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Dong Khanh Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Vietnamese Vietnamese [Edit]
333 S Federal BlvdDenver, CO 80219
Neighborhood: Southwest
(303) 935-2427
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 10 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
138 reviews for Dong Khanh Restaurant
Review Highlights
"Well, Saigon Bowl does NOT disappoint."
(in 38 reviews)
"Also, the make your own spring roll platter could not have..."
(in 3 reviews)
"In my family, the soft shell crab goes quickly."
(in 11 reviews)
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138 reviews in English
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Review from Flora H.
12/19/2011 1 photo
My sister and I were in Denver just for the weekend, and after a weekend of stuffing ourselves mad (thanks to all the great recommendations from yelp! that kept us very full of very good food our whole time there), we opted for something a little bit lighter and decided to go for Vietnamese for our last dinner in the city. We searched yelp! for the highest rated Asian restaurants within 5 miles of downtown, and #1 was Dong Khanh Restaurant. Sold!
As we got closer to the restaurant, we started seeing a lot of Asian-y type restaurants and grocery stores and realized that we were in for a really authentic Vietnamese experience. Having been to Vietnam and had really authentic food before, I was super excited. The restaurant was located inside of a strip mall, and there was a line pouring out the door (at around 7 pm on a Sunday night). A large portion of the people inside the restaurant were Asian, which is always a good sign for an Asian restaurant (I'm Asian so let me tell you, that's something that we look for). But there was a large amount on non-Asian people, which shows just how good this place is that even non-Asians know about it.
Despite the long line, we were seated in about 15 minutes (got to love the efficiency of Asian restaurants!). The menu is overwhelming and deciding what to order is nearly impossible. I was so overwhelmed that I deferred to my sister - I simply couldn't decide. She made great choices (although I am convinced that there wasn't a bad choice to make):
A soup with a little bit of everything - duck, chicken, fish balls, shrimp..
Do-it-yourself spring rolls with chicken
I've had a lot of soup in my life, Asian, non-Asian, you name it, and the broth of their soup is probably the best I've ever had. It was really flavorful and you didn't have that feeling like you just needed to add a little pepper, or a little soy sauce, or a little whatever... it was already perfect.
The do-it-yourself springs rolls were also delicious, and really fun! My sister couldn't believe I had never done it before. They bring out all the ingredients you need to make a vietnamese spring roll - the paper (which you dip in hot water to make soft), the sprouts, the veggies, and the chicken, which was, a-ma-zing. I don't know HOW they cook their chicken but I wish I did because it was just the right amount of tenderness with a slightly crispy outside... I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.
Like mentioned by others, the portions are HUGE, which is too bad only because it means you can't order more things to try. After stuffing ourselves silly (yet again), we were left with about two big styrofoam boxes to take with us. And to give you an idea of just how good the food was, my sister carried the leftovers with her as her carry-on on the plane from Denver to LA. No joke.
And the bill? $20 for both of us.
I also have to call out the amazing SERVICE. One thing that you can't count on from an Asian restaurant is western style service. You get authentic food, and that usually comes with authentic service, if you know what I mean. But here, they had the whole thing down to a science. My glass of water was constantly being refilled, our order was taken promptly and the food came out just as promptly, and as soon as they saw that we were done eating, they had to-go boxes ready for us.
When I started writing this review, I had given this place four stars, but I'm bumping it up to five. I really don't have a bad thing to say about it, and it's the best Vietnamese I've had outside of Vietnam. Heck, it might even be as good as the food I had in Vietnam.
We already made plans to go back here next time we are in Denver. Can't wait! -
Review from Phil C.
Frisco, CO
11/5/2011
Really this should be four and a half. The half because my pho wasn't quite hot enough. I suppose that's because they had just put an enormous amount of cold sliced beef in it. I probably won't order "extra beef" next time. It was a lot. The medium pho with extra beef will feed two people. The side veggies were perfectly fresh and abundant.
There were a couple tables where every person was eating number 57, which to me looked awful, but what do I know.
I could spend a month just going through the different styles of pho and bun. And I just might. -
Review from jenderon t.
