Uchi

10/22/09

Good Happy Hour

by RayFoodLover at Citysearch

Went to Uchi a couple weeks ago for the 5th or 6th time, but it was my 1st time to go for Happy Hour. They had pretty good happy hour prices. I think the spicy crunchy tuna was $7 and sake is $3... I will definitely be back.

10/27/08

Very good sashimi and hot/cold apps

by shaft28 at Citysearch

Uchi is very good - I mean the hot rock beef and the cold tuna apps were amazing as was the individual sashimi and sushi - scallops and ells were amazing. The rolls were good but not the best I ever had. Although the sauces on the roll plates were pretty awesome.

Service was very friendly and pretty funny although with the loud clientelle we did have to repeat ourselves and one dish I ordered at the end was forgotten (and I know he heard me when I ordered it). Not a big deal as at that point one of our friends was quite drunk and obnoxious...(we won;t be going out with them again!).

I think for the price it was worth it and I looks forward to going back with my wife to really try more end enjoy teh experience.

P.S. of the rolls the Zero Roll was amazing. Skip the Mustang.

07/25/08

Spectacular!

by Ming83 at Citysearch

I ate here for the first time when my folks flew into town and I was blown away by everything! I had always heard good things about Uchi in the past but never went to check it out myself. I conceptualized in my mind a large sushi restaurant for some reason, but I'm glad to say that it wasn't-- which to me equals a great atmosphere paired with unique dishes.

We ended up ordering the Omakase, although it says it's designed for two, it was perfect for a table of three because the multi-course was seemingly endless. My dad even had to ask how many more dishes were still coming; we were getting so full! Every dish was explained before it was dropped off at our table and all of them were exquisitely prepared.

I had such a great experience with Uchi the first time that I took my fiancee there for his birthday. I fell in love with the 'Hot Rock' and 'Ocha Zuke' soup. Some of the rolls we ordered weren't that impressive but the dishes from the daily special were out of this world! Even though I didn't mention it was my fiancee's birthday, my server was intuitive enough to notice the card on the table. We ordered dessert but he added a candle and "Happy Birthday" with it. I was pleasantly surprised and my fiancee thought I had planned it all. Uchi definitely delivers.

• Pros: Daily Specials
• Cons: Some of the rolls weren't that distinguished

02/28/08

Good quality, overcrowded, small portions, get the CHef's Selection

by loveisblind1 at Citysearch

The person below (dpro) mentioned that the food was not served by Japanese people. but most of the time in the U.S., its usually Korean people who own Japanese restaurants and so therefore, its not usually "authentic" anyways. lol. but as far as the spectrum of Japanese restaurants, this is probably one of the better sushi places in Austin. I heard that Musashino is a close competitor in terms of its quality so i hope to go there and compare.

Food: I had the Chef's selection (7 pieces of nigiri sushi) = $17. I thought the quality of the fish was fresh and tasty. The menu definitely has a Western influence on it and I guess that is expected because most of the customers are not Japanese nor even Asian in some nights. The chef is a well accredited chef though although he is not Japanese. He does offer some interesting fusions along with some traditional sushi selections. You do have to order at least 2-3 things from the menu just to be full. I ordered the tempura, soup and Chef's selection and was moderately full. The appetizers usually come out in numbers of 3-4 from what it seems like. The food is good quality although the food didn't have as much value (amount for the price, wholesale is much cheaper i'm sure).

Atmosphere: Swanky, Yuppie, young, and overcrowded. ALso romantic if you get a booth. but if not, the small tables that are placed in the middle of the booths are not so romantic. Good for group gatherings.

Service: generally friendly

wait time: although the hostess told us that it would take 30-45 minutes on a saturday night. It took around 15 minutes. I assume on other nights that is not the case at all since I saw people standing outside.

Price: obviously not cheap. you do get a little amount of food but if you choose things from the menu well, you can be satisfied. my friend and i spent around 80-85 dollars altogether( this is plus tip).

• Pros: good sushi
• Cons: overcrowded, hard to hear my friend talk, little portions, pricey, long line

10/19/07

So Fun!

by jermas at Citysearch

Went last week with my partner, this place is so much fun! Cooking on rocks! Sake in the wooden boxes! A lot of thought has been put into Uchi and it shows. I would not even know where to start with the food, amazing sushi. I had the scallops which I loved, but I do have to say for the price the portion was a little small, although they were perfectly cooked. I do have to say neither of us were too keen on the desserts. but that is a small complaint compared to the overall experience.

Service was spot on, waiter knew just when to come around.

• Pros: service, food
• Cons: smaller portions for price

04/02/07

Great Food, But A Little Overpriced

by ashmore72 at Citysearch

The food here is incredible. The service is outstanding. But I find that the prices are too high for the portions that you get. You just get teeny little bits of food that cost a fortune. I can't ever seem to get out of there for under $100.

• Pros: Fantastic flavor, romantic, trendy
• Cons: Too pricey, tiny portions

10/03/06

Austin Hotspot

by adelly at Citysearch

My hubby and I were visitors from LA and having read about this resto, decided to make this the resto to try when we were in town. I guess I'm not used to the country, but I thought the place was a little out of the way (looked like a residential neighborhood). Once you're on the right road, though, you can't miss it as there's a humungous sign. The place is really cool, with great decor and lighting. Service was great and the crowd was also hip but unpretentious. The food was good, though really not comparable to LA's sushi spots. But I heard from everyone that this was Austin's best (I guess I'm too much of a purist and this seemed like a Japanese-American spot). Looking at the menu, I thought we were going to spend a fortune, but we were really surprised that our bill only came out to $100 for 2 (pre-tip), with 4 pcs uni, 4 pcs ikura, 2 uni shooters, 12 pcs other sushi, hot tea and dessert. Good looking crowd but a lot friendlier than people in LA!

• Pros: trendy, cool crowd, reasonably priced
• Cons: not pure sushi (a little americanized), could be a long wait

08/28/05

Ehh

by yu_and_me at Citysearch

If you go here with intentions of eating tradiational sushi or eating sushi for the first time, go elsewhere. You have to have money to eat here. The food was okay and service was average. The atmosphere was great but it wasn't good for big groups or a romantic evening. Overall, the food was creative but not worth the prices they charge. You can find the same quality food with better prices at other restaurants around town. (We recommend you go during happy hour to get a good deal)

• Pros: creative food prep, decorations
• Cons: expensive

04/26/05

fufi sushi

by gatario at Citysearch

The ambiance was great and a great place to have great drinks and good food. The only complaint I have is that the sushi was too expensive for the amount you got. The simple california rolls were small in size, as if they used half a sheet of seeweed. The customer seems to be paying more for the atmosphere of the place than for the quantity of food. Food presentation was excellent and variations of simple dishes were unique. Again, the prices were to high for simple traditional dishes. Not a place if you are looking for everyday dining and good pices. This is definitely fufi sushi

• Pros: romantic
• Cons: noisy

10/16/04

Sublime food, pushy service

by kumuki at Citysearch

Food is beautifully arranged and consistently delicious. Kudos to Chef Cole. He works with his sushi chefs and it shows that he cares about the quality of his creations. Every dish (sushi or not) has been superb.

I've always have had a good experience with the waitstaff, until recently (a saturday ago) when a waitress was pushy, dropping the check on our table and checking it often. Appetizers arrived an hour late.

10/16/04

Upgraded service rating because of RYAN's exemplary, friendly, knowledgable service. Ask to be seated in his section.

• Pros: Sublime cuisine, chef, Flowers & graphics, Waiter RYAN rocks
• Cons: , Loud environment, Dim lighting