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.

My all time favorite happy hour spot - it's not one you want to miss! And to note, they are a…read moreMichelin rated restaurant! Make sure you book a reservation before hand to secure a spot! Yes, you need a reservation for happy hour! Their happy hour deal is 5 delicious hand rolls for $28! Other happy hour deals I also get along with the hand rolls is the simple nigiri set. What makes their fish so amazing is that they get their fish from Japan! This place is so good we come here at least once a month for their happy hour!

Reservations were booked but I walked in for happy hour right when they opened and they got me in…read more I've been here twice before and I've loved it. This time I got a nigiri flight, which I loved. I'd say some of the best I've had in Denver. I also got the salmon oshizushi, which I really liked as well. It was warm and the jalepeno added a perfect spice. They spaced each course out perfectly so not everything came at once.

Uchi Denver exceeded every expectation and gave us the best culinary experience I have ever had…read more We came in for our anniversary on our first trip without our kids, and from the moment we arrived the team made us feel genuinely taken care of. Having champagne waiting at the table was such a great touch and set the tone for the night. We went with a chef's choice experience and every course was thoughtful, creative, and incredibly well executed. The surprises throughout the meal and the complimentary dishes made it feel even more special. The wagyu on the hot stone was easily the best thing I have eaten in my 36 years. What really made the night unforgettable was the team. They gifted us a cookbook signed by everyone with a beautiful message, which meant a lot to us. This is a night we will be talking about for a very long time. Thank you to the entire Uchi team for such an incredible experience.

Uchi is dangerous for people like me…read more Not because of the raw fish. Because the place understands seduction. I've been eating at Uchi since it opened in Denver and today it still carries that same intoxicating balance of precision, warmth, swagger, and restraint. The room itself glows instead of shouts. Wood slats divide the dining room into little private theaters while the sushi counter hums with focused choreography. Expert hands moving constantly. Rice. Fish. Quiet communication. Tiny acts of discipline repeated hundreds of times a night. I sat down intending to have a civilized happy hour. That plan lasted maybe twelve minutes. The kurodai crudo arrived first. Gooseberry, leche de tigre, candied garlic. Bright, sharp, and alive. This is the kind of starter that wakes up your entire palate and you are reminded that you will absolutely be spending more money than originally intended. Next was the bincho temaki: cool albacore, kimchi, avocado, and a vividly garish orange sauce with some heat to keep the richness from becoming too much. Uchi understands something many restaurants don't: luxuriousness needs balance. Fatty fish without acid, spice, crunch, or brightness is palate exhaustion. And then one after another the deliciousness continued: the oysters were cold and perfect with cucumber, calamansi vinegar, and umeboshi. The day boat scallop nigiri nearly stopped time altogether. Just sweet scallops, rice, citrus, a little finishing salt. Incréable. Or whatever the French word is for "I briefly forgot my own name." And somewhere during martini number one, the staff adopted me. Apparently Uchi keeps notes on guests. Mine, I was told, says I'm "nice and a good eater," which may be the most flattering thing anyone has said to me in months. Suddenly more dishes started appearing. Gifted nigiri. Ikura glowing like little amber jewels (my favorite). A ridiculous and completely delicious carrot toro maki with green chili crunch and enough heat underneath the richness to make the whole thing flirt openly with your mouth. At one point the bartenders literally invented a "walu walu shot" on the fly just because the mood had drifted into improvisational chaos. This was somewhere between oyster shooter, seafood dare, and excellent bad decisions. Meanwhile, the guests next to me started talking to me and the entire energy of the evening shifted into communal sushi-bar joy. Suddenly we were all reacting to dishes, laughing, comparing bites, participating in the same ecosystem of salt, fish, alcohol, and temporary human connection. This is the real thing Uchi sells. Not merely sushi. Attention. Rhythm. Atmosphere. Memory. The feeling of being folded into a beautifully functioning machine dedicated entirely to pleasure. And yes, by the end I was emotional enough to remember being 20 years old eating sushi with an older woman named Alana who wore real fur and introduced me to this whole sensual adult world in the first place. That is what a martini and exceptional nigiri will do to a man. The final bill before tip was somehow only $141, which honestly feels mathematically impossible considering I briefly entered a spiritual relationship with the sushi counter. I tipped $50 because at that point we were basically family. Uchi remains one of the sexiest restaurants in Denver. Not performatively sexy. Not influencer sexy. Actually sexy. Confident. Observant. Generous. Precise. And just dangerous enough to make you order one more thing. Amazing dining experience.

