The name Uchiko translates as “child of Uchi,” which clearly indicates that, like all children, this newcomer to Cherry Creek shares various character traits with its parent, RiNo sushi destination Uchi. But children are also very much their own people, and Uchiko too stands on its own.
“Where Uchi celebrates the purity and precision of traditional Japanese technique, Uchiko is more robust, leaning into the primal energy of the hearth, with smoke, char, and the flavors we get when fire is introduced,” explained James Beard Award–winning chef-owner, Tyson Cole. “It’s bolder, more elemental, but still rooted in the same respect for ingredients and balance.”
Cole launched the flagship Uchi in Austin, Texas, in 2003 and has been expanding his empire ever since, with Uchiko being his second restaurant in Denver. The distinction between the two restaurants will be evident to anyone who sets foot into Uchiko once it opens on Tuesday, February 17.
Firing Up the Menu
“The open-fire grill is displayed in the sushi bar, so everybody in the dining room can see it,” noted Uchiko chef de cuisine, Andres Araujo. In other words, it functions not just as a cooking implement but as a cue, even to die-hard fans of Cole’s signature hama chili (yellowtail in ponzu with Thai chilies and orange supremes), to try something new.
Make that a slew of new things, from roasted lobster in tom kha broth with umeboshi butter to braised celery root in chestnut beurre monté with gochujang-maple glaze and black garlic puree. Boasting an impressive resume that includes Pujol in Mexico City and L’Atelier by Joël Robuchon in New York City, Araujo brings an expansive palate to bear on Uchiko’s opening menu, which incorporates ingredients as diverse as Brazilian farofa, Mexican salsa macha, and Middle Eastern labneh while relying on local sources “as much as we can,” he said. A case in point being the Palisade peachwood that fuels the hearth: “It brings great flavor, great aroma.”
with koji creamed spinach and ponzu | Photo by Uchiko
Granted, Araujo is quick to credit the whole team with developing the repertoire. “It’s not just myself and Tyson,” he pointed out. “So it was a lot of back-and-forth. . . . It was exhausting but very exciting too. We all collaborate, and everybody put a little touch on each dish.”
He singled out a few dishes as personal favorites. Take the smoked akami (lean tuna loin) tataki. “We have a whiskey zu, as we call it—basically a vinegary sauce that goes at the bottom of the plate with some Asian pears,” Araujo explained. “So you have this barrel kind of flavor from the whiskey and the smokiness from searing, which is something that you probably don’t expect too much from a cold dish.”
Or take the Denver steak, which is seared four times and rested in between on saké, mirin, and soy; it’s then served with a tamari au poivre and charred greens. Or the braised, cacao-glazed beef cheek accompanied by grilled rapini and a quince puree made with vanilla beans: “The beef cheek is very savory and succulent, and then you have this bitterness from the rapini, and the sweetness from the puree brings it all together,” he said.
To pair with it all, the bar naturally pours plenty of premium saké, Japanese whiskey, and cocktails like the yuzu-splashed gin and tonic. The surprise is that “the wine program for this restaurant is a big deal,” in Araujo’s words, “which is a big change for our restaurants.” With more than 300 selections by the bottle, the list ranges from trophies like Grand Cru Champagne and First Growth Bordeaux to geeky finds such as sparklers from England and Tasmania, Corsican Vermentino, and Uruguayan Cabernet Franc.
From Gallery to Restaurant, Inside Uchiko
The 163-seat space, too, will come as a surprise to longtime Denverites who remember it as the famed Ginny Williams Gallery. But Cole views it as the perfect fit.
“Cherry Creek felt like just the right place for Uchiko because there’s this sophisticated, cultural energy here that mirrors what we’re trying to create,” he explained. “When we found the building, with its history as an artistic destination, it just made sense to us that we could build something that honors [Williams’] legacy while building something entirely new.”
To that end, noted Araujo, “We still have the wood floors in some sections of the dining room; the big windows we kept; and there’s a lot of art on the walls compared to other Uchis.” In short, midcentury cool meets organic warmth.
Considering they signed the lease five years ago, Araujo acknowledged that Uchiko is “something that the community has been waiting for a long time.” And Cole has no doubt that it will live up to expectations, however high they may be. “Denver proved it was ready for what we do when Uchi RiNo opened in 2018; the response has been incredible, and our guests have been so welcoming and supportive,” he said, adding that they have “an openness . . . and curiosity that’s really exciting to cook for.” That curiosity can finally be satisfied with a reservation right here.
Visit Uchiko starting February 17. It will be open daily for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; and dinner service runs Sunday through Thursday from 4 to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 4 to 11 p.m. 299 Fillmore St., Denver, uchiko.uchirestaurants.com
