It was not very crowded. I got sit down quickly on a Monday evening. Taylor was great. She was on top of my order. She checked several times and immediately gave me the addition to my order. Cod was very delicious. Strongly recommend their grilled Cod. Really enjoyed the ambiance. 5 stars. read more

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One of my favorite must eat spots in denver/ platt park area. Super walkable and in a beautiful part of town. The food is always amazing the oysters especially. All the servers know the food very well and are very helpful! read more

Somehow just discovered this place and had no idea it was related to Sushi Den and Izakaya Den, love all 3!! Ototo definitely focuses more on hot dishes and less on rolls which is great! The servers are wonderful and the dishes come out in an order that makes sense for the palette. The ototo roll was a hit and I've always loved agedashi tofu, the broth was so delicious. The chef special ramen was full of flavor and 10/10 would order again. Topped the meal off with tuna belly buns!! The dishes are all relatively small and meant to be shared, my favorite kind of meal since you get to try many different things! The restaurant was packed on a Sunday and we did make a reservation. I can't wait to go back once quarantine is over but I also see they're offering pick-up right now! read more

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We went around noon on a Sunday. Very well prepared and good tasting food. Not heavy but filling. Supposedly small plates serving but not really. Service was remarkable, top notched. So casual but comfortable and warm. read more

First time here. I was at sister location, Sushi Den a few months ago. Their menu has been cut down relative to previous menus on Yelp. They offer soup/salad, Raw, Grill, Ramen and most of the menu is small plates. They have a full bar including new cocktails and have hot Sake. My server, Michelle D recommended the Lychee Margarita. It was good with a lychee on a stick. I started with a Beet salad. Then got the Crispy Spicy Tuna roll. This roll is flash fried sushi rice topped with spicy tuna tartare, avocado, jalapeno, tobiko, scallions + Amadure sauce. Nice & crunchy. My small plate was Kara-Age. 8 chunks of crunchy fried chicken with a spicy Thai dipping sauce + salad on the side. They had the garage doors opened to the north with 4 tables overlooking the sidewalk with a rail to separate from sidewalk. I sat at the Chef's bar on the end and could watch the kitchen action. They have gendered restrooms. read more

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We probably had almost everything on the menu - unless it was out. It's the sister restaurant to the Pearl Street Japanese Denver empire - but the most casual. With that said, the food is less sushi - more small plates and grill meats/Yaki. So - 1) Make reservations, even on a Wednesday late night it was a packed house. 2) Yes, there are early and late Happy Hours 3) Always get whatever the special is and the COD/DUCK. Anything Duck in my option b/c it's so hard to make it just right. Another win here! read more

Ototo - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Wonderful alternative and unique laid back experience vs their big brothers across the street. Had a romantic dinner with my GF and were well taking care of. Coursing was perfect, which often lacks in Denver. read more

This was our second time at Ototo and it didn't disappoint. We sat kitchen side and it was a great experience. We started off with Iwai 45 and gyoza it came out quickly and was beyond delicious. We had the black Cod which was melt in your mouth. The best piece of fish I've ever had. ramen and short ribs to finish it off. Everything was made perfectly. read more

Great atmosphere, not too crowded but a cozy feel. The food was good, and service average. The big/only reason it's losing three stars is the service was insanely slow, as in maybe the longest dinner I've ever had that wasn't a tasting menu? We ordered sashimi, soup, sides of rice, and 3-4 small plates. Each came out with about 20 minutes between them.... We ordered around 6:45 and got the final check at 9:25. Granted it was dinner rush on a Friday, but still service should at least have been 50% faster. I'd go back again easily but if that is the usual service time, I'd never return. read more

Food was fantastic, had signature crispy rice and tuna, scallops Carpaccio, miso black cod, Kara-age and the Brussel Sprouts. Everything was good but the favorite was the tuna and the scallops. Service was great, ask for Taylor she knows her stuff! Highly recommend.. read more

Delightful Japanese restaurant on South Pearl's restaurant row. Nice selection of menu items, emphasizing grilled dishes and small plates. Servers were very warm, attentive, and helpful in making selections. We got to sit at the "chef's bar"overlooking the very busy cooks serving up many different plates for other diners. Lots of fun! The maguro sashimi with eight pieces of four types of raw tuna, the hama kama, a large piece of grilled yellowtail, the braised glazed beef short ribs, and the honey miso eggplant were all beautifully plated and delicious, as was the frozen mochi dessert. We will definitely be back. read more

Ototo - Chef at the grill. - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Really good happy hour with lots of options. Found this place on a whim. Great authentic vibe.

