The SUSHISAMBA inspiration
At the turn of the century, thousands of Japanese émigrés traveled to South America’s fertile soil to cultivate
coffee plantations and find their fortune. In bustling cities like Callao and Lima in Peru, and São Paulo in Brazil,
the integration of Japanese and South American cultures flourished. A hundred years later, this diverse blend of
ethnicities still thrives. In fact, Brazil boasts the largest population of Japanese people outside of Japan.
It was this lively cultural co-existence that inspired Shimon Bokovza, the concept developer and architect of the
SUSHISAMBA concept. “I was moved by these vastly different cultures living side-by-side in Brazil and Peru. I
wanted to recreate the experience in New York because we truly are the world’s Mecca of the cultural mix.”
Bokovza’s dream became reality when he and his partners Danielle Billera and Matthew Johnson opened SUSHISAMBA park
(245 Park Avenue South, 212-475-9377) in 1999 and SUSHISAMBA 7 (87 Seventh Avenue South, 212-691-7885) in 2000.
Since then, SUSHISAMBA dromo opened in Miami Beach (600 Lincoln Road at Pennsylvania Avenue, 305-673-5337) in
November of 2001 next was, SUSHISAMBA rio in Chicago’s River North neighborhood opened with a Carnaval-like bash
in July of 2003 (504 North Wells, 312-595-2300) while the first international location SUSHISAMBA TLV in Tel Aviv,
Israel opened in March 2006 (27 HaBarzel St., Ramat HaHayal, 03-644-4345), and the most recent addition SUSHISAMBA
dallas welcomed guests through its doors in May of 2007 (13430 dallas parkway, 214-866-0214).
The SUSHISAMBA Cuisine
The menu at SUSHISAMBA offers inventive fare that unites bold Brazilian flavors, precise Japanese technique and
exquisite Peruvian culinary traditions on one plate. SUSHISAMBA’s signature Sashimi Seviches are excellent examples
of this cultural union. A traditional dish of Peru, seviche is created when fish enzymatically cooks by sitting in
an acid, such as lemon or lime juice. After about twenty minutes, the acid “cooks” the fish, giving the same effect
that heat has on proteins. At SUSHISAMBA, sashimi seviche is a twist on the concept of traditional seviche. However,
instead of letting the fish marinate for hours, it marinates for mere minutes -- maintaining the integrity of Japanese
sashimi while being prepared with Peruvian flavor and technique. Examples of sashimi seviche at SUSHISAMBA include Tuna
Sashimi Seviche with orange, jalapeño, yuzu and white soy, while the Yellowtail Sashimi Seviche brings ginger, garlic
and soy.
There’s also a hearty sampling of traditional Japanese, Peruvian and Brazilian dishes, including a full service
sushi bar that features Japanese delicacies such as tempura, traditional Brazilian dishes like Churrasco and Feijoada;
and a variety of Anticuchos, a traditional Peruvian street food of skewered meats marinated in different sauces and
roasted over an open fire.
The inventive “samba rolls” are by far one of the most popular choices at SUSHISAMBA. Each selection is carefully created
by SUSHISAMBA’s staff of executive sushi chefs and is demonstrative of the Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian triumvirate.
Take, for example, SUSHISAMBA’s signature
Lobster Tempura Roll with peanut-curry sauce, leafy greens, cucumber & lobster claw tempura. Or another playful
interpretation of the traditional sushi roll, the Rainbow Dragon, which brings together eel, red bell pepper, cucumber,
mango & avocado. Whatever the selection, guests are endlessly enchanted with the dining possibilities at SUSHISAMBA.
Desserts, too, play on the cultural themes that are celebrated at SUSHISAMBA. A perennial favorite, Três Leite, is the
harmonious combination of sponge cake soaked in three-milk syrup, served with cachaça-flamed mango. Another darling of
the dessert menu is the Warm Chocolate Banana Cake, one of the bestsellers since it appeared on the menu in fall of 2003.
From the imperial coolness of its sushi bars to the fiery hot stoves of its “samba kitchens” the SUSHISAMBA experience is
led by two culinary commandos: Corporate Chef Michael Cressotti & Corporate Sushi Chef Koji Kagawa.
The SUSHISAMBA Beverages
SUSHISAMBA offers a full spectrum of traditional beverages from Japan, Brazil and Peru. The Caipirinha is the national
drink of Brazil, which consists of fresh lime muddled with sugar and a strong shot of cachaça. Peru’s famed Pisco Sour,
a frothy eye-opener, consists of pisco brandy, egg white, sugar and fresh lime juice. While these classics have their
place, Corporate Beverage Director Paul Tanguay and his staff of mixologists are constantly creating inventive libations,
perfect for the cocktailing set. Seizing upon the enormous popularity of shochu-based cocktails in Japan, Tanguay recently
fathered the Chu-Hi, SUSHISAMBA’s own shochu “martini.” The potent Sultry Sake Chu-Hi is an exotic elixir of shochu,
ginjo-shu sake fresh lychee & mango juices. The Mora Negra, a signature favorite, is a bright combination of muddled
blackberries, lime and mango juice poured over the rocks with a shot of rum. Finally, the Nina Fresa consists of
strawberry-infused vodka and muddled strawberry topped with fresh guava and lime juices.
