Ukiyo Omakase

We made reservations months in advance for an elevated omakase experience in the heart of Denver. Parking is tough, but there's valet available for the other restaurants on Latimer Square (Ukiyo unfortunately does not validate though.) Through an entrance in an alley full of dumpsters, you emerge into an upscale intimate basement space and are warmly greeted with a welcome drink. The chef is from Laos, and the dishes are inspired by his travels all over the world, with strong Mediterranean influences, which were a fun fusion of flavors, as well as southeast Asian techniques and warm childhood memories. Highlights for me were the detailed presentation, creative dishes, incorporation of Lao condimentsn into nigiri, and flavor fusion of olives with chicken and later squid. My only note is that the cook of the sushi rice was a bit coarse for my preference, and the harder texture took away from the buttery experience of the otoro, but it worked really well with the chutoro, which was actually preferable in this context. The best part was watching the bone marrow preparation for the A5 waygu nigiri, and then tasting it! So rich and delicious. A flavor journey with thoughful interludes.The beverage program was also top notch! I was impressed with my tengu cocktail, which was strawberry gin, mizunara, and strawberry sake. The Hungarian dessert wine was also delightful. I would go back to try future menus, and they mentioned there are tuna nights coming up which sounds intriguing!

This place opened in April and there was so much hype about it. They only do two dinner times a night, for I believe 5 nights a week with only 12 guests. Getting a Reservation here seemed impossible, but when I was finally able to book one- I had to book two months in advance. When the night finally came I completely spaced on it. So first of the entry way seems a little sketch and kinda hard to find- it's in the ally behind Bao Brewhouse. It's basically the basement of the Bao House. But once you find the black door, you know your at the right place. You are greeted by the host, Vanessa with either a non alcoholic drink or a manhattan sake, which was smooth and light. When we went downstairs to our seats, we were surprised with how cute and intimate the place was. The service was amazing! They were on top of our drinks and clearing our plates. The bartender, Jeremiah was attentive and really wanted to make sure I enjoyed my drink! The chef, Paul is Laos- a lot of the entrees was Laotian inspired infused dishes. They were amazing at explaining everything and giving some history on what inspired the dish.When we first started I was taken back because I thought it was suppose to be omakase sushi but it was a nice 20 course meal to have both hot, cold and raw dishes. I do wish that they had the menu written down for us to refer back to A good variety. But the sushi is probably my favorite bites. Everything was delicious, it either melted in your mouth or was just the perfect bite. The soup wasn't for me- something about a cold soup and not knowing exactly what I was biting into threw me off. My least favorite dishes was the fish, because it was overpowered by fish sauce, the paella with the black ink squid seemed more like a stuffing. The calamari in the paella was too salty. I do like that they change the menu with the season. This was a great experience but it was not worth the price in my opinion- too high.

Hate to give this a 4 star because the experience, food, and people were amazing but have to be realistic when paying this price. Lots of flavors you have never experienced. The hostess, bar server, and chefs were all amazing and knowledgeable. I will post some of my favorite courses, which again were AMAZING.#1 knock is when you walk in Bao Brewhouse is very loud which was a shock. I think putting a door or some type of barrier would be awesome. #2 would just be the alcohol pricing is way over the top. I have drank a good amount of quality sake from bottles for $40-80 at quality places. Here you will be paying $120-$220 and $35-50 for a 5oz pour of the good options. Having a slightly wider range of pricing would be another big upgrade. #3 would be the third nigiri piece was very fishy and didn't taste fresh like every other course. Again amazing experience and I think the food is definitely worth it but I would drink up more before next time!

This is our second time visiting Ukiyo. The first time we loved every second of it. The chef and staff were very engaged, the dishes were fantastic, and the matcha tiramisu was to die for. The second time recently was lackluster and several of the dishes seemed rushed or as if they weren't planned well. They're changing the menu next year and we hope it's just as good as the first one!

