The section of 19th Street between Lawrence and Larimer called Sakura Square contains numerous noteworthy venues, like the previously reviewed Pacific Mercantile Company. But it's also home to a genial Japanese eatery known as Sakura House. Once of my favorite Japanese starters is Agedashi Tofu, consisting of lightly-fried beancurd cubes bathed in a sauce based on the tuna/kelp broth known as Dashi. SH's version brings a savory - dare I say, umami? - heft while at the same time seeming homey and comforting. The creamy-yet bouncy battered squid orbs called Takoyaki are certainly another possibility to consider, with their springy, sensuous steaminess easily taking center stage. If your doctor has told you yet again that you need to incorporate more vegetables into your diet, you can partake of a colorful and varied Tempura platter. And if you want to get even more healthful, a portion of seaweed salad will provide you with iodine, magnesium, folate, and a bunch of other nutrients we really don't have the space to discuss. Regardless of your particular desires the day you visit, Sakura House will definitely have an appetizer or two to prepare yourself for the pleasures that are soon to come your way. And on that note, enough with the previews - it's time for our feature presentation. What main course looks especially good today? Ramen fans will find they have plenty of choices here, whether their base preferences lean more towards green onions, miso, or even oyster sauce. If you've found yourself craving carbs particularly strongly lately, how about a dense potato croquette (Korokke) in curry sauce over rice? Seafood lovers, I'm not leaving you out either - on the contrary, I think you'll find that some salt-grilled mackerel (Saba Shioyaki) or even teriyaki salmon hits the spot quite nicely. Hmm, what about a big plate of slurpy Udon noodles with chicken and krab instead? (Incidentally, I should point out that many of these come not only with a bowl of miso soup, but also a gingerly-dressed - see what I did there? - salad to make things even more satiating). But you must have dessert too, so be sure to end with some mochi ice cream before saying "sayonara". read more

I love Sakura house!! The staff are the best and so nice. I eat here for lunch a lot and it fulfills my Japanese home cooking cravings. The shop reminds me of spots I grew up going to in LA. It's super cute inside. read more

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Ventured to Sakura House again for a quick lunch. Ordered the less commonly seen Tenshin Don with a description of omelet with shrimp and karaage. Similar to the American Chinese Egg Foo Young, the Tenshin Don was Japanese Chinese specialty not be found in China. It was shrimp omelet over white rice along with house made sweet and tangy sauce. Both the egg and the shrimps were tender and smooth, the rice was not overly firm or soft, but aromatic, bouncy and sticky, while the sauce was savory and balanced, bringing out the freshness and taste of other ingredients. The karaage was very crispy, tender and juicy, but not greasy, and tasted even better with a touch of the lemon juice. Probably one of the best tasting karaage in town. Once again, Sakura House did not disappoint. read more

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Stopped by for a quick and casual lunch downtown. The server was very kind and came to check up on me. The meat was crisp and tender while the curry was well balanced. Overall it was a great lunch - would come back again. read more

Sakura House - Katsu Curry - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Someone recommended their ramen here so I thought I'd check it out. When I arrived a little past 11, the closed sign was still up but fortunately some diners inside waved me in. As soon as I saw the menu, I should have known not to order the ramen. It's a classic Japanese diner spot and this ramen wasn't going to be extraordinary. But, against my better judgment and because it was cold, I ordered the negi (green onion) ramen with egg, bean sprouts, and bamboo shoots. I got the ramen and tasted the broth. Slightly spicy but not a lot of depth. The noodles were the kind you can get at a grocery store. And the bamboo shoots had a weird floral flavor. The highlight was the soft egg which was cooked well and still had that soft center. The server was nice and I think if I came here again it would be for one of their other dishes. I would think Denver has better ramen (I saw a Jinya ramen nearby) but if you want Japanese comfort food this is probably a good spot. read more

Sakura House - Negi ramen with egg, bamboo shoots and bean sprouts. - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

While working downtown can often feel a bit underwhelming these days, Sakura House brings me a lot of joy when I venture out to lunch. It's a quaint establishment, tucked in the Sakura square area. Quiet and clean, and the service is always personal and attentive. I've had the Tenshin Don (shrimp omelette), the Mabo Tofu, and the Katsu Curry. I always like to mix up my order to try something new, but truly everything has been delicious. The plates come with miso soup and salad as well. I got the Takoyaki last time I went too, and it was very tasty with a great springy texture. I like to wash it all down with the verdant green tea. Given what fast casual food costs these days, Sakura House feels like a genuine deal. Check it out, and I'm sure you'll be charmed and leave full and pleasantly satisfied. read more

Sakura House - Takoyaki - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Family own nice restaurant, staff very friendly , the food is nice price for the lunch portion. I took some picture has rice soup salad tempura and teriyaki chicken seaweed salad Yummmmm highly recommend read more

