Japon was one of my favorite Japanese restaurant until my last visit. I'm not sure now. Their price is right, food is great and service WAS great. I went with my friends for dinner last December. It took forever for our waitress to get our orders. I don't know if she was deliberately ignoring us but she went passed us few times (Quickly!) without looking at us (when I was waving at her!!). We got a new waitress (she was nice) later because she was leaving, but still I was disappointed. I'm not sure if I'm going to come back here anymore :[
Review Source:I know I give many 4's...but this one deserves it! Great service!!!! And great food...but parking stinks...I have 2 kids and we parked 4 blocks away...by the time we got to the restaurant they were tired and complaining...but overall it is very good sushi and Japanese food. Go check it out!
Review Source:This is one of the few 3 star reviews I've given. I'm not usually one to find middle ground, at least with food.
I went to Japon, alone on my day off for lunch because I've just really been craving sushi and a grad student budget can only take so much. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the sushi and it was nice that the sushi chef was japanese. I don't say this to say that sushi is only good when made by the japanese, its just that I think japanese sushi chefs would have more a commitment to authenticity and quality.
I had one of the lunch specials and sat at the bar. I realize that a lot of people have said that the service wasn't awesome, but I found that to be the contrary. The prices weren't outrageous which was great.
I did feel a little awkward eating here alone. I also realize that I was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt and probably didn't look like the usual clientele.
Next time I'll try not to look like a slob and come back to enjoy some really good sushi.
Went to late night happy hour here (9:30-11:30PM on Saturdays?). Nice place in Wash Park. Special priced rolls (e.g. Cali roll 2.50) and Sake (2)...as well as other specially priced items (2.50 hand rolls). Was hoping the ambiance was better.
Absolutely loved the mackerel here. It is the best I have had...it is my boyfriend's favorite fish...and if you get it here it may become yours as well. The other really amazing item here that I had is their green tea. Wow, would love to find out what secret tea bag they use...great color and flavor! Â
I believe Mondays are happy hour all day (TGIM?). So go check them out if you haven't yet!
I had the worst experience ever at Japon. Â I have been there at least a dozen times, and my experience on 3/30/2012, was by most the worst DINING experience of my ENTIRE LIFE. Â The sushi bar looked disgusting, and I have pictures to prove it, the service was deplorable, and the host was rude. Â I asked to speak with a manager, but was told one was not available. Â Will NEVER return!
Oh yeah, and the sushi bar was ATROCIOUS!
Its too bad the service here is so slow. Â The food is really pretty good.
I really want to like this place because its a neighborhood restaurant within walking distance of my home. Â The first few times we went there we attributed the slow service to some type of aberration. Â But we've been here more than ten times now and the service is *always* slow.
Tonight was the worst. Â My daughter and I were served our dinner and my wife graciously instructed us to start eating without her. Â We did so and completely finished our dinner before my wife's meal even arrived. Â The manager's response (his name was Tom) was less than overwhelming. Â He made us feel like we were simply people he had to deal with and he had other things to attend to.
All in all, good food if it ever arrives.
2 p.m. Saturday afternoon cocktail break with my vegetarian gal-pal. We had a share plate of edamame, vegetable tempura and vegetable rolls accompanied by the share bottle of cold, unfiltered sake and a Kirin. LOVED the vegetable roll (the shiitake, avocado and shiso leaf makes it) and was glad to turn my friend onto a sake she likes. I'm a hapa raised in Japan, so I could be more critical, but like to infuse a bit of perspective occasionally (um hello...it's a Japanese sushi restaurant in the middle of the giant US of A...so the fresh fish will never be as "fresh" as what I'm used to).
Happy with the service, the food and the atmosphere. Reasonably priced, but we only ordered one roll and stuck with the vegetarian-apps.
After reading Eric J's review, I'd like to give the ramen a go.
Oh God, I just walked out of a restaurant without paying for our meal.
This is true. Â We left a $20 tip (which I'm pretty sure our attractive, curly-haired server with the mustache never saw) but we left without paying for a single drink, food item, nada. Â And other than trying to hunt down our handsome waiter to personally stick the 20 in his pocket, we regret nothing.
