First Look: Japango gets back to business in Boulder

Japango, a cramped sushi restaurant on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall, closed its doors this summer for a quick remodel. Now it's back in business with a lot more space and couple of cool additions. See Also: Up two Dunkin' Donuts, down two Steak 'n Shakes -- our Restaurant Roll Call...

By Nate Hemmert

October 7, 2013

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Japango, a cramped sushi restaurant on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall, closed its doors this summer for a quick remodel. Now it's back in business with a lot more space and couple of cool additions.

"We expanded about 50 percent in size and added about 30 percent in seating capacity," says Dean Dostert, one of the Japango's managers. "Also, a fourteen- person bar, a lounge area and a jellyfish tank."

That's right, a freakin' jellyfish tank! How awesome is that?

There will also be a patio on Pearl, in what used to be the entranceway -- that last bit of construction is still being finished. But while many changes were made at Japango, the owners didn't forget what's important here: the food.

"We improved the kitchen a little more, new appliances. We've added a few new sushi chefs and couple chefs in the back-of-house as well, but Iwasa (Yukiji) is still our master sushi chef," says Dostert.

Japango reopened quietly on September 28, before making a public announcement, to get a feel of the place for a week or so before going full steam.

Follow @CafeWestword

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Westword has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.