Uchibā continues to live up to Hai Hospitality’s reputation of its award-winning and celebrated concepts Uchi, Uchiko and Loro. Uchibā Austin offers crossover menu favorites along with creations unique to its location.  

Like the original Dallas location,  Uchibā Austin has a full bar and a sushi bar with yakatori grill, along with indoor and outdoor seating. Chef and Owner Tyson Cole has assembled a star studded team that applies equal skill and craftsmanship to its food menu as it does to its beverage menu.  

Food (Full menu) 

Guests familiar with Uchi and Uchiko will recognize core menu categories like Starters and Greens; Hot and Cool Tastings, Agemono, Makimono, Nigiri + Sashimi, Toyosu Selections, Yakitori Grill items and Dessert. The staff is very knowledgeable about each menu item and can tour you through the options for an amazing culinary experience.  Each category includes ample vegetarian options that transform ingredients like mushrooms, squash, eggplant, broccolini, and watermelon into elevated culinary delights. This location’s specific menu items include Uchibā Salad, Crispy Tofu, Hot Rock, Karaage, Fried Green Tomato, Sake Maki, Spicy Tuna Roll, and the entire Desserts menu. In addition, chefs also prepare several daily specials.

Perfect Pairs

Exclusive to Austin and extraordinary in design are the Perfect Pairs – cocktail sippers paired with small bites.  These culinary marriages include Wagyu Tartare paired with Marsala; Musubi together with the Tepache fermented pineapple beverage, and Oysters and Martini. Nods to Uchi mainstays appear in the Nama Hotate paired with Tequila and a playful interpretation combining Watermelon and Goat cheese with sake.

Table  Favorites

With a menu of light and shareable bites, guests have the opportunity to enjoy multiple dishes.  Our table favorites included the Uchibā Salad, Tiger Cry Bao, Squash Spring Roll, Scallop Nigiri, Watermelon Nigiri, Ebi Katsu Skewer, Kinoko Dumpling, Avocado Nigiri, and Watermelon and Goat cheese perfect pair. If you leave room for dessert, try the Crushed Blackberry Snow with passion fruit and coconut lime foam.

Beverage (full menu) 

Wines and Spirits

Uchibā pushes the boundaries in all beverage categories, particularly cocktails and spirits.  The wine menu features a wide selection of sparkling, red, white, rose/ skin contact, and dessert options, and sake is neatly divided into crisp, floral, earthy, robust, and nigori tasting notes. Beer is led by Japanese favorites and local selections on draft and in bottles and cans.  Uchibā has an extensive array of over 30 Japanese whiskies representing a full spectrum of tastes and price points.  Notable on the menu are a Yamazaki 18-year old Mizunara 100th Anniversary Edition for $300/pour.  The tequila and mezcal list has over 50 combined selections. 

Cocktails

Similar to the food menu, the cocktail menu is also presented in categories:  Draft, Highball, Classic, Signature, Low ABV and Zero Proof categories. Drafts include the G&T as well as Zilker Park Swizzle, named after Austin’s beloved park. Classic options are spins on traditional pre-dinner cocktails like the Nikko Martini with Fords gin,10yr aged sake, lillet, and umami bitters, and the Apricot Boulevardier with Wild Turkey rye, Giffard apricot, Aperol, and Campari. The Highballs are very cold and drawn from a highly charged Suntory machine that imparts intense effervescence and Signatures are a roundup of favorites from all Uchi concept locations that serve cocktails. For guests who prefer less or no alcohol there are cocktails crafted with low and no abv spirits. Concoctions like the Heiwa-Chu Paloma and the pre-dinner drink, Shokuzen, are layered with lower abv content beverages like shochu and St. Germain as well as the dealcoholized spirit, ZP. 

Uchibā also breaks out interactive cocktail experiences for guests. The Agave Omakase offers a comparative tasting of agave spirits that is assembled by region and style. The A5 Cold Rock is a deconstructed old fashioned allowing guests to create their own cocktail by pouring whisky over ice and adding bitters and syrup to taste.   

Making Reservations

Located at the base of the Google Tower at 601 West 2nd Street in downtown Austin, Uchibā is open Sunday – Thursday 4 – 10 p.m. and Fridays Saturdays 4 – 11 p.m. Happy Hour at Uchibā occurs 5 – 6:30 p.m. Monday – Friday. Make your reservations by phone at 512-916-4808 or online.

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Cover photo courtesy Uchibā.

Have passport…will travel. Motivated by her first international trip at twelve years old, Carolyn Koehn pursued a career that would take her around the globe. Following a global career as a finance executive, Carolyn leverages her Latin heritage, Southern upbringing, expat living, Texas residency, and world experience into her travel, lifestyle, and culinary writing.