Hotly Anticipated Uchi Dallas Announces Its Chef de Cuisine

As the countdown to Uchi Dallas continues, the Austin-based Japanese sensation has just announced who will head up the kitchen: Nilton "Junior" Borges, Jr. has been appointed chef de cuisine underneath exec chef/owner Tyson Cole.

Borges is originally from Rio de Janeiro and honed his cooking chops in New York City, where he cooked for 13 years including a stint at Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio's Colicchio & Sons. According to a press release from the Uchi camp, "Borges moved to the United States without culinary experience and speaking only his native Portuguese. Unable to pay for culinary school, Borges taught himself English by devouring cookbooks and watching television shows on the Food Network." He also received formal culinary training at NYC's International Culinary Center.

This will be the third location for Uchi, which is slated to open late winter or early spring on Maple Avenue in Uptown (not far from the Stoneleigh Hotel).