Review: Make time for Uchiko Miami Beach's Miami Spice menu
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The hama chilli dish. Photo: Sommer Brugal/Axios
A Sunset Harbour newcomer and first-time participant in Miami Spice, Uchiko Miami Beach is a welcome addition to both.
Why it matters: I often complain how mid most hyped-up Miami restaurants are — I'd take my neighborhood favorite Silver Lake Bistro any day over the latest import from New York.
- But a recent visit to Uchiko with my friend Sofia was definitely worth it — at least what we tried on the Spice menu.
The vibe: The big dining room is sleek. The brown, wooden furniture and plants give it a warm, inviting feel.
- Unlike other large restos, the music wasn't overpowering and we didn't have to yell (kudos!).
- Every table also has purse hooks (thank you!) and little menu cubbies below the table (clever!).
State of plate: For $60 a pop, diners get three hefty courses, kicked off by a cantaloupe-flavored ice-cream-esque palate cleanser.
- The two-bite scoop was refreshing and delicious.
The first course: Gem lettuce, topped with a sunchoke nori dressing, chili oil, shiso and puffed rice. I could've used a little more dressing, but the oil gave it a nice kick.
- This course offered a choice between the hama chili (yellowtail, ponzu, orange slices) and sake crudo (salmon, leche de tigre). We got one of each.
- Our favorite was the yellowtail. It was light, bright and citrusy, and we may have drunk the ponzu sauce.
- Go for the crudo if you want a more green curry flavor profile.
Second: This round comes with two pieces of chef's choice nigiri, so the options rotate daily. Then the spicy crunchy salmon roll (delicious, would go back just for this), plus your choice of steak or seabass. Again, we got both.
- All you need to know about the seabass is that the "sauce is everything." And it had sliced fennel, my favorite.
- The steak was perfectly medium-rare, but the unexpected shocker was the fries. Excellently seasoned.
Anyway, every sauce should also be a drink.
Dessert: Skip the seasonal tart and get multiple cheesecakes. I wrote no notes on this dish, but I did say "WOW" loud enough for multiple tables to look our way.
- Our waitress Mari (the best!) also surprised us with the Milk and Cereal dessert (not on Spice), which tasted exactly like its name suggested, but better.
- The milk-filled croquettes were a fun surprise, and the chocolate mousse was perfectly sweet and creamy.
The bottom line: It's a lot of food for the price tag and well worth the visit if you like fresh fish and sushi.