DENVER — Toshi Kizaki, the legendary co-founder of Denver’s landmark restaurant Sushi Den, has officially opened his fourth dining concept on South Pearl Street. The new, eponymous restaurant, Kizaki, is an ultra-intimate, high-end sushi bar focused entirely on the traditional “edomae” style of old Tokyo. Located at 1551 S. Pearl St. in the Platt Park neighborhood, the restaurant sits just a short walk away from Sushi Den, Izakaya Den, and Ototo, which Toshi has operated for decades alongside his brother, Yasu Kizaki.

Unlike his previous group ventures, Kizaki is a solo project. For the veteran sushi master, the microscopic focus of this new counter represents a deeply personal full-circle moment.

“Kizaki is my vision of retirement,” Toshi said in a statement regarding the launch.

The heart of the new restaurant is its rigorous devotion to Edomae-style sushi. The term “edomae” refers to Edo, the historic 19th-century fishing village that eventually became modern-day Tokyo. In that era, chefs relied heavily on curing, marinating, and aging techniques to preserve fresh catches without modern refrigeration.

At Kizaki, Toshi uses these exact 200-year-old techniques to honor the true flavor of each ingredient. The fish is meticulously sourced and prepared raw, cured, seared, or dry-aged. To control every piece of the puzzle, Toshi even uses sushi rice grown on his own personal plot of land in Japan.

Dining at Kizaki is highly exclusive and structured as an immersive tasting menu:

• The Room: Guests dine inside the “Denchu Room,” a private space featuring a sleek nine-person counter crafted from Siberian elm.
• The Menu: For $225 per person, Toshi and his team guide diners through approximately 20 courses.
• The Flow: The meal transitions seamlessly from warm, cooked appetizers meant to cleanse the palate into premium nigiri. This includes rare delicacies like savory Japanese egg custard with snow crab, fatty tuna (toro), and seared aburi toro.
• The Parting Gift: At the end of the evening, diners leave with a special signed menu as a keepsake from the chef.

While the culinary execution is flawless and serious, Toshi ensures the atmosphere remains warm and lighthearted. He is known to playfully arrange ceramic penguins in front of guests and share stories behind every piece of fish.

The Kizaki brothers first changed Colorado’s culinary landscape in 1984 when they opened Sushi Den. At the time, Denver was completely unfamiliar with premium sushi. The brothers pioneered flying fresh fish directly into landlocked Colorado from international seafood markets, including the Nagahama Fish Market in Kyushu, Japan.

Now, more than 40 years https://www.sushioishii.com/ later, Kizaki brings the ultimate apex of Toshi’s career. It provides Denver food lovers with a true, Michelin-level Tokyo counter experience right in their own backyard.

Reservations are strictly required and can be made through the Kizaki Official Website.