RESTAURANTS • First Word
The Skinny: The yakitori-focused sibling of Austin-based chef Tyson Cole's Uchi empire, Uchiko, opened its first East Coast outpost in South Beach's Sunset Harbour this spring, a welcome follow-up to Uchi in Wynwood, which has been around now for over a decade.
The Vibe: The large, airy, glassed-in space feels like Florida crashed into Japan. There’s sea green marble, teak shutters, and wicker ceiling fans, plus a faux fireplace and hurricane blinds. The shotgun-style layout creates oblique sightlines between dual bars (one for sushi, another for cocktails), while the tucked-away tables behind roll-down curtains offer more intimacy.
The Food: Nigiri runs exceptionally clean. On the vegetable front, the gem lettuce arrives in handheld bites with sunchoke nori dressing, chili oil, and puffed rice that crunch between your teeth, making for a clever one-bite salad. Summer squash with peppercorn bearnaise and ramp chimichurri is like an elevated shawarma. Meanwhile, steak coulotte arrives with yuzu kosho butter and melted cipollini onions that add sweetness to the rich flavors. Karaage delivers fried marinated chicken with cucumber and seasonal pickles.
However, the dual setup between the sushi bar and the kitchen creates coordination challenges that translate to uneven pacing throughout the meal — 25-minute waits followed by dishes arriving in 90-second bursts, disrupting the flow.
The Drink: The A5 old fashioned fat-washes Suntory whisky with wagyu for liquid umami that earns its premium pricing, while the sake program runs deep with options like Wakatake Onikoroshi.
The Verdict: Cole's South Beach outpost delivers solid flavors, but needs tighter execution on service to become the neighborhood staple it clearly wants to be. –Olee Fowler
→ Uchiko (Sunset Harbour) • 1759 Purdy Ave • Daily 5p-late • Reserve.