Restaurant Peek: East Moon Asian Bistro

By Peter Bui

8162 S. Holly St. Centennial, CO 80122
Tel: 303.779.9999 | www.eastmoon9.com
HOURS: Every Day 11AM to 9:30PM

East Moon Asian Bistro’s owner and head chef, Steven Chen, always had a “passion to make food that looks and taste good.” Sushi is one of his favorite platforms to do just that. Chen started his career nine years ago in New York City by attending culinary school where he learned the techniques and skills for Japanese cooking. This is when he quickly discovered sushi was an excellent way for him to express his creativity.

After spending a few years in Denver honing his skills at sushi establishments, in November 2011, he took the opportunity to open his own restaurant. The contemporary décor of East Moon Asian Bistro in itself is a creative expression. The dining area is decorated with furniture and ornaments from places like Thailand providing a modern Asian look that carries over into the food.

East Moon offers appetizers such octopus carpaccio. The fresh thinly sliced pieces of octopus are drizzled with a refreshing and light jalapeno vinaigrette that hits the palate with just a touch of heat – a great palate cleanser to start your meal. For tuna lovers, the menu offers thick slices of tuna tataki, which is lightly seared tuna served a long with a tasty butter dipping sauce. East Moon has traditional sushi rolls on its menu, but also presents its own creations like the Denver Bomb Roll which uses cucumber to wrap lobster tempura and crab meat into a roll, topped with a spicy mayo.

 

The restaurant serves all-you-can-eat sushi on Tuesdays (Lunch $15.95, Dinner $26.95). Beyond sushi, East Moon has a variety of Thai dishes and other non-sushi dishes similar to the East Moon Seafood house special. This colorful entrée contains a mix of jumbo shrimp, scallops, white fish, lobster tail and vegetables stir-fried in a sweet and spicy Thai basil sauce.

Like any highly regarded restaurant, Chef Chen uses fresh seasonal ingredients to make its East Moon specials. Depending on the time of year or when he is able to source such ingredients, patrons can find exquisite treasures such as uni (sea urchin gonads) or toro (fatty tuna). The uni is served on top of a fried peach leaf which provides a crunchy contrast to the soft and delicate uni. The melt in your mouth buttery toro is made even more luxurious by being topped with caviar and gold flakes. Lastly, some lucky patrons may even get to eat cool, raw Wagyu beef with a spicy daikon sauce.

Anyone who loves beef should not miss the opportunity to try a one-of-a-kind dish like this. While East Moon has a variety of selection on its menu, the sensational sushi alone should bring you in for a visit.

MENU

Appetizers
Shrimp and Chicken Spring Rolls $7
Chicken Lettuce Wraps $7
Spicy Sashimi Salad $8
Assorted sashimi mix garlic chili with spicy soy vinaigrette

Sushi Entrees
Tuna Sushi Dinner 8 pieces tuna & tuna roll $19
Tekka/Hamachi Don $21
4 tuna & 4 yellowtail sashimi on a bed of rice
Special Rolls
Green Dragon Roll $10
Eel, cucumber inside; avocado & masago on top

Fire Roll $13
Spicy tuna, jalapeno wrap, salmon, super white tuna inside; wasabi tobiko, sriracha, jalapeno on top

Ninja Roll $13
Shrimp tempura, spicy tuna inside; eel & avocado on top