“The chef” and I were spending a weekend in Houston and a friend was raving about this new restaurant that opened. Little did we know, it was actually a second location to the original Uchiko (Austin, TX) where executive chef Paul Qui works. In case you didn’t know, Paul is winner of Bravo’s Top Chef Texas!
Our dinner was definitely an experience…every dish brought some excitement to us…both visually and to our taste buds. We ordered the Chef’s Tasting so we had no idea what would show up to our table….
Kaki No Shiki. Shigoku Oyster. Lychee Granite.
Random Fact: These are West Coast oysters. They have deeper bowl-shaped shells from the way they roll along the coast. The flavor profile is less briney than Gulf Coast oysters.
For a girl who use to be squeamish when it comes to raw oysters, these were delicious. Fresh and plump…mMmm!
Roasted Golden Beets. Skyr Yogurt. Bitter Greens. Acacia Honey.
Chef’s Nigiri Selection. (above and below)
Hirame Uzuzukuri. Thinly-sliced Flounder Sashimi. Candied Quinoa. Olive Oil.
This had to be one of my favorite dishes. It was refreshing with a sweet and tangy twist to it.
Wagyu To. Short Rib. Cauliflower. Beet. Black Pepper. Kumquat.
Hamachi Nabe. Baby Yellowtail. Koshi Hikari Rice. Farm egg. Soy broth.
I know, this picture makes this dish look like a plain bowl of rice, but the presentation was beautiful! When the waiter brought it out, there were these dancing rice flakes on top. It was crazyyy! As the waiter mixed the bowl, the dancing flakes disappeared and I didn’t get to photograph the interesting presentation.
Atlantic Salmon. Yokai Berry. Dinosaur Kale. Asian Pear. Yuzu.
Hirame Shiro. Halibut. Shrimp Cocunut Milk. Basil. Candied Onion.
Pork Jowl. Brussels Sprout Kimchee. Romaine. Preserved Lemon Creme Fraiche.
Okashi. Coriander Creme Brulee. Carrot. Rose. Marcona Almonds.
*Sorry for the blurry picture! Must’ve been in food coma at this point! =P
Now that I’ve seen these works of art, I definitely see the influence it had on Paul Qui. Everything from presentation to flavor…it’s no wonder he won Top Chef!
Presentation was top notch! The sashimi dishes were unbelievable! I have never had fish so fresh in my life…it was almost like they plucked them straight out of the ocean for us. Every dish had unique flavors and textures. It’s amazing how they could combine so many different elements onto one dish, and yet, they come together and make such wonderful dishes. I just can’t say it enough!
The experience was definitely a pricey one ($$$$), but well worth it!
