New Texas Monthly article

(From December 2009) Dashing from our car to beat a looming
downpour, we found the mood inside this pretty orange cottage
refreshingly uplifting—the bar area pulsed with cool
customers chirping and imbibing and swift servers doling out
complimentary appetizers. Seated at the sushi bar, we had a
wonderful view of the artists at work. Chef Tyson Cole is a
genius; we couldn’t get enough of his madai (Japanese
black snapper) with lemon zest and olive oil. Other standouts
included mussels in a coconut crêpe with alfalfa sprouts
and quince and maplewood-smoked baby yellowtail with yuca chips,
Asian pear, Marcona almonds, and garlic brittle. That attention
to detail extends to the servers as well, who always seem to
know what you want right before you do. Beer, wine, & sake.

Third quarter Uchi press. Boom.

Uchi
Article Title	Publication
Uchi named " Best place to celebrate an anniversary" in Your A-List poll	austin360.com
Insider's Guide to Austin (Uchi-Chef Tyson Cole combines flavors in amazing ways,,,)	Southern Living
Tripod-Different angles on music, literature & dining (Tyson Cole…the chef talking about music)	TRIBEZA
Table Talk: What's a Foodie? Foodie: A love/hate relationship-Tyson Cole, Executive Chef-Uchi	dupuydish.blogspot.com
Cooking class with Chef Tyson Cole	thealcoholian.com
Foodie News That's Fit to Eat (Capital Chow: Info on Uchiko)	Eat & Drink Austin
The Filter: Dining- Uchi Update	Texas Monthly
Stroll through quintessential Austin…Fodder for foodies:...Then there's the shining star of upscale sushi, Uchi…	Austin American-Statesman
What makes Austin attractive? Cuisine: …The current top dog is Tyson Cole at Uchi, with two restaurants on the way…	Austin American-Statesman
A Fabulous Drink at Uchi	fabulousdrinksaustin.com
BlackBook Lowdown: Uchi-"Lauded Japanese chef Tyson Cole started in Austin but took study breaks in New York…	blackbookmag.com
TexSom crowns best sommeliers in Texas.."First place this year went June-Ann Rodil from Austin's Uchi"	dallasnews.com
2009 Texas Sommelier Conference: Texas’ Best Sommelier	dmagazine.com
Uchi’s June Rodil officially a wine goddess	austin360.com
Ten Things We Learned at #DLW09 Conference & Taste-Off and #Texsom	vintagetexas.com
Uchi's Rodil Wins Texas' Top Sommelier Honor	Austin American-Statesman
Food-o-file"we're in congratualatory mode, kudos to Uchi beverage director June Rodil, who was named Texas' Best Sommelier…	austinchronicle.com
Food-o-file"we're in congratualatory mode, kudos to Uchi beverage director June Rodil, who was named Texas' Best Sommelier…	Austin Chronicle
HotSchedules may broaden scope (Uchi mentioned and quote from Andy Erdmann)	Austin Business Journal
Micahel Hsu Profile (includes a quote from Tyson and a photo)	Austin Business Journal
Winebits 92: Best sommelier, wine bottle design, wine label changes	winecurmudgeon.com
Uchi’s Tuna and Goat Cheese Sashimi	chaosinthekitchen.com
Austinite June-Ann Rodil Wins 'Texas' Best Sommelier'	texsom.com
Tastemakers Austin: Uchi	Taste of the South
Don't Mess with Texas (Sommeliers)	bigcityironhorse.com
Austin’s June Rodil named ‘Best Sommelier’ in Texas	Houston Community Newspapers
Super Texans: tasting Texas with the Austin Dream Team	dobianchi.com
Best Sushi Bars in Austin: #1 Uchi-"Beautifully set in a refurbished home, Uchi is one of the premier sushi restaurants…"	austin10.cityspur.com
Austin Cocktail Throwdown (Mention June being on KGSR this morning)	tastytouring.com
Food Ink: From broccoli to cupcakes, mixers to oven mitts, food-related tattoos aren't just for chefs and home cooks	Austin American-Stateman
Plate I Vine Interactive Cookbook Lets You Cook Uchi at Home!	keepercollection.com
My Reward: The Best Meal of 2009, and maybe of my life! At uchi	hungersauce.com
Texas Two-Step: From Scruffy Honky-Tonks to Slick Boutique Hotels, Austin Walks the Line Between Old School and New	New York Times Magazine

Boozehound

http://www.austin360.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/bws/entries/2009/08/20/uchis_june_rodil_officially_a.html

Check it.

