Uchiko, an Austin-based modern Japanese restaurant chain, plans to open a location in downtown Bethesda in late 2025, according to a press release from owner Hai Hospitality.
The restaurant will open at 7315 Wisconsin Ave. in the former home of Ruth’s Chris Steak House, which closed in December 2021. The space has been vacant since.
Uchiko’s menu focuses on shared plates and dishes that are “smoke-inspired,” the release said, referring to the yakitori grill used by chefs. James Beard Award-winning Chef Tyson Cole is behind the menu, which is expected to feature wood-grilled branzino; wagyu beef ribs; lobster crudo, which includes raw, dressed shellfish; grilled shishito peppers and bluefin tuna dishes.
In addition, Uchiko offers several chef tasting experiences known as “omakase,” various vegetable dishes, sashimi, oysters, maki rolls, tempura bites and caviar, according to the restaurant’s website. Uchiko also has a vegetarian menu, with a handful of dishes that can be made vegan.
For drinks, Uchiko offers a selection of Japanese whiskeys, sake, beer, wine and seasonal cocktails, according to the release.
The 9,000-square-foot restaurant will include a 200-seat dining room, a dedicated sushi bar where patrons can watch chefs prepare sushi, a cocktail bar and two private dining rooms, the release said.
First Maryland location
The Bethesda location will be Hai Hospitality’s sixth Uchiko location and first in Maryland.
Hai Hospitality Chief Development Officer Todd Reppert said in the release that the restaurant group was drawn to metropolitan Washington, D.C.’s diverse, international community “that values extraordinary dining experiences both in the urban core and the suburbs.”
Uchiko is the sister restaurant to Hai Hospitality’s Uchi and Uchiba restaurants. Uchiko means “child of Uchi,” and uchi is “house” in Japanese. In March, the restaurant group announced it planned to open an Uchi restaurant in downtown D.C., Eater DC reported.
“Having already committed to bringing Uchi to D.C., we wanted to find a superior space in one of its primary suburbs that would be perfect for our Uchiko concept,” Reppert said in the release. “Bethesda has an energetic downtown street scene that attracts both daytime office workers and residents to its mix of restaurants.”
Peyton Harvey, property manager for MRP Realty, which owns the restaurant space, said in the release the addition of the “high-end restaurant is a testament to the growing appeal and diversity of the area, serving a community that values elevated dining.”
