There's another sushi joint in Long Branch, New Jersey with the same name, and a little digging reveals that Hui He, the person listed on the liquor license application, is, indeed, a franchisee. If, in fact, the Denver location is an outpost of the Long Branch restaurant, there's a good chance it's a worthwhile addition: Fran Schumer, who reviews New Jersey restaurants for the New York Times, visited the place in 2012 and had this to say: "The joke about sushi is that it's good if it doesn't taste like fish; some people even say it doesn't taste like anything. Let them try Izu's salmon. Lush and sweet, it has a gentle ocean flavor. Wrapped, along with avocado, in brown rice sprinkled with sesame seeds, it becomes irresistible. The avocado and the salmon are both rich and light; I felt as if I were eating whipped cream."
The space, which is directly next door to Voodoo Doughnut, is slated for a summer opening, and there's a liquor license hearing at the Wellington Webb building on Friday, July 11, at 9 a.m.
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