Karma Asian — Restaurant in Denver

I have passed by Karma Asian probably 1000 times and finally decided to give them a chance today. I generally avoid "Asian" restaurants as their dishes are typically possible. Maybe even good as food, but are generally poor at doing any particular dish well. I ordered 7 dishes from them today to try and give a fair representation of their culinary ability. All of the dishes were pretty good, but the only item that I truly enjoyed was the Vietnamese style egg rolls. Other items ordered were Kal-bil, sweet and sour pork, shrimp shu-mai, massaman curry, pot stickers. The sweet and sour pork was cooked well, but the sauce was a touch sweet, the shu-mai were the grand disappointment - rubbery and lacking flavor, even with the dipping sauce. The pot stickers were better than average, and the Kal-bil was well cooked and a good quality meat, but was missing something to make it special. The massaman was alright as well. My overall experience would put the food at a 4 for the style of restaurant. You won't be disappointed if you go with 3 people that all want different types of Asian influenced food. If you are looking for stellar Thai. Chinese, or Korean, we have plenty of delicious, focused options in Denver. The 3 star rating was the result of the fact that i placed the order online at about 10:20 am, prior to open, for pickup at 11:15. I did expect for the order to be delayed slightly as they officially open at 11, but when I arrived at 11:26, they advised that the order had just been printed and would take 15 to 20 more minutes, which ended up slightly over the 20. The final nail in the service rating is that they did not have any orders ahead of mine at the counter. And nobody walking in, nor any delivery services doing pickup, so it just felt a little like they didn't care to meet expectations. In this economy, it seems that the first thing you'd do at a restaurant that needs carry out to survive is to turn on your door dash, grubhub, uber eats, chow hound terminals as they are your survival. I apologize for the long review, but felt it necessary to clarify and grade the restaurant by its style, and then to explain why service matters when making...

I'm fairly new to this neighborhood and was looking for local Pho. It was a little late in the post-COVID world, so much was soon closing for the evening. None of the Pho specific restaurants were near enough and open late enough to be practical for me, so I was delighted to find this place which serves it, and a review of it which said it was their favorite in Denver. Google maps said they were open until 10, but when I arrived at 930, I was told the dining room was closed, but I could order to go. I live just a block and a half around the corner, so this was fine. I was given my meal in less than 10 minutes and went back home to heat it up.

I was shocked when I opened the container. Where I expected to find raw eye-of-round beef I saw instead some unidentifiable gray matter. I still can't say what the meat was, possibly beef, but possibly pork too. It looked to be about half fat in it's content, whereas eye-of-round is one of the (if not the) leanest cut of beef there is. In addition, whatever this meat was, it was already cooked. The heat of the broth should be what cooks this meal.

Given the hour and the fact that it was here and in front of me, I decided to put it together. Let me elaborate on the rest of the ingredients: the sprouts were brown, far from fresh; the noodles seemed alright; the basil was beginning to have black spots on it; the parsley was completely limp, the leaves disintegrated upon touching them; and two lonely slices of jalapeno.

Putting it all together resulted in something completely inedible. The fatty, gray meat continued to cook down, leaving a layer of grease on the surface. I attempted to fish out the meat to just eat the broth, remembering that very little else was still open as alternative, at that point. I wasn't able to fish it all out, and the broth was just too greasy by then.

Suffice it to say, this was by far the worst Phō I have ever been served. Surprising for a restaurant billing themselves as Asian-Fusion, to stumble so horrifically over what must be one of the simplest dishes to prepare correctly, and when done so, to...

Karma Asian: A Spicy Hidden Gem on South Broadway

If you’re looking for one of the best hole-in-the-wall spots on South Broadway, Karma Asian is the place to be. I came here with a group of friends, and we all took the same bold plunge—we ordered the Jaam Bong. Now, let me set the stage: this was a table of very, very white men venturing into one of the spiciest dishes on the menu. Brave? Maybe. Worth it? Absolutely.

Let me tell you about this bowl of fiery perfection. The Jaam Bong is a Korean-style spicy noodle soup loaded with tiger shrimp, scallop, calamari, and napa cabbage, all swimming in a rich, spicy garlic red chili broth. The combination of fresh seafood and that bold, flavorful soup is nothing short of amazing. Each bite has the perfect balance of heat and savory goodness that keeps you diving back in for more, even as you’re sweating bullets at the table.

This dish is not for the faint of heart, but if you can handle the spice—or even if you’re willing to try—it’s an unforgettable experience. I find myself craving it now, long after the meal is over. Karma Asian is the kind of place that proves you don’t need a fancy setup to deliver bold, crave-worthy flavors.

Whether you’re a spice enthusiast or just looking for a unique spot to share with friends, Karma Asian should absolutely be on your list. And if you dare to try the Jaam Bong, just make sure to bring a napkin for your sweat—it’s worth every fiery bite.

Oh, and one last thing: believe me, it’s spicy coming out both ends, so...