Uchi at home

Houston Japanese restaurant crafts new, premium delivery boxes

The San box ($295) includes sushi, sashimi, and caviar.

Courtesy of Uchi

It’s about to get a little easier to enjoy sushi, sashimi, and caviar from Uchi and its sister concepts, Uchiko and Uchibā (a restaurant in Austin and Dallas). Beginning Tuesday, June 18, people who want the Uchi experience at home will have the ability to order to-go boxes for pick up or delivery via Uber Eats.

Designed to feed two people each, diners have the choice of three different boxes. They are:

Ichi: 12 pieces of sushi, two rolls, and a crudo for $95:

Nigiri sushi: Avocado, madai, hamachi, sake toro, akami, hirame
Maki: Cucumber and sake (six pieces each)
Crudo: Hama chili — Uchi’s signature yellowtail crudo with ponzu, Thai chili, and orange supremes

Ni: Everything in the Ichi box plus a chirashi set with the following pieces of sashimi and accouterments: Kanpachi, masu, bluefin otoro tartare, ikura, sushi rice, cucumber, avocado, shiso, and negi. Price: $195.

San: Everything in the Ni box plus two, 15g servings of caviar — kaluga hybrid and smoked trout roe — along with potato chips, creme fraiche, and two mother of pearl spoons. Price: $295.

Ariana Quant, Uchi’s executive pastry chef, took the lead in creating the boxes, according to a release. As illustrated in the photo of the San box above, the intricate packaging adds a premium feel that far exceeds the plastic or cardboard containers that are typical of most to-go orders.

“From the moment we started offering to-go in 2020, we have been imagining ways to elevate the ‘at home’ experience to reflect our passion for surprising our guests with thoughtful presentation and a truly engaging experience,” Quant said in a statement.

As a point of comparison, Uchi offers different omakase experiences for two people that range from approximately $180-350 (listed on the menu as market pricing that may change depending on the ingredients used).

A limited number of to-go boxes will be available daily. Pre-orders go live at 10 am on Monday, June 17 via the Uchi website.

news-you-can-eat dinner

With or Without Whiz

Houston burger mastermind fires up new pop-up devoted to Philly cheesesteaks

Photo by Michael Ma

Abbas Dhanani is serving up cheesesteaks at his new pop-up.

Abbas Dhanani is at it again. The food influencer-turned-restaurateur behind the CultureMap Tastemaker Award-winning smash burger concept Burger Bodega is firing up a new pop-up concept devoted to another iconic sandwich.

Called Bas’s Cheesesteaks, the new concept will Dhanani’s take on the classic Philly cheesesteak, made with sliced ribeye and white cheese on a seeded hoagie roll — onions and a spicy sauce are optional. A second version swaps the white cheese for Cheez Whiz. Like Burger Bodega, Dhanani is using halal beef for his cheesesteaks.

Bas's Cheesesteaks cheesesteak sandwich The cheesesteak is served on a seeded hoagie roll.Photo by Michael Ma

“We have experimented with cheesesteaks as specials on the menu at Burger Bodega and received amazing feedback,” Dhanani said in a statement. “However, the cheesesteaks at Bas’s are the most refined versions we have done so far. I am excited to bring authentic Philly cheesesteaks to Houston as a new flavor experience while continuing to build on the energy and community we have created at Burger Bodega. This is a huge passion project for me, and I plan to take it step by step, just like Burger Bodega."

As Dhanani notes, he introduced Burger Bodega with a series of pop-ups throughout Houston. To answer the obvious question, of course a restaurant could be in the cards for Bas’s, too.

“I think thats the goal of any new pop-up concept,” Dhanani tells CultureMap. “Like Burger Bodega, we want to take it one step at a time and see where it goes.”

Bas’s Cheesesteaks will have its first pop-up on Monday, June 30 at Burger Bodega’s location (4520 Washington Avenue). In addition to the two cheesesteaks, diners can get fries. Future pop-ups will be announced via Instagram.

As for Burger Bodega’s second location in Katy, Dhanani says it’s still working through securing the necessary permits to begin construction.

news-you-can-eat openings bas's cheesesteaks