Got reservations like 2 months in advance. That's what you have to do if you want to eat here. I'm glad I did this once, but not sure I would do it again. It was mostly a great experience with really good food. Chef clearly understands what he's cooking, and he isn't just doing fancy things for no reason.Finding the place and entering had left much to be desired. Alley way with a bunch of dumpsters. Immediately I was thinking that this alone would eliminate a star from my experience. When we entered, everything was super nice. We were welcomed with option of adult or non-alcoholic cocktail. Both were very delicious and impressive. Their bartender is such an expert at mixing drinks and has a good knowledge of sake and japanese whiskey.We were seated in an intimate room that only seats about 10 people surrounding an area where the chefs are preparing each dish. The table settings were simple and nice. Waters are consistently refilled.First dish was a cucumber starter. A light, refreshing course that introduces you to the experience. A nice start.Next was chawanmushi. The cold temperature of the dish muted the flavors, even the ikura was hard to taste. The dashi sauce was tasty, and the most flavorful component. Wish it were served warmer.The wagyu was nice, I wonder how it would have been seared. The clear cracker was super fun, novel, and beautiful.The pouch wasn't the prettiest, but it didn't need to be. So mysterious and fun. The mushrooms inside were treated with butter and tarragon. Love mushrooms and there were 3 kinds. Don't remember what the mushrooms were, but at least 1 was enoki, and none were button.Oysters were clean and nice, one with quail egg on top with japanese flavors, and the other with southeast Asian flavors.Cucumber roll with some sort of treated plum that added sweetness and tartness. Palate cleanser. Seaweed was quite chewy, in not a pleasant way.Hokkaido scallop barbecued with coal. Latin style sauce and foam on top. Honestly, I did not like this because I felt like the scallop was a little ruined. I usually eat these scallops raw or lightly seared, and it's so much better. This one lacked the creamy texture that I love, and the flavor was just sort of smokey.Hirame with latin-style sauce and dried chili threads. Delicious dish, but I got a pin bone in my piece. Quite disappointing, but I looked past it. It happens, but when you pay this much for a meal, it shouldn't happen.Tuna nigiri, featuring akami, chutoro, and otoro. Fish was not highest quality. It was high quality, but not highest. Again, for the price of the meal, I was not impressed. Toppings were fun and original.Negihama handroll was done well. Pure comfort and delicious.Escolar was smoked with mesquite and very tasting with pea tendrils and other ingredients that made it a composed bite with complex flavors and textures. One of the highlights.Yuzu sherbert was simple, and perfect way to transition the tasting to another theme.Jamaican jerk chicken with scotch bonnet glaze was perfection. Juicy chicken, perfect seasoning, and you can taste the allspice and scotch bonnet. One of the best dishes of the night.Tom kha with lobster and truffle ravioli. Didn't care for the truffle ravioli, but the Tom kha and lobster was THE best thing I had of the night. Am I still at an omakase at a placed called ukiyo? It's delicious nonetheless.Lao new years basket was fun and tasty. An homage to chef's heritage. Tasty for sure.Dessert was perfect way to round out the experience. Who doesn't love cotton candy? The chocolate pretzel was basic and delicious. The matching tiramisu was on another level. Substantial, perfect amount of matcha flavor, luscious, and just darn good overall.The highlights were very high. The lows were still decent. I would say this was like 50% japanese omakase and 50% really well done global cuisine tasting. For sure worth trying at least once. The people working there were the best kind of people.

A new Omakasa place in Denver, Colorado! The staff is so friendly and so nice. They are very welcoming Service is just wonderful. The chef created an 18 course Omakasa meal, including appetizers, entrées, and a dessert. Each dish has been carefully thought out and provided a unique experience. The chef stated that it took a year for him to create the menu. A new menu will be out in July so it's not a one stop shop. The food is so delicious and the ingredients are very fresh and everything just melts in your mouth! It's a must try if you're looking for new dishes to try in Denver. You have to book in advance because it's only a 12 seater restaurant and they have two times each night. Reserve online on their website.The ambience is very clean and chic Japanese style. They have a variety of Japanese alcohol to pair with each meal. Huge plus is there is a bidet in the bathroom - if you're there you must check out the bathroom hahah It's downstairs the bao brewhouse restaurant .

Went and had a good time. I believe the price is fair, which seems to be issue in many reviews. The atmosphere, interaction and team were all great, my only reason for four stars and not five is the food was not as good as the rest of the experience. In my opinion, at an omakase dinner, the food should lead the way and everything else after that. Food 3.5 everything else 5

An amazing night. This isn't just a tasting menu this is an experience. A very personalized omakase experience treating you with favors from all over the world.My favorite was the Caribbean jerk and the tuna sashimi trio.The bonsai tree dessert was amazing as well. Every dish is curated in front of you adding to the experience.

This is more than a meal, it's an entire experience and it is so so worth the money. The space is hard to find from the alley, but once you're inside you are greeted by the host who offers wine before escorting you to your seat. The space only seats 12 and everyone sits at the bar. The serving experience is unique; the chef and his assistants prep the food in a cafeteria style manner and there is almost no downtime between courses. To serve 18 courses in 2 hours requires planning and they have it down to a science. It's expensive yes, but it is also ALOT of food! You will be stuffed after this much food! The food itself is also unique and not found anywhere else. I love that the chef had a personal connection to each course and shared so much of his life and experiences with us while we ate. 10/10 experience, can't wait to come back!!

Ok, I'll first start by saying that this isn't the first place I've been to that styles itself with this sort of service. I'm comparing it to Sushi by Scratch in LA. While it's a tough act to follow, there is a strong basis for comparison. The meal started off well enough. There are a few courses before you begin the nigiri bites. The nigiri bites were good but not very creative or unique fish selections. The main fish course was ok. The final course before desert was a crispy rice dish with tube calamari and olives that was honestly just not good at all. Perhaps, their patrons are simply too polite to be honest with them about this. At this point in the meal, we paid and left rather than stay for desert. It was easier to pretend we had to leave suddenly than explain why we didn't like the food. I'm sorry and I understand that reviews such as this aren't great but it's an honest review. If it causes a course correction, then great. I wouldn't bother going back personally though.