In Centennial, Colorado, we have plenty of amazing internationally inspired restaurants that serve a diverse array of ethnic food. Whether you’re craving Asian, Hispanic, Mediterranean, or Middle Eastern foods, you can find a spot to order your favorite ethnic dishes or try something totally new. That’s why Crème de la Crème of Lone Tree has put together this list of our favorite ethnic restaurants in and around the Centennial area.

Los Dos Potrillos

“Shrimp and Pineapple, Chili, Tomato and Crema, Roasted” licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Flickr by loustejskal.com

The greater Denver area has no shortage of delicious, authentic Mexican cuisine, but Los Dos Potrillos is one of the best. This restaurant has four locations around the Denver area, including the original Los Dos Potrillos in Centennial. This family-owned and -operated restaurant has been serving the community for nearly 20 years and has a menu packed with delicious traditional dishes and Tex-Mex twists.

Get fresh guacamole that’s made at your table, stacked nachos, or fries smothered in seasoned meat, cheese, and salsa. Grab a burrito with your favorite fillings, have tacos, order saucy enchiladas, or mix and match these items with a combination platter. This place also serves Mexican desserts like sopapillas, flan, and arroz con leche. 

Surena Persian Cuisine

Persian cuisine shares many of the same flavors, ingredients, and cooking techniques of nearby Mediterranean and Middle Eastern neighbors, and at Surena Persian Cuisine, you can try them all. The restaurant’s head chef has more than 50 years of experience crafting Persian dishes and even worked in Tehran for many years, so you know the food is authentic.

On the menu, you’ll find all sorts of kabobs, including those made with chicken, lamb, veggies, and seafood. You can also order one of the restaurant’s fantastic and hearty stews, served with saffron-spiced Basmati rice. What’s more, you can come for lunch and get an entree plus soup and other small plates. And for dessert, treat yourself to Persian ice cream made with rosewater, pistachios, and saffron, a flaky pastry filled with honey and nuts called baklava, and deep-fried pastry with honey known as zoolbia and bamieh.

Bop & Gogi Korean Grill

Bop & Gogi Korean Grill serves authentic Korean fast food dishes, including the popular bibimbop: mixed rice with meat and vegetables. There are endless combinations for this dish, but making the dish can be a challenge to those who don’t typically eat or cook Korean food. And that’s one of the reasons Bop & Gogi opened its doors. 

Order your bibimbop with ingredients like shrimp tempura, grilled chicken, fried tofu, pork, or spicy bulgogi, which is thinly sliced beef or pork. Or, grab a Korean burrito, a Bop & Gogi original made with your favorite bibimbop meats and veggies plus cheese and wrapped in a tortilla. You can also order kimbop, seaweed rolls with rice, meat, and veggies, ramen, udon noodles, Korean chicken wings, and kimchi.

East Moon Asian Bistro

East Moon Asian Bistro serves a mixture of Japanese, Thai, Chinese, and other Asian cuisines, making it a great place for families with different cravings for Asian cuisine. Here you can order many different kinds of sushi, including sashimi (sliced raw fish) and maki (rice, fish, seaweed, and vegetable rolls). They even have a vegetarian sushi menu with ingredients like avocado, asparagus, cucumber, and sweet potato. 

You can also order teriyaki and tempura entrees that come with rice and soup or salad. This restaurant also has bento boxes, egg rolls, ramen, udon noodles, Thai curry dishes, fried rice, and many more amazing dishes.

India’s Castle Restaurant & Bar

The country of India has a wide variety of cultures, so Indian cuisine is full of diverse flavors and dishes. At India’s Castle Restaurant and Bar, you can try authentic Indian food inspired by dishes made in every corner of the nation. Much of the menu is divided into vegetarian and non-vegetarian sections because many Indian dishes are actually made without meat or animal products, making this restaurant perfect for families with vegans, vegetarians, omnivores, or any combination.

Start your meal with baked veggies or meat pastries called samosas, deep-fried paneer cheese, or kebabs. For your entree, you can enjoy curry, jalfrezie (a mixture of vegetables and sometimes meat stewed in rich Indian spices), tandoori chicken or shrimp, biryani (spiced rice with ingredients like meat, vegetables, and eggs), dal (stewed and spiced lentils), and many more diverse Indian favorites. If you’ve never had Indian food before or want to try a little of everything, come to India’s Castle for their lunch buffet during the week.

Sahara Restaurant

Sahara Restaurant has been serving Moroccan and Lebanese food in the Greater Denver area for nearly 30 years. These cuisines share flavors and recipes with Persian cuisine and others found in the Middle East, Mediterranean, and parts of North Africa. Sahara Restaurant serves lunch and dinner, and on the menu you’ll find items like falafel, stuffed grape leaves, hummus, baba ghannouj, gyros, kabobs, and shawarma. In addition, you’ll find veggie-filled vegetarian options, entrees featuring chicken, beef, or lamb, and sides like feta, Kalamata olives, pita, tabbouleh salad, and couscous.

Pupusas Lover

Pupusas are stuffed griddle cakes from El Salvador and Honduras, and Pupusas Lover specializes in making these and other authentic Salvadoran eats. This family-owned restaurant is just a few years old and is one of the only Salvadoran restaurants in the area. 

On the menu, you’ll find plenty of pupusas to choose from. You can get them made in the traditional style with corn flour, or you can get them made with rice flour. Then, pick your stuffings: beans, pork, cheese, carrots, zucchini, Loroco flower (which is a native ingredient in El Salvador), spinach, pineapple, garlic, shrimp, or some combination of these ingredients. In addition, you can order tamales, steamed or fried yuca, enchiladas, empanadas, and other combination entrees. For dessert, treat yourself to plantain empanadas, sweet tamales, or Salvadoran cheesecake. So there you have it, seven of the best places to grab internationally inspired food. Did we miss your family’s favorite ethnic restaurant? If so, contact us to let us know. We’ll be sure to add it to our growing list!