Kenichi

Kenichi is by far, one of my favorite restaurants in Aspen. I always have a great time and the food never disappoints! This time was no different. My husband and I came in late on Friday night. I wanted to sit at the sushi bar so my husband could experience the owner/sushi chef's great creations and unique personality. Unfortunately, another couple was seated in front of the chef so we gave them some space and sat down the bar at the next closest chef. Our chef was very nice and put up with all our crazy questions. My husband started the meal with a Moscow Mule, which was amazing! I ordered the pomegranate cosmo and wish I hadn't. It was way too sour for me. We had the Yellow Tail Serrano to start with. It was so good, we instantly ordered another. The sushi chef was so nice to put the peppers on the side as I don't like too much heat. The presentation was amazing. We then got our spicy edamame and atomic shrimp, both were great! We tried the Godzilla Roll this time and ended up with two of those as well. The strawberry in the roll made for a very unique and delicious flavor combination. Towards the end of our dinner, the owner/head chef dropped by some salmon that was caught less than 24 hours ago. It was so buttery and the best I have ever tasted! Even my husband who can't stand salmon said it was great! So nice to get a little treat for free! We will be back as soon as we can!!!

You know you've become a regular (and probably live too close to a restaurant) when the host runs your credit card over to your front door when you have forgotten it at the table. Kenichi is one of my favorite sushi eateries - and not just because of its close proximity to my house. The quality of food is exceptional and the service is reliable, whether you're being served at a table by a waiter or at the bar by the sushi chefs themselves. With dimmed lights and dramatic accents, Kenichi has much more of a chic city-bar feel than one would expect in a small mountain town. The floor-to-ceiling neon-blue glass wine storage unit is the restaurant's centerpiece, dividing the lively bar from the slightly quieter restaurant. Despite its stylish, upmarket decor, Kenichi's atmosphere remains relaxed and welcoming, perfect for date night or family night. The Rock Star booths and private Tatami room are ideal for larger parties. One of my go-to items on the Kenichi menu is the Austin Roll, in which asparagus tempura and masago aioli are wrapped in paper-thin edamame paper and topped with eel sauce in an ideal balance of sweetness and crunch. Another delicious roll, the Blake, consists of shrimp tempura, cucumber, and avocado, topped with spicy tuna and drizzled with eel sauce. I'm not usually a fan of the flame, but this spicy tuna delivers the perfect punch. For the salad lovers, I highly suggest the Kenichi Mixed Greens. It is amply sized for one person and includes heirloom tomatoes and ginger vinaigrette - one of my all time favorite dressings. - sweet, tart, and will leave you trying to lick the bowl when your dinner companions aren't looking. If you are a sashimi lover (or simply one who avoids carbs at all cost), you can't go wrong with the Yellowtail Serrano. The four relatively skimpy slices of tuna are amazingly fresh and delectable with the jalapenos and tangy Thai basil vinaigrette. My family likes the vinaigrette so much that we ask for it as a side with our sushi rolls. Delicious! Dynamite Shrimp, while not unique to Kenichi, is another popular dish. For those who have not had the pleasure of tasting it, the "dynamite" comes from the spicy mayo that douses the two shrimp tempuras. Not the most dietetic of options, but so worth the calories! For dessert, I almost always order Mochi ice cream, the classic frozen treat wrapped in soft, sweet sticky rice paper and dusted with a powdery coating. Kenichi offers this classic Japanese confection in a variety of flavors, including mango, strawberry, red bean, vanilla, chocolate, and green tea (my personal favorite). Despite the short life span of many restaurants in our highly seasonal community, it is no surprise that Kenichi has experienced success for more than twenty years. Read more reviews by Sydney

This was my third time eating at Kenichi and it has never let me down. Five of us came in late, around 9:30 and were quickly seated at the bar with no reservation. The place was packed because of Christmas weekend, but we got great service never the less. Had some of the best sushi I have ever had. I highly suggest the spicy edamame. The fresh wasabi and wasabi relish was great on everything. Try it, you won't be disappointed!!!

