There are two kinds of sushi restaurants in the world.
There is the kind like Masa in New York, or Urasawa in Beverly Hills, or Sushi Sasa in Denver, that you save up for, call ahead to reserve a table at, and travel over hill and dale to visit. This kind of restaurant is about artistry and theater and master craftsmanship — the sushi equivalent of, say, the French Laundry.
Then there is the kind like Osaka Sushi on East Exposition and South Colorado Boulevard. The kind that you visit once or twice a month because it’s good, reliable, affordable and close by.
Which kind is more valuable?
Osaka Sushi, well-hidden in a King Soopers-dominated strip mall, has a checkered past (including a stint under one long-gone set of owners arrested for human trafficking). But over the past 18 months or so, it has re-emerged (under completely new ownership) to reclaim its place as one of southeast Denver’s most charming neighborhood restaurants.
Casually appointed (the dominant design feature is an ever-growing stack of sake boxes personalized by regulars) and welcoming, Osaka Sushi is never underpopulated. Most every mealtime, folks from the Belcaro neighborhood and beyond gather at Osaka to sip sake, nibble on fish and dumplings, slurp soup and chatter about the comings and goings of life.
About the food: It’s very good. It’s not astoundingly so. But nearly every item on the menu is freshly prepared, well-balanced and presented quickly and efficiently.
The marquee menu items at Osaka, as at other sushi restaurants, are rolls, and they are wildly popular. The Exposition Roll combines shrimp tempura, crab, tuna, yellowtail, salmon, tobiko and jalapeños. The Denver Roll wraps yellowtail, tuna and crab in rice and pale-green strips of cucumbers. And the Temptation Roll takes a straightforward California Roll, deep fries it and tops it with chunks of scallop.
Traditional? That depends on your point of view. Old-fashioned they are not. But in the relatively new global canon of overblown sushi rolls, these are solid examples.
A la carte sashimi pieces are nicely cut and serviceable; the tuna tataki (barely seared) deserves special mention for its subtle beauty and quiet, supple texture.
My favorite dish on the menu is the lively Osaka Special Ramen, a spicy broth swimming with noodles and seafood like scallops and crab. It is both comforting and invigorating, as appropriate on a hot afternoon as on a cold, blustery night.
More plebeian executions included the savory but uninteresting gyoza and the broiled green mussels. Both went tasted, but unfinished — not because they were bad but because they were boring. And the agedashi tofu, meant to be zippy and slightly crisp-fried, was flavorless and soggy. Streamline your ordering to avoid these dishes.
Service at Osaka Sushi is enthusiastic and efficient; this is a crew that is so used to serving regulars that every customer gets the “regular” treatment: informal chats, easy smiles.
Is Osaka Sushi worth driving across town for? Perhaps not because there are several comparable sushi joints across the metropolitan area (Banzai, Iwayama, and Sushi Yoshi). But for folks in this and adjacent neighborhoods, Osaka is worth sticking on your short list.
Osaka Sushi
Sushi and Japanese. 3940 E. Exposition Ave., 303-698-9919,
** RATING | (Very Good)
Atmosphere: Relaxed, casual space that’s always full of people.
Service: Friendly and straight forward.
Wine: Small wine list; drink beer or sake instead.
Plates: Most dishes under $15.
Hours: Lunch, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Dinner, 4:30-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 4:30-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Details: No reservations needed. Parking lot. Wheelchair accessible. Happy-hour specials. Good for small groups.
Four visits.
Our star system:
****: Excellent.
***: Great.
**: Very Good.
*: Good.
