Originally posted on Jan 19th, 2018. Slightly updated on Dec 15th, 2022, Apr 12th, 2023, and Mar 26, 2024
I laughed when a German acquaintance had told me that he had went to a Wienerschnitzel thinking it was going to be German food (I had a slight case of #schadenfreude).
The disappointment he must have felt is the same disappointment I feel trying to find one decent/legit non-Americanized Japanese restaurant in Colorado. #badkarma
This list is to help you find a Japanese restaurant that reflects the food and culture of Japan because the Americanized stuff is as Japanese as Pizza Hut is Italian.
Nothing wrong with the Americanized versions because I have had my fair share of teriyaki bowls and California rolls.
NOTE (Apr 12th, ’23 – Mar 26th, ’24): I wrote this article about five years ago, now six years ago, and embarrassingly, it became a popular blog post with 400+ shares (tens of thousands of views). So, I went back through it to minimize the bleeding from your eyes from my excessive ranting and grammatical errors. I fixed a few egregious issues, although I plan on doing more tweaks/edits soon.
The TL;DR (Too Long Didn’t Read)
Yeah, I know, just give you the list, and in no particular order here it is, although if you are looking forthe best experience, Boulder has more legit Japanese restaurants than all of Denver:
| NAME | PRICE | TYPE | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Matsuhisa | $$$$ | sushi | Cherry Creek |
| 2. Temaki Den | $$ | handroll | Five Points/ Denver |
| 3. Amu | $$$ | kappo | Boulder |
| 4. Sushi Company | $ | handroll | throughout Denver |
| 5. Domo | $$ | “wanko” sushi | Denver |
| 6. Katsu Ramen | $ | gyoza | Aurora |
| 7. Kiki’s Japanese Casual Dining | $ | casual dining | Denver |
| 8. Kuniko’s Teriyaki Grill | $ | donburi | Grand Junction |
| 9. Sushi Sasa | $$$ | sushi | Highland/ Denver |
| 10. Tokio | $$ | sushi | Ballpark/ Denver |
| 11. Sushi Kazu | $$ | sushi | Centennial |
| 12. Gyu-kaku | $$ | yakiniku | Cherry Creek & Denver |
| 13. Rakkan Ramen | $ | ramen | Boulder |
| 14. AOI Sushi and Izakaya | $$ | izakaya | Boulder |
| 15. Jinya | $$ | ramen | Denver |
| 16. Osaka’s | $$ | okonomiyaki | Boulder |
| 17. Osaka Ramen | $$ | ramen | Denver |
| 18. Sakana Sushi | $$ | sushi | Westminster |
| 19. Sushi Den | $$$ | sushi | Denver |
| 20. Tasuki | $$ | sushi | Boulder |
Ashley’s interpretation of a New York-style pizza in South Korea is like Colorado and Japanese Food #fuhgettaboutit
Finding such bastardized Japanese food in Colorado is how I felt on the last night of my trip in Korea. A night spent at “Ashley’s American Grille” with our gracious hosts.
Even though I had hoped for a home-cooked Korean meal, I tried to keep a positive attitude about being taken to Ashley’s American Grill. So I turned to my inner Annie, and I kept a sunny disposition.
The cheesecake pizza and mashed potatoes with raisins and marshmallows in South Korea is a lot like the Americanized Japanese food in Colorado, nothing like what it claims it to be.
Except, us Americans always claim our hack jobs to be fusion cuz “chef,” but I say more like con’fusion.
The food at Ashley’s American Grille looked as American as apple pie, a pink flamingo, and a slim and lean 285 lb. Muuurican with a fanny pack. Unfortunately, every time I tried something, it had a Korean spin and not a good one.
So how do they eff up on mashed potatoes (not a Korean potato salad) or a pizza? Easy, you sweeten it by adding a bagful of marshmallows, apples, or a handful of raisins to dishes that were never sweet, like mashed potatoes, or you turn a New York-style pizza into a cheesecake pizza cuz Korea.
Cuz Colorado
What you are about to see/read is the equivalent of taking an Italian out for pizza at Pizza Hut, topped off with a venti Frappuccino at Starbucks all under the guise of being Italian.
The largest AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) ethnic groups in Colorado as of 2018:
1. Chinese (almost twice the number as the smallest group), 2. Indian, 3. Korean, 4. Filipino, 5. Vietnamese, and dead last, Japanese.
Why this matters? We Coloradans are missing out on amazing galbitang (Korean), chow fun (Chinese), sisig, tocilog (Filipino), boat noodle soup (Thai), and bun bo Hue (Vietnamese) in lieu of bad Americanized ramen and sushi. It is one reason I tried to do 303foodculture, a last ditch attempt to promote other ethnic cuisines.
As a 3rd-4th generation Coloradan and Japanese American, I know that many businesses in Colorado try to copy Sushi Den’s success by thinking that Japanese food is more appealing than Chinese, Korean, and Filipino food, but it’s not.
