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Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
Neighborhood: 78704 (South Austin)Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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We had a disappointing experience at Uchi a few months back that prompted a discouraging Yelp review. We had been enjoying Uchi for a while and were dismayed by our experience as we were accustomed to Uchi's exceptional service, quality, presentation, and professionalism. We left before finishing our order and received vouchers from the manager encouraging us to return. The manager was very insistent that we return and give Uchi another opportunity to live up to it's reputation.
We returned Monday and were THOROUGHLY impressed. From the moment we added our name to the hour and a half wait we were treated exceptionally by every staff person we encountered.
We started with hot sake and it was HOT! All four bottles were HOT, warming the hand when pouring. The edamame was prepared just right - not too soggy and salted perfectly. Our wait was only 20 minutes and the manager from our previous experience retrieved us for our table. We sat at the sushi bar.
Hands were coming out of all directions! Serving us water immediately, more HOT sake, and pallet-cleansing grapefruit sorbet in miniature bamboo cups just to get started. The atmosphere was lively and consistent.
The food was delivered at appropriate intervals. As soon as we would finish one portion, another was served. Starting out with the grilled cuddle fish salad. So scrumptious and fresh with just the right amount of dressing and lots of fish! The earthy mixture of green apple and tomatillo along with the grilled cuddle fish is a nice compliment to the Fall season.
The zero zen roll was perfect! Melts in your mouth. All of the rolls we ordered were brilliant! The sauces that came on our rolls were so delightful and tasty, we barely used the (typical) soy / wasabi mixture.
We concluded our meal with one of their delicious desserts. Oh my goodness...everything was simply amazing and delicious. Superior and knowledgeable service. This is what we have come to love about Uchi.
It's a local restaurant - not some run of the mill corporation. That is something to take into account during strained financial times. Local businesses have a stake in the community and exude that in the service they provide. Being an Austin original, Uchi does not discriminate. Respecting hippies and elitists alike. Uchi, clearly, owns up to it's consistent five star rating.
We are thankful we were invited back. Our most recent experience was the best one of all - beyond fantastic.
Thank you Uchi. Keep Austin Original!
We are of the same thought as others who used to love Uchi, but have noticed a recent decline in… Read more »
Uchi continues to amaze me with their menu and creativity. We went on Saturday night and did the 10 course chef's tasting menu - and it completely blew us away...
It was if each course just got better and better. Lobster (flash fried and served with delicious tomatoes and other veggie delights - check!) Monk fish liver pate (who knew it even existed but WOW, amazing taste, texture and presentation). Scallops deliciously seared. A variety of beautifully presented sushi (one with an awesome hidden wasabi bomb!), and a to die for dessert (I cannot descibe it except to say it was bubbling and tasted of delicious hazelnut).
I have no idea how they come up with the flavor and texture combinations, but it is so amazingly pulled off (down to the pomegranate seeds in one of the dishes delicately tucked under some greens).
Great service (our waitress spent time with us on each dish, recommending how we should eat it - taro chips with sushi should be eaten with our hands - ok - we'll do it and whoa - an amazing sweet/salty flavor!)
Love their wine list and tried some great reds by the glass.
It was just all around a great evening. Yes, it's pricey, no doubt about that - but SO worth it for the experience alone.
And an added bonus is people watching - it's always quite a scene.
We'll be back! I love you uchi!
Being from San Francisco, I know great sushi. With that out on the table- UCHI changed my life forever.
The presentation, delivery and explanation of each plate- beyond amazing.
Sitting on the plane, picking at my nasty Continental food made me close my eyes and pretend I was at UCHI, devouring feta cheese on raw ahi tuna.
If you're in Austin, go there. Nuff said.
This is my favorite Austin restaurant hands down.
The food is truly spectacular as it not only looks beautiful but tastes incredible. There are several dishes we get every time: the maguro sashimi and goat cheese, the pork belly (was bacon steakie) and the fried brie. My husband and I are not huge fish fans, but the sushi is so good you can't help but like it.
Uchi is one of the few places that you can take a risk and try something totally out there and be rewarded with an insanely good dish.
