Uchi could easily be called the best restaurant in Austin. Ambitious, inventive, quietly stylish, it holds itself to a higher standard than the rest of this city's low-key food scene, and should even be considered one of the country's great dining destinations. So when Uchi announced plans for a sister restaurant Uchiko over a year ago, people got excited, then waited freaking forever.

Speculation became a popular pastime, such that until I set foot in the new space last week, I expected something smaller than Uchi in price, menu size, and square footage (uchi is Japanese for "home," ko means "child of"). Instead I found an even larger dining space and a 56-item menu—composed mainly of dishes first created and tested at the mothership—that mirrors that restaurant's dining experience with uncanny precision.

The price is still steep for this town, but worth its weight in smiles. This is happy food, infectious, even giddy. The invisible barriers between parties at the sushi bar seemed to drop away at both of my meals. Don't be surprised when your neighbors start getting familiar, trading opinions, then ogling your newly-arrived dishes with shared excitement.

Certain kinks still need work. The presentation of the hiramasa tataki changed from one night to the next, as did the texture of the gyutan beef tongue nigiri. I found the wagyu momo too chewy, and the soft tofu agemono is on hiatus because of "consistency problems." But even if Uchiko doesn't improve at all from where it stands now—though it most certainly will—I can safely say it deserves a seat beside (and not beneath) Uchi's throne.

After a weeks-long soft opening, the restaurant officially opens today.

Check out this slideshow for a preview of my favorite dishes »

About the author: Blessed with a fast metabolism and currently based in Austin, Texas, Citizen Taco eats everywhere and reports on the good stuff.