Ototo
Audio By Carbonatix
Will you step up to support Westword this year?
We’re aiming to raise $50,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to this community. If Westword matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
Since opening Sushi Den in 1984, brothers Toshi and Yasu Kizaki have built a restaurant empire on South Pearl Street, adding its sister restaurant Izakaya Den in 2007 and the more casual, Japanese robata-focused Ototo, which means “little brother” in Japanese, in 2010.
But after all Colorado restaurants were ordered to shut down indoor dining because of COVID-19 in March 2020, Ototo never made a comeback. Until now.
“With the challenge of finding experienced chefs and staff, Toshi and Yasu focused on building back Sushi Den and Izakaya Den the last few years,” the restaurant shares in a statement.
Favorites like Japanese-style chicken (kara-age) are back.
Ototo
But as of April 12, Ototo is officially back, open for dinner from 4:30 to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. “Over the past year, Toshi Kizaki traveled to Japan and hand-selected Japanese chefs to execute Ototo’s kitchen,” says Ototo’s announcement of the news.
Many old favorites are on the menu for this latest iteration, including whole steamed branzino, Sushi Den staple miso black cod, and Japanese-style fried chicken (kara-age).
New items range from tako yaki and bacon mochi to buta kimchi made with Canadian mugi-buta pork and wok-seared with spicy Korean kimchi.
Ototo is located at 1501 South Pearl Street. Reservations are available on OpenTable, and walk-ins are also welcome.