Everyone always talks about the hot rock and how you have to do it. I agree that the first time you visit Uchi, the hot rock is a neato experience. However, compared to the rest of their food, it is nowhere near as good. I do love when other people order it, though, because the smell surrounds the table and all tables nearby.
The waitstaff is phenomenal. They are always friendly and ready to provide excellent recommendations. The last time I went with my husband, we started off with some nice cold sake. It must've drank mine way too fast because the next thing I know, I accidentally sent a beloved piece of bacon steakie off my plate and onto the floor. I was utterly embarrassed but a waiter picked it up as they were walking by and did not say a thing. I think I ended up being more disappointed that I lost a morsel of my favorite dish than anything.
The desserts are good as well, though for me not the main attraction.
I cannot wait to go again. Too bad my wallet is a bit thin right now...
I gotta say, these folks KILLED IT!!! in the context of setting, service, and cuisine, they were firing on all cylinders. First, we sat at the bar and the bar tender was AWESOME at his job. Before I could even think of needing a refill, he was pouring it for me. Plus, he totally knew his beverages, both wine and otherwise. Once we were sat, the crew did a great job at guiding us with our selections and making sure we were well taken care of.
One of my favorite restaurants in Austin! Fresh fish, great atmosphere, outstanding service, awesome dessert, what else can you ask for?!?!! I don't think i've ever had anything bad o'er at Uchi!
Give it a shot, you won't regret this!
A refreshing sushi restaurant with quality sushi cuts, interesting menu choices, beautiful decor, and an overall great experience! We stopped by here on a cross country road trip from Boston to LA, and as you can imagine, there probably aren't that many good sushi restaurants along the way. We decided on Uchi because my gf had been here a while back, so I was coming in with high expectations already.
Fortunately, those expectations were all met. The snapper, yellowtail, uni and the rolls were delicious, albeit a bit pricey (but that was somewhat expected as well). Come here for a good date and if you appreciate some good SASHIMI. Rolls are good too if that's what you're feeling.
Cheers.
Who puts feta cheese on raw ahi tuna? Uchi does. And I don't know why but it is AWESOME. If I were a religious gal I'd swear the wagu beef special made me see Jesus. I won't ramble- people have said it all. Uchi rocks my socks off, it's worth the wait and worth the rediculous cost.
You need this food in your mouth!
Oh Uchi I love you so...
This is hands down the best restaurant in Austin, TX. Tyson Cole you are not an iron chef, you are (insert metal better than iron) chef. Incredible food, awesome casual atmosphere, fresh ingredients along the sushi bar, cool crowd and an well educated staff (that's right Jun!).
Do I really need to write about how good this place is? Nope! I'm going to do it anyway though.
If you don't make a reservation before 6pm (no reservations after), then yeah, you're going to wait for a table. Don't get all huff n' puff about it! Go sit in their lovely little zen garden, grab a couple bottles of hot, tasty sake and some edamame and just relax. Chances are, they'll come grab you way before they said they would and you'll be whisked off to a wonderful land of food.
The staff here is incredible and they love to make recommendations. Also, last time I was here we brought friends that had never been. That cued the waiter and manager to bring us not one BUT TWO COMPLIMENTARY DISHES! One of which was the shag roll (aka, best roll you've ever put in your mouth).
Get a hot rock and cook your own beef. Get whatever the foie gras special is and let your heart stop while you eat it. Get whatever the thing is with goat cheese and apples and fish. And then just ask a waiter to recommend the rest. Or just look at the table next you and see what looks good. Also, drink lots of sake. Hot or cold. They're all good.
You will leave here happily drunk and full of really amazing food.
Yes. You will spend a lot of money here. Don't go trying to be cheap about it, you're going to think it was sub par if you did that. It's not sub par. You did it wrong. Do it RIGHT! Spend money, eat well, drink a lot. UCHI TIME!
Dear Uchi--Thank you for ruining the movie Finding Nemo for me for the rest of my existence. I will never be able to look at Nemo or Marlin or Dory without wondering how they would taste if Tyson Cole got ahold of them...
