LAReview
Included In
The first time we dined at Uchi, our server informed us the restaurant had something of a cult following. We didn’t think much of it—or at least until we posted one of their $30 crudos on social media. Our DMs exploded. Old classmates from high school chemistry demanded our thoughts. Bewildered, we asked ourselves, “What is going on? Who are you, Uchi?” As it turns out, this upscale Japanese restaurant from Austin (with seven locations nationwide and counting) is a big deal, even in a sushi paradise like Los Angeles.
Like many restaurants in West Hollywood, Uchi is expensive, with an unshakable sceney-ness that you might expect from this zip code. But, underneath all that, Uchi has the right mix of delicious food, sharp service, and electric atmosphere that you’d want in a splashy, special occasion dinner. Its more-is-more approach to Japanese food won’t satisfy every sushi purist, but you can expect a very memorable meal nonetheless.
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Uchi is in no way low-key. It certainly isn't quiet. The moment you peel open the heavy front door, you’re hit with a burst of chatter and thumping music. This big, wood-paneled restaurant is a living, breathing beast, packed nightly with the neighborhood’s usual cast of characters: real estate agents, showbiz types, publicists plugging their clients between martinis. Every corner of this large space has a distinct energy, and where you sit ultimately shapes your experience. There’s the main dining area where the ambiance is at full blast, the quieter, more secluded front patio, and (our favorite) the sushi bar, where the meal begins with a drinkable amuse-bouche that’s different each time. Regardless of where you sit, though, you'll next be tasked with navigating the menu.
We say “tasked” because Uchi’s menu is a Texas-sized document. You could easily spend a good 10 minutes pouring over its many sections—“hot tastings,” “cool tastings,” fried dishes, sashimi, rolls, caviar, to name a few—and it took multiple visits for us to feel like we’d experienced a fraction of what this place offers. You can wing it and order a la carte, of course, or hand control over to your server who will curate a tasting menu based on your budget and tastes. You can stick to simple soy-brushed nigiri, or ball out with showy things, like wagyu slices you sear on a hot stone. Or you can just freeze up with indecision. But you shouldn’t, because nothing we’ve tried is a noticeable miss.
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Our odd rule of thumb for ordering here is this: the more out-there and unexpected a dish sounds, the more likely it is to blow you away. The actual sushi is very good, if not quite on par with other sushi heavyweights in the area like Matsumoto and Jinpachi. Uchi’s nigiri are on the smaller side though, and besides that, we’d push you toward things like sweet sea bream coated with peppery olive oil, or the melty cut of gyutoro kissed with a blowtorch, rather than the more basic nigiri or rolls. Mostly, more creative dishes are the major highlights. Delicate salmon belly sashimi pops in a tom kha coconut cream, little nuggets of pork belly come painted with a sweet rose pepper gastrique, and smoked yellowtail arrives in little fried yuca boats that let you spoon the fish directly into your mouth. It can feel like the kitchen is flexing every muscle they have at once sometimes, but it works.
Where Uchi occasionally struggles, however, is consistency. It usually comes down to the smallest details, like how flavorful the kanpachi is that night, or if the bigeye tuna is served a little too cold to appreciate the fish. Most of these things are easily brushed off, but when you’re likely paying over $150 per person for dinner and drinks, it’s fair to nitpick.
Now that we’ve wandered through Uchi World a few times, the hoopla around this growing chain makes sense. It’s a maximalist sushi experience that offers whatever you’re looking for, whether that's an excuse to dress up, feeling like a who’s-who in a high-energy room, or just eating top-tier raw fish and tempura. And that’s no small feat for an out-of-town restaurant less than a mile from Nobu and Matushisa (godfathers of the genre). Next time you want to celebrate a promotion, birthday, or just the luxury of having disposable income, rest assured that somewhere within Uchi’s giant menu exists a great dinner that suits the occasion.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Cocktails
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Uchi Salad
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Hama Chili
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Hotate No Tataki
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Nigiri
photo credit: Sylvio Martins
Kinoko Nabe
Fried Milk Dessert