Sushi Returns to Congress Park January 18

"Where we decide to do business is where we decide to also build our roots. Our vision for Congress Park is one where everybody knows your name, where we know what you like," says Elijah Lehrer, vice president of operations for Bamboo Sushi.

The Portland-based brand that boasts the title of the world's first certified sustainable sushi restaurant first came to Denver as a stall at Avanti in 2016 before opening its LoHi brick-and-mortar that same year.

Its second outpost in Colorado debuts January 18 at 1160 Madison Street in Congress Park, a space that has seen a lot of change over the years. After baum cake bakery Glaze closed in 2015, it briefly operated as a spinoff of Sushi Sasa before Jeff Osaka resurrected his former restaurant Twelve in the space as 12@Madison in 2016 — but the pandemic ended that eatery's run in 2020.

Since 2021, the address had been home to a location of locally based Sushi Ronin. While it still has its original outpost in LoHi, it closed in Congress Park last month, leaving a hole that Bamboo Sushi has quickly stepped in to fill.

"Our opportunity at Congress Park has really, truly been leveraged by the success of our LoHi location, by the success of the team that operates that LoHi location, by the quality of both service and hospitality service and our culinary teams there," shares Lehrer. The opening marks the company's sixth location in the nation.

"My vision for Congress Park is an extension of the community's dining rooms and living rooms," says Lehrer. "When folks in Congress Park think of eating dinner, we want them to only think of us."

In preparation for the January 18 opening, the team has been making itself a known presence in the neighborhood, hoping to spark a dialogue with its new demographic of guests. The location will only accept walk-ins to further encourage a face-to-face environment.

The menu features signature rolls and customer favorites such as the Green Machine Roll alongside entree options like miso-glazed black cod, grilled octopus and charred mackerel to pair with a lineup of cocktail and sake options.
"My vision for the food, having been in and around sushi now for upwards of thirty years and being a native Californian, is light, bright, fresh, vibrant flavors," shares Lehrer, who originally joined the team as culinary director and has since played a large role in steering the direction the menu takes.

The mission behind Bamboo Sushi has always begun with the pledge to provide the most sustainable and ethically sourced seafood possible. Through every step of the process, the team is always working to minimize its carbon footprint and be aware of the impact each of its partners has on aquaculture and their local communities. "One of our core values is kaizen, which is constantly doing better every day," says Lehrer. "In terms of sustainability, sustainability is a moving target, and all of our contributions and our partnerships follow that same idea."

Included on its list of maritime partnerships is the Marine Stewardship Council and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, both of which are known worldwide for the promotion and certification of high standards and environment-forward practices when it comes to both farmed and wild-caught seafood. Bamboo also partners with 1% for the Planet, which collects 1 percent of its members' annual revenue to give back to vital environmental causes.

"Sushi and seafood in general is something that is talked about highly in the climate conversation, and so we're making sure to do our part to bring you the fresh sushi, bring you the delicious seafood that you want, but do it in a way that is sustainable for our oceans," shares Ava Brenneke, senior marketing manager for Sustainable Restaurant Group, the parent company of Bamboo Sushi.

This focus on sustainability is a double-pronged promise to protect the environments Bamboo Sushi sources from and to provide diners with fresh, delicious food that is certified in its quality.

It is that mindset that earned Bamboo the distinction of being the world's first certified sustainable sushi restaurant back in 2008, and it has continued to honor that title by aligning with the ever-changing current of what it takes to be a truly sustainable restaurant. "We're going to continually evolve and start doing at least bi-annual adjustments or revisions to our menus, speaking a bit more to the regions that we operate in and seasonality," explains Lehrer.

The team is eager to bring its culinary excellence and ethical ethos to Congress Park and hopes to cement itself as a second home for sushi lovers in the neighborhood and beyond.

"What we use as our guiding light is what matters to our guests and what matters to the people we employ," concludes Lehrer.

Bamboo Sushi is located at 1160 Madison Street and will be open from 3:30 to 9 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m Friday and Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday starting January 18. Happy hour will run from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. daily. For more information, visit bamboosushi.com.