Check, Please!

Q:Many years ago I frequented a small Japanese restaurant in Lakewood run by a chef named Sam Furuichi. I think you once gave it a Best of Denver award. What was its name, and does it still exist?

A:The restaurant you’re thinking of was Matoi, which sat at 11020 West Alameda Avenue in Lakewood until 1998, when sushi-knife-wielding chef/owner Isamu "Sam" Furuichi and his engaging wife, Billie, closed it. That was a loss, because not only was the tempura top-notch — it won a Best of Denver award in 1995 — but Sam also offered country-style Japanese foods that you don’t find at just any old sushi bar.

After brief stints at Samurai (9625 East Arapahoe Road in Englewood, 303-799-9991) and Japon (1028 South Gaylord Street, 303-744-0330), Sam is now slicing and dicing at Japango (1136 Pearl Street in Boulder, 303-938-0330), where he’s free to create many of the beautiful and flavorful masterpieces he introduced Denver diners to at Matoi.