Everything is perfect, just a little priceycompared the izakaya or yakitori we had in CA. I hope they can offer more yakitori, a skewer type with lower price that we can enjoy more varieties. We had spicy edamame, miso eggplant, chicken karaage, one temaki, one order of chicken thigh, one pork belly skewer(2 in an order with veggie and wasabi) and finished with Mochi ice cream. 2 draft Sapporo and one lemonade W/O tips comes to $100.... read more

Service was great, food was extremely good, ruined sushi for me since I'm just visiting! read more

Ototo - Too good! - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Had never been to this brother restaurant of Sushi Den. Amazing eggplant and loved the sushi sampler.

We came on the night that they were starting to have dine in service. We originally wanted to go to a different restaurant but since that was 1 hour and 45 min wait we walked over here and they were able to seat us quickly. The service was excellent! Great server! Tables were spaced out, masks and gloves were worn by the staff! We were told it was Japanese street food. They were out of the whole squid so we got a bunch of different things to try. Octopus dumplings-- they were not really for us. They were a bit under whelming but maybe someone else would like them. Just fried balls with pieces of octopus and a sauce on top. The fried fish and shrimp was good and it tasted fresh. It came with two sauces. tarter and I am not sure. But for us is was just kinds fried food but I think it is great to have on the menu because a lot of people like basic food like that. I really enjoyed the eggplant dish! That was great! After we let it cool a bit the flavor really enhanced! The seaweed salad was good and really pleasing to the eye. The ginger sashimi was really good and had great flavor! We had sake cold and hot! And I had a beer! read more

Ototo - octopus dumplings - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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No waiting? Awesome! High top seating at this time but beggars can't be a chooser. Yes, its limited seating but very cozy and personalized service, it suits me fine. Did notice two very private tables near the restroom. Our service was good at the beginning but as the night got busier, it was very hard to flag our waiter down, hence one star less. Lots of small plates to share with freshness that we came to expect of Den. read more

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Great food, service, and ambiance! Will definitely be dining there again. I couldn't find the veggi ramen on the menu but when I asked our server they said they had one. It was great. read more

The best japanese food in denver, very authentic and perfectly prepared. Expensive though so keep it in mind.

A gem in Denver! Came here on a saturday with my family at 5 and it wasn't too crowded. Outdoor seating was cute. We got soo many dishes to share and definitely overate but no regrets Here's what's worth getting: -Nigiri (SOOO good esp the bluefin, scallop and the foie gras. it came with a yummy small green fruit that the manager explained was a baby peach fruit from Japan. We at first accidentally dropped it into soy sauce and she was gonna get us another one but never came back so we just ordered another dish because it was so good) -Hamachi jalapeno -Spicy crunchy Tuna -Spicy chicken ramen These other apps were not bad but not amazing: -nasumiso -ajifry -new style salmon I do wish they had a QR code menu because our menus kept blowing away in the wind and in general, it's probably more COVID safe. I would def say that getting items with raw fish are most worth it here! Probably one of the best sushi places in Colorado I've had. read more

Ototo - Nigiri - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Food was good! Service was good and atmosphere was great. I was under the impression there were more sushi options which is my fault for not actually looking at the menu before stopping in, but delicious all around! The Octo balls were a little mushy and rubbery for my liking. read more

We came out here on a Saturday night. It was pretty busy and luckily we didn't have to wait as we nabbed the last open table for 2. I love Izakaya. And this place offers a robata menu, so lots of small grilled skewers and meats. It's a kinda lot pricey , maybe 7-8 bucks sometimes 10$ for a single skewer! I was shocked and my wallet crying. Anyways, we're on vacay so we still decided to treat ourselves. We ordered a little of everything. The honey miso eggplant, the tonkatsu ramen, grilled calamari, the lamb skewers , chicken karaage, beef slaw. The honey miso eggplant was good, a japanese staple which is hard to mess up. The tonkatsu ramen was okay. It takes a long time to make and prepare, good that it's made to order, but took tooo long as it was the last item we received and already at a time when I'm done waiting and already full. But it was honestly , okay, I wouldn't come back for the ramen. The chicken karaage was good. 4 generous pieces of dark meat chicken, krispy outside with a hot and juicy meat on the inside. Came with a side of spicy mayo or aioli. The calamari was delicious. A whole grilled squid , tender, easy to chew not rubbery. It's a great place for ambiance. It's a little pricy. Some items are better than others, Most items were good but not GREAT as I'd expect from a nicer place out. read more

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One of my favorite places to get authentic Japanese food. The fact that they have two other restaurants next to each other owned by the same owner says a lot about the food they serve. Apparently they fly food in fresh from Japan often throughout the week. The atmosphere reminds me of Japanese restaurants due to their decorations and the outfits servers wear. I've come here often and this is the first time I came for happy hour. I'm impressed with the savings but a bit bummed about the choices. I wish they have more tapas for happy hour. Hopefully this will encourage them to update their menus in the future. Of note, I would not recommend the bacon wrapped scallops, it does not go well together. For some reason today's honey eggplants was not good, as if it was heated in the microwave. read more

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When for happy hour and was very happy with the specials. Recommend ordering a few things and sharing.

