Best ramen I've had in Denver so far! Ototo is a really trendy/intimate space. We were lucky to get a seat at the bar looking into the kitchen, so we got to see those awesome chefs doing their thing - making sushi, plating beautifully, and serving up delicious dishes. The pork kimchi ramen was really phenomenal. I especially loved the snow pea tips and cliantro they added. We also had the chicken skewers, which was perfectly marinated and cooked. The wasabi is ~potent~ though, so be careful! read more

THEY ARE NEVER OPEN!!!!!!!!! It is just another storefront that the Sushi Den folks take over and leave to rot while other business would love to take the real estate. The three times I was there before they shut their doors were also only worth one star, so my review will stay the same even if they open again. Give someone else a chance. Either open or get out, the neighborhood does not welcome you land grabbing just because you can afford to buy/tear down all the other businesses. read more

This is a go-to restaurant for me when I'm in the Wash Park area. Everything about this place is exceptional. The service is always great. The waiters are super friendly and very knowledgeable. They are always ready with recommendations and they are on-point. I always order the spice edamame as a starter and it's always delicious. Their sushi rolls are also really tasty. However my favorite dishes are probably the ramen. So yummy and cozy to eat on a cold fall or winter day. And I always end my meal with the banana cream pie dessert. It's soooo good! read more

Ototo is a true gem of a restaurant on South Pearl Street. I came here with a group of girl friends to celebrate a birthday. The service was outstanding and the food was scrumptious! I highly recommend the Me Gusta tequila cocktail, the crispy spicy tuna starter and the yellowtail hamachi. Several friends also ordered the ramen and raved about the flavors. If you're able to save room for dessert, the green tea mochi cake was insanely unique and divine. The green tea ice cream was also a big hit. I will definitely be returning to Ototo! read more

Ototo - Me gusta cocktail, crispy spicy tuna and delightful desserts. - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Came in for the Monthly Sake Pairing Dinner with La Familia & Friends!! Such an awesome event hosted by Yasu Kizaki, Vice-President of Sushi Den/Izakaya Den/OTOTO. The dinner event started at 6:00pm and we were seated right away at a great table and were able to mingle for about 15~20 minutes and then had a 15~20 minutes of Short Sake Talk given by the Sake Specialist, Melanie. Yasu and his team chose the sakes just for this event (it is because these are often "go-to sake" for the sake drinkers in Japan, therefore restaurant owners tend to carry these sakes on the sake list in Japan). We went ahead and ordered Kirin Beers when we were seated. The dinner started with Passed Appetizers (Monkfish Kara-age and Shrimp & Brussel Sprouts Seasoned with Salt & Truffle Oil). Absolutely Delicious!! We then went to the first of 6 Courses: 1. Sashimi (Fresh Catch of the Day) and Oyster on the Half Shell with Ponzu and Cocktail Sauce paired with the Junmai Daiginjo Sake called Takasago Divine Droplets. Again, perfect pairing and the sake just made the food taste even better!! 2. Miso Marinated Grilled Cod, Canadian Karobuta Pork Belly with Aguri Style, and Kinpira Vegetable paired with a Tokubetsu Junmai Sake called Ama no To Heaven's Door. This was just Heavenly!! 3. Pan Seared Jumbo Diver Scallop with Lime Basil Garlic Butter Sauce paired with a Junmai Daiginjo Sake called Konteki Pearls of Simplicity. This dinner just kept getting better and better!! 4. Sushi/6 pieces - Catch of the Day Fish from the Market (Aburi Toro, Aburi Salmon Belly, Kobe Beef, Sawara, Tuna Roll and BBQ Unagi Roll paired with a Daiginjo Sake made in Kyoto called Konteki Tears of Dawn. Absolutely Fabulous!! 5. Seared Medallion of Young Colorado Lamb drizzled with Basil Aioli paired with a Nanbu Bijin Ancient Pillars Sake. Another explosion of flavor!! 6. Green Tea Soy Milk Panna Cotta paired with the Tozai Snow Maiden Sake. Absolutely a great end to a perfect sake pairing dinner!! My favorite Sake was the Takasago Divine Droplets (went down so smooth!). The fish was flown in that day from Japan and you could definitely tell everything was high quality and the Sake was Premium. The OTOTO Restaurant was the perfect setting for this wonderful feast. Service was top-notch and loved learning about the different Sake varieties. Make sure you sign up to receive the Sushi Den/Izakaya Den/OTOTO Newsletter because the Sake Pairing Dinners are definitely a must to try--next one is on 19 April 2016!! http://www.ototoden.com/ototo-sake-pairing-dinner/ I posted the menu and mouth-watering pictures for your enjoyment!! :-) We were also able to use the Sushi Den Valet Service since parking in that area is very limited. read more

