Uchi Miami — Restaurant in Miami

My wife and I dined at Uchi Miami to celebrate our third anniversary, hoping for an unforgettable omakase experience. Well, it was certainly unforgettable—but for all the wrong reasons. What was supposed to be a sophisticated and well-curated sushi journey turned into a tedious, frustrating, and deeply disappointing evening.

The service was painfully slow, stretching a 10-course meal into a grueling three-hour ordeal. We arrived at 6:30 PM and didn't leave until 9:40 PM—not because we were savoring each bite, but because we were left waiting endlessly between courses. By the halfway mark, exhaustion had set in, and we just wanted to leave. The dim lighting might have been intended to create ambiance, but it only made the experience dreary and frustrating. It was so dark that even the waiters had to use their phone lights to read the menus, which is ridiculous for a so-called high-end establishment. The head chef allegedly holds a James Beard award, but after this meal, that accolade should be reconsidered. The overwhelmingly positive reviews for Uchi are baffling—either Miami’s sushi standards are embarrassingly low, or people are simply pretending to enjoy overpriced mediocrity. To their credit, management did discount our bill after we voiced our complaints, and they accommodated dietary restrictions by providing an extra course. Unfortunately, these small gestures couldn’t salvage the experience.

The first course, Akami Crudo with Aji Amarillo, earned a 3/5. The dish would have been far better without the unnecessary blood orange and bland sauce. The second course of fresh oysters, was the best of the night, receiving a 5/5 because of its simplicity.

We also ordered Karaage separately, and it was abysmal, rating a 1/5. Instead of crispy fried chicken, we received a soggy mess drenched in Korean-style sweet chili sauce. The third course, an A5 tartar, rated a 3/5, was overwhelmingly fatty, with only the caviar’s saltiness helping to balance it. The chips tasted store-bought and did nothing to complement the richness of the wagyu. We were expecting more seafood.

As an extra course, we received Madai Crudo, which was a step in the right direction, highlighting the fish’s freshness and earning a 4/5. However, the Asian pear topping was completely unnecessary.

The fourth course, a maki roll with honey and chili oil sauce, was bland beyond belief, earning a 1/5. The fish was tasteless, and the rice texture felt stale. The honey and chili oil sauce was unnecessary and unappetizing—simple soy sauce and wasabi would have sufficed. The fifth course, nigiri featuring Madai and Hirame, was another disaster, rating a 0/5. The fish was rubbery and poorly cut, with an unappetizing bloodline still intact, while the chili crisp topping had no discernible flavor.

The sixth course, fatty tuna sashimi, earned a 2/5 due to poor-quality cuts. The tuna was falling apart, and the tough, chewy white membrane was off-putting. The seventh course, Masu Yaki (trout), was the worst dish of the night, rating a 0/5. The fish was overcooked, flavorless, and even contained bones—unacceptable at a high-end sushi restaurant.

By the eighth course, a nigiri selection of salmon and trout, we had been waiting 20 minutes between dishes and were completely exhausted. This dish earned a 2/5, featuring more rubbery fish and flavorless chili crisp. The ninth course, Walu Walu, took forever to arrive and was utterly disappointing, earning another 0/5. The fish was drowning in an overly sweet sauce with an odd marmalade topping, making it inedible. By this point, we were simply desperate for a basic, well-executed piece of sushi—something Uchi failed to deliver.

Final Verdict: Stay Away Uchi Miami is an overhyped, overpriced, and underwhelming excuse for a high-end sushi restaurant. From painfully slow service to poor-quality fish and bizarre, unappetizing flavor combinations, this was an absolute disaster of a meal. If you value authentic sushi and competent service, do yourself a favor and avoid this place...

Uchi means HOME. I lived in Japan for a year. I never saw shaved slivers of sushi like this in Japan. When I walked in for the first time the attitude of staff at desk was evasive. No hello. We looked at the 3 ladies and finally said we have a reservation. That's how it began . Music playing through bad speakers and to loud to talk. No rhythm to enjoy.. just a muffled boom boom boom. Now we ALL get seated which seemed OK but we were squeezed into a both for ALL of us. I must say that the waitress was very nice and very apologetic throughout the entire ordeal . We ordered many dishes of sushi to try many different things. Lol. The plates had THINLY SHAVED pieces of sushi and all the initial plates were quickly served. Seven + different types. As I learned in Japan, it's about the texture and taste of the fish. Uchi has fish so thin you can see through it and sooo over flavored with ??, how can you savor the real flavor of fish. So folks you'll get microscopic slivers of fish on a big plate . Shusi Lol. We had also ordered several large sushi rolls for a more substantial meal after receiving smothered shaved fish thinner than a potato chip. After 30 minutes we asked about the Shusi Rolls. Waitress stated," I'll check." Of course while waiting and waiting the others in the group had several glasses of Sake. Almost an hour goes by and we asked for the sushi rolls and were told, " they forgot your order." So no sushi rolls. While waiting at the table in front of all the chefs making sushi dishes who were all properly attired for handling raw fish, I watched for 40 minutes as one light brown haired guy, standing under the menu chalk board, with no hair protection and NO GLOVES, makes dish after dish using his bare hands to dig into the glassed refrigerated sushi supply.

Folks. Wait staff are super nice.

Owners should have opened a Burger joint to get some education on food handling, especially raw fish. Oh.. and serve a larger portion. You are in an area where evey building is covered with ugly graffiti. Seating is congested and tightly packed with customers up against each other especially in your tiny furniture. Folks.. don't plan on any other event for the long drawn out evening because you will leave looking for a place that actually serves food after you leave. Eat a good meal before you go here. Their website does not show the real product served. You are definitely not a Miami Beach Restaurant.

Wear...

Honestly, I don't even know where to begin. I've had this review pending for some time because I don't think I even have the proper words to describe the exceptional dining experience UCHI has provided me time and time again! At this point, I've been to UCHI 5 times and I have no plans of slowing down. Each time I do my best to try something new from their perfectly curated menu. For starters, the restaurant is beautiful, and dimly lit, with a lingering aroma of the food spilling out from the open kitchen and lovely playlists which help tie the entire space together.

The first time has to be the most memorable because it's the first time I was left absolutely speechless after a dining experience. I sat with a group of 5 people that haven't eaten raw food before and were ready to expand their horizons. Little did we know the immense flavors we were about to indulge in. Luckily our menu was curated by an extraordinary server by the name of Ziggy. She ordered an array of cold and hot items for us to enjoy. After each bite, our jaws practically hit the table. She described each dish with the utmost professionalism, enthusiasm, and attention to every detail. She gave us suggestions on how to eat the items, and what they paired well with. She recommended we try the subarashi cocktail and they were so good we kept those coming for the rest of the evening. Finally, the time for dessert arrived which Ziggy picked for us and explained the flavor palate. We had the fried milk ... moment of silence NOW THAT'S A DESSERT RIGHT THERE! My goodness, it was nothing short of an explosion of deliciousness! Hands down the best dessert I've had in ages. WE LOVED IT! If my body had allowed me I would have eaten every single thing again and again.

Everyone at UCHI was so nice and super attentive. Some items take a tad longer than others but they're worth the wait, so just sit back sip and enjoy the vibes.

Favorites & Must Try items (in no particular order): Gyutoro This is always my last piece Hama Chili Hot Rock Halibut Snow Crab Fried Milk Banana Cake

Rating Scale: Service 5/5 Atmosphere 5/5 Drinks 5/5 Food 10/5

If you haven't been here yet it's a must and if you have been it's time you...