You know you are a foodie _____ (dork, loser, freak, insert your own) when you eat something so wonderful that a tear literally forms in your eye.  My waiter, the kind, nonjudgmental soul he was, came by to ask how it was and remarked ‘I’ll give you moment,’ because he too knew a dish displaying such creativity, perfection, and knock you off your feet deliciousness doesn’t come around very often.  Where did this lovely concoction come and what was it?  Uchi’s bacon steakie, of course.  Uchi is consistently regarded as one of the best restaurants in town, and every time I go I am always reminded of why has garnered the reputation it has.  From above and beyond attentive service to sushi and sashimi cut and served so perfectly to crazy inventive dishes like the one mentioned above, Uchi always delivers.  Because the consistently long waits (can you blame people!) and fancy price tag, Uchi is a special occasion place, and I can honestly say I have never had less than stellar of an experience when visiting.  Generally, I stick to the raw selections but this visit I ventured out of the box and ordered a pork belly dish that was the best thing I have ever had at Uchi hands down.  The funny thing about Uchi is when you ask people what type of food they serve, it is referred to as a sushi restaurant.  But if that condors visions of multiple kinds or rolls only, think again.  Sure they have California and spicy tuna rolls on the menu, but it is so much more than that.  To be honest, the rolls are the least exciting thing on the menu (although still pretty darn exciting).  Why get something you can have anywhere when you can try a perfectly seasoned, melt in your mouth fresh piece of fish you probably haven’t even heard of, ie, my Japanese Sun Beam with sea salt and lemon zest.  Furthermore, if you stick to the basics you are going to miss the all-stars like the above mentioned bacon steakie, the maguro sashimi and goat cheese, the hama chili, and the rotating nightly specials.  Whether you like sushi or not, there is something on the Uchi menu that will please even the most temperamental of diners.  If you have never been, put it on the top of the list, and if you have, go back and be adventurous!

The bacon steakie – $18. Pork belly that is slow cooked in some ridiculous fish caramel sauce, then fried and then served with flavorful, seasonal produce like peppers and watermelon. Sweet, spicy, tender on the inside, crispy on the outside, fresh, bright flavors….I can go on and on. ORDER THIS! You will thank me later!

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