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I love Ototo! Unlike its sister restaurants Sushi Den and Izakaya Den, Ototo's menu isn't focused on sushi. The closest menu item to sushi is the crispy tuna because they present it like a traditional roll but in my opinion you shouldn't even bother ordering that since there's so many other great things! I highly recommend the bacon wrapped scallops, Kara-age, Black cod, and the tuna tacos. Wonderful service from knowledgeable friendly staff! read more

Ototo - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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RUN! Don't walk, OTOTO, the Sushi Den's literal "Little Brother" has finally reopened with a 6 hour warning on Friday! It's open! The concept is that OTOTO will offer a traditional Japanese Izakaya menu including Robata-yaki, and will not be serving sushi and rolls here. In Japanese cuisine, robatayaki (literally "fireside-cooking"), often shortened to just robata, refers to a method of cooking, similar to barbecue, in which items of food on skewers are slow-grilled over hot charcoal. You may know it as yakitori. Traditionally, the food consists of a combination of morsels of seafood and vegetables, but other kinds of food that are suitable for grilling such as chicken, pork belly, Wagyu beef will also be offered. Well, our group was starved so we had 12 dishes. 12. and about 6 pitchers of sake. I was so in the moment, I forgot to take photos! Everything, everything was delicious but the stand out highlights of this menu via me and the British Boyfriend are: 1. TONKOTSU RAMEN 2. GRILLED PORK BELLY 3. Little Fried Chicken starters! 4. WATER OF GOD SAKE The restaurant is impeccably designed in true Sushi Den style, but has a more casual "beer and Sake", Happy Hour & Tapas feel. The price point is significantly more casual than Sushi Den too! I will come again and again. Can't wait for a cold day and another bowl of Ramen! read more

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My husband and I recently visited Ototo for the first time ever (visit date: 7/27/18). Being fairly new Denver residents (just over a year) we had always heard wonderful things about Sushi Den and assumed its sister and brother restaurants would be equally as wonderful. My aunt also happens to know the Chef and Owner and she has told me such great things as well. We arrived around 7 PM and were told around a 20 minute wait - no big deal. We were seated at a high top table by the window and we were quickly greeted and water was brought. I ordered a drink and we began mulling over the menu. We were going to go tapas but decided the ramen sounded too good to pass up. We chose the Miso Pork Kimchi Ramen and the Tonkotsu Ramen, an appetizer of Grilled Tuna Belly Buns, and for my husband a Chicken Wing. We were pretty excited as we have eaten some super delicious ramen during our time in NYC, Vancouver, and Portland Maine of all places. The wing was the first item to arrive and while it looked delicious upon inspection of the item it was raw. Obviously, we did not eat it and when our waitress came by we let her know, she seemed to brush it off like no big deal, said she would take it off our bill, and walked away. She offered no apology it was almost as if that was business as usual - super strange if you ask me. The Grilled Tuna Belly Buns arrived next (2 of them) and immediately I was disappointed. Having eaten many of these style of buns our were hard, cracking on the "skin", and just old in appearance. The tuna itself had zero flavor and they were stuff with so much topping you couldn't even enjoy it as the dried bun was falling apart. Our waitress again came by and didn't seem to think it was a problem. Our ramen came out last and we were hungry at this point and looking forward to a decent aspect of the menu. My Tonkotsu's egg was almost not even cooked it was so runny and not the good yolk kind of runny - the white undone type of runny. The broth itself was average at best and the pork was very dry. My husband's ramen had some additional flavor that mine was lacking but this was in part due to the wonderful kimchi (that according to the waitress they make in house) but otherwise his egg was disgustingly undone and his pork was dry with multiple layers of fat which also lacked flavor. Overall, this was just such a disappointing and to be honest gross in aspects, dining experience. I thought that I would reach out personally to let you all know this. I can't imagine that a man who has successfully started three business would find this to be his standard and that saddens me. Also, the staff should not have such an apathetic response to items such as uncooked/raw chicken. An overhaul in food prep, execution, and staff response needs to take place in Ototo. read more

