First things first: As Denver residents, we have learned to shrug off “cowtown” references from folks living on the Left Coast and Out East. Ditto for jibes about this being flyover country, although these same fellow citizens routinely stop here for the skiing and scenery and — lately — for our laid-back attitude on a certain agricultural product.
But our hackles still rise when our coastal countrymen claim that no good seafood can be had in the Mile High City. That has changed in the past 20 years, thanks to committed chefs, sophisticated overnight shipping and sheer consumer demand.
Which brings us to Glaze by Sasa. Located in the Congress Park neighborhood, this stellar sushi shop, the sister restaurant of the acclaimed in Highland, has wowed diners since opening in mid-June.
Along with the ebi, unagi, hamachi and raw ahi, you can get Baum cakes, a Japanese treat rooted in Germany. For along with being a sushi joint, Glaze by Sasa is also a bakery.
Longtime Denver diners might recognize some of the faces in the restaurant.
Wayne Conwell, Sushi Sasa’s owner, is often behind the counter. , who closed Glaze bakery March 1 before partnering with Conwell, handles the baking. And the general manager is Enrique Socarras, whom fans of will recognize as the former head chef of that Golden Triangle restaurant.
This is a sleek, almost spartan room in a contemporary building sitting amid traditional Denver squares and other vintage homes. Staffers are friendly. This is a neighborhood place, although there are plenty of reasons to make this a destination spot for outlying residents.
Where to start?
A bowl of hamachi belly poke brought fresh fish housed under a dome of sliced avocado. This was a dish eaten with a spade-shaped spoon, the better to scoop up goodies that included shaved Granny Smith apples, Marcona almonds, a couple of heirloom cherry tomatoes and a strawberry half dolloped with American sturgeon black caviar — all bound with a light poke sauce.
A small sashimi plate found matchbox-size slabs of ahi that were a deep crimson, nearly purple in color. Again, impossibly fresh. Ditto for ebi, a raw shrimp, and unagi, a soy-lacquered eel.
Two thinly cut slices of octopus tentacle came with a lemon wedge parked between them.
“Do I squeeze on a dab?” I asked.
“No,” Conwell told me. “The lemon is just touching them, so that’s enough. It’s all you need. That’s the difference between cheap quality and good.”
He was right. Octopus can often be tough, but this was tender and hardly even registered as chewy.
The seaweed salad delighted. It’s a tangle of three vivid varieties of crunchy seaweed.
There are some staples on the menu, including a Philly roll with smoked salmon, sweet onion, cucumber and cream cheese — the item that gives the dish its name. The rice was moist and didn’t overwhelm the fish. These are beautifully balanced rolls at eight pieces per.
Another classic was the caterpillar roll, with freshwater eel, cucumber plus a touch of eggy Japanese omelette wrapped inside an avocado with sweet soy.
More out of the bento box — sorry, couldn’t resist — was the YJC roll. This was an ambitious melding of flavors and textures: chopped yellowtail, jalapeño, cucumber, Granny Smith apple, cream cheese wasabi and savory kochijan sauce.
But the knockout was a six-piece spider roll packed with tempura-fried softshell crab. While the crab starred, it was augmented by bits of asparagus, seaweed, zucchini, creamy mashed avocado, carrots and just a touch of caviar.
Sprinkled with sesame seeds and lightly drizzled with an eel-broth reduction, it was a blast of color, crunch and flavor.
Alcott’s Baum cakes are terrific. The dough is wrapped around long wooden rollers and baked in a big red oven anchoring the center of the shop. Pulled from the oven, they are sliced into doughnut rings, then chunked for serving.
We enjoyed a citrus version, and were also wowed by a finely crumbed green-tea cake vivid as a maple leaf in spring.
The vibe is inviting.
Sit at the counter — the preferred spot for couples and solo diners — and there is easy banter between staff and customers. Now and again you’ll be slipped a small plate, perhaps a medley of pickled beets. The chef hands it over with a don’t-tell wink, like you’re members of a private club. Nice.
Conwell, an East High School graduate, likes the room.
“Sushi Sasa is just on the edge of being too big,” he says. “But this restaurant is perfect. In the afternoon it’s like being on a small sailing ship. When it starts getting busy, you just batten down the hatches and you’ll be OK.”
Just four months after opening, Conwell’s little ship seems to have found its North Star.
William Porter: 303-954-1877, wporter@denverpost.com or twitter.com/williamporterdp
GLAZE BY SASA
Sushi and dessert bar
1160 Madison St. 720-387-7890
***
Great
Atmosphere: Sleek, contemporary room.
Service: Friendly, accommodating
Beverages: Teas, beer, sake, wine
Plates: $5-$14
Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
Details: Street parking
Two visits
Our star system:
****: Exceptional
***: Great
**: Very Good
*: Good
Stars reflect the dining reviewer’s overall reaction to the restaurant’s food, service and atmosphere.
More reviews: Find our map of the most recent restaurant reviews at dpo.st/foodmap
GLAZE BY SASA
Sushi and dessert bar
1160 Madison St. 720-387-7890
***
Great
Atmosphere: Sleek, contemporary room.
Service: Friendly, accommodating
Beverages: Teas, beer, sake, wine
Plates: $5-$14
Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
Details: Street parking
Two visits
Our star system:
****: Exceptional
***: Great
**: Very Good
*: Good
Stars reflect the dining reviewer’s overall reaction to the restaurant’s food, service and atmosphere.
More reviews: Find our map of the most recent restaurant reviews at dpo.st/foodmap
GLAZE BY SASA
Sushi and dessert bar
1160 Madison St. 720-387-7890
***
Great
Atmosphere: Sleek, contemporary room.
Service: Friendly, accommodating
Beverages: Teas, beer, sake, wine
Plates: $5-$14
Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
Details: Street parking
Two visits
Our star system:
****: Exceptional
***: Great
**: Very Good
*: Good
Stars reflect the dining reviewer’s overall reaction to the restaurant’s food, service and atmosphere.
More reviews: Find our map of the most recent restaurant reviews at dpo.st/foodmap
GLAZE BY SASA
Sushi and dessert bar
1160 Madison St. 720-387-7890
***
Great
Atmosphere: Sleek, contemporary room.
Service: Friendly, accommodating
Beverages: Teas, beer, sake, wine
Plates: $5-$14
Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
Details: Street parking
Two visits
Our star system:
****: Exceptional
***: Great
**: Very Good
*: Good
Stars reflect the dining reviewer’s overall reaction to the restaurant’s food, service and atmosphere.
