The adventure of Amu is serious! This is a place you plan on embarking into, not just stopping by. It is a cultural curtain you pull aside into a contemporary Japanese immersion opportunity. Note, reservations only fly if you are 4 or more. I, personally could eat here every night. The food was fresh and flavorful, the staff (shout out here to Jeff and the gent he is training Adrian) was committed and interested in the quality of your experience, the ambiance was clean and true to modern Japanese. Okay, now I need to give a few hints, for the best experience possible: 1) This is counter seating primarily, there are just a couple of tables in the rear. 2) This is not a first date place unless you two REALLY KNOW you finely dig each other, because if you were sitting any closer you'd already be in bed together, dead on serious about this! But truth be told, this wonderful intimacy is classically Japanese. They are a collectivist society, so they don't have all the stuff we do wrapped around needing LOTS of personal space. But it does make for an INTIMATE few hours (just a heads up, not a negative). 3) You will most likely find yourself chatting with and sharing time with your neighbors, this was fantastic for us because the people on either side of us were wildly fun and fascinating, so we had a blast. One of the gals husband's was adorably shy, so he just nodded and smiled the whole time but we all had a grand time! 4) Shoes are off. You place them on a communal rack upon entry to the dining area. 5) The person at the counter who takes your order is NOT just your server or waiter, he is (I kid you not) your personal food consultant. While they don't call him that, he IS!! He talks to you, in great detail, about what you like and don't like, the textures, tastes, preferences, likes, dislikes. He explains the food, the saki, the beers, their origins, traditions for creation and the process of the curation. Why? Because they want to cater this experience to your culinary joy, sense of adventure, and guiltiest of pleasures. In summation: The Amu experience is focused on offering you a fantastical escapade into a Japanese food utopia. Verdict: They succeed! read more

One thing I like most about Amu is that they have a female chef in which it is not vey common especially in a high-end, Japanese restaurant.

I enjoyed an amazing omakase style meal here. Great sake selection. Fun / authentic experience. Best sushi I had around Boulder, and I tried the top 5 on yelp in the area. read more

Who would have thought there would be such an unapologetically authentic izakaya in Boulder? At least this Japanese native living in California thought taking a friend to a Japanese restaurant would be a meh experience. From the menu to preparation, as well as the knowledgeable staff who could match drinks with the food, were excellent. The menu is organized in a way that you'd choose a dish or two from each of the section, to create a progression from an amuse-bouche, something cold, then onto steamed/boiled, grilled then fried. It's a small place, with just a few tables and seats at the counter, reservations are available for parties of 4 or more only, according to the website. When we got there, we put our name and phone number down, and we were called when seats became available. It was nice not have to wait around. When I return to Boulder, this will be a must-go place. Gochisō-sama deshita. read more

The food is still great, literally nothing bad. But I always feel rushed at the end of the meal because of the next reservation. It was 7:30p, we paid our $350 bill and for some reason the server felt like she had to tell us that they have another reservation at 8pm. As if we're going to sit around for 30 minutes. I get they only have two tables. I get the place is very special. But it sucks to have such an exquisite (and expensive meal) and feel like we're getting pushed out the door. The same experience as last time. read more

I swear when i say...I literally came all the way from the Bay Area just to eat here and sachi sushi. I have nothing else planned for this weekend other than eatting their food. I felt like I was back in Japan, it was that good. I'll leave this short because the food will do allll the talking. read more

Amu is a good Izakaya experience for Boulder, but sub-par to others that i've had in NY (of course). Sushi Den apparently has something they offer in their new back room, but i haven't been there yet... despite being owned by the same owners of Sushi Zanmai (which is only good for Karaoke on Saturday nights), the food is quite superb. i can't remember what i had there because i was hammered, but i remember it being damn good. I'll update this when i go there in a more sober state. If you're in NY, go to Sakagura. It is the bizzybomb. Maybe i'll yelp on that one later. read more

