Austin chef Tyson Cole taking Uchi concept to Houston
Austin sushi-preneur Tyson Cole is exporting his Uchi restaurant concept to Houston.
Cole and his business partners have under contract a property at the trendy Houston intersection of Westheimer and Montrose roads that will house the Bayou City’s version of Uchi. The Houston spot is set to open by the end of 2011.
Cole already has two restaurants in Austin—the ultra-popular Uchi and the upcoming Uchiko. Uchi opened in 2003 on South Lamar Boulevard, and Uchiko is debuting this summer on North Lamar Boulevard. Also in the works for Cole is Canteen, a Spanish-themed restaurant slated for the under-construction W Austin Hotel & Residences near City Hall.
Cole ranks as one of Austin’s most celebrated chefs. He’s earned kudos from Food & Wine Magazine as well as the James Beard Foundation.
“Ingredients and flavors from all over the world are easily accessible now,” Cole says on the Uchi website. “The cuisine I create is playfully multicultural, mixing the Japanese tradition with tastes that inspire me.”
The John Egan Blog 