I usually have a magical ability to select a good restaurant by glancing at the facade, but my…read moreinstinct just wasn't sure about this place and I walked past many times without considering it. That was a big mistake. My friend was in the mood for fish and we also wanted to visit a couple of the galleries on Santa Fe Drive, so we took a chance for an early dinner. We were amply rewarded--the food was terrific, the space was comfortable, and the service was efficient and friendly. There's a small sushi bar at the entrance and a large, covered and enclosed patio to the south of the building (warm weather use only). You can't see the main dining room from the street, but it is tucked in the back of the building. The menu is not huge, but there's a good selection of starters/small plates, an interesting selection of entrées, plus fried rice and ramen options. There are multiple vegetarian choices in every part of the menu. The raw menu includes 26 sushi/sashimi choices, 26 regular rolls, eight vegetable rolls, and ten special rolls. Everything we tried was fresh and delicious. The seaweed salad was particularly good. The Unagi (freshwater eel) was extremely tender and flavorful. We also tried the Dragon Roll and the flavor and texture combination was great. Our other nigiri selections were beautifully sliced and at the peak of perfection. The place was totally packed by 6:00 p.m., but the service continued to be attentive and fast. We had a really great time and the bill was very reasonable. Give this place a try!

This was a great dinner. I appreciated that there were plenty of vegetarian options (and not just…read morebland cucumber rolls)--having a delicious and large tofu roll, large veggie roll, and fresh avocado roll left me full and happy! The service was friendly, and the atmosphere was lovely with outdoor seating and plenty of space on the table and between each party. So glad we tried this place out!

I would recommend making reservations ahead of time, it does get busy in the evenings!…read more Started off with some Miso Soup (ask for some spicy seasoning/togarashi) and the Crispy Spicy Tuna (the rice was indeed crunchy and the Tuna mix had a nice little kick to it, MUST GET***). For our mains, we ordered an assortment of Nigiris (Sake Toro, Whole Scallops/Hotate, Bluefin Toro - MELT IN YOUR MOUTH, Hamachi, all were dressed really well and the size of each fish was generous). Also ordered 2 Tuna Handrolls, the Black Dragon Roll and Den Roll (this one was only okay). Servers were attentive. Seating - Can seat a good amount of people indoors Restrooms - Single Stalls/Clean Parking - Street Parking

Our party of six adults and two children arrived just after opening at 4:30 p.m., and our…read morereservation for eight was ready to go. Waters and menus, including the happy hour menu, appeared shortly after we were seated. We didn't order everything on the menu, but by the end of the meal it certainly felt like we had! As the food started arriving, the restaurant quickly filled up. By 5 p.m., there was already a line at the door, and soon after, out the door. After sampling most of the dishes we ordered, the reasons seemed obvious. The food was nicely executed, very tasty, and quite reasonably priced, especially the happy hour offerings. Standouts included the Rainbow Roll, Red Dragon Roll, Gyoza, Salmon Sashimi, Chicken Yaki Soba, and cucumber salad. That said, we ended up enjoying just about everything that came to the table, and we'd happily reorder all of it again. Service was friendly and efficient despite the rapidly growing crowd, and dishes arrived at a steady pace throughout the meal. For a party this size, the kitchen handled timing impressively well. Kudos to the kitchen staff and team overall. We're already looking forward to a return visit! Use the itemized list. Capitalize Cucumber Salad. Our party of six adults and two children arrived just after opening at 4:30 p.m., and our reservation for eight was ready to go. Waters and menus, including the happy hour menu, appeared shortly after we were seated. We didn't order everything on the menu, but by the end of the meal it certainly felt like we had! Our order included (HH is for Happy Hour items): HH-Edamame -- $6 HH-Cucumber Salad -- $6 HH-Salmon Maki -- $6 Japanese Soda Strawberry -- $5 HH-House Red Wine -- $6 HH-Hot Sake Jummai Ginjo -- $6 Old Fashioned -- $10 Aviation -- $10 Haku Lychee Martini -- $12 Sake (SA) -- $20 HH-Temaki 3 Roll -- $13.50 Asparagus Tempura Salmon Kinoko Nigiri -- $6.50 Miso Soup -- $7 HH-Spicy Crab Salad -- $6 Crispy Spicy Tuna -- $16 Kobe Wrap (2 pc) -- $11 HH-Vegetable Tempura -- $6 Sake (Nigiri) -- $8 Red Snapper (Nigiri) -- $4.50 Hotate (Nigiri) -- $5.50 Snow Crab Wagyu -- $8.50 Sake Toro (SA) -- $36 Rainbow Roll -- $18.50 Red Dragon Roll -- $18.50 Miso Soup -- $3.50 HH-Shumai -- $6 Vegetable Gyoza (6 pc) -- $9 Gyoza (6 pc) -- $9.50 Chicken Yaki Soba -- $16 Kobe Fried Rice -- $18 Suzuki (Nigiri) -- $4 Bluefin Toro (Nigiri) -- $9 Jalapeño Pineapple Margarita -- $10 Total before tip: $386 As the food started arriving, the restaurant quickly filled up. By 5 p.m., there was already a line at the door, and soon after, out the door. After sampling most of the dishes we ordered, the reasons seemed obvious. The food was nicely executed, very tasty, and quite reasonably priced, especially the happy hour offerings. Standouts included the Rainbow Roll, Red Dragon Roll, Gyoza, Salmon Sashimi, Chicken Yaki Soba, and Cucumber Salad. That said, we ended up enjoying everything that came to the table, and we'd happily reorder all of it again. Service was friendly and efficient despite the rapidly growing crowd, and dishes arrived at a steady pace throughout the meal. For a party this size, the kitchen handled timing impressively well. Kudos to the kitchen staff and team overall. We're already looking forward to a return visit!