This place is great in Boulder and this place would be ok if it were in LA. So I'll say this place is great for now. They have all of the yakizakana (grilled fish) and comfort foods that I'm used to having at home. Since I'm so busy all the time, I don't have the time to cook or shop for Japanese food. This is why Amu has been a crucial part of my life lately. I almost come here once every week. I usually order the food that I miss from home like grilled fish (although.. they're always out of Tara no Kasuzuke / cod in sake paste http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasuzuke), mozuku (seaweed in vinegar - VERY refreshing http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/026/e/seaweed2.html), nikujaga (potato & beef stew http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikujaga) and buta no kakuni (pork belly cooked in soy/sake broth http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakuni), ika no gesoage (marinated then fried squid legs), . If you've never had the Agedashi Mochi yet. Try it. It's one of my favorites there. Their okonomiyaki was ok. It might be better if you guys made this at home. If you were in LA of course, you could go to an okonomiyaki place and grill a nice one yourself. The setup of Amu is kind of nice too. You take your shoes off before you go up the steps to sit at the bar or in the tatami rooms in the back. There aren't too many seats here so it's always a good idea to call in advance before you arrive. I don't know if they take long term reservations but I know they hold seats for you. They always tell me to call ahead of time so I don't have to wait so long when I get there. The staff is very friendly here. They make me feel at home. Nothing beats home cooking but Amu is the next best thing for me now. The prices here are very reasonable and affordable too. For those of you from LA, don't expect too much. It's good but it's not like wow. The owners of Sushi Zanmai own this place but Amu is so much better in quality. Ironic. read more

Went here the other night and was surprised by what we found. It is an awesome atmosphere and ambiance, however they do not serve traditional sushi. There is no rice at all, no traditional rolls, and no edemame. I will note however that the food is delicious and we were not disappointed with that we ordered- it is just very unique and non-traditional. read more

Disappointed...we were expecting excellent food but left feeling disappointed. This place is expensive. I would rather go to sushi den even though this place is not really a sushi place. Also I would rather go to domo. The restaurant is very tiny. The experience was cool but food not so much. We ordered a kobe beef dish and it was soooo salty. It was basically like a korean dish (bulgogi) but way saltier. We left not satisfied and spent over 80.00 for just 2 of us.. My bf got full by ordering rice on the side otherwise we woulda left hungry. read more

I almost don't want to write a review about Amu because it is really my favorite restaurant, my last meal, my most definite recommendation when I lived in Colorado. I don't want to write a review because I'm about to say everything is perfect and I feel like a teacher who doesn't want to give the whole class A's. But they deserve it, so let me tell you about it. First, wear socks, get a pedicure, or just take a shower because unless you sit at one of two tables in front, you are taking off your shoes. You should know that, lest you be caught wearing two different socks... or worse. You're main choice, and perhaps most recommended is to sit at the bar. Here, the chef, Nao (spelling?) prepares the loveliest, freshest, purest, most authentic Japanese Izakaya dishes you can imagine. We always order the Beniotome, which is a distilled sesame spirit- one cool fact is you can order bottles of sake or beniotome and put your name on it for the next time you come back. Sometimes we have Nao just make whatever he's feeling for the day but after so many meals and plates let me tell you the 3 best things I've had, maybe Ever. Freals. 1)Duck and Green Tea Soba Noodles. Sometimes I like to just get this for "dessert." The broth is so complex AND simple...I'm sorry, I'm supposed to describe it but there are no words! Just get it ok? 2) a mix of uni and cream cheese toasted until melty and warm on a piece of baguette. Uni...cream cheese...shut up. 3) Garlic Squid. Again, just get it. Go here, try new crazy things sometimes with unusual textures or simple, fresh fish. But go. Trust Nao. It will be an experience like no other. If you want to know where chefs go, this is it. A chefs dream. The prices are very reasonable- its essentially Japanese Tapas and prices start at maybe $4 and work their way up. You can get as much or as little as you like and as I said, you can have them hold onto your bottles of booze if you want it for next time you come back or take it home with you. The servers have always been helpful and friendly and on top of your needs. Thank you Amu, just for existing. read more

Delicious fish, great omakase service and no shoes allowed! It's like a Japanese tapas restaurant. read more

Izakaya Amu - Tuna and avocado - Japanese Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

