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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!
Hearth Attack in a roll
Submitted by osuksig on Mon, 2012-10-15 11:32.
Sounds delicious...will have to seek this place out.
Osaka Sushi
Submitted by blahblahx1 on Mon, 2012-10-15 11:32.
I recall that this is an unassuming restaurant with reasonable prices.
Love the variety
Submitted by kautumnjones on Mon, 2012-10-15 11:25.
"one of the city's most playful rosters of rolls" - that is enough to make me want to go!
Looking forward to trying
Submitted by cmbertelson on Mon, 2012-10-15 11:23.
I didn't even know this place existed, can't wait to try it some time.
Ahh...sushi!
Submitted by PrairieElk on Mon, 2012-10-15 11:23.
A great sushi spot to venture out to!
Sushi!!!
Submitted by redtigeress33 on Mon, 2012-10-15 11:18.
Another sushi place to try out, what fun?!!!
A perfect day!
Submitted by J Sherman on Mon, 2012-10-15 11:16.
Sushi + Elvis + Van Gogh. Who could ask for anything more?
AMAZING
Submitted by amymalanga on Mon, 2012-10-15 11:16.
Sushi and Van Gogh ... what a perfect combination!
Sushi and Van Gogh
Submitted by kaj0611 on Mon, 2012-10-15 11:13.
Always looking for a new sushi haunt; thanks for the tip!
Interesting place
Submitted by Julz33 on Mon, 2012-10-15 11:09.
Another place to keep in mind! Maybe before or after the museum... :)
Want to try
Submitted by kellykoberg on Mon, 2012-10-15 11:06.
We usually go to Sushi Den but this sounds like a must try.
Sushi
Submitted by jgarrett83 on Mon, 2012-10-15 11:03.
Osaka sounds like a great reason to step out of our usual Lodo/Lohi places. Thanks!
I love sushi ...
Submitted by colvins on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:58.
and am so excited to try this place! We don't get out of our LoDo bubble enough.
Congrats on Ten Years!
Submitted by kctrask on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:56.
Will recommend this restaurant!
Atmosphere
Submitted by Loki_Ally on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:56.
I love to hear about owners who 10 years later are still so passionate about their restaurants and are meeting and greeting with each table in their restaurant. I would take that enviornment over a 5 star restaurant any day!
Sushi
Submitted by kimberleemiller on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:53.
Sushi and booze...two necessities of life.
Love the Denver Art Museum!
Submitted by kathib on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:52.
The Van Gogh exhibit is on my "to see" list. Hope it's as good as the YSL exhibit we saw awhile back. That was amazing!
sushi
Submitted by alysonlane on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:49.
The good thing about this giveway...you learn about places that you never heard of! Exciting to try some new restaurants.
there's no fish like raw fish
Submitted by acho0227 on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:49.
Always looking for sushi places close by. The best
Sushi Love...
This place sounds great...
Need to check it out
Haven't been to Osaka. Will have to give it a try.
Love Sushi!
Sushi is amazing!
DAM!
I can't wait to see the new Van Gough exhibit at the DAM. Sweet!
Van Gogh
Would love to see Van Gogh at the DAM.
Spicy Crunchy Roll
Mmm, that spicy crunchy sounds like my kind of sushi roll! My mouth is watering just thinking about it, I am totally heading there after work!
good for the small restaurants!!
It's great when the small restaurants in town continue to do well!!!
LOVE THEIR SAKE BOMBS!
We celebrated a birthday at Osaka and the owner set up Sake Bombs for the entire restaurant along the Sushi bar, and let the birthday girl start them rolling. There were around 25 glasses with 25 shots of sake falling perfectly into each glass with the domino effect. What a great sight that was!!
Yes, Please!
Affordable, delicious & a great atmosphere?!?!? I'll be sure to check this one out!
The perfect date!
Sushi & Van Gogh sounds amazing! Osaka Sushi is in my neighborhood - must check it out!
New Sushi Place!
wow what a place to celebrate an affordable birthday Party
Authenticity