However, the truth is that Sushi Den earned its reputation over several decades, and its success did not happen overnight. I know because I grew up in Colorado, and I remember bringing a rice ball for lunch in elementary school, which my classmates thought was, “Ewww, what is that (the black nori/seaweed),” versus the familiarity of a Piccolo’s pizza slice.
Therefore, it is not accurate to say that Colorado exclusively prefers Japanese food. Instead, the reality is that many Chinese restaurants in Denver/Aurora failed by pricing themselves out of business with their dollar scoops which focused on quantity over quality (I do not think I am the only one that remembers all the spots along Havana St., or throughout Denver).
Why they added corn, spinach, and a poached egg? Cuz Colorado, because none of these ingredients are commonly found in the combination they used it in versus Japanese ramen, but the worst part, they 86’d the notorious ramen egg for a poached egg, WTF.
This business also did not know the difference between “tonkotsu” (pork bone) and “tonkatsu” (pork cutlet), which are two totally different things. They never bothered to look it up on Baidu.
In Colorado, all Asians are Japanese
One of the funniest things I have seen recently was a local Denver news segment about a sushi restaurant. The female reporter asks one of the Asian sushi chef dudes a random question about something very Japanese, and all he did was stare back at her dumbfounded. It was obvious when I was watching he was not Japanese, but she assumed he was. Well, fair enough because I suppose anybody in a Pizza Hut is Italian.
My guess is that about 94%? of the Japanese themed/inspired restaurants in Colorado have neither a Japanese owner, employee, or anybody who has ever been to Japan, yet there are so many “Japanese” restaurants.
My homies who are Asian in Colorado and work at Japanese restaurants are often assumed to be Japanese, but most are Chinese or Vietnamese.
I guess 94%? of the Japanese-themed/inspired restaurants in Colorado have neither a Japanese owner, employee or anybody who has ever been to Japan. If they had, it sure is not reflective of the food here, and only Sushi Den has a BOH with a staff with a large majority of Japanese.
Also, if they had Japanese employee’s, Okinawa Sushi would not make all the silly spelling mistakes, such as calling their roll an oshiko (oshikko) to “take a piss/urinate roll (meaning in Japanese)” vs. oshinko or “pickled radish” roll.
Colorado Reddit is a cesspool of blind fully oblivious buffoons because if you are Japanese American, and you call out the bastardizing of your cultures food, it is an instant downvote cuz “racist.”
Asian cuisine in California and in coastal cities has a large and diverse Asian community to support it, but in Colorado, you have a large non-Asian community telling Asians what is/isn’t racist because the enlightened people.
Knowing the difference between “tonkatsu” (breaded pork cutlet, like a schnitzel) to “tonkotsu” (pork broth) is almost as basic as getting the significance of the name of your restaurant. It is lost on whoever came up with “Okinawa” because that is like saying Hawaii is the state that best represents all of the United States, which it does not. Okinawa is more on par with Hawaii (Okinawa is 400 miles South of mainland Japan), and Okinawans aren’t known for sushi, nor are they outright Japanese.
Not to mention, even in Los Angeles, a city with one of the largest populations of Japanese, there is only ONE restaurant in all of California that considers itself Okinawan, and that is Habuya. The talented Mayumi’san is the owner and operator and she is Okinawan.
Chinese, Korean, and Japanese food all mixed together is con’fusion food
If the spelling was not bad enough, I liken the approach of these restaurants to Jurassic Park when they needed to fill in the missing dinosaurs DNA. In the movie, they just use a frogs DNA which is what these restaurants do when they do not know the specifics of a Japanese dish.
Instead of doing actual Japanese food (are they not aware that they can Google a recipe?), they fill in what they do not know with either a Chinese, Thai, Korean, or “step back, I’m a chef bro, watch this, throws a bunch of ‘Asiany’ ingredients all together and calls it Japanese (“you’re all the same, aren’t you?”).
Most of the poke restaurants here in Colorado think Hawaiian poke is Japanese (it’s not), which is why you often see it paired up with Americanized ramen or see Japanese motifs like sumo wrestlers (like the poke restaurants on the 16th st. mall in Denver).
The chain, L&L over in Aurora is the closest thing to Hawaiian style food here (the plate lunch, lau lau, and kalua pork).
So what is authentic Japanese food?
To oversimplify things, authentic Japanese food (Washoku) focuses on enhancing the ingredients natural flavors (glutamates, aka umami). Other than that, most dishes will include varying ratios of shoyu (soy sauce), mirin (sweet wine), sake (rice wine), miso (fermented soybeans), and dashi (stock). Dishes that reflect Japan are listed here, 19-27 types of Japanese restaurants in Los Angeles.
If the dish has a ton of sauces made of mayo, spicy or sweet sauces, and you cannot taste the main ingredient, it is most likely not Japanese. I will not go further into it, but you will not see Americanized Japanese food being the reason why the Japanese have the highest life expectancy and lowest obesity rate (it is the opposite).