We wanted sushi. Â We decided to go to Japon (haven't been since they remodeled years ago). Â We made reservations for 3 of us - 2 sushi-eating people and 1 non-sushi eating person at 7 pm. Â We showed up on time. Â We got our table. Â We ordered drinks. Â We got drinks. Â What we didn't get was the majority of our food. Â And we didn't get customer service from management. Â An understatement.
Our daughter doesn't eat fish, so she ordered edamame and spicy grilled chicken.  We ordered the jalepeno sashimi plate to start and told our mustached server that we would order our sushi "as-we-go" - we like our meal to take a while. Our daughter got her edamame and chicken, which was yummy by the way.  After she got her edamame but before she got her chicken, we got our sashimi.  Also yummy.  But unfortunately, it was the only food we personally got this evening. And I also should  say that our daughter never got the soup we ordered.
Our server was attentive. Â He was apologetic about the kitchen. Â And he was awesome at retrieving our drinks from the bar. Â The kitchen was slow. Â And when I say slow, I mean to say that it took more than an hour for us NOT to get sushi - raw fish sliced to order served either on its own or over rice. Â
I could go on and on, but when we saw a table of 11 people seated after us next to ours get their food and we were really hungry - at 8:30 pm after a 7 pm on time reservation BTW - we were done. Â We told our server that we just wanted the check and it wasn't his fault but we were just DONE. Â The manager (I think it was the manager?) came over to apologize. Â She said our food was coming right up. Â We said we didn't want our food - we wanted our check. Â Then she said that she would give us a free dessert. Â Â A free dessert? Â We hadn't even had DINNER. Â We said we wanted the check. Â
We got the check.
It was for almost $100. Â Absolutely nothing was comped. Â We fully expected to pay for the food our we ate and some of the bar tab. Â We expected something - anything, even one glass of wine - to be taken off the bill as compensation for starving us. Â My husband was furious. Â And he's not a restaurant furious kind of a guy. Â He bypassed our very good server and went to the manager. Â She claimed that the server didn't discount the check. Â He didn't find her very credible (a free dessert offer after no dinner? Â And the fact that she was heavily putting the blame on our really sincere server didn't help) so he ceremoniously put a $20 bill on our table in front of her and told her it was for our server and left. Â We walked out. Yikes.
The food was good. Â At least the food we finally got. Â The Service was very good. Â But please don't go. Â Go to the next place that our awesome. attentive, mustached server moves on to after he realizes that the customer service of the place he currently works at doesn't come near the level he reflects.
There's rarely a wait when we go, the staff is always attentive, decor is fabulous, they have great happy hour prices, and their cold sake sampler is always tasty. The sushi is good; not great, but good.
So why the 5 stars? Real Japanese wasabi.
You have to ask for it and it isn't cheap, but it's the real deal. American palates are used to the horseradish mixture served everywhere, which is nothing like the earthy, spicy flavor of genuine wasabi. (Info here: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sushifaq.com%2Fsushi-sashimi-info%2Fsushi-item-profiles%2Fsushi-items-wasabi%2F&s=2370fb90d32afa6a7ba72093b6d2682a574838c6ee9f8b1ff77ad7f7953da08c" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.sushifaq.com/…</a>)
Since I found out about it, I've asked for it at sushi spots from Miami to L.A., Chicago to Dallas, all to no avail. Good sushi and real wasabi keeps Japon on my list of  "go-to" spots in Denver.
I thought Japon was good-- not great.
I went here last night for a friend's birthday. They set us up with a great 8 person table. The waiter was more than attentive. The sushi took some time to arrive, but they kept the sake flowing and brought the appetizers promptly.
The sushi itself was okay. I got 3 rolls and split them with a friend. It definitely wasn't exceptional- but tasty.
The menu is confusing, rather than the standard titles that I have already struggled to learn, they change it up and call the rainbow roll a Hawaiian roll. Not sure about the logic behind this one.
Overall a fine experience. Don't avoid it bc of the 3 stars, but no need to rush over to Wash park for mediocre raw fish.
Recently moved to the neighborhood and was disappointed in Japon. Â Used to live downtown and I guess I was spoiled by Sushi Sasa!