Tyson Cole's years of study and dedication to the art of sushi is evident. The dishes were exquisite in presentation and flawless in execution. Uchi definitely opened my eyes and palate to a new realm of possibility in the world of food.
I've been on a sushi kick lately and have been sampling the flavors around town. Uchi makes the rest PALE in comparison. Our group tried a little of everything--from the hot and cold tastings, sushi rolls, sashimi, etc--I mean really. To make me crave sauce made of squid ink? Or dream of raw fish on a regular basis? To make grown adults agree to pretend that one of the dishes never came out of the kitchen while the 5th person was in the bathroom in order to each get extra pieces of the sushi roll (sorry Alex)? ridiculous.
Our server was amazing at describing dishes, keeping the flow of the evening at a steady pace, and bringing us food that we would all love. Favorites of ours were:
- hama chili yellowtail sashimi with ponzu, sliced thai chilis and orange supremes-- the delicate fish with the citrus and a touch of spice was SO good
- walu walu oak-grilled escolar with candied citrus, yuzupon and myoga--standout dish for me, the escolar came out the size of a filet mignon-so amazingly tender we could eat it with spoons. I gasped when I tried it. omigosh.
- shag roll -tempura fried avocado, sundried tomato, white soybean paper roll with salmon and squid ink sumiso sauce.
- biendo roll - tempura tiger shrimp spring roll with spicy viet vin and frozen grape salsa. YUM! I think this may have been the "hidden" dish that we both ate two of. Spicy and crunchy. Like a party in my mouth.
- pitchfork roll - wagyu beef and fresh avocado with tonburi land caviar and leek crisps. Probably never would have ordered this had I seen what was in it--but LOVED it.
- kona kanpachi pacific amberjack sashimi with crispy koshi, hikari rice, ringger farm egg and sweet soy broth--this one was hearty and delicious, it would be perfect for a cold day! The last dish the waitress brought out and probably on my top 5 list (out of our 15 or so samplings)
A touch on the expensive side? Yes. Worth every penny? Absolutely. If you go with a group and focus on the less expensive nigiri and rolls, you can come out without an exorbitant bill. OR you can have the waitress just keep bringing out food until you are stuffed and let her choose-and pay a hefty check. Either way, you'll eat amazing food.
The food is good and so is the atmosphere. I stopped coming after awhile because it just got crazy.
Don't get me wrong the food is good and I wouldn't mind coming for something like my birthday. But for a general special to eat sushi Uchi is a no go.
It is expensive and quality doesn't justify the price. Also getting a table takes forever.
If you work downtown and can make there happy hour then that is a good deal but I worked up north and only ever made it once.
Ok, I'll admit it, this place is awesome. I mean, the stuff they make, the food, is unbelievable. There is a certain genius to the dishes and if you want to do it right, I mean spend money and have a meal that is smart and complex, this is your spot.
BUT, this place is too good for its own good. Watch out that you don't put a dent in the Bentley parked out front and enjoy waiting for at least an hour with a bunch of gel-head, shiny shirt Dallas refugees. Then spend way more than you intended. Not Austin cool. Not easy and fun.
But holy crap. The food is no joke. A genius is at work here. Smart, smart flavors.
Everything is creative, tasty and comes pretty close to blowing your head off. Executive Chef Tyson Cole is probably a 15th degree blackbelt. Have you ever seen a bout between 15th degree blackbelts? They basically just look at each other and one eventually surrenders to the others force. And I can say nothing more about the food. I'm simply not worthy.
OK. I'll say something else about the food. It will awaken you in unexpected ways. Have you ever played someone else's guitar and found yourself playing things you never knew you could? Well, when you eat here, all of a sudden you may find yourself becoming smarter, wittier and happier. You can almost feel parts of your brain that you might have used at a less oppressed time of your life happily wiggling again!
To think of Uchi as a sushi bar is a wrong. If Sushi is all you really want then go to Musashino. pop. If Sushi is all you really want then go to Musashino. pop. If Sushi is all you really...zzziiiippp... Uchi is something larger altogether.