“Japanese” and “ramen” are the marketing buzzwords in Colorado
All the effort, experience, and specialization that Japanese people put into food is transformed into a bastardized version by some lazy fock restaurant owner (yes, I know, it’s “fusion”). An owner adds it to the menu without any effort.
One such place is a new “ramen” place called “Ramen 303” in Arvada, which is a Thai restaurant, for whatever reason, decided to change its name to include “ramen” vs. sticking with a “Thai noodle restaurant” as they had been.
I have to give credit and respect to Teriyaki Madness and Torchy’s Taco for both not leaning on Japanese or Mexican culture to market their businesses because they get it.
On the flip side, one of the dumbest brands in Colorado is Tokyo Joe’s.
This misguided marketing sucks for Japanese food and culture in Colorado because I have an example of why that sucks from a conversation with one of my Japanese friends in Los Angeles. He said that he didn’t like Mexican food, so I had to ask, “Well, where did you go?” His response was, “Taco Bell.” If you did a facepalm, that is also how I felt when somebody tells me they eat at Corner Ramen (a Chinese-owned) or Menya (Korean-owned) spot that markets itself as Japanese or as the “best ramen.”
Now, if you think ramen or Japanese food sucks, you have these businesses to blame because they are just cashing in on the popularity. They do not reflect the Japanese culture or ramen restaurants in coastal cities that created the popularity, or these few standout ramen ya’s in Colorado.
End of rant
Below are restaurants that are not all owned or staffed strictly by Japanese people either. Good! Not like it has to be or should be, but the list below represent business owners who are giving you glimpse of what real Japanese food is like.
Why the rant? I grew up here, and even though my friends are like “it is what it is and it will always suck,” I see all the out-of-state people from Illinois, Massachusetts, Texas, etc. So, I hope for change because I know from Reddit (yeah, the same cesspool), there are people who also agree how the food scene here sucks.
I know these individuals also enjoy the culture behind the food, so I just hope to promote the individuals and businesses listed below that are fighting the good fight.
Now for the 10 most “authentic” Japanese restaurants in Colorado from Denver to Grand Junction
Listed in no particular order because they are all great for different reasons.
Matsuhisa
98 Steele St, Denver, CO 80206
www.matsuhisarestaurants.com
(303) 329-6628
If you heard of “Nobu’s” in several rap songs (like Post Malone to Young Thug), it is all about Nobu Matsuhisa, and he is the one who came up with the Peruvian-influenced New Style Sashimi.
Nobu is the brand of restaurants partnered up with Robert De Niro whereas Matsuhisa is his families restaurants in Beverly Hills (the first location), Aspen (where Akira Bach worked, a Coloradan), Vail, and Cherry Creek.
Type of restaurant/food:
A kitchen menu influenced by Nobu’san’s time living in Peru such as his dish, “new style sashimi.” The dish includes raw fish, but a blend of scorching hot olive and sesame oil is drizzled atop to sear the fish. All topped off with a ponzu, a vegetable medley, and cilantro.
Price range:
I moved to Los Angeles in 2004, so it has been a while since I had been to Matsuhisa although I think the Denver location is substantially more expensive than Beverly Hills. Yes, I know I am being lazy, and I should do a direct comparison, except my M1 MacBook is moving at a snails pace (it took probably 5 mins to write this sentence).
Authenticity:
5.0 out of 5.0 for a restaurant in Colorado.
On the downside:
In Colorado, it seems as tho almost all the Asians restaurants here want to be upscale where they charge a premium for no reason (like a $20 pad kaprao). Matsuhisa in Cherry Creek is not like the only Matsuhisa location I have been to which is Beverly Hills. It feels more like a Nobu or every other Colorado style Asian restaurants dream goals to have a fancy bathroom sink (Daughter Thai kitchen is one example).
On the upside:
I LOVE that a restaurant with this much clout is in Colorado, and I hope it raises the bar.
Temaki Den
3350 Brighton Blvd, Denver, CO 80216
temakiden.com
Sushi seems simple, although if you are not very familiar with sushi, you will not know what you are missing till you have had great sushi, like at Temaki Den.
Temaki Den hits more of those details than most others.
Type of restaurant/food:
Well, Nozawa in California started Sugarfish, but then he opened up a bunch of temaki restaurants called KazuNori. That was about a decade ago although within the last half-decade, more and more dedicated ‘hand roll’ restaurants have been opening throughout the states (I did a post on it here). Except unlike KazuNori and a local temaki restaurant, the menu is a lot larger here with nigiri sushi, sashimi, appetizers, to sweets.
Price range:
To get an idea of what they do, I would start off with their hosomaki (single item rolls) which start at $14 for 3 rolls (negitoro, salmon, blue crab), $18 for 4 (red shrimp, negitoro, salmon, blue crab), and $22 for 5 (negihama, red shrimp, negitoro, salmon, blue crab).
Authenticity:
4.5 out of 5. It is still Colorado which has a very tiny Japanese community, so it would be smart to cater to the market at-large, although out of any place in Denver, Temaki Den offers up the details of what makes a great hosomaki (due to the capability of the staff and ownership).