We need a place like this in Houston! First, it's super small! There are 11 bar seats, 2 large party tables, a table for 4, and 4 small patio tables. That's it! Apparently the wait can be pretty long, but we came on a nice slow night. The menu was hard to decode because the names are in Japanese, We had to read every description. We LOVED the traditional Japanese dishes. There were no sushi rolls and everything was served tapas style. Our favorite dishes were the pan seared cod and sauteed mackerel. The fried ball of seafood items was really tasty too. The sashimi combo was only $20 for 3 pieces of 5 types of fish. The fish was really fresh. I really enjoyed the sliced octopus appetizer as well. The only dish that we were disappointed in was the cooked salmon with salmon roe over rice. The salmon was very dry. I wish they kept the salmon raw, like the same tuna version (raw). Overall, this place is full of innovative fresh cooking. I wish we had one in Houston, for sure. read more

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Wow. I thought Amu would be good but I was blown away! Best Japanese food I've had in Colorado, maybe in US. Great menu of food I loved in Japan. Nice atmosphere, but a little small so it may be hard to get in. We went just before closing time and we're treated royally. Sashimi was out of this world---get the chef's special! Nice sake selection as well. I can't recommend this place enough!!!! read more

My favorite place to eat. I'm told amu means existing but not existing. The food is amazing and I've never been disappointed. Hands down some of the best meals I've ever had. I love the unagi kabayaki (BBQ eel), and the salmon underbelly that's on the menu. The sashimi is always great. The specials are amazing and change frequently. Don't expect the specials to last for late dinners after 730pm. Try the drink specials and sake. I don't think you can find authentic Japanese izakaya style food anywhere near Boulder. No reservations. About 10 seats at the bar and only 2 tables that are communal. For what you get the price is right. read more

EXCELLENT!! This place is one of the top Japanese restaurants along the front range. Don't come here expecting some ridiculous dragon sex roll. They do more traditional Japanese style food and do it well. Japanese cuisine is sophisticated and highly refined and this is the place to go if you want to sample something closer to the real deal. I'm certainly not an expert on Japanese food but I do know a thing or two about it as I visit Japan every year to visit family. Amu is one of THREE places I eat Japanese food in Colorado. The rest are not worth your money. Having said that, there are a few things I dislike about Amu. One is their use of the word Izakaya. Izakaya is basically pub food in Japan. Its cheap, delicious, and a place you typically go to after work to relax and grab a bite. Amu is more like fine dining, and its expensive so be prepared. This is typical in the states though, where "Izakaya" is a term used more to describe a high end Japanese restaurant instead of pub food. My only other problem is the location (not Amu's fault of course). I have to drive up to an hour to get here!! Otherwise, my wife and I would definitely be regulars. read more

Oh how do I even begin this review? 5 stars for it's excellent, personable service that represents how a true izakaya is in Japan. I recommend sitting at the bar because its interesting to watch the chef preparing each dish and meticulously arranging each ingredient to beautifully present each dish. You will be offered a mini appetizer complimentary from chef. Usually it's a salad with a light refreshing peanut sauce. Occasionally, it might be something with tako in a tangy dressing. Since it's an izakaya, that means you are expecting smaller dishes like tapas. Ordering multiple dishes to share is highly recommended. Some of my favorites are: 1) Sunomono: a salad with raw fish, octopus or shrimp in a yuzu, zesty dressing. It's a good starter to excite your taste buds. 2) Wahu steak: MuST TRY! A grilled steak with butter topped with grated daikon and a side of mustard. It might sound odd but you will find the daikon mellows out the heaviness of the steak and gives it a refreshing burst in your mouth 3) yakitori : chicken skewers with sweet sauce 4) grilled duck : succulent duck with crispy skin. Ask for their chilling powder. It adds a little kick to it. 5) Spanish mackerel : they prepared this like a tartare. And if you are willing to try ( subjected to availability) do ask for them to deep fry the fish bone. Yes it sounds odd but by deep frying the bones, they turn into crispy bites and it's really good. 6) grilled squid 7) sashimi : nothing special about the preparation but it's good fish 8) grilled shio chicken 9) agedashi tofu 10) sake: you can't complete an izakaya experience with out sake Do try to plan ahead for an experience at Amu. It's a small place so it gets crowded really fast. It's easy to get a seat during the weekdays. NOTE: If you are looking for sushi, they have none here. Next door is Sushi Zanmai where sushi is served. It's owned by the same management. read more