Ototo - Tonkotsu Ramem - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Ototo is Izakaya Den's pub-style little brother. As soon as you walk in, you smell the hickory smoke. They share some of the same Sakes and dishes, i.e. miso butter eggplant, but Ototo's atmosphere is much more casual, and you pay less $$$ for the same sake. Our fave was the organic Kikusui Junmai Ginjo. Light, fruity, not too sweet. Goes down like honeysuckle flavored water. Even though the menu is largely focused on grilled meats and seafood, there are plenty of veg options. The Agedashi Tofu with tempura fried yams was excellent, as were the smoky grilled asparagus and shiitakes. Who needs steak when you can have a meaty grilled mushroom? The flash fried brussels sprouts with grapefruit sections were amazing. Each grilled dish comes with house made pickles, a very Japanese thing, which I appreciated. For the adventurous or curious, they have a seaweed dish or burdock & carrots sautéed kinpira style, both very typical in Japanese home-cooking and healthy to boot. Lots of gluten-free options as well. Also expect to see lots of fatty meats and seafood, like salmon collar. They even snuck in some non-Japanese menu items, like French fries and steamed pork buns. Do yourself a favor and order the Unagi- grilled eel. This is the real deal, like they prepare it in Japan. Grilled eel basted in its own marinade and fat. Usually, when you have this at a sushi joint, it's canned and doused in fake eel sauce. You can taste the difference. It melts on your tongue. I was a little disappointed in the dessert options, the mochi ice cream being the only gluten-free item and also the most Japanese. A little more creativity and authenticity would be nice here. But I get it, it's not a dessert kind of place. The fact they even serve them is a bonus. read more

Ototo - Flash fried brussels sprouts with grapefruit. Awesome. - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Love love love Ototo. This place is a wonderful hidden gem that still hasn't drawn the masses. I have been to Ototo on multiple occasions and ordered a variety of things and not once have I been disappointed. First and foremost, the small ramen bowls are HUGE. My husband and I have split one in addition to other items and have had tons left over. I would definitely recommend ordering either that or the rice bowls - they are both delish and a fun thing to share! Secondly - if you are into seafood, I would definitely recommend the prawns and/or the bacon wrapped scallops! They are both amazing (and I am definitely a seafood snob hailing from SoCal). The pork belly is also to die for - the hubs ordered two plates last time we were there/ Quick tip - this is a small plates place and I would definitely recommend coming with an appetite. Also - valet is free in front of sushi den and is included for Ototo. I have definitely driven around looking for parking and the complimentary valet makes things so much better. We will definitely be back here soon! Both the hubs and I love this place and can't wait to come again. read more

If I could give this restaurant six stars, I would. Three of us went to their sake pairing dinner event, which happens once a month, and had an amazing time. It was clear that Yasu, one of the owners, was focused on his guests having an informative and immensely enjoyable experience. Over the course of the evening we learned a lot about sake. We had a chance to try six varietals and an additional two that were rare, surprise picks. There's a wide range of sake out there far better than the hot stuff offered at your average sushi joint! The servers' pours were generous, and they were happy to offer an extra pour or two of your favorites as well. (Be careful, though, sake is strong...) Our food was delicious and each course was well matched to a sake. The sashimi was of the highest quality, of course. Everything on the menu (which I've included in this review) was fantastic. Our friend doesn't eat lamb, and Yasu had a completely separate dish made for her on the spot, which was also phenomenal. William Greene, their sake sommelier among other duties, spent half an hour discussing Japanese whiskeys with our group after the dinner was over. We were quite impressed by his knowledge and appreciated the time that he, and everyone hosting the event, were willing to spend with guests. $100/person including tax and tip is an amazing deal for this experience! I'll be buying tickets for my parents' anniversary next month. read more