Walked in the doors and the smell of fish was overwhelming. Â I get that it's a sushi place...but it was a little much. Â The menu has pictures on it...which is always a red flag to me. Â If your food is that good - you don't need pictures. Majority of the rolls have 'Japanese mayo', most the appetizers are fried.
Overall - I was unimpressed with everything we tried. Â Appetizers, rolls, sashimi.
When we told our neighbors we went here, their first comment was "we're surprised you didn't get sick!".
Decent place, decent sushi, decent service and  decent prices for happy hour. $45 dollars for 2 egg drop soups, a soft drink(Shirley Temple)  edamame, 1 salmon avo roll, 3 hand rolls(salmon and avocado) and 8 pieces of sushi (yellowtail, salmon and scallops).
Plenty of indoor seating and a fair amount of outdoor too. The neighborhood is filled with cute shops and fun restaurants.
This review is strictly limited to Ramen
Why, Cause that's all I had and what I went there for.
If you like Ramen, this is the place.  If we can get them to do more styles of  Ramen i think we could turn them into a Noodle house instead of sushi, unlikely but I'd like to dream.
Lacking any real Ramen establishments Denver is at a loss for what I used to consider a mainstay of my diet while living in Japan.
These guys are the King of Ramen in Denver undisputed Ramen champs.
They won't serve it outside of lunch or happy hour, much to my dismay, and they have only one kind. Â Regardless of these limitations go to Japon and get this ramen.
tasty, not too salty.
noodles, cooked appropriately not soft, not too hard
egg, it's in there including soupy yolk :)
broth, again very tasty not overpowering
I love this Ramen and you will too, reminds me of ramen i had at Izakaya Sozai in SF a few weeks back. Â not good, GREAT
ATTN Management of Japon - Get a truck, drive around serve your noodles to me late night after i've gotten my drink on.
I'm not a sushi expert but the food was pretty good. I enjoyed the spicy tuna rolls and the sashimi. The avocado roll was very bland.
They recently had a complete turnover in staff. I don't know what the old staff was like but the new staff isn't going to win any awards for friendliness or service (aside from the hostess who was very pleasant). Our server was snooty and pretentious. We were there with friends and their two small children and we had to ask repeatedly for the children's food to be served.
This place left me cold.
Good food and not so good service.
When your customer asks about a former staffer do not imply that the staffer was canned for gross incompetence. Especially when the customer is signalling that they liked that staffer.
Do not convey an attitude that you are way better than your customers.
That said, I really enjoyed the food. The Monday Happy Hours prices are very affordable.
Came here for some sushi and ramen today. I have to say- sometimes it's funny what impresses you. I just got back from Japan yesterday, where I enjoyed some amazing ramen. One of the best parts of that ramen was the bamboo... and this place just happens to prepare their bamboo the same way. It was fresh, crisp, and tasty. The rest of the ramen was great also, with the cooked eggs and delicious pork... but the bamboo was what really rocked my socks.
The sushi was fine. A little on the watery and bland side, but definitely not bad. I wasn't in love with it, but I'd try it again. Â The service was very attentive- my green tea never got less than a quarter full. It was a great lunch experience, and I'll definitely be back!!!
I'm seriously a regular here! I use to come like once a week. LOL
But the happy hour is the best!
The Late Night happy hour to be specific.
We usually come here too pre game, before we hit the streets, downtown:)
And for the food, its no Sushi Den, but its decent. The seared Tuna is actually REALLY good! And their Fried oysters, It comes with this potato salad thing on the side, and ohh myy goshhh, its delicious.
Also ask for TIM, he is an amazing waiter! Really cool and down to earth. He's also another reason to come back for!
Yay for Sushi and Saki! :)
Great times with great people are what made this night special. Celebrating a friend's birthday is certainly an occasion to be happy about. There was a fairly large group of us (9), and Japon was very accommodating. We were seated in the back, and away from the rest of the patrons. I would normally find this a bit disconcerting, but it worked well for our group. We weren't overly loud, but it gave us some privacy which was nice.
My wife and I arrived first and were seated at the table right away. Before long the waiter came over and brought water, menus, and utensils for the table. He came back shortly after that and took our drink order. We had to remind him at this point that we were a large group and there were more people coming, so no, we were not ready to order any appetizers, easy buddy.
