Aside from Chinese cuisine, Japanese foods are prevalent anywhere in the world. You may enjoy hot ramen, fresh sushi, sashimi, and other delicacies. If you are craving some great food to fill you up but haven’t decided where to eat, here are the 13 best Japanese Restaurants in Denver, CO.
1. Izakaya Den
$$$ | (303) 777-0691 | WEBSITE
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Izakaya Den is a sushi restaurant with high ambitions. They aim to be one of the top restaurants around the world. To achieve this, they ensure that their food is always fresh with the finest ingredients and that their service exceeds the customers’ expectations. And according to the guests, these are met.
Aside from the quality, their dishes and cocktails are innovative. One of the must-try is their Yuzu Grapefruit Martini. Dining in the restaurant will give you a great experience as the interior design surrounds you with bamboo and an earthy ambiance.
2. Sushi Den
$$$$ | (303) 777-0826 | WEBSITE
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If you are into authentic sushi, Sushi Den is one of the best in Denver. Imagine eating fish that came from the land of sushi itself. Now that’s authentic Japanese food. Furthermore, you can rest assured that your food is always fresh since they fly the ingredients from Tokyo daily.
The prices might be high, but the servings are very generous, and the dishes are delicious and luxurious. They have a wide selection of fish; even those you may not be familiar with are available. So, if you want to try the other delicacy of Japan, this is your chance.
3. Blue Sushi Sake Grill
$$$ | (303) 639-6200 | WEBSITE
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Are you looking for a sushi place with great deals? Blue Sushi Sake Grill has happy hour every day, giving you and your companions great deals on their menu. Aside from the sushi, their cold sake and cocktails are why customers love the place.
The restaurant might be serving classic Japanese foods, but the design of this sushi place has a bar vibe. The presentation of their rolls and sushi is lovely, and so is the taste of their food. The customers highly commend the servers for their warm smiles and attentive service.
4. Kobe An
$$ | (303) 989-5907 | WEBSITE
Many restaurants serve authentic food in their ways. However, if you want a traditional Japanese dining experience, Kobe An will give you exactly that. They have tatami or Japanese-style rooms where the guests sit on the floor, and each room has sliding doors.
The guests are in love with the ambiance. Every dish served is luscious, and service is fast. But what’s highly recommended by the customers are their noodles. If you want to have a private moment with your date, family, or friends, their rooms will guarantee you that.
5. Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ
$$ | (720) 726-4068 | WEBSITE
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Moving on from the sushi bars and houses, Gyu-Kaku focuses on Japanese barbeque. Having to cook your meat with friends or family is a great way to bond as you can talk about anything while cooking. It also shows the generosity of the people as they share what they are cooking with their companions.
They will serve you fresh and excellent raw meats that you may grill in front of you. The presentation of the beef and pork is simple yet pleasant. The restaurant also serves ready-to-eat dishes such as ramen and japchae, a Korean noodle.
6. Matsuhisa Denver
$$$$ | (303) 329-6628 | WEBSITE
Having trained in different parts of the world, Chef Nobu Matsuhisa adopted other styles and techniques in preparing Japanese dishes. He has a signature style of sashimi in his menu that features diversity. One of his pride dishes is the yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno. You may also experience omakase in this restaurant.
The staff is knowledgeable about the menu they are serving, which benefits the customer who has never been to a sushi house. Although every food is excellent, the people love the rolls more. The prices are reasonable for the amount and quality of food they serve.
7. Bamboo Sushi
$$$ | (303) 284-6600 | WEBSITE
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Bamboo Sushi is the first sustainable sushi house anywhere. Their core values are significant, as the more people eat sushi, the more the ecosystem is prone to damage. This restaurant tries to avoid that by reproducing fish to sustain the population. Furthermore, they serve only on small plates, which lessens the needed fish.
Despite their precautions, the guests still have a lovely experience. They have a great menu selection, and the food is excellent and fresh. The presentation of their food is pleasing to look at, and the entrees are flavorful. Make sure to try some cocktails when you visit.
8. Izu
$$ | (303) 284-7981 | WEBSITE
Izu has a diversified ingredient in traditional Japanese cuisine, elevating it to a more stylish and globally competitive level. Since sushi relies on the quality and its elements, having high-quality fish or other seafood will matter the most.
It is the reason why this restaurant makes sure only to get their ingredients from the top wholesalers around America. Every morning, they receive fresh fish. Even the rice that they use is polished.
Aside from the great food, their management is excellent, and some even describe it as first-class. The staff is very welcoming, and so does the place’s interior design.
9. Okinawa Japanese Cuisine
$$ | (303) 322-8886 | WEBSITE
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Okinawa Japanese Cuisine provides genuine, tasty, and fresh traditional Japanese foods like sushi and sashimi. The customers are in love with the fatty tuna and salmon sushi as aside from the reasonable price, it is unexplainably good. The fish and rice ratio are perfect. The ingredients for the rolls are very generous for their cost.
In other words, everything on their menu is excellent. Even the fried rice is tasty and perfect for the other entrees. Furthermore, the staff is lovely. They accommodate everyone and ensure they have a great experience, even the kids.
10. Uchi Denver
$$$$ | (303) 444-1922 | WEBSITE
There is no place like home. Uchi, the Japanese word for home, took the name seriously and designed the restaurant to look like a house. Chef Tyson Cole, one of the James Beard awardees, owns the place, so you know that your stomach is in good hands.
Of course, the home feel will not be complete without the warm welcomes of the staff. The price may be high, but the place’s ambiance and delicious foods compensate for it. If you visit Uchi, you must try their salad with cashew pesto sauce.
11. Kobe An LoHi
$$ | (303) 284-6342 | WEBSITE
Another traditional Japanese way of eating is the Shabu Shabu or hotpot. Instead of grilling the meat, you will put it in the boiling soup until it is ready. This way of cooking allows you to taste the quality of the beef and pork slices that you will enjoy. The soup also has various veggies and balls that make the soup flavorful.
Mostly, people eat Shabu Shabu with sauce as a dip for the meat. Kobe An LoHi will serve you house-made sauces that have high-quality ingredients. It is a perfect weekend supper for the family.
12. Kokoro Restaurant
$ | (303) 692-8752 | WEBSITE
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Kokoro Restaurant is very transparent with the ingredients they use and its source of meat. They never freeze the chicken. Meanwhile, they only use U.S. Choice beef for their beef bowl. Their vegetables are all from the state in which they cut themselves. They do not add MSG in their dishes, which means all the flavor you taste is natural.
The only thing that they keep secret is how they make their teriyaki sauce. The restaurant is famous for its teriyaki combo bowl. Their sauce for the dish is one of a kind, and the meat is tender.
13. Mizu
$$$ | (720) 372-7100 | WEBSITE
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Besides Japanese food, you must experience Izakaya, a place where you can enjoy drinking while being comfortable and eating great food. In other words, Izakaya is like a pub in Japan. The restaurant is perfect for a friend’s night out or chilling out with your coworkers after a long day at work.
Undoubtedly, their selection of alcohol is great, but they do not let their dishes go unnoticed. The owner of this restaurant chooses the fish they will use herself, which comes from Japan. She sees the fish via video call. That is another level of dedication.
Summary
There are many restaurants around Denver with different things to offer. Some focus on serving the freshest sushi, and others want to give the customers a new experience and introduce them to the Japanese culture. You must try these 13 best Japanese Restaurants in Denver, CO.
How is KiKis not on this list!????!!!