Ototo - This final sake was our favorite. A plum wine base flavored with hot chili pepper. - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Great food and great service! We tried both sake flights and thoroughly enjoyed them both. The honey miso eggplant was amazing and arguably our favorite dish with the pork belly coming in as a close second. If you are a fan of dessert cocktails get the dreamsicle, it brought back so many childhood memories and was delicious. read more

Ototo - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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My wife and I have been thinking on trying this place for a long time considering it is from the same owners of sushi den. Finally we decided to give it a try. Unfortunately it turn out to be a little disappointing. First, there was too much smell of food coming from the kitchen, I could tell I was going to leave smelling like stir fry. Second, despite I love the "small plates" type of food, they were delivered in a really slow pace, one every 10 min, and in a weird order (grilled veggies at the end?). Third and last but most important, the food was not tasty at all. The only reason I give them 3 stars and not two is because my wife still thinks the short rib was good... read more

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Tried to delete my old review as it was a completely different restaurant then. I think this is one of the best "new" spots in Denver. I've been 3 times and it was fantastic. And reasonable. I sat at the bar all three times and Jamie is a great bartender. Friendly and knowledgable. They have sashimi but there is everything on the menu from whole squid to beef cheek and the Brussel Sprouts might be the best I've ever had. read more

Absolutely love Ototo. Their kimchi ramen is my go-to on a cold day (but I'd probably recommend it for hot days too). I've sat at the bar every time I've been and the bartenders have always been super attentive and kept the drinks/water filled at all times. I will say the one downfall as a huge kimchi lover is that I never feel like there's enough that comes with my order (but luckily you can always add-on as a side). Need to go back and try other things on the menu, but I tend to go when I'm getting the ramen craving so it'll have to be another time. read more

Ototo - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I went here on a double date a couple of weeks ago, and Ototo did not disappoint! The ambiance was dark, intimate, and cozy, and the decor was characteristic of many of the small restaurants I used to visit when my in-laws lived in Tokyo. The sharing plates and sake/sochu flights were delicious, as expected. Ototo is perfect if you and your dinner mates have an adventurous palette and like to try several different things throughout the meal. In particular, the honey miso eggplant, hamachi carpaccio, unagi kabayaki, and the grilled pork belly were knockouts, and the "Dragon God" sake was just incredible. Our server was also lovely -- friendly, quick, and able to keep up with our rapid fire yet inconsistent ordering throughout the evening. Overall, Ototo lived up to the hype. I will definitely go out of my way to dine here again in the near future. read more

Was waiting to check out a new bakery down the road and decided to stop in to grab a bite for lunch. Beautifully decorated with mostly Japanese influences. We were there for an early lunch on Sunday and were seated right away. Attentive servers and great food. Started off with the sashimi. 8 large slices, 2 each of four different fish. All of it was great, except for the tuna, where is wasn't the best cut, full of sinew and unpleasantly chewy. The main was the Tonkotsu Ramen. I've been looking to decent ramen, and this place definitely nailed it on every aspect. From the meat, to the rich cloudy pork broth to the alkaline noodles, simply the best. You can tell the noodles have been properly made with they have a light yellowish tint from alkaline salts and had the most chew, or QQ, out of any other ramen noodles in town. The menu also had a lot of grilled items, which I didn't get to try, but I'm ready for another visit very soon read more

Best Japanese food in town!! Ask the waiters/ waitress for their option. Kellie opened my mind to sushi I'd never thought of! The cooks are amazing, food is fresh, and obviously the waitstaff knows EXACTLY what they are talking about. Love it! read more

Ototo - Something tuna.. the waitress Kellie recommended it to me, and it was the best tool I've ever had! - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Still an amazing restaurant, but they actually take reservations now through open table. Sit at the food bar when you have the chance, it's fun to watch. It's amazing the heat they work with because it's something you feel on the other side of the food bar! Enjoy.. read more

