Uchi Miami reviews were five stars from several consumer review sites and foodie friends told me to go check it out. It had been on my radar screen since it opened, and I finally had a chance to go, though getting a reservation turned out to involve booking a week or more in advance and at an off peak time. A foodie friend and I went to dinner and the verdict? Returned a few days later to also check out the happy hour with another friend. Uchi scored a serious thumbs up from all of us.
Some interesting facts about Uchi. It started in Austin and of the three chefs listed on the menu, none are Japanese. Their approach is “global flavors mixed with traditional Japanese food”. For me that translated into mixing unexpected flavors and ingredients, and some unusual presentations. It all works. The menu is divided into ten categories –omakase, cool tastings, hot tastings, yasaimono, agemono, makimono, sushi and sashimi, bluefin selection, specials, dessert and toyosu selection which comes from Japan.
The restaurant is larger than you anticipate from the outside – 175 seats — but it’s divided into several private dining rooms, a sushi bar with seating and regular bar with a small number of seats. It’s the Asian minimalist decor with a lot of natural materials, neutral colors, and different textures along with textile art.
Portions can be shared, provided you get a number of dishes. We started with a crowd favorite in the Uchi Miami reviews — the hama chili with yellowtail, ponzu, thai chili and orange ($22). It, as all of the fish, were very fresh, and the seasoning was delicate yet tasty. Next up was a favorite, what the server called “happiness in a bowl”, the kinoko nabe. It combined a crunchy koshihikari rice with seasonal mushroom, and egg yolk ($19.50).
A novel take on salad was their signature salad which were small pieces of whole romaine lettuce leaves filled with daikon, edamame and jalapeno puree. You pick up a leaf and eat it like a crunchy wrap ($11).
The not to be missed dish is the kinoko, a trumpet mushroom that was flattened and made into a rectangle and served over sushi rice. It melts in your mouth and tastes like eating butter ($7). Also delicious was the halibut with a crunchy shitake mushroom and hazelnut crust in a coconut beurre blanc foam ($25.50).We finished off our tastings with oro king crudo, a novel combo of king salmon, coconut and pineapple bubbles which all tasted a bit like a pina colada ($21). We also tried the fried milk dessert, like a deconstructed sundae with vanilla custard, salted fudge and small balls of fried milk ($11.50).
A glass of wine (6 ounce pour) starts at $14 and $50 for a bottle. Most cocktails are in the mid-teens. The liquor menu is large, particularly the list of sakes and whiskeys.
If you want to check out Uchi first before making the commitment for dinner or can’t get a dinner reservation when you want, happy hour is the way to go. It’s a very good deal with their alcoholic beverages and a selection of 18 light bites under $10. Happy hour runs from 5 to 6:30 daily at the bar. Be sure to get there at 5 p.m. as it fills up quickly.
Uchi Miami, 252 NW 25th Street, Wynwood.
After dinner want the party to continue? Check out these restaurants and bars with live music. Click here.
