For years, Uchi Houston, located at 904 Westheimer, has been a go-to spot for innovative, modern sushi and Japanese-inspired cuisine. While it has always offered a thoughtfully curated selection of wine, beer, sake and sake-based cocktails to pair with the restaurant’s signature sushi offerings, it wasn’t until this month that it debuted a full bar featuring spirits and craft cocktails. This expansion of its offerings is a natural fit for the acclaimed restaurant from Austin-based Hai Hospitality, which has long been known for its expert preparations, creative flavor combinations and seamless service. Houston Food Finder was invited to taste some of the debut cocktail offerings.

The liquor and cocktail program officially launched on Tuesday, June 17 and is available throughout the restaurant. It includes Scotch and Japanese whisky, rye, bourbon, rum, gin, vodka, agave spirits, brandy, apéritifs and digestifs as well as shōchū — a Japanese spirit made by distilling ingredients fermented with koji, a type of mold, such as rice, barley and sweet potato just once to preserve the character of the base ingredient.

“Guests have long been requesting that we expand our offering to include spirits, and while this new menu brings a fresh and exciting perspective to the bar, Uchi fans will also enjoy the same robust selection of wine, sake and beer, as well as low- and no-ABV cocktails”, noted Hai Hospitality beverage director, author and Employees Only co-founder Jason Kosmas in a press release.

In order to get the full cocktail experience, my esteemed guest — fellow Houston Food Finder writer Ryan Kasey Baker — and I posted up at the bar. From there our dining experience was captained by veteran Uchi bartenders Liah Crumbley and Carley Rice, who have both been with the company for over four years. It was my first time being seated at the bar and it’s an arrangement I highly recommend. Crumbley and Rice’s service went above and beyond. Even in the throes of an absolutely packed house with bar patrons clamoring about, they remained calm, cool and collected enough to guide us through the new menu and somakase service without skipping a beat.

“Somakase” is a term coined by Uchi that refers to a personalized omakase experience where a server or bartender curates the dishes based on the diner’s preferences, rather than the customer making choices from the fixed menu. It was a treat to have the dishes paired with the new cocktails, which are priced at either $16 or $17 for the most part, with one offering at $21. Several of the drinks are bumped down to $10 a piece from 4 to 6 p.m. daily during happy hour, along with special pricing on sake, beer, wine and food specials.

The menu features many refreshing quenchers to temporarily make you forget the Houston heat and humidity. This includes the Hachi no Hiza, a citrusy, resinous riff on a Bee’s Knees which mixes Fords Gin, rosemary and yuzu honey, lychee martini, a floral, creamy tipple of Wheatley Vodka, nigori sake, lychee and yuzu well-suited for spicy dishes, salty snacks and dessert, and Subarashii, a colorful blend of Mi Campo Reposado Tequila, Montelobos Espadin Joven Mezcal and hibiscus-lime agave. 

Of course, the menu includes the obligatory espresso martini. Here, it’s made from Tito’s Vodka, Punt e Mes and espresso. It’s less on the velvety side of the espresso martini spectrum and more big and roasty with a thinner body. It may just be that neither of us are especially fond of Tito’s.

Rice created two drinks currently on the cocktail menu: the summer-friendly Tsurai Suika and the Kabocha Switchel. The Tsurai Suika is a dedication to her former co-worker, the late Huan Do, who passed away on March 3, 2024. It’s a mix of Fords Gin, watermelon, mint and Thai chilies. It goes superbly with Do’s favorite dish, the Hirame Usuzukuri — a delicate crudo of thinly sliced flounder, candied quinoa and olive oil or the Akami Te, bluefin tuna with watermelon, trinity herbs and thai chili.

The Kabocha Switchel is a tart, refreshing mix of Iichiko Saiten Shōchū, passion fruit and a housemade kabocha shrub — a vinegar-based syrup infused with kabocha, a type of Japanese winter pumpkin. A shrub can tip a recipe into punchy territory real quick, but this gourd-geous grog has a tempered sharpness and soft, round mouthfeel. It goes smashingly with Uchi’s signature Hama Chili, a dish of thinly sliced yellowtail topped with Thai chilies over ponzu and orange supremes. Citrus and tropical notes bounce back and forth, with sweetness providing a counterpoint to the spiciness of the peppers while juicy acidity cuts through the buttery richness of the fish.

Boozier options include the Nikko Martini made from Fords Gin, 12-year-aged sake, Lillet Blanc and umami bitters, the Kenja Old Fashioned built with Suntory ‘Toki’ Japanese Whisky, Montenegro, Punt e Mes and bitters and the Apricot Boulevardier, a sultry combination of Wild Turkey Straight Rye Whiskey, Carpano Antica, Campari and apricot. The Nikko Martini goes great with the Kinoko Nabe, a hot stone bowl of cultivated mushrooms, koshihikari rice, egg yolk and tentsuyu and the Apricot Boulevardier is a wonderful transition after umami-rich combinations like this one to get you ready for the next dish. It’s also newly-minted as one of my favorite Boulevardiers in town.

We found they all compliment meatier bites such as the Walu Walu, a tender hunk of oak-grilled escolar with candied citrus, ponzu and myoga, the sizzling wagyu hot rock or Miyazaki A5 Wagyu nigiri. Just remember to keep those pinkies up.

The cocktail list also features low-alcohol libations such as the Japanese 75 made with sake, Prosecco and yuzu honey, the Uchi G&T and the Kara Kyuri with sake, yuzu, cucumber and Thai chili available for $15 each. Several zero-proof mocktails and non-alcoholic wine and beer options are also available.

Uchi’s cocktail menu is a welcome addition to Montrose neighborhood and despite being part of a small chain, the restaurant maintains exceptionally high quality and consistency across the board. It comes as no surprise that its bar program would reach this same lofty level of execution. 

Uchi Houston is open daily from 4 to 10 p.m. Happy hour is offered daily from 4 to 6 p.m. and no reservations are needed for the bar area, which is first-come, first-served. Dining room reservations are available online.

Mario-Sebastian Berry

Mario-Sebastian Berry is a wine and spirits vendor who has been in the hospitality industry since 2002. Currently, he represents Blanco, Texas-based Andalusia Whiskey Co. He holds numerous wine, beer and spirits certifications including Certified Sommelier. Somehow, he also finds time to be Houston Food Finder’s associate editor and social media manager.