Uchi is your trip to the big city sans the air-fare. And twice as cool because it's in 78704. Do you remember when Dorothy exited her drab sepia farmhouse into Technicolor? Well, you get a bit of that as you ENTER this house. How they merged the architecture of an Austin bungalow into this modern dining interior is a wonder in itself. Well, actually, it's not. It's a pretty ordinary renovation. I was just getting carried away.
So, when the market rebounds and pay-for-performance comes back, I'll see you at Uchi. In the mean time, I'll be doing yoga in my living room.
Damn, that was some tasty food!
Everything was great; great service, great atmosphere great food and we knew the wait was going to be 90ish minutes so that wasn't a surprise.
Why not 5 stars then?
The portions were on the tiny side and each plate came with an introduction longer than the time it took to eat what came on the plate.
I feel the need to weigh in here after reading several "I've BEEN to Japan and know what sushi is...!" I don't recall ever being told the sushi there is "just like in Japan" - in fact, the only thing I've ever been promised is a tasty spin on the concept, and they've never failed to deliver.
Regardless of the degree of implied authenticity, this is effing good food. Given the opportunity, I'd poke out my eye with a fruit spoon for a lifetime supply of Bond rolls. I'd do the other one if they also include the Pitchfork and nigori sake (which is fantastic and cheap during happy hour).
I've been here half a dozen times over three years, and it's been worth every penny, every time - and my ass is far from rich. I always leave full, beaming from ear to ear, and counting down the days until the next time I can afford to go.
My wife and I had been to Uchi once before, about 2 years ago. We thought the place was fantastic. The service was some of the best I've ever experienced. Each item was served serially with almost no down-time between courses, and each item was really terrific.
For dinner last night, I made the reservation about 2 weeks in advance. It's the kind of place that we save for a date night or special occasion since the price is well above what we regularly pay for a meal.
This time around, the service wasn't as perfect as last time, but the food was still really amazing. Some standout items from our visit were the maguro sashimi and goat cheese (the goat cheese really makes this one sing), Mustang roll (fresh water eel, yellowtail, avocado, and golden flying fish roe), and unagi sushi (fresh water eel). Nearly every item was creative and exciting, often asking us to taste and savor much longer than we usually do.
The sushi is good, but the rest of the menu is even better. Say hi to Tyson if you happen to see him. Umami!!!!
"Umami is the fifth taste, and the hardest to describe. Sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. It is like savory...but not..."
Last night while sitting at the sushi bar listening to an old college friend discuss the merits of the fifth taste, I was elated that I had chosen the right place to share with this foodie New York Architect and that he was every bit as brilliant and thoughtful as I remembered.
Uchi means "inside" but could very well have been named "umami" because, in my experience, it IS the fifth taste... how can you lose when you combine designers Michael Hsu, Joel Mozersky, and executive chef Tyson Cole? Yes, you will lose some money but if that is a surprise at this point, we need to test your reading comprehension for not paying better attention to yelp reviews.
We were seated immediately at the sushi bar and it struck me that there are many advantages to these seats, especially in this space. I wanted to hear every word out of the mouth of my old friend who I have not seen since we graduated from architecture school and by sitting side-by-side, we were much closer than had we waited 30 minutes for a table.
FYI The long, high-ceilinged space can be loud especially on a Friday or Saturday when groups gather around the larger tables and, in my opinion, the booth seating can sometimes feel like you are too far away from your dinner partners.
At the sushi bar, we also had the benefit of the sushi chef's advice. No, it did not feel like he was eavesdropping at all. Except for once, but that was because I said "penis" too loudly.
Sake: We had the otokoyama tokubetsu junmai, which was dry, fresh and very clean. It is described as "clean winter air" and that was the taste, indeed... no distracting aftertaste, just a very pure, clean finish.
Food: Our sushi chef guide informed us about the ideal way to devour each plate. In every case, he said to not use the soy sauce; just use the sauces that come with the meal to enhance it. I am glad we took his advice.
