cool experience. The appetizers were a whole lot better than the entrees. I'd only get the appetizers next time. Make a reservation before you go! - Tigers Milk (cocktail) 1.8/5 So.. spicy? -Witch, Don't kill my vibe (cocktail) 2.2/5 So so so much egg white... - Charred Cabbage 4.6/5 This is super yummy! Who knew charred cabbage can be delicious? The sauce compliments the cabbage well. It's very yolky, almost like a hollandaise. The crunchy bits of onion and garlic is delicious and adds another component to the creamy charred goodness. [RECOMMEND] - Scrambled Egg 3.1/5 The egg is super soft and creamy, but the dish is VERY salty! Even with the rice on the bottom, very very salty. - Beef Tartare 3.6/5 The beef is fresh and good with the wonton chip.. not very memorable. - Hamachi Crudo 2.6/5 I don't know why everyone was raving about this because this was the worst dish of the night. The yellowtail is OK, very very lemony. And the curry it's with doesn't compliment well. It was OK. - Shrimp Pancake 5/5 This was warm and delicious. The pancake is juicy. [RECOMMEND] - Hamachi Collar 2.1/5 Very very very dry.. overcooked fish. - Beef Rib 4.2/5 It was very tender! Not a lot of flavor inside the gigantic meat rib, but on the outside it's very flavorful. Reminds me of the short rib meat you can order from pho places. - Chicken Katsu 3.5/5 Regular Katsu. How can chicken cutlet be bad? The mash potato is nice and creamy. The sauce is not bold. - Grilled Pork 4.5/5 Very flavorful! It's definitely on the saltier side... eat with rice. [RECOMMEND] Street parking.

We recently dined at Sap Sua, and our experience was nothing short of delightful! The food quality surpassed my expectations. Each dish burst with authentic Vietnamese flavors but with a twist. There were many vegan options to my surprise. The drinks here were impeccable, we got two rounds of drinks which is actually not usual for us. I tried the Tigers milk and spicy margarita and both were so good! My husband and friends loved their drinks too and my husband got a double order of the Leave your Shiitake at the door. For apps, we got the hamachi crudo - I am usually not a fan of raw fish but this one was sooo good. A must try! We also got the shrimp cake lived up to the mark - maybe a little salty for my liking. For mains, I got the chicken katsu curry - succulent and perfect! Husband tried the pork shoulder, the broth it came with was delectable. My friend got the tofu main and Icelandic fish - fish was so fresh which is rare to find in Denver honestly! For desserts, we got the chocolate cake and the grass jelly - I liked the cake more as it came with Vietnamese coffee. Overall, our experience here was fantastic and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. Whether you're a seasoned lover of Vietnamese food or trying it for the first time, this restaurant is sure to impress!