Uchi-Uchi-Ooh-La-La!

Uchi, I hate you. You have officially ruined every other sushi restaurant for me. I can no longer enjoy the ubiquitous California roll, or the seaweed salad that I used to begin every sushi meal with. It's just not the same.

My mouth is watering just thinking about the Maguro Sashimi and Goat Cheese. Yeah, you can have maguro sashimi at any Japanese restaurant in Austin, but where-oh-where can you find the freshest tuna, served on sweet, crisp slices of Fuji apples, and the creamiest-of-creamy goat cheese, all of which is drizzled in pumpkin seed oil. Killer. Sure, it’s $17 and we’re only talking about an appetizer, but I just can’t start an Uchi meal without it. Oh, and how do I love thee, Brie Tempura Ringo?! Sure, it’s probably not very Japanese; it’s lightly fried, creamy brie with sweet potato chips and apple chutney. I’m crying, just thinking about it, okay maybe not, but seriously! And, I always have to order at least one Shag Roll. It’s a lightly tempura fried roll, filled with avocado, sundried tomato, white soybean paper and salmon, drizzled in salmon and squid ink, sumiso sauce. Don’t even get me started on how delicious this roll is, all reasonably priced at $14. I also love the Crudo, which is thinly sliced sea bass, coated in grapeseed oil, garlic and black pepper, drenched in a citrus vinaigrette, amazingly light and refreshing. You can find all of these on the permanent menu, but Uchi also offers a daily menu that takes advantage of what’s fresh. And, I think, it allows the chef’s real creativity to shine through. The desserts are pretty outstanding, but to be perfectly frank, I’d rather have an Elvis from Amy’s ice cream.

Uchi does have a few downsides: it will ruin all other Japanese restaurants for you, so don’t go if you can’t make it back at least once a month, which brings me to number two: it’s expensive. If you’re taking a date, you probably won’t leave without dropping $100. It's completely worth it to hit the happy-hour, which is from opening until 7 p.m. Let’s be honest, you’ll want a glass of Prosecco or a bamboo shooter of cold, unfiltered sake. And, the portions aren’t huge, they’re intended for sharing, so you end up ordering more than you would at other restaurants.

Uchi, you are single-handedly killing my bank account, and I love you for it.

uchiaustin.com