We started with the masu oishii which disappeared quickly with the tasty arctic char used like a tiny piece of sopping bread to gather up the ume berry, ginger, basil, and olive oil sauciness. Nightly special.
The machi cure is eaten on yucca chips and includes maplewood-smoked baby yellowtail, asian pear, marcona almonds and brittle fresh garlic. The trick was to first disassemble the tower so that we could assemble each yucca chip with 2-3 bites of these ingredients. The salty, the sweet, the crunchy, the umami... it almost seemed too casual, but it was fun to eat.
The uchiviche was good, but kind of like salmon and striped bass laid out on a long plate interspersed with tomatoes, yellow bell peppers, garlic and cilantro. Well, actually, that is what it was, and given the rest of the meal, it was just a little boring... Yellow. I remember yellow. The yellow bell peppers. Not much else.
We agreed that every great city needs great background buildings. For example, Piazza Navona, one of my favorite public spaces in Rome, includes seminal architectural and sculptural masterpieces by both Borromini and Bernini but, even though it is an enormous space with many buildings, we could not think of one other specific building in a space we had both stood in hundreds of times. We tried. Orange. Most of the buildings are orange. They are.
We had one other meal from the nightly specials and I did not write it down... I just remember it was all white, on an all white perfectly square plate, and I remember thinking something stupid, like, Le Corbusier would have LOVED this. It was a healthy-sized piece of extremely tender halibut sitting on some salty whipped mashed potatoe-ish parsnip and garlic concoction, with some other white stuff all around it, but by this time I had had 2 glasses of sake and my mind was missing Rome. Excuses, excuses.
Dessert: Jizake is the crème caramel and is served with brown butter sorbet and a ginger consommé that I seriously finished off while my friend took a break from our meal to visit the men's room. May I suggest always using the restroom before sitting down, because stuff may disappear. The creamy creaminess of the crème caramel and the brown butter sweet creaminess of the sorbet all creamed together with the ginger... sheesh. Creamed.
Okashi means crazy and you are okashi if you are still reading this long, long review but you get a prize ... if available, order the nightly special dessert called Okashi. They "candy" the olives and sprinkle them around and on grapefruit sorbet and yogurt caramel. It has texture & softness & sweet & salty & sour & bitter & reaches every taste bud, every desire, & maybe even strives too hard to be a single dessert, maybe needs to be split into two desserts with all of the peacock strutting this one dessert does - it is an overachiever to be sure - we somehow convinced ourselves, yes, even satisfied the umami.
Ridiculously good. And the ambience is great. The wallpaper is outta this world. It's been there since they opened, but it still looks brand new. the food is fresh. our server there was definitely good - a comedian. Server-comedians are important and rare. And he was very good about explaining the best way to order at Uchi was one thing at a time. The menus could always stay on the table. And there's plenty of time and room to relax and just savor the fresh, fresh sushi and sashimi.
OH. EM. GEE. So I did Uchi many, many moons ago, when my palette wasn't as refined. I thought it was okay.
Boy was I wrong.
The host was gracious enough to recommend his favorites-- I like to ask, because, well, they work there and they know what's popular and what's looking good. I ordered all 8 of his recommendations and was taken on a culinary journey that almost has me reevaluating each and every 5 star rating I've given on yelp.
Each dish was delectable in its own right, with a combination of flavors that resonated with my taste buds enough for me to forget that the place is quite noisy.
Everything I had was beyond awesome... From salad served in shot glasses (see photo) with an incredible house made dressing to a rice hot pot, to delicately cut and incredibly fresh sea bass with orange oil and citrus vinaigrette....
Perhaps the most incredible of the works of art served were the desserts. I don't usually order desert, but I couldn't resist the recommendation of coffee panna cotta and a second dessert of peanut butter semi freddo.
If you have not been to Uchi, do it. On a Tuesday night we were able to wait less than 10 minutes with no reservation. I can't wait to go back!
P.S. I think I had a little too much sake and left a comment card that had expletives talking about how f*cking good the food was. Service was TOP NOTCH.
Magically delicious.
Three visits in five days.
