801 South Lamar
Austin, TX 78704
512 916-4808
Uchi is one of the best (if not the best) restaurants in town. I've been frequenting Uchi since the beginning of 2005 when it was still just a new restaurant in small house on South Lamar. Since then it, along with chef Tyson Cole, has received critical acclaim from national food magazines (F&W Best New Chef nod in 2005) and along the way gotten ridiculously popular. I can remember fondly the days when it was easy to wander into the restaurant at 8 on a Tuesday night and you would be seated in a somewhat quiet booth almost immediately. Now, most nights you can arrive at 6 with a party of 2 and be told that it's at least a 2 hour wait. Sadly, I would say that the wait is almost always worth it - the food is simply fantastic. Who knew exquisite Japanese-based cuisine would be created in the middle of Central Texas?
As I mentioned, Uchi is in a little house that looks like it dates from the '40s; though the house is older, the decor and design inside are thoroughly modern (another Michael Hsu creation). There is a bamboo-framed, gravel-floored outdoor area with low, black lounge chairs and tables. I've spent a pleasant hour waiting outside, sipping sake, for a table to free up. The inside is dominated by an intense red, flowered wall-paper under a sky-blue ceiling. There is a small sushi bar to the right where you can see the chefs at their work. The rest of the decor is dark wood. All together, it is modern, comfortable but unusual.
If you go to Uchi, you should definitely try the sake. There are quite a few options by the glass - I love the Shining Prince. They also have small microbrews by the half-bottle. Pricey but worth it. Uchi also has a fantastic wine list. It offers quite a few by the glass options, as well as some interesting bottles. The sommelier, June Rodil, was named Texas Best Sommelier in 2009. I especially remember trying a truly intriguing wine - Coenobium from Lazio. It's rich, unctuous and golden with lovely citrus notes. I haven't seen it on too many other wine lists... That's what I like, there are predictable and satisfying pics like the rose sparkler Bouvet, but there are little gems like the Coenobium too.
Thus far, I've been writing about the pluses. Here's a big negative. The hostesses and some of the wait staff. I go to Uchi a lot. I love the food, the vibe and the drinks. Plus it's really really close to my house. I go frequently enough that the valets ask me if other members of the "Smith Clan" are joining shortly as well. (Some moved to Uchiko and even recognized us there - and I've only been there 3 times). You would think that the hostesses and the wait staff would as well. Not at all. I've been asked if it's my first time at Uchi by an irritating cast of hostesses for the last 5 years. There is one right now that is truly rude. The wait staff aren't rude, but they are absent minded as well. There are a few stellar waiters, but they are few and far between. It's one flaw, but it's a big one in the Uchi dining experience. I mean, dinner at Uchi is by no means cheap. You expect to be treated a little bit better...
Anyhow, on to the good stuff - the food. Uchi serves up amazing Japanese-based, adventuresome cuisine. You can definitely get a nice cup of miso soup and a bowl of steam edamame, but you can also just as easily get foie gras sushi and maguro sashimi with goat cheese and apples. Uchi borrows tastes from many cuisines, but the food is underscored by precise, Japanese techniques. The menu is divided into Cool and Hot Tastings (ceviche, sashimi, hot rocks, etc.), Yakimono (small grilled dishes) and Tempura, Greens, Soups, Sushi (tons of amazing pieces), and Makimono (extremely creative sushi rolls). There is also a dessert section and a specials page. I tend to order off of the specials page every time I go. They always list the freshest seafood for sushi there as well as seasonal/avant-garde dishes they are offering for the evening. Also, the pastry chef, Philip Speer, is fantastic. He creates these other-worldly, molecular-gastronomy based desserts out of both normal and unusual ingredients. He tends to have a new dessert special every week and I always get it. A typical order for my husband and I goes as follows: 2 miso soups (1 with mushrooms, 1 without), an Uchi Salad (the romaine leaves are used like chips that you dip in the creamy jalopeno-edamame dressing), an order of Japanse Pumpkin Tempura, the Tsukiji Selection (6 pieces of sushi; 2 each of their freshest fish), some additional pieces including Madai (Black Snapper) and Hotate (Scallop - Crazy good), and a dish or two off of the specials page. It's light, delicious and an adventure every time.
I've eaten at some pretty amazing places over the years all over the globe, and the food here is fantastic. It's amazing that it's right here in Austin and in my own back yard to boot. I just wish the staff, mostly the hostesses, were nicer.... ☆☆☆☆☆
4200 North Lamar
Austin, TX 78756
512 916-4808
This summer, Tyson Cole and his crew decided to open a new restaurant off of the success of Uchi. This new restaurant - Uchiko - is located on North Lamar. It is a larger space that is able to accommodate reservations for dinner (yeah!). Overall, the food is supposed to be similar to Uchi, but a bit more rustic and fushiony - they bill it as Japanese farmhouse cuisine. I've been a couple of times already. I think it will turn out to be a nice option for northern diners, but it has not displaced Uchi in my mind.
Instead of being in a small house, Uchiko is housed in a shopping center. The interior of the restaurant is reminiscent of Uchi, but it is much more utilitarian and rough/rustic (Michael Hsu again). There is no wallpaper in Uchiko. Instead there are red-bricked walls, rougher-hewn tables, and neutral tones. The bar area is much larger and they have a sweet wine cellar - it's walk in! Overall, I'm neither amazed at the decor, nor blown away by it.
The drinks menu is a bit larger than Uchi's. They have a lot of white wine options in particular. There seems to be some crossover, but it's not complete. I had an albarino there that is not on Uchi's menu. Also, they have a slightly different sake menu. I've had fun sampling some new ones - I really like the one called Northern Skies. Finally, Uchiko serves up a few wine or sake based mixed cocktails. I had the Larkin which consisted of bubbly, lemon and grilled thyme. Nice.
Everytime I've been, the waitstaff has gotten more and more organized. They are generally pleasant and are super eager to tell you all about the interesting ingredients on the menu - Skyr! Icelandic Yogurt, can you believe it! Also, the hostesses seem really nice, might just be because it's brand new, but, hopefully not...
The food is similar to Uchi's, but it has more unusual ingredients in more robust dishes. I actually had already sampled many of Uchiko's dishes prior to dining there - they were road-tested on the Uchi special's page. In general, the menu set up is similar - Cool and Hot Tastings, Greens, Grill, Agemono (fried dishes like tempura), Sushi & Sashimi, Makimono and Dessert. Thus far, I really like the Cobia Crudo (Cool Tasting- cobia, pickled cucumbers, jalapeno), Coconut Crepe (filled with shrimp and aromatics - a Southeast Asian delight), Boquerones Sushi (white anchovy - trust me, it's good), the Toledo roll (tuna, chorizo, avocado, grilled garlic and almonds) and the Jiiro roll (salmon, avocado, preserved lemon and skyr yogurt), and the Sweet Corn Sorbet dessert (it was a favorite special dessert at Uchi - polenta custard, sweet corn ice cream, caramel...). I'm sure the menus will evolve into being more independent over time.
Right now, I would check out Uchiko if you're in the area, want to have a reservation or have a large party, and want a more filling meal. They are still working out some kinks, but it's a very pleasant dining experience. I'm interested to see how these two very similar restaurants will coexist..... ☆☆☆☆
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