Barbara Lawlor
Nederland
Imagine a Rainbow Roll, or The Roll: crab and avocado inside the sushi rice with a layer of tuna, salmon, yellowtail or shrimp, all fresh, prepared while you watch, cut into bite sized pieces with mini caviar on top, drizzled with soy and wasabi sauce.
If you are a sushi aficionado and have been dreaming of the day when fresh rolls will be created at your table, your wait is over. The Sushi Man is coming to town.
The Rocky Mountain Oyster Bar in Nederland has asked the popular sushi caterer, Jun Nakajima, and his partner, Stephanie Lee, who own the catering business, The Sushi Man, to spend an evening in their restaurant, offering their sushi menu, with the hopes that they will be so well received, a sushi night could become a once a week event.
On Monday afternoon, Jun and Stephanie got together with Andrew and Julia Fischel to discuss Wednesday night's menu and the appropriate drinks to accompany the food. Jun said they plan to wear their formal chef's outfits as they prepare the rolls by hand for each individual order.
Jun grew up in a Japanese Restaurant, Musashi, owned by his parents in Colorado Springs. Musashi, known for its sushi bar and hibachi grill for over 30 years, has built a successful business which Jun learned from the bottom up. He washed dishes and mopped the floor and learned how to do everything step by step through on the job training.
After studying architecture at CU, specifically environmental design, Jun had the opportunity to move to Japan and teach English at a junior high school. It was 2007 and living in Japan had always been one of his desires. He spoke fluent Japanese and quickly learned the subtleties of the culture. Although he enjoyed his time in Japan, he realized that teaching was not what he wanted to do.
Jun came back to the family restaurant and mastered the menu and learned the business. In 2011, he started his own catering business, The Sushi Man.
By this time, he had met Stephani Lee, his fiancé, in Hawaii. His sister was getting married in Oahu, and her fiancé’s family was friends with Stephanie's family. She was helping coordinate the wedding and noticed Jun.
"He was getting my attention," she says. After the wedding, Jun went back to Colorado Springs, but their attraction to each other became a long-distance relationship and Stephanie moved to Colorado Springs. They became engaged last November.
Stephanie was born in Oahu and says she was lucky to have lived in Hawaii where the people have big hearts. She attended the University of Hawaii and then worked as a financial advisor. She has taken over the Sushi Man accounts.
Since opening The Rocky Mountain Oyster Bar, Andrew has been looking into having a sushi night, actually the result of many requests from locals who have been traveling to the flatlands to satisfy their yen for sushi. He knew someone who recommended Jun, saying, "This guy knows what he's doing."
When Andrew approached him about coming up to Nederland, Jun asked, "Where is that?"
Stephanie said a co-worker told her about the Frozen Dead Guy Festival. "I thought that was an awesome idea. Colorado is big and small at the same time, with little pockets of small towns like this that are so interesting."
It seemed to be an opportunity for both couples and they decided to give it a shot. They will be having a sushi bar night next Wednesday, August 24, from 6-10 p.m.
They are working on the menu, but say it will feature the most popular items from their present menu, along with favorites from the RMOB menu.
"We are hoping for the best," says Jun, "And we want everyone to bring a huge appetite."
Both Jun and Stephanie say that Nederland is the farthest west they have ever ventured into the mountains and they find it charming and hope they will up here on a regular basis.