My only suggestion: Plan ahead - make your reservations early, as obtaining a seat at peak hour can be difficult as Uchi is often fully booked.
All the pub is well deserved. Authentic and flavorful. We make a stop once a month.
I absolutely love this place! I was in town for a month and ate here at least 5 times.
You can't go wrong with anything on the menu!
Really good food. Actually to be able to cook myself, I will say Props to CHEF. I agree with some of the reviews,,,,,,,,it's so good didn't realize I cracked almost three of Benjamin's with in two people.
Still Worth IT.
This only gets four stars because I've had better sushi - in other cities. Uchi is by far the best in Austin.
I would highly recommend this place if you have time, aren't in a rush, and aren't STARVING. The wait here is truly horrible, but well worth it. The decor of the restaurant really adds to the atmosphere.
This isn't a restaurant that you would go to often. It's extremely pricey.
I ordered the hot rock beef- SO fun & delicious. The service was phenomenal- very informative waiters, the kind that actually recommends you something instead of saying everything is good. The sushi is delicious but the menu is limited. None of that americanized stuff (not that I don't love it). I would definitely come back! Mostly because of the ambience of the restaurant though.
Deservedly one of the "hot" restaurants in Austin. So delicious, so fresh - I was skeptical about getting sushi in Central Texas, but boy was I wrong.
I passed this place many times to and from work, it is tucked away on Lamar. My friend came to visit from out of town and was craving sushi. I'm new to town so when he suggested Uchi, I looked it up and thought to myself, "Man, I don't really feel like sushi. I guess I'll just order some Udon noodles."
Man, am I glad I changed my mind. We had both not heard much about Uchi so went to check out the menu before stepping in. The prices were steep and we had to wait 30 minutes before we were seated, but it was so worth it.
For a place in this price range, I was expected a much more pretentious crowd. To my (pleasant) surprise, I did not feel out of place in jeans and a nice shirt. I think I may have seen some cargo shorts in there.
We started with a seaweed salad. It wasn't my favorite - I would probably recommend ordering something else. My friend insisted on ordering the tasting menu that consisted of 6 plates from the permanent menu offerings (+ dessert). We were brought:
crudo (sea bass, orange oil, garlic and black pepper in citrus vinaigrette) - very good
machi cure (maplewood-smoked baby yellowtail with yucca chips, asian pear, marcona almonds and garlic brittle) - interesting dish and we were told to use the yucca as a scoop and stack all the components into one bite
maguro sashimi and goat cheese (with cracked pepper, fuji apple and pumpkin seed oil) - hands down my favorite dish of the night. the maguro was melt-in-your-mouth delicious and the goat cheese+fuji apples complemented it perfectly
bacon sen (roasted pork belly with granny smith apple puree, cilantro, sherry vinegar and shaved fennel) - I don't eat pork but I had some of the fennel and the flavor was extremely fragrant. My friend said tiw as delicious
kona kanpachi (pacific amberjack sashimi with crispy koshi hikari rice, ringger farm egg and sweet soy broth) - definitely my second favorite dish. Lots of great flavor from the egg and sweet soy sauce. An Asian comfort food.
uchiviche (salmon, striped bass, vine-ripened tomatoes, yellow bell peppers, garlic and cilantro) - best quality of fish, but the least memorable dish for me.
We both ordered cold sake. I had the nyukon 'into your soul' (honeydew and kumquat with a hint of toasted sweet corn) and he had the suishin 'drunken heart' junmai (sweet pear, green tea). I definitely prefered his to mine. They came in small wooden boxes that had liquid in the bottom. At first I thought it was ice water in order to keep the sake cold, but turns out it was a little more sake that we poured into our glasses - a little bonus sake.
He insisted on ordering another roll since he was still a little hungry. My friend said if he were to do it again, he would go for the 10-dish chef's tasting menu. We ordered the zero sen (yellowtail with avocado, crispy shallots, yuzu kosho, golden roe and cilantro) which was good but definitely paled in comparison to the tasting menu.