Sakura House - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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This is an interesting review to write. We drove all the way into downtown to try this place. It's in Sakura Square. A small Japanese area with shops, restaurants and a Buddhist temple. The building itself was a huge let down. I actually thought we were on the wrong place at first. Upon entering, in thought I was inside a 1970s Denny's. Odd colors, run down and desperately in need of upkeep, maintenance and updating. I half debated leaving. We opted to stay and we were glad we did. Our server was a Japanese woman that simply should not have been more pleasant and accommodating. Here is where it gets good... I ordered the seafood Raman and it may have been the best bowl of ramen I've had in my adult life. The noodles, broth and veggies were absolutely perfect. Nobody there knows how yo paint a wall but they can cook the hell out of a bowl of ramen. My wife's oodon noodles were also, flatly perfect. As was our starter that I can't spell not pronounce (see photos). We ended with red bean and strawberry mochi. The mochi was likewise, perfect. Our check was fifty bucks for two people and worth every cent. Ignore the decor and plain surroundings. Ignore the fan falling out of the ceiling in the bathroom. The food is first rate and exceptional. read more

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If you're looking for an unpretentious, no-frills-needed, simply authentic hidden gem, look no further. You've found it. Sakura House is the real deal. Just delicious (humbly so) Japanese dishes. Emphasis on the noodles, but they do have a variety of other things. I've gotten ramen here a handful of times and I've always been happily impressed. Recently I got the tempura udon, and it quickly became my new go-to. The little fried shrimp and veggies were crispy to perfection and the salty broth and slippery udon noodles complemented them like a match made in heaven. I don't mean to overstate this fact, but it bears repeating because I fear places like this are becoming an increasingly rare breed: they're not doing anything fancy here, and it's INCREDIBLY refreshing. I don't have anything against all the fusion-y, inventive, niche, Instagram-worthy places invading the Highlands and RiNo, but sometimes it's a breath of fresh air to return to the tried, true, and trusted classics. Sakura House is one of those. They're not doing anything extra because they don't need to - their food is good enough to speak for itself, and it does. The aesthetic is unembellished, but the people working here are incredibly friendly and kind, and the atmosphere is comfortable and homey. If you're a true food-lover, I can't recommend this place more. Paramount in its simplicity and reliability, Sakura House is a little hidden treasure right in the heart of Denver. read more

Sakura House - Tempura Udon - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I wanted to like this place because of nostalgia to the previous business, but unfortunately I left shaking my head. Sakura House still has that home-y feeling and the foods are very much homemade. But if this is authentic Japanese cooking, then it must be from a region of Japan I don't know how to appreciate. The ramens were flavorless with the pork largely overcooked to the point of rubbery and the eggs were no more than soft boiled (didn't marinate enough to have flavor) The fried chicken and fried calamari helped earn a star but that's about it. We waited for a while to even get water. It's just sad that the place doesn't seem very lively. read more

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We come to this place every time we are in town. Today's visit was a little sad. They didn't have Karaage and that's basically the whole reason we went. We did try the katsu curry though, and it was delicious! Exactly like I remember in Japan. read more

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I was looking for an authentic Japanese restaurant and found this place. the entrance was hidden behind the building, so it was a bit hard for me to find it. However, as soon as I walked in, I knew this place is an authentic Japanese restaurant. The way they decorate the inside, the menu, and the presentation of the dish was so authentic. Since I am so familiar with Japanese food, i will rate the taste 4 out of 5. It wasn't surprisingly good, but wasn't bad. The lady who served the food seemed very nice though. The only reason that I am giving 3 star is because the plates seemed not clean enough. I was even served on a chipped plate. The overall experience was ok, but I don't think I would go back. read more

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I used to come here every year when I was in Denver for business and it was great. Now in the last 2 years this place has become a joke. They are never open when they say they are, last year and this year I drove all the way from Aurora in a rush after work just to find they closed early again (or never opened that day) and wasted my time and gas driving there. If they are always closed why don't they just close the business instead of waisting peoples time and gas!!!! If I could give them negative stars I would! read more

Tasty Japanese food at a reasonable price. I recommend you get the bento or "set" for the best value. Later take a walk around Sakura square and check out Pacific mercantile and walk further to union station for more fun. A true hidden gem in growing Denver read more

A cozy and friendly service place for lunch. The Nabeyaki udon was flavorful. The Yakiniku bento box was also delicious! read more

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Menus, furniture and decorations are out dated but sometimes these types of settings bring better flavor to the ambience and over all characters of the restaurant and a big plus for a place like this. Its definitely a hole in the wall restaurants that serves popular Japanese entries at very reasonable price. Where can you get set meal for under $11? Tokatsu, ramen noodles, rice with curry, soba, udon, teriyaki and so much more. definitely not to forget takoyaki! This restaurant definitely needs revisit and try out the other offerings. read more

