1700 M Street, NW
From a press release:
“Uchi, the sushi-centered restaurant that launched in Austin to national acclaim, will open its much-anticipated DC location on May 12 at 1700 M St. NW, bringing its creative marrying of global ingredients with traditional Japanese flavors and technique to the region’s diners for the first time.
Founded by Chef Tyson Cole, a rare American sushi master and James Beard Award winner for Best Chef Southwest, and operated by Austin’s Hai Hospitality, Uchi features an expansive menu of creative cool and hot dishes, sashimi, makimono, yakimono and tempura; an ever-changing omakase experience; and beloved happy hour, offering something for every palate. Renowned for its approachable, knowledgeable hospitality, Uchi turns every seat in the house into a memorable, one-on-one omakase-style experience.
Uchi DC will be led by
Chef de Cuisine Rob Drennan, a former senior culinary manager for DC’s Rose’s Restaurant Group (Rose’s Luxury, Pineapple and Pearls, Little Pearl), and veteran of three-Michelin-starred Maeemo in Oslo and Uchiko in Austin. This month, Drennan and the Hai Hospitality team hosted a well-received, sold-out pop-up at Casamara that previewed several of Uchi’s famed dishes. With the opening of Uchi DC in May, Drennan will preside over a dramatic space designed by Islyn Studio (marking Hai’s second collaboration with the New York firm following Uchiko Miami Beach in 2026) to be intimate and transportive, with a cinematic sensibility and nods to 1960s Washington– a golden age of intrigue in the city. “D.C. is a city with a strong local identity and a global perspective, which feels especially aligned with Uchi,” said Uchi Founding Chef Tyson Cole. “As we prepare to open our doors here, we are excited to become part of this vibrant and dynamic community.”
Photo by Sophie Macaluso
Offerings at Uchi DC brim with inspired combinations of flavor, texture and techniques, with several dishes exclusive to the capital. The iconic Hama Chili features cool yellowtail packing heat from Thai chili ponzu with orange supreme; chicken braised in coconut milk forms the soul of the comforting Sasami Yaki; and the Kinoko Usuzukuri is a standout plant-based carpaccio with seasonal mushroom, shallot and shiro zu. Other favorites include crunchy, fried agemono offerings such as the popular Karaage, bathed in an addictive sweet chili sauce; while special occasions call for the Hot Rock, perfect for sizzling sliced Australian wagyu, served here with kosho tamari butter and whisky maple ponzu, and the legendary Fried Milk dessert – a non-negotiable closer for any Uchi meal – that literally bursts with nostalgic flavors.
Photo by Sophie Macaluso
The cocktail menu at Uchi DC will focus on familiar, delicious flavors, including sake-focused cocktails, made to pair perfectly with the dishes: The Nikko Martini features Ford’s gin, a 10-year aged sake, Lillet Blanc and umami bitters while the Kenja Old Fashioned pairs Wild Turkey rye whiskey with floral Montenegro, Punt e Mes, jasmine bitters and bergamot. Finally, no Japanese menu would be complete without a refreshing Classic Highball, with Suntory Toki whisky, lemon and soda.
Happy hour at Uchi DC – destined to be one of the best in the city – provides the neighborhood’s media agencies, law firms and 9-5 crowd a bustling place to gather for happy-hour exclusive bites such as skewers and hand rolls, sake-infused cocktails, and specials perfect for date night. (Think: a happy hour omakase with nine-course tasting for two.)
Photo by Sophie Macaluso
Each Uchi location is tied together by the thread of Japanese craftsmanship, infused with city-specific design narrative that shapes the entire guest experience. In Washington, Islyn Studio collaborated with Hai Hospitality’s own Hai Design Studio to turn Uchi DC’s location at 17th and M streets into a richly layered, atmospheric space inspired by New Formalist Modernism and set apart from the surrounding Brutalist office buildings. The architecture of Edward Durrell Stone – who in the 1960s designed the nearby National Geographic Society building – served as a key reference point, inspiring Islyn Studio to channel Washington’s glamorous, swinging ’60s era of martinis and espionage. Vibrant vintage films and the deep, moody hues of period epics further inform the restaurant’s rich color story and refined, sensual environment. Uchi DC is also organized like a cinematic drama, with each space its own narrative-driving scene: The sushi bar, for example, evokes a stage, a place for Uchi’s skilled sushi chefs and their guests to take a starring role. Private dining rooms (which can host intimate groups or be combined for a larger gathering) envelop diners in a stunning plum hue, with blossom-flecked wallpaper and rugs referencing DC’s most famous connection to Japan. In all, Uchi DC will feature 185 seats, including 18 at the bar, 14 at the sushi counter and 22 across its private dining rooms.
Uchi DC will be open from 4 pm-10 pm Monday-Thursday and 4 pm-11 pm Friday-Saturday, with happy hour on weekdays from 4 pm-6 pm.”
Photo by Sophie Macaluso
About Uchi
Translated from the Japanese word meaning “house,” James Beard Foundation award winning Chef Tyson Cole created the original Uchi location in a refurbished South Austin bungalow in 2003 with the simple vision of bringing the intimacy and collaboration of the sushi bar experience to every table in the restaurant. Chef Cole’s innovative take on sushi and signature dishes has been delighting guests from across the country and around the world ever since, with a variety of hot and cool tastings, sushi, and sashimi, makimono, yakimono, tempura, and an ever-changing omakase (or chef’s choice menu) based on seasonal items.
About Tyson Cole | Founding Chef and Partner
One of the few American sushi masters, James Beard Award-winning Chef and Owner Tyson Cole is a passionate student of the Japanese tradition. Having trained in Tokyo, New York, and Austin, he continues his path of study and experimentation at the restaurants in the Hai Hospitality family. Employing classical cooking techniques with a Pacific Rim perspective, Cole marries global ingredients with traditional Japanese flavors, resulting in inspired combinations of flavor, texture, color, technique, and style.”
17th and M Street, NW