Denver, CO
10/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was quite surprised by this place. The wife and I drove in to Denver the day before and hadn't been all that impressed with the city. As part of our 1-year sabbatical, Denver had been chosen as a possible new home for us to try for 6 weeks. Having already spent 8 weeks in Portland, so far Denver isn't making a good impression. With the smog hiding the Rockies, the sprawl of urban neighborhoods radiating out to Westminster, and the horrendous rush hour traffic--we were getting anxious that we were basically returning to Los Angeles but without the amenities.
Also, as we discovered on our 13-day meandering road trip from Portland to here, there really weren't any good ethnic restaurants along the way. Although Denver is a pretty big metro area, we learned to temper our hopes. So here we are, sitting in this restaurant with a typical beef pho bowl in front of me and a veggie rice dish in front of my wife.
I was surprised how large the "large" bowl really was and holy crap, the broth is spot on good. The tendons were a little small and firmer than I normally like but good. the beef slices were good cuts and the tripe was excellent. My wife's dish was good but the rice could've used a bit more water in the cooking as the grains were a tad stiff instead of soft like we normally like it. I chalk that up to just a bad batch--we've been to a chinese restaurant where they royally destroyed the rice and we could tell they do this regularly.
As my wife read the other reviews, rice dishes particularly ones that are very Cantonese Chinese related, aren't their forte here and that it's best to stick to the traditional vietnamese dishes. I'm looking forward to trying their bun dishes next time as the egg roll she had tasted as good as any vietnamese egg roll I've had in Southern California. -
Review from Alexandra W.
Denver, CO
2/1/2012
#152, Lemongrass Pork Do-it-yourself Spring Rolls.
That's it. -
Review from Valerie M.
Denver, CO
1/22/2012
Dinner here was worth the 20 minute wait. We ordered Salt and Pepper Fried Squid which was delicious but came out about 5 minutes before our pho. So they probably shouldnt list it as an appetizer. We both ordered a seafood pho which was awesome! Yummy!!! The servers were great about keeping our waters full and checking on us. My bf ordered his favorite shake, durian, but he was not impressed. I tried some and there were some little ice chunks in it keeping it from smoothness. Other than that everything was great and I cant wait to eat my leftovers right now!
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Review from Jared H.
Broomfield, CO
1/11/2012
The grilled combo with rice noodle is great! (#56) The phone is just good. Service is acceptable. I eat here often.
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Review from Gadi F.
Denver, CO
1/9/2012
Noodles make the world go around and this is one of my favorite spots. Simple, clean, delicious and inexpensive. I have eaten here about half a dozen times, out of which mostly ordered the grilled shrimp noodle bowl. It is sinfully addictive.
Another time I ordered #160. The large plate was stuffed with chicken, grilled shrimp, shrimp paste dumplings and other goodies, including noodles, lattice and paper wraps. It is a do-it-yourself wrap plate and is very satisfying, although next time I will not order it because too many items are deep fried.
Yesterday I ordered the seafood hot pot which was delicious. Service is warm and attentive. -
Review from Lendy L.
9/21/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I'd have to say that this place really gives you big bang for your buck. I have been searching far and wide for a place that would transport me back to my native home of California. I'm happy to say I've found the culinary foods that my taste buds are used to.
Dong Khanh Restaurant, more popularly known as Siagon Bowl, is the most happening Vietnamese restaurant around. They have a variety of Vietnamese foods for everyone's taste buds. Portions are very huge so expect to have a take home box otherwise prepare to stuff yourselves.
I usually order the family style meals on the back of the menu and as a warning, a two person meal is actually good for three people and so on and so forth. I recommend the beef noodle rice paper spring roll that you make yourself, the Ca kho (a wonderful catfish dish), the Canh Chua (hot pot sour soup with taro, pineapple and white fish) the sauteed vegetables in savory sauce and too many other dishes I can't remember off the top of my head. The annoying part is that this establishment does get packed. The next time the family is in town, I'm taking them here. -
Review from Brian E.
Phoenix, AZ
12/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Wow, It was so good I went twice in three days. Delicious food from top to bottom. I wasn't sure about the soft shelled crab, but took the plunge and i'm sure glad I did. The Pho was excellent, and a great value, and complimented my beer very well. Can't wait to go back on my next trip to Denver.
