The Early Word on Pacific-Asian Restaurant She’s Not Here

She’s Not Here, the beautifully decorated Pacific-Asian restaurant found in downtown Austin, debuted its dinner menu last month. The restaurant from Ben Cachila and Christian Romero (both formerly of Uchi) has tropical touches both in the space and on the menu, while it’s still unclear as to who the chefs are. Read on for the early word on the dishes, aesthetic, and service.

The food and drinks — She’s Not Here’s sushi got mostly high marks. Yelpers consistently call it “fresh.” The galbi-style pork rib plate has proven popular, one Yelper advised requesting the dish when making a reservation. The “decadent” crab butter roll and soft-shell crab also frequently appeared as favorites. Over on Google reviews, Giovanni Ortiz appreciated that “the vegetarian options are as imaginative and inspired as the rest of the menu.”

Drinks got positive reviews across the board. Drinking Austin described the cocktails as “fun, bright tropical-influenced libations,” and Yelpers called the drinks “well-crafted” and “fantastic.”

The space — Reviewers agreed the space is absolutely gorgeous, with Resy’s Paula Forbes calling it “loungey and tropical” and Yelper Danielle R. named it a “great date night spot [...] felt like I was going to someone’s beautiful home for cocktails, sushi, and small plates.” Others appreciated the “Instagram-worthy” murals by local artist Mez Data.

The service — There were a few quibbles directed at service, but, apart from someone who claimed the chef refused to cook his wife’s wagyu ribeye well-done, most reviewers seemed happy.

The overall experience — There’s a lot of comparison to Uchi and Uchiko, which is understandable — unfortunately, most seem to prefer those Austin standbys to the newcomer — and there are some complaints about family-style service for such small items. But most reviewers seem excited to return.

• Resy Hit List [Resy]
• Drinking Austin [Instagram]
• All Coverage of She’s Not Here [EATX]