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Chef Joel Hammond at Uchi in West Hollywood performs a live tuna carving show with a 216-pound bluefin tuna, breaking it down for diners to watch before serving it as sushi and small plates. This event, which costs around $14 to $26 per item, is part of a growing trend among high-end sushi restaurants that use social media to attract guests without extra expense. Hammond developed the casual, patio-based show to offer an accessible alternative to formal, expensive tuna carving events found in Japan and other upscale establishments.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-10,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
At the sushi restaurant Uchi in West Hollywood, California, chef Joel Hammond recently hosted a unique dining event where he carved up a 216-pound bluefin tuna live on the patio. Diners watched as Hammond stripped off scales and separated different cuts of the fish, including the prized fatty otoro. The tuna was then immediately turned into sushi and small plates that patrons could enjoy while watching the show. This event is part of a new monthly tradition at Uchi, inspired by chef Hammond's weekly practice of breaking down an entire tuna behind closed doors. By bringing this process out front, Uchi aims to attract more guests and enhance customer experience without incurring additional costs.
Written for “Sushi Restaurant Tuna Carving Show” on 2026-10-10,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
I watched as a 216-pound bluefin tuna was carved up live in front of the audience that was about to eat it, on the patio of sushi restaurant Uchi in West Hollywood.
asserted
that → watch → Hollywood
Chef Joel Hammond stripped off the scales and dismantled the head and collar, before separating the fish into large sections.
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Hammond → strip → sections
He held up different cuts, including the prized, fatty otoro.
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He → hold → otoro
Immediately after, the tuna was made into sushi and small plates.
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tuna → make → sushi
We tried the lean bluefin tuna as well as the fatty bluefin tuna collar, which were so fresh and tender, and melted in your mouth.
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which → try → mouth
Hammond says the idea came about because he was breaking down a whole tuna every week anyway, behind closed doors.
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he → say → doors
One tuna can feed the restaurant for a week.
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tuna → feed → week
“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 said.
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Hammond → break → tuna
The experience brings Uchi more guests and exposure, but doesn’t cost the restaurant anything extra.
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experience → bring → anything
That’s why more high-end sushi restaurants around the US are turning tuna butchery into dinner theatre.
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restaurants → ’ → theatre
“I really think a lot of chefs kind of at the same time that we started doing things kind of came up with that same idea as well,” Hammond said, crediting the trend to social media.
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Hammond → think → media
Prior to Uchi, Hammond worked at Japanese restaurant Morimoto in New York City, which hosted extravagant tuna breakdown events costing $400 per person.
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which → work → person
He wanted to create a much more casual and accessible version of the experience.
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He → want → experience
During our October visit, handrolls made from the bluefin tuna ranged from $12 to $16 each.
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handrolls → make → 16
Two pieces of nigiri cost $18 to $24 and small plates were priced at $14 to $26 each.
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plates → cost → 26
The tuna breakdown show originated in Japan, and is typically very formal and expensive, Hammond said.
“With us, we just want it to be casual and fun on our patio,” he added.
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he → originate → patio
“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.”
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you → make → newsletters
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