First, I 'm scared of sushi. I used to love it, but I had one of those sickly incidents and my taste buds revolted (oysters did the same!). My stomach is a weakling, I guess. My visit to Amu was for other items on the menu. I got the edamame, vegetable tempura, and shrimp dumpling (but it was called something else). The edamame was salted well, but slightly aged. My sister-in-law made tempura for the family over the holidays, and hers was amazing. This tempura wasn't as good, but it was close. The dumplings were decent. I tried one of their draft beers--kirin, and I don't know that I finished it. But it wasn't horrible. So why four stars? Sounds like a three, right? I tried my friend's fire [something] roll. It was so delicious! Especially the spicy creme sauce it was made with. Moral of the story. When a place is renowned for its sushi. Trust the sushi. read more

Super disappointed. Food was just ok. We sent back the yellow tail sashimi dish because it smelled extremely fishy. The avocado tuna dish was a little too soft and fishy smelling for my tast as well. The shu mai and tofu were good. They don't actually serve sushi, it is an itzakai (probably not spelled right) without the selection and flavors the better ones have. read more

A real Izakaya in Boulder! Don't miss sitting at the sake bar (or one of the back rooms with a larger group) and just order whatever they recommend. Everything is so delicious and precious. You can feel the love that's put into every dish. Top 5 meals of Boulder for sure, and it all feels very special. A real treat. read more

I really liked the sake here, and the hamachi was good. The egg custard was also good. The waitress is so incredibly pretty.

Amu is one of our favorite spots in Boulder. The staff is always very friendly and the whole atmosphere is very relaxed. Yuki-san is our favorite chef and knows how to cut a nice thick slice of sashimi. The food from the kitchen is always very good and the small portion tapas sizes are great for trying all kinds of different foods . read more

This was definitely a departure from our usual fare and the three of us enjoyed our time here a great deal. We did the 'Omakase' and loved most of the dishes...the eggplant was phenomenal! However, our experience was a little soured when we got the bill...$180 for three of us, before tip. That was with only 1, very moderately priced bottle of sake and we were definitely not leaving full. I have to accept responsibility for not giving a budget to our waiter but it was still shocking to us. So if you do go, and you do choose Omakase, make sure both you and the server have an understanding of your price point before you relax into what was truly an excellent experience. read more

Hands-down the best food in Boulder. We love the counter and keep a big bottle of sake there. Great people and a fun but mellow social atmosphere as well. read more

Awesome sake bar and tapas-like servings of Japanese food. Great service and tatami rooms which are perfect for any occassion. Owners run Sushi Zanmai next door so you know the food is superb. read more

Amu is by far the best Japanese food in Boulder. The restaurant is very small and intimate, but they do take reservations, so I would recommend calling ahead and making a reservation. Be prepared to take your shoes off when you come in! We ate at the sushi bar for dinner and the food was spectacular. Our waitress provided excellent recommendations since we didn't know what about half the things on the menu were. We ended up ordering a lot of sashimi, which was so fresh and delicious. We will definitely be coming back soon! read more

Two weeks ago we went to this restaurant, i used to like this place very much and believe this is the best japanese cuisine in town. However the food that day was really bad, the sauce for chicken nanban changed into a sourer taste, the kanu zousui is much worse than before. Also the server forgot our sake and didn't bring it until we asked her 30min later. When we saw the check they aadded 20% tip in the check, and we only have four people. I think this place is not good anymore, and i do not recommend this restaurant at all. read more

This place is hands down, one of my favorite spots in Boulder. It's nice to go to the sushi bar for a romantic evening, but it's also nice to go with a smaller group for a celebration. Every time I've been, the staff has been amazing, and the food is always on point. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu, but the buckwheat noodle hot pot is amazing, any of the fresh fish, and the green lip cooked mussels will keep you dreaming. A plus is some of the staff speak Japanese, as it is a fully authentic restaurant, I find this a great quality. Love you AMU! read more

Amu has the best traditional Japanese food in Boulder, combined with excellent friendly service. Very limited seating, so plan to sit at the bar. This is not a good place for groups unless you reserve one of the tables in back. read more

Never been to Japan but I'll pretend I'm there when I'm dining here. I had no reason to question my friend from Japan when he referred me to this little snippet of the other side of the world. I am sure glad I checked it out on my own! The food - savory- a real experience! The kind of place where you tell the chef a little about your likes and he takes care of you from there read more

Great small dishes and lovely atmosphere. Enjoyed the chef's specials and sake flight.

