Jeju Island is a volcanic island in South Korea, located in the middle of the Korean strait between Korea and Japan. As a tourist destination and natural heritage center, Jeju has been called South Korea's Hawaii. According to legend, it's also called the "Island of the Gods."

But northern Colorado happens to have its own JeJu on the corner of South College Avenue and East Olive Street in Old Town, Fort Collins. Called Sushi JeJu, while not an island, it's one of those standout sorts of places that draw in people to enjoy food that's memory making.

Open since December 2003, Gina Yoo said her dad, Brian Yoo, named his new restaurant after the Korean island because he wanted to feature the cuisine of his native Korea alongside that of Japan.

Running a family restaurant hadn't been Brian Yoo's original plan.

When the South Korean and his bride came to the United States in 1985 on a student visa, it had been to attend school in Washington State.

"He focused on becoming a pilot and learned how to work on jets. That didn't work out, so he went into business," his daughter Gina said.

Starting as a dishwasher in a restaurant and then moving up the ranks into the kitchen to learn about food, the elder Yoo moved to Colorado in 1993 to establish a Denver branch of the Korea Times newspaper with a friend. During that period, he also owned a liquor store and a cleaning company, taking a serious step into the food business when he opened a small restaurant called Sapporo Beef Bowl.

Sushi JeJu, unlike its namesake Korean island, Jeju, sits at the intersection of South College Avenue and East Olive Street in Old Town, Fort Collins. Both are standout sorts of places. (Photo credit Emily Kemme)

Discovering the perfect location and loyal personnel

When Fort Collins was named the number one city to live in the United States in 2003, Yoo decided opening restaurant there would help support his growing family.

That's when the whole question of location took on a razor focus. The building on the corner where Sushi JeJu has been located for 18 years was at that time occupied by a Mexican restaurant. Recognizing the city's growth potential was part of Yoo's decision to buy out their lease. As one of the gateways into Old Town, the corner where the sushi restaurant now sits has become a place of prominence.

Hiring a sushi chef was next on the list of how to make this new restaurant concept sing. Enter Masakazu Suzuki (Masa), a classically trained "itamae" (Japanese for sushi chef), from Japan.

Suzuki and Yoo have made their mark on northern Colorado.

Sushi JeJu is one of only a handful of area sushi restaurants serving fresh, not frozen tuna. It's a taste difference worth understanding. While frozen tuna may have fishy aspects, fresh tuna is luxurious and clean. It won't have any aftertaste.

The restaurant also offers a full range of nigiri options—the style of sushi where a slice of raw fish is placed on a ball of vinegared rice.

This range of choices are what makes JeJu stand out. There are the familiar, easy-going sushi fav's like umami-forward, melt-on-your-tongue maguro (tuna), buttery yet acidic hamachi (yellowtail), and rich, mild shake (salmon). Often called "starter sushi" or sushi for beginners, the trio is what you'll find at many sushi restaurants.

But JeJu's menu allows you to go further, exploring the nuances of the ocean's bounty. Taste the sweetness of kaibashira (scallops), salty saba (mackerel), creamy, buttery hirame (halibut), or succulent, earthy amaebi (sweet raw shrimp), to name just a few.

A colorful array of sushi rolls at Sushi JeJu in downtown Fort Collins. (Photo credit Emily Kemme)

Learning the world of sushi, one nigiri at a time

Justin Warner, a Food Network Star, cookbook author, television personality and host of "Eat the Universe," said Sushi JeJu was the first restaurant he applied to after moving to Fort Collins in 2004. Warner wrote in an email that Brian Yoo took him under his wing, teaching him about management and how to be a gracious host.

"He would invite me to his apartment to eat Korean food prepared by his mother. For a 20-year-old fresh out of Appalachia, this was quite the experience," Warner said. "Brian and his mother seemed to get a kick out of exposing me to their cuisine and culture — and it had a profound impact on my direction in life."

Warner worked with Masa, who trained the restaurant's waiters to develop their palates to better sell what was, at that time, "unknown delicacies of the sea — ankimo, ishigakidai, sanma, sawara. These didn't roll off the tongue at first but they sure tasted incredible when cut by Masa's skilled hands. I quickly learned that describing flavors helps people know what to expect — the creamy, metallic brine of uni (sea urchin), the pop of ikura (salmon egg), the oiliness of toro (fatty tuna)," he wrote.

Eventually, Masa and Warner became roommates, cooking together and drinking and laughing after a shift, Warner said.

Gina said her dad and Masa have worked hard to establish their unique sushi spot, and as co-owner and manager, said she's "trying to learn the tricks from my Pops."

That includes keeping the menu interesting and approachable.

"Some people come in for Korean food or the ramen, it depends on people's mood," she said.

Going with what's familiar? You'll be impressed with JeJu's fish quality and clean taste— that's what happens when skilled hands touch these ocean gems.

But if you're looking for sushi novelty, try the Fort Collins roll (fried calamari, pickled radish and spicy salmon topped with seared salmon and eel sauce), the Hi Stroll (seared marinated tuna with garlic butter and jalapeño, spicy lobster, cucumber and avocado), or the Shrimp Roll.

It's worth asking your well-trained server to recommend the next taste you should try to expand your knowledge of the bite-sized — yet succulent — world of sushi.

Or as Warner puts it, "Without (Yoo and Masa), I'd be just a sliver of the tuna I am today."

The sushi bar at Sushi JeJu, Fort Collins. (Photo credit Emily Kemme)

If You Go:

Where: 238 South College Ave., Fort Collins

Lunch: 11 a.m. - 1:50 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. Monday through Friday | Noon to 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Dinner: 5- 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday | 5 - 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday | 5 - 8:30 p.m. Sunday

Contact: 970-416-7733 | sushijejufoco.com