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Review from Randy M.
Denver, CO
9/7/2011
Thank god I tried this place out. Seriously. I ate an entire giant bowl of Pho and then attempted to finish my girlfriends which she'd given up on, reluctantly. I considered purging just to eat more. The Pho here is delicious. The space is clean, and the service is sufficient. Almost every table was full at 5PM.
There's a huge menu of items, many of which I know nothing about, that I will be coming back to try. My new go-to Pho spot in Denver. Holler. -
Review from Vicke T.
Santa Clara, CA
8/14/2011
I love this place and the food is delicious! This place always become a must when i always come to denver,co.
Order the roll your own spring roll or dong khan appetizer, that's the bomb! It consists of sliced pork, mini spring rolls, soft shell crab, grilled beef, assorted vegetable, rice paper, and dipping sauce. I feel like a kid when i can make my own food and i love it. I hope we have something like this back in CA.
I also tried their pho and to be honest, this is the best pho i've ever ate. Even though we have so many good Vietnamese restaurant in CA, Dong Khan is still the no.1 on top of my list. Don't forget to order the Vietnamese ice coffee. It comes in a pot on top of sweet condensed milk. Then pour the coffee and give it a good stir.ENJOY..... -
Review from Chuck B.
Denver, CO
10/2/2011
I admit I have never had Vietnamese food before. But it seemed very popular so we decided to check it out. I would recommend it. But maybe go with someone who knows what they are ordering to help. When we got the vegetables and soup, we were stupid and thought that we dip the vegetables in the soup.... Like I said, first time to a Vietnamese restaurant and the soup didn't look like soup we were use to. We also couldn't see anyone else eating the soup or vegetables.
Try it out though, very good, and a great price. -
Review from Richard R.
Denver, CO
8/1/2011
All it took was one visit to make me a super duper fan! This food is the bomb! Not only is there more than enough food to go around but it's so delicious you'll moan in ecstasy :-) I highly recommend the #160 but make sure you bring your appetite and/or some back up to help finish the meal.
The menus provide photos so you know what you are ordering...always a plus. The service can be a bit slow at times but the high quality of food and popularity of this place makes that fact negligible. Not too pricey, not too far, not to be out done! High marks for this place - for sure!Listed in: Awesome Eats
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Review from A L.
Denver, CO
10/4/2011
As you drive into the "Far East Center" parking lot, look to your right for "Saigon Bowl," the end unit. That's Dong Khanh. I've eaten here probably 50 times in the past year. The food is delicious, the service is excellent, the parking is convenient, and the price is right!
Highly Recommended:
* Jellyfish Salad: pork, shrimp, jellyfish, thinly sliced cabbage, cilantro, mint, onion, peanuts, with a light rice vinegar dressing
* Bo Luc Lac: cubed marinated steak and sauteed onions in a delicious juicy sauce
* Dong Khanh Appetizer (#160): a large platter (serves at least two) of grilled steak, grilled pork, grilled chicken, fried soft shell crab, fried egg rolls, green leaf lettuce, rice vermicelli noodles, cucumber, pickled radish and carrots, bean sprouts, mint, basil, and more, which you can wrap up in rice paper (dip the dry rice paper sheets in the bowl of hot water for a few seconds) to make fresh spring rolls; or you can make lettuce wraps; or just eat the ingredients separately
* Drinks: their smoothies are fun with chunks of fruit
Also Good:
* Chow Fun (flat wide noodles) with veggies and your choice of meat; a bit oily, but good flavor
* Pho: noodle soup with thinly sliced beef cuts, served with cilantro, basil, bean sprouts, jalapenos, and lime wedges
* Bun (pronounced "boon"): your choice of grilled meat with chopped herbs and veggies served over rice vermicelli noodles, served with a side of fish sauce
In case you order fish, please know that they'll serve the entire fish, head and all. I once saw a woman totally freak out when the waiter served her the whole fish. She shrieked, made faces, and refused to eat it. That was unpleasant for everyone.
The menu is extensive and can be a bit overwhelming, but almost anything you order is going to be good. The food makes for great leftovers, so we always order several dishes and bring the rest home.