I really loved my experience at this restaurant. Any place that mixes ramen with sushi makes an insta-fan of me! I deducted one star because we ate here for my birthday. We made reservations and mentioned the birthday when doing so. However, there was no mention of a special occasion, no dessert, etc., so I have to deduct one star for service. Otherwise, the food was AMAZING!!! Most people in Denver know that Sushi Den is the five-star sushi experience. Ototo is a sister restaurant to Sushi Den and is located right across Pearl Street in the beautiful Washington Park neighborhood. Ototo uses the same quality fish as that of Sushi Den (flown in from Japan overnight), but at cheaper prices. Also, did I mention they also serve ramen?! I had the miso ramen. It was delicious. The broth was yummy and savory. We also had the grilled squid, which was lovely as well. I am not the biggest fan of grilled squid, but the preparation was lovely here. The few pieces of nigiri we had were lovely as well. I would like to return try more of the sushi. Ototo is also known for its grilled skewers, known as Robata Grill, a specific type of Japanese cuisine. I would like to try these the next time I am there as well. The only drawback to this place? With the focus on ramen, I wish this place was open for lunch. I have noticed that many ramen places are dinner-only here in Denver, which is odd, because in Japan, ramen is such a lunch food. I am constantly craving ramen for lunch, and I wish there were more options for that in Denver. Otherwise, this is a lovely restaurant and a great addition to the Denver food scene. If you are a fan of Sushi Den, this is a great alternative to explore! read more

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Best Ton Katsu Ramen! Love the ambiance, staff is friendly, and the food is exceptional!

I saw that this restaurant was related to Sushi Den and Izakaya Den, so I was expecting a lot of the food. The experience was fantastic. We sat at the chef's table/bar, which was cool to see them making the food. Our server was really nice and helpful. The reason that I'm giving three stars is that the food was pretty good... but I'm not going to order them again. The best (would order every time I go there): Hamachi carpaccio - the sauce and the fish were perfect. Yuzu & black pepper sorbet - this was one of the weirdest things I had ever heard of... but the flavors were so weird and interesting... it was delicious. The creativity was amazing. The good (maybe would order again): Agedashi tofu - perfectly silky, great sauce to go on top, and tasty mushroom on the side. Pork gyoza - Cooked well, the sauce was great. The okay (definitely not going to order): Whole grilled squid - it was overcooked, so a bit rubbery. Duck breast skewer - it was meh... maybe I'm just not a huge fan of duck? Bacon wrapped scallops - I think the idea of these things is what we love more... the bacon was soggy and a bit too salty, which kind of ruined the scallop. The roasted tomato was amazing. I'd say definitely squeeze the lemon on top. read more

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Meh. We spent $120 for two people for dinner. Definitely not worth that. The host was trying to play games at 5pm with an empty restaurant trying to act like the fact we were walk ins was a problem. Boy stfu the restaurant was empty and the so called reservations never materialized. Server was short and curt like she was in a big hurry - but again empty restaurant at 5pm so drop the attitude darling. This place thinks it's better than it is and the staff needs to drop the attitude. youre at a medicore sushi place in Denver - calm down. No michelin star detected. So no, do waste your money at $60/ person - it's NOT worth it. read more

I had a fantastic experience at Ototo with 3 other friends, this is the perfect small plates restaurant for a small group. This restaurant is an Asian focused small plates restaurant that is in the mid tier pricing. We paid about $40 per person (just food) for about 13 dishes. The service was stellar and I would certainly recommend getting reservations if you can. This restaurant was modern but still had a casual feel, which I loved. I'd suggest getting 2-4 small plates per person. You can also get Ramen to split (we split a ramen between the 4 of us and got some separate bowls). We did not have one bad dish throughout the entire experience. We got: -Karaage (Japanese fried chicken, essentially dark meat chicken in a popcorn chicken like format) -Gyozas -Miso black cod -bao buns -bacon wrapped scallops -Fried squid -Pork belly -Chicken skewers -Unagi bowl -Ramen -short rib All of it was fantastic and my favorite was the pork belly, which melted in my mouth. Each dish ranges from $8-$20 and is best eaten with several others. I'd definitely go back to Ototo and I highly recommend it. Note that the late night happy hour is suspended as far as I know; I called them and they were closing at 9:30 on a Saturday night vs. 11. read more

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Came here during dinner around 8:15 for 2, and the restaurant wasn't that busy (about 5 tables, including us) but we waited 30 minutes after being seated for a server to take our order. About 5 minutes after our order was taken, 2 parties came in at 8:50 and they were both served under 10 minutes (we timed it at 8:56 and 8:59.) The Tonkotsu ramen was one of the best I've ever had so we might give it another chance and hopefully the service is better next time. read more

