Mizuna - Denver

We ventured to Mizuna for a belated birthday dinner alas, our original plans were thwarted by the snowpocalypse a couple weeks back . The atmosphere is cozy and elegant comfortable but not ostentatious, and perfect for relaxed, intimate dining. I'd heard good things about their seafood dishes, so opted for the 11 course !! coastal menu which definitely did not disappoint. The seared diver scallops were sweet, buttery, melt in your mouth deliciousness; it's easy to see why they're a staple across all menus. The Campanelle with butter poached lobster was equally divine. The Chilean Sea Bass wrapped in roasted savoy cabbage was a delightfully nuanced blend of smoky and salty flavors. And the pastry Grand Dessert somehow perfectly balanced between feeling rich and indulgent, while also being light and airy. Hats off to Chefs Mackenzie Hyde, Frank Bonnano, and Michael Dunning for creating dishes that showcase their individual skills and passions, while also delivering a seamless and cohesive dining experience. Highly recommend. And if you do try one of more extensive 10 or 11 course menus, it's best paired with delightful and hilarious company with whom you can sustain a 2+ hour conversation because yes, the meal is about that long .

Have I ever listened to AC/DC, Rush and Rage Again the Machine in one setting? As a Gen X male you know that I have! Have I done that while dining on an incredible tasting menu with amazing staff being overseen by an icon of Denver dining who was working the line that night? Uh, no. It's been 13 years since my last trip to Mizuna, and adjusted for inflation the price is the same. If anything the service and food are even better.

A well-established local fixture with a lot of class. The concept for Mizuna lends itself well to being a date night, celebration, or main event of the night kind of dinner. The service was impeccable. Friendly, helpful, kind, and accommodating. Started with a cold towel service to wipe our hands with lemon zest-scented moist cloth towels. Dirty plates and utensils were replaced between courses. The additional bites of food peppered throughout the meal added a feeling of generosity and hospitality to the overall service. Each dish was described as they were being presented. And finally, there is a 22% chp fee tacked on to the bill, which I was more than happy to pay. The atmosphere is elegant, but in a more classic, old school, boutique kind of way. Even the bathrooms had unique fixtures and cloth towels instead of paper towels. The food had good things going on here and there, but overall left much to be desired for me. Your table had two options: chef tasting or 3-course meal. With 3-course meal, people can choose their own app, entree, and dessert. For chef tasting, each person can choose 1 of 2 tiers. My table went for the 3-course meal. Started with siberian caviar. Very good start to the meal, highly recommend. Wonderfully salty and clean without a fishy funk. Next was an amuse bouche that was a foie gras mousse with a smokey bacon sauce. The sauce was delicious. The foie gras mousse was nice, but I still prefer foie gras simply seared. After that, we were presented with tuna tartare with wonton chip. Delicious once again. Fresh, light, and nice textural contrast from the wonton chip. Bread and butter followed. Nice flavor on the roll, and it 's dense. The butter was of good quality with large salt crystals sprinkled on top. First course, lobster mac and cheese. Lobster cooked perfectly and strong lobster flavor comes through. Unfortunately the dish was entirely too salty. It wasn 't inedible, but it was close to that. Other than outrageous salt level, the flavors of the dish were really good. I also sampled crab cake that someone else at the table got. Crab cake was all around good, not too salty, and not too much filler. A much needed palate cleanser was next. Sparkling fruit juices in a shot. Time for the main course. We shared lamb and beef wellington. The lamb was insanely salty, except for the very center of the chop. That one bite was perfectly cooked and seasoned lamb. The rest of the lamb outside of that morsel was very difficult to eat. A chimichurri-like paste was served with it, and it was nice because it wasn 't so salty compared to the meat. The root veggies were charred, but left with a flavor that reminded me of unburned gas. The beef wellington had okay flavor, but was so full of connective tissue that did not break down. I chewed a bunch and spit out most of it out into my table napkin. I would not recommend the beef wellington nor the lamb. Before the dessert course, we were served a mini eclair snack. Very tasty dessert. I opted for espresso, which came along with a rock candy stirring stick. Everyone at the table was pleased with the mini eclair. Lastly, the dessert course. The chocolate cake was very good. Not too sweet, well-balanced for a chocolate cake, and excellent garnishes. The panna cotta was not terrible, but not that good. Way too sugary and the sauce was way too sour. The garnishes were awesome, and my favorite component of that dish. All in all, the extra small plates served throughout the meal were probably the highlight of the meal. The actual 3 courses were mostly disappointing, with the primary problem being too much salt. The meat dishes were extremely disappointing, so it 's probably best to stick with seafood at Mizuna.

Came here with a group of 8 last night and had tony as our server. Food was delicious and ambiance was cozy and calming. The service was top notch and it felt like a great experience. We had 3 chefs tasting menu which was land and sea and 5 coastal tasting menus. I personally would want the coastal next time! I was a bit jealous of the choices. All the cocktails we tried were great and we got a goody bag of chocolate, muffins and cookies to go! Only thing that would make this better if there was validated parking.

We went all out with the caviar and wagyu additions to our Coastal tasting. The interior of the establishment is more on the casual side than we expected in comparison to the meal. That is not a criticism. We actually ended up enjoyed the feel and atmosphere. The host and all the wait staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. As with many multi-course menus, you get some misses with the hits and you need to take them all as part of the experience. This was heavy on the hits and very enjoyable. We were also STUFFED by the end of it all and it took about 3-hours.