On the downside:
I could nitpick like I do with all the other places which is justified, although doing that to Temaki Den would be moronic move on my part. The reason I say that, it is slim pickin’s in Colorado to find a legit ‘Japanese’ restaurant. Going in, if I see vegetable dishes such as renkon, hijiki or goma-ae (spinach with a sesame dressing) on the menu, you will know this is not another Americanized restaurant with a name like Shoyu, Wasabi, Mizu, Ninja, Arigato, or Pokémon.
On the upside:
All too many upsides which are all in the details. So many details from what is on the menu, the way they have approached each menu offering. to most importantly the execution. One example is their saba which looked like ‘saba oshizushi‘ (mackerel pressed sushi). Except instead of a sheet of konbu, they have added a miso based sauce atop it which did not detract from it.
Amu
1221 Spruce St, Boulder, CO 80302
izakayaamu.com
Any business that requires you to take off your shoes in Colorado can only be in Boulder, because even in California only restaurants with a tatami mat section requires you to do that, and I love it.
Amu has Kappo style vibes although I do not think they define themselves as that.
Type of restaurant/food:
They call themselves “Izakaya Amu” (an izakaya is like a pub), but this place is a lot like a kappo style restaurant which consists of a counter with the staff cooking or preparing raw, simmered, grilled, or deep-fried foods directly in front of you. Although if they consider themselves an izakaya, I’ll drink to that.
Price range:
Here are a few items that I had, and I managed to find a few of the prices online (not easy to find): hijiki $3.75, tempura $14, katsuo sashimi $17 (pictured), and aigamo (duck) $14.75 or wagyu (I think it was SRF wagyu) shabu shabu for $22.
Authenticity:
4.5 out of 5, for experience, food, and atmosphere. This is the closest place to Japan on the list because not only do they do the above, but they also don’t allow shoes in the restaurant! Damn, that’s straight out gangsta. So if you have an aversion to being barefoot, eating dinner with only your socks on, or you’re that type that doesn’t like to do things with the lights on, this place is not for you.
On the downside:
This is still Colorado, so some of the dishes come up short like the poorly prepared tempura for the price to the very basic shabu shabu which consisted of primarily meat. The wagyu they had also served was not that well marbled either (had to be low on the BMS scale).
On the upside:
There are only two restaurants on this list that an actual Japanese person would probably feel at home at which is Amu and Kiki’s. The reason why this place would attract native Japanese is that they have dishes you just won’t find at any of Colorado’s fusion restaurants such as hijiki, croquette, okonomiyaki, mozoku, and fish roe.
Cherry Hills Sushi Co
1400 E Hampden Ave #110, Cherry Hills Village, CO 80113
@cherryhills_sushico
An owner is a reflection of the business which is why the service from the wait staff will be an enjoyable experience at Sushi Co. I might even say that it might outshine the food, especially when it is over a couple of beers, sake, to Japanese whisky.
What is Sushi Co. modeled off of? Here you go, temaki restaurants in LA and Japan.
Type of restaurant/food:
Poke restaurants seem to be opening everywhere, but the next type of business that people will be capitalizing on are “temaki” (handroll) restaurants although Cherry Hills Sushi does hosomaki (single ingredient rolls) and sashimi.
Price Range:
3 rolls for $10.00, 4 for $14, and 5 for $18. Now onto what is essential, the alcohol prices which are $5.50 for Orion, and $7.50 for the Echigo Koshihikari which is well worth it. I say that because you’ll only find a lot of these beers in LA which somewhat justifies the pricing on a lot of the beers that go up to $10. The overall cost here is very close to Kazunori in Los Angeles in which a lot of places are modeling themselves off of, except for the beer where Kazunori has the typical and favorite amongst Japanese, Sapporo which is only $5 and on draft.
Authenticity:
4 out of 5, it is close enough to the real deal for Colorado, and the interior of CHS is also not in a typical sushi bar layout, but in a square layout like Kazunori.
On the downside:
Aside from the paper plates, if you’re going to drink, they don’t offer the typical Sapporo, Kirin, Asahi draft. So, unfortunately your only options are the pricey canned, yet hard to get Japanese beers outside of California. I’ve personally already had and drank almost everything they carry, so my workaround was to stick with their second cheapest beer which they charge $7.50 for. The cheapest option is an Okinawan beer called Orion ($5.50), but I don’t drink it. It’s only popular in Okinawa and Colorado for whatever reason (every place in Denver carries it). Not even in Japan is Orion popular because they only have a 0.8% market share vs. Asahi, Kirin, and Sapporo who own the majority of it. Although if you don’t like beer, they also have a great selection of Japanese whiskies and sakes.
On the upside:
Sushi and hosomaki can easily be eff’d up, but when you have a personable, and a non-pretentious staff/owner that will make you overlook a lot of things (like the sushi shari, nori, only having low-sodium shoyu, and an inconsistent amount of fillings). Afterall, I always say a business is a reflection of the owner, and based upon that, this place will do really well and they’re helping to keep my sodium intake in check.