As the group arrived we started to browse the menu. We all settled on sushi and decided that it would be in everyone's best interest to order a variety of rolls and sashimi so we could get a little taste of everything. We had Maguro, Hamachi, Shake, Ebi, Tako, Unagi, and Kani for the nigiri portion of the meal. The standouts for me were the Shake (salmon), Ebi (shrimp), Tako (octopus) and the Kani (crab) - four of my usual favorites. The rolls were nothing to scoff at either. I think we tried almost every one. We had the typical California, Philadelphia and Caterpillar Rolls, but we also tried the Diablo Roll which was very tasty and the Hip Hop Roll which was served with a sweet miso and eel sauce on the side.
The server was very accommodating and attentive to our needs. He brought out gluten-free soy sauce and put things on separate plates for a friend that has some food allergies. There were a few times that we had to remind him to bring things, but I'll let that slide.
We had a great time and even ordered a second round of sushi before the evening was over. Closing the place down came natural to our group, which is always fine by me. That simply means you had a good time.
(note: ramen is served during lunch time only on Mon-Sat and late night Happy Hours from 930pm on Friday and Sat. I'd call and check if that what you're going there for.)
I love Japon. It's my go-to sushi place in Denver. All of their sushi chefs are super nice and kinda funny. Yoji, Edgar, Kei and Yama sans, thank you guys for making me feel so welcome and full every time I visit. The sushi is always fresh and delicious. One of their servers, Brian, is also very polite and attentive. He gave me good suggestions when I had question about the dishes. Overall, Japon's management does a good job making sure that they have a good team of staff.
Japon now serves RAMEN during lunch. I was bummed when I learned that Den Deli closed because it had decent though imo overpriced ramen... HOWEVER I wasnt in the position to be picky because good ramen is hard to find in Denver. The only ramen house in Denver, Oshima Ramen, is complete crap.
Japon's ramen was very delicious and BIG. You will have left over and they also dont skimp you on the pork pieces. I used to get pissed when I go to Den Deli because they would always give me 2 thin solid pieces of fat in my ramen.... now, I cant eat that!! I'm supposed to get meat, NOT fat. You wont have that problem in Japon. Awesome Ramen simmered in delicious very flavorful broth for $9.25. I wish they could toss some Bok Choy in their ramen tho... that would make everything perfect ~ just an idea.
As always, lots of happy hours during the week. Call or check their website for the times and deals. I love their salmon sushi hand rolls @ $2.75/piece.
I love Japon! I live in the Wash Park neighborhood and Japon is quickly becoming my favorite eatery on Gaylord St.
The bar, lit up like the stars, is small and intimate. Be prepared to get to know a little bit about everyone sitting around you. I walk out of there having met a couple new folks each time I go, which is too cool. Â Japon, oddly has a "Cheers" effect, where everyone seems to know everyone... Ask your neighbor their favorite sushi, and be prepared for a nice discussion about how great the fish is, accompanied by an offer to taste their meal! (This has happened to me 3 times in the last couple weeks.)
The bartenders, Kyle and Leo, are always super inviting and attentive. Get em on a roll, and the whole bar is tearing up from laughter. The other waitstaff is equally as friendly and are a pleasure to have a drink with as the night winds down. (Typically around 10 pm on a weekday)
So in summation, (for me) this is the place to be. While there are other great sushi places in town, Japon ranks at the top of the list in my book because you always have great service; friendly, unpretentious neighbors; and well, the sushi? Its amazing.
Montana Roll...You're next.
2.50 sushi all day Monday! Â Sushi is always a personal preference but I just don't see how you can go wrong with the BBQ Eel, Shrimp roll, and Crab rolls. Â California roll was a treat too. Â Didn't taste a damn thing in my spicy tuna, oh well.
They were very accommodating for such late diners, even up-sold us on a few more rolls just minutes to close. Â Now that's passion for serving if you ask me :)
You know, I like Restaurant Japon ok. I met some yelpers here last week for a relaxing few hours on the patio, drinking Kirin and sampling different rolls.
Ambiance - 4 stars. The patio is smallish, but if you get there early you can snag a table and feast your eyes on all the people walking by. Although I only walked through to visit the ladies (interesting setup, with the sink in the middle of the room), I totally dig the lighty-uppy water feature behind the sushi bar.
