New Sushi Place on South Lamar?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 2003-03-20 10:07
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Any information on the new sushi bar that is opening where Si Bon used to be? They are really doing a lot of remodeling....hope the sushi is better than the usual Austin fare.

by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 2003-04-04 14:14
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my friend told me that the sushi bar opening where Si Bon used to be has the potential to be the best in town. The head chef is Tyson Cole , who used to be at Musashino for many years and i heard hes bringing quite a few japanese chefs into the restaurant as well. The remodling sure looks good as well. cant wait!!!!!

by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 2003-04-26 16:10
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The name of the new sushi place where Si Bon was located (RIP) is "Uchi" (house in Japanese - fitting for the building it's in). Looks like they are almost finished with the extensive renovation to the place. I'm looking forward to trying it out...hope it will be a step up in what is the norm for sushi in Austin (which ain't too impressive)....

by mcap on Tue, 2003-04-29 19:51
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My name is Mike Capochiano and I'm one of the partners in Uchi. Let me tell you what's going on: The Sushi chef is Tyson Cole, formally of Mushashino. Tyson left on good terms and wanted to start a new restaurant where he would have total control over the sushi. Most of the other chefs are from Austin and one person has moved from Japan to be a chef at Uchi. We will also have a yakitori grill, which is sort of a Japanese shish-kabob. I think we are the only place in town with an actual yakitori grill and not just using a standard char grill. The chef de cuisine is Justin Sells, formerly with Demi Epicurious and Emeril's. He is overseeing the yakitori, tempura, desserts and all cooked items coming out of the kitchen. Michael Hsu was the architect. He works for Dick Clark, but did this independently. Joel Mozersky did the interior design. He has done other spaces around town including the By George on Lamar. If you go to Kareoke at Club DeVille, you will recognize him as the guy who sings a lot of Prince songs and does a version of "Proud Mary" with the host. Braden Frame is the front house manager. He was most recently with Koi, a Japanese restaurant in L.A. Myself and Daryl Kunik handle the administrative aspects of the business and have been involved in many small businesses in town, including Ace Custom Tailors, Cush Cush, Changos, Lucky Lounge and Red Fez. In addition to sushi, Tyson and Justin have come up with some great hot and cool small dishes, that are meant to be ordered for the table by themselves or as a complement to the sushi. We're going for Mushashino quality, great service and a nice, comfortable atmosphere. We're not going for ultra expensive and snooty. We're going to have some interesting desserts, including sake infused gellato, a chocolate-wasabi mousse and a chai creme brulee. We will have bottled beer, wine and sakes. We planning on opening late May, dinner only, Mon.-Sat. I'll let you know more as it becomes available.

by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 2003-05-13 17:09
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Uchi sounds like it could be 'the' place in Austin for sushi and Japanese food. I hope it will endeavor to be better than Musashino (which is good for Austin but average for Dallas, LA, DC, etc.). I'll check out Uchi as soon as it opens....

by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 2003-05-15 12:30
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:shock: Hello, MCapp. Looking forward to trying the eats at the new restaurant. Glad to see more Asian flavor creeping south of Town Lake. I could not find any info about the restaurant online. Just wondering if your restaurant is looking for a freelance web designer/developer to help build one. Best, +nirav patel Portfolio: http://www.agencia72.com/nirav/ :roll:

by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 2003-05-23 10:24
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I went to Uchi the other evening. I already loved the location and had really liked the last several resteraunts that had been there. I also love Tyson's work! I was very upset when he left his old job, but was excited that he was going to be starting his own place. We went the other evening and were very excited. I figured being the second day they were open that service would be at a premium, but we were met with less than the best. The form was excellent and the quality was good. Overall a little less than what I would have expected. I am going to give it a month and try again, hoping for the best.

by mcap on Mon, 2003-05-26 16:11
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aaronhaley: Sorry the service was not up to your expectations. Could you tell me what was deficient in the service (speed, menu knowledge, attitude, etc.)? Can you describe your server so we can follow up with him or her? We are always working on making the restaurant better. When you come back, I believe you will have a better experiance. Any other specific things that were lacking?