Dong Khanh is always crowded, but the place is run very efficiently. The food comes out fast and the tables are bussed immediately. The service is good--all the waiters and waitresses help one another and serve all the tables. Just don't expect a lot of small talk from your server. In case you are neglected for a bit, just waive at the waitstaff running by, and they are quick to help. They also take reservations, which is especially helpful on the weekends. Check it out, and it'll probably become one of your favorites too. -
Review from Toni L.
10/15/2011 7 photos
How could a Vietnamese restaurant in Colorado have outdone the zillions of competitors in Garden Grove. It's insane! *Update: So Vivian L. tells me that this is actually a chain and there is one in Garden Grove/Westminster. Sweeeet.
Food: I'm having a major drool fest just thinking about the yumminess at this place. During my short stay in Denver, I came here 3 different times and sampled a pretty significant chunk of the menu. I tried the shrimp salad ( http://www.yelp.com/bi...), do-it-yourself spring rolls (http://www.yelp.com/bi...), beef pho (http://www.yelp.com/bi...), and the pho ga (chicken pho, http://www.yelp.com/bi...). Everything was pretty much amazing. The pho ga was some of the best I've ever had. Also, the make your own spring roll platter could not have been better. There is a hearty selection of marinated beef, pork, various greens, fried fish cake, rice noodles, pickled veggies, and fried crab heaped onto an enormous platter. They bring out the dried spring roll wrappers, some water, fish sauce (http://www.yelp.com/bi...), and plates so you can assemble your spring rolls on the spot. Sooo delicious. The pho comes with a generous "forest" of veggies (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) and features flavorful broth with tons of noodles. What's not to like?
Atmosphere: This place doesn't excel in the looks department. If anything, it fails. The interior is rather bland with little decoration and plain chairs and tables. However, you will notice that it is packed with Vietnamese people. Always a good sign of authenticity.
Service: Pretty good. Not much to say here.
Synopsis: I would and did come back here multiple times. Definitely one of the better places to eat in Denver.Listed in: Vietnamese Food
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Review from Thomas S.
Updated - 6/2/2011 7 Check-ins Here
Perhaps we didn't start off on the right foot, so let me be the first to apologize - Dong Khanh Saigon Bowl is fantabulous. Yes, there are a few off-putting dishes in their encyclopedic menu, but if you know what to order, it becomes clear why this restaurant is always staying busy. I may never make it through their entire menu, but there are a few dishes that I know of that will keep me coming back.
Their Vietnamese salads, especially the Goi Tom Thit (shrimp and pork salad) is among the best offered in town. They balance the sweet, sour, and salty flavors to perfection - and because you are eating a "salad" you feel like you are eating "healthy". For those of you that don't like salad, note that this salad is loaded with meat - it's like the Vietnamese version of taco salad, except it is infinitely more delicious.
Also note that their Heo Ram Man (pork simmered in sweet and salty sauce) is one of my favorite dishes in Denver. It is a fairly simple and straightforward dish from the Northern region of Vietnam. The pork is thinly sliced, succulent and very tender. The flavors are bold, but not extreme. If it were up to me, I would eat this every visit.
However, most visits my wife and I chose to share the #160 - Dong Khanh's Appetizer Plate. What is that, you ask? We'll it's essentially a giant platter of awesomeness - a seemingly endless supply of build your own Vietnamese-style spring rolls. At $16, this plate is a steal of deal that can easily feed 2 or 3 people by itself. The platter has everything and the kitchen sink thrown on it.
Grilled pork - check
Grilled beef - check
Grilled chicken - check
Fried shrimp paste - check (very, very delicious!)
Soft shelled crab - check
Eggrolls - check
Bean sprouts, lettuce, daikon, carrots, mint leaves, cilantro, and rice noodles - uber check
Hand wipes - Damn! That would be nice since this is the type of dish that is going to get your hands dirty. Dirty with tasty food.
They also have a selection of pho, rice noodles, Chinese, and Chinese-American dishes you can find anywhere else. But the best items are the Vietnamese plates. They have a great multi-generational, multi-ethnic clientele - which provides for a cheerful and comfortable (though sometimes hectic) environment.Listed in: Favorites on Federal, Vietnamese Favorites (Mostly…
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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3/19/2010
After coming back to Saigon Bowl, I'm upping my review to 3 stars. Their huge menu is difficult to… Read more »
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Review from Jeannie L.
