A good fifteen years has passed between when Uchiko opened in Austin and when one landed in Cherry Creek. But lucky for Denver, the decidedly more brawny sister restaurant to Uchi arrived in town in February of this year. The place serves a sizable list of exquisite sashimi and nigiri, alongside fire-driven dishes like post oak grilled seabass, and hot plates like shrimp karaage.
Much like Uchi, which first showed up here in 2018, Uchiko represents the vision of founding chef Tyson Cole. The James Beard Award-winning sushi maestro now has close to twenty restaurants around the Southwest and Miami as part of the Hai Hospitality Group. Each of the several iterations of Uchi, Uchiko and Uchiba, all follow a similar format and gravitate around a few central themes. Cole has been a longstanding proponent of “the perfect bite.” Dishes are meticulously crafted to have balanced flavors, and proper sizing and plating. Cole is also a textural master. The charred mushrooms with miso hummus, harissa chili crunch and black sesame tahini is a masterclass in the power of variance, and just one of the many plates that delights through contrast.
Denver’s version benefits from this commitment to the craft. Bites like the gyutoro nigiri with Westholme wagyu, and the Hama Chili with yellowtail, ponzu, Thai chili and orange supreme, taste just as riveting as when they first hit the scene. That the recipes have gone largely unchanged is a testament to the precision that can be seen across the menu.
But Uchiko Cherry Creek is not simply a carbon copy of its Texas namesake. Under the guidance of Chef Andres Araujo, the restaurant is thriving for its execution of the classics as well as its team-driven mentality towards specials. “We’re very proud of our specials page. Everyone in the restaurant is allowed to contribute,” said Araujo. “Everybody gets to create together. People bond more.”
Mainstay dishes like cacao glazed beef cheek with grilled rapini and quince puree, and the madai crudo, Japanese sea bream with smoked grapes, olive zu and olive tapenade, were both built from this intentionally egalitarian process. While crowd favorites are granted a permanent seat on the menu, many of the special dishes are switched up monthly. “We have a lot of ownership,” said Araujo, noting that there’s plenty of creative breathing room. “Each restaurant has its own personality.”
Fans of Uchi have another reason to rejoice with the opening of Uchiko. Before taking the reins in Cherry Creek, Araujo ran the kitchen at Uchi’s RiNo outpost for the better part of five years. “The way I feel around here is like family,” he said. But don’t let his kind demeanor fool you, Araujo means business, having cut his teeth at both Pujol and the now-closed L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon NYC.
While dinner can get a little spendy, the daily lunch special is one of the best in town. The prix fixe sits just under $30 and has three courses with options like bigeye tuna crudo, a wagyu burger with pickled daikon and seasonal sorbet. There are also $6 lychee martinis for heavy hitters and those conducting serious business.
Araujo says he plans to start doing collaborative dinners with some of the neighborhood’s other new tenants. He hopes to see things pop up with the likes of Alteño and Le Colonial by the end of the year.
Uchiko is located at 299 Fillmore Street, Denver. It is open Sunday – Thursday for lunch from 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., and for dinner from 4 – 10 p.m.
It is open Friday and Saturday from lunch from 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., and for dinner from 4 – 11 p.m.
Photos courtesy of Uchiko.
