Zen hum pervades food, feel of Vietnamese bistro

John Lehndorff, Rocky Mountain News

Published November 3, 2006 at midnight

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"Oh boy, another dose of overpriced calamari ($10)," the jaded dining critic thought to himself as he chopsticked his first mouthful.

As he slowly chewed, he started to smile ever so slightly. The tender coconut- and ginger-crusted rings were tumbled with thin, crisply fried slices of lemon, lime and jalapeño. There was cool baby watercress and julienned pear.

He grabbed another bite and marveled at how the semi-sweet chile dressing and cilantro coulis pulled the contrasting textures and tastes together. He did something he seldom does. He stopped in mid-chew and uttered a heartfelt "Wow!" The critic had many dishes to taste before he slept yet he couldn't stop digging for another morsel.

He knew one thing for sure: There was a clear and present mind at work behind this dish served at the year-old Parallel 17.

That would be Mary Nguyen, the chef who teamed with Becky Miller to open this remarkable little bistro a year ago. Nguyen had left a financial-industry career to become a caterer and then a sushi chef at Cherry Creek's Hapa before opening her own place a year ago. She looked back to her Vietnamese heritage but never forgot her grounding in culinary technique.

Parallel 17 serves small plates, but before you groan about trendiness, Vietnam, like Spain, actually has a dimsum-like, small plates tradition, specifically from the city of Hue. The best way to order here is in flights of two or three shareable dishes.

Wise diners will want to sample the imperial wings ($8), intensely charred treats delivered with a positively symphonic "spicy garlic aioli" bursting notes of sesame, chile, salt, fire and tartness. We literally begged for more of this bud-awakening elixir.

Equally irresistible was the breaded soft shell crab ($12) in an addictive, curry-like, beer-based broth laden with shredded vegetables, herbs and coconut. We recommend matching it with a tall glass of Czechvar beer.

While it serves Vietnamese-influenced fare, Parallel 17 looks nothing like the humble pho, banh mi and noodle shops that line South Federal. Set in the booming Uptown neighborhood, this is a modern bistro-lounge with exposed brick, big windows, minimal decorations and music that leans toward pulsing techno-remix.

With only about 30 seats plus a plush couch and large patio, it manages to be comfortable in a space likely to be obnoxiously loud. Instead, a zen hum pervades the proceedings, helped along by a welcoming, enthusiastic and food-savvy staff who work the table-crowded room in relaxed fashion.

While the menu is not divided by starters, salads and entrees, the unassuming charcuterie platter ($12) makes a great appetizer. This spread is described as "a deconstructed banh-mi," the famous Vietnamese sandwich. Diners compose their own treats using excellent housemade mousse and pork pate and char siu pork marinated in a sweet, five spice-accented sauce on sliced Vietnamese baguette. Cukes, jalapeño, cilantro and pickled carrot and daikon add crunch.

Those parts are assembled into a yummy banh mi sandwich ($8) on Parallel 17's lunch (and late- night) menu that also features curry ($7-$9), cool summer rolls ($6), vermicelli bowls ($7-$8) and a thoroughly heartwarming pho ($7-$9): dark, beefy, star anise-infused broth dished with lime, Thai basil, bean sprouts and condiments.

Save room for two spectacular, winter-season main events. The bone-in jasmine tea-smoked duck confit ($15) was a gorgeous evocation of Peking duck with soft, fatty meat and chewy skin set off by sauteed lychee. The modifier "melt-in-the-mouth" will henceforth be strictly reserved for dishes as profound as Vietnamese coffee-braised beef short rib ($16). The espresso proved the perfect foil for shredded meat as did a brilliant pureed vegetable brûlée.

A conventional entree course can be made by combining the meats or grilled prawns ($11) with Nguyen's sumptuous sides. We gave a sitting ovation to the fluffy, dessert-like coconut jasmine rice ($4) and spreadable roasted Asian eggplant ($6). Another bliss-producer was a tangle of tempura green beans ($6) counterpointed with fried garlic slices and salty, fermented black beans.

Nothing we sampled made us frown, just a few dishes that paled in comparison to the more orgasmic offerings. The chicken meatballs ($6) were too big and rubbery with a too-sweet caramel sauce. The shredded chicken and coriander salad ($8) in a rice paper "basket" looked interesting but lacked oomph.

The purple, Yukon Gold and sweet potato pommes frites ($5) could have been sampled at any local bistro. Likewise, we've already seen pan-seared scallops ($13) and quail ($10) with sweet potato puree.

Two desserts merit two-thumbs-up. The ginger pear tart ($6) offered buttery puff pastry layered with wafer-thin caramelized pear slices and spice-infused honey. Housemade truffles ($2 each), made with top-of-the-line intense chocolate, were rolled in coconut, Vietnamese coffee or five-spice powder for a satisfying finish.

Parallel 17's lounge aspect comes out in its cool array of cocktails, including fruity red and white sangrias and the pom fizz, pomegranate-tinted prosecco with a fresh lychee. Forget about your Starbucks. Parallel 17 brews the best Vietnamese coffee in town, using high-quality, dark-roasted beans. The coffee looks beautiful as it drips into a tall glass atop sweetened condensed milk. Although it isn't a martini, we fell for the Vietnamese coffee-tini. This dangerously craveable concoction blends chilled java with Kahlua, vanilla Stoli and a dab of condensed milk.

Ten or 15 years ago, this kind of eatery might not have succeeded because many diners had no point of reference. These days, Denver boasts an embarrassing wealth of establishments dishing Vietnamese fare, so we can easily appreciate Mary Nguyen's eye-popping, palate-massaging riff on tradition.

Parallel 17

• Hours: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Mon.-Thurs. 4-11 p.m. Fri.-Sat.

• Food: New Vietnamese

• How much: $4 to $16 per plate

• Reservations: Six or more

• Information: www.parallelseventeen.com

lehndorffj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5103

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