I went here before a concert and was really impressed with the quick service and the food! Both of…read moremy items were so good as-is that I didn't even have to add on soy sauce/wasabi/ginger etc. Really impressed with the flavors. I went solo so seating was easy at the chef's bar, but it is definitely a reservation spot. Beautiful decor and vibe. It was my last dinner in Denver and it didn't disappoint!

Can't believe we didn't come here sooner. Really big & really well done menu. Everything we tried…read morewe enjoyed and had no complaints ambiance, service or food. The nigiri was fantastic and the rolls were really well done! The hoki poki box & amberjack nigiri's were faves and the happy hour yakitori was awesome.

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

Kimora has the makings of a giant izakaya but somehow sectioned things off to make the back rooms…read morefeel more modern. If that doesn't raise expectations the service is on a whole other level with super knowledgeable staff as if they have been there for a while or even own the places. Its impressive! When you tie service and ambiance that leaves the food. Delicate and flavor forward dishes really play to all levels of the meal. Precisely cut pieces of fish and decorated with spices and sauces for an amazing meal! Highly recommended and an easy decision to return. Make your reservation and get that sushi in your belly!

I've been to Kumoya twice now, once in 2023 and again recently, and I really wanted to love it. The…read morefood is good, the ambiance is great, and the staff is kind when you interact with them. Unfortunately, both visits had the same issue: very long gaps between dishes. On my most recent visit, we waited nearly 50 minutes between courses and never received the remaining three dishes. We ended up asking for the check instead. What made it more frustrating was the lack of service. No one checked on us, and we had to flag down another staff member just to get the check. Our server never came by. It was also surprising because the restaurant wasn't busy. There were open bar seats and plenty of open tables, so I'd be nervous to see what the experience is like on a busy night. It's disappointing because the food is solid, but the pacing and service make it hard to come back.

I was the first one here for lunch. Was waited on immediately. I didn't catch the waiters name but…read morehe was very attentive. He recommended the romance roll. It was fresh. It was yummy.

Kazumi hits the spot! A quaint and cute little neighborhood sushi spot that is probably the best in…read moreits area. The staff are welcoming and friendly and the atmosphere is great. The fish is of very high quality and I had a good selection of sashimi and ngiri. The otoro was top notch as it was very fatty and melt in your mouth. The hamachi was also fresh and both cuts were not fishy, pricing wise they are competitive. I also had several pieces of maguro and albacore sashimi and those were delish! Their rolls were creative and pretty standard compared to many places. Overall the price to portion ratio is great especially being along Holly Street and the surrounding neighborhood. This will be in my staple of sushi spots especially knowing I can get some really good and cheap otoro!

5 star food and service at Mizu Izakaya! Our experience made for a perfect, fun Friday Date night…read more I came for the crispy spicy tuna and it was easily the best I've had. We also really enjoyed the chili wontons, pork belly skewers, and Kobe beef buns - all were super high quality and packed with flavor. We didn't care for the cucumber salad - the large chunks just didn't take on any flavor and felt like eating plain cucumber. The ambiance is very high energy and can be loud (there's a live DJ), but we had a wonderful experience on the patio.

I stopped by this spot after catching a candlelight orchestra performance nearby and was craving…read moresome sushi--and this place definitely delivered, just not in the way I expected. When I walked in, it felt more like a club than a traditional restaurant. The music was loud, the energy was high, and the crowd was definitely on the younger side. Honestly, I've never really experienced anything quite like it--part restaurant, part nightlife vibe--but it was kind of cool in its own way. I grabbed a seat at the bar and ordered sushi along with a seaweed salad and an Old Fashioned. The food was actually really good--fresh, flavorful, and hit the spot after the show. That said, if you're looking for a quiet, relaxing dinner, this probably isn't your place. But if you're open to a lively atmosphere and something a little different, it's a fun experience. I enjoyed my food, soaked in the vibe, and left glad I gave it a try.