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We were excited to try the ramen here since we read that the owners are Japanese and also because Sushi Den is so amazing, but unfortunately we were disappointed. I'd like to come back here some time and try the robata dishes that Ototo is known for, though. It was probably our fault for picking ramen instead of the featured menu items that our experience wasn't that good, so I do want to give it another chance. The ramen, though, was not great. I had the miso ramen and my boyfriend had tonkotsu, and neither of us were very happy with our choice. I did enjoy that the miso ramen had corn in it, as that's a typical ingredient in Sapporo miso ramen, and the flavor of the broth was decent, but as a whole it was underwhelming. The pork was average and on the small side, the noodles were nothing special, and there weren't many ingredients. In some cases less can be more, if the flavors are perfectly balanced and the ingredients that are there are the highest quality, but that wasn't the case and I wished that there was more complexity to my bowl. read more

Wow! Came here for Sunday lunch and were not disappointed! Long time fans of Sushi Den, we had yet to try Ototo. What a great concept-small plates, ramen and tickets bowls make up most of the menu. We had the Brussels sprouts, the egg plant and the crispy spicy tuna as appetizers along with edamame. Hard to say which was the best as they were all fantastic in their own way. The eel bowl and Katsu don were presented in lovely deep bowls and generously portioned. We could not finish everything but left with happy stomachs. Service was friendly, prompt and efficient. The only negative to a Sunday lunch was parking-with the farmer's market in full swing it meant the parking garage was not accessible and street parking was challenging for the market. A real gem though and worth the parking hassle! read more

Food is great and so is the service. You just cannot order out or you'll literally get half the portion size. Seriously makes me want to ask for half my money back ( but after a long day who has the time?). I own a business so I refuse to give bad stars. But, come on guys. I'm super hungry. To get home eat your favorite ramen but feel like you got gipped for half your food sucks!! PS I'm hungry! read more

We have been wanting to try this place since we are yakitori fan and were very glad that Denver finally opened up a yakitori place but now we are a bit disappointing. I have tried Yakitori in California, New York, and over Japan so I can tell you this yakitori is mediocre. They are not tasty at all. We tried to order a few plates to share: grilled squid, chicken wings, chicken liver, gizzard, waygu beef, chicken yakitori, beef tongue- they are pretty bland and not very flavorful - Beef Tongue was very chewy, almost like chewing on leather. My friend ordered at Tonkatsu rice bowl and that was decent. Dessert was not bad . We enjoyed the pinnaple upside down cake . Our server was very friendly but other than that, food wasn't excellent. Don't think I would come back here. read more

This may be my favorite restaurant in Denver. Japanese small plates and ramen. What could be better? All of the small plates are amazing. I recommend the bacon-wrapped scallops and the pork buns. Mostly, though, get the ramen. Sooooo tasty! read more

Had a great time with family here to celebrate my graduation. We ordered Japanese fried chicken, roasted pork belly, fried while fish, miso eggplant, assorted tempura, grilled squid, grilled cod, and ramen. Everything is really good and service is great. I made the reservation for 6 people a month ago because I wanted to make sure we have a table in this popular place on a Thursday night. Of course the place was quickly filled after we arrived at 6:45. Now back to the food. I loved everything except the grilled squid. It doesn't have much flavor and the meat is a bit rubbery. I was spoiled in Spain where I had the tenderest and buttery octopus. Now I know squid is not the same as octopus but both have similar texture. Maybe I don't like squid when it's grilled. That's just a minor flaw though. I will come back and sample more dishes for sure. read more

One average Sunday my partner and I were tired of lounging at home and decided to check out South Pearl Street. Ototo has been on our list for awhile, and the dining experience we had elevated that average Sunday to being one of the most memorable meals I have engaged in. As Sushi Den and Izakaya Den fans, we were surprised and excited to see menu is incredibly different than its sister restaurants. Fairly large, we opted to try one or two things from each section: ramen, seafood, skewers, etc. The plates are all small--think tapas here--so the bill can add up pretty quickly. The first round of dishes we ordered were the grilled pork belly, the whole squid, and sashimi. The pork belly is a tad bit dry because it was grilled, but you have to try it with the Yuzu-Kosho that it's served with. The flavors really complement one another. The whole squid was good and the sashimi was nothing special if you've had sushi at Sushi Den before. The second round we ordered Garlic Sautéed Oysters and TanTan Men ramen. The ramen was delicious, but definitely not a traditional ramen. The garlic oysters were HANDS DOWN my favorite dish. Four gigantic oysters so meaty they had to be sliced in half, served delectably warm and coated in a delicious sauce--it warmed by belly and my heart. Will definitely have to come back here for happy hour and for those garlic oysters. Great pick if you love Japanese food but want something other than sushi! read more

