Uchi might not have the typical opulence you find in most of London's prettiest restaurants, but that's exactly what works in its favour. The serene Japanese setting with white curtains, soft wood and even slippers doesn't distract from the plates of sushi coming your way, yet still ensures a homely, comfortable atmosphere.
TRY OUT UCHI A FANTASTIC JAPANESE RESTAURANT IN EAST LONDON If you are bored of always hearing about the same Japanese restaurants and perhaps looking for something special then look no further, Uchi is an incredible Japanese restaurant in the heart of East London.
As my mission is to spot hidden gems and share them with you I was struggling to find a Japanese restaurant that would fit my not-central London location criteria and have an authentic Japanese vibe.
When Uchi Restaurant came up, I knew immediately that it would be the right one.
Love at first sight! Not everything went perfectly, but I believe Uchi Restaurant stands out among London’s many Japanese restaurants.
UCHI IS AN AUTHENTIC JAPANESE RESTAURANT Uchi is a stand-alone Japanese restaurant located in Clapton, East London. They also offer take away option.
Even before entering, I immerse myself in the Japanese atmosphere, as they have large windows with a view of the horigotatsu tables and the restaurant. It immediately gave me a home feeling. The name of the restaurant couldn’t be more appropriate as Uchi means house in Japanese.
It’s very modest, tackled away between flats in the residential area of Hackney. You wouldn’t look for a restaurant there unless you knew it. Being away from the main street actually enfolds the restaurant with an intimate ambience. Uchi is perfect for first dates, family reunions or romantic meals.
Uchi operates mostly in the evenings and is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Due to the limited opening hours, it is hard to book the table as they seem to accept reservations only by phone (voicemail service available).
Tricks for you (which I wish I had known before, I visited Uchi): It is possible to book via Table Agent.
As always, I suggest you book in advance, especially if you wish to dine at the horigotatsu. My booking was made just a few days before the visit and therefore we were allocated to the main room overlooking the kitchen & bar.
INSIDE UCHI RESTAURANT: REVIEW The restaurant has a vibrant soul with a mix of wooden & metal furniture. A beautiful golden countertop and delicate blush walls with soft lights are perfect to create a romantic atmosphere. The Japanese crockery is stunning. The robata grill section of the kitchen overlooks the restaurant.
Uchi offers an interesting menu and also they have a board with the daily specials.
Robata Grill view at Uchi Restaurant Metal counter at Uchi Japanese Restaurant Write your order at Uchi Restaurant A pen and a menu/order pad are part of the mise en place. We wrote our dishes selection/quantity and then the waiter would come and place the order.
Suggestion: The food would come as ready without a specific order, so should you wish to eat cold food first and hot after, I recommend ordering bits by bits.
I thought the waiter would have placed the order so that the food would have come reasonably spread and considering the serving temperature. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the case and soon we were invaded by plates. This has slightly spoiled the experience. I had to rush to eat the hot food otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to taste them at their best quality even If I wanted to start from the cold.
JAPANESE FOOD & DRINKS AT UCHI Starting from the cold dishes I would like to highlight the incredibly fresh and tasty sashimi selection. We had a variety of five different fishes:
Scallops: Very creamy and buttery; White tuna: delicate and subtle; Salmon: smooth, with a hint of saltiness. Tuna: tender and mild Kingfish: extremely strong in taste, almost overpowering. Sashimi Selection at Uchi Japanese Restaurant in London Food selection at Uchi Japanese Restaurant in London I invite you to eat them in this order. I would have appreciated the waiter directing us and suggesting which fish we should have started with and the ones to follow due to the intensity of the flavours.
We also tried the sea urchin gunkan (uni nigiri). The taste recalled my first trip to Sicily, where I ate them for the first time. All suddenly I was diving to the seabed rather than realising I was still in London. If you haven’t had it before, just to give you an idea, the kingfish is delicate compared to a sea urchin.
We tried the beef roll, by the look I thought it would be very dry but the moisture from the meat completely embraced the roll and created an incredible and balanced taste. This was my first time having a meat roll! Loved it!
We had an incredible wagyu nigiri. It had smoky notes and the meat was extremely tender. Also it was served with a contrasting agrodolce dressing. What a great pair!
The perfectly executed vegetable tempura had a faultless battering not greasy at all.
We tried Taro Imo Kara-age, the vegetarian version of the chicken kara-age. The spicy sauce was for me slightly too strong.
The delicate matcha tart was our dessert, beautifully decorated with strawberries.
SAKE IS A MUST! If you haven’t heard yet about Sake, just so you know it is a Japanese alcoholic beverage made by fermenting rice. You can have it hot or cold but not all restaurants have the sake warmer machine. Uchi has it, so you can choose or even try both.
We went for cold sake and I was reluctant to try it again, as we went to a Japanese restaurant a few months back in West London and I didn’t like it. I found the sake we chose very light and pleasant on the palate with a hint of strawberry. Sake is like wine, you might not like one but another might be amazing, so this was an unexpected surprise. Also, my matcha green tea was superior to the one I would normally find in other Japanese restaurants.
DETAILED ORDER – UCHI JAPANESE RESTAURANT IN EAST LONDON Drinks:
Cold sake: honjozo, standard grade 150 ml £9 Green tea: ryoku cha £3 Food:
Mixed sashimi £28 Wagyu nigiri £16 Taro imo kara age £6 (v) Uni nigiri £11 Seared beef roll £14 Sea salt edamame £4 (v) Vegetable tempura £6 (v) Chicken yakitori robata grill skewers £7 Matcha tart £11 (v) The total bill for 2 people was £129.37 (12.5% service charge included)
TRY OUT UCHI A FANTASTIC JAPANESE RESTAURANT IN EAST LONDON If you are bored of always hearing about the same Japanese restaurants and perhaps looking for something special then look no further, Uchi is an incredible Japanese restaurant in the heart of East London.
