A little hard to find, Sushi Den is arguably the best Japanese food in Denver. It is located on the quaint Old S. Pearl Street in a residential area about 5 miles south of downtown. The restaurant's three dining rooms are modern looking. The sushi bar dominates the front room, with a team of 8-10 sushi chefs nightly. Most night see the restaurant packed with a wait of 30-75 minutes. Unfortunately, reservations are not accepted.
While you wait, order some soybeans and enjoy your favorite drink. My favorite is the BIG Kirin, but they have a wide range of sake and a selection of California wines.
If you are a party of two, and can wait a bit longer, opt for the sushi bar. You will get personal service from your own sushi chef, as well as a complementary salad and dessert. You will also be mesmerized as the sushi is artistically created. Parties of 4 or 5 might request one of the large comfortable booths on the second floor.
Sushi Den prides itself on spectacular service, and superb fresh fish. For avid Sushi fans, the owner has fresh exotic fish from a market in Japan flown in daily. Additionally, there are several local rolls that are worth trying. For example, the Rocky Mountain roll is smoked Colorado trout, cucumber and guacamole. The tempura and salad are also good. We always complement our sushi with the House Salad and Shrimp Tempura appretizer. For dessert, the Coconut creme brule is tasty, although they run out of it often.
Sushi Den is out of the center, but easy to get to by car. From downtown, take Broadway south about 5 miles. (If you see Evans, you've gone too far.) Turn left on Louisiana, go 6-7 blocks. Turn right onto Pearl and go 4-5 blocks. It is one the right. They have valet free valet parking, so no worries about parking.