For those going the non-alcoholic route, a selection of virgin cocktails are available including the extremely popular
Açai Fizz, made with açai purèe, V&V citrus energy drink & egg white. Guests can also sample an assortment of fresh
batidas - Brazilian fresh fruit juices blended with milk, sweetened with sugar and served over ice. Flavors include
Manga (mango), Pêra (asian pear) and Dois Baga (strawberry, mango, blackberry). Refreshing Sucos Mistos, fresh blended
fruit without milk and sugar complete the list.
SUSHISAMBA’s extensive wine and sake list has been recognized by Wine Spectator as a 2002, 2003 and 2006 winner of the
Award of Excellence as well as named a finalist at the Monterey Wine Festival Awards. Developed by Tanguay, the list
boasts nearly 300 selections of wines and sake. Tanguay makes navigating his wine list simple by categorizing wines
by their body. Samurais are white wines that are “crisp and lively with acidity as sharp as a samurai sword.” Buddhas
are heavy body whites, meant to help one “fill the soul and lose the ego.” Rico Suaves are “oh-so-velvety-smooth,”
light-bodied red wines and Sumos are bold red wines that are “huge in character.”
The SUSHISAMBA Design
The interior of every SUSHISAMBA is created to evoke images of Brazil’s annual Carnaval celebration. SUSHISAMBA’s
signature colors of mango, rich red, lime and gold cast a uniquely rosy glow on each restaurant day or night.
Bubble-shaped lights fill the ceiling and provide guests with a distinctive signature style while deep banquets are
cloaked in soul-warming reds and tangy Amazon greens that prove irresistible to guests who find solace in them for the
evening. Surrounded by mahogany wood and encased in glass, the sushi bar is the centerpiece of each restaurant and
proves to be the best seat in the house from which to survey the scene.
Spectacular outdoor seating is a signature of SUSHISAMBA restaurants. Located in New York’s West Village, SUSHISAMBA 7
boasts an extraordinary year-round open-air rooftop garden (enclosed with glass in cooler months) that seats 100 for
dinner. The room boasts colorful cement walls of lime green and bright orange and looks out over Seventh Avenue South.
Filled with lush flora and fauna, this setting provides the perfect escape for New Yorkers who are looking to get away
from, well…New York.
SUSHISAMBA dromo picks up where 7 leaves off, bringing guests dazzling, ocean-inspired design and more outdoor dining
beneath grand orange umbrellas. Located on Lincoln Road, one of South Beach’s premier shopping and sightseeing areas,
SUSHISAMBA’s outdoor patio is located on either side of the street outside the restaurant. Guests groove to the
Brazilian beat as they take a hiatus from the blazing Miami sun from just slightly above the border. A sexy indoor
lounge and large movie screen that rolls down from the ceiling nightly to provide a backdrop of subtitled Brazilian and
Japanese movies and two spectacular bars at opposite ends of the restaurant complete the experience, making SUSHISAMBA
dromo a true stand-out in South Beach.
Since its opening in July of 2003, SUSHISAMBA rio has astounded the Windy City. Designed by acclaimed architect David
Rockwell and his talented team at New York’s Rockwell Group, SUSHISAMBA rio is the grandest SUSHISAMBA to date. Guests
enter the 10,000 square foot main floor and flow directly into a bar and lounge encased in shades of blue, accented by
beaded, waterfall-inspired curtains. Complimenting the water theme of the beaded curtains and sushi and seviche bar is
a fiery-red dining room that can be closed off by a giant curtain to ensure the signature intimacy SUSHISAMBA gladly
provides during quieter nights. Raised dining platforms surround the centerpiece sushi bar for the ultimate in dinner
theater. The glowing atmosphere of this room is augmented by lit glass panels in the floor, colorful upholstery and
glowing light fixtures.
The heart of SUSHISAMBA TLV is a Mondrian-inspired mural illuminated in orange, red, green and yellow. Combined with
pulsating music, the colorful décor evokes Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro while kimono covered chairs and walls lined with
delicate steel cutouts reflect a Japanese aesthetic. Unique lounge, sushi bar, dining room and private dining spaces
appeal to casual diners looking for cocktails and a bite to guests opting for multiple course tasting menus.
SUSHISAMBA dallas continues in the grand tradition of its predecessors, boasting signature design while incorporating a
number of distinct elements that integrate the restaurant’s Japanese, Brazilian & Peruvian roots within the local
identity of this Texas outpost. A specially commissioned wall mural depicts the energy and excitement of the favela
in Rio de Janeiro - home to many of Brazil’s most impoverished residents the streets of the favela gave birth to samba,
batucada, and conga, and are the soul of the country’s musical heritage. In addition to one-of-a-kind artwork, a
dramatic chandelier made of imported Venetian glass envelops the main space and floats above guests seated at the
centerpiece sushi bar, providing an ideal backdrop for enjoying this celebration of food, music & design.
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