Uchi Is Launching At-Home Omakase Sushi Boxes

In 2018, chef Tyson Cole's Texas-based Hai Hospitality group brought Uchi, its sushi concept, to RiNo, and it's been impressing guests ever since.

One of the best ways to dine at the restaurant is to go for the omakase option, in which the chefs choose which dishes to serve you. Starting June 18, which is also National Sushi Day, you'll be able to have a similar experience while sitting at your own dining room table, or on your couch, or anywhere you choose to enjoy what Uchi calls "omakase to-go" available via UberEats. (We're dreaming of high-end sushi picnic dates this summer.)

"At Uchi, we strive to bring the intentionality and flow of service that people enjoy at the sushi bar to every table. With the sushi box experience, we wanted to bring that same curation and thoughtfulness into people’s homes," says Ariana Quant, Hai Hospitality's executive pastry chef. "Our sushi teams put so much love into each sushi piece, it only made sense to give them the perfect platform to highlight the fish as well as their work."

Quant describes the new offering, which comes in three options, as a "jewel box of sushi," and notes that a lot of thought was put into not only the food, but the presentation. "Finding the perfect package was crucial, and we searched for a long time for the right box," she notes. "Our design team created the perfect elements to highlight an already beautiful box with their artistic vision. Our sushi speaks for itself and honestly needs very little to make it sing, but somehow, we managed to do so, and we are so very proud of it."

Each box is intended to "highlight our most beloved fish, like nigiri and sashimi," Quant says, and caviar will be available as an add-on. Unlike an in-person omakase experience, which typically changes seasonally and even on a daily basis, the contents of these boxes are pre-set — and they do come at a premium price.

The smallest, the Ichi box, is $95 and includes "a representation of our classics," notes Quant, including twelve pieces of nigiri (avocado, madai, hamachi, sake toro, akami, hirame), two makimono (cucumber and sake maki), and Uchi's signature hama chili.

The Ni Box is $195 and includes everything in the Ichi box plus five varieties of fish, served sashimi-style over a bed of rice with traditional accompaniments such as cucumber, avocado, shiso and negi.

The real splurge is the San Box for $295 — that extra $100 covers the addition of two caviar sets, potato chips and crème fraîche, plus a pair of mother-of-pearl spoons.

Up next for Hai Hospitality in Denver: the opening of its sister restaurant, Uchiko, which is set to debut in Cherry Creek later this year — a project that's been more than two years in the making.