We had a great meal here and our server was very attentive and nice! The decor in this restaurant…read moreis OnePiece themed but it's not super noticeable, as they have a strong izakaya theme throughout the place. The vibe is fast and loud, but the servers are super efficient and communicative. I really liked the tokidoki roll and hamachikama. Hard to go wrong with those! The hamachi kama was HUGE. They give you the entier collar! I also liked the yaki ika which was very tasty, not rubbery at all. They have a lot of ramen on the menu which was a crowd pleaser for our group. Their edamame is also very spicy and quite good -- not your typical simply salted edamame. One thing I wouldn't order - the kimchi fried rice. One person in our party ordered it but it wasn't really fried rice, just kimchi and meat mixed with steamed white rice.

Yaki Ika and yes, I did it. I have been eyeing on stopping by at this restaurant for awhile…read morewanting to try it. It was good and glad I did. Commonly called ikayaki and checked off! You can try to park at the free parking, off the street or on the street. It was Sunday 3 pm and parking was no problem. Ambiance. Very Japanese like feeling with knick knacks every where with banners, akachõchin. Sushi bar takes one side and also a small bar to the back. Drink menu featured several imported Japanese bottled beers on top of the common ones at reasonable price. Ended up getting the house salad, chicken yakitori, spicy tonkatsu ramen and yaki ika. All tasted good, no complaints. Spicy tonkatsu ramen had rich broth, chatsu was grilled and plenty. Repeat

The food was great! They had some classics and some very unique dishes. It was fun to try a bit of…read moreboth. They had the best tuna crispy rice. The service was good the server was patient and kind The ambiance was bustling at dinner on a Friday night. Fun place!

Absolutely love this place! Came here as a party of two on a…read moreweeknight, which was lucky because we didn't have a reservation and if it was just a little busier, we wouldn't have been sat at all. We got a cute high top table by the window, their seating is comfortable, even the hightop chairs have backs. The drinks here are delicious, I got the lychee margarita and it was perfect, not too sweet and comes with a real lychee on a skewer, which is a lovely pairing. To eat, I got my favorite aburi tuna, which I always make sure to try if a place has them. It was so good, I love the seared flavor and the fish was so fresh, the texture was perfect. We also got the fried rice, it is served with the staff, mixing the yolk of an egg into the dish at the table in front of you. This made it so rich and delicious, and felt like a show. I was really impressed by the rice itself too, nothing simple about it. The flavors were so dynamic, and everything was cooked to perfection. We also had the black miso cod, this might have been the highlight dish. It was so tender and supple, melting at the touch of a fork and even better in your mouth. The flavors were unbelievable, and it leaves you wanting more. The area is pretty central to wash park, a quick five or 10 minute walk over to Broadway after dinner is easy and accessible too. Totally will be back

Our friend introduced us to Tai Tai, as Sushi Sasa was a favorite of ours. Very cute and cozy small…read morerestaurant. We had reservations and sat at the bar and enjoyed watching all of the mouth-watering food preparation. We started off with the lychee saketini. YUM! So light, refreshing, not too sweet and loved the itty bitty ice chips. The rest of the meal was amazing! I wanted to lick the ponzu sauce on the hamachi jalapeño. So so good! Loved the strawberry accents. Tofu burrata was a nice surprise, very mild and creamy with the puff flatbread. Wagyu just melted in your mouth. Great flavors. I wish I had taken a picture of whole big ass tuna as he brought it out and prepared it for us - I was in awe of how beautiful and fresh it was. Delicious! We tried the cool demon slayer sake and it was so nice and smooth, it may be my new favorite drink and replace my white wine for a little bit. Give it a try. The ice cream dessert with the two flavors was the perfect way to cap off the night. Definitely recommend you go!

The sushi at Tai Tai is incredible! Having grown up in the Bay, I haven't tried that many sushi…read morespots in this land locked state, but this spot is definitely worth it! We got the Diablo Roll, the spicy tuna roll, and the salmon roll. All three were amazing, fresh, and filled us up. My favorite would have to be the Diablo roll because the flavor was rich and delicious. Presentation of the rolls was also a 10/10! We placed an online order for pick up and it took around 35 minutes. It looks like there isn't a whole lot of seating inside, but I would love to come back and eat here in-person!

