02/02/19
Uchi is a swanky sushi restaurant in Uptown Dallas whose chef has won a James Beard award. Just upstairs from Uchi is Uchiba, a more lively bar area with a menu that includes more casual fare as well as highlights from the restaurant downstairs. My wife and I were starving after a Dallas Stars hockey game and were excited to see that Uchiba stays open pretty late (11pm or midnight depending on the night). We made our way up the stairs, sat at the bar, and ordered some beers and an array of dishes, all of which were worth ordering. We got pork belly bao buns, spicy Japanese fried chicken sliders, dumplings, and skewers. We also got the zero sen makimono roll. This roll is pretty straightforward and feels similar to what you'd get at any standard sushi place, but it was so much better. I really can't put it into words but it is probably the best sushi roll I've had. It is perfectly balanced with the malleable seaweed wrapper, sticky rice holding everything together, smooth avocado, extremely fresh yellowtail, and cilantro and shallots that round everything out. I think these last couple elements are what make it unique and a really exceptional little roll. It is super simple but very well done. There's also a pretty good sweet sesame chili sauce that adds a little sweetness, but the roll is pretty perfect on its own. We gladly ran this back. Also, the bartender who was serving us, Ashley, was truly one of the best service professionals we've ever encountered. She was on top of the menu and the beers on tap, made excellent recommendations, and was extremely personable. Uchiba is Bigtime with a capital B and is a great alternative to Uchi, which can be tough to get a table at.