Uchiko

Despite early signs that this wouldn't be a great Uchiko experience, it ended up being the best one ever! We were seated right in the middle of the floor, next to a family of 5. Who brings three kids to dinner at Uchiko? Snippets of their conversation only embittered me further: "don't forget sailing boys, lessons in the morning", and "who knows what the most important album of that year was? It was Speakerbox by Andre 3000. Yes, AAANNDREE."

I did some breathing exercises and reminded myself that I will definitely be just as much of a douche in five years. After a drink and some bubbly conversation with Erin I forgot about them completely.

My first drink. A take thai ice tea with Sake and coconut cream. Was Ok... but felt like a forced combination.

Coco Natsu

Sprouts! An Uchiko classic. They were great. Though, we agreed they could have been cooked through a bit more.

Exotically named "brussels sprouts"

Tempura cod starter. This was one of the standout dishes of the night (pic taken after a few bites). All of the fried things were great: not too heavy, great crisp, but what made this one stand out was incredibly fresh, flaky fish. Cod is usually a boring vehicle for coating, but in this case it was the opposite, and the tangy, spicy aioli was the perfect accent. Best fish & chips I've ever had (sans chips).

sakana tempura

Fried eggplant. Obviously delicious. Creamy eggplant. Perfect fry. Sweet and zesty chile sauce. 

sakana tempura

Spicy roast cauliflower in frothed gruyere was a bit divisive. Erin felt it was too spicy. I liked the balance of the spice and the mild cheese froth. Either way, not a standout.

hana

Boquerones! AKA Anchovies. These fresh fishlings were perched on vinegared rice, perfectly balancing the briny funk. Our server thoughtfully paired it with an avocado sushi, and the creamy finish smoothed the way to the next dish...

boquerones

How thoughtful! Our good natured server marked our anniversary with complimentary Halibut. Again, fresh fish was the hero, but the candied onion rounds and apple pieces were a nice balance to the savory fish and sauce.

Complimentary treat just for the halibut

Watermelon basil rose. The watermelon was super-concentrated, giving this a surprising punch. Too much ice IMO, but still very good!

Watermelon basil drink

Unagi!! yeah! Grilled eel atop rice. The eel's glaze was candied slightly on the grill, giving it a hint of singed marshmallow. So good. I could have eaten five of these.

unagi

Finally, a tempura salmon roll to round out the night, with a playful sashay of sumiso sauce. If I wasn't full before this dish, I definitely was afterward. Crunchy and satisfying.

shag

IMO you can have an amazing meal or a disappointing one at Uchiko, depending on how you order. This one was solidly the former. 4 out of 5 Aemon stars, and I hope to celebrate more anniversaries here in the future!