Over a decade ago, former Westword food editor Mark Antonation began his food-writing career by eating his way up Federal Boulevard. Now, we’re turning our attention to another vibrant culinary corridor.

The four-plus-mile stretch of Havana Street between Dartmouth and Sixth Avenue in Aurora is home to the most diverse array of international cuisine available in the metro area. From restaurants and markets to take-and-go shops and stands, food lovers of nearly any ethnicity or interest can find a place that will remind them of home or open new culinary doors. In Eat Up Havana, Antony Bruno will visit them all, one by one, week by week.

Previous stops:

• Old Town Hot Pot
• Leezakaya
• Chutney Indian Cuisine
• El Tequileno
• Milkroll
• Shin Myung Gwan Korean BBQ
• Watan Restaurant & Bakery
• Las Fajitas
• Mr. Tang
• Nana’s Dim Sum & Dumplings
• Yemen Grill
• Tofu House

Next up: Sushi Katsu

The word sushi naturally conjures up one common idea — raw fish. However, the way that raw fish is prepared, served and enjoyed reveals a far longer spectrum.

On one side is the rising tide of omakase: a chef’s-choice tasting menu experience that takes away all decision-making and control. For a set price, diners receive a very specific number of courses consisting of a very specific cut of fish for each.

On the other side is the all-you-can-eat model (AYCE), where you can get rounds and rounds of the same fish, or mix it up among a range of options given, to your heart’s (and stomach’s) delight.

Which one is “better” is not a fair question. One arguably offers greater sophistication and craft, while the other focuses more on convenience and cost. Comparing the two is ridiculous, as while they work with a common ingredient (again: raw fish), they approach it from completely different directions and serve largely different audiences.

Sushi Katsu offers both an AYCE menu and an optional a la carte experience. The original restaurant on Havana Street in Aurora is the first of three locations; the other two are in Greenwood Village and Lakewood.

How It Works

There’s a special menu for the all-you-can-eat option that’s focused predominantly on more standard items. For nigiri (that’s the raw-fish-on-rice), there are 22 options, mostly consisting of the expected tuna, salmon, shrimp, mackerel, eel, scallop and so on. But there are a few curveballs thrown in — like “Spicy Volcano Sushi” and, depending on your perspective, surf clam and octopus (note that these are one piece per order).,

Same goes for the 22 standard rolls — salmon roll, California roll, spicy tuna roll — but also the house special “Yummy Crunch,” which is a sort of sushi tostada made with fried wonton skins and a mix of seafood and vegetables.

And the AYCE offerings aren’t limited to sushi. There’s a range of salads (seaweed, miso, cucumber) as well as a long list of both fried and grilled appetizers like teriyaki, tempura and yakitori, and more.

All this for $25 at lunch and $31 at dinner — but there are a few rules. The obvious is there’s no take-out or sharing with customers not also paying for the AYCE option. The less obvious is focused on waste — you pay the regular menu price for anything you don’t eat. And beer and other drinks are separate, of course.

The Pros

The all-you-can-eat format has several upsides. The first is price. A la carte sushi dinners can quickly rack up a hefty bill, particularly if you’re ordering in rounds and not sure if you’ve ordered enough or too little.

The second is experimentation. For those newer to sushi, taking the price consideration away from ordering “thank you” bites of unfamiliar cuts of fish (or rolls, or appetizers) is a good way to encourage expanding your comfort zone for a style of cuisine that even today has no shortage of trepidation.

The Cons

There’s really no other way to say it… quality. That’s not to say that AYCE sushi is bad; this sushi is perfectly acceptable. The fish is fresh and tastes the way it’s supposed to. It’s just that the range of flavors or experiences possible with this kind of model is going to be limited to the basics. You’re not going to find black throat sea perch marinated in kelp here; you’re getting a slice of salmon on some rice.

Also, the sushi cuts — as in the size of the pieces of fish on the rice — are a bit thinner than what you might expect at other sushi restaurants. For some, that’s a plus, as biting into a thinner piece of raw fish might be an easier way to get started than going all-in on a hunk of octopus. Again, it just depends on your preferences.

It’s All About Expectations

Restaurants, like movies, can suffer from the expectation game. Expecting to be served omakase-level sushi at an AYCE sushi restaurant just isn’t reasonable. Sushi Katsu is more akin to sushi-focused bar food than Jiro Dreams of Sushi.

If your expectations (and wallet) run more on the adventurous omakase side of the spectrum, then you should continue focusing on those establishments. But if your budget and preferences run more middle-of-the-road, or you’re new to sushi and just want to get a low-commitment opportunity to sample what it’s all about, then an AYCE model like Sushi Katsu is as good as any place to start.

Sushi Katsu is located at 2222 South Havana Street, #H. It is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to  9:30 p.m.; Friday – Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m, and Sundays from noon to 8:30 p.m. For more information, visit sushikatsudenver.com.