Taigun

There was a time, not long ago, when I thought of the suburbs as a foodie wasteland. I thought there could be nothing good to eat there, with all of the really tasty vittles relegated to downtown. To be honest, I never gave anything a chance, having lived within spitting distance of downtown for the majority of the last decade. Recently, a life-change moved me to Westminster, that most northern of Denver suburban sprawls. Thing is, I was still as hungry as I was downtown. So what's a girl to do?

My first need was sushi. If I could choose one food to eat for the rest of my life, that's what it would be. I like it all- sashimi, nigiri, inari, and mostly, the American-ized rolls. I know they're not traditional, but I passionately love things like cream cheese and avocado in my deep-fried tempura roll. Oh hell yeah. But I digress.

Sushi in the 'burbs, huh? A friend of a friend of a- well, you get the idea- recommended Taigun, which is tucked into a little strip of shopping extravagance just south of Flatirons Mall. I don't expect much when my view is of DSW and the Honeybaked Ham store. On our first trip, we almost left as soon as we opened the door. The middle of the small room was occupied by 4 adults and 5 children. Anytime the children at a table out-number the adults, I sense a mutiny coming and I don't want to be involved. Still, the sushi monster in my stomach could not be stopped. And it was long way to anywhere else.

I wouldn't suggest sitting at the sushi bar during the winter, as it is right next to the front door. Unless you like dining in the arctic of course. It does make the fish taste fresher. Taigun has an extensive list of rolls, including 6 varieties of California Roll for the less adventurous sushi-eater. Normally, we order 3 rolls per person. Bad idea at Taigun- their rolls are enormous. Bigger than any I have seen anywhere. Which is freakin' awesome of course, because 2 rolls are more than enough to fill me up there, and my pocketbook likes that.

My dining companion always begins with the Miso soup, and he attested that Taigun's is indeed excellent. I tried the vegetable tempura. For around $6, you get a huge mound of perfectly tempura'd veggies, including yams. I love yams. Then on to the good stuff: The Alaskan Dream roll is basically a Philadelphia (cream cheese, salmon) with some crab added and salmon on top. It truly is a dream. The fish was fresh and cut perfectly, with generous chunks of the delectable salmon inside. Two of our other rolls were variations of spicy tuna. Taigun's spicy tuna is AMAZING. You can see flecks of pepper and cilantro dotting the tartare-style tuna. Very spicy, very delicious. I particularly enjoyed it topping the One Night Stand roll, which consists of shrimp tempura and cream cheese.

Our second outing there was much, much quieter (no kids anywhere) and we once again enjoyed every bite. This place is great if you live out north, or just happen to be shopping at the mall. I don't know if I'd make a trip across town for it, but it definitely raised my expectations of the suburbs. I know I'll be back soon.