The Vitals:
the spot: Uchiko Austin 4200 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78756
the eats: tasting menu
the bucks: $$$
the full nelson: a curry lovers dream

The Uchiko Austin Indonesian Pop Up by Chef Jack Yoss

Was a heavyweight title bout of a tasting menu. I was fortunate to be invited by the folks at Uchiko to bear witness to the eleven course Indonesian extravaganza and it easily tops my list of elegant curry experiences.

Given the price and prestige behind Uchiko, which as a Japanese restaurant put Austin Texas on the map for destination sushi, this shouldn’t be too far out of left field. However this would not have been possible with Chef Jack Yoss, whose love for Indonesian food is as real as it gets.

The eleven course line up:

I won’t bog your phone scrolling with all eleven courses of the Uchiko Austin Indonesian Pop Up. So I’ll stick to the highlights. And spoiler alert: there will still be a lot of scrolling.

The dish of the night: Beef Rendang

I came first and foremost to the Uchiko Austin Indonesian Pop Up for my curry fix. The base of this and all the other curries, the sambal, took weeks to make.

Part of that was due to Chef Jack Yoss’ schedule and the other part is that the creation of these curry bases can take that long. Chef Yoss chose beef short ribs where the texture of the short rib, not too fall apart, was as spot on as the red hue of the curry.

Sumatran Lamb Curry

Had I attended the Uchiko Austin Indonesian Pop Up and was forced to choose on curry, on paper I would have chosen lamb. The gaminess of lamb is off putting for some but I relish it and the protein excels amongst bold flavors.

Chef Yoss admitted to me that his lamb simmered a few minutes too long, which is why I preferred the Beef Rendang. Still, I would easily try this dish again if given the chance.

Yellow Curry Crab

The idea of making a crab curry has never crossed my mind. I’m starting to rethink that line of thought. After attending the Uchiko Austin Indonesian Pop Up, I know that sweet coconut milk and sweet crab meat make for natural best buddies. This was a touch sweet, creamy and mellow compared to the red meat curries but equally captivating.

Grilled Pork Secreto

The greatest secret in pork might be the Pork Secreto. This specialty cut, essentially the flank steak of the pig is cut from Iberico breed pigs, whose tremendous marbling makes this cut as prized as a ribeye cap.

This was rubbed in a marinade and grilled and was my second fav dish of the night. In general if you see Pork Secreto on a menu, order it, whether you are at an Indonesian Pop Up or otherwise.

And the rest of the bench was deep.

I may have hit my limit documenting all eleven courses of this Uchiko Austin Indonesian Pop Up but I sure did try my best to eat every thing that came my way. The water spinach pictured above was a life saver amongst a sea of rich dishes. And with Uchiko being an all star sushi restaurant, any dish with seafood was just gonna hit extra.

My biggest takeaway is that while some of these dishes also excel in street versions and in mom and pop curry houses, it was nice to experience them elevating without losing any soul. The flavors were deep and while the price reflects ingredient and atmosphere, it was also a peak into what elements of fine dining can bring to foods beyond Western European or Japanese.

I can’t tell you when this pop up will happen again, but when it does, I will be there.