Elegant and inventive Japanese food–deep in the heart of Texas

When I traveled to Austin, Texas for the South by Southwest Interactive conference, I definitely had a lot of barbecue, but I also was fortunate to eat at Uchiko, the Japanese restaurant where Top Chef Season 9 winner, Paul Qui, is executive chef.

The restaurant, of course, was completely booked weeks before I arrived in Austin. I thought maybe I could score a seat in the bar during happy hour if I got there early enough. My conference roommate, Dominique, was game to try. While she was on the Uchiko website getting directions to the restaurant, on a whim, Dominique checked online availability of reservations that night. She found a 5:30 pm slot was open and booked it immediately. Score!

There’s the beef

I went to Austin to attend the South By Southwest Interactive Conference. The goal was to learn about the latest developments in Internet technology and connect with some of the smartest people in the field.

But really, once I got to Texas, all I wanted to do was eat barbecue and see Anthony Bourdain (more on that in a later post).

I love beef brisket. And if you love brisket, Texas is the place to be.

When I got off my plane in Austin, I was greeted by the smell of grilled meat and smoke. It was pervasive. In the airport. I could only imagine what awaited me in Austin restaurants.