Wow, so delicious! Definitely going to become one of my regular spots. Very fresh, very tasty. Fish…read morewas very high quality. The sushi chef was so personable and friendly. The restaurant seating consisted of a u-shaped bar and the chef would make hand rolls as you ordered. Super fun concept. Definitely more casual but very chill and great vibes overall.

Cherry Hills Sushi is a great place to start if you're just "getting into" eating sushi. Cherry…read moreHills Sushi mainly offers temaki (hand rolls) and a few options of sashimi. I selected three different hand rolls to try- spicy shrimp, scallop, and the blue crab. The spicy shrimp was the best in my opinion. The others were great as well, but the spice of the shrimp was really well done. At the end of the meal, I decided to try a premium hand roll and ordered the unagi. This was prepared less sweet than unagi is at other places so it was not on my list of favorites but the roll was prepared very well. At Cherry Hills sushi, there is bar seating only. Definitely get a reservation or call ahead because they aren't too many seats. The staff were very friendly and the sushi chef did a great job with keeping up with all the orders.

This is not a review of Sushi Den as a whole, but instead a review of the Chef Table run by chef…read moreYasu Kizaki. The experience truly begins with the reservation, where you are asked a series of questions from your familiarity with sushi, fish preference, appetite level, and so on. This truly is an in-depth questionnaire so that the chef Yasu could source fish from Nagahama fish market for your meal. It's an incredibly personal, curated meal. On the date of, you are led to a private room in the back, Denchu Den, which is a simple, private sushi bar for up to 4 guests. Then, Chef Yasu comes out for a truly intimate experience, one that is extremely rare to come by, even in Japan. It is truly just your party and the chef as he prepares some truly epic bite. And the menu is not set, it really depends on your personal taste, and the food continues basically until you tap out. As such, there is no set price, though typically we run up about $150-200 a person. It's a 2 hour experience during which you get to experience that Japanese hospitality with chef Yasu. We talked with him about his home, learned about his experience in Denver, and he provided some fun facts about sushi and Japanese in culture in general. I cannot praise this truly unique experience enough, and, in fact, we have been back here every single year. The cherry on top is that as you return, Chef Yasu starts to remember your preference and even past conversation. And it does not end there. Based on our conversation where I discussed my next Japan trip, Chef Yasu even took time to send us an email with his recommendations. The Chef Table at Sushi Den is truly a one of a kind experience here in Denver.

Visited sushi den for the first time on 5/22. Amazing service and outgoing staff! The food was…read moreincredible! We ordered: Edamame Gyoza Tuna roll Hamachi jalapeño sashimi Aburi Sockeye salmon Tekka roll Spider roll (would actually not order this again) New style salmon roll Rainbow roll (loved the selection of fish and not having the California mix in the middle!!) Dessert: lemon crème brûlée and green tea ice cream The interior was very clean but lacking. Tables crammed tightly together, the granite table tops had big chips at the edges. My husband's chair was falling apart and I sat on the booth side and by the end of dinner my back was killing me. I was sunk in a hole so I had to awkwardly sit at the very front edge of the bench seat to be even remotely comfortable. Looking at other chairs around us, they were in no better shape.

On my first trip to Denver for work, my bestie childhood friend took me here as it was highly…read morerecommended by her and another friend, Japanese person from Japan, to add context to the quality and how highly they speak of the restaurant. Smaller, well loved mom and pop restaurant that you can tell is a community favorite. This is a dying genre of Japanese restaurant we're seeing in SoCal (at least) with the rampant gentrification and rising rent, so this was a nice place to stop by. However, with that in mind, it's not the biggest restaurant, so definitely call in advance to put in a reservation if you have a bigger party, like ours. I want to add, to my amusement, that they have Shohei Ohtani themed dish menus here. The Japanese love him, no matter where they're at or from (as an LA adjacent native, this was pretty funny). For our visit, I got: 1) Negitoro Don: -It's a minced fatty raw tuna mixed with green onion on rice. -I've had this before at a fancy omakase and after that I've fallen in love with negitoro. Love the fatty, rich tuna with the crisp bite of the green onion and slight crunch of the nori bits they have on top too. -Delicious fresh fish and tasty, comforting rice dish. 2) J.F.C. - Japanese Fried Chicken: -We got 2 orders of this so our party can heartily enjoy. Goes great with the sauce they provided. Can't go wrong with crispiness of the breading and skin. Chicken was moist too. Good stuff. I got to try some of my friend's dishes too and all were perfectly seasoned and also were in generous portion sizes. Solid Japanese comfort food.

