Uchiko Houston

"The smoky sister restaurant of Uchi, Uchiko offers a daily happy hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., with deals on nigiri and maki, plus heartier bites like grilled shishito peppers, pork belly, and wagyu short rib. Like at Uchi, wine and sake are discounted during happy hour here, but with its full bar program, Uchiko offers specials on cocktails, too." - Megha McSwain, Brittany Britto Garley

"Uchiko brings sophisticated Japanese fare to Post Oak Boulevard. Smoke and char are the key signifiers of the restaurant’s dishes, from nigiri to hot offerings. Like its sister restaurant Uchi, it touts a killer happy hour with discounted hand rolls and maki every day from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Seeking adventure on a Monday? Give the 10-course tasting menu a shot." - Minh Truong, Brittany Britto Garley

"The Japanese restaurant Uchiko, an , is sort of the younger, slightly more hip sibling of Uchi, which . The restaurant menus between all the various locations, including the , are nearly identical, with some more experimental flavors happening at Uchiko. This particular restaurant, located near the Galleria in Uptown, looks and feels exactly like every other one. It has dim lighting, lots of dark wood, and splashy modern wallpaper. It’s the kind of place where everyone might be wearing jeans but also $400 shoes. However, it doesn’t really live up to the patented Uchi experience.  The expectation is impeccable service with exciting and tasty food that together create a memorable meal worth repeating until your wallet hits a breaking point. And while this spot might have the same menu and general vibe as the other locations, it’s lacking in delivery. Service can be spotty. During a recent experience, the server floundered when asked specific questions, forgot to bring out a number of dishes, and was generally MIA. Many dishes are tiny, even during when tiny is expected. Nigiri pieces are a stand out, however, even if the yakumi flavor placed on top sometimes overpowers the fish. While everything is good, it’s never great, and neither the food nor the service live up to the standard set by in Montrose. While you can go to Uchiko for a special occasion, to ball out on an omakase, or to hit up the after a Galleria shopping spree, we suggest heading to Montrose for a more seasoned experience.  " - Chelsea Thomas

"The smoky sister restaurant of Uchi, Uchiko offers a daily happy hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., with deals on nigiri and maki, plus heartier bites like grilled shishito peppers, pork belly, and wagyu short rib. Like at Uchi, wine and sake are discounted during happy hour here, but with its full bar program, Uchiko offers specials on cocktails, too." - Brittany Britto Garley, Lane Gillespie

"Austin-based restaurant Uchiko is bringing more Japanese-influenced heat to Houston in May. Located in retail development Zadok’s Post Oak Place at 1801 Post Oak Blvd, Suite 110, the Houston outpost will open Monday, May 23. The menu will include “clean” flavors that its sister restaurant — the lauded sushi restaurant Uchi — is known for, infused with smoke and hints of char in many of its dishes, according to a release. Owner and executive chef Tyson Cole and chef de cuisine Shaun King have incorporated a special yakitori grill into the kitchen. Often used to sear Japanese street food, this grill will use Post Oak and binchotan wood to smoke, sear, and cure meats, vegetables, and fish that make up Uchiko’s menu. Highlights include new dishes like the dry-aged duck, made with hoisin and a salted and hearth-roasted cabbage; charred onion aged “Bar N Ranch” beef that is seared four times and served with foie au poivre; and suzuki yaki, a grilled Mediterranean sea bass, with brown butter dashi, fennel, and herbs. The restaurant will also offer chef’s tasting or signature tasting omakase menus, along with Uchi menu favorites, like the hama chili hotate crudo made with scallop and turnip, and the P-38 hand roll, made with Japanese yellowtail, avocado, yuzu kosho, sweet green onion, and cilantro. Dessert will also be a draw, with Ariana Quant, executive pastry chef for Uchi and Uchiba, dishing out binchotan toasted s’mores and baba au took whisky, a confection made with charred pineapple. In addition to beer, sake, and wine, guests can also indulge in flavorful Japanese whiskys and distilled shochu, or opt for creative cocktails, like the whisky-based Fujin, made with homemade smoked fig and allspice liqueur; the Kusuri with Bourbon ginger syrup, lemon, and tamari whisky; or the tea-smoked martini, featuring gin concentrate, jasmine tea, and a second gin. Uchiko’s Houston outpost will be the restaurant’s second location — the original opened in Austin in 2010 — and Austin-based restaurant group Hai Hospitality’s third establishment to launch in the city, joining Uchi, which opened in 2012, and Loro Heights, which opened in February. Loro’s second Houston location is also slated to open in Rice Village next summer." - Brittany Britto Garley