Upon arriving for our 6:30 reservation, the girls and I were led to a nice table close to the window and with enough space between our table and the ones next to us that we could have a candid conversation without feeling like our neighbors were in on the topic as well. We all decided to start off with a fun cocktail, and I immediately chose the Passionfruit Lychee Mojito. The drink was a well-crafted mix of Parrot Bay passionfruit rum, passionfruit, lychee and mint. The drink tasted like candy and I could not taste any of the alcohol. I was sold.
An order of the XO-style edamame arrived at our table, and I have to admit that I would return to the restaurant simply to munch on those. The edamame were tossed in some sort of sweet, yet spicy sauce, and I could not stop reaching into the bowl for another and then another edamame.
Unable to choose just one item on the menu, I decided to order two appetizers. The first was the Vegetariano sushi roll, which consisted of asparagus-scallion tempura and avocado all rolled up in soy paper and drizzled with a sweet sambal aioli sauce on top. The sushi arrived looking gorgeous-- I could not wait to dig in! The pink soy paper was so pretty, but even that light pink color could not deter me from quickly popping those vegetarino slices into my mouth. Ahh-maze-ing. Before I knew it, the entire roll was gone and I began to eagerly anticipate the other appetizer that I ordered: the empanadas.
I love empanadas. Every time visit Puerto Rico (or closer to home check out a Cuban restaurant) I make sure to fulfill my empanada craving. The empanadas at Zengo were especially awesome because they combined the traditional empanada with my favorite Thai flavors. This empanada was a delicate combination of Thai chicken, chile poblano rajas and oaxaca cheese all within a delicate pastry. The empanada was resting on a delicious spicy peanut sauce and topped with a mango-curry salsa. I obviously did not have the patients to snap a photo of this portion of my meal before digging in-- I was lucky to capture the last two bites! I think that I could eat this every day-- it was divine.
All in all I had an amazing culinary experience at Zengo. The one thing that I probably would not order again is the Orinoco cocktail. The drink consisted of Svedka vodka, strawberry, guava and lime. The drink arrived a beautiful pink color in a martini glass, however after one sip I ceased being a fan of this beverage. I love guava and strawberry, but the flavors of these fruits were masked by the taste of alcohol. I had expected the fruit flavors to come through strongly after experiencing the mojito, however I felt like I was just drinking pink-colored Svedka.
I cannot wait to return to Zengo. Their small plates and cocktails are available for $5.00 during happy hour (Mon-Sat 5-7), so I think that I will be returning during these hours for a more affordable experience.
Zengo Denver
1610 Little Raven Street
Riverfront Park
Denver, CO 80202
(720) 904-0965
http://www.richardsandoval.com/zengodenver/
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