Step Into the World of Ukiyo

Photos Courtesy of Kevin Austin

Hello my fellow foodies and welcome back.  There has been a restaurant that I have been dying to go to ever since they opened a little over a year ago.  One of my favorite ways to dine is an Omakase experience.  Omakase is a Japanese dining experience where you let the chef take the driver’s seat to create something truly magical.  Ukiyo in Denver is an Omakase only restaurant and it has been on the top of my list of must-tries, so my husband and I made the hard-to-get reservations and off we popped.

Chef Paul Sananikone opened Ukiyo to give diners an artistic journey into Japanese cuisine, and he does just that.  His menu has changed for the 4th time to keep things interesting and different, and his most recent creations represent the Yoshoku style of cooking.  Yoshoku incorporates European ingredients into Japanese cooking.  

The experience at Ukiyo starts before you even step through the door.  The entrance is down an alley, not marked, and you are greeted with a welcome cocktail or mocktail before being escorted into a basement where the traditional Shoji style doors open to a twelve seat, intimate room surrounding the center stage where the magic will happen. 

Jeramiah Watson, Beverage Program Director will discuss any drink preferences with you.  There is a wine pairing that you can add for an additional cost, but the drink and cocktail menu is extensive with a focus on Sake and Japanese Whiskey.  You can ask Jeremiah anything, because he truly is an encyclopedia of cocktails or mocktails and knows almost everything about the special libation you are enjoying.  We just let him drive throughout our dinner, and it turned out to be something spectacular.

Because Ukiyo is so special, I am not going to ruin the experience for you, but I can tell you this.  There were seventeen courses.  They are all small bites, but mighty in taste.  They consisted of the freshest sushi, nigiri and sashimi, but that was certainly not all.  This new menu incorporates so much more.  Every single course was like a Broadway show of culinary greatness, with flawless execution.  There were explanations of what you are about to eat, and how you should enjoy it, even if it was with just your hands.  Just the look on our fellow diners’ faces was one of complete awe of what we were experiencing.  The courses are well thought out, and you will truly be taken on a magical, mystical ride of cuisine like nothing I have ever experienced.  I ate some dishes with ingredients I have never tried before, but I thought “When at Ukiyo”.  Every single piece of food you put in your mouth at Ukiyo lives up to my mantra, “When a lot of love goes into your food, it pours out tenfold onto the plate”.

Ukiyo is really something special.  If you are looking for something truly out of the box, this is your place.  Chef Paul and Chef Ethan Gurevich exited stage left after they were finished to a round of applause, just like a Broadway show.  We left through a different door than we arrived at so as to not “spill the tea” to the diners awaiting the later seating.  There are 2 seatings a night and Ukiyo is open Tuesday – Saturday.  Plan ahead for reservations and buckle up for a culinary adventure of a lifetime.  Until next time my fellow foodies, eat well, drink well, and be well.