Great place to eat in Downtown. The food is amazing, high quality and fresh. The service is prompt and friendly. I always get the Tokoyaki Octopus fried balls, and the Yakiniku set meal. Always amazing and delicious. read more

Sakura House - Tokoyaki Octopus Balls. - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

This restaurant has excellent ramen! We came here after GABF and the food really hit the spot. We got Chashu ramen, which was so flavorful and perfectly cooked. There's really nothing fancy about this place, but good food is good food and this is a place that you want to return to multiple times. read more

Sakura House - Delicious! - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Casual place to stop in for comfort food. Curry, ramen, donburi, etc. For the price, this place is on point and you will leave satisfied with your meal. Gentle on the wallet. read more

I went back to this place the second day because I liked how the food was like how Japanese moms would cook at home. Comforting, delicious, and simple. I could not believe it took me so long to finally walk in here to try the food. read more

Sakura House - Yakisoba and agedashi tofu - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Back in July 2014, my friend was at work for most of the day. I was being a tourist in Denver. We wanted to get together after we were both done. I felt like ramen, which isn't surprising. It should be my middle name. What is great about my friend is that she feels the same way about ramen as I do. We both like ramen with beef dogs for breakfast. Weird? We don't think so. It's one reason why we are good friends. She recommended Sakura House. it's located in downtown Denver. It got me out and about. I parked just outside the restaurant. It is metered parking along the street. I waited in my car. When I finally saw my friend and her husband park behind my rental (a black Beetle, which was fun to drive, but the door was so heavy), I paid for parking and we all walked in. Sakura isn't the most elegant restaurant that you'll ever visit. At least there are clean tables and chairs, so I can't complain. I got chashu ramen. I love corn. It was extra. I didn't care. I needed it. My friend got the seafood ramen. I don't recall what her husband got. All I remember is that he was happy with his meal. He is a picky eater. My ramen was tasty. I completed devoured my meal. Yummy! Whenever I am back in Denver, I am definitely revisiting this place. Next door, there is a Japanese grocery store. The name escapes me, but it is excellent for all your candy and Asian cookie needs. So, I would recommend eating at this restaurant first. That way, you won't overspend next door. (102) read more

Sakura House - Chashu ramen with sweet corn - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Very tasty food & very reasonable prices. I got chicken Katsu curry and I will definitely go back again for it. read more

Sakura House - Chicken katsu curry - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Don't order ramen here! The miso ramen had an odd color and a pretty weird flavor.. Miso Ramen is not suppose look orange.. However, their curry is amazing!! I would come back just for the curry next time. Karaage is soft and juicy. Please try it !!! read more

Sakura House - miso ramen - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Loved it! Will be coming back to try more. Takomaki was delish. Ramen excellent. The ambiance could use an update but doesn't detract from the experience. read more

The katsu is crunchy and savory while the pan fried noodles are crunchy and rich, filled with vegetables and juicy beef. Great find in the downtown area! read more

Sakura House - Noodles and chicken katsu - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

This review is just for take out. I ordered through door dash and the delivery process was fine, but the food was just ok...well actually just blah. The ramen was packaged with the the noddles and they broth making it very mushy and the broth thick. When I do take out from any other ramen or pho restaurant packaging these two components are always in different containers. Really disappointed with this place, I was hoping for more. read more

I wish I could give Sakura House a five star rating and then some. I have rated other restaurants a five but Sakura House, for me, is really a cut above. Not only is the food here homey, flavorful, and delicious, it's *consistent*, a very important quality that I have not found to be true even of some of the tastiest dishes I've had in Denver. I have tried a number of different things from Sakura House and everything is excellent, my favorites being the gyudon and the udon soup. The restaurant itself is no frills and the prices are incredible (for a downtown restaurant or otherwise) and, given its location tucked into a city block with a predominantly Asian population, I'd be willing to bet it's pretty authentic. Plus there's a great little Asian market next door that makes for a great pre- or post-meal wander. This honestly might be my overall favorite place to eat in the city, if not the state, so far. It's not fancy, but it's reliable, and it hits the spot every single time. I'll take that over trendy and hyped up any day. read more

Food: I came here wanting to try their tonkotsu ramen, but they were already out. So I went with the umani ramen and also ordered their karaage. The bowl of ramen overall was ok. The broth and noodles were both decent. Nothing to write home about. The karaage was a bit overcooked and dry. I didn't come to Denver expecting excellent ramen. I would still want to come back to try their tonkotsu broth. Service: It was friendly and appeared to be a family operation. Location: The restaurant was sort of tuck away in a corner. Not very noticeable from the street. It is located north of the downtown cluster of restaurants. A great place if you want a quiet place away from all of the action. read more

Sakura House - Umani ramen - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Love the food and service! Traditional Japanese. We lived in Japan for 2 years and the food and service takes us back to the place we love. read more

Sakura House - YUM! - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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This was a great place to eat. The authentic Japanese food is something to truly behold!

