Award-Winning Chef Tyson Cole's 'Ushi Miami' Takes Japanese Cuisine to New Heights
Updated: Nov 23, 2022
Japanese for “home,” Uchi is Hai Hospitality’s award-winning flagship restaurant, named after the little red house where Chef Tyson Cole first introduced his non-traditional take on elevated Japanese cuisine to Austin, Texas in 2003. After the success of Uchi Austin, Houston, Dallas and Denver, the restaurant group opened Uchi Miami in 2021 in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood at 252 NW 25th Street. Inspired by the vibrant Miami culture and energy, the newest Uchi expansion brings a range of textures, flavors, and warmth to its specially crafted menu, curated by Chef de Cuisine Dina Butterfield and Head Sushi Chef Cyrus Hire.
Uchi strikes a delicate balance between elevated food and impeccable service alongside a welcoming and homey atmosphere, boasting Uchi’s signature hot and cool tastings, sushi and sashimi, makimono, yakimono, tempura, and changing omakase based on seasonal items. For those indulging in the latter, there are three omakase offerings on the menu, including a 10-course chef’s tasting, six-course signature tasting and six-course vegetarian tasting.
The Uchi experience begins and ends with art to curate a unique experience, whether it's in the beauty of the fresh ingredients used or the way the chefs build the flavors of each dish. Take the selection of makimono (variety of rolls). Just as an "Endo" is a wheelie on the front tire of a bicycle, the biendo maki is a sushi roll turned on its head. Instead of rice, they use rice paper, as well as creative components like frozen grapes and Uchi fish sauce to elevate the flavors in each bite. Or the otoro gunkan. Shaped like tiny boats, gunkan translates to "battleship" in English. With the star of the show sitting on top of perfectly seasoned rice, these bites are waiting to explode with flavor.
This winter, Uchi Miami will offer a special uni flight, incorporating a variety of different unis from Japan and the U.S. Throughout December, expect to see a special handroll and Krug Champagne pairing on the menu, made with tamago, brown butter and creme fraiche, and topped with caviar. The specials continue with beautiful farmed Kaluga Hybrid caviar sets available with a range of different accoutrements to choose from ($75). Chef Butterfield will also elevate the popular A5 hot rock special made with wagyu beef and ponzu, for a limited time.
Happy Hour is also offered daily from 5 – 6:30 p.m. and features a unique menu with a rotating selection of cool and hot tastings, handrolls, sushi and sashimi, and an okashi offering. The core menu is also available at these times, along with various cocktails, beers, wines, and sake specials. Dine-in, take-out, and private dining options are also available.
Looking ahead, Hai Hospitality has recently announced it is expanding its Miami footprint with plans to open Uchiko Miami in the heart of Sunset Harbour Village in 2024. Bold flavors with hints of smoke and char differentiate Uchiko from its sibling Uchi. At Uchiko Miami Beach guests can expect an ever-changing menu that spotlights Uchi's signature raw fish at the sushi bar, balanced with wood-fired items and Yakitori-grilled options, striking a balance between richness and delicacy. Uchiko Miami Beach will also offer a full bar with hard-to-find Japanese whiskys and a menu of “classic cocktails with a twist” that pair nicely with the robust hearth-centric menu.
CONTACT UCHI
Address:252 NW 25th St, Miami, FL 33127
Phone: (305) 995-0915 Reservations: opentable.com, sevenrooms.com
More on Hai Hospitality
Hai Hospitality is an award-winning restaurant group based in Austin, Texas, that began with Uchi, Japanese for ‘home,’ and so named for the little red house where Chef Tyson Cole first created his nontraditional take on elevated Japanese cuisine in 2003. Hai Hospitality concepts include Uchi, Uchiko, Uchibā, and LORO Asian Smokehouse and Bar. Hai currently operates in five cities across the US, including Austin, Houston, Dallas, Denver, and Miami. Hai Hospitality gives each of its restaurants the space to create and cultivate their own identities and supports them in a variety of capacities so that each location has the freedom to grow while still being part of the bigger family—a family that has a common set of core values; a shared vision for food, service, and design; and a collective pool of knowledge and expertise to draw upon no matter where they call home.