Dessert was a perfect close to the experience. Service was wonderful - attentive but not hovering. I would love to come back (if I can afford it, given my volunteer salary). The bill was worth the experience, but perhaps I'm biased given that my friend was gracious enough treat me out to both a fun dining experience and delicious meal.
It's been over a year since I've been here but I'm still dreaming about it. So I'm just adding another vote because it's the most successfully genius adventurous place I've eaten. This includes many many NY restaurants but I haven't been to the probably overrated Nobu. If you go here, trust your servers. And get the yucca chip things with tartar or some raw fish!!! They will know what you're referring too. I am going back someday just to have 10 orders of this surrounding me. Gluttonous heaven.
Uchi is a creative sushi restaurant. The ingredients are so fresh and their menu items are very interesting. The waitstaff is great, the hostesses are a little snooty. Uchi also has a great Happy Hour.
Sorry, I really don't get the hype either.
Went to high school in Tokyo so trust me, I've tried sushi.
I give it 2 stars for creativity and presentation and another for flavor; but for the price, you leave this place feeling rather hungry still and just really wanna fill up with some grease at Taco Bell or Mcdonalds.
I feel like they take the French approach in small portions, but at least French food is rich so you leave feeling full after paying $200.
Not the case here. I've gone once and would save my $200 next time for something more fulfilling.
If I could give this place more than 5 stars, I would. I'm not going to repeat what every has said here, but I will say it's even better than Nobu. Yes, that's right. The celebrity-owned Nobu falls very very short compared to this sashimi-hot-rock-sake-heaven.
We went with some friends for dinner. Reservations were not possible and so we waited about 30 minutes on the patio on a Friday night (not so bad really). I've had some good sushi before, but damn, this place was remarkable. Their 5 piece chef's selection was amazing. Their cooked fish (I can't even remember what it was called), their rolls were superb, edemame beans delicious, dessert TO DIE FOR. We tried the chocolate dessert, but the apple and peanut butter thing that my friends got made my eyes roll back in my head. Our conversations kept getting interrupted by all the ooohs and ahhs. I have a goal of trying everything on the menu because everything that I ordered was outstanding.
Sake out of a box? Sure.
Fantastic food, and although it is expensive (it's sushi!) it's worth every penny. The place is small and comfortable, the Hot Rock dish is a lot of fun, and the rolls are some of the best I've had.
Be careful to get there early as the line can be quite long, but it is worth it, you should go at least once. The Avo-bake is also very good, my table ordered three of them by the end of the night.
I'm usually scared off by restaurants that have a uber-yuppie vibe. But I was recommended to this restaurant by some friends that I trust know good sushi, so I came.
After the intial phase of getting through the uber-yuppie stench at the front door (cigarettes and ralph lauren cologne), I walked in to what seems like a romantically lit upscale restaurant.
The wait takes a while. Mine was 45 minutes and it was crowded so my uncle and I had to wait outside because there was no room inside. This was on a Thursday night. So definitely, DEFINITELY call ahead.
Food: It was definitely very fresh. You're talking about a girl who has killed her own live fish before just to ensure its "fresh" when I ate it. My uncle and I agreed that it is good quality fish.
My uncle complained that you had to buy many appetizers and plates in order to feel satisfied. Many of the appetizers (like tempura and soup) were about $3-6 each. Which was a good price considering how expensive the rest of the stuff was.
I had the Chef's selection which is a 7 piece plate with the chef's top picks. All come simply garnished with scallions. I would recommend this strongly. Its $17.
I have heard of the other items on the menu (sizzling beef) but I have yet to try them. I saw the chef/owner battle off in Iron Chef! He lost but it was a good effort. He worked and was mentored under the chef/owner at Musashino and studied in Japan as well. I heard some of my friends who believe a lot of his items are fusion non traditional items like the use of blueberries in some dishes. And some people may not like that but the Chef's selection I had was straight forward and simple.
Service: Very good service. Attentive, helpful, and nice.
The ambiance, decor, and everything else is nice as well. For 2 people, we spent about $70 including tip.
Me like!
I
choked
on
EVERYTHING.
Now.....I guess I had these out of the ordinary expectations.....I am from California and have had my fair share of AMAZING Sushi, so that's what I was expecting.
