Inspired by Japanese izakayas, chef/restaurateur Bill Taibe founded the original Kawa Ni in Westport, Connecticut, in 2014. Nearly a decade – and many dumplings, bao buns and inventive plates – later, he debuted the second Kawa Ni in LoHi after falling in love with the neighborhood, which has embraced it right back. The buzzy dining […]
Japanese in Denver
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Sushi Den and its sister restaurants on South Pearl Street have long been the standard for high-end Japanese dining in Denver, so when group co-founder Toshi Kizaki and chef Kenta Kamo opened a spot inside the Source in RiNo, diners took notice. Now four years into its run, Temaki Den has a deserved reputation for […]
Ramen Star opened on a quiet Sunnyside street in 2019 with a couple of secrets hidden inside. First: a high-tech noodle machine that allows the kitchen to turn out springy ramen noodles every day (when most ramen shops purchase pre-made noodles). Second: Its dedication to building layers of flavor in its broths using traditional ingredients […]
The bakers at this Japanese bakery out-French the French, with buttery pastries delicately layered and sporting impossibly fine and crisp outer shells. Japanese culture prefers acquiring skill and knowledge through years and even decades of practice, perfecting technique through repetition. Not only has Tokyo Premium Bakery mastered a difficult art, but the bakers have quickly […]
Austin-based chef and restaurateur Tyson Cole brought his hit spin on a Japanese sushi house to Denver’s RiNo neighborhood in 2018, and at the time, there was some skepticism about an out-of-state concept trying to replicate success in the Mile High. But Uchi Denver has proven to be a powerhouse in its own right, where […]
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A zero-waste mission with an emphasis on grain drives this Michelin-starred tasting-menu restaurant from Kelly Whitaker’s Id Est Hospitality group, which includes its own milling operation, Dry Storage. In the fall and winter, the menu is spurred by a focus on fermentation and other preservation methods inspired by centuries-old techniques from around the world, while […]
Denver doesn’t do weird – at least not when it comes to restaurants (Casa Bonita is the exception that proves the rule). So fans of offbeat dining should head to this Lakewood sushi bar, which is a wonderland of weird decor: miniature fairy gardens populated with tiny cartoon animals; plush, smiling nigiri; colorful balloons randomly […]
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There’s something undeniably fun about the light and delicious offerings at Motomaki, from the folks who brought you Hapa Sushi. Motomaki specializes in big rolls, Japanese flavors and Hawaiian poke. Its rolls are considerably larger than standard sushi-bar maki, with an ample amount of rice and creative fillings wrapped in whole sheets of nori. Options […]
What’s an izakaya? In short, it’s a Japanese pub with food intended to go with drinks. But to experience for yourself how the izakaya concept translates to the hip LoHi neighborhood, head over to Mizu Izakaya, which opened at the end of 2016 in a corner space that had once seemed doomed and now is […]
Chef Nobu Matsuhisa brought everything we expected when he opened a branch of his namesake restaurant in Cherry Creek in 2016. The building is opulent and stunning, the plates executed with an artist’s skill and mastery of color and form, and the flavor pure and focused. Yes, Matsuhisa is destination dining for the most special […]
When Katsu Ramen opened in early 2015 in Aurora, it was greeted by long lines of ramen lovers. They found was milky-white tonkotsu ramen, cloudy with pork bones boiled for the better part of a day; sweet, nutty miso ramen; lighter shoyu, with a soy-flavored blend of chicken and pork stock; spicy chicken ramen, with […]
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There’s something undeniably fun about the light and delicious offerings at Motomaki, from the folks who brought you Hapa Sushi. Motomaki specializes in big rolls, Japanese flavors and Hawaiian poke. Its rolls are considerably larger than standard sushi-bar maki, with an ample amount of rice and creative fillings wrapped in whole sheets of nori. Options […]
Chef Jeff Osaka brought something unique to River North with Sushi-Rama in December 2015: conveyor-belt sushi (kaiten-zushi). The tiny space seats just under fifty, but it’s worth the sometimes daunting wait to nab a spot next to the conveyor belt, which carries Fiesta-colored plates around the dining room. Those plates bear just a few bites […]