Uchi doesn’t have to keep getting better. It already boasts the longest waits in town, even on weeknights; the buzz surrounding its forthcoming sibling restaurant near the Seton Medical Center is deafening; its nationally acclaimed chef, who battled Morimoto on “Iron Chef,” is working on a cookbook. Uchi could rest on its laurels, continuing to serve Texas’ best Japanese food. Instead, it does what few other restaurants in this position would: it improves.

Perhaps the best illustration of the kitchen’s obsessions lies in the amuse-bouche that comes first when you order omakase (you should do it, at least once). On a recent visit, this was merely a sip of tomato water with a speck of green tomato gelée and a sprig of microcoriander. But even a wee sip is symphonic here, each note layering upon the one before it: vegetal, savory coolness; then, a melting touch of sweet green; and finally the citrusy torque of coriander. All of them harmonized into a moment that deserves silence and attention. And that’s how best to enjoy Uchi: sit down, hang on, and release control. Let go of insecure orders like spider rolls (or any rolls, which, while good, are as far from the point as the cup holder on a Porsche). Your enthusiastic, capable server will guide you to what’s fresh from Tsukiji: willow leaf fish, live scallop, sex-sweet uni.

Uchi retains its spot atop our rankings not just for its attention to detail, but also for its determination to keep innovating. Tako pops, which once came blood red with pre-marination, are now marinated in-house—the result is a more subtle complexity of sesame, char, and ocean. Ika sansai is now prepared entirely on the premises as well, with its tender, young cuttlefish grilled and gently dressed on Romaine leaves with slivers of green tomato and Fuji apple. And one of our favorite dishes, grilled mackerel, has found greater resonance from the addition of fresh parsley, cucumber, and preserved lemon.

Dining in this warmly lit South Lamar house, set in suave reds and deep browns, can be a high-maintenance experience. The room is quite loud, your treatment at the hostess station might be brusque, and waits are often intolerably long; they’re mitigated, though, by a small, cozy bar and a lovely outdoor rock-and-water garden, in which you can sip while you wait. These distractions melt away with your first taste of the best foie gras in the city, sometimes seared and served nigiri-style with a dab of sweet fish-caramel sauce. The wine program, in spite of high markups, remains beautifully realized. Now is as good a time as ever to set aside an evening to appreciate this extraordinary restaurant.

The bacon steakie that is raved about on the internet seems like a Chinese recipe. The bold flavors made this stand out in my mind to be rather un-Japanese, and out of place with the more subtle, naturalistic style of the rest of the menu. Nevertheless, it is delicious.

Kent Wang - 2008-12-22 23:56

Just had the omakase last night ($190 for two people). Seared monkfish liver dish was superb, but the underlying sauce was much too sweet. This is true to a lesser degree of a few other dishes too: sweet sauces, sometimes with a bit of acidity, that don't really go with the fish.

Just a nitpick really. This was still the best meal I've had in Austin and less than $100 a head is a pretty good deal.

My favorite dish actually is the tako pops, baby octopus (they're so cute) marinated in sesame oil, grilled on charcoal, served with a variety of salts and spices.

Kent Wang - 2009-01-20 15:32

Sorry to say, but this place (IMHO) is way overrated. It's good but a long wait and seriously expensive. The dishes are creative and tasty, but it's not really a traditional sushi place. It's more like Japanese tapas, which is not what we wanted. The feel of the restuarant is cool and definitely an 'it' place. If you want really good sushi, and just really good sushi, go to Musashino.

bob - 2010-02-08 19:12

The food at Uchi is an exciting combination of flavors and ingredients you think wouldn't work but do. Inventive, delicious, and beautifully executed.

Marc Campbell - 2010-04-04 19:11

This is our absolute favorite restaurant in town. We keep trying to go to other restaurants, but they just pale in comparison. Tyson Cole and his staff come up with the most amazing taste combinations and unique but not scary dishes. Plus, the desserts made by the new-ish pastry chef are amazing. The peanut butter one is everyone's favorite, but mine is the Creme Caramel, a brown butter sorbet with a caramel custard, topped with a sweet and cold ginger consumme. To die for! And a perfect way to end a perfect evening every time.
Make sure to go before 6:30 for little-to-no wait and enjoy their Happy Hour prices on sake and a few dishes as well.

Della Perry - 2010-06-04 20:49

Uchiko, Uchi's new big brother, has opened on North Lamar and 38th and it is a wonder to behold. The restaurant is gorgeous: retro-modern with Asian touches - rough wooden beams, sputnik chandeliers, sixties-style bar stools. The food is of the same exquisite quality as the imaginative Pacific rim cold and hot dishes and innovative sushi that downtown Uchi is known for, having made the trip North without losing any of their sensual kick. But, this menu has a little more of a Thai and Vietnamese spin. The coconut crepes with blue prawns and chili sauce is addictive. As is the bacon onagiri with bahn mi pickles and the crispy eggplant tempura with chili sauce. Atlantic mussles, heir­loom tomato water, basil blossom, and celery is heavenly - the plump mussels dancing in a sonata of sublime flavors that bounce off each other like lovers in a drunken swoon - I felt like I was cheating on my girlfriend as I lustily lapped those bivalves up. Norwegian mackerel is delicious, the fish tasting of the grill and the sweet smokiness of charred onion and a huckleberry compote. Chef Tyson Cole has a knack for combining seemingly disparate ingredients into a magical whole. On paper, these dishes seem to be trying too hard, but in execution they work and they do so wonderfully. Of the dozen or so dishes I've eaten so far, there were only two misfires: a bland lobster gazpacho that was described by dinner mate as "having no secrets to reveal" and a carribean king­fish crudo with cucumber and raw jalapeños, that was annihilated by the jalapeno. The dish should come with a warning and a bowl of yogurt to reduce the fire. What might have been a delightful dish was reduced to a tear jerking practical joke. I wondered if my ex-wife had sneaked into the kitchen to get one last lick in.

Uchiko is a world class restaurant that not only re-affirms Tyson Cole's brilliance, but
further enhances Austin's reputation as an up and coming culinary hotspot.

Marc Campbell - 2010-07-02 19:08

Thank you for that report, Marc. Our policy dictates that we will give Uchiko another month before we publish a review of it. But we can say that our initial visits were mostly positive as well, and we look forward to eating more of that beef tongue nigiri. Lots and lots more.

erinmc17 - 2010-07-14 14:29

Post your comment

Name: or Login
Comment:

Type the letters you see in the image below. Letters are not case-sensitive.