Talk about authentically Japanese that is Kiki's Casual Japanese restaurant. I've been going to…read moreKiki's for years now. I don't know why I've never done a review, but it's time. I recently went to Kiki's with a friend of mine I got the soba-buckwheat noodle with the dipping sauce and tempura shrimp and veggies. My friend got the mackerel and some rice. What can I say? Kiki's never disappoints. I also ordered a green tea and they gave me a coffee mug full of green tea. I was not prepared for that and ended up staying awake most of the night because I was so caffeinated. I also love the yakisoba. The Ramen is fire. the Takoyaki is delicious The restaurant is clean. The service is very good. They close early so you need to put in your order before 8:30 p.m. They don't seat past 8:30 p.m. It looks like a lot of mom and pop Japanese restaurants that you would find in Japan. No I have not gone to Japan, but I watch a lot of videos about Japan due to being obsessed with the culture and the country.

Izakaya Den is simply outstanding and easily one of the most impressive dining experiences in…read moreDenver. From the moment we sat down, it was clear that the service here operates at a different level. Our server was exceptionally well versed in the menu and sake pairings, explaining ingredients, preparation, and flavor profiles with confidence and genuine enthusiasm. You can tell the waitstaff is deeply trained to understand the food, beverages, and how everything works together. Their sake recommendations were spot‑on and elevated the meal even further. Every dish we ordered was executed beautifully. The miso eggplant was silky and deeply flavorful, perfectly balanced between savory and sweet. The miso black cod was rich, flaky, and melt‑in‑your‑mouth tender, while the mixed seafood tempura was light, crisp, and impeccably fried without a hint of greasiness. Each appetizer showcased refined technique and restraint. The Colorado steak with truffled potatoes was another standout. The steak was cooked perfectly and paired beautifully with the earthy richness of the truffled potatoes, easily holding its own among the sushi offerings. The moment that truly made the night unforgettable was the Osaka‑style pressed sushi served aburi‑style. It quite literally changed my son's life and opened his love for sushi. We ended up ordering several more of these incredible bites of salmon, topped with mayo and lightly flame‑kissed, resting on perfectly seasoned sushi rice. The fish here is so clean, well cured, and expertly prepared that I strongly recommend ordering a side of fresh wasabi--it brightens and elevates the flavors even further. The lobster sushi and scallop sushi were also exceptionally fresh and delicious, reinforcing the level of care taken with their seafood. Dessert was the perfect finale. The green tea tiramisu was light, creamy, and indulgent without feeling heavy. To cap it off, our waiter brought us yuzu and lychee sorbets, which offered a refreshing, citrusy finish and showed thoughtful hospitality. As we were leaving, something small but meaningful stood out. All of the sushi chefs looked up, raised their heads together, and warmly thanked us with sincere goodbyes. It was a gracious, heartfelt gesture that perfectly reflected the hospitality we felt throughout the evening. We cannot wait to return.

good place for date night! the ambience and lighting is intimate, especially the upstairs patio…read more the best bite of the night is the osaka style nigiri. sometimes seared fish can taste too fishy for me, but that wasn't the case here. so soft and the rice didn't overpower the fish at all the bento box was probably the best value, with a miso soup (stellar btw had chunks of mushroom in there that offered a good bite) and side salad. the salmon and beef were both okay; i thought the steak was a bit tough and could have done without the sauce. the tempura and truffle mashed potatoes were both phenomenal. california roll was standard the chirashi bowl also came with soup and salad. all of the fish was pretty good, with the tuna being the standout bite. the octopus was tough to me. the amount of rice that came with it was truly comical. it probably could've fed 4 people. all of the drinks were strong, but the ruby red was probably the best. the citrus cut through the alcohol well! they also have a free scoop of ice cream for the bday! the lychee sorbet was insane. it wasn't icey, but instead was thick. almost like italian ice and the lychee flavor was fantastic

very nice restaurant with quick service. serves an important role on pearl street as the more…read morecasual, chill japanese restaurant. i felt like trying the chashu rice bowl this time. quite good, though there was maybe a little too much mayo. the miso soup was way too salty!!! i was really bummed out by this. i hope this was just a one off.

