ZENGO: Denver’s Mexican-Asian fusion restaurant worth the risk
Zengo, Meet Denver
Zengo might be the beloved child of Denver dining, but there are still many who don’t know about it. It is, after all, tucked away across the Millenium Bridge on Little Raven – far enough away from downtown to avoid flocking tourists but close enough to be worth the walk.
So what’s it all about? Richard Sandoval calls it a melting pot of Latin and Asian flavors, where ceviches meet dim sum and tacos sit alongside steamed buns. It’s the combination of ingredients within a dish that really makes Zengo stand out – think Manchego and Chinese short ribs, red chile on potstickers, miso soup spiked with chipotle.
The concept has been so popular, in fact, that it boasts four separate locations coast to coast – Washington, D.C., New York, Denver and Santa Monica, Calif. And yes, if you have a hankering for the Bottomless Brunch while visiting any of these hotspots, be comforted to know it’s a feature at all Zengo locations.
One of the celebrated joys of my job – beyond savoring never-ending deliciousness – is watching restaurants grow. Denver is still no culinary mecca, so we foodies often find ourselves waiting with bated breath when new concepts open. Will they survive? Will they be the next best thing? Will they have good beer? Will the waitstaff be cute?
Sadly, many of the concepts we get excited about fade within a year or two. It forces us, as a dining public, to lean toward realism. However good a restaurant may be, we know that we’re just not ready for certain things.
That’s why, once upon a time, Zengo seemed to be a gamble. These days, it’s a cornerstone of Denver’s culinary reinvention, but when the doors opened in 2004, it left us wondering – will the curious merger of Asian and Mexican really survive? Isn’t that too crazy for the Mile High City?
Hardly. Thanks to the dedication and passion of Chef Richard Sandoval, Zengo is now enjoying its eighth year – with many more to surely come. It has made us think more broadly about cuisine and dining, while also feeling a native son. But eight years is a long time in restaurant life, and while Denver itself continues its culinary reinvention, Zengo has made us lust for a new face, a new character, a new menu.
What better way to usher in a new era than with breakfast? Whence comes Zengo’s newly minted Bottomless Brunch. Sure, breakfast is a growing trend in the city, and sure, it’s easy to find bottomless mimosas or Bloody Marys, but the whole shebang? It still astounds me to think that a morning menu rich with sushi, creative breakfast dishes, and AM cocktails – all unending – would round out to an even $35 per person.
The real question: How good is it? Can the appeal of bottomless everything leave us with quantity and quality? Happily. One of the reasons Zengo has been successful is because it’s not only creative, but also careful. Yes, this is the creation of a now-famous chef busy with other concepts, but it hasn’t been forgotten. Chef de Cuisine Clint Wangsnes executes brunch like he’s been doing it for years, and the front-of-the-house hums along with such ease and fluidity, you wonder if this brunch thing is something they’ve done before.
They haven’t, but my, do they do it well. Traditionally, brunch is that catch-all, quasi-morning meal that grants you every freedom to drink a cocktail right after eating eggs, to gobble dessert before you touch anything savory, and to indulge in just about any culinary faux-pas you want because, as we all know, rules don’t apply between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Thus, the menu at Zengo: an admixture of signature sushi, Asian-Mexican breakfast treats, a nod to dim sum, and cocktails that are so delicious (and simple) they are downright dangerous.
As a chaser to the meal – or perhaps as a groove-shaking complement – a DJ can be found spinning pop tunes into cheeky background music near the bar, while 20- and 30-somethings usher in to sip flute after flute of mimosas. By the way, try the passionfruit variety. It’s my favorite. So is the guava. And also the Zengo Mimosa. And the Sangría. Um, you should get everything.
All good brunches must end, sadly, but this one did with a tinge of happiness – not only because I knew there would be time for more eating and sipping later, but because I had discovered a new treat. It’s going to be my go-to on mornings when I feel like spoiling myself and leaving the cares of the world behind.
Zengo is located at 1610 Little Raven Street Denver, CO 80202
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