A Surprising Find in Denver: Bún bò Huế! 🍜✨

Vietnamese restaurants are pretty common here in Denver, but most stick to the classics: Phở, Bún chả, Cơm — and almost all lean toward Southern Saigon-style flavors. The broth is tasty, sure, but after eating, I always find myself chugging water 🥤… makes you wonder if that “umami” comes from a little too much “magic powder” 🧂. I often think back to my time living in Little Saigon in Westminster, Southern California — where Vietnamese beef noodle soup truly blossomed in all its forms. Especially my favorite, Bún bò Huế — each place had its own secret touch. That spicy, lemongrass-infused broth with pork knuckle, tendon, blood cake, and all the fixings? Absolutely unbeatable! 🌶️🍖 So imagine my excitement when I discovered that O Lien in Denver serves Bún bò Huế! I rushed over right away. Got there around 2 PM — not even peak dining hours — and the place was still half full. Pretty popular spot! 👏 We started with dessert: Chè Bánh Lot, a Vietnamese chendol-style treat. One spoonful of warm red and mung beans, chewy green jelly strips, rich coconut milk, and crunchy crushed ice instantly transported me back to those sunny afternoons in Little Saigon… 🥥🍧 Around 4 PM every day, the scent of freshly made chè would fill the air — palm trees, bright bougainvillea, and that gentle Pacific breeze. Tastes like California memories. 🌴💛 Next up: Bún chả — and it was a delight! The grilled beef and pork were quality cuts, full of real charcoal flavor 🔥. A bit on the salty side, but so much more depth than the sad, electric-grill versions you often find. The spring rolls were lovely, too. 🥬🌯 And then… the star of the show: Bún bò Huế! The bowl was loaded — pork knuckle, blood cake, beef balls, tendon, and sliced beef took up half the space. Squeeze in some lime, toss in chili flakes, take a sip of the broth… and wow 🤯 — sour, sweet, savory, and spicy, all at once! The lemongrass aroma was strong and authentic. The pork knuckle was perfectly tender but still held a bite. The tendon? Soft, chewy, and fragrant. The blood cake was silky and absorbed the broth beautifully — no weird smell at all. I love dipping the herbs and meat into shrimp paste with a dash of hot sauce — that combo of spicy, fresh, and rich is exactly how I remember it. 🌿🦐 By the way, at most places you have to hunt for meat in a sea of noodles. Here? You hunt for noodles in a sea of meat 😂 — I literally couldn’t finish all the protein! Who says Denver is a food desert?! Not with Bún bò Huế like this. 🏆 📍 Spot: O Lien Vietnamese Cuisine 🍜 Must-try: Bún bò Huế, Bún chả, Chè Bánh Lot #LifeInTheUS #DenverEats #VietnameseFood #BunBoHue #ColoradoTravel #ColoradoFood #Chendol #FoodieFind #NoodleLover 🌟