2nd quarter press

If'n you're interested.. here is the complete run-down of all the press Uchi received from April - June, 2009.

Your A-List Best Place to Impress a Date-Uchi austin360.com 4/16/2009

Uchi's Executive Chef, Tyson Cole (recap of radio broadcast, promoting the festival) 101x.com 4/16/2009

Texas Chefs Master the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival texasmonthly.com 4/17/2009

Indulgence uncorked: Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival (mentions Tyson for Culinary Masters Dinner) austin.decider.com 4/17/2009

Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival on for April 16-19th (mention Tyson for Stars Across Texas event) diningoutwithrobbalon.com 4/17/2009

24 and Counting-Tastes of the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival Austin Chronicle 4/17/2009

Snapshots: Stars Across Texas at the Long Center austinist.com 4/18/2009

Moony for Stars Across Texas at the Long Center 2 (Uchi's hazelnut cup combined several textures…) austin360.com 4/18/2009

Wine & Food Fest: Steak Tartare Across Texas (mention Tyson and picture of the pork belly) austin360.com 4/20/2009

Texas Culinary Masters Add Heap of Imagination (review on event, info and quote from Tyson) Austin American-Statesman 4/22/2009

Tyson Cole, Chef of Austin's Beloved Uchi Restaurant in South Austin theironsaustin.com 4/23/2009

The Austin Experience: Fodder for Foodies…"Then there's the shining star of upscale sushi, Uchi…" Austin American-Statesman 4/25/2009

Uchi: Melon gazpacho with Maine lobster (Chef de Cuisine Paul Qui prepares the fresh dish) KXAN 5/1/2009

Rarest of Them All (Best Sushi and Service) Rare Magazine May 2009

Kitchen Confidential…for these top chefs, it's all about the joy of cooking Tribeza May 2009

The Loop/ Weekender-Capital Gains…Uchi's sexy Zen-like aesthetic echoes its arfully plated rolls… Houston Modern Luxury May 2009

Uchi announces a second location: Uchiko austin360.com 5/11/2009

Uchi to launch second, way more accessible location austin.decider.com 5/11/2009

Uchiko maggiesaustin.com 5/11/2009

The New Uchi Chowhound 5/11/2009

Details on Uchiko this is life in austin.com 5/11/2009

Baby Uchi Announces New Location texasmonthly.com 5/11/2009

Uchi-inspired restaurant coming to North Lamar Community Impact News.com 5/12/2009

From South to North Lamar: Uchi opening a second site Austin American Statesman 5/12/2009

Uchi, Part Two Envymags.com 5/13/09

Uchi Details Unveiled, The Countdown Begins Austin.com 5/13/09

Uchi to roll out new restaurant Austin Business Journal 5/13/09

Uchi goes uptown for second location nattibeth.blogspot.com 5/13/2009

Owners of uchi announce plan for second unit nation restaurant news.com 5/14/09

Dining & Retail…Uchiko today in austin.com 5/14/09

Cencor partnership buys office building for redevelopment rebusinessonline.com 5/14/09

Restaurant Poll 2009 (top restaurant, chef, sushi, japanese, sushi, décor, service...) Austin Chronicle 5/15/09

American Sushi…U.S. Chefs are bringing Japan's trademark cuisine back to its roots The Atlantic Online June 2009

6 Texas Tastemakers: Presenting a few of our favorite Lone Star State chefs Saveur June 2009

The Guide Texas: Where to Eat (uchi: located in a 1930's bungalow, Tyson Cole's

Texas-inflected Japanese restaurant…) Saveur June 2009

Saveur gets savvy about the lone star state…Look for mentions of uchi's Tyson Cole… Austin American-Statesman 6/3/2009

Open Table Diners' Choice 2009 Annual Winners-Best Overall (Uchi in top 50) opentable.com 6/30/2009

Herring!

"fried herring roe on toast at tea-time." What you know 'bout dat?

just read a fun little Herring article. Will bring in.

Central Market Cooking Class

A Re-post from : The Alcoholian

Ideas to suit your uninhibited appetites

---

« Petite Tenderloin Butter Burgers

Dai Due: Meat Emergency! »

Cooking Class with Chef Tyson Cole

Posted by johngl

What does this guy have to smile about?

The answer? Everything.

