"It’s not easy being the youngest of three famous siblings. Everybody wants to compare them to what they know. And in the case of Uchiba, it has the reputation of successful siblings and to live up to. But just like with celebrity siblings, this spot is at its best when it’s not trying to mimic its sister restaurants. It’s a little more izakaya, and a little less intimate. Uchi is where you go to celebrate a milestone anniversary, but Uchiba is where you’d head for a nice third date or to pretend it’s your anniversary to snag a free dessert. About 75% of Uchiba is pretty much identical to Uchi and Uchiko, so if you want the full backstory on this group’s origin story and most of what to expect, you can read our . Instead, we’re going to talk about the remaining 25% that sets it apart. Uchiba is izakaya- inspired . And we mean that in a very loose sense of the word. Because while izakayas typically lean casual, nothing about Uchiba feels suited for a T-shirt or post-work beers. It sits at the base of a tall Downtown office building in a custom, mid-century-inspired space that feels a little like the dining room of a luxury cruise ship. There’s a wraparound bar in the middle with a backlit shelf of Japanese whiskeys and other spirits while a mix of small tables, booths, and lounge-y areas fills in the rest of the space. It’s bigger and a little bit louder than the cozy dining room you’ll find at Uchi down the street—this feels more like the sibling that studied finance instead of fine arts. The izakaya part of things comes into play on the menu. 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). Much like at Uchi, there are nearly 100 items on the menu, and navigating it on your own feels like the first time you stepped into an IKEA. If you’re not sure where to start, stick to the daily specials, the yakitori menu, and the Toyosu selections of nigiri where you’ll be able to try fish that are still a little jet-lagged from their daily flight from Tokyo. Daily specials offer seasonal twists on spring rolls, maki, and crudo, and all through the menu you’ll find “Uchi classics” peppered in. But the yakitori section is where you’ll find skewers ranging from chicken thigh with green onion and kimchi, all the way to kinoko skewers doused in brown butter and broccolini pesto that will likely become a talking point of the ride home that evening. We couldn’t tell you what the third Skarsgård or Hemsworth brothers are up to these days, but we can tell you a lot about Uchiba. It’s not the same as its famous older siblings, and despite some significant menu overlap, it’s quickly made a name for itself by bringing a unique experience to the ritzy, mid-century table. " - Nicolai McCrary
