Uroko

One of Austin’s Best Sushi Restaurants Is Uroko, According to Statesman Critic | Eater Austin

"I thought Uroko, a casual East Austin Japanese restaurant that opened in May, should have had a spot in the top 25 of my 50 best restaurants list, but problems securing a reservation to the omakase — only served Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays — prevented me from visiting in time for the guide. I liked Uroko’s lunch offerings, which do not require advance planning: the basic rolls are “well, basic,” and I recommend the Chef’s Creation rolls instead, like a sake toro roll with “lush fatty salmon,” lemon miso, and ginger and a beef tatayaki with “an aged steakhouse glow.” Regarding the omakase, I called Uroko “one of the city’s best destinations for sushi” thanks to exciting flavor profiles, precise execution and solid value; chefs Takéhiro Asazu (of Kome) and Masazumi Saio (formerly of Uchi) bring unique takes to each piece — for example, a supple piece of aji cured with salt and vinegar arrives one night from chef Také beneath a piquant mix of grated ginger and wasabi stem, and another night chef Masa punches up the fish’s miso ginger sauce with unexpected powdered garlic and green onions. A “voluptuous” Scottish salmon roll reminded me of why I fell in love with sushi, and a fried shrimp shell tasted like “bacon from the sea.” I rated the restaurant a nine out of ten. The Kome team’s second restaurant operates as a stall in the Springdale General complex and was freshly anointed by the James Beard Awards; by day it offers to-go hand rolls (with indoor and outdoor dining areas), by night a 45-minute power omakase at the sushi counter with all the classics, and there’s also an at-home omakase offering — reservations are required for either omakase." - Erin Russell