MakizushiCo- Littleton
We made a trip across town this Tuesday to Littleton. People raved on the /r/denverfoodscene about the omakase and fish quality. We made a reservation and I would recommend it because they were packed! The restaurant is on the edge of a strip mall which lead us to make the joke about hoping it wouldn’t be strip mall sushi. It has a clean minimalist design, wood clad walls and the warm glow of Edison bulbs. We were sat quickly along the built in bench. There was also some tables and chairs that ran down the middle of the space and a long sushi bar. There was probably 14 parties there including us. There were three servers and three sushi chefs taking care of everyone and they did it well.
We learned there are three price points for the omakase, it starts at $80 per person for 12 pieces. Then $100 per person for 16 and finally $120 per person for 20 pieces. They all also include miso soup, a small salad and dessert. There are a few pieces you can order from the omakase as pieces individually but more than half of it is exclusive to the omakase. We decided since we had the almost hour long trip that we would go for the $120 dollar per person and see what their best is.
We ordered green tea and received our miso soup along with the tea. They put some small pieces of snow crab in the miso which I had not had before. It didn’t really make it more special, the soup was over powered by the large amount of scallions in it. That was most of what I tasted. Also the wooden spoon looked cute but was harder to eat with than a regular soup spoon.
The three servers really worked together and were quick to clear our plates. Next up was a small salad. The greens were fresh and crisp, the peanut dressing was rich and I liked the touch of sliced apple. I just wish the salad were a little larger.
I will be talking about the fish in order from left to right in the photos. Our first course was three pieces, Blue fin tuna, White fin tuna and Snapper. The pieces had been cross hatched to allow the soy sauce to seep into the fish. All the pieces were lightly sauced and had a tiny bit of fresh ground wasabi. These pieces were all a good size, light and fresh and the rice was nicely seasoned. I think the white fin tuna was my favorite from this bunch.
Up next was Baby Yellowtail, it had a firm chew and a little bit of lemon gave it a bright flavor. Next was Flat Head Snapper, It was very mild, my husband picked up on floral notes though. To round out the course we had New Zealand King Salmon which was new to us, it was fatty and delicious. The Salmon was our favorite from this round for sure.
The next course was another new dish for us, Egg custard. Served hot in a small dish was an all egg custard with snow crab on top and scallop on the bottom. Once it cooled down a little we really enjoyed the smooth texture, mild flavor that paired well with the scallops and hint of salt. I would love to enjoy that dish again, especially on a cold night.
Following the egg was Flounder, which had the most kick of any of them yet. We had now our third piece of snapper which was again very firm. To finish this plate we had Fuji Salmon, it was even fattier than the New Zealand Salmon and another variation we weren’t sure we had before.
Up next was Fatty Tuna, usually a favorite for us, this piece though had a light sear on it and we didn’t enjoy it as much. We have had better fatty tuna in Denver, like at Misaki or Sushi Den. The next piece was special though, Engawa which is a small piece on the neck of the fish. Our friend Jesus that is a sushi chef has told us that Engawa is usually the piece that chef’s save for themselves. You wouldn’t guess that from its strange look but it was full of flavor and delicious. Third was a classic thick piece of yellowtail.
Our fourth piece of Snapper arrived and it was fine, just as good as all the others had been. The servers were busy so they were too quick with the run down, we didn’t catch if it was a different cut kind of Snapper. A new one was next, Omadai, it was the earthiest of them all. The hamachi belly had a peppery char but was very soft.
There was a little lull between this course and the next, we waited for tea refills and watched a few tables turn over. Some of the people coming in seemed to be recognizable by the staff which is a good sign I think. We used up all our ginger as we cleaned our pallets between bites, so when they came to refill our tea they also brought us a literal handful of shaved ginger, so we were set for the rest of the night.
It was worth the wait though because next we were brought a small glass dome filled with smoke. Inside was O Toro smoked in cherry wood and topped with caviar. When the server lifted the lid the smoke wafted around us as other tables looked to see what was creating the aroma in the air. The piece was filled with the smoke flavor but buttery soft.
I am grateful if you made it this far! Our final four pieces were quite the finale. Starting with Uni, Uni is something I haven’t been fond of in the past but I have wanted to try it again. This piece was delicious, melt in my mouth good and very mild considering they usually call Uni a flavor for people that want the flavor of the bottom of the ocean. Next was another new bite and we were so excited when we heard our server say fois gras. We have had fois gras but never as nigiri. I wish it was a little bit warmer in temperature but it was so smooth and popping with flavor. Ebi or shrimp two ways was next. There was a raw piece over rice and the other was a deep fried whole shrimp with the legs and head all attached. I had never had shrimp raw before, I have to say it was a little slimy for my liking. I love peel and eat shrimp but this raw shrimp was very different. After having the Uni and the Ebi for the first time this round I was all out of bravery. So I didn’t try the whole fried shrimp, it just looked to close to a love shrimp. My husband said it had a beefy flavor and wasn’t that fishy. He also mentioned it had good texture contrast between the crunch of the shell and the juicy insides. Then finally a piece of A5 Waygu. In my opinion it had a little too much chew, it seemed lower quality or could have just been a tougher piece. In comparison though we have had Wagyu at Misaki, Matsuhisa and Kobe Ann which was all melt in your mouth quality. So if you are interested in trying Wagyu I would recommend trying one of those spots first. I hope to write more about some of our experiences at those places in the future.
Our final plate and piece was an O Toro hand roll next to homemade honey cake for dessert. The hand roll was so good I almost wish we just ate a bunch of those all night. The Toro is so flavorful and soft, and the salty seaweed wrapped it up beautifully. I would recommend the hand rolls above everything else. The honey cake had a firm almost mochi like texture. It wasn’t too sweet, it was just light on the palette.
Our server came to check on us at the end of the meal and we had a nice chat with him about the fish. That was when we learned that there were some items exclusive to the experience. Finally he brought us our check with a piece of cut up, whip cream topped green tea mochi. The movie wasn’t anything special but it was perfectly melted to eat easily. We have had mochi in the past that has come out rock hard and makes for a less enjoyable experience.
Overall I would recommend it as a spot to get some fresh sushi if you are on that side of town. It was a long drive for us and we have Misaki closer to us so we would probably go there instead of making the trip. If we found ourselves on that side of town we would totally go again. It seems to be very popular considering they were full all night on a week night, so make a reservation if you plan to go.
Quick note on the décor and the bathroom to end this journey I have taken you on. The design style was nice but I wish they leaned into the Zen Minimalist style more and didn’t just use some random accessories. There was a branch hung on the wall in the hallway on a command strip. Some knick knacks on the ledge behind the bench seating and in the bathroom, things that don’t really add anything. The bathroom had tray lighting and dark tile throughout. The vessel sink and hardware also matched well. It was clean just had a fan that was a little loud. Overall not the best nor the worst.
Thank you so much for being here. See you next week.
