The is open in Cherry Creek North, a 7,800 square-foot space anchoring the ground floor of a new 12-story luxury apartment building at East First Avenue and Steele Street.
Celebrity chef Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa, who opened his first restaurant in Beverly Hills, Calif., in 1987, has restaurants in key cities around the world that feature his fusion cuisine — Japanese with South American influences from Peru and Argentina.
The Cherry Creek location, 3222 E. First Ave., is the first Matsuhisa restaurant in Colorado outside Aspen and Vail. The owners said Denver is rising fast on the national scene when it comes to thriving restaurants.
“People’s tastes are more sophisticated, and we come here with a lot of humility,” said co-owner Todd Clark.
The owners put considerable thought into Denver’s character when it came to the restaurant’s design. The space is lined with reclaimed teak and features a Zen-inspired fountain as soon as guests cross the threshold from valet parking.
“We wanted to create an experience that starts from the time you get out of the car,” said co-owner Michael Goldberg.
Matsuhisa “is not a sports bar, but this is a sports city,” Goldberg said. So there are TV screens that can slide down from the ceiling when there’s a big game.
There are also floor-to-ceiling sliding panels that block off spaces for private dining.
The restaurant anchors the retail section of the luxury apartments. The
opened last year, part of the recent boom in .
Steele Creek residents even can order Matsuhisa food and drink straight to their apartments.
The menu includes sushi, sushi rolls, tempura, salads and cold and hot entrees, along with such special dishes as Matsuhisa shrimp with caviar.
The restaurant serves dinner now and will start a lunch service soon.
Denver Post staff writer Emilie Rusch contributed to this report.
Colleen O’Connor: 303-954-1083, coconnor@denverpost.com or @coconnordp