Domo Japanese Country Food / Denver (CLOSED OPEN)
1365 Osage St, Denver, CO 80204
domorestaurant.com
I only gravitate to the “country-style” dishes that remind me of my obachan’s (grandmother’s) cooking and the wanko sushi. Although, the Japanese countryside interior outdoes any place in Los Angeles to the Bay Area.
This business can’t decide whether or not to stay open or close.
Type of restaurant/food:
Country-style Japanese dishes, along with their own creation called “wanko sushi” which is a play off of wanko soba. If you’re wondering what “wanko” is, imagine bite site portions put into small little saucers served one at a time in succussion till you can’t eat anymore.
Price Range:
$8.50 to $13.50 for lunch, and about $17.50 for combo’s. A 5-course wanko sushi (only served for dinner) will run you $29.50 with each additional servings for $5 fitty.
Authenticity:
3.5 out of 5, the “better do ramen bandwagon menu” sucks, but the interior and the rest of the menu makes up for their hack offerings. One such thing to order is the matcha iced tea, and you’ll feel like you’re not in Colorado.
On the downside:
They must be having some staffing issues here because I’ve had some very good service to bad with one waitress who was trying to appeal to some bros with “yo, yeah, I just got a job here, and yeah I’d get that, but I don’t even know what the hell that is, you feel me dawg (dudes were like why you trying so hard).” It doesn’t just end there with the front of the house, and the kitchen is also sloppy (inconsistent) and on one of the days I went, you could hear them fock’n around in the kitchen. The only other major downside is with the menu being hella confusing, and that they added “ramen” or noodles to the menu. Seeing and trying it, I could only think “what a hack” attempt.
On the upside:
The small country-style dishes and the wanko style sushi that is unique to Domo is what stand outs here on the menu although the most impressive thing is the venue itself. You can liken it to Denver’s iconic Casa Bonita in that the venue can overshadow the food sometimes, but I wish both places would step it up (Eric Cartman and I would appreciate that).
Katsu Ramen
1930 S Havana St #4, Aurora, CO 80014
ramendenver.com
I hope the gyoza is made in-house because it is one of the better items I have had although I like their overall experience, which mimics a real Japanese vibe because of their drinks (Ramune to Ito-en green tea).
This list needs to be updated, and if you want to know my picks for the best ramen in Denver, here you go.
Type of restaurant/food:
Ramen, but I like the other items here more than the ramen. The gyoza being one of those items, and I’d want to come here just for that.
Price Range:
Only $8.95 to $10.50 for katsu curry and gyudon, and they offer three item combos for $14.95 (the portions aren’t tiny either).
Authenticity:
3.5 out of 5, Katsu would be like an authentically bad ramen-ya in Japan, but in Aurora, CO it’s fantastic. I say that because it is all over the place with the toppings (there’s no such thing as regional ramen styles here, so do not believe them when they say “Osaka”), and the broth is on the very weak side although it is better than most of the places in Colorado. Also like I said before, the gyoza is what you want because it is on par with the better places in California.
On the downside:
The tonkotsu broth is weak, and for some odd reason all the ramen restaurants throw in the kitchen sink, and then some when you order ramen. For the tonkotsu ramen they add Chinese bok choy, moyashi (bean sprouts), naruto (fish cake), and they top it all off with beni shoga (pickled ginger). Seeing that here, I can not imagine anybody here being happy with a slice of pepperoni pizza without the urge to put anchovies, pineapple, foam, and tuna fish on it.
On the upside:
Katsu is on the list because they offer an expansive menu, an interior that is Japanese (not pretentious) with their little bits of Japanese culture splashed around the place. If you didn’t realize they were a Japanese restaurant before entering the restaurant, the plastic food displays outside should have tipped you off because it’s a common sight to see in Japan, and Katsu is one of the few, if not the only place in Colorado to still have these food displays anymore.
Kiki’s Japanese Casual Dining
2440 S Colorado Blvd, Denver, CO 80222
kikisjapaneserestaurant.com
I have so much history with Kiki’s, and I have a more in-depth review on the restaurant that serves up what Japanese people typically eat in Japan (katsudon, curry, to a number of other dishes other restaurants are oblivious to).
This is how the vast majority of Japanese restaurants are in Japan and California are, non-pretentious with basic bathroom sinks.
Type of restaurant/food:
Japanese people don’t eat sushi everyday (well, I do #lavishlife), and instead they love to eat a mix of dishes like Japanese curry, grilled fish, deep-fried pork cutlet, pickled vegetables, ramen, to a dozen other dishes that can be found only at Kiki’s, unless you have a Japanese friend that can throw down in the kitchen, like me (*wink *wink).
Price Range:
Lunch starts at only $8.95 and dinner can be anywhere from $15.45 to $27.95 (sushi) although on average you’re looking at only about $15 that includes an unlimited amount of self-serve miso soup and salad with most entrees.
