Uchi, Austin, TX

SushiWho would have thought that in Austin Texas there is one of the best sushi restaurants that I have ever been to? Uchi is fantastic.  Creative, fresh, innovative.  We couldn’t get enough.

There are nightly specials, crudo hot and cold, and of course, sushi.  We did a mixture of everything.  Our first taste was their signature dish.  Maguro sashimi ( like tuna ) cut in large pieces served over pieces of chunks of goat cheese, slices of fuji apple coated with cracked pepper and a pumpkin oil.  Wow.  The combination of these flavors just work.  Unbelievable.  We also had Yellow tail sashimi served with a punzo, shisho oil and thai chiles.  Since Nobu this has been something everyone has done.  Perfect.  Here was a strange combo but it worked too.  Sliced bluefin toro served with dried cranberries, toasted almond slicers with a white soy.  So good.  I am sorry we didn’t order another one of these.  Brie tempura.  Lightly fried brie served with an apple chutney on sweet potato chips.  Rich and divine.  Couldn’t be missed were the panko fried green tomatoes served alongside a spicy sauce.  We were totally in awe.

We dove into special rolls and sushi.  The rolls are worth talking about, so was the sushi but we all know what sushi is.  The key is also the warm rice they served.  Crunchy tuna.  Spicy bluefin tuna rolled with avocado, warm tempura flakes served over a balsamic reduction.  I believe we ordered that twice.  This one was strange but again it worked.  Avocado, sundried tomato and white soy bean paper.  Warm and good.  Here was a favorite.  Again, ordered twice.  Eel, avocado, yellow tail and flying fish roe.  Excellent.  Warm rice here was the trick again.  I think that might have been it on the rolls.

We actually considered going back again the following night.  I believe the chef won the honor of one of the top ten new chefs in 2005 from Food and Wine.  If this place was in NYC, I’d be a regular.

Comments (Archived):

  1. tyson cole

    hi. my name is tyson and im the chef that won the award at uchi. Thanx for for your support and cant wait to see you again. cheers!