Uchi West Hollywood

An Innovative Sushi Spot From Austin Is Coming to Downtown D.C. | Eater DC

"James Beard Award–winning chef Tyson Cole plans to bring his contemporary Japanese restaurant to D.C. by late fall 2025; Hai Hospitality’s eighth location will settle into the sleek 17xM, a newly constructed office building in downtown D.C. (1150 17th Street NW). Cole first opened the concept in Austin in 2003, taking over a refurbished bungalow that inspired the restaurant’s name (“house” in Japanese), and the brand expanded with openings in Houston (2012), Dallas (2015), Los Angeles (2023) and is on track to open in NYC, with an upcoming opening in Philly this year as well. The group behind it also operates sibling restaurants Uchiko, Uchibā, Oheya, and LORO Asian Smokehouse & Bar. Cole says the D.C. outpost will be “shaped by the energy and character of its city,” using seasonal ingredients to inform a changing menu; the operation famously serves plenty of sushi and sashimi options, as well as skewers and other hot dishes cooked over an izakaya-style grill. The District location is planned to be fashioned in a “new modernism” style, influenced by both the neighboring National Geographic Museum of Exploration and the acclaimed Hong Kong movie In the Mood for Love, known for its cinematic shots of cramped city spaces. The 185-seat restaurant will include a bar, sushi counter, and two private dining rooms. Arriving into an already strong D.C. sushi and omakase scene—from wagyu-centric Kappo and newly Michelin-starred Omakase @ Barracks Row to a recently announced omakase program from Michelin-awarded chef Masaaki “Uchi” Uchino at Bar Japonais—this two-decade-old Austin sushi concept will test how its established style and seasonal approach stack up against the city’s favorite Japanese spots this fall." - Emily Venezky