Uchiko Houston
Sushi restaurant · Galleria ·
Sophisticated Japanese fare with smoke & char; sushi, tasting menus
Sophisticated Japanese fare with smoke & char; sushi, tasting menus
"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 sushi restaurant Uchiko, an Austin import, is sort of the younger, slightly more hip sibling of Uchi, which also comes from Austin. The restaurant menus between all the various locations, including the Uchi in Montrose, 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 Happy Hour 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 Houston’s original Uchi in Montrose. While you can go to Uchiko for a special occasion, to ball out on an omakase, or to hit up the Happy Hour after a Galleria shopping spree, we suggest heading to Montrose for a more seasoned experience. photo credit: Uchiko photo credit: Uchiko photo credit: Uchiko photo credit: Uchiko photo credit: Uchiko Pause Unmute" - 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
"Opening Monday, May 23 at Zadok’s Post Oak Place, 1801 Post Oak Blvd, Suite 110, the Houston outpost brings Uchiko’s Japanese-influenced cooking with the 'clean' flavors its sister restaurant is known for, now infused with smoke and hints of char. Owner and executive chef Tyson Cole and chef de cuisine Shaun King have incorporated a special yakitori grill that uses Post Oak and binchotan wood to smoke, sear, and cure meats, vegetables, and fish. Highlights include new dishes such as the dry-aged duck with hoisin and a salted, hearth-roasted cabbage; charred onion–aged "Bar N Ranch" beef 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 offer chef’s tasting and signature tasting omakase menus alongside Uchi favorites like the hama chili hotate crudo (scallop and turnip) and the P-38 hand roll (Japanese yellowtail, avocado, yuzu kosho, sweet green onion, and cilantro). Desserts from Ariana Quant include binchotan-toasted s’mores and a baba au took whisky made with charred pineapple, and the beverage program features beer, sake, wine, Japanese whiskys, shochu, and cocktails such as the whisky-based Fujin, the Kusuri, and a tea-smoked martini. This opening is the restaurant’s second location and a second venture of James Beard Award–winning chef Tyson Cole." - Brittany Britto Garley
