Sushi Samba – more than just a view
Words: Holly Butler
As Londoners buzz over South American fusion cuisine like it was an utterly new concept until 2014, one place has been nailing it since 2012. The swarms need to head to Liverpool Street and look up and there they will see the Heron Tower, where long before Skygardens and Shards, there was Duck and Waffle and Sushi Samba. The latter is a New York export with branches in Miami, Chicago and Las Vegas.
CUISINE, There are two types of beef in this world: 1) The rich red marble that is Kobe Beef 2) Everything else. Sushi Samba specialises in the first and if we had our way it would be called BeefSamba, but that has less of a ring to it. It also wouldn’t highlight their extensive selection of sushi and ceviche that dominates the rest of the Brazilian/Japanese/Peruvian menu. Don’t like raw fish? You are reading the wrong review.
THE VIBE, Of an evening the place is bustling with champers-guzzling city boys and suits with trophy dates half their age. But don’t let this put you off gents, it’s a buzzing “see and be seen” vibe without being stuffy and is much more fun than many high-end London establishments. Meanwhile, shooting up to the 38th floor in a glass elevator overlooking everything from the gherkin to the orbit is like stepping on the shoulders of the OXO tower. On a good day, the terrace gets all the attention, so much so that you will barely notice the huge bamboo installation and walls splashed with Brazilian graffiti.
THE FOOD, If there is anything you take away from this review it’s that you should demand to be served by Ruta. When the menu gets overwhelming, she is your oracle. Also please don’t let the name of this establishment fool you, the highlight here isn’t the sushi but the Peruvian-style ceviche and sashimi tiradito. The Kobe tiradito is served over a wonderfully sharp yuzu sorbet and ponzu to cut through the buttery beef fat, whilst the scallop ceviche was served with a milder and creamier but no less complex tiger’s milk.
Other highlights included the juicy wagyu gyoza seated on a fruit purée and sesame “snow” along with the drool-inducingly sweet and sticky miso black cod anticuchos, served on a bed of incredible giant Peruvian corn. Some of the more extravagant sushi rolls seemed targeted at massaging the egos of the expenses class instead of impressing the Japanese purist, with sushi covered in slices of truffle so big you could wear them as a hat, along with Sushi Samba-branded caviar and gold leaf flakes.
THE DRINKS, The Samba Sour wasn’t very sour. However the rest of the menu more than compensated by including the pinnacle of masculine drinking for the power-gent: The Kobe Cocktail – The culmination of vintage Japanese whiskey washed with Kobe beef fat. The whiskey-tinted fat goes into the Kobe sliders and the beef augmented whiskey is stirred with maple and salted caramel to make a rich old fashioned with a buttery mouthfeel. Your whiskey tastes like beef and your beef tastes like whiskey, I know it sounds terrible but it truly tastes how success feels.
THE DAMAGE, As expected the food comes with a special location tax built into the price and going in on Kobe will rack up hundreds in seconds. You can have a reasonably priced meal and take in the view with a few sharing plates for £50 a head. But the dizzying mixture of high altitude, charming service and fine sakes will soon have you realising this is the place to forget about the pricetags and get stuck in.
CONCLUSION, It’s clear why there is still such a waiting line for bookings three years into Sushi Samba’s occupancy of one of London’s tallest buildings. With a quality of food that excels the air of big smoke affluence it provides more than a view. For some of the most fun and entertaining fusion in London, Sushi Samba is the perfect occasion destination. Come for the view, stay for the cocktails and Nikkei cuisine, leave penniless.
BEST FOR, Buttering-up big foreign clients. Couple’s anniversaries and round number birthdays.
For more information, visit sushisamba.com
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