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I'm not a fan of sushi or raw fish, so Japanese restaurants rarely make it onto my radar. However, I heard great things about Ototo and their sister restaurants on South Pearl Street and was excited to try it on a recent night. The Japanese small plates/tapas concept was new to me, but our waitress gave us helpful tips about how much food to order. We started with a few vegetable dishes including the Honey Miso Eggplant and the Brussels Sprouts with grapefruit and pomegranate, both of which I loved. We also ordered the Black Cod from the specials menu as well as the Black Tiger Jumbo Prawns and Kinpira with Kobe beef. The standout of those three dishes was the Kinpira. I had never had burdock root before and it was so flavorful. I would suggest making a reservation because even on a Sunday night, every table was taken. read more

I've had the best experience at Ototo out of these 3 related restaurants. It's a little more casual and easier to walk in to than Izakaya Den or Sushi Den. Their featured sashimi specials have been incredible each time. The honey miso eggplant is so so good. I would come here just to order this. As expected, the ramen is excellent as well. I've tried each variation and all have been the kind of savory goodness I look for in ramen. YUM. read more

Meh, just meh. I've been here before and remembered certain dishes being amazing. Maybe it was actually better the last time or I remembered it being better than it was. The crunchy tuna is always good. We tried the tuna carpaccio tonight. It was...ok. We love tuna and mushrooms and blue cheese so it seemed like a winner but left us feeling just mediocre about the dish. Then for the main meal. My ramen broth was something I've had in cheaper, less expensive restaurants. It wasn't really that flavorful. The tonkatsu rice bowl is always the best thing on the menu in my mind. A nice mixture of flavors especially with the ginger mixed in. Waitress was fine. Nothing out of ordinary. I think I'll skip it next time I feel the urge to go. read more

Ototo - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Vegetarian ramen is extremely bland. If your a vegetarian, avoid this place. They don't seem to care about you. The server knew this and agreed me when I gave her feedback. That's a bad sign. They know this dish sucks but they still charge $16 for it? Service was really friendly though! read more

Had my dounts, but hands down the best ramen I had in Colorado. The ramen here was down so perfectly. From the broth which was not too salty or fatty. I got miso and most places just dont get it right. But it was perfect here. The egg was perfectly mad. Egg yolk was yolky and melted right in my mouth. The noodles were chewy but not too chewy. Had a perfect snappyness to it. Highly impressed. Would give it 5/5 but our server she had an attitude. Like she was trying to hard to be nice. But food was so good. I let it slide. read more

Food: 4.5/5 Service: 2/5 but I have hope in the place. Allow me to explain... and start with the good. We stopped in here a few weeks ago on a Saturday night and were disappointed to hear there was a 1.5 hour wait. But also made us want to come back to see what the hype was all about. So made a reservation a few weeks out. We were most excited for the Ramen and Yakatori grill *see 4.5/5 food rating*. We started the the chicken skin, chicken liver and chicken skewers in the Yakatori grill. All had incredible flavor. Definitely some odd textures but we love trying new things and these weren't too out there (aka I wouldn't try chicken heart). Next yo was the brussel sprouts and seafood coconut curry udon. I think these 2 were my favorites. The Brussels are paired with grapefruit and pomegranates which sounds weird but really works. The seafood curry was seasoned perfectly, had fresh seafood and thick noodles. We finished with a bowl of the pork belly ramen. The pork belly was everything I was craving. I was the broth had more of the "wow factor" when slurping it but was still very good. The bad: If you skipped the good part above (as I would have done) just know to try everything on the Yakatori grill. Ok now really the bad/ ugly. I think it was just our specific server that made it a bad experience and made me still give a 4/5 overall. And maybe the server was just having a bad night so I don't want to harp on this too much but our server was sloppy, inattentive and too frantic. I would recommend sitting at the chefs table if you for with just 2 people. We will definitely be back here even given the poor service. There were too many small plates I didn't get to try that looked incredible! read more