It was good, but WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY overpriced.
I know! I know! You're thinking, "How in the world could she give this place 2 stars? Everyone who is anyone looves this place!" True. True.
But here's why: I've experienced better. Seriously. (Better is subjective, you know.)
Let me say the decor is amazing, one of the many Austin hot-spots which only become hot once my friend Joel M. puts his hand in the design.
Let me say that the menu is exquisite, and the ingredients deserve a reality show of their own.
Here's the scoop. It's weird. I'm not inclined to eat baby octopi fried, and skewered upside down in a gorgeous flower display. Nor am I inclined to eat some raw mini duck egg cracked upon a slice of roll, even is the presentation is stunning. Nor am I excited about paying a very pretty penny for it.
But that's just me. I'm squeamish. And I almost starved during my visit to China.
Without a doubt, the best restaurant in Austin. This places is as good or better than any sushi restaurant I've ever eaten at in New York, San Francisco, etc. Very high end, although you can get out for less than $100 for two if you avoid the specials. But, why would you want to avoid the specials - they are fantastic! Chef Tyson Cole is a great guy and he takes pride in his creations. Fish is flown in daily from all over the world and you can definitely taste the difference. Anything on the daily specials menu is always fantastic, but also try the bond with salmon, the Uchi Viche, Tako Pops, Machi Cure, Hot Rock, Hama Chili, or the Shag (which I don't like, but everyone else I know does). Fantastic place for dinner on any occasion, as long as you don't mind waiting. The wait can be up to 2 hours on a busy night, so grab a spoy on the front patio or at the bar and enjoy some sake or cold beer and watch the crowd. Absolutely worth the wait and the price. You can't go wrong with Uchi.
Rarely does a food place garner 5 stars - so Uchi only gets 4.
I've been there twice - both birthday celebrations - and was unable to make reservations. Some sort of strugglefest because I made them on-line and then was called by a hostess who had to change things and then it fell apart. Sadly this meant a 1.5 hour wait. Fortunately, this gave us ample time to sample several of the sakes. I am now a huge fan of cold unfiltered sake. I found the cheaper $15 bottle (takara nigori (375ml) unfiltered) to be better than the pricey $35 one (rihaku nigori 'dreamy clouds' junmai (300 ml) unfiltered). Sitting outside waiting and enjoying the sake I believe we were visited once by a server who offered a nut or two. Hmmm - that's gonna hold me over for an hour and a half! But, it's a birthday and we were in a festive mood so I did my best to try and dispel the hunger pains arising. When we finally got seated sometime after 10pm ... is it even healthy to eat that late? ... We were greeted by our waiter promptly.
Of course we ordered the standard fare - hot rock scallops, and lots of other items I don't even recall thanks to 3 bottles of sake on an empty stomach! So I've had to cheat a bit and go to the Uchi website and review the menu. I hope I get this right.
Cold - both were fantastic!!
maguro sashimi and goat cheese with cracked pepper, fuji apple and pumpkin seed oil
machi cure maplewood-smoked baby yellowtail with yucca chips, asian pear, marcona almonds and garlic brittle
Hot - loved it enough the first time to order it again!
scallop hot rock with orange oil and san baizu
Wagyu beef - couldn't find this on the website menu.
Rolls & Sashimi - outstanding and so different.
shag - tempura fried bond roll with salmon and squid ink sumiso sauce
spider - softshell crab, flying fish roe, english cucumber and white soybean paper
Of course there was the other incidentals like edamame etc.... that needs no explanation or comment. It is - what it is!
I do, however, remember the dessert. I chose the coffee panna cotta with mango 'yolk,' coffee soil and white chocolate sorbet. I loved it so much the first time I got it again the 2nd time I went. I'm thinking of stopping in some late night just for this!
Parking was a challenge, the wait was long, and aside from the multitude of hostesses who looked everyone up and down, I was pleased with our overall service and food. It's costly so it's an event dinner for sure - but if I want sushi of a different nature I will return - endure the wait and leave with a smile on my face.
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