Adding to his numerous other accomplishments, back in April, Cole’s Uchi came in at number eight in Bon Appétit’s listing of the the top ten sushi spots in America. In 2005, he appeared as one of Food & Wine’s best new chefs. Uchi has been such a huge success, he is opening another one near Austin’s Hyde Park neighborhood. Further, he may open a Spanish-themed restaurant in the new W hotel, slated for completion sometime next year.

Lucky for me, I first met Chef Cole not long after Uchi first opened in 2003. That was back when you could walk in nearly anytime and get a table immediately. In fact, we had wine dinners there. Eight to ten of us would get loud and boisterous and eat great dishes prepared by the master himself. One of the most memorable dishes I have ever consumed was served at one of those dinners – a monk fish liver preparation with Black Guts Shiraz.

Later, in 2004 and early 2005, I sat at the bar as he personally cut sushi and sashimi for me using his fugubiki knife — the one made for him by one of Japan’s oldest sword makers. It was marvelous. I have a fondness for blades and I’d never seen anyone use a knife like that at a distance of about two feet. His concentration and precision were remarkable. I learned many things between bites. It was also the first time I ever ate fish priced at over $50/lb.

So, when I heard he was doing a Central Market Cooking School presentation, we signed up immediately. I was hoping we could get front row seats.

There I was again, sitting in front of the master, his knife within touching distance. He didn’t have a clue as to who I was. I wasn’t surprised and actually expected that since the last time I talked to him face to face was probably about five years ago.

Anyway, enough of this rambling…

Chef Cole brought out the big fish — a Chinook salmon — and gave us a lesson in fish butchery.

We also got a peek at his playful side as he quickly removed the salmon’s head and stood it up on the counter.

I watched Chef break down the salmon and cut it into belly (otoro), tender, mid-back, and back sections in about two minutes. The belly is the fattiest and it gets progressively leaner as you move toward the dorsal fin. Different parts are used for different dishes.

Salmon Crudo with Yellow Watermelon, Pickled Watermelon Rind and Shiso Vinaigrette

Getting down to eating, the Chef and his crew prepared a wonderful Sockeye crudo (raw fish). The yellow watermelon provided sweetness, the pickled watermelon provided the crunch, the vinaigrette came forward with some clean acidity, and the salmon just melted away in the mouth.

Cold Smoked Salmon with Watermelon Radish, Mint & Lemongrass Chimichurri, and Fried Apple Puree

The reason I go to these classes is that I always seem to learn something. This time, it was how to cold smoke salmon in a stove top smoker: just put some apple-wood chips at one end of the smoker and the fish on top of some ice at the other. Close the lid, putting the chip end over the flames. I wish I would thought of that.

I usually find smoked salmon wa-a-ay too smoky; this fish was just kissed with smoke. The watermelon radishes (called that for their interior colors) provided a nice bit of crunch, the fried apple puree came in with some sweetness. Wonderfully balanced!

Pan Seared Salmon, Fried Brussels Sprout Leaves, Bonito Flakes, and Roasted Grapes over Gremolata Infused Short-Grained Rice

I didn’t expect Chef Cole to actually cook fish. He is, after all, a sushi master. But this wonderful dish of pan-seared salmon (back section) was tender and flaky. What is a little odd, at least to me, is that the fried Brussels sprout leaves were the most interesting part of this dish. Just after frying, the sprouts were hit with some salt and perhaps a little pepper. Very surprising.

Then there were the roasted grapes (coated in oil and oven-roasted for 45 minutes at 375). What a shot of sweetness!

Grapefruit Sorbet with Fennel Confit, Avocado Puree, and Fennel Gelee

We didn’t get much of a demo on the dessert, it just sort of appeared. We did hear about a new machine they just put in at Uchi that whips up sorbet in about three minutes. I’m jealous.

This dish would work equally well as an amuse-bouche style opener or mid-meal palate cleanser. The tang of the grapefruit did wonders to wake up the mouth and sliced right through the salmon oil that the cooking brought out.

While Chef Cole was up front bestowing cooking wisdom upon the worshiping masses, the two men below did most of the work to bring these dishes out in a manner worthy of Uchi. I wasn’t at all disappointed.

Chef de Cuisine Qui and Sous Chef Wilcox providing support for Chef Cole

It was almost like the old days: Chef Cole cutting fish with that sword-like blade while I sat there observing with rapt fascination. It wasn’t quite the same as going to Uchi, but the cooking class was a lot easier to get in to and was less spendy. At this point in Cole’s career, I’ll take what I can get.

