Editor’s note: This is part of The Know’s series, Staff Favorites. Each week, we give our opinions on the best that Colorado has to offer for dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more. (We’ll also let you in on some hidden gems.)
I have visited a half-dozen buffets in metro Denver in the last six months. The one that has had me as a repeat customer is Sawa Mediterranean Restaurant and Buffet in South Denver.
I have only started enjoying Mediterranean cuisine in the last five years – outside of Greek festivals and visits to friends – so my love for its foods is just starting. When I learned that Denver has a buffet featuring it, it was time to try it out.
The reason I love to dine at buffets? I’m indecisive. I pull into a restaurant’s parking lot, craving a steak-and-potatoes entree, and walk through the entrance wanting seafood. If it’s on the menu, I get overwhelmed; when everything is in sight, I like to get a taste of everything. Sawa offers a diverse selection of Sudanese and Middle Eastern items, along with Mediterranean favorites, broadening the palate’s exposure to a wider range of flavors.
My first plate: samosas and falafel. The samosas come in beef, chicken and vegetable. The flaky pockets are nicely filled with a distinct flavor profile. The falafel patties are heartier than the average fried ball, as each has more vegetables stuffed inside. They remind me of hushpuppies.
Grilled chicken, saffron rice, a falafel patty and samosas make up this buffet plate at Sawa Restaurant and Buffet in Denver on Feb. 1. (Tamara Dunn, The Denver Post)
For the main entrees, meats are paired with flavored or plain Basmati rice. Marinated grilled chicken is a constant on the buffet, served with onions. One of my favorites is peanut chicken, a spicy Sudanese dish in a peanut-tomato sauce that I enjoy with rice. Baked fish is a lighter alternative, and biryani — a rice dish with chicken or lamb — is worth exploring. To ease your way into Mediterranean fare, Sawa offers gyros and even Philly cheesesteaks on the buffet. Pasta and meatballs get a twist with kofta spaghetti – lamb and beef meatballs in tomato sauce with noodles.
Hummus, baba ghanoush and a house salad are among the buffet’s cold items, but unfortunately, there is no pita bread. But don’t worry, carb lovers – the samosas and desserts will fulfill your needs. Desserts include the delightful baklava, the honey-sweetened pastry made with or without nuts, and a semolina cake called basbosa.
If buffets aren’t your thing, the entrees on Sawa’s buffet are also available off the menu.
Sawa Restaurant and Buffet, 1737 E. Evans Ave., Denver, 720-505-8937. Open Friday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. sawaorder.com
The post Why choose only one cuisine? This buffet will take your taste buds on a trip. appeared first on Denver Post