San Francisco, CA
9/7/2011
Good food. We came for the wraps and that's all we got. There's a big platter of food and veggies that you get to roll your own sping roll. We got six plates for 12 of us and it was even too much for all of us.
There was grilled pork, grilled beef, soft shell crab, pickled veggies, noodles, cilantro, basil, mini egg rolls. It was a good array of food.
They close at 10pm and we made it there at 9:30pm, still packed.
Will come back. The parents fully enjoyed it. -
Review from Cherie L.
Highlands Ranch, CO
5/22/2011 ROTD 7/15/2011
This place is confusing. I originally reviewed it as "New Saigon Bowl" because I thought that was it's name. Turns out, it's called "Saigon Bowl", but it's proper name must be "Dong Khanh Restaurant", because it's listed as such in Yelp. Confused yet? I sure am. Now on to my review...
Oh. My. Gah. This place is delicious!!! I met up with some friends for a Sunday afternoon lunch and it was packed. Don't be afraid if you walk in and there's standing room only... they'll seat you rather quickly.
I have to admit, when I first opened the menu I was a bit overwhelmed. Thankfully, one of my friends is Vietnamese, so she suggested we order the Dong Khanh Appetizer. There were four of us and this was plenty for all of us to share. It's a platter of pork, chicken, grilled shrimp, beef and assorted vegetables. It also comes with rice papers and a bowl of hot water (to dip the rice papers) so you can make your own rolls. I don't know about you, but I LOVE when I can make my own food. It also comes with dipping sauces, so you can run wild with your meat and flavor combinations.
I also ordered the chicken fried rice, to which my Vietnamese friend said, "Way to order the one Chinese item in the Vietnamese restaurant, Chérie!" Hey, I wanted to have something to fall back on just in case. ;) The chicken fried rice was delicious!
If you go, you MUST try the CA PHE DA. It's a Vietnamese coffee that comes in a pot on top of sweetened milk with a glass of ice on the side. You pour the coffee on top of the sweetened milk, give it a good stir, then pour it over the ice. It was SO GOOD!!!
After all was said and done, we had a table full of food that we all split. It came out to be a whopping $40 (including the tip). A fantastic lunch for only $10? Sign me up! -
Review from Daniel K.
Los Angeles, CA
7/16/2011
Whoa look at all the Yelp reviews! ... now I know why this place has gotten so fricken busy over the past few years hehe.
This place is authentic Vietnamese. Not the best we've ever had but darn good and our go-to spot. Tasty, fast, cheap, big portions. The other reviews already capture good assessments of the menu. We almost always just get the rice noodle bowls with assorted meats. Sometimes we get the pho but it's not anything special.
It's busy but the wait staff and kitchen are efficient. I'd give it 5 stars but I get a bad reaction to msg and they use it (probably because it's in the sauces to begin with). I still eat their food with anyway--and just plan my day to have food coma downtime afterward :) -
Review from Svetlana K.
Denver, CO
11/22/2011
This place is absolutely amazing. I had the "make your own spring roll" plate--#160, and it was the best meal I have had in a while. Great service, authentic flavor and good quality of food...Yum!!!!!!!
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Review from mindy s.
Crockett, CA
10/23/2011
I lived in Denver for 6 years and for 4 years we went to this restaurant on avg probably once a week. The food is so good. I can't even describe how delicious it is. The pho broth has amazing flavor and the meat cuts are really good quality. The staff is efficient and super nice. They even have do-it-yourself spring rolls. The price for that which easily feeds two people is $10. You get a big spread of veggies, meat that was marinated in lemongrass, rice paper and a bowl of boiling water (so you can soften the rice paper) to make your own rolls. Everything is fresh.
They have a really great lunch menu deal and that includes a soft drink. I also would suggest the Curry tofu or Curry chicken. The curry has a good buttery curry taste, and is awesome. -
Review from Andrew W.
Denver, CO
5/16/2011
Loved it!
