The restaurant: Ototo Den, 1501 S. Pearl St., Denver
About: Ototo Den, the sister restaurant to Denver’s 39-year institution Sushi Den, as well as Izakaya Den and Temaki Den, has finally reopened three years after the COVID shutdown.
The intimate dining room, serving Japanese robata-style tapas, sashimi, whole fish, and noodles, which debuted in 2010, is back with new menu items and new chefs.
What’s on the menu: Master Chef Toshi Kizaki, who co-owns the Sushi Den restaurants, has brought back some of Ototo’s original delicacies, including crispy spicy tuna, whole-steamed branzino and miso black cod, a Sushi Den staple. Over the past year, Kizaki traveled to Japan and hand-selected Japanese chefs for Ototo’s kitchen, according to a statement.
And a new team of chefs in the kitchen means fresh ideas, like pan-fried mochi wrapped in crispy bacon; Tako Yaki, or fried wheat balls stuffed with octopus; and Buta Kimchi, a Canadian Mugi-Buta pork wok-seared with spicy Korean kimchi.
Opening date: April 12, 2023
Hours: Dinner served Wednesday through Sunday: 4:30 to 10 p.m.; Reservations via OpenTable and walk-ins welcome