by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 2003-05-26 22:03
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Made it to Uchi on Saturday night and was very impressed. My husband & I were at Kenchi the previous week and I would have to say the sushi at Uchi was better, esp. the rolls. The only downside was that Uchi didn't have any Toro (fatty tuna) when we were there. But that just gives us an excuse to go back :D :D One other note - we were there at 8pm and it was very loud when we first sat down. They had a large party in the middle of the room which reeked havoc with the accoustics. Once those 20 people left the noise level was fine and we enjoyed an excellent sushi dinner.

by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 2003-06-02 15:48
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My husband and I chanced upon Uchi when we were driving down South Lamar last Sat night. We were immediately attracted by the name and the restaurant exterior decor and decided to turn back to try out the restaurant. We tried several sushi, tempura, and a roll. The food overall is good, especially the fish on the sushi, they were very generous and super fresh! However, I wish the sushi rice could be "pressed" tighter as it did not take long after the sushi had been picked up before the rice part fell off and spread all over the wasabe/soy sauce dip. :? We also found the batter on the tempura a little too soggy for our liking. The toro roll we had was good. Overall, we enjoyed the dinning experience there, the service, excellent. However, I think the quality of the food has to improve in order to justify for their prices. We will definitely return to Uchi, as I agree with some posters here that Uchi has the potential to become the best sushi place in Austin.

by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 2003-06-03 00:33
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My husband and I ate at Uchi a few weeks ago and loved it. The interior decor is beautiful (we were lucky ... no loud tables), and the service excellent. The sushi was very good and the wasabi excellent. Living in Barton Hills, we are thrilled to have this new sushi restaurant in the neighborhood (especially with an interior that doesn't remind us of a high school cafeteria!) and will keep our fingers crossed (and our return visits frequent) that it is a great success.

by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 2003-06-04 01:33
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i went to uchi's last night for my birthday & literally had on of the best dining experiences in my life. our waiter was extremely knowledgable and very helpful. :D the duck was out of this world :D :D the bond roll is hands down the best vegitarian roll i've ever had :D :D great house wine :D :D and the chai creme brulee, was absolutely fabulous :D :D i am thoroughly looking forward to going back there again.

by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 2003-06-04 15:35
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I have known Tyson for several years. We went to college together and frankly I am disappointed the S.O.B. didnt invite me to the opening. Tyson introduced me to sushi several years ago and I have been a sushi addict ever since. I always thought Tyson was the best sushi chef at Musashino; his expertise and creativity should make Uchi a success. *Note to Tyson: I am coming in to eat sushi and kick your butt.

by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 2003-06-06 10:56
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We tried out Uchi last night for the first time, and were blown away. For only being a few weeks old, we couldn't believe they were running so smoothly. The food was innovative and interesting. The ceviche was one of the most well-seasoned and flavorful dishes I've ever had. The wait staff was one of those great teams that adds to your dining experience (hard to find folks like that!). The decor was comfortable, the booth and lighting were perfect. And all of the sushi chefs yelling goodbye on our way out the door was the perfect ending. Good luck to Uchi! This is a place that recognizes all of the tiny pieces and details that add up to a great night.

by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 2003-06-13 11:09
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Went to Uchi last night. Had a great server, thanks Sean! Disappointed that they were out of Toro but everything we ate was outstanding. Top notch sashimi, good appetizers (yakitoro) and yummy chai creme brulee. Will be coming back soon! :D :D

by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 2003-06-15 15:04
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I have to say, I have eaten sushi all over the country, and we now have some of the best right here in Austin. Uchi has some of the most refreshing, innovative recipes, mixed in with beautiful decor and great service. Way to go!

by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 2003-06-26 11:09
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[quote="Anonymous"]I hope [Uchi] will endeavor to be better than Musashino (which is good for Austin but average for Dallas, LA, DC, etc.). [/quote] Food being such a personal thing, I am not going to argue about this. But I do want to say that, for me, who have eaten sushi in lots of sushi places in NYC (lived there for 15 years) and SF/Silicon Valley (lots of family there), Musashino has great sushi, period, not just "great for Austin". As for Uchi, we are dying to try it. We have been going to Musashino on just about every Friday since the spring of 1996. (We always sit at the bar.) That's since before Tyson started working there! So we know Tyson and as far as I know he is as good a sushi chef as you're gonna find anywhere on this planet. That definitely bodes well for Uchi. -- Andy Nguyen \ aqn at panix dot com

by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 2003-07-07 14:59
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I went to Uchi last week for the first time and really enjoyed it. The most memorable items I ate were the Avo Bake, amazing baked avocado with crab, sauce and shrimp, the chicken and scallion yakitori and the squid salad which had a wonderful texture and vinegar dressing. The atmosphere is amazing, I love the deep reds and browns used in the interior and the landscaping is minimal and beautiful in its simplicity. :D :D Wonderful for a romatic night out or a chi chi night with your friends.

by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 2003-07-08 12:58
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Sushi is something that I just adore. I have passed by Uchi many times, and I would like to know if anyone has experienced their vegetarian/vegan sushi? Will I find the usual avacado, cucumber, & carrot? Is there anything exciting to entice my palate? :wink:

by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 2003-07-09 01:06
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although vegetarians & japanese cuisine dont go too well together in the first place, there is a good amount open to vegetarians at uchi. uchi has the. best. vegetarian. roll. ever. period. :shock: their "bond roll" is absolutely amazing. it has avacado, sun dried tomato, soy bean paper, some citrus salsa with grapeseed oil. i know cuz my girlfriend orders this every time we eat there. they also have a wide selection of tempura & yakitori: japanese pumpkin, green tomato, portabella mush, to name a few :) (unfortunately, it's all cooked on the same grill/oil, but i've NEVER found a sushi restaurant that has a vegetarian kosher grill though) but their uchi salad (try it with the soy vinaigrette) is where it's at. :D they have a cucumber roll & you can always get a california roll with no crab. 80% of the menu will be closed to vegetarians, but this is the same story at any japanese restaurant. (miso soup has fish in it) regardless though, uchi has the best presentation of any sushi restaurant in austin and should be a mandatory stop for any sushi fan. vegetarian or not.

by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 2003-07-14 02:03
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I've dined at Uchi on two occassions now and was impressed with the taste of the food. The atmosphere is much more upscale than say Kyoto or Musashino and not tacky like Umi. Our waitstaff was less than impressive during the first visit. :evil: Our water glasses were empty for most of the meal and empty dishes were not promptly removed. However, to my delight the service was much better on the last visit. :lol: The prices are relatively high for the South Austin Scene (and the Austin scene in general for that matter). Overall, the experience was very good but the high prices will keep me from returning frequently.

by SingleSushiGuy on Mon, 2003-07-14 23:55
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I never could understand what was so difficult about getting a good sushi bar waiter or waitress hired. I have had some difficult experiences in the past with Mushashino's service (although the sushi has never been anything less than stellar) and frankly, I do not frequent Mushashino for that exact reason! I was ultra excited to hear about Uchi... but I am going to save my gas money until I hear a few good reviews! Hint to owner: UT has 50,000 students....thats a target rich environment to get a waitstaff that is competent and can keep a glass of water, sake, or beer full throughout a meal! Mark

by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 2003-07-15 13:13
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[quote="SingleSushiGuy"]I never could understand what was so difficult about getting a good sushi bar waiter or waitress hired . . . waitstaff that is competent and can keep a glass of water, sake, or beer full throughout a meal![/quote] well mark, question 1: are you talking about a sushi BAR waiter (as in you are sitting at the sushi bar in the restaurant) or a sushi restaurant watier (as in you are sitting at a table)? question 2: are the only qualities (IYO) in judging a waiter are competence & keeping a drink full? or is there more? question 3: have you ever been a waiter? in a japanese restaurant? because there is a difference.

by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 2003-07-15 13:28
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[quote="SingleSushiGuy"]UT has 50,000 students....thats a target rich environment to get a waitstaff that is competent and can keep a glass of water, sake, or beer full throughout a meal![/quote] have you seen the waitstaff at pluckers? have you seen the waitstaff at gumbys? have you seen the waitstaff at kirby, magnolia, olive garden, bennigans, or chilis? if you want ut student service, im sure these places will welcome you with open arms. hell, go to the student union at ut if that's what you want. i hear they have a gourmet place there, maybe that will qualify to touch your palate. from what ive seen uchi does NOT have a young waitstaff which is a tremendously good thing, and on a further note, this forum is for uchi. not for general waitstaff complaints or mushashino complaints for that matter. uchi and uchi only. monitor? can we get this guy a clue? or hey, a date? since he has trouble getting one.

by sashimikid on Thu, 2003-07-17 00:51
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[quote="guest"][quote="SingleSushiGuy"]UT has 50,000 students....thats a target rich environment to get a waitstaff that is competent and can keep a glass of water, sake, or beer full throughout a meal![/quote] ...and on a further note, this forum is for uchi. not for general waitstaff complaints or mushashino complaints for that matter. uchi and uchi only. monitor? can we get this guy a clue? or hey, a date? since he has trouble getting one.[/quote] Hi, I'm the monitor. :shock: As long as people are generally respectful and don't use foul language, they can post. SingleSushiGuy is within those boundaries so far. But more importantly, why aren't more registered users selecting avatars? :D If you are a registered user, you can click on "Profile" and then scroll all the way to the bottom to select your avatar.

by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 2003-07-23 20:03
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Great food for what they had. Ran out of a eel for the Mustang roll, and wouldn't make it without (despite request). Then half way through our meal ~9:30 they ran out of rice. How does a sushi resturant run out of rice? Service was resonable (some orders didn't get turned in and there was no attempt to make up for running out of food), food that was available was great, but overall left a bad taste in my mouth.

by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 2003-07-27 10:28
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This place has some interesting ideas but is lacking in execution. The fatty tuna was not sushi quality, althoughit was graciously taken back. You can not get raw wagyu beef, no matter how much you beg. Most of the fish was cut unevenly and was way too thick. Overall, the waitstaff was very good but the kitchen staff was unwilling to accomodate even small changes to dishes. If it's not on the menu, forget it. It'll take some serous coersion to get me back.The food quality was uneven and the kitchen flatly refused even the most minor request.

by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 2003-07-30 12:54
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[size=12px][color=red][This message was edited to remove verbal attacks. Please refrain from calling people names. Thank You, The Management][/color][/size] I'm sick and tired of people giving great places a bad name. [stuff deleted] A new sushi restaurant will run out of rice. Why? Then you know they don't save and serve yesterdays rice. After a few months they will know how much to make to avoid waste, there new give em some time. [stuff deleted]. [stuff deleted] So they don't make fried quail eggs for you to go with the half ikura, half uni battleship that they just had to make. Your the customer who says "Customer is king and Make it the same as Mushushino. They tells all your friends, they're unoriginal and just plain. There is no personality put in to the food. They just copy other sushi bars." What a load of crock. This place is close to my house and has a great selection of food that you cant get anywhere else in town. I am a one man sushi eater with friends who don't do the raw fish. We can all go here and get great food cooked or not. Why can'y you just appreciate that? If you want a texas hybrid, go to Mushushino and get one. But if you just can't live without a bond roll (like me 2x a visit, 2x a week) then go to Uchi. But whatever your choice, stop complaining please!!!! Also as a side note, Uchi will do modifications to some things. I have asked "POLITELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" in the past and they have been gracious enough to cater to my humble requests. Remember it is all in the way you ask, not who you are. :) Go Uchi, I need local Sushi

by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 2003-07-30 12:54
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You can get raw wagyu, on sushi or on a plate. Just ask and say please when asking. :)

by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 2003-08-01 16:00
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I checked out uchi right after it opened and was really impressed. The sushi was great quality and I had a cheese chutney sort of appetizer that was amazing.

by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 2003-08-10 02:19
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I just got back from an excellent dinner at Uchi. I was immensely pleased with both the sushi and the service. The Bond role was incredible (as others have pointed out), as was the Mustang role and the Spider. Our waiter was very knowledgeable, friendly and took great care of us (not to mention rocked the greatest pair of west-texas cop, tinted aviator shades my dangly earing'd grounded fashionista date or i had ever seen). The decor is great, the music was awesome (props on rockin' austin's own american analog set). Overall, a really good experience. Like many others, I would like to see the prices lower, but that's just because i'm a poor college student... but to be honest, it's a nice sushi place; those prices are not out of line for the quality of the food and the services offered. Further, like others, they ran out of something very dear to my heart: Green tea ice cream. After I got a bus boy to mop up my tears, I finished my meal in a quite dignified manner and saved the rest of my wailing and chest beating for the car. However, I didn't hold the establishment or the proprietors in lower regard for the fact, purely b/c (as others have pointed out) it is a young business still getting the supply and demand formulas down. Give 'em time. : ) All in all, I highly recommend Uchi. The sushi was masterful (a beautiful mosaic of subtle and robust flavors), the service hipper than i'll ever be, and the atmosphere intimate yet open. Thanks Tyson and crew!

by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 2003-08-28 15:56
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:lol: :lol: SPECIAL SPECIAL :lol: :lol: [size=24px]FREE HOT SAKE WITH FOOD PURCHASE[/size] Come in on Thursday August 28th 2003 from 5:pm - 9:pm and receive free hot sake with any food purchase :D

by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 2003-09-20 20:11
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Tonight I had one of the greatest dining experiences of my life. I decided to go to Uchi and discovered that they were having an "Open House" with free beer, free hot sake, and free samples of yakitori and sushi. The waitstaff was extremely nice and helpful and the samples were fantastic. Later, I dined with my friends. The mustang roll was OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD :mrgreen: , the edamame was sweet and simple, and the taco pops (baby octopus fried and marinated in a soy/ginger/red chile sauce) were scrumptious! Jay 8) , our waiter, was very knowledgeable about the menu and made us feel very comfortable and welcome. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone seeking fabulous sushi and a pleasantly full stomach :D

by mcap on Mon, 2003-09-22 12:07
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Hello, all. This is Mike Capochiano, Uchi partner and official mouthpiece to austinsushi.com. Here's a few updates from Uchi: We are having Sake Socials (aka Happy Hour) from 5:00 to 6:30 each evening we are open (Mon. to Sat.). There will be daily food specials and $2 Hot Sakes during the Socials. I also wanted to give the forum some not well known info about Uchi. We receive the first fish delivery of the week EVERY MONDAY. We are the least crowded on Mondays as well. (I think a rumor has been going around that we get our first shipment on Tues., like Mushashino.) So, if you want the freshest fish and smallest crowd, come by on Mondays. Come between 5 and 6:30, and get cheap hot sake on top of that! Tyson Cole, our executive chef, is getting married in October. He's getting married on a Sunday, so he won't miss any nights behind the sushi bar. Sushi groupies, beware: He's off the market! We expect to have write-ups in some publications in the next few months, including The Chronicle, Texas Monthly, Austin Monthly and Tribeza. Keep an eye out. Thanks for everyone's support at austinsushi.com. We had our best week last week and we hope to keep improving as we move forward.

by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 2004-08-08 17:24
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[color=indigo][/color][size=9px][/size]oh my god! I tried Uchi last year in September and low and behold the sushi chef Tyson recognized me from Mushashino's place. I think that Uchi is THE place to go for sushi in Austin- what about you? can I get some feedback? The place was well decorated and I thought the prices to be a bit high, but yet still reasonable for such great food. Nothing good comes for free I guess...I am definitely going back there for my birthday like I did last year. I think I might start a traditionby going there each year because we were all so pleased with the place. It was my brother eric romeo who suggested it. Does anyone recognize that name? lol I am guessing not... so you Austinites, let's try to keep this place a float by putting in your "donation" by eating there. Hey man, every one wins in this situation, me you and the resturant. To the head honcho of the place, I'll recommend this to all of my friends and family!! :lol: