Over the past decade, Denver’s South Federal Boulevard in Westwood has finally gotten the attention it deserves. In 2014, a stretch of the thoroughfare between Mississippi and Alameda avenues was designated as the Little Saigon Business District—an official hub for Vietnamese culture, cuisine and shopping. And in 2024, the Far East Center was placed on the State’s Register of Historic Properties by History Colorado Center.
The Far East Center was established in 1986 by the Luong family after they moved to Colorado from Vietnam after the Vietnam War in 1975. For 38 years, the shopping plaza has been a haven for locals and visitors seeking everything from stellar Chinese-style pastries to goods imported from across Asia and beyond. Read on to learn more about the Far East Center and other places to shop, eat and dine along South Federal Boulevard.
Groceries, Gifts and More
The most well-known business in the Far East Center, whose torii-style entryway makes it easy to spot off South Federal Boulevard, is Truong An Gifts. The well-stocked 5,500-square-foot market operated by Mimi Luong, and her mother, Fawn, sells herbal medicines, beauty products, K-pop memorabilia, jewelry, Buddhist statues, snacks, Sanrio products, incense, toys, clothing and lots more. Or drop by Little Saigon Supermarket (one of the first grocery stores in Denver to stock food products from Asia like Sriracha) to get snacks and groceries to whip up your own meal. Those looking for a wider selection of groceries should mosey into Great Wall Supermarket, a New York City-born grocery chain with two locations in Colorado, including one off South Federal Boulevard. It has mazes of aisles and coolers filled with cookware, snacks, pantry items and fresh foods from China, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan and other countries.
Vietnamese Cuisine
If you’re craving pho or Vietnamese noodle soup, South Federal Boulevard is the place to order it. While there are tons of pho restaurants to choose from, some tried-and-true favorites include Pho Duy, whose flavorful broths and hearty portions have charmed locals for decades, and Pho 95, where the gigantic menu includes several varieties of rice noodle soup, Vietnamese-style chow mein, salads and other specialties. Meanwhile, Vinh Xuong Bakery and New Saigon Bakery & Deli are hot stops for banh mi and Vietnamese ice coffee (the former also has killer fried sesame balls, tapioca rounds filled with sweet bean paste). Or grab a table at Viet’s and Saigon City to dig into wrap-your-own spring roll platters and Vietnamese-style seafood dishes.
Chinese Cuisine
Pho Hong offers a small selection of dim sum dishes all day and a mix of Chinese, Vietnamese and Pan-Asian specialties. But if you prefer dim sum served from traditional roving carts for lunch and brunch, head to Star Kitchen or Super Star Chinese Cuisine to get your fill of steamed pork buns, egg tarts and fried turnip cakes. Those restaurants also offer menus of other family-style Chinese specialties. (Pro tip: Look for the two-for-one deal on stir-fried lobster at Star Kitchen.) Or try rare-in-Denver Hong Kong–style dishes at Happy Cafe or hand-pleated potstickers and soup dumplings at Lao Wang Noodle House. Meanwhile, Hong Kong Barbecue is a beloved spot for crispy skinned duck, char siu pork and other Cantonese-style roasted meats. Also don’t miss the Chinese-style pastries at Celestial Bakery inside the Far East Center, whose cases are packed with sweet and savory pastries.
Save the Date
The Luong family also hosts huge events celebrating Colorado’s Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community in the parking lot of the Far East Center, including September’s Mid-Autumn Festival and January’s Lunar New Year Festival. Check the plaza’s Facebook page for updates on these fun-for-all happenings.
Photos courtesy of Asian Avenue Magazine.