Every morning on the way to work my bus takes me on a tour up Lincoln, and for months I saw Anise Modern Vietnamese Eatery and wondered “Hmmm I wonder if they have vegan options?” before finally going online to check… and they do! Plenty of them, in fact!
I think I’ve tried everything vegan on their menu (it is all very clearly marked), and I’m happy to finally be sharing them with you. It’s been too long! (Spoiler alert, I loved EVERYTHING!)
Anise has a small, simple menu and you can tell they’re focusing on doing a handful of things right, rather than offering a ton of dishes that are just meh. Their flavors are all light and bright, and everything seemed so fresh!
Appetizers
There are three vegan appetizers, and I’ve tried two of them. My favorite is the Crispy Tofu. You know how tofu described as crispy on the menu usually isn’t? Well not here. It is truly crispy on the outside, and pillowy soft on the inside. The dipping sauce is delicious! My one warning to you will be that the inside of the tofu bites will be volcanically hot, so be careful.
I really enjoyed the lightly pickled veggies that come on the side- crispy and sweet.
On another visit, we ordered the Vegan Spring Rolls as well. Thai basil, rice noodles, tofu… the usual, but the flavor was very fresh.
Pho
The manager (owner?) spent quite a bit of time chatting with me on my first visit, and we talked a lot about Pho. I told him of my trip to Vietnam where I ate pho twice a day, sometimes even for breakfast. We also discussed other pho restaurants in the area. You see, Anise doesn’t specialize in pho and it isn’t what they’re known for (as opposed to, say, Phonatic).
Their pho was very different from any I’ve had before, either here in the US or in Vietnam. I’m not saying it’s not authentic, just that they went for a different flavor profile than I’m used to. It was really delicious, very rich and savory. Personally, I love mushrooms, but if you don’t love them, this might be a bit too mushroomy for you.
Entrees
Anise offers two different entrees that are vegan, and both are great! Here’s the Tofu Fried Rice, full of tofu and big chunks of veggies. Delicious, but not too heavy. It didn’t feel very oily at all.
My favorite entree was definitely the Tofu Lemon Grass Noodles.
The noodles are hidden (you have to stir up the bowl), and the tofu was so crispy! It’s also full of the lightly pickled carrots and daikon that I loved so much in the appetizers.
Anise is definitely a win, and with all their vegan (and non-vegan) options, I think any group would be happy dining here.
Want more Denver-area restaurant reviews? Check out my Mile High Vegan Eats page!
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