Without a doubt, much of the food here deserves high praise. The promises of fusion cuisine can be hard to realize, as the marriages of ingredients, like marriages between people have to blend excitement with orderliness; richness with simplicity; and ambition with modesty. Mr. Cole carries off this project with remarkable talent. His delicate sense of balance shines through the sashimi salad, the yellowtail sashimi with diced chiles, and the sake-steamed mussels in kaffir lime-miso broth. But Uchi regulars will point to a wide diversity of favorites—a strong sign that Mr. Cole is on the right trail.

Just as impressive is his menu of sushi and sashimi, with much of the fish flown in daily from Japan (if a flight is cancelled, you may not be able to order toro on a particular evening). Full-flavored anago (sea eel), sensuous uni (sea urchin), impossibly fresh Japanese black bass, buttery salmon and yellowtail—there’s plenty of wonder, an excess of pleasure, and nary a blip in regard to the food.

Nobody’s perfect, and not everything about Uchi sings on key. Appetizers generally outclass most of the mains. Acoustic deficiencies, which designers haven’t worked hard to mediate, force you to shout at your dinner date. Waits often exceed reasonable patience. And the prices they’re able to charge should be in a business-school case study of restaurant success. There is no question that it’s success well-deserved; we hope that this winning team will address the acoustics on the next round of improvements.

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