Kenichi Reinvents Itself

I went to a function at the newly renovated Kenichi at 5th and Colorado on Monday night. Kenichi Kenada was there from Kona (he whipped up some razor-thin slices of kobe tartar in a truffle oil emulsion) and did not look a day older than when I had last seen him about 8 years ago. He must have the same Asian ageless gene that Roy Yamaguchi has.

Shane Stark is back at the helm in the kitchen with some new dishes along with my old favorites like the Firecracker Shrimp and the Butterfish. A terrific new dish is the Pork Belly Fried Rice topped with a sunny-side up egg. Also some new cocktails and the sushi is as good as it ever was.

There’s a different design vibe courtesy of Tonya Noble and a new ownership group as well. It occurred to me while I was sipping and munching that I was glad to be back at Kenichi. I remembered when it was THE hottest spot in town and was a slam-dunk winner for the little-black-dress female contingent. I don’t know but the stars appear to be aligning themselves in Kenichi’s direction.