Austin Way Magazine - GreenGale Publishing - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
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Uchi Alumnus Cole protégé NiCholas YaNes prepares to opeN JuNiper. Tyson Cole has launched the careers of many Austin chefs, including Nicholas Yanes, who spent two years at Uchi, initially as a sous chef and then as operations chef. He will be opening his first solo restaurant, the Northern Italian–inspired Juniper, this fall. What is your food and dining philosophy at Juniper? We were inspired by the way people think of food in Northern Italy. Taking a cue from the region, we're connecting our diners to foods that are local to us. The name of the restaurant speaks to this idea, as juniper grows in abundance in both Texas and Northern Italy. The menu is constantly evolving, but a few examples are the grilled artichokes prepared with white anchovies and crispy elephant garlic, and housemade pasta with peas, crispy pig ears, and grated hazelnuts. What inspired the restaurant's design? We think of it as refined grit—an industrial-warehouse style built in honor of East Austin's roots. It's an open-kitchen concept with a chef's table, as well as a porch. You traveled through Italy for research. What restaurant stood out to you? I Caffi, a Michelin- starred restaurant in Acqui Terme, Piedmont. The food was simple and classic, with a refined approach. The pasta bolognese was a standout. What are some of the valuable lessons you learned working with Tyson Cole? He is a master at using bold, strong f lavors in delicate ways; that is prevalent throughout his food. Simplicity is what he makes magic with. What did Cole teach you about presentation? Making the meal approachable and not too heavy. At Juniper we want to show our guests that Northern Italian cuisine does not need to be heavy. 2400 E. Cesar Chavez St., No. 304, 512-436-3291; juniperaustin.com photography by Erica Wilkinson for JunipEr (yanEs) pared-down plates. Art, it turns out, is in his profes- sional blood: Before spending a decade training as a sushi chef in Tokyo and New York, Cole painted. "I hated it," he says. "Paintings are forever, whereas food is instantly consumed, so it gives you more chances to be creative." Still, he takes cues from the fine-art world, starting with a taste for the best ingredients sourced from oceans around the globe: His saba comes from Norway, the cuttlefish from Vietnam, the taraba hails from Alaska, and his changing specials (recently renkodai, or golden snapper and shiokko, or baby amberjack) are f lown in from Japan's Tsukiji fish market. Each slice of fish is honored through design: Keeping with the Japanese aesthetic, Cole plates dishes—often on Austin potter Keith Kreeger's ceramics—asym- metrically, and he balances colors, textures, and heights. Cuts of salmon are accented with plump blueberries, crunchy slices of Asian pear, a whisper of housemade yuzu, and crispy kale leaves. A chimichurri made with Thai chiles and cilantro snakes along the top of the hamachi kama, a tender yellowtail collar served with Texas peaches. Uchi has also balanced consistency with steady and deliberate growth. Cole has become known nationwide, thanks to a James Beard Award, television appear- ances, and a cookbook. He's also opened three more restaurants—Austin's Uchiko, Uchi in Houston, and, this June, Uchi in Dallas. His original team of 30 people is now 300 strong. Uchi and Uchiko have been breeding grounds for chef and restaurant talent, most famously Paul Qui, but also general manager Andy Erdmann, who left the nest to work at the award-winning Rose's Luxury in Washing- ton, DC, and is now at Gardner, and chef Nicholas Yanes, who is preparing to open Juniper on Cesar Chavez Street ( see sidebar). "What resonated the most to me about my time with Tyson is that he was always open to possibility," Qui says. "He taught me to follow my curiosities with food and that it's not limited to the conven- tional ways of thinking." Cole is quick to return the compliment to those he's nurtured in the Uchi family, noting, "My inspiration will always be our people and their talents." As for what he hopes to pass on, he says, "A constant desire for excellence can be contagious; I'd like to think that this is what my chefs have taken away." Cole's reach goes beyond his chefs. It extends to Austin's restaurant commu- nity, which looks up to Uchi as a pillar of culinary achievement. It also extends to his diners, who—after wrapping up a meal with bites of crème caramel with brown butter sorbet, or a lemon gelato ringed by crushed pistachios and dots of white balsamic vinegar—might be inspired to apply Cole's refined artistic principles to their own lives. 801 S. Lamar Blvd., 512-916-4808; uchiaustin.com AW clockwise from left: The sushi bar at Uchi is always hopping; the delectable lemon gelato with crushed pistachios; chef Tyson Cole. Sweet pea and herb panna cotta with vanilla ice cream. 68 AUSTINWAY.com taste