Tyson Cole & Joe Zoccoli
Translated from the Japanese word “house,” the original Uchi is located in a refurbished South Austin bungalow. Award-winning Chef Tyson Cole’s signature non-traditional take on Japanese food has delighted Austin’s diverse dining crowd as well as visitors from across the country and around the world since 2003.
Tyson Cole, (Partner & Chef)
Best Chef Southwest, James Beard Foundation 2011 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 for more than 10 years in Tokyo, New York, and Austin under two different sushi masters, he continues his path of study and experimentation each day 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.
Cole became fascinated with sushi in his early twenties while working at an Austin Japanese restaurant and quickly dedicated himself to learning every aspect of the cuisine. Working his way up from dishwasher to head sushi chef, his dexterity with the knife led him to Austin’s top sushi restaurant Musashino. During an intensive traditional apprenticeship under owner Takehiko Fuse, Cole traveled to Japan to experience the cuisine firsthand while gaining technical skill.
Challenged by Fuse to learn the Japanese language, Cole moved on to train at Bond Street, one of the busiest sushi restaurants in New York City. In his last year at Musashino, Cole ran the restaurant in Fuse’s absence and began experimenting with new flavor ideas, influences, and ingredients. Opening Uchi in 2003 as executive chef and co-owner, Cole quickly garnered national attention, most notably a coveted spot on Food and Wine Magazine’s Best New Chefs of 2005 list; a James Beard Foundation Award for “Best Chef: Southwest” in 2011; and a James Beard Foundation semifinalist spot for “Outstanding Chef” in 2016 among many other accolades.
Citing the newly easy accessibility of ingredients and flavors from across the globe, Cole continues to push the envelope with every bite, stating, “The cuisine I create is playfully multi-cultural, mixing the Japanese tradition with tastes that inspire me.”
Joe Zoccoli, (Chef de Cuisine)
Joe Zoccoli grew up in Dallas and began his career as a stage at Uchi. After seven months, Joe was hooked and attended the Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Austin. When he is not at work he likes to go out to eat and drink with friends at places like Launderette in Austin, Lucia in Dallas, or Houston’s Oxheart.
[adrotate banner=”27″]
