Uchi is not your typical traditional Japanese sushi place. It is modern fine dining sushi, started by a James Beard Award winner who believes in the "perfect bite." Every piece of fish is pre-seasoned with fruit, infused oils, or sea salt. There is no soy sauce on the tables. Asking for it is roughly equivalent to putting ketchup on an expensive steak.
The flavor layering here is unlike anywhere else, and the dishes are genuinely fun to eat. We loved it so much we went back a second time for Valentine's Day.
Visit 1: Happy Hour Omakase Strategy
A standard dinner here runs around $200 per person. We found a better way in.
Happy Hour runs from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. We arrived right when the doors opened. I ordered the $60 Signature Tasting Menu (eight courses), and Vincent mixed Γ la carte and Happy Hour specials. This is the move for your first visit: one person does omakase, the other orders Γ la carte. You cover more of the menu that way, and some of the omakase courses are easy to share.
The $60 Omakase: All 8 Courses
Course 0: Amuse-Bouche
A small single bite to start. Sets the tone for everything that follows.
Course 1: Sake Tom Kha
Salmon sashimi with coconut, lime leaf, dill, and Thai chili sauce. You are eating raw salmon but the entire flavor profile reads as Thai. A genuinely interesting fusion moment, and one of the must-try dishes here.
Course 2: Mandai
Course 3: Sake Salmon Handroll
One of my favorites from the happy hour lineup. Simple, clean, and highlights exactly what Uchi does well.
Course 4: Radish and Cucumber Salad
The honest miss of the night for me. Heavily flavored with cilantro. If cilantro is not your thing, this course will not work for you.
Course 5: Walu Walu
Course 6: Bluefin Otoro Gunkan with Caviar
The dish everyone needs to order, especially during Happy Hour. Two pieces of Toro gunkan for $20 at Happy Hour, vs. one piece for $20 at dinner. Extra-fatty bluefin topped with Siberian caviar over warm rice. It melts immediately. The tasting menu includes one piece, but Vincent ordered the Happy Hour set so we could share.
Course 7: Pork Belly with Japanese Pumpkin
The best dish of the night. It did not look spectacular at first, but the fatty charred pork belly with pepper gastrique and roasted pumpkin was genuinely mind-blowing. This is the course I am still thinking about.
Course 8: Cherry Amaretto Candy Bar
A beautiful way to close the tasting menu.
Vincent's Γ La Carte and Happy Hour Picks
Hachi no Hiza Cocktail
Their signature: gin, rosemary, and yuzu honey. Very strong, very good.
Hama Chili
Uchi's most famous dish. Yellowtail, ponzu, Thai chili, and orange supreme. The citrus cuts through the strong yellowtail beautifully. I personally preferred some other dishes from the tasting menu, but this one lives up to its reputation.
Market Fish Selection (Kanpachi Nigiri)
Two pieces of market fish for $9 during Happy Hour. Unique jelly-like texture with fried shallot on top. Great value.
Pork Belly Pocket
Crispy inari pocket stuffed with pork belly, gochujang aioli, and cucumber slaw. Another Happy Hour special worth ordering.
Sake Roll
Anniversary Surprise: Gindara Nigiri
The staff brought a complimentary dish of torched Sablefish (Gindara) with yuzu marmalade to celebrate our anniversary. Completely unprompted. The service here is genuinely thoughtful.
The Bill: Visit 1
Total before tip: $156. We covered almost the entire bill with credit card benefits.
Uchi is a Resy restaurant, which makes it perfect for stacking Amex credits. The Amex Platinum gives a $100 Resy credit per quarter. The Amex Gold gives $50 every 6 months (so another $100 a year). We booked through Resy, paid with Amex Platinum, and our actual out-of-pocket cost came to $56 plus tip. On top of the credits, the Amex Gold earns 4x points on all dining, so every dollar spent here is also working toward future travel.
One more thing: our dessert took about 20 minutes longer than expected. Our server, Blue, was genuinely apologetic and gave us a $25 gift card for a future visit without us asking.
Amex Platinum β $100 Resy Credit
Book Uchi through Resy and pay with Amex Platinum for up to $100 back per quarter at participating restaurants. Plus 5x points on flights.
Amex Gold β 4x on Dining + $50 Resy Credit
Every dollar at Uchi earns 4x Membership Rewards points. Plus get a $50 Resy dining credit every 6 months ($100/year) β book through Resy and let the card pay for it.
Visit 2: Valentine's Day Dinner
We loved Uchi so much after the first visit that Vincent brought me back for Valentine's Day. This time we explored more of the dinner menu.
Valentines Day at Uchi
Kinoko Nabe (Must Order)
This is the dish I now recommend to everyone. We added Australian Wagyu for $6, but honestly, the nabe is better without it. I am a meat lover and I am still saying that: the mushroom broth is so clean and flavorful that the wagyu actually competes with it instead of complementing it. Order the nabe, skip the add-on.
Bluefin Otoro (Again)
We ordered this again because the first time was not enough. Bluefin otoro just melts. There is nothing else like it.
More Dishes from Visit 2
Second Visit Dishes
Desserts
Desserts
Both desserts were excellent. The warm banana cake was the stronger of the two.
What to Order: My Recommendations
- Must try: Sake Tom Kha, Bluefin Otoro Gunkan, Kinoko Nabe, Pork Belly
- Happy Hour only: Toro Gunkan 2-piece set ($20), Pork Belly Pocket, Market Fish
- Skip (unless you love cilantro): Radish cucumber salad
- First visit strategy: Come at 4:00 PM, one person does omakase, one person orders Γ la carte
Save on Your Next Visit
