A collective sigh of relief could be heard city wide as Miami Art Week and Art Basel ended last night. Art, Food and Traffic seemed to be interconnected.

As invited guests, we braved the traffic and closed streets in Wynwood on Thursday to enjoy the Chefs tasting at uchi Miami.

uchi, which means "house" in Japanese, was founded by James Beard Award winning Chef Tyson Cole and boasts locations in Los Angeles, Texas and coming soon to Charlotte. A delicate balance of elevated food and impeccable service, uchi offers non traditional Japanese cuisine with signature tastings, sushi, and a seasonal omakase.

The space alone is worth a mention as it offers both a vibrant yet cozy setting. Whether you choose the sushi bar or a table the experience is memorable.

The entrance foyer is partitioned from the main dining area by a unique knotted cement block and rope wall by artist Vas Bets.

We opted for the Somacase, a curated chefs tasting recommended by our server, Kaiya, who has been with uchi Miami since its opening.

But first cocktails: I chose my favorite Asian cocktail, the Lychee Martini, which came shaken, icy cold with a delicate flower floating on top.

The first course was the uchi version of a lettuce wrap. The uchi salad was farm greens and puffed rice with an edamame and jalapeno puree for dipping.

TIP: Ask for a spoon for this and all dishes as the sauces are worth spooning up.

Next was a fresh sliced Hamachi topped with fish roe and grapefruit slices.

The Akami crudo featured bigeye tuna, aji Amarillo, blood orange, pumpkin seed granola followed to prepare our taste buds for the nigiri. Each piece melted in your mouth.

Delicate East and West coast oysters were lightly dressed in a pineapple jalapeno relish or a pickled green apple mignonette.

We were treated to 4 selections of nigiri, which included amberjack, cornet fish, red snapper and sea bream, and a special addition,

the banh mi roll of Atlantic salmon, nuoc mam, trinity herbs. This is one of the best and most flavorful rolls I have ever tasted.

The next course took us away from the Cool Tastings menu to the Hot Tastings menu and sliced wagyu beef arrived to be grilled tableside on a hot rock with ponzu dipping sauce. This dish should be on everyone’s order. The meat should be very lightly grilled and quickly dipped in the ponzu and eaten in one bite.

We also enjoyed the oak-grilled Walu Walu with candied citrus, yuzupon, and myoga,

The final course was the signature Fried Milk, with vanilla custard filled mini donut holes, salted fudge and chocolate wafer. Light yet decadent.

Quickly forgetting the stress of the traffic and the lack of parking, it was a superb evening and delicious on all levels.

uchi Miami

252 NW 25th St.

Miami, FL 33127