Authenticity:
4 out of 5, you will not find this variety or type of Japanese food anywhere else in all of Denver….that I know of at the time of this post. You can find teriyaki, kalbi, sweet and sour chicken, and California roll combo’s everywhere else though.
On the downside:
I don’t think I’ve ever come here for sushi or sashimi, but since they’re in Colorado, I think everybody here expects every Japanese restaurant to have it.
On the upside:
They do too many things right here although there was a point several years back they had a misfire, but going back years later the food is so damn good. Their katsu curry beats the average casual katsu curry restaurants you’d find throughout Los Angeles, but throw in the cozy, comfy, homie “Japanesy” interior with a huge eff’n menu and unlimited soup and salad, and this is one of, if not Denver’s only best casual Japanese dining spots.
Kuniko’s Teriyaki Grill
1133 Patterson Rd, Grand Junction, CO 81506
Kunikojapanese
I was shocked to see a Japanese mother and daughter in rural Grand Junction because there are very few Japanese in Colorado, not to mention owning and operating a restaurant in rural Colorado (the menu reflects that they are Nihonjin).
You have to appreciate the amount of effort it takes to run a Japanese restaurant in rural areas because even in Denver, I had a hard time getting certain ingredients because the Japanese food here is like Taco Bell is to Mexican food.
Type of food:
Tempura, donburi, sushi to a bunch of items that probably includes a teriyaki combo of sorts (like most restaurants do).
Price Range:
Donburi starts at $8.36 up to $12.08. Sushi rolls go from $9.29 to $13.01… what’s up with the way they priced everything, haha (no even numbers here).
Authenticity:
4 out of 5, and they are probably one of the few places (if not, the only) in all of Colorado where they dress like the waitstaff in Japan, so being here felt so Japanese even if you’re in rural Grand Junction, Colorado with population of 60k. Toss in all the things the owner has collected in her travels to Japan, and you have an interior that is decorated with so many cool little touches like the giant origami cranes to the Studio Ghibli Spirited Away miniatures, and you have a slice of Japan in Colorado (only Kiki’s comes close).
On the downside:
Why do they have to be 4 hours outside of Denver in Grand Junction, CO!?! Even a flight from DEN to GJT is $250-$500+, so that isn’t going to work for me unless I take a weekend road trip.
On the upside:
Oyakodon! or when translated means “baby and mother” which might not sound appetizing when you say it that way, but all it is are cuts of chicken (mother) and an egg (baby), all cooked over a bowl of rice with a light soy based broth.
Sushi Sasa
2401 15th St, Denver, CO 80202
sushisasa.com
Nigiri sushi comes off as easy/simple to do, but if you have ever had sushi in Japan, you will know the details matter. Sushi Sasa is one of the only places that can come even close to that experience in Japan.
Most of the notable sushi bars in Japan and costal cities are the size of Sushi Sasa (small 6-8 seats).
Type of restaurant/food:
Sasa is a sushi restaurant, and my personal favorite spot if I want to go have real sushi.
Price Range:
For nigiri sushi (2-pieces) you’re looking at $7 for maguro, $6.50 hamachi, $9 ikura, $11 kinmedai, to $14.00 toro. Sushi rolls go from $5.50 for an asparagus roll to their most expensive dragon roll for $18.95.
Authenticity:
4 out of 5, sushi can be seen as very simple, but there are a lot of small details that exemplifies the craft in Japanese cuisine. Unfortunately, so many places opt to do the lazy and easy Americanized sushi/rolls that consist of poor quality ingredients covered in a ton of mayo, sweet and spicy sauces, and crunchiness. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, just think of that dude who hasn’t showered, and he just opts to dowse himself with a half bottle of cologne (*sniff *sniff, mmmhh, B.O. and Drakkar Noir.)
On the downside:
It’s still Colorado, so they charge a premium like many of the other sushi bars that are trying to compete on the same level. They also do a lot of the fusion stuff here too, so expect to find steamed pork buns, long beans and asparagus with duck egg and a miso honey oyster sauce glaze (is that Chinese? or fusionese), bechamel (French), fried shallots, to a Korean style calamari.
On the upside:
If you want to try what real Japanese nigiri sushi is like, this is one of the very few places in Colorado to be able to do that.
Tokio, Denver
2907 Huron St #103, Denver, CO 80202
mytokio.com
There is all too much capability here, and this is the only restaurant that comes even close to doing yakitori right or at the very least knowing what it is. The rest of con’fusion crowd thinks it is teriyaki chicken on a stick.
There are very few items here that suck although I refuse to try the “ramen” which is more like nanchatte tonkotsu.
Type of food:
This is the typical “try to do it all” spot you see in rural and with midwest places minus the teppanyaki grill, but as for Tokio, they actually do a lot of things right. Not only is their yakitori decent, but you might want to try the ramen which is very pricey and over done with their chili strands to other extraneous toppings although it is not totally bad.
Price Range:
$3 to $5 per yakitori (vs. $1-2), but Colorado yakitori is bigger than what you’d have in Japan. The wagyu goes for a pricey $15, and Sapporo and Kirin are only $5, so this is the closest place you will find to a yakitori-ya.
Authenticity:
4 out of 5,eating yakitori is like a pub experience where you can eat and drink with small tapas style plates/portions throughout the night. Majority of these businesses are not dedicated to one type of cuisine, so they attempt to do sushi, ramen, and yakitori. I’m cool with that, but my gripe is with the venues in Colorado, they are the opposite of Japan, and none come close to the fun casual izakaya experience.
On the downside:
The ceiling height and all that empty space is probably bigger than the entire restaurant, so you’ll want to call ahead to check on wait times because this place is not that big, especially if you want to sit at the bar to watch them grill the yakitori.
On the upside:
A decent amount of covered parking in the rear parking garage makes this spot an easy choice if you’re concerned about finding parking.
Sushi Kazu (Added 4/25/18)
12201 E Arapahoe Rd, Englewood, CO 80112
sushikazu.com
Kazu’san can’t typically get his sushi rice right (almost always mushy), but there is a lot of history here because the ex-owner of Samurai restaurant (a restaurant from the 80s) also works here. Also say hi to Yamaguchi’san.
Most of the Japanese restaurants that have put Japanese food on the map, the owner is working regardless how much money they have made, like Sushi Den, Kiki’s, and Sushi Kazu,
Type of food:
Walking into this sushi bar, I didn’t find the typical things you’d expect to find in a Colorado sushi bar like sweet and sour pork, kalbi, or any “con-fusion” dishes. What you do get is a place that touts “run by a Japanese sushi chef….that explains our sushi!”
Price Range:
First of all, on Sundays they have a happy hour with an even further discounted sushi menu which is already cheap as it is. Just look at these daily menu prices that are listed on their website. For 2-pieces of nigiri sushi, you’re looking at only $5.10 for the maguro, $7.95 aji, $5.10 hamachi, to $4.95 for the ikura. If you’re not a nigiri sushi type, a salmon skin to a hamachi temaki will run you only $4.40 to $4.70, and rolls will range from $5.95 to $8.20 although there are a few rolls that go upwards of $11.50-11.90.
Authenticity:
4 out of 5 because after all, you do have sushi chef from Kyoto, Japan, Mr. Kazu’san himself. So it wasn’t an issue for me to ask for a saba, takuan, yamagobo makizushi without having to explain it.
On the downside:
The first time here, I came during lunch and sat at the sushi bar. What I had ordered fell short of expectations (really bad, overcooked sushi rice), but I decided to give the place a second try because my options are very limited.
On the upside:
Places like Kazu would do really well in California where there’s a predominant amount of Japanese and Asian born customers who seek places like this out. Fortunately, I think a lot of the nuances of Japanese food are lost on diners who are looking for techno music, sake bombs, and a cool club like atmosphere. Instead, what you do get here are other cultured and cool people coming here such as on the second night I went, dude sitting next to me is a pilot and was with his hot Ukrainian date. During the night, he was able to converse in fluent nihongo with Kazu’san because he had lived Japan, sugoi.
Gyu-kaku (Added on 1/12/2021)
1998 18th St, Denver, CO 80202
gyu-kaku.com
My #1 go-to spot to down a pitcher or two of beer with some grilled meat, veggies, to seafood. Gyu-kaku has over 700+ locations worldwide, and this is the only major Japanese restaurant chain in all of Colorado.
I got my front bike wheel stolen out front the one time I slacked locking it all up (the opiate users got me that time).
Type of food:
This is the Japanese chain version of Japanese yakiniku which is grilled meat (to vegetables and seafood). It is also the Japanese version of Korean BBQ, but like with both the Japanese and Korean versions, they both have their large chains from Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong (Korean) to Japan’s Gyu-kaku BBQ. Oh, and yea, this is not BBQ, it’s grilling but both the Japanese and Koreans can not get that right.
Price Range:
The only reason I would eat at Gyu-kaku in Los Angeles was because I wanted to eat yakiniku with a large group, or because Gyu-kuku pricing is the best way to try Japanese yakiniku affordably. Not only are they extremely affordable (like their $12.95 to $15.95 lunch specials), but Gyu-kaku has a ton of incentives that you can participate through their app.
Authenticity:
I liken Gyu-kaku to Denny’s when it comes to their ability to produce a chain version of Japanese yakiniku which can be interpreted as a bad thing although it is not. I mean it in a good way because this is the only Japanese restaurant chain in Colorado, and the only brand you will also find in Japan. Not to mention 700+ locations in the world.
On the downside:
The downsides are only obvious if you have ever been to a high-end Japanese yakiniku restaurant which probably set you back a hundred to a couple hundred per person. So you will know, it is really hard to compare that experience with an affordable yakiniku chain like Gyu-kaku. I would also say it is unreasonable to also do that, but I will point out the only downside is proportionate to what you pay. So, what you miss out on, are high-end grades of beef to wagyu (Japanese beef).
On the upside:
Since this is a Japanese based chain, the service is typically extremely good, as in quick. The front of the house staff share tips, so you will have a number of wait staff working your table which means, you are constantly being attended to (NOTE: during COVID, they are not able to work at full capacity although the service is still on the big upside).
Rakkan Ramen / Boulder (Added 4/12/23)
Rakkan opened in Little Tokyo Los Angeles, but I never went out of my way to try a vegan broth when Daikokuya has porky meaty goodness right down the street. I regret not trying it because that broth is impressive.
To me, this is the best in Colorado that represents legit Japanese ramen.
Since I kept adding to this blog post, I have decided to have you check out my article “The Best Ramen in Denver by a Japanese American, a Ramen Otaku, and a Native Coloradan,” a chain from Japan that I love having in Colorado over Jinya and Silverlake Ramen (the latter, they were set to open in Denver, but the investor must have backed out due to the pandemic).
In the 70’s Colorado got one of the most famous Japanese restaurant chains, Yoshinoya (in Colorado they went by Beef Bowl), but it was not till the last 5+ years till Colorado got these amazing chains from Japan.
Decades later, Yoshinoya America can barely grow outside of Los Angeles.
Honorable Mentions
AOI Sushi and Izakaya, 3303 30th St, Boulder, CO 80301
The proprietors, Keizo Aoi and Yuki, were born and raised in the Gifu and Osaka Prefectures in Japan. They grew up immersed in the world of food, both coming from families that ran restaurants. After coming to America, they have spent 20 years developing and honing their skills, working in Boulder, CO as chefs specializing in Japanese food. This led to the creation of AOI Sushi and Izakaya, with the intention of showcasing the culinary culture of Japan with every dish they serve.
Jinya, 1710 Wynkoop St, Denver, CO 80202
This ramen chain is based out of Los Angeles, and they have struggled with many of its locations going out of business or struggling throughout California due to all their competition. Except the franchisee of the Denver location is based out of Louisiana, and he made a smart move opening in Denver because there is no comparable competition here other than Rakkan.
Osaka’s, 2460 Canyon Blvd Suite #1, Boulder, CO 80302
I have a full write-up on this “okonomiyaki” spot which is also an older blog post, so I am sure it may be a challenge to read although it does have a ton of pics.
Osaka Ramen, 2611 Walnut St, Denver, CO 80205
If they can actually do a decent tonkotsu broth that isn’t salty AF (their possible misinterpretation of “shio” ramen?), this place probably has the best potential to reign supreme for ramen. Until that happens, other non-traditional ramen places will outshine them in taste and preparation. BTW, I try to support Jeff Osaka’s businesses, and I am a frequent diner where I know many of his staff.
Sakana Sushi, 7520 Sheridan Blvd, Westminster, CO 80003
I still have not been, but every single nihonjin (Japanese) person I’ve spoken to, loves this place. So right there, you know it has got to be good because this is coming from issei, nisei, to yonsei (1st, 2nd, to 4th generation Japanese Americans).
Sushi Den , 1487 S Pearl St, Denver, CO 80210
It is really hard to promote Sushi Den because this place is stuck in the 90s. With all the success they have had, all they continue to do is to push themselves to do more fusion and more Eurocentric style dishes, which is what they have been doing. All three restaurants that they own on the same block are basically all the same (initially a copycat of Matsuhisa), and their menu is like the kid who is trying to please their white friends. EDIT: 4/17/21 What a rant I went on, and what I should have said is “Sushi Den does not suck when compared to all the competition, but I wish they were more Japanese/washoku focused. (Also, Toshi’san should look into how a waiter embezzled money under his nose, luckily AA makes you confess those things).
Tasuki, 1575 Folsom St #201, Boulder, CO 80302
I have not been to Tasuki since being back in Colorado, but it has been one of the places I have wanted to go. EDIT: 2/14/2019 Luckily, Chris McCown knows what’s up, and I have to add everything he cited in an email to me (I also have a review of Tasuki now):
“I’m not Japanese, but I did live there for a while, so I’m always on the lookout for authentic food like I had when I was over there, and Tasuki is one of the best in my opinion. The Head chef/Owner, Nobuyuki Kagei, has owned several sushi restaurants in his time, including Sushi Tora up in Boulder. He was one of the head Chefs at Amu for a while as well, before moving on to open his latest restaurant, Tasuki about 2 years ago.” He also adds “you have to check it out, great food, great atmosphere, very authentic with a lot of dishes that you typically don’t find in America, like Chicken Nanban, Crab Korokke, or Takoyaki. I know Chicken Nanban and Crab Korokke are more Yoshoku-style dishes than what might be “Traditional Japanese” but they are still very unique dishes that you typically only find in Japan. They also sometimes serve Okonomiyaki as a special, and even had real Japanese Curry a few times as a special (made from scratch Chef’s recipe, not from a box).”
– Chris McCown
For my latest blog post on the newest Japanese chains in Denver from Japan and the US, here are the latest ones from cream puffs to ramen.
I was happy to get Japanese restaurant chains because it will be the closest thing to Japanese food in Colorado.
