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BONZAI
218 S. Sidney Baker
(830-315-6888)
Open Sun-Thur 11-9, Fri & Sat 11-10.
map | latest review | access ++ |  add to library |
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Kerrville
| Japanese |
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(From January 2012) Sushi and a show! This Tokyo-style steakhouse cooks up tender beef, juicy chicken, and succulent seafood amid spinning spatulas and towering onion volcanoes. Sit around the hibachi to make friends and chat with the chef. You can make a meal from the ample starter selections; we’re especially keen on the walnut shrimp and the gyoza. Sushi and sashimi are ocean-fresh and varied: you’ll find conch and eel along with traditional spicy tuna and California rolls. For dessert, abandon all dignity and opt for a potent tiki drink, served in a wacky cup. Bar. |
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KENICHI
419 Colorado
(512-320-8883)
Dinner Sun-Wed 5:30-10, Thur-Sat 5:30-11.
web site | map | reserve through OpenTable | latest review | photo | access ++ | add to library |
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$$$-$$$$ |
Austin
| Japanese |
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(From July 2011) This downtown spot was humming on a recent weekday evening. We sipped wine and watched the giggling girls at the next table snap smart-phone photos and Facebook them. When our food arrived, we got on task. The tuna tataki—togarashi-seared Hawaiian ahi with whole grain mustard and avocado salad—got us going, as did the delicious wild salmon with goat cheese, serranos, and a sweet onion sauce. Our server recommended the seared escolar with truffled ponzu and garlic chips, which we thanked him for. Alas, we found the Japanese Bagel—smoked salmon with cream cheese, avocado, and fresh strawberries with a honey-miso glaze—too sweet for our taste. |
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UCHI
801 S. Lamar Blvd
(512-916-4808)
Dinner Sun–Thur 5–10, Fri & Sat 5–11. Reservations recommended.
web site | map | reserve through OpenTable | latest review | photo | access ++ | add to library |
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$$-$$$ |
Austin
| Japanese /
Sushi |
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(From May 2011) Who knew you could have such fun on a Monday? Clearly everyone but us, as this place was packed to the gills. And even with Uchiko, Tyson Cole’s equally popular offshoot up north, and a beautiful new cookbook, and scads of national attention, there’s been nary a slip in the astonishing creativity and meticulous sourcing of the food (you’ll learn not only the provenance of your scallop but the name of the intrepid diver who fetched it). But nothing is taken too seriously, the flavor combinations as playful as they are innovative: thinly sliced flounder with smoked sea salt and candied quinoa; a sushi roll packed with tiger shrimp and topped with tiny slices of frozen grape; peanut butter semifreddo with apple miso sorbet. The mother ship continues to operate on all cylinders. Beer, wine, & sake. |
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UCHIKO
4200 N. Lamar Blvd
(512-916-4808)
Dinner Sun–Thur 5–10, Fri & Sat 5–11. Reservations recommended.
web site | map | latest review | photo | access ++ | add to library |
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$$$ |
Austin
| Japanese /
Sushi |
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(From January 2012) Ever since Tyson Cole won a James Beard award for best regional chef, getting a table at this ode to Japanese farmhouse dining is nigh impossible. But once you’re in, the kitchen delivers food as well-crafted as any haiku. Consider the poetry of maguro tuna with slivers of sweet-tart apple and lush black-pepper goat cheese. But it’s not all about the fish: Even simple brussels sprouts roasted in chile oil and fish sauce left the sweet and savory taste of umami lingering on the taste buds. The famed Tobacco Cream dessert—an oval of dark chocolate sorbet, maple pudding, and crunchy huckleberry “glass”—magically incorporates the peaty flavors of smoke and scotch. Pastry chef Philip Speer is an artist in his own right. |
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