This place was packed on a recent Friday night at 530pm when I ate here with the family. So call ahead for a reservation.
Fabulous fresh flavours - we had the spring rolls, soft shell crabs, stuffed chicken wings, and best of all the vietnamese fish clay pot.
I think it worked out at $48 for 4 people. Cheap as chips, great food. -
Review from Elizabeth P.
Denver, CO
10/26/2011
Love this place. It is the freshed foods! I love their Seafood Lo Mein, Curries, Lemon Grass Chicken, Chef Special schrimp wrapped in beef, Vietnamese Egg Rolls, Spring Rolls, Vietnamese Coffee....I haven't had a bad thing here. The menu is HUGE and the prices are great. Sometimes the services is a little crazy, however it isn't that bad.
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Review from Kathleen A.
Denver, CO
Holy Amazeballs.
Whenever Hans O asks me to go out and eat with him, I will never ever say no from here on out. He has always taken me to the best Asian restaurants in Denver. For a long time, I thought good asian food just did not exist here. Well I now know that is far from the truth and you will always find mind blowing Asian food here on this strip of S. Federal.
When I go out to eat with Hans he usually orders for the table. It's not annoying since I usually trust him with his choices. We started out with an appetizer platter including egg rolls, pork, chicken and noodles, carrots, lettuce etc. We were also served spring roll paper in which we could make our own spring rolls. How awesome and unique. This is perfect for me, who is super picky about food, so I could just stuff mine with as much meat and noodles as I wanted!
We also split the dinner for two (for a table of 4). This included a stir-fried pork, lemongrass chicken, and a soup that I wasn't really a big fan of. Otherwise the meat dishes were fantastic. Total bill for all this food was $40something. We had so much food we couldn't even fit it all on the table at once.
This is one of the few times I have gone out for vietnamese food that wasn't pho. I was super impressed, and I'll definitely be back, over and over and over again.Listed in: Amazing Asian, ROTD's
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Review from Allen P.
Aurora, CO
10/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is great for a VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT. I just wish they would stick to Vietnamese food and get rid of the mediocre Chinese food they do. Cause they make great Vietnamese food, so why not make it AMAZING by just focusing their menu on that? Their Pho is great, Hu Tieu superb, Bun Cha is mmm mmm good, and yeah you cant go wrong ordering the Vietnamese dishes and that's what you should be ordering.
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Review from Alisha C.
5/15/2011
Just thinking about this place makes me hungry. This is The Go To place for my boyfriend and me. Growing up in a household where we would wake up to a Pho Brunch or Sunday dinners made up of cold rice noodle bowls, freshly made spring rolls and deep fried egg rolls, this place fills my homesickness in one meal.
I came here for the first time with my parents back in August when they were helping me move out to Denver, and they were satisfied I could get some good Viet. I've tried a few other places up and down Federal since but nothing beats "Saigon Bowl."
The place is always so pact (which proves how good this it is). We've had to do take out the past couple of times, which is still sooooo good, but for the best quality of the meal you'd just have to wait out the line or call ahead for a table. -
Review from Mare L.
Westminster, CO
10/9/2011 2 Check-ins Here
What a feast! Be hungry when you get here, because you can get some hearty portions for what you pay.
When we order family style for 2-3 persons, we usually get the sweet and sour soup with fish, claypot fish, and some sort of mixed chicken strips with veggies stir fly. oooooh, and big tub of fresh fluffy white rice!
Flavors are very authentically vietnamese, the soup was packed with veggies and fish, not a skimpy soup at all, and flavors were tangy. The clay pot fish was too salty for my taste, but having cat fish without the uber fishy aftertaste made up for that downfall.
At the end of the day, this is to about $12-15 for the feast. Tip, 2 persons family style feast can feed 3 hands down. It was a satisfying experience. -
Review from Linda T.
1/24/2011
I'm Vietnamese and I avoid eating Vietnamese food outside my own home. It's just not the same! It's just not good! But, hello! Dong Khanh is SO GOOD!
For 3 small asian girls, we killed it. We had the soursop and logan smoothies. I even found myself drinking from my friend's soursop glass nonstop-I don't even like soursop?! Try these drinks!
