Despite the restaurant’s seemingly obvious name, SushiSamba serves dishes that fuse Brazilian, Peruvian and Japanese food into one. This wild taste combination is matched by the restaurant’s explosive colors and dramatic architecture. The entrance grabs your attention with a wall of colored glass, while the modern motif draws you in. Although the restaurant is technically attached to the Dallas Galleria, it appears to be on its own. Immediately defying the average mall look, SushiSamba’s structure is composed of sturdy limestone and sleek metals. The restaurant’s overall image certainly stands out in today’s standards of curb appeal.
The interior is confidently contemporary, showcasing the restaurant’s bold colors and intricate design. The restaurant is a spacious 8,000 square feet, boasting different levels of dining centered around a circular bar. Italian glass chandeliers hang from the ceiling like upside-down mushrooms, while similarly shaped sound absorbers help with acoustics. The atmosphere inside runs on a different beat compared to other fine dining options. The music is loud and fast, and the overhead lighting drastically changes colors throughout the night. Also, a TV spans across the food preparation area and features a variety of sports and pop channels. Tables and booths are also touched with color, leaving no spot bland or boring. Additional accents of glass and metal ensure the restaurant’s overwhelmingly contemporary ambitions.
As one of few fusion restaurants in Dallas, SushiSamba’s concept of incorporating three distinct cultures into one cuisine is precise. Brazilian flavors are used as Peruvian culinary traditions are honored, and all dishes are prepared with intricate Japanese techniques. This combination delivers a shock to our normally bland pallets, expanding horizons on a whole new level. The menu includes dishes from sushi to marinated fish and tender meats. Forks and knives are both provided when necessary. The drink list matches the same originality as the cuisine. Both South American and Japanese beverages are available, with much more to choose from. However, this intense blend of flavor and style does come at a price. SushiSamba is an experience best for special occasions and events.
As with most traditionally Japanese restaurants, SushiSamba offers otsumai, consisting of a large helping of peas to use as a base for other spicy choices. Also, this option offers a unique twist on simply grilled peppers and bean tempura that comes with an irresistible sauce. The yellow tail tartar taquitos mix the appetizers up a bit by showing their South American influence. The seasoned fish are a must at SushiSamba because of their original flavor. The salmon and tuna with assuan poupon provide an unexpected shock of spice. The compache and yellow tail are amazingly light and refreshing, without losing that zing. In addition to incredible fish selections, the sushi makes the grade as well. Bobo Brazil sets the standard with a good classic taste. El Topo and Neo Tokyo both demonstrate the restaurant’s fusion design by incorporating South American flavoring to sushi. Fruity desserts, some topped with caviar, conclude the meal, which never lacks in style or detailed presentation.
Although the restaurant just recently celebrated its first anniversary, the experience has successfully been fine-tuned. The fused culinary efforts work to create an entirely unique taste, reinventing the term ‘originality.’ SushiSamba already exists in places like New York and Florida, but for Texas, the Dallas location is the first. The availability of such a restaurant to SMU students is an opportunity that no one should miss. Therefore, I advocate this restaurant to anyone with a pallet that is ready for reinvention.