Music - 2 stars. Sorry to be judgy, but country in a sushi joint just seems weird to me! Can't speak to their musical selections other than my patio visit, but it wasn't my fave.
Food - I really wanted to like it more, and it was all right, but not my favorite. Maybe I need to try it again. I really enjoyed the spicy yellowtail roll, and the roll with roe topped with raw quail egg. It was fun to try, but not sure I would order it again. Price seems about usual - we split the tab and it was about $25/head for drinks and sushi.
Parking - crazy. Be prepared to circle around a few blocks, but you might get lucky and find something out front. Good luck with that!
This is one of my favorite sushi places by far. Â Jogi/Yogi or however you spell the chef's name, is phenonmenal. Â He does his own special roll with beef tongue (I know I know!) and it's deeelicious! Â He's super funny and we always have a great time when he's working, very personable.
I came to Japon when it was literally just a little hole in the wall and now they've expanded into a beautiful quaint little restaurant.
The service is pretty good and I've never had a problem getting anything I've needed.
I think their Unagi is the best, and I LOVE Unagi!! Â
Overall, you're going to have a great experience here, and it's less expensive than the snott Sushi Den around the corner.
Japon's location brainwashes people into believing that the food must be good. This is sort of a "carpet DOESN'T match the drapes" scenario, where the aesthetics and the experience are at odds.
I've given Japon numerous chances to change my mind, but I just don't like this place. Yeah, the staff is great, sushi bar looks cool, and the atmosphere invites a great experience, BUT the sushi is soooo fishy and unpredictable. There are too many other sushi places around Denver to waste your time with Japon.
On a positive note, Japon earned three stars because they do have solid lunch specials, with a lot of food for $7-9.
This rating is based on formal sushi dining experience, as I distinguish between casual happy hour type joints from more authentic traditional establishments.
So this place does have some sweet memories for me. Â It was here I first had sushi in a restaurant type environment. Â I went with college friends and there after began my love affair and search for awesome sushi.
The establishment itself is fun and the lighted water wall displays add to the fun. Â The sushi is by no means bad, its just that over time I have been to other places that prepare the freshest, most delicious sushi and present it as the art form it is (ahem ahem, like Sasa).
However, it is easy to spend a pretty penny at the other places and you can certainly snag a good deal here.
Personally, I would rather save up and go to a place that offers better sushi and thoroughly enjoy the experience, but if saving dough is your driving factor, then you may find this place a better alternative.
Went for lunch. Â Wow.
First off, the lunch, $7? Â I almost ordered extra, thinking there is no way I'll get enough for $7. Â Wrong. Â I ordered the teriyaki chicken bento box, which also had 4 pieces of Cali roll, tempura veggies, a small salad, and miso soup. Â My counterpart had a similar meal, but with grilled salmon, and rice instead of salad. Â Not only was it the perfect amount of food, but it was all delicious. Â The mix of flavors from the grilled chicken, to the various tempura veggies, and the always good Cali roll. Â Healthy for you and for your pocketbook. Â Fast, too. Â It will give you time to take a short walk through the neighborhood and have a healthier lunch yet. Â
I dare you to find a better deal for $7. ($8 for the salmon), and it doesn't end there, there are several other options in the same price range. Â
I love Japon in general, for their diversity, great service, awesome value and quality, and for not being overpriced and pretentious.
I've eaten here a few times now and each experience has been pretty good. Â Located on Gaylord St. next to a few other bars and restaurants, this place is a nice stop for a little sushi before grabbing a few drinks. Â The atmosphere is also pretty cool, making this a good place for a date. Â The crowd generally seems to be of the single, yuppy variety, but I've seen a few families here too. Â The service has always been prompt and friendly.
As far as the sushi goes, I'll admit that I've had better. Â They have the usual selection of sushi and rolls, all of which tastes decent and is usually arranged nicely. Â I am most disappointed at their specialty rolls, or lack thereof. Â I keep waiting for the special roll to change, but it never does. Â Do try the diablo roll, however. Â yum.
