Bye-bye, Top Knot. Hello, Uchiba. The pretty little space above modern Japanese restaurant Uchi has changed names and is emphasizing cocktails and a light menu. You can get the parent restaurant’s greatest hits or nibble a newish lineup of snacks. Go light with yuca chips and a pale-green edamame hummus. Or heavier with succulent chicken-thigh bites and a sweet chile sauce. The creativity never ceases to amaze us, like buttery foie gras mousse with apple and shallot, readily scooped up with crispy rice puffs. Raw fish gets its due in the form of maguro crudo—bigeye tuna with Asian pear and a bright, herbal poblano sauce—while lighter and more delicate sliced flounder comes with wonderfully crunchy fried candied quinoa and a splash of olive oil (textures are a key element here). It’s easy to while away a couple of hours, just snacking and chatting, with the restaurant’s voluptuous floral wallpaper as a backdrop. And if your thing is Japanese whiskey, you’ve come to the right place.