We had the Sesame Chicken and Mi Xao Don Dong Khanh which were my favorites! The third dish, Com Thit Nuong is pretty standard you-can-find-anywhere type of dish. But still legit here.
I would definitely return! -
Review from Steven B.
Denver, CO
4/27/2011
Six of us went for dinner on a Monday night and this great place was still packed! I use to live in this neighborhood and would go here often but have not been in a few years since I moved downtown. I have to say that it has, if possible, gotten better.
I had made a reservation, and a good thing too, and was seated immediately even though the rest of my party had not arrived (a practice not always observed in other places). The owner came over to make sure I was happy and slowly my party trickled in a few at a time.
We had at least three different servers check on us and take drink orders. When all of us were assembled we did our own 'family style' order and the lovely server even made recommendations on amounts to order.
We had the 'Vietnamese Pancake' for an appetizer, but they get the food out so fast that it hardly matters. In this meal the Ginger Fish and the Chicken Curry were standouts, but everything was just great.
I can't say enough good about this place. When you pull into the Far East Center look for a sign that says 'Saigon Bowl' as the Dong Khan Restaurant is much smaller.
So good I'm already planning a trip back. -
Review from Yvonne W.
Denver, CO
8/27/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Having spent the first 30 years of my life in Houston and now living in Denver, I came to the conclusion that what Houston wins out over Denver is it's food. Denver wins in almost every other category (weather, scenery, lack of mosquitoes) or is comparable to Houston...but Houston has a much more diverse offering of food and more reasonable prices. Dong Khanh (or Saigon Bowl), though, is giving me hope about the direction of food in Denver. I think Denver has better vietnamese food than Houston, even though Houston has a huge Viet population. The combination of Saigon Bowl and Pho 95 put me in Viet food heaven.
You gotta get the #160 "make your own spring roll" appetizer...it's definitely enough for 2 people as your entire meal....or to split amongst 4 people with maybe 1 additional dish. I have not been to any other place that does this. It includes grilled pork and grilled chicken sliced into thin strips, fried thin strips of fish cake, fried egg rolls, sliced carrots and cucumbers, bean sprouts, and fried soft shell crab all atop a generous portion of vermicelli noodles. A fresh assortment of greens (lettuce, mint, cilantro?) is also on the side. They bring you out a huge bowl of piping hot water in which to dip your rice paper wraps. For first timers, it may be frustrating working with the rice paper wraps because they are thin and stick to each other after dipping in water if not careful. But after a few tries, you get the hang of it and you learn that you can't stuff them too full or else the wraps won't close.
We normally order one or two other dishes for variety and usually end up with some leftovers. We haven't branched out too much in the rest of the expansive menu. We've tried the kung pao tofu and beef chow fun dishes...both of which are really tasty, but a little greasy. The portions are also generous.
The reason why this place is not a 5 star place is 1/2 a star off for some of the greasy dishes and 1/2 a star off for the long wait and lack of waiting area if you go during busy times. You're normally safe going before 6pm on a weekday evening...but the place fills up really quickly starting at 6pm and you either have to wait outside or in a really small area in the middle of the restaurant or between their 2 doors.
We bring out of town guests here all the time and have never had a bad experience...you gotta try it out! -
Review from Sheryl K.
3/15/2011
Ohh man. I like pho but I never get it, so when my SO took me here I ordered my usual vermicelli noodles and egg rolls. But once I tasted the pho broth I went crazy! It was just soo... soo delicious. I don't know how to explain it because it tasted like pho - just better. What did they put in that? Crack?!
A must go to in Denver!! -
Review from Anna C.
I dig the veggie pho and vegetable fried rice here. Dong Khanh has a very extensive menu for Vietnamese food. They've got Pho, Rice, different kinds of soup/stir-fried noodles, various appetizers, hot pot... many more.
Veggie Pho - Small $4.50
I think they've got the best veggie pho around the Federal area. You will get more types of veggies here than Pho 95 or Pho 555. So subtly, more bang for your buck!
in addition to the typical broccoli, celery, and carrots... you will also get water chestnuts, bok choy, snow peas, and a shiitake mushroom!! I also liked that their veggie broth wasn't sweet like Pho 95's veggie broth. Soupy noodles shouldn't be sweet...