OMG what a phenomenal experience we just had at Ototo!!!!! 5 PLUS PLUS PLUS stars! From my initial phone call to make reservations, to being warmly greeted, to a stellar staff taking such good care of us, to discussing the menu items thoroughly with recommendations, to our salivating as each item was presented, to savoring each bite & morsel, to asking us how was everything and just about everyone here caring we enjoyed and had a wonderful meal! Seriously what more can I say! Ototo ranks up there as one of my favorite restaurants and I have eaten all over the world! I hope to be able to return one day and try other daily items featured! I promise next time I have a reason (or not) to go to Denver, Ototo will be my first stop! Now enjoy the pictures I took of the amazing food! read more

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Meaning "younger brother" in Japanese, OTOTO is the latest addition to the original Sushi Den and Izakaya Den. It was interesting reading the story of how the owner established and developed these three restaurants over time. Quite impressive actually. We tried out the Japanese karage( fried chicken) mushroom medley, wagyu beef nigiri, unagi (eel) rice bowl and miso ramen. I was really excited about the Unagi since I had been craving after coming back from Japan in April. It absolutely didn't not disappoint. Perfect amount of sweetness and soy sauce. The rice used was of great quality, too. Mushroom medley was different, more of a fusion dish than traditional for sure. Did not regret getting the wagyu nigiri out of curiosity either but probably won't get them again. I loved the fried chicken as it was so crispy but juicy. Quantity of the food was on the smaller side. My husband and I were both comfortably full with 3 appetizers and 2 entrees. The ambience is definitely more relaxed. The space is quite small which makes the experience more intimate. Interior decor was fun: wall at the bar area had a nice collection of Japanese stone pots on display. I also had a great time checking out all the gigantic sake bottles. I love this place and will definitely come back. read more

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Lots of fun and unique choices here. A little pricey in my opinion but food was very good

Good is amazing and service is superb. The sushi was very fresh. Service was excellent and accommodating to kids.

This place was pretty good. I had a bunch of stuff and rolls including the nigiri. I thought the sushi was solid quality. The table we sat at felt small though which was the main negative for me. read more

Where do I begin? I love ramen and I really love delicious cocktails! Ototo Den has some of the best ramen I have had in the Denver area! I have tried and recommend the following: - Spicy Edamame - Yakitori Chicken Skewers - Steamed Gyoza - Bacon Wrapped Scallops Skewers - Pork Steamed Buns - Miso Ramen - Miso Pork Kimchi Ramen (my personal favorite and pictured) Being the 'brother' restaurant to Izakaya Den (operated by Sushi Den Founder), I really don't think you can go wrong with your selection here! Writing this review, my mouth is watering and I can't wait to go back!! read more

Ototo - Front - Miso Pork Kimchi Ramen (my personal favorite!) Back - Miso Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

This is one of our go to restaurants and I can't wait for it to reopen The staff is extremely attentive and very friendly We have experienced almost everything on their menu and have not had anything that was disappointing The food is incredible I'm not big on brussels sprouts but I could literally two orders myself the way they make them The creativity of the menu is great and always a Great experience and great time Definitely a memorable restaurant that makes you want to go back read more

Tried this place on a recommendation from a friend. Been by it many times and would never have tried it otherwise. It was a great experience! Casual nice inside, dining at the sushi bar, regular bar, inside tables and outside patio. We had a party of three and sat inside. Great service, really good food and nice selection and varieties. Happy Hour was fun. Our server, Taylor, did an excellent job explaining the menu items as well as a new addition they recently added. Will definitely return to enjoy a good time. FR read more

I'm confident that Ototo is one of my all time favorite restaurants in Denver. Authenticity is well shown and represented on every single item. We called ahead for specific reservation and our seating preference, which made this experience bit fancier. I do recommend calling ahead for reservation. We eventually met our "waiters and waitresses". Something odd was that we ordered to 4 people which was little confusing. Ototo is intimate, calm, and bit dark which to us was a positive thing. The place is situated in a corner in fact there is plenty of window seating. The menu speaks for itself and you should go hungry because there is a lot you should try in this place. We started with miso, bacon wrapped scallops and crispy chicken and undoubtedly the tastiest we ever have. Then we tried the lamb skewer and the octopus balls which I recommend the lamb above anything. We had to cancel some of our item because it took them too long to prepare. Hint, be patient, this is boutique quality food and it takes sometimes to be prepared. read more

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This place used to be a favorite but unfortunately, since they reopened, the menu has been scaled back. Worst of all is that they completely did away with the grilled skewers. The grilled Unagi was the best I've ever had, and they don't serve it anymore! The Ramen was OK, and the hot kimchi with pork was excellent but overall I am disappointed. I will be mourning the loss of the grilled Unagi, chicken, skin, and shiitake mushrooms for a long time. read more