Izakaya Den is one of Denver's best Japanese restaurants…read more Quick review: 10/10 * Exceptional fish quality * Great mix of sushi, small plates, and cooked dishes * Beautiful atmosphere and excellent date-night spot * Consistently strong service If someone asked me for a "can't-miss" sushi dinner in Denver, it's the top of the list.

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.

We went there for our oldest son's birthday, his and his now fiancée's engagement and my husband…read moreand my 30th wedding anniversary yesterday. The waitress was Setsuko and she was so sweet and attentive the whole time we were there. She even gave us really good desserts with the candles which made us so special! The food was so delicious as always. We had nasu miso ( miso flavored eggplant) and grilled skewered beef, both of them were amazing then guys had nigiri with some rolls sets girls had chirashi, they look pretty and tasty!! We were so filled with great food and great hospitality. We will definitely go back there again!!

Hands down the best nigiri I have ever had in my life…read more If ever you're in Denver, Sushi Den is an absolute must. It definitely requires reservations- but it's worth it. We tried it ALL. Not a single thing was remotely fishy - all of it top quality. The service was wonderful and they coursed it out for us so we could try everything freshly made. Parking wasn't easy - but the restaurant is very cute.

This is my Japanese comfort restaurant…read more One of the hidden gems of Denver, Domo is a Japanese restaurant that has been around for a long time serving home-style tradional Japanese meals. You won't find fancy sushi here or fusion cooking here, but rather tasty home cooked style classic Japanese dishes. Dishes like Japanese curry, oyakodon, and other donburi and noodle dishes. Having been here multiple times, I cannot recommend this place enough for a homey style meal. No joke, each meal here makes you feel warm inside, like a good home cooked meal. It's comparable to many meals I've had traveling through out real Japan. The flavors are simple, but each dish is well prepared while emphasizing conform over fancy preparation. You just cannot go wrong with any dish here, though I'm partial to the donburi, the green tea soba, and the hot pot. And if the meal is not enough, there is a beautiful garden to enjoy. If you catch it at the right time, the cherry blossom in the spring is beautiful and transport you right to Japan. Overall, Domo is a place that I'm always down to visit. It's warm, comfy, and nostalgic, and I just know I'll miss it when it's gone.

Domo was such a unique and memorable experience. We had dinner in the restaurant's beautiful garden…read moresanctuary, which felt peaceful and charming--and seeing the cats roaming around made it even more special. The service was pretty good. We were seated right away and given plenty of time to take in the restaurant's history and look through the menu. Our food came out quickly, and the staff was always nearby if we needed anything. We started with the cucumber salad and shrimp shumai. The cucumber salad was refreshing, but the shrimp shumai had a strong fishy smell and taste that didn't seem very fresh--I couldn't eat more than one. For my entrée, I ordered the nabeyaki soup with ramen noodles and chicken, and it was excellent. The soy-based broth was rich and flavorful without being too salty, and the ramen noodles were cooked perfectly--tender with just the right amount of bite. Overall, Domo offers a really special atmosphere and a memorable dining experience. I wouldn't recommend the shrimp shumai, but I'd definitely come back to try another ramen flavor, and to see the cats again.

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

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.

Just go already. If you can get in…read more That said, I'm proud to say that Coloradans don't need to go to NYC for the best sushi experience -- New Yorkers need to come to Colorado to see what they are missing out on. No more spoilers, just go and enjoy the experience.

Having been to practically all the other omakase experience in Denver, including the private-fish…read moreChef Table at Sushi Den, as well as having the opportunity to eat at many kaiseki and omakase restaurant in Japan I was undoubtedly excited for Kizaki, and the experience did not disappoint. For those not in the know, Chef Toshi Kizaki is one of the OG sushi chef in Denver, responsible for many great restaurants such as Sushi Den, Izakaya Den, Ototo Den, and Temaki Den. Both him and his brother, Yasu Kizaki, serves some of the best nigiri in Denver, and Kizaki has received a Michelin star in the past. The service at Kizaki is impeccable, starting with some pre-dinner drink at the bar, which they share with Margot, another Michelin darling. Once our table was ready, we were led back to our sushi counter in the back, which has been beautiful decorated with the fresh catch straight from Japan. From there, we were served some of the best bites in Denver. The dishes were expertly crafted and beautiful served. The chef even asked about our preferences and replace my wife's uni nigiri with a lobster nigiri, which was wonderful. Each nigiri bite was divine, and given the nature of service, I did not want to disrupt them with pictures and chose to just enjoy the moment. Honestly, this is the best omakase experience in Denver. It is expensive, no doubt, but it's the closest I've had in Denver to a true Japanese omakase experience. I would highly recommend Kizaki for any special occasion, though I would note that the place is frequently booked out so advance planning is a must!

Both of us had a great bowl of goodness. Our server was really helpful with our orders too. Thank…read moreyou!!!

After walking the South Pearl Street Market, we fell upon this ramen shop just off the path. It…read moreopens at 12 pm and we were the first to enter. The place is fairly open and nice vibes. Here is what we got: 1. Pork Bao Buns: funny enough when it first came out it had no pork in it. I actually had to tell the waiter and he ended up coming back with the meat in it this time. This was okay, however a lot of pickled ginger ruined it. 2. Chicken Kaarage: unfortunately this was a complete miss the breathing was 90% and chicken was about 10%. Not worth the money. Entrees: 1. Tonkatsu Ramen: being a Ramen place this broth was delicious. Nothing bad with it. Wish there was more meat. 2. Beef Yakiudon: this was like a stirfry of beef udon noodles. It was okay but a bit lackluster due to all the sauces in it. 3. Poké bowl with salmon: this truly just had a good balance of everything but not enough poke. Overall, this place was OK. I don't know if I see myself coming back. Service was great however it truly was just the food.

Went to Mizu for a birthday celebration with my lover and we absolutely loved this place. The Sushi…read morewas beyond fresh like they got the fish directly from the Pacific Ocean and served it to us within a day. The Pork Belly Bao Bun was to die for, the bun was soft and pork was tender and paring it with the sweet sauce as well as the slaw was magnificent I had to chef kiss. The Drinks were delicious we had the Hot Boy Summer and the Everything she wants and let's just say..... yeah amazing. If there's anything I've done right in life other than choosing this beautiful Women to be mine, it would be choosing this place to celebrate her birthday. Thank you. Stay Real.

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.