Sushi Samba 7: NY's Newest Hotspot

If in New York and searching for an epicurean adventure, book a table at Sushi Samba 7 at Seventh Avenue. Four reasons to go there: spacious restaurant, large roof deck, huge lounge area and sidewalk seating. An unique melting pot of three distinct cultures: Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian showcased not only in the cