Uchi
Peanut butter semifreddo is shown at Uchi Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, in Houston. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle )
Machi cure: smoked baby yellowtail, yucca crips, marcona almond, asian pear and garlic brittle, is shown at Uchi Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, in Houston. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle )
Uchiviche: salmon, striped bass, tomato, bell pepper, garlic and cilantro, is shown at Uchi Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, in Houston. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle )
Special of Norwegian mackerel wrapped in lightly pickled daikon with shiso and herbs at Uchi Houston. Photo by Alison Cook
Negiri "sushi" of wagyu shortrib at Uchi Houston.
A Kusshi oyster with lemongrass foam and green apple as served at Uchi Houston.
A special of cured albacore with green onion puree, lemon gel, pickled shallot and sweet onion crisps at Uchi Houston.
Machi cure at Uchi Houston, with taro crisps, smoked baby yellowtail, almonds and garlic brittle.
The sushi bar at Uchi Houston.
The kitchen at Uchi Houston, as seen from the sushi bar.
Uchiviche: salmon, striped bass, tomato, bell pepper, garlic and cilantro, is shown at Uchi Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, in Houston. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle )
Tyson Cole, left, chef and owner, and Philip Speer, director of culinary operations, pose for a portrait at Uchi Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, in Houston. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle )
Uchi, Japanese Dining and Sushi Restaurant, was designed by Michael Hsu on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, in Houston. ( Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle )
Wooden rotunda has several shelves in the main entrance of Uchi, Japanese Dining and Sushi Restaurant, designed by Michael Hsu on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, in Houston. ( Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle )
Uchi Cookbook is on display in the main entrance wooden rotunda at Uchi, Japanese Dining and Sushi Restaurant, designed by Michael Hsu on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, in Houston. ( Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle )
Uchi, Japanese Dining and Sushi Restaurant, has red accented walls through out restaurant on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, in Houston. ( Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle )
Swing arm light fixtures are part of the design at Uchi, Japanese Dining and Sushi Restaurant, on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, in Houston. ( Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle )
Mesh screen decorate the wooden doors to the back rooms and private dinning rooms at Uchi Restaurant on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, in Houston. ( Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle )
Sushi bar at Uchi Restaurant on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, in Houston. ( Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle )
Fresh fish is cut at the sushi bar at Uchi Restaurant on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, in Houston. ( Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle )
Wooden doors seprate the back rooms and private dinning rooms from main dinning area at Uchi Restaurant on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, in Houston. ( Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle )
Wooden tiles decorate the walls of the private dinning rooms at Uchi Restaurant on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, in Houston. ( Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle )
Private dinning rooms at Uchi Restaurant on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, in Houston. ( Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle )
LIghting fixtures over the main dining area at Uchi Restaurant on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, in Houston. ( Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle )
Decorative rectangle wooden table sits in the main dinning area at Uchi Restaurant on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, in Houston. ( Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle )
Patio area of Uchi Restaurant which gives opportunity to observe the metal work on the widowns on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, in Houston. ( Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle )
Sugi gama special at Uchi Houston: cobia poached in paper on the grill, with Thai chile, kumquat, wild mushrooms and golden raisins.
Negiri sushi of the day's fish specials at Uchi Houston: r to l, mejina, ishidai, renkodai, kinmedai.
The domed windows of the late Felix Mexican restaurant, as transformed by Uchi Houston architect Michael Hsu.
Xeriscaping outside Uchi Houston.
Machi cure: smoked baby yellowtail, yucca crips, marcona almond, asian pear and garlic brittle, is shown at Uchi Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, in Houston. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle )
Peanut butter semifreddo is shown at Uchi Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, in Houston. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle )
Exterior of new Uchi Houston at night.
Shag Roll (tempura salmon, avocado and sundried tomoato) at Uchi Houston.
Jar Jar Duck (duck in rosemary smoke with kumquat and endive in a jar) at Uchi Houston.
Aji sashimi (horse mackerel) at Uchi Houston.
Jar Jar Duck (duck in rosemary smoke with kumquat and endive in a jar) at Uchi Houston.
7. Uchi Houston
This Austin import from celebrated chef Tyson Cole has turned the old Felix restaurant into a handsome, if somber, version of a Japanese farmhouse. It’s not just some clone of Cole’s Austin restaurants, although eclectic Japanese signature dishes like the elegant machi cure (smoked baby yellowtail combined with translucent yucca crisps, macron almonds and garlic brittle) are present and accounted for on the menu — a long and somewhat daunting document with many moving parts. Go for the separately printed daily specials list, which may yield shimmeringly pure negiri sushi of renkodai (yellow sea bream) or kinmedai (goldeneye snapper), or such hot dishes as Sugi Gama, a parchment origami package of cobia steamed on the grill with black tree and oyster mushrooms, tiny jolts of Thai chile, golden raisin and kumquat. (The ingenious use of fruit is something of a Cole signature move.) Like the menus, these creations tend to have a lot of moving parts. When they all mesh, the effect is exhilarating. The wine list is beautifully suited to the food, desserts by Houston native Philip Speer fascinate, the service tries hard to please, and some early kitchen wobbles have smoothed out. If the restaurant continues on its present course, it will challenge our homegrown best.
Cuisine: Japanese
Entree price range: $$-$$$
Where: 904 Westheimer
Phone: 713-522-4808
Web: uchirestaurants.com/houston
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