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Denver's 5 Best Spots For High-End Japanese Eats

(HOODLINE) - In search of a new favorite Japanese spot?

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(credit: Departure/Yelp)

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the best high-end Japanese restaurants around Denver, using both Yelp data and our own soy sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to satisfy your cravings.

Sushi Den

Topping the list is Sushi Den. Located at 1487 S. Pearl St. in Platt Park, the sushi bar and Japanese spot is the most popular high-end Japanese restaurant in Denver, boasting 4.5 stars out of 1,540 reviews on Yelp.

The restaurant serves award-winning Japanese cuisine including its innovative sushi rolls and sashimi, which are made using ingredients flown in from one of Japan's largest fish markets in Fukuoka.

Guests may also dive into the Japanese eggplant with julienned vegetables and honey miso glaze, the broiled miso black cod and noodle dishes like duck udon, which comes accompanied by a dinner salad. (Take a look at the full menu here.)

Izakaya Den

Next up is Platt Park's Izakaya Den, situated at 1487 S. Pearl St. With 4.5 stars out of 385 reviews on Yelp, the sushi bar and Japanese spot has proven to be a local favorite for those looking to indulge.

The sake house offers a Japanese-style menu that dabbles in both international and Asian flavors. The small plates include gyoza (pan fried pork dumplings), jalapeño sashimi (hamachi, yuzu soy and cilantro), edamame (lightly salted soybean pods) and more.

Guests may also choose from a premier sake menu that features liquors like the Wakatake Onikoroshi, which tastes of citrus, lychee and cantaloupe.

Sushi Sasa

Highland's Sushi Sasa, located at 2401 15th St., Suite 80, is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the fancy sushi bar and Japanese spot four stars out of 724 reviews.

The sushi spot serves up innovative Japanese cuisine like the bluefin jalapeño, a concoction of raw bluefin tuna, jalapeño puree, yuzu soy, sesame olive oil and shiso.

Cocktails like the lychee martini (junmai sake, vodka, lychee juice and grapefruit juice, topped with Prosecco) are also on the menu.

Bamboo Sushi

Bamboo Sushi, a sushi bar, cocktail bar and Japanese spot in Highland, is another much-loved, pricey go-to, with 4.5 stars out of 121 Yelp reviews. Head over to 2715 17th St., Suite 102, to see for yourself.

As one of the Colorado's first MSC-certified sustainable sushi spots, Bamboo Sushi offers a variety of fresh dishes, including its eight-piece signature rolls. One of the sushi rolls, Friday the 13th, incorporates spicy salmon, cucumber and avocado, alongside albacore tuna, tempura flakes, spicy aioli and eel sauce.(Check out the full menu here.)

Departure

Then there's Departure, a Cherry Creek favorite with four stars out of 210 reviews. Stop by 249 Columbine St. to hit up the sushi bar and Asian fusion spot, which was chosen as one of 5280 Magazine's best Denver restaurants, next time you're looking to splurge.

Indulge in contemporary spins on Japanese delicacies like the orange-glazed carrots, which come with coconut yogurt, crunchy seeds and pomegranate; the Szechuan pork wontons with scallion, crispy garlic and chili oil; and grilled octopus with smoked apricot barbecue and pickled onions. (View the full menu here.)

Article provided by Hoodline.

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