I don't eat fish..you heard it..I said I don't eat fish. At all. But I do like Japons bento boxes at lunch time for only $7 and they have the best salad dressing. Â
Came in here with he bf and he ordered a couple rolls of sushi and didn't enjoy them at all. And this is coming from a man who LOVES to eat and always cleans his plate, he left half of the rolls there. Â Also their service sucked.
Don't think I will be bringing the bf back anytime soon, but I'll still go for the bento boxes.
I'm a sushi connoisseur and have been sampling sushi all over the state (and the country) for 20 years now. Â My eye doctor is right across the street so last time I went there, I strolled over here for lunch. Â I had eaten here before and remembered it being pretty good. Â Upon walking in the ambiance is that of a more hoity-toity high end establishment... I think I had a bandana over my greasy hair and was wearing a ripped t-shirt & jeans. Â I could tell that it irritated the host, but I found more humor in that than shame in being under-dressed for what I had in mind for a casual lunch. Â I sat at the bar and ordered just a few things (since I was dining solo). Â Everything tasted good, I wasn't disappointed. Â It was just a notch below impressive. Â I tried one of their signature rolls (and for the life of me I cannot remember what the hell it was) and I really liked it.
Overall, this place pretty good. Â I'd go back. Â However, it's on the expensive end of the scale. Â It's a yuppified sushi bar for the rich snobs that live in the area. Â They just happened to score a good sushi chef.
I love Japon for the following reasons:
They're friendly, affordable, professional and delicious. Â The small storefront they have in Wash Park is in a great location. Â If you're going for dinner, more than likely, you won't be able to find parking in front, but somehow, you don't mind the walk. Â Great staff and lovely atmosphere; every once in a while, they throw in something off the wall (I'm recalling the live miniature freshwater crabs swimming aound in a huge snifter on the sushi bar - you pick your own...) - a definite must.
In my hood - woooo!
Great HH prices - fresh fish - hot sake
What else can you ask for?
Great service yeah.
The bartender even recommended which nights I should come on for great specials, and what I should order the next time I was in.
One more great place in my hood for HH and good food!
I'm so disappointed =( This was my first sushi experience in Denver and much to my dismay it was pretty bleak.
The atmosphere was very expected. It wasn't the traditional Japanese style that I had hoped for, it was like a touristy, cliche' or Western version of the orient. There is a bubbly wall behind the sushi bar that was kind of neat, but I felt like it belonged in a bar, rather than a sushi house.
The service was excellent, I will give them credit for that. Unfortunately the food was not. I felt the menu was more American than anything yet the variety of specialty rolls was lacking which was ironic seeing as how rolls are an American creation. I ordered several different types of sushi and it all just seemed bland. The presentation was great but the flavor was lacking.
I'll be back to give it a second shot another day, but probably not anytime soon.
Japon, Japon, Japon....
Last Thursday evening on May 22 2008, I went there for the very first time. Â The place were indeed jammed packed. Â We have a reservation for 10 people and were seated way back away from the main crowd of Happy Sushi Goers... Nevertheless, it would be nice if they could seat us somewhere, where the Centre of all happenings happen...
As for the food, I would give this place 3.5 stars coz I get what I ask for from the menu. Â
These were what I had for dinner:
Japanese Appetizers:
Spicy Calamari  - - Calamari with sauteed mushrooms
The Spicy Calamari, was indeed "something" ~ I like it, but cant say to LOVE it. Â Once again, I forgot to take the pictures of this dish.
Sushi (Nigiri):
Kaibashira
Unagi
Masago
Tobiko
Hokki Gai
Uni
Raw Shrimp w/ deep fried shrimp head
 The raw shrimp "heads" were fried with way too much salt on it.  Too bad, the shrimp "heads" did not get the limelight for that dinner.
Le Specialty Rolls du Japon (6-8 pieces per roll)
Washington D.C. Roll (Spider Roll) - Softshell Crab, Cucumber, Burdock Root, Green Leaf, Asparagus, Alfalfa, Japanese Mayonnaise & Smelt Roe.
I was a little disappointed with the Uni. Â At the end of the dinner I was indeed stuffed. Â I felt something was amiss eating @ Japon. Â But I am not so sure what was to begin with..
