17 May 16th-May 22nd, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | Superb Sushi In the heart of glitzy Old Town, Uchi brings quiet luxury. BY SARA CROCKER W hen a new spot opens in town, we’re eager to check it out, let you know our initial impressions, share a few photos and dish about some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full- blown review but instead a peek inside restaurants that have just opened — an occa- sion to sample a few items and satisfy curi- osities (both yours and ours). The addition of Uchi in Old Town Scottsdale makes perfect sense, but also begs several questions. Can a fine dining restaurant with a James Beard award- winning chef and founder maintain its charm as it sets its sights on growing across the country? Can it stick to its purpose of providing a sushi bar-like expe- rience at every table? And, more broadly, does the Valley need another upscale Japanese restaurant? A recent visit provided answers. Uchi is located in the thick of Old Town, on Scottsdale Road and First Street. The restaurant, which opened in February, sits directly across the street from another sushi spot. We navigated around a throng of people who had stopped to take photos and videos of a Cybertruck parked out front. The entertainment district, which attracts tour- ists and well-heeled diners, can often feel like a flashy, ostentatious display of excess. Uchi counters with quiet luxury. As we walked in, the entry and restau- rant were packed. The buzzing space felt alive, yet intimate thanks to cozy curved wood walls and dim, moody lighting. Our server walked us through the menu and rules. At Uchi, orders are placed in full. The server will determine the flow of the meal based on the items you’ve selected. The kitchen ensures those dishes are prepared and dropped at just the right moment – a desire of chef- owner Tyson Cole designed to create a sushi bar experience. Sushi is the primary draw and guests can choose from a variety of options, including fish flown in from Japan’s Toyosu Fish Market, or opt to treat them- selves with a 10-course omakase or one they build with their server. With the later curated omakase, the server asks guests several questions that cover likes and dislikes, dishes the group wants to try, the desired number of courses and price point. Then, the server takes the lead on selecting the dishes for the table. Uchi’s robust menu offers a range of hot and cold dishes, shareable rolls, tempuras and composed vegetarian options in addition to sashimi and nigiri. We started with one of the Austin-born restaurant’s signature items, Hama Chili. Precisely cut pieces of yellowtail and orange sit in a pool of ponzu and are topped with slices of Thai Chile, micro- greens and roe. It’s incredibly balanced, with briny, meaty fish, sweet citrus, light but flavorful ponzu and a small burst of heat from the chiles. The dish is robust yet light, composed but playful. Among the rolls, we opted for Biendo, a tempura shrimp spring roll. It arrived sliced, as a sushi roll would, instead of wrapped as one piece. The roll was topped with slices of grapes and served with a nuoc mam – a salty, citrusy Vietnamese dipping sauce. The Biendo was brimming with chunks of poached and fried shrimp and crunchy fresh vege- tables, making for a lighter take on the typical sushi roll. The whimsy continued with the Uchi Salad which ended up being one of our favorite bites. Four little bundles of gem lettuce and daikon radish arrive topped with crispy puffed rice. The server instructed us to drag a bundle through a pool of creamy cashew pesto punctuated by herbaceous gremolata. It’s fun, playful and packed with crunch. Each plate arrived neatly one after the next, with precise timing. Among others were a flavorful, crisp tempura kabocha squash; tender slices of oily, rich mackerel; and Sakana Mushi. The Tom Kha-esque soup is fiery with a strong punch of lime. It is packed with fish, mushrooms and broc- colini. Yet, for all the forethought on sharing and plating otherwise on display at Uchi, we found ourselves hunched over one bowl using twee teaspoons to get at the rich broth and large pieces of fish and veg. A dish unique to the Scottsdale location of Uchi is a tender and well-seasoned Lamb Sirloin. A side of roasted kabocha squash puree offered a silky, sweet coun- terpoint and a cranberry-ginger relish added sweet and tart notes. The stars, however, were spicy and bright rolled rosettes of pickled kabocha – we only wished there were more. The drinks are subtle and thoughtful, with riffs on classics that often draw on Asian ingredients. The Hiro Spritz, a lower-ABV option, pulls on floral St. Germain, cantaloupe and mint and is topped with prosecco for a refreshing, not- too-sweet opener. The bar team also brightens up a classic old fashioned with yuzu bitters and citrus oleo – which makes the Suntory Whisky Toki-based sipper smooth and rich without feeling heavy. Throughout our meal, Uchi and its team proved they are up to the challenge of charming local diners with the restau- rant’s upscale yet playful take on Japanese cuisine. As more high-end spots open around town, Uchi stands out thanks to its understated, balanced and thoughtful presentation of luxury. Uchi 3821 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale Aiming to mimic the sushi bar experience at every seat, Uchi’s sushi is served incrementally, Chef Tyson Cole says. (Photo courtesy of Uchi) Chef Tyson Cole opened the original Uchi in 2003. He launched the seventh location of the Japanese restaurant in Scottsdale on Feb. 1. (Photo courtesy of Uchi) ▼ Food & Drink Food & Drink Born to Brew The new north Valley spot unites a father and son’s dreams of running a brewhouse. BY SARA CROCKER B ob Wilson fancied himself a homebrewer but dropped the hobby when he and wife Mary started a family. Years later, his son Wyatt told them he wanted to leave Chico State to study beer-making completely unaware of his father’s previous interest and aspirations of opening a brewery. Wyatt headed to Alberta, Canada, and graduated in 2020 amid the pandemic. As breweries, like the rest of the hospi- tality industry, scrambled to figure out new protocols and closures, a job in Colorado fell through. So Wyatt made his way to Hawaii to spend some time with his parents. “We had some time to kill because of COVID, and we started the outline for the business plan,” Bob recalls. He and Mary are both entrepreneurs – in marketing and technology and retail, respectively. Now, the family has opened Pinnacle Brewing Co. in north Scottsdale. The taproom, located off Hayden Road and 82nd Street, hosted a grand opening celebration on May 3. ‘Scottsdale was the biggest opportunity’ As Wyatt and Bob discussed a potential brewery, they homed in on the Valley. Bob and Mary got to know the area over the years visiting friends who live in Gilbert. “We looked all over the country and decided Scottsdale was the biggest opportunity,” Bob says, noting the rela- tively few craft beer options in the area. But before taking the leap, Wyatt worked in the cellar at Monkless Belgian Ales in Bend, Oregon, and brewed at Mash Lab Brewery & Kitchen in >> p 19 Among Pinnacle Brewing’s opening lineup is Illumination, a Munich-style Helles. (Photo by Sara Crocker)
