Austin

(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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(From March 2012)

It doesn’t take much to stand out on a street lined with used-car lots and payday loaners. Which is why the stylish edifice from the Sushi-A-Go-Go proprietors has garnered quite a bit of excitement up on Airport Boulevard. Strangely, the dining room feels more like an annex of that sleek building, but no matter; there’s nothing wrong with spare and homey, and the ample crowds are testament to that. We were happiest with the izakaya-style offerings; the okra tempura was delightful, and the gyoza were great, with a savory filling of pork and vegetables and a just-right sear on the dumpling. As for the maki sushi, the rolls were nicely assembled but lacked distinction (with some suffocating under a heavy sauce). The staff is earnest but a little green; when servers struggle with the basics of the menu, it’s going to be hard to push that “unhatched egg” special. Beer, wine, & sake.

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(From March 2012)

We let our server do the talking on a recent cozy evening inside this tiny red-walled cottage. And as we sipped on a lovely albariño, taking in the animated tables around us, artfully arranged plates of delicious sushi and sashimi appeared: striped snapper; baby yellowtail with ponzu and Thai chile; oak-grilled escolar with candied citrus, yuzupon, and myoga (amazing); bigeye tuna with pumpkin seed oil and Fuji apple, and silky Japanese sea bream with the perfect pop of sea salt and mint. Chef Tyson Cole’s vision impressed once again. Next visit we’ll resume our spots at the bar; we missed watching the sushi chefs and learning about flavor pairings and combinations. Bar.

Friday, September 19th, 2008, 1:50 pm
sushi lover says:
This is the best restaurant in Austin, period. AMAZING food! And where else do you see guys in cowboys hats eating sushi.

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(From May 2012)

A meal at Uchiko raises lots of hard questions. You wonder which of the intriguing dishes to order. You ask yourself how the kitchen can maintain such high standards night after night, keeping diners on their toes with an ever-shifting combination of esoteric ingredients. It occurs to you to ponder how you’re gonna pay for it all. But so exquisite are the myriad tastes and textures that ultimately you have no choice but to surrender to the culinary carnival, one that includes the likes of Shigoku oysters iced with a blood orange sorbet and adorned with a tiny marigold leaf; luscious Kurobuta pork belly sprinkled with black-lime powder and swiped with an espresso-laced caramelized fish sauce; thinly sliced buri (Japanese amberjack) with pickled Hakurei turnips and miso crème fraîche. Even the bar snacks, like shishito peppers lightly blistered on the grill and sprinkled with flaky sea salt, are ridiculously good. Is it any wonder executive chef Paul Qui just won Top Chef: Texas? Beer, wine, & sake.

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