Uchibā is fully booked with reservations every time I looked at but I went tonight at about 6:30 for opening night and had no problem getting a seat at the bar. Been a fan of Uchi since they started the scene and they’re still the gold standard for sushi in Austin as far as I’m concerned. My expectations for restaurant No.3 are really high and I wasn’t disappointed.
My favorite part of the menu so far is their Perfect Pairings section. It’s a small food item matched with an alcohol. I got the Namahotate (scallop) and tequila, which was yuzu infused.
The scallop is a good example of food quality that made Uchi famous: delicate, fresh, buttery and intensely flavorful. It has an orange citrus flavoring that really popped. Came with a little Sangrita chaser. Loved it all. There’s five different combinations for $11-$16 each.
Also got the Kinoko mushroom hot rock ($15). I love mushrooms, eat them all the time and never had them quite like this. It was so moist even after the grilling. The mushroom slabs were like little pillows of umami. So soft and soaked with flavor.
Had the Zero Sen roll ($14.50), loaded with hamachi and served with a peanut sauce drizzle and a thinner soy (?) sauce. Like the scallop it an item lots of sushi restaurants could make but this place just seems to elevate it.
With a cocktail my tab was $78 including T&T. Next time I’m doing happy hour. Probably will spend just as much but get to try a lot more for the money.
The ambiance is swank city. It’s on a ritzy 2nd Street corner by the Google building across the street from the Proper Hotel. It’s a lively dining room, with upbeat music playing, so not a quiet place for dinner. Doesn’t bother me but I know some people may think it’s a bit much.
There’s outdoor patio seating, too, looked like a wonderful night to be out there.
by BarStar787
1 Comment
The space is great. We sampled a bunch of things: a couple different dumplings, variety of sushi, some yakitori, a couple of buns (the chicken is great), ebi katsu, crispy tofu, hama chili, a couple of things I’m forgetting. Everything was at the level you’d expect from the Uchi group, and I imagine most fans of Uchi/Uchiko will like this place as well.