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- Where:
- 2200 California St., Denver (Five Points)
- The Draw:
- Modern Taiwanese comfort food with bold flavors
- The Drawback:
- Some dishes, like the sesame noodles, are underwhelming for the price
- Noise Level:
- Medium to loud, depending on how close you sit to the bar
- What To Order:
- Incredible chile wontons, beef noodle soup, Taiwanese fried chicken, tropical-leaning drinks
- Price Per Person:
- $35–$45 (before drinks)
Taiwan, Los Angeles, and La Junta, Colorado, are about as far apart as places can be—geographically, culturally, spiritually—but at chefs Darren Chang and Travis Masar’s Pig and Tiger, they converge in one very good menu.
At its core, Pig and Tiger is built on the Taiwanese food Chang grew up eating in Los Angeles, with some clever turns. Masar brings knowledge of Vietnamese and Chinese flavors—cuisines he missed out on growing up in La Junta but later made up for by traveling extensively in Vietnam, working for a local Vietnamese caterer, and becoming Uncle’s opening chef in 2012.
That mix landed at the corner of 22nd and California streets this past summer. The restored Five Points warehouse space looks industrial-chic at first glance, but deep red accents give it a sultrier feel as you settle in. Menus arrive printed like old-school American-Chinese takeout sheets, a nostalgic wink that matches the restaurant’s playful, cross-cultural point of view.
The dinner slate changes seasonally, but a few staples should always be on your table, starting with the chile wontons. The Super Ball–size pockets of shrimp and pork are wrapped like delicate calla lilies in thin skins. I won’t claim they’re the best dumplings in Denver—sadly, I haven’t eaten every dumpling in town—but they’re firmly in the upper echelon. It might be the sauce, a spicy, chile-oil-heavy blend that I want to slather on anything and everything, that pushes these over the top.
The vegetable dumplings are almost as good. The winter version, stuffed with butternut squash, spinach, and tofu, came slicked with a creamy yum yum sauce variation combining maple, soy, sesame, and ginger. Also on the cold-weather menu, the hot-and-sour soup delivers exactly what it promises. Its bold, throat-tickling kick comes from a homemade Fresno chile vinegar concentrate that sharpens every drop of a broth that’s studded with silky cubes of tofu and bamboo shoots.
Not everything hit the mark for me. The jellyfish salad is very jellyfish forward, at least in the snappy, chewy texture of the translucent, noodle-shaped slices—although it’s nearly flavorless. Served over a mild smashed cucumber salad, it didn’t win me over, but it’s worth a try if you’re curious.
The large-portion beef noodle soup tastes much more personal, like a lifetime of practice and chasing childhood flavors. A simple dish that’s a little bland at first look, and even on first taste, it grows more comforting and cravable with each slurp. The noodles (from local producer Kwan Sang Noodle Co.) are chewy and substantial; the broth pho-like with its roasted beef bones and toasted coriander, star anise, and cinnamon; and the textures varied with pickled mustard greens, bok choy, and tender (if slightly dry, on my visit) beef shank. No in-your-face flavors here, just coziness and restraint.
The most popular order has been the Taiwanese fried chicken, which the chefs say ends up on most tables. Bone-in chicken pieces snap with shards of crispy batter, almost as if the crunch is its own seasoning. But a sprinkling of Sichuan, black, and white peppers only adds to the fun. It’s the double starch (tapioca and sweet potato) and double fry that give it that unbelievable crackle, and the bird is paired with chicken fat rice and orange-tinted hot honey for a rich-and-sweet contrast.
I was charmed by Pig and Tiger’s take on lu rou fan, a pork and rice dish sticky with caramelized shallots, earthy shiitakes, and molasses. The braised pork belly practically leaks collagen into the rice, and a soft-cooked egg adds umami. Less successful, the cool, creamy sesame noodles weren’t peppy enough, nor the serving size big enough, to warrant the $22 price tag.
Cocktails and mocktails share the same menu, which more restaurants should do so that no one feels singled out. Every drink I tried was bright, tropical, and available with or without alcohol. Highlights include the Baobing Sour, a margarita with pineapple, pandan, and jasmine tea shaved ice, and the tart Songkai with a scoop of seasonal sorbet you can either let melt into the drink or eat up immediately to keep the beverage drier and sharper.
With a drinks program that clever, it’s understandable why the bar perked up as the evening grew later. Pig and Tiger’s brand of Taiwanese, sprinkled with the chefs’ swagger, has that same magnetic pull. Less cultural tug-of-war and more culinary highlight reel, it bridges the gap between its inspirations in a surprisingly tasty way.
Read More: Pig and Tiger Brings a Taste of Taiwan to Five Points
3 More Avanti Alumni That Made the Leap to Brick-and-Mortar
Pig and Tiger got its start inside Boulder’s Avanti Food & Beverage, a food hall chain known for incubating restaurant talent. Here, a few other Avanti grads that have made the brick-and-mortar leap.
1. Boychik
After frying its first falafel at Avanti Boulder, Boychik took its Mediterranean concept to a restaurant space inside Aurora’s Stanley Marketplace. The increased square footage means more mezze and shawarma and a new slate of Mediterranean-influenced cocktails. 2501 Dallas St., Aurora
2. Quiero Arepas
The last remaining original tenant from Avanti Denver’s 2015 debut, Quiero opened a second location in Platt Park in 2019. There, diners can settle in for gluten-free Venezuelan arepas stuffed with plantain, black beans, shredded meats, and zingy salsas. 1859 S. Pearl St., Denver (Platt Park)
3. Bowls by KO
Katelin Overton’s food truck turned Avanti Denver food stall unveiled a standalone spot in the West Colfax neighborhood in September 2025, planting roots after years on the move. Head to the cheery space for globally inspired paleo, vegan, and vegetarian bowls made with feel-good ingredients. 1611 Raleigh St., Denver (West Colfax)
