This Japanese Bakery Is Upping Denver’s Pastry Game

If you’re like us, those New Year’s resolutions to eat better don’t necessarily mean eating healthier but truly eating better. To make good on that pledge, we turned to the Japanese-style pastries and breads at Platt Park’s Tokyo Premium Bakery.

The key to success at this three-month-old spot is to arrive on the early side: The team of owners-bakers—Manri Nakayama, Hiro Arima, and Satoru Matsumura—make everything from scratch daily and although goods come out of the oven all day long, favorites sell out quickly.

And there are many favorites, including chewy epis (baguettes that resemble wheat stalks) braided with bacon, stuffed-to-the-brim tuna and tomato rolls, twisted doughnuts dusted with matcha sugar, pudgy curry buns, and fluffy ”shokupan” (Japanese milk bread). Unlike most American baked goods, the flavors here are delicate and savory, not oversugared or overthought.

The bakery is self-serve: Simply grab a parchment-covered tray, a pair of tongs, and choose your own carb adventure. Each item is labeled and can be cross-referenced with a sheet listing common allergens.

Pay at the counter and enjoy the treats in the bright, modern dining space or bring them on your merry way. Either way, be sure to order one of the city’s best matcha or hojicha (roasted green tea) lattes.

Closed Tuesdays. 1540 S. Pearl St., 720-531-3784