A restaurant that reminds me of similar places in both Japan and Okinawa. A small area is available outside and seating inside encourages the removal of your shoes. We sat at the long bar area that seats approximately 8-10 and the ambiance was wonderful. After reviewing the menu we decided to let the staff decide our complete dinner course and after asking us of any dislikes, allergies, etc. the staff proceeded to bring us well prepared and artistically delivered foods. The Tsukemono was tasty but for me the daikon a little mild. The Maguro was fantastic and the Tara Kasuzuke was prepared perfectly. Truly a hidden gem and and well within Pearl Street if you want to check out the night life afterwards. read more

Very traditional Japanese restaurant. The good reminded me every bit of living in Japan. This place is a treasure for those living near Boulder. Great food in a environment reminiscent of the Far East. Be warned, there isn't a lot of available seating so any night of the week can make for long wait times... Regardless, I'll definitely be heading back soon! read more

Before coming to Colorado from the SF Bay Area I was cautioned that the Asian cuisine in the area is of exceedingly low quality and unskillfully prepared. Trusting reviews from the local fare will distort your expectation and lead you to make bad decisions. No better example than Amu. There's a tacit attempt to be authentic, but that washes away rapidly when you see the food preparer cutting yellow tuna that's clearly been sitting in the under fridge cabinet for days. Yikes! read more

Best Japanese food outside of Japan. Staff is always friendly and on point! Love this place.

Reasonably priced traditional Japanese cuisine in a simple setting. Staff are friendly and eager to educate and make recommendations. Everything we tried was authentically flavorful. Memorable experience and exceptionally delicious food! read more

Delicious lunch today. We tried the dumplings with a yummy tomato sauce and the rice balls in3 different flavor. The bean cake was a great end to the meal. Pleasant service and very clean place read more

Best Japanese food in Boulder! I tell all my friends about Amu because the food is amazing and there's nothing else like this Japanese restaurant experience in Boulder. Amu serves up Japanese small plates, served "family style" so that your entire party can sample each dish. Food: The menu is mostly in Japanese, with a word or two in English (so not much description), so when I first started going I asked a lot of questions about the menu. I now find that I can choose anything from the menu and love it. My favorite dishes are: seaweed salad, burdock root, Hamachi Carpaccio (thinly sliced raw yellow fin tuna over a bed of green lettuce in a delicious sauce), Maguro Yukke (dice cubes of tuna and avocado sitting in an hollowed out avocado (mixed with that awesome sauce again) and sitting on a nest of daikon radish, their green mussels, and their wahuu steak (which comes out on a searing hot dish and is served with green onion, daikon radish, and mustard). I think I just figured out why they don't give descriptions. It just doesn't do it justice. The ingredients sound fine on their own, but trust me, when you eat this, you'll know what I'm talking about - pure awesomeness. The staff: Are super friendly! Even though I only go once in a while (because I can spend a lot there since I want to order everything) they always seem to remember my wife and me. Only complaint: They need more tables! It's a super small restaurant and I often find that if I want to get a seat, I must wait 45 minutes (which I'm usually more than willing to do because the food rocks and I know it'll be worth it). read more

The place is kind of small I would say. and I even did not find it the first time. I ate at the bar, w/ the chef cook in front of me. omg, the chef was really good at cutting! the radish was cut into very thin pieces in his hands. -- a plus for this place is to watch the chef cook, I think. I like the ramen there -- thick and rich-flavored broth, veggies, egg, and meat. the hot pot is cute too - a small plate hang above the stove with tofu, mushrooms and other veggies in -- of course you can order one with meat. overall a good place to visit read more

Love everything about this place. Just amazing. The only downside is that it's connected to the sushi place next door, which can get pretty loud...in that college girl "OMG we are out on the town" way. read more