Vegetable Fried Rice - big plate $5.95 & packed with so many good stuff!
Wonderful plate of freshly stir-fried rice. It's packed with all sorts of veggies, chopped bits of tofu, and the eggs are nicely stir-fried in. The price is great for a plate of fried rice like this. I've had shitty, cheap, nasty, greasy FR before so I know a good when I see it.
The store was busy but service was good. When I ordered the pho with the fried rice the waiter opened his eyes real big and said "TWO ORDERS?" .... uhh... I said "well, I'm going to pack some home..." Jeez ~ what's wrong with a girl eating by herself ordering 2 plates?? Dont judge me!!
Prices are just as you would expect from the other pho places nearby.
They're opened 7 days a week with very easy to remember hours 10-10! :) -
Review from Lydia L.
Denver, CO
I love Saigon Bowl..I frequent the restaurant at least once a week. #120 is my fave..all protein baby..#160 we call the love platter..fun to share;)
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Review from Diane N.
6/8/2011 2 photos
Have you ever been to a place so often that not only you become a regular, but the place becomes.. well.. regular? Dong Khanh Restaurant is like that for me, and, as such, this long overdue review may lack the fireworks of a first kiss. But all you really need to know is that I'm a fan, right?
I, myself, my family, and my family's family honestly only order ONE thing here. The stir-fried dishes are only okay. The Pho, we have never bothered to try. The Vietnamese salads are alright. The noodle (bun) dishes are good. But what we don't get anywhere else, at least for the same consistency and price, is the DONG KHANH APPETIZER (see photo). For around $20 bucks, the appetizer is a meal for about 2-3 people or an actual appetizer for a group. Containing the fundamental rice noodles, lettuce, and herbs to successfully assemble your own flavor combination of spring rolls, the platter also includes an array of grilled meat (i.e.marinated pork, chicken, beef), Vietnamese egg rolls, a fried soft-shell crab, and my favorite shrimp paste wrapped in crispy rice paper. I know that assembling your own meal may not sound like a real luxury, but ordering it here is A LOT better, funner, and more fulfilling than preparing a platter like this at home. -
Review from Lauren G.
Avon, CO
4/21/2011
Fantastic, authentic Vietnamese.... Brought me right back to Hanoi, which I visited last year. The place is packed, and the prices are unbelievably inexpensive.
The pho with chicken is awesome, and the lemongrass beef dish is also fanastic. -
Review from Laura A.
Denver, CO
9/16/2011
I ordered Vietnamese egg rolls that I found pretty bland. I ordered the combination egg roll pulled pork bowl that was super delicious. Generous portions... Service a little slow but a little rushed at the same time, but I find this common at all Vietnamese restaurants! Not the best but far from the worse. Worth checking out!
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Review from jenn c.
San Francisco, CA
3/3/2011
So this is the Saigon Bowl people are talking about.....
It's decent but I expected a little more. Open later than most pho places (10pm). It's pretty cheap and the portions are pretty big. -
Review from Bryant N.
Denver, CO
4/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
I am never disappointed with the food from here, regardless of what you order it is so damn good! The prices are very fair also. It is awesome to walk in and see how diverse their clientele demographic is...this place does a great job showing the beauty and deliciousness of Vietnamese food! Truly a Classic Vietnamese restaurant of Federal Blvd.
Only downside to this restaurant is their seating capacity. The place is so popular now that there is usually a wait, so prepare accordingly. -
Review from Kathleen M.
Denver, CO
12/2/2010
Yes and yes. Go here. Do it now. Don't ask questions.
I am by no means an expert on Vietnamese food, but I thought these dishes were delicious! I have gotten the rice noodle dishes with pork and with chicken/pork/shrimp and egg rolls, and pho. All the dishes that we've gotten come with bean sprouts, cucumber, carrot, cilantro, mint, and basil. After these dishes you don't feel so over stuffed at all. To top things off, the prices are outstanding! So very affordable!!
I love love love love love this place. -
Review from Rick G.
Denver, CO
12/8/2010
I should have expected as much from an establishment with the word "dong" in the name.
Oy.
