Restaurant Peek: Sushi Mango

By: Annie Guo, Asian Avenue magazine
3624 Highlands Ranch Parkway, #203 | Highlands Ranch, CO 80126
Tel: 720.348.0773 | www.sushi-mango.com
Hours: Mon – Thur: 11am to 9pm | Fri – Sat: 11am to 10pm | Closed Sunday

With more than 15 years of experience in Japanese cuisine under his belt, head chef Ray Huy Hoang has taken the top recipes he has learned and reinvented them to make the very best sushi concoctions at Sushi Mango.
The newly opened restaurant sits in the space of a former sushi establishment, but after a full remodel and a renaming, its doors opened as Sushi Mango. Why mango?
Because mangos are ‘fresh’. They represent what is new and original, the kind of food served at Sushi Mango. Hoang said, “We use mangos to make a lot of different things. We cook with it, it’s healthy, and it’s a cool and new name!”

Hoang has worked as the head chef in well-known restaurants including: Hapa Sushi, John Holly’s Asian Bistro, Volcano Asian Cuisine, Okinawa Sushi, Hibachi Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar, and Taigun Japanese French Cuisine. He has lived in Denver for more than 30 years. During this time, he has gained invaluable experience working in numerous sushi restaurants, but his dream was always to open his own. Taking his learnings, he has added his personal flair into the items on his menu.

Hoang has a particular talent for the presentation of sushi. He appreciates the delicate and colorful art of raw fish so much that he was even invited to design “naked sushi” at the Denver Art Museum—in which he skillfully placed an array of sashimi around human models laying down as sushi bars.

Sushi Mango provides traditional Japanese dishes, like bento boxes and yakisoba noodles, as well as fusion items. The sushi bar is located in an upscale area with little to no other sushi offerings around. Patrons love the casual and modern environment and enjoy the everyday happy hour from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Just thinking back to our visit to Sushi Mango makes my mouth water. The sushi rolls prepared by Hoang were indeed delicious. The mango roll, filled with shrimp tempura and crab, was covered with a fresh and sweet slice of mango.

The bungee roll contained cucumber and avocado topped with baked salmon and yellowtail plus my favorite, cream cheese. We devoured the layers of spicy tuna and wasabi infused rice found in the Ahi Tuna Tower, tasting its cool freshness. The high-quality sushi was impressive and made the entire experience enjoyable. The first bite tasted as great as the last.

SAMPLE MENU
Bento Box $9.95
Teriyaki salmon, teriyaki beef, teriyaki chicken, shrimp, sushi or sashimi served with vegetable tempura, miso soup or house salad and steamed rice

Chicken Katsu $10.95
Deep fried breaded chicken served with house sauce

Diver Scallops $12.95
Big scallops pan seared with Asian guacamole

Sashimi Deluxe $21.95
16 pieces chef-selected sashimi

Mango Roll $8.95
Shrimp tempura, crab, mango and avocado

Rising Sun Roll $9.25
Crab, avocado, baked salmon and dynamite sauce

West Coast Roll $9.95
Fried oyster, shrimp, avocado and mango