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By: Luc Hatlestad

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!

Comments

enter me in today's contest

Submitted by madthomas on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:49.

I'm out on sushi but the art museum would be great

Never been

Submitted by Eforbes16 on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:47.

I must have driven past a hundred times, but never noticed it before. I'll have to go check it out!

Mmm sushi

Submitted by colojones on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:47.

Good tips--especially as a top of the town rebounder. Sounds tasty.

Sushi!

Submitted by kursten on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:46.

I love sushi and always looking to try new places!  If I'm in this neck of the woods, I will try it out!

Sushi

Submitted by rfranks on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:46.

Looks yum!

Hidden gems

Submitted by karissajohnson17 on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:46.

Sounds like a great place; I'm always down to try new sushi restaurants. 

Osaka Sushi

Submitted by ruthkate on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:45.

I'm going to have to find this place!

Always impressed...

Submitted by KRhoades on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:45.

with the quality of sushi in CO despite the state being landlocked. Glad to see a new addition!

Yummmmm! If you like sushi ;)

Submitted by mgreenberg on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:45.

Yummmmm!  If you like sushi ;)

Van Gogh!!!!

Submitted by mindykittay on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:45.

Oh, oh, oh - I really, really want these tickets!

Sake Bombs!!

Submitted by audgepodge on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:43.

Always good to have a recommendation to an unknown strip mall restaurant!  Will put it on the list to try!

sUSHI!

Submitted by rrowland on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:42.

i HAD SUSHI LAST FRIDAY

Fire Caterpillar

Submitted by tasharaedesigns on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:42.

..it's what's for lunch! Yum!

Sounds FAB!

Submitted by Kimberly24 on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:42.

Do you really need any excuse to try a new sushi restaurant? This place sounds great - I'd like to meet Jay, too!

Dang !!

Submitted by robertkun on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:40.

So close and yet I never paid attention to it being there.  I will go !!

Sushi!

Submitted by ajstan85 on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:39.

Sushi!

Love Rolls

Submitted by amberrt on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:36.

Those rolls have my mouth watering.  The fire caterpillar sounds out of this world.

South Colorado Blvd

Submitted by dsg576 on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:35.

I live right by this place. I have always had a good experience. Will need to inquire about Elvis...

I love sushi !

Submitted by vicky on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:35.

I'm always looking for a great sushi place !   Looking forward to trying this one !

News to me

Submitted by cline11163 on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:35.

My 10 year old is always willing to try sushi.  

Who knew

Submitted by rachelconn on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:34.

Always looking for a new sushi spot and this looks promising. Can't wait to try!

Thanks for the tip!

Submitted by maisyboomhobs on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:34.

Oh, would love to try a new-to-me sushi restaurant! Thanks for the informative tip! Sounds marvelous!

Sushi

Submitted by cheri428 on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:34.

Sushi is so pretty and delicious!

Fun times

Submitted by KelseyWittenberg on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:33.

Sounds like a fun place to eat! Haven't been, but looking forward to visiting now!

van gogh & sushi!

Submitted by sporobolus on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:22.

van gogh & sushi!

we need this!

Submitted by surveyact on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:14.

I wish they'll open something like this in the Southwest part of Colorado!!

L.O.V.E. Sushi!!

Submitted by katy.salach on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:01.

Love Sushi restaurants for get-togethers! Seems like this restaurant is a MUST! 

 

sushi yummy

Submitted by les16j on Mon, 2012-10-15 10:00.

Fresh sushi in Denver is priceless!

Yummm

Submitted by jennhensley on Mon, 2012-10-15 09:51.

Sushi lights up my little soul!

Denver's Osaka Sushi

Submitted by klbennett on Mon, 2012-10-15 09:49.

Sushi restaurants are one of my favorite places to celebrate a birthday, for a friend or for myself! I'll definitely have to check this spot out. 

Sushi-Licious

Submitted by elizahleigh on Mon, 2012-10-15 09:43.

Mercury woes have forced me to break my sushi habit, but now I think I just may have to change my tune.

so wished...

Submitted by charshir on Mon, 2012-10-15 09:34.

I liked sushi.  It looks so pretty.  I may take my friends here that like it, maybe I just haven't had sushi done right.

Thanks!

Submitted by Corey_D on Mon, 2012-10-15 09:18.

I love hearing about hole-in-the-wall places like this.

Sushi!!

Submitted by cristy91380 on Mon, 2012-10-15 09:18.
Love to try a new- to me- sushi place!

please enter me in today's contest!

Submitted by joyce2dogs2cats on Mon, 2012-10-15 09:13.

Love, love, LOVE Sushi, so thanks for the tip!

I've heard of this place!

Submitted by HelloPillow on Mon, 2012-10-15 09:03.

Now I really must go!

Good for the soul

Submitted by ekstrahand on Mon, 2012-10-15 08:26.

All this fun and goosness in a strip mall like area, right on! parking and sushi a bonus in its self aside from Elvis.

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