Uchibā
The yakitori grill is the thing this room has that Uchi and Uchiko do not, and the kinoko skewers come as portobello doused in brown butter and broccolini pesto.1
Why go
Nigiri comes off a Toyosu list, fish flown in daily from Tokyo, alongside nearly a hundred other items and a run of daily specials on spring rolls, maki and crudo.1 The Perfect Pair is a composed single bite with a miniature cocktail about the size of a shot. There are several to choose from.1 The room sits at the base of a downtown office tower, mid-century, with a wraparound bar in the middle and a backlit shelf of Japanese whiskies.1
Order this / avoid
- The kinoko skewers, then work the rest of the yakitori section, from chicken thigh with green onion and kimchi outward.1
- Shishito peppers, which come with a side of kimchi caramel, sweet and sticky and a little hot.1
- Finish with the crispy fried tteokbokki, deep-fried rice cakes tossed in a sweet, salty, citrusy seasoning with a custard-like dip.1
- Avoid: building the meal on nigiri. It is the weakest section here, the pieces are small, and at five to twenty-eight dollars a bite that matters.1
What locals & experts say
- Nicolai McCrary rates it 8.3 for The Infatuation and ranks the menu for you:
Uchiba is at its best with food that comes off the yakitori grill (something that doesn't exist at the other spots), at its second best with the small hot and cold plates, and at its weakest when it comes to nigiri (but only barely).
1 - The same review, on the rice: he finds it less consistent here than at Uchi, which is the reason the nigiri lands where it does.1
Good to know
- Which door: 601 W 2nd St, downtown. Three Uchi-family premises trade in Austin under three separate inspection records. This is that one.2
- The menu is long. If a hundred items is too much, McCrary's advice is to stay on the daily specials, the yakitori list and the Toyosu nigiri.1
Verdict
should-visit — Book it, and put the money on the grill.