Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
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vegasmagazine.com 69 Fusion at its Finest The Thrills conTinue aT SuShiSamba wiTh The unveiling of new menu iTems. by jim begley photography by mikayla whitmore Reinvention. It's a hallmark of the Las Vegas Strip, as restaurateurs are forever searching for the next hot concept to entice visitors. But for successful restaurants, reinvention doesn't necessarily mean a complete overhaul. Instead, it's usually enough to tweak the menu that brought them success in the frst place. At SushiSamba at the Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, Executive Chef Joel Versola and regional corporate sushi chef John Um have recently added a spate of new menu items worth seeking out. According to Um, the new menu is simply a continuation of the restaurant's pioneering ways. "Our unique blend of Japanese, Brazilian, and Peruvian cuisine is always evolving," he says, "which gives us the opportunity to explore uncharted territory in the culinary world." While SushiSamba's combination of Latin American and Far Eastern ingredients and favors may seem like fusion gone mad, it refects an authentic food culture, born of the waves of Asian immigrants who found their way to South America throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Since opening in 2008, SushiSamba has transported diners to Carnaval. Brightly painted murals cover the walls, while television screens deliver a constant stream of foreign videos—a festive backdrop for free-fowing drinks, like the guava juice – based Nina Fresa, the refreshing Chucumber (with cucumber and elderfower), and the citrus-forward Lemon Samurai. But don't let the mirth fool you. Um and Versola are doing some serious cooking in the sushi and samba kitchens, respectively. SushiSamba favorites like the intensely favored A5 Wagyu gyoza and the buttery sea bass anticuchos continue to delight, while the crispy Hokkaido scallop remains a destination dish. And the cooking becomes interactive with the ishiyaki course, in which diners lightly sear Wagyu SushiSamba's duo of osetra caviars, served with chimichurri rice crisps, black sesame rice crisps, and plantain chips. continued on page 70 tAStE