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Category: Table Talk
Posted: October 15, 2012 7:30 AM
Tags: Top of the Town, Osaka Sushi, Jay Chung, 20 days of giveaways
Back for More: Osaka Sushi
In 2002, 5280 gave Osaka Sushi in southeast Denver restaurant Top of the Town honors for best sushi. Ten years later, Osaka’s still got it. Although numerous sushi joints of varying price and quality have opened in recent years, Osaka keeps plugging along with a menu that's both finely tuned and affordable. My party of six, there to celebrate a birthday, reveled in huge platters of rolls and sashimi, booze, and dessert—all for under $300, including tip.
The semiobscure restaurant (it’s tucked into one of the myriad Colorado Boulevard strip malls, cross-street Exposition Avenue) wows diners with all the traditional sushi bites and supplements, along with one of the city's most playful rosters of rolls. Among my favorites were the fire caterpillar (cucumber, eel, avocado, and strawberry), the heart attack (spicy crab, cucumber, avocado, and baked salmon), the play girl (crab, spicy tuna, regular tuna, avocado, and “special sauce”), and the spicy crunchy (spicy tuna, avocado, cucumbers, wasabi tobiko, jalapeños, tempura crumbs, and masago).
Bonus: Osaka’s atmosphere is amped up by owner Jay Chung’s always-animated presence. He moves through the room, joking with every table just enough to make you feel welcome without overstaying his own. Once he discovered we were celebrating a birthday, he stuck a pair of black-tape “sideburns” to his face and serenaded our guest of honor with a (spot-on) Elvis impersonation before setting up a few dozen birthday sake bombs, domino-like, for the entire restaurant. It was the perfect nightcap to a fun and delicious dining experience.
3940 E. Exposition Ave., 303-698-9919
—Image via Shutterstock
THIS STORY WAS PART OF 5280's 20 DAYS OF GIVEAWAYS!
What could be better
Van Gogh and Sushi, what could be better?
Must try
Haven't been to Osaka yet but we'll definitely have to dine there soon!
LOVe
Never knew there was such a good sushi place THERE!!
All these years I've driven past there for my work commute!!! Must
HAVE Now!!!
DAM sushi
Great combo
DAM sushi
Great combo
sushi
will fake my bday to see the fake sideburns
van gogh & sushi
with good sushi he might have kept his ear!
Osaka
So ready for a new sushi bar. We'll go there and then hit the Van Gogh exhibit. It's a date!
Van Gogh perfection!
Dinner and a show
Yar!
I wish my wife weren't allergic!
Never knew it was there
We will definitely be trying!
pass the wasabi please
While I very much enjoy sushi generally, I would not as much without wasabi. Also, ever had the "multiple orgasm" roll at Hapa Sushi in Boulder? Talk about a head rush!
Osaka Sushi
Great to know about new sushi place
Mmm' fresh bait...I love
Mmm' fresh bait...I love sushi.
new to me
I'll be trying this place soon!
Sushi Sushi
Osaka Sushi
Here fishy fishy
Well, I was going to make dinner...
Mmmm now I want a spider roll...damn you sexy good looking food! :)
Sushi How I Love Thee
I. Love. Sushi. Although I need to step out of my 'usual' Caterpillar roll with eel and an amazing sauce, and try more items... This looks pretty good for a new item to try!
Sushi!
I love sushi and I haven't found anywhere that's overly impressive in Denver. I'll have to try Osakasushi!
What a lovely picture!
I'm trying to learn to love sushi, and this picture is definitely the most appetizing I've seen!
Sounds like a blast
There are plenty of delisious sushi restaurants in Denver, but I've never been to one that sounds as lively and welcoming as Osaka. Next time I'm craving sushi I'm heading there.
Denver Sushi Scene
There are already so many good sushi places around Denver and Boulder that I'm always a little afraid to try a new place. However, this place sounds delicious and it's a good sign it's been open so long-maybe I'll expand my sushi list by one more.....
Strawberry Sushi?!
The fire catapillar roll sounds AMAZING! Strawberries in sushi? This place just moved to the top of my "must try" restaurants!
Van Gogh
Would love to see this exhibit!
Delicious!
Looking forward...
... to trying Osaka at some point. Nice touch that the owner is so personally involved and out and about.
Vincent dreams of sushi
and yes, I discover that people do hawk little miniature sushi paintings.
Yum!!
Can't wait to try this place!
Van Gogh & Sushi!
can't wait!
Osaka1
Great sushi! Glad to see a write up about them.
Osaka
Sushi!
Hidden gem!
Outta my way, all you office dwellers at Exposition and Colorado. I saw this first!
Not a sushi fan
I love new resturants but not a huge sushi fan. Family friendly is always nice to find
Sushi and Van Gogh
A very nice combination! I will have to try both next week when I am in Denver!
Fresh!
Sushi-me
A favorite!
A new (to me) sushi place for me to try?
Another Sushi place to try!
Sounds delicious
I may have to give this a try, it can be difficult finding places that serve good sushi.
There are lots of sushi
There are lots of sushi restaurants in Denver, but not so many good ones. Glad to hear there is another good one out there!
<3
I need to try that heart attack!
Sushi and Van Gogh
Sounds like a perfect night to me!!! And, considering we're no where near water (not counting our few rivers) , it's always great to see GOOD sushi places pop up here in Denver.
Von Gogh and Sushi, yes
Even Jiro would approve! And I really would LOVE those 2 free tickets, please!
Must go...
NOW!
Osaka
So good to know we have an undiscoved choice for our next sushi outing!
Can never have too many sushi restaurants
I love sushi and Osaka will be added to my list to try. It's always great to hear of a new sushi place to experience, and it's great to hear of a good atmosphere to go with it.