A growing Japanese restaurant chain from Texas is opening its first-ever Philadelphia location this year. James Beard Award-winning Uchi will open in the Center City neighborhood inside residential building Josephine at 1620 Sansom Street, Suite 100 starting in late 2025.
Much like the other Uchi locations, the Philadelphia location will focus on new-school sushi and dishes, where it mixes Japanese ingredients and techniques with American and European takes, served in a fancy-ish setting. The menu includes its popular hama chile made with yellowtail sashimi, the wagyu hot rock (where guests cook their own beef slice on top of a hot rock), omakase options, happy hour deals, and desserts. Beverages include cocktails, beer, wines, and sakes.
The Philadelphia Uchi will be designed by Hai’s in-house Hai Design Studio and go-to architecture firm Zebra. They’ll work with Philadelphia interior design studio Rohe Creative and Hai’s go-to. Expect 24-seat bar and sushi bar, 141-seat dining room, and the 14-seat outdoor dining area.
Uchi is run by Hai Hospitality, the Austin-based restaurant group run by founding chef and co-owner Tyson Cole. He opened the original Uchi in South Austin 2003, back when it was one of the first in the city focusing on innovative quality sushi and high-caliber hospitality. He won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest in a tie in 2011. Since then, the restaurant has gone on a major expansion throughout the country, including throughout Texas, Los Angeles (Beyoncé is a fan), Miami, Denver, and Scottsdale.
Uchi’s press release notes that Hai wants to open more locations in the northeast according to chief development officer Todd Reppert. There had been a New York plan announced in June 2023, but that isn’t happening anymore because the lease didn’t pan out. A rep confirms that the company is looking for other locations in the city.
Also under the Hai umbrella are its spin-offs Uchiko and Uchibā in Texas; tasting-menu restaurant Oheya in Houston; and its Asian smokehouse restaurant Loro, a collaboration with Austin pitmaster Aaron Franklin with several locations also in Texas.