Best set tempura set meal around. The tempura is very light and tasty. Shrimp and excellent. Their ramen is very tasty. Glad to support our small neighborhood businesses. read more

Oh my gosh this place is bomb! It's kind of a hidden place behind Pacific Mercantile, I honestly wouldn't have been able to find this place on my own had my fiancé not shown me since it's not a very obvious restaurant. First of all, everything we ordered was really delicious. The chicken kaarage, in particular, was outstanding! It was so crunchy on the outside, but super tender on the inside, and flavorful. My fiancé ordered the spicy miso ramen and he really liked it. I ordered the katsu curry, and for a person who tries to avoid fried foods, this was so good, I considered coming back the next day. The curry was so delicious and the pork was nice and tender. I'm not really sure why there are negative reviews about service - I'm wondering it might be slow due to them being short staffed? When we came, there was only one waiter there. However, we had an absolutely wonderful time there. Our waiter was super sweet and attentive. I wanted some extra curry for the next day (because I wanted to bring some into work as my treat for the day), I thought it was premade when I asked but was surprised that we had to wait a bit longer since they were making a fresh extra batch of curry! They make their food to order, so it's fresh and tasty for you! I brought it to work and I honestly felt like it tasted better even though I had to reheat it. Overall, wonderful experience and we will be coming back. read more

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Honestly what a hidden gem in the middle of the city. With so many restaurants popping up downtown this little mom and pop really hits the spot. I've been eating here for a while now and it never disappoints. I've had a good chunk of the menu here and everything is great. The food it's simple and delicious with a very homey feel to it. If you don't care about the ritzyness that most restaurants have now and just want solid Japanese food. This is the place to be. read more

I feel like I'm at restaurant in Japan! Real Japanese food and real nice Japanese service. Very pleased.

This place was really good and the prices were great too. If I was able to taste their Karrage maybe they woud've had a perfect rating depending on how good it was. So it was confusing because the window more towards the street had a closed sign on it, but I had just called to see if they were open because from the street hubby thought not. Then you walk further in and they are open, but also weird is no one was there and we wondered do we sit or wait? Spicy Miso ramen - it was good, but I wish the boiled egg was soft boild not overcooked. The broth was delicious. Chicken Katsu - I love that it comes with soup and salad, but the salad was lacking the japanese dressing. Chicken was cooked perfect and the sauce makes it delicious of course. Pork egg rice bowl - this was really good, reminded me of ichiza back in vegas. They were out of Karrage so we got:: Agedashi Tofu- this was really good, better than high end Japanese rest. I've been too. All in all we'll be back and glad hubby told me about this place. read more

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Quick-ish and easy-ish asian food in the middle of downtown. The staff is generally overworked and understaffed. Food is tasty and just the right amount, not gonna be much leftovers. A nice change of pace from sandwiches during the week. read more

Really solid lunch place! My boyfriend doesn't eat curry and took a chance and got the Chicken Katsu curry and he cleaned his plate! I opted for the spicy miso ramen which was really good. Service was a bit slow so I think we'll be sure and go earlier next time. We'll definitely be back to try some more dishes. read more

Sakura House - Chicken Katsu curry - my BF doesn't normally like curry but he took a chance and cleaned his plate! - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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I've been here over the years, but a recent visit reminded me of how good it is. It's not stylish or hip, but they serve up solid Japanese diner food. The ramen is as good, if not better, than some of the trendy shops that have popped up. It's also cheaper than the others. I don't understand why it's never crowded when I go. It's inexpensive and delicious. read more

My friend and coworker and I bopped on down to Sakura Square today, with the ultimate goal of finding a cool lucky bamboo plant for another coworker. We decided to stop in Sakura House for a quick bite -- er, "slurp" -- to eat before visiting Pacific Mercantile. I had the Chashu Ramen; a HUGE steaming bowl of tender sliced pork in a delicious broth, scrumptious noodles, green onions, sliced bamboo shoots and half a hard-boiled egg. It was wonderful. My lunch date had the Katsu Curry; breaded strips of chicken cutlet in a creamy curry sauce, with a side salad and a cup of yummy miso soup. I tasted it, and it was lovely. I'll definitely be back to Sakura House soon! read more

Sakura House - Chashu Ramen $10 - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Wow! I've been here a few times now and it never fails me! The ramen is super flavorful and I love all the toppings. This little gem is hidden in the Sakura square off 19th and larimer! I've never been when it's busy.. I don't know if I'm just lucky or no one knows about this place! It's a must try!! I'm half Japanese from southern CA, I know good ramen. read more

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