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When Den Deli—Toshi and Yasu Kizaki’s Japanese deli and noodle bar—opened on South Pearl Street in early December, it was an immediate hit. The brothers, who have already proven themselves with the adjacent Sushi Den and Izakaya Den, now offer a dialed-down experience that’s conducive to either dining in or taking out.
The concept is modeled after the food courts of Japanese department stores, where the high-quality offerings are more Fortnum & Mason (for those who have been to London) than Panda Express or Chick-fil-A.
Den Deli’s glass cases offer packaged sushi (the same great stuff you can get across the street), sandwiches, salads—don’t miss the roasted beet and pear—and Japanese selections. Two best bets: The kimpura gobo, a soy-sauce-laced tangle of matchstick carrots and burdock, and the addictive sautéed eggplant with miso.
There’s also a noodle station ladling up big, brothy bowls of udon and ramen (the tempura shrimp and veggies are especially tasty) and a seafood case stocked with at-home sushi makings: top-notch fish, roe, sea urchin, wasabi, and yuzu.
1501 S. Pearl St., 303-733-2503