I have to say i was pleasantly surprised by this place. I was in the area with a friend and most…read morethings on Pearl st were closed so we decided to roll the dice on this spot. I was hesitant at first because the restaurant was empty when we walked in but we were seated promptly and a server came over within minutes of us being sat. I got the spicy pork ramen and she had the katsu. Both of them had excellent broth. You can tell it's fortified and the tares they use are good quality. The noodles and egg were cooked perfectly. However, for being labeled as a "spicy" option it had little to none. I get that the area is full of your stereotypical gringos but gringos like spice too! I ended up adding more heat to it myself and it was delicious. At an affordable price, especially on Pearl st, i would suggest this place to anyone looking for casual ambiance and good soup. 4.4/5

We ordered the cheese tan tan and the kimchi spicy miso. We got the udon for our 4 and 6 year old…read more On the positive side it was pretty good. I would rate it. Maybe four /four and a half. The cheese tan tan was good, probably just a bit too much on the cheese so I would stick with more of a classical ramen if I were to go back. The one thing that caught my eye that I wasn't a fan of was the pricing. I looked at a standard tonkatsu which is kind of my baseline when I'm looking at different ramens. If I wanted to add in all the vegetables that are normally standard and an egg it would go from the $17 base to almost $26 or $9 more when compared to a very comparable competitor nearby that has it priced at $17.50 for a tonkatsu with all the same base, vegetables, egg, etc. That was the reason for the option on our side to stick with the pre-selected specialties so we didn't have to jump through hoops pricing wise. Which takes me to service normally. I like to get three adult meals and split one of the adult size portion between my 4 and 6-year-old. Some places are very accommodating and will go out of their way to split it in the back kitchen so we aren't making a mess at the table. Others are kind of like, Yeah, we'll give you an extra bowl and you do you... Normally I'm not picky and I wouldn't care one way or the other, but since I was already irked by the pricing when I asked if they could do that for me in the kitchen they said " that wouldn't be very easy for the chef so I'll just bring you the bowls".. I'm glad we're doing what's easy for the chef and not for me the customer.

The food, as always, is delicious, which explains why the restaurant is packed--and that is a joy…read moreto see. However, it is a shame to find only a single server on duty, a familiar face who has been here for years, or at least as long as I can remember. She works tirelessly and remains polite to a fault, yet she is visibly struggling to keep pace with bagging to-go orders, waiting tables, clearing dishes, and seating new guests. Miyako, I love your establishment and have been a loyal patron since 2016, but please hire another server to give her some much-needed help.

I tried Aki Sushi tonight based on other's recommendations, and it was wonderful! Definitely some…read moreof the best tasting fish I've had in a while. The sashimi cuts were HUGE. And normally I'm grumpy about "sauces" being on all the rolls, because that usually means goopy, overpowering sauces, but here they were light and perfectly complemented the rolls. I never touched my soy sauce! Also many places make a heap of tempura shrimp for rolls at the beginning of the shift (if you're lucky) so they are cold and soggy in the roll. But my shrimp was still warm and crispy! It was the perfect offset of temperature, texture, and flavor in the roll (as is should be). Bonus points for the huge parking lot even though they are located on Broadway.

Came here for a quiet date night and was happy to see they closed a little later than many other…read moreplaces in the area. We walked in at almost 9 PM and decided to sit at the sushi bar, it was clean and inviting, there were only a couple of other people there. The server was super attentive, greeting us instantly, answering all my questions and giving some much needed recommendations We decided to start with the spicy edamame. I also asked her to bring out a side of the garlic dipping sauce, normally served with a different appetizer. It was really good and fresh, not really spicy, but still yummy We decided to split a few rolls, one I can't remember the name of, but the Kiss of fire was really good, genuinely spicy with the jalapeño on top. My favorite was the snow on the mountain - the different flavors and textures paired so well together. Everything was super fresh and the ingredients were authentic. Prices are not bad at all, most rolls around $20. Would totally come back.