Stopped into Ototo (usually I go to Sushi and Izakaya) and was so impressed! Ototo is the "brother" restaurant, considered more laid back of the three. We had the squid, the lamb skewer, the sashimi and the miso kimchi ramen. O.m.g ALL delicious and flavorful. You can't go wrong!! Also the staff was so friendly, they sent out a chocolate cake for us as a "welcome to Denver". read more

Ototo - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Really enjoyed dinner here with my daughter and we tore through quite a few dishes too! Great assortment of items to try with some authentic dishes too. Everything we tried was great and service moved quickly although wait times were expected with everything being cooked to order. Would definitely come back and try other dishes although we were pleased with the egg plant, albacore sashimi, karage, unagi, pork belly, squid and mochi cake too. Had a nice flight of sakes and was impressed that they carried imo shochu here too. Looking forward to trying their other two places right here in Izakaya Den and Sushi Den too read more

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This place is seriously sooooo good. Every plate we had was delicious. The uni was fresh and buttery. The black cod literally just melts in your mouth, and the drinks are unique. I had the plum tini which was plum wine and coconut milk.. the sound of it didn't sound appetizing, but I was pleasantly surprised at the combination. Service was phenomenal, and it didn't take too long for the food to come out. The only downside are the prices. It's pretty pricey for each plate and the portions are tiny.. but if you're looking to splurge a little on delicious eats.. this is the place. read more

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We enjoy this restaurant and have for a long time, but tonight our server Issac made it an extra great experience! A good meal is made great with wonderful service. Looking forward to going back very soon. read more

I visited Ototo during my visit a week ago. There were no reservations online, so I decided to call the restaurant and beg. Kudos for accommodating visitors from out of town and politely staying open pass your closing hours to accommodate your guests. As for the food, I am rating it against similar restaurants like their sister-restaurant Sushi Den. The four of us ordered half the menu as it was our first time. The chicken skewers were good as far as good skewers go. The bacon wrapped scalloped were delicious. The scallop were plump and cooked just so that one gets the sensation that it was just plucked from the sea. The kim-chee ramen was exquisite. If you have ever dined at Sushi Den, you know how delicious delicate broth can be. As with their sister restaurants, expect quality products here. They will go out of their way to bring in - ship, truck, fly - the best produce and meats. These restaurants pride themselves on the quality of their ingredients and it shows. Don't come here expecting knives thrown into the air or plates plastered with sauces. Come here for the casual place to hang out with great friends and great Japanese tapas. read more

Very cool and tasty restaurant. Small plates style so it's a good idea to order like 10 things. Excellent sake menu. The drinks are a little expensive but really not too bad. We went there with 6 people, ordered a bunch of food and drinks and it only ended up being $50 a person, which isn't bad considering. Highlights were the tuna belly sliders, pork belly sliders, grilled squid, and sashimi. Cool spot in a hip area. Will return. read more

Service was great, promptly seated and orders taken. Warm towels upon seating were a nice treat! I got the fresh veggie ramen, and it was delicious. A bit thicker broth than what I'm used to, but it worked! Cute decor, and the employees were very kind. Can't wait to come back! read more

Ototo - Raw bar, soups and salads, small plates - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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I love this place along with the associated restaurants on S. Pearl St. The only difference with this place compared to when I was in Japan in March is pricing. I understand though. Robata is a craft that should not be taken so lightly. The waitstaff is professional and attentive. It doesn't matter whether you are one of three seated tables or if the house is packed. Service is the same across the board. I wish all the restaurants were this big in Japan! I have tried just about everything on the menu. The ramen is delicious as is the bacon wrapped scallops. Everything is cooked to an elevated perfection and leaves me wanting to come back for more. Enjoy happy hour specials on drinks and appetizers! read more