Today we’re heading into the City of London to Sushisamba. The City or Financial District is a unique part of my home town with myriad skyscrapers reaching upwards adding a distinctly futuristic feel to the historic city. Which also means great views from on high. Sushisamba is on the 38th and 39th floors of the Heron Tower and a glass lift whisks you up the side of building opening up the London panorama below. As soon as I step into that lift my excitement and anticipation builds knowing what’s ahead of me. The restaurant is surrounded by floor to ceiling glass which means 360-degree views of the City. And you’re right next to the magnificent Gherkin, one of the City’s landmark structures – it’s so close you feel you can almost touch it. What a place!
My excitement moves up to the next level on consultation with the menu. Sushisamba celebrates the culture and cuisine of Japan, Brazil and Peru. This exotic fusion of three cultures first began in the early 20th century when thousands of Japanese emigrants move to South America to find their fortunes in bustling cities like Lima in Peru and Sao Paulo in Brazil. We should be forever grateful for this and the incredible mix of cuisine that resulted. This is food to dream of. And there’s a lot to choose from although it is all logically arranged to make it easier.
What’s on the menu
We shared a range of tasty plates from most of the sections. Starting with Small Plates we tucked into a bowl of delicious chilli edamame. A simple dish that I always enjoy nibbling on.
Next up from the Raw Ceviche section a luscious tuna ceviche with pomegranate, leche de tigre, maiz morado, wasabi peas and basil. Such a fresh and beautifully presented dish of fabulous flavours.
Also under the Raw section are the tiraditos. Now these are like the cousin of ceviche, the difference being that tiradito is sliced, while ceviche is cubed; and tiradito is sauced just before being served so is technically raw, while ceviche is marinated beforehand which cooks the fish. Our yellowtail tiradito came with jalapeno and lemongrass – delicate and softly delicious and pretty as a picture.
It’s cocktail o’clock
Oh and they also have a fabulous cocktail list. I couldn’t resist ordering a Tom Yam which is described on the menu as Fresh Fiery Cooling. It’s a spicy combo of Hendrick’s gin, coriander infusion, chilli, lemongrass and lime leaf which is churned through crushed ice with ginger syrup and citrus juice. Deliciously refreshing with a real chilli bite.
Next we headed to the Robata section. Here the fresh ingredients are prepared over a traditional Japanese charcoal grill and served as Peruvian skewers. We ordered the pork belly which came with a butterscotch miso and Peruvian corn. It was so good we ordered it again – possibly the best pork belly I’ve ever consumed. And do love a bit of that giant Peruvian corn.
And finally…Samba rolls. This is Samba London – rolls packed with tuna, salmon, hamachi, avocado, asparagus, onion, hishiho miso, crispy yuba and yuzu dressing. No ordinary sushi!
From the vegetable section we chose some Eggplant cooked with sweet soy. This is the ultimate aubergine dish, raising this humble vegetable to new heights. Egg plant should always be eaten like this.
I love the way you can eat at Sushisamba, ordering a few dishes at a time. Today we loved two of our dishes so much we ordered them twice. I must have been so overexcited that I forgot to photograph one of them (who’d have thought?) – the shrimp tempura from the Small Plates section. They were fabulous.
What’s for dessert
I don’t often go the pudding route. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth and, to be truthful, I’m usually rather full by the time we get there. Today our waiter convinced us we had to try some of the stunning puds on offer. He was right, they were worth every mouthful. And so beautifully presented.
How’s this one called Zen Garden? A mix of yuzu curd, bergamot, tea biscuit and chocolate lychee peach stones. The curd is hidden under the “sand” and the stones are edible! Fabulous.
And then there’s the chocolate banana cake served maple butter, plantain chip and sublime vanilla rum ice cream. Those chocolate banana flavours are a match made in heaven.
As well as this fabulous place in the sky, Sushisamba also has branches in Amsterdam, Miami, Las Vegas and soon Dubai. Oh and there’s one in Covent Garden, too. Fancy a Sushisamba world tour anyone?
Today’s price point
Lunch for four came to a total of £147 for the food.
Cocktails start from £14.
White wine starts from £28 and red from £36.
There’s also a huge range of sake on offer.
Sushisamba is on the 38th and 39th floor of Heron Tower at 110 Bishopsgate in the City of London.
