For nearly four decades, New Saigon, , was where Coloradans got their first taste of Vietnamese food. For many, the experience began by clumsily dipping a sheet of rice paper into water, piling on beef or shrimp paste, mint or cilantro, and then rolling it all together into what they hoped was the perfect bite. Building Vietnamese spring rolls at the table in this way can be an icebreaker, whether it’s on a date or with out-of-town in-laws.
It’s also fun for both kids and adults, and every person at the table can customize each roll to their taste by picking different ingredients off the platter. “Someone might make a really nice roll and someone else could make an ugly one, and it’s funny, and you can talk about that at the table,” explained An Nguyen, whose parents, Ha Pham and Thai Nguyen, ran New Saigon from 1987 until they sold it in 2017. Spring rolls at Dan Da in Aurora, Colorado on Thursday, June 27, 2024.
The signature Dan Da tower comes with an assortment of options including pork, chicken, beef, shrimp and soft-shell crab. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) Spring rolls at Dan Da in Aurora, Colorado on Thursday, June 27, 2024. The signature Dan Da tower comes with an assortment of options including pork, chicken, beef, shrimp and soft-shell crab.
(Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) Sue Yang (left) and Linda Vang eat a tower of spring rolls at Dan Da in Aurora, Colorado on Thursday, June 27, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) S.