My first time at Japon did not disappoint. Â We arrived just before 9 pm and were quickly seated. Â The place was still hoppin' but it wasn't busy enough to require a wait. Â On our way to the table the sushi chefs greeted us, as they did every diner entering. Â Nice touch. Â Sadly, we weren't given our warm towels, but I'll let that slide.
We started with the seaweed salad. Â SCORE. Â It was delicious! Â Three different seaweeds layered beautifully in a white bowl.
Our sushi is always a mix of rolls, mostly for me, and nigiri, mostly for my boyfriend. Â I'm always delighted to see Kobe Beef Rolls. Â I have to say, I like Japon's version better than Sushi Den. Â Japon actually serves it raw, as I'd like it. Â The beef had wonderful flavor and the asparagus was perfectly crisp. Â The eel roll wasn't quite as tasty as Sushi Den's, but perfectly acceptable. Â I also had a hand roll (for only $3) with tuna seared in garlic butter. Â YUM!!!
The nigiri was especially fresh and tasty. Â The salmon and tuna were some of the best I've ever had! Â Next time I'll skip the eel roll and get more salmon!
For dessert we tried the tempura green tea ice cream. Â It was the perfect end to our sushi pig-out. Â The waiter seemed a little scattered--he forgot about my wine and then couldn't be found for a while when the boyfriend wanted more saki. Â He was kind enough to comp my wine and the last saki since he was MIA (and was probably the reason we didn't get our warm towels).
I'll go back, sans the eel roll! Â Great stuff. Â But to be perfectly honest, I like Sushi Den just a little bit better.
I'm a sushi snob--consider yourself warned. Â Because it's not just about raw fish. Â It's about presentation. Â The atmosphere of the restaurant. Â The smell of the restaurant. Â The greeting you get when you come into the restaurant. Â The beverage selection. Â And even whether you get a nice warm towel when you sit down. Â And tea. Â Sushi is not about who can make the funkiest inside-out roll with cilantro and crunchy tempura flakes and come up with a creative name for it like "Platte River Adobe Ceviche Dynamite Fun Roll". Â Sushi is about gorgeous, almost-still-alive, painstakingly-cut fresh fish on perfectly seasoned rice, with crisp nori and just the right amount of wasabi, in a welcoming Japanese ambiance. Â Like I said--you've been warned. Â If you put your ginger on top of your sushi when you eat it--don't read this review, because we're not going to get along.
That being said, Japon is an excellent sushi place. Â Beginning with the hearty "Irrashaimase!" (means "Welcome") you get from the sushi chefs when you enter, the place is very authentic. Â And by authentic, I don't mean faux Japanese, with paper lanterns, framed kimonos, and samurai swords on the walls. Â I mean real Japanese, as evidenced by the Maneki Neko (cat) figurine on the counter, the warm hand towels you get when you sit down, and good green tea. Â The decor is modern, minimalist and Asian inspired and the food is just plain good. Â The sushi is fresh, and beautifully presented. Â They always have a few exotic fish specials if you're feeling adventurous. Â And they get the details right--the nori is crisp, the seasoned rice isn't too sweet, and the wasabi placement is optimal. Â
Japon is great. Â I didn't give it a 5 because, well, I'm a snob. Â But if you've got a sushi craving, and you don't feel like getting your highlights refreshed so you, your Chloe bag, and your H2, can go to "that other sushi place" across town, I highly recommend Japon!
One of the best sushi places in Denver. Â Usually crowded, unless you go a bit late (8ish). Â You can have a drink at the bar while you wait. Â The inside is a long narrow space, but feels bigger due to the big mirrored wall, with bubbles going through it, behind the sushi bar. Â All the sushi is great, but I would highly recommend the Diablo Roll, which is tangy, spicy, and flavorful; thinking about it is making my mouth water as I type up this review. Â Overall Japon is better and more creative then the oft touted Sushi Den whose sushi is good, but boring. Â Japon also has a decent saki list. Â The wait staff and sushi chefs are friendly and efficient. Â
One word of caution, double check your order when you're done.  The last two times I went they "forgot" to make one of our rolls on one visit, and made us an extra roll due to a stray marking on the form the next visit.  Not saying it was on purpose, but two mistakes in two visits makes me wonder a bit.  Still not enough  of a bother to keep me from going.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
