Spots in Denver to try the ube vegetable, a southeast Asian purple yam

Ube, a purple yam native to the Philippines, is popping up left and right at local bakeries, cafes and ice cream shops.

The Southeast Asian veggie (pronounced ooh-bay) has grown popular in the last year among foodies, thanks to its eye-catching hue, velvety texture and subtly sweet vanilla flavor.

Thoa Nguyen has been serving ube products at her bakery, Bánh & Butter in Aurora, since she opened in April last year. For those who have never tried it, she likens the flavor to “a sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows,” like the one your mom might make for Thanksgiving.

“I love the idea of utilizing other cultures in my baked goods,” Nguyen said. “My background is Vietnamese, but I try to incorporate other Asian flavors as much as I can. Ube is such a trendy flavor, and it’s really created this recognition for the Filipino community, so I wanted it to be a part of my Asian fusion selections.”

To get your ube fix (or your first bite) check out these seven spots in and around Denver:

Bánh & Butter Bakery Cafe

Nguyen purchased a large amount of ube extract from Third Culture Bakery, which occupied her space until it closed in 2021. Banh & Butter serves an ube crepe made with 30 thin pancakes layered with chantilly ube cream; strawberry or plain croissants with ube cream in the middle; an ube cupcake; and a non-caffeinated latte with ube foam or a cold brew with ube foam.

“The color alone is a statement piece,” Nguyen said.

9935 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora; banhandbutter.com

Dochi

Dochi sells three kinds of ube mochi donuts: the Ube Bae, an ube doughnut dipped in ube chocolate and topped with ube cake crumbs and wafers; the Unicorn, an ube doughnut topped with taro chocolate and cotton candy crumble; and the Cosmic Crunch, an ube doughnut dipped in ube chocolate and sprinkled with Oreo crumble.

2449 Larimer St., Denver; dochicompany.com

Right Cream

Right Cream, which recently opened up shop in Rosedale, wants people to get creative with their usual boring ice cream selections. The ice cream shop sells scoops of “Ube-by Baby”, ube ice cream with Oreo toffee and an Almost Too Salty Caramel swirl.

2423 S. Downing St., Denver; rightcream.com

Manila Bay Filipino Restaurant

Manila Bay’s Halo-Halo dessert is how Filipinos traditionally eat ube. Halo-Halo, a refreshing summer bite, is made with sweetened beans, fruits, jellies, and shaved ice, drizzled with sweet milk and topped with ube ice cream, toasted rice and flan.

13800 E. Mississippi Ave., Aurora; manilabayrestaurant.com

Milk Tea People

Milk Tea People has you covered whether you’re thirsty or hungry for some ube. Sip on the Ube Jasmine Sweet Cream, made with taro and ube root purée, jasmine green tea, sweetened with vanilla cane sugar and topped with vanilla sweet cream. Or crunch on the Coconut Ube Wafachi, a cross between a Belgian waffle and mochi topped with vanilla gelato, shredded coconut flakes and sweetened with condensed milk.

1641 Market St., Suite 133, Denver; milkteapeople.com 

Mango Mango Dessert

Mango Mango Dessert probably has the most adventurous options in town. The New York dessert chain, which serves traditional Asian sweets, makes an ube crepe cake, a mozzarella ube cube cake (for a more savory bite) and a hot ube soup with sago and a rice ball.

1144 S. Colorado Blvd., Denver; mangomangodessert.com

Cakeheads Bakery

For your next special occasion, consider an ube cake from Cakeheads Bakery, which makes an Ube Baby cake with ube mousse and buttercream throughout and tops it with a flower made out of frosting. Or, customize your own cake with the purple yam.

7530 S. University Blvd., Centennial; cakeheadsbakery.com

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