by Robyn Folmar
I was in Austin this weekend for the Texas Monthly BBQ Festival and couldn’t pass up an opportunity to finally try Uchi.
The sake apparently went straight to my husband’s head because he insisted on the ten-course Chef’s tasting menu. Normally this tough guy dry heaves at the very thought of eating Aquaman’s sea friends. His principles were quickly jettisoned as we fought over the last raw oyster with honeycrisp apple sorbet and wasabi foam.
Eating that meal was the culinary equivalent of visiting Superman’s Fortress of Solitude for the first time. These dishes are probably what Dr. Bowman saw when he steered his pod into the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Hyperbolic? –No. I am two inches taller and can now crush tin cans with my bare hands after eating that magical meal.
When you have ten courses there is certainly ample opportunity to have something go wrong. Attempting to channel my inner demon-critic, Jeffrey Steingarten, I came up empty when trying to find something off.
Salmon sashimi with crispy kale and blueberries, the “Bacon Steakie” of pork belly, fried watermelon, Serrano pepper, oranges and Thai basil, and the bowl of bone marrow served with chanterelles, cauliflower and bone marrow butter were certainly standouts. Let me repeat: Bone. Marrow. Butter.
The vibe is typical Austin-chill with impeccable service and probably the coolest wallpaper I’ve seen in some years. It’s also incredibly loud and bustling and I was unable to hear half the sexy talk my husband was trying to throw my way.
This is a must-do if you are in the area and I would even say worth an overnight trip just to try it. If that doesn’t fit your busy schedule, just wait “six to eight months” as the manager told me Uchi is opening in Dallas.
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Our contributer spoke to a manager while dining at the resatuarant. This person was excited to share the news. We called to confirm and had mixed answers. The final answer we recieved from several managers was that indeed Uchi is making its way to Dallas.
The food is obviously exceptional and yes I am a small kid in a big city but I know that nigiri is two pieces per order. When we asked for two orders of Seabream, two of baby yellow tail, and two mackerel we expected to get 12 pieces of sushi…either Uchi of Austin is more generous or Dallas Uchi tried to take advantage of two unsuspecting guests.
Money is important but we made plans for the evening but we’re really disappointed in the receptionist and basic wait staff…I don’t care what kind of clientele your accustom too because my money is just as green….
For opening in June of 2015 id say they have a long way to go before they can claim to be Our idea of Uchi..
Save your money if your on the town and hit a local bar and save the expenditures for those you trust in your home town..
Customer service is key and I’m no stranger to accounting for bad day days and busy nights but if it’s dead slow on a Tuesday and service is a 2 out of 10 then I’d have to say something smells fishy -2 pieces even iPhone gets it… Robbed in Dallas