Sushi Restaurant Turns Tuna Butchery into Dinner Theater

West Hollywood’s Uchi restaurant is transforming the traditional art of tuna butchery into a public spectacle with a new monthly event. At this unique dining experience, a chef meticulously carves a 200-pound bluefin tuna on the restaurant's patio, offering diners a front-row seat to the process.

Chef Joel Hammond, who leads the initiative, demonstrated the carving by first removing scales and dismantling the head and collar before separating the fish into large sections. He showcased different cuts, including the highly prized, fatty otoro, which was then prepared into sushi and small plates for the patrons. The freshness and tenderness of the lean and fatty bluefin tuna were notable, with the fish melting in the mouth.

This event, which is free to attend, has become a new monthly tradition at Uchi. Hammond explained that the concept originated from his regular practice of breaking down a whole tuna weekly for the restaurant’s use. "I was like, well, why don’t I just break down a tuna out on our patio and we can offer some extended happy hour, fun special menu things all revolving around the tuna," Hammond stated. The initiative not only draws more customers and publicity to Uchi but also incurs no additional cost for the restaurant.

This trend of turning tuna butchery into dinner theater is gaining traction at high-end sushi restaurants across the country. Hammond believes the rise of social media has played a role in this culinary development, with chefs independently arriving at similar ideas.

Previously, Hammond worked at Morimoto in New York City, a restaurant known for its elaborate tuna breakdown events that were priced at $400 per person. He aimed to create a more casual and accessible version of this experience.

During a visit in October, handrolls made from the bluefin tuna ranged from $12 to $16, with two pieces of nigiri costing $18 to $24, and small plates priced between $14 and $26. The tuna breakdown show, which has roots in Japan and is traditionally a formal and costly affair, is presented by Uchi in a relaxed setting.

"With us, we just want it to be casual and fun on our patio," Hammond said. "Make it something where you can go sit outside, have a couple cocktails, eat some small plates and two-for-one sushi bites and actually get a deal while watching a full show."