A friend and I went to Kenichi restaurant especially for the bar menu and happy hour prices. We arrived at 6pm with 30 to spare before the specials ended and we had no problem finding some good deals. I ordered the vegetable noodle dish, and the yellow tail serrano, in addition to splitting two sushi rolls. Our food arrived in less than 10 minutes. It was hot and so tasty. We were able to leave Kenichi by 7pm with a $55 bill for the two of us. (Great for Aspen, Colorado!) If you can eat early, I'd recommend the bar menu specials at Kenichi.

I ate at the sushi bar on Saturday night with my sister. We had the best time and the Sushi chef, Kiymoso was his name, I think, but he was amazing. Supper fun and made the meal so special. He even gave us samples to try, which was a very nice touch. The sushi was amazing, so fresh and very unique rolls. I have been to the other two sushi restaurants in Aspen and Kenichi is by far the best. If you want to have a fun night, go to Kenichi! Don't get the Sake Moitos as they don't get you drunk.

If you like hustle and bustle, lots going on and good Japanese food...Kinichi is the spot. they have been around for years and I have always had a consistently good experience. It's a safe bet. Make reservations...it gets packed! It can get loud so if you are with a hard of hearing date...keep this in mind!

Kenichi is one of my favorite restaurants in town so yes I am reviewing it again. Sushi is a very social meal. I love deciding and trying new rolls, and sharing the meals with my dinner companions. The set of us sat that at the Sushi Bar and Dave was our Sushi Chef. We had our favorite roll, Austin Roll (tempura asparagus, rolled in edamame paper). I tried the Hawaiian roll which was better than the Hawaiian roll at Kenichi Pacifica in Hawaii! We shared hot saki and a pitcher of saki mojitos. The saki mojito was great! I would definitely order it again. The calamari was unique with a good dipping sauce and the spicy edamame had the best sauce. If you like spicy you have to try the spicy edamame!

Took the whole family there after Christmas (Kids and grand-kids). Most of the party feasted on an amazing variety of sushi and proclaimed it delicious (especially the sauces). Even the youngsters found things they liked. The service was excellent with delivery of new types of sushi happening exactly when the previous type had been eaten. The one (small) disappointment was that for some reason I ordered a felit and although it tasted fine and had been cooked right it had been cut wrong (with the grain rather than across the grain) which made it a bit chewy. I guess the moral of the story is to order what the restaurant is famous for (e.g. , don't order corned beef and cabbage in a Mexican place.) All in all though, worth the price and a good dining experience.

Outstanding - not cheap - lets say - "Aspen reasonable" - $50 a head w/ plenty of Sapporo. Highly recommend trying the Spicy Wok seared edamame - no need to ask if its 'really spicy?" - the answer is 'depends on who makes it tonight" - for 7 bucks, be adventurous - I thought it was outstanding. All rolls we had were great - super fresh and presented to perfection. They do serve 'unexpected' rolls - like the Bonzai tuna roll that is topped w/ strawberry slices. I personally prefer to get my fruit intake at Robeks Juice Bar - but, everyone else I was with thought it was great. Make reservations - especially during holiday periods.

It all started with us both being in town after work "Wanna get an appetizer somewhere?" Sure! but where? How about the bar at Kenichi? O.K. Upon entry the bar was full and the choice was a tiny two top at the head of the dinning room or the sushi bar. Feeling a bit shy at the moment I was leaning toward the tiny two top when my partner pushed me toward the sushi bar. Well O.K. It seems a must to start with edamame while at a sushi joint, so I did but with the Spicy edamame, a nice little Kenichi twist. I don't know how they prepare it but this I will try again and again to recreate in my own kitchen…. A big Sapporo for me, a Kenichi Martini for her, some friendly chatter with the waitress, and great service from the sushi chef led us two one after another of additions to our appetizer. After the spicy tempura shrimp, my favorite Austin roll (asparagus tempura and masago aioli wrapped in edamame paper topped with eel sauce), 2 shrimp tempura rolls, and an avocado roll, our little appetizer had turned into a complete dinner. No dessert this time, thanks. And did you know that guy next to you is really famous in Brazil!