Hop alley denver menu windows#

It is boneless chunks of breaded, fried poultry, similar in concept to your standard General Tso’s, but a world apart in terms of quality and heat. The must-have entrée, at least for spice lovers, is the La Zi Jim, or fried chicken. Great American Bites: Colorado's place for cocktails, share plates This is representative of the way many classics have been reimagined: the hot and sour soup has black winter truffles, the fried rice uses bone marrow rather than roast pork, and one of the appetizers is kung po cauliflower, a surprisingly great way to enjoy one of my least favorite veggies. It’s a big appetizer but you won’t be able to stop eating it. Far from your typical take on a spring roll or egg roll, these are big, thick and meaty, burrito sized with lots of tender duck and cabbage dressed with hoisin sauce rolled up in a chewy but light scallion pancake. Many items on the menu change seasonally, and there are a few standards. The single most popular item is the Beijing duck rolls, and understandably so - they are delicious. It also offers a new take on classic dishes and simply invents others, a fun gourmet twist on the genre, accompanied by a slate of craft cocktails, craft beers and wine that are atypical for most Asian eateries in this country. The food: The website describes Hop Alley’s concept as “New Chinatown,” and that’s fitting, since the neighborhood was once home to Denver’s Chinese community, though most evidence of that has long since vanished. Reason to visit: duck rolls, fried chicken, pork “chop,” garlic shrimp noodles, wine and cocktail list More creativity goes into the food presentation than the setting: most dishes are served family style from large and varied plates and platters, with fun touches like rice served in a classic Chinese takeout box and a specialty whiskey cocktail (not hot) served from a traditional Chinese restaurant tea pot in small teacups. One of the more unusual features is a wood-burning Argentinean-style grill in the kitchen, but this is not something the typical guest would notice except in the broad variety of meat dishes on the menu. There is a small bar area, which is more for having a drink while waiting to take out than for dining in. Wooden tables are adorned with cans of disposable chopsticks and napkins, and the chairs are white and heavy plastic composite, a distinctive, bright touch - otherwise it’s straightforward. There is one mid-sized main dining room with a view into the open kitchen running down one side, especially from one long communal table right in front of the cooking area.

Hop Alley is more sophisticated but still simple, with a non-descript corner location and minimal signage, and you can catch the buzzy atmosphere through the windows before entering, with every table taken and a high energy level.

Chef owner Tommy Lee already operates a very popular and no-frills ramen eatery, Uncle, in the city’s Highlands neighborhood near Downtown.

The scene: RiNo, or River North, is Denver’s hippest up-and-coming neighborhood, and that makes it the perfect setting for Hop Alley, a two-year-old hipster take on Chinese-American food that would be equally at home in Brooklyn or Portland, Ore., and is creating lots of excitement right here in the Mile High City. View Gallery: Hop Alley hits all the buttons in Denver

Hop alley denver menu windows#