Sake Social

FYI, we are doing a sake social on Monday, July 20th from 5-5:45 pm with Ali from Texicali. She will be discussing Bride of the Fox, Sacred Power and Divine Droplets. We are only advertising this on Twitter to see how many responses we get... It could be interesting. :-)

Cheers!

Latest accolades...


August issue of Southern Living: http://www.southernliving.com/travel/south-west/things-to-do-in-austin-texas-00400000048735/

A-list poll from Austin 360:

http://www.austin360.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/mo/entries/2009/07/01/your_alist_best_place_to_celeb.html

In July’s Austin Monthly they have a “Newcomers’ Guide” which features Uchi under the Good Eats section:

The Place to See and Be Seen:

Tyson Cole left the popular North Austin sushi spot Musashino to open Uchi on South Lamar in 2003, and it quickly became one of the best restaurants in town. Cole has been a celebrity chef in his own right since 2005, when Food & Wine magazine included him on the cover with its picks for top chefs in the nation.

Tyson is featured in the article, “6 Texas Tastemakers” in the June issue of Saveur: http://www.saveur.com/article/Our-Favorite-Foods/6-Texas-Tastemakers

...

How About Nasu Dengaku For Waitfood?

dog days for foodies

Going into summer soon... any ideas, requests or suggestions? Wait food, starters, amuse, composed dishes, components...?

The possibilities are endless!

Chocolate Easter Bunny

Rabbit mole!

chicken

i want to brine and slow roast sebastians chicken's and then pull it apart and put it back together. possibly garnish with crispy skin or panko...i was originally thinking a grilled chicken katsu dish...or along the lines of a "chicken sandwich" pickles...some kind of plum sauce...somthing sweet...definitely looking for something accesible. ideas?

mmmmm Duck!

great duck last night guys thanks!!

Black Pepper Sorbet

So, after some recent negative customer feed back and much discussion in the BOH, I would like to get some other opinions on this long time uchi staple. Over the last few years, several changes have been made. Presentation, sweetness level, portion size, fruit to shiso to sorbet ratio, garnish etc... Today we came up with a few other ideas as well. Just fishing for any other possible ideas you guys might have. Thanks!

One Ingredient Omakase

So, it's nice that this blog has been created when it has, because I just had an idea the other day....

How about an occasional omakase menu that features one ingredient as the main attraction?

I know. Iron Chef, that's been done, but to me it just feels cool. Hear me out,I mean, it could be done on a monthly basis, you know one night only (maybe a slower night, like Sunday or Monday?).

It would be a great way to get the foodies in more often and hopefully create some new ideas for menu items in the future.

Sometimes limiting oneself can breed some amazing creativity.

Thanks. That's my two cents for now.

*The above photo is my choice for first main ingredient.

changes/improvements we are currently working on BOH

saba shio changing to new adjustments and mis. Add adjustments to menu.

tako pops changing to ume/coriander flavor.

madai carpaccio is 86 fried individual scales

brie sweet potato threads changing to long crisps. Need to finalize. 

house salad rolls 86; changing to simpler presentation

new baby romaine with edamame dipping sauce salad needs to be added to menu.

testing ideas on making ika san and seaweed salad in house

new simple white small/midsize bowls for most kitchen dishes. Any word? Someone called steelite? 

The Bacon Steakie Debacle!!

  So I'm making this post to relay specific information about customer comments for the change to the Steakie.  I am leaving out any personal bias.  This is strictly feedback from customers.  What I can gather is that people who've had the Steakie before (the old way) don't like the new way much at all.  But people who have never had it seem to really enjoy it.

Saturday night 2 negative comments:  customer 1 said: "it was ok but I like the old way waaay better, it was more crispy."

a different table (6 top) of people who've been in a few times said this:  "I wouldn't order it again with the new prep.  I really miss the charred kinda crispiness of the old way.  And I really liked the apples because even though it was kind of a heavy dish the apples lightened it up a bit."

Sunday night 1 positive comment:  a table of 6 who seemed to be in the industry, and only 1 person at the table had been in before:  "That thing was awesome!"

Just trying to give you guys a running tally of what people are saying on the floor.  I'm not gonna offer my opinion on the dish.  But I will say that change is good, otherwise shit gets boring, and we can't always give in to what the customer wants 'cause everyones palate is different.  Just so long as we keep tweaking it until the MAJORITY like it!!

-awesomeness...thanks

it's alive.

Created

We have created this blog spot for the use of all Uchi food creators. This spot will be a venue for new ideas, work on current ideas and a general message board for all who would like to input on uchi food. I hope you will feel inspired to share all of your thoughts...