MAY 20 18 | 5280 | (^47)
Sarah Boyum
Eat Drink
The stories behind five of the most visually
stunning menus on the Front Range. PAGE 52
PHOTOGRAPH BY REBECCA STUMPF
XOXO
If you’re a fan of Chinese
food, you know (and
probably love) XO sauce.
The chunky, umami-rich
condiment, native to the
Cantonese kitchens of
Hong Kong, is made from
dried seafood, cured
ham, chiles, and more—
including its namesake
ingredient, “extra old”
cognac (a luxury prized by
the Hong Kong elite when
the sauce was created in
the 1980s). It’s more than
just a flavoring agent for
Thach Tran, Ace Eat Serve’s
chef since August 2017: XO
is an obsession that takes
Tran three days to make
from scratch. He starts by
soaking and shredding
dried scallops (“They’re
$120 per pound at Pacific
Ocean right now,” Tran
says), salted cod, and pro-
sciutto; then he stir-fries it
all in house-made chile oil.
“I like to fry the mixture
until it’s really fragrant,”
Tran says. “It makes the
restaurant smell just like a
fish and chips shop.” Next,
he cooks aromatic ginger,
garlic, orange peels, and
smoky bonito flakes in the
infused oil before finishing
the mixture with cognac,
soy and fish sauces, and
Sriracha. The result is com-
plex, concentrated, spicy,
and savory—and best ap-
preciated in an entrée on
Tran’s menu called XO Rice
Pillows. Chewy-tender rice-
noodle rolls (“cheong fun”)
come stir-fried with fresh
shrimp and scallops, color-
ful veggies, lotus root, and,
of course, Tran’s scrump-
tious XO sauce, which
we’re certain will become
your obsession, too.
—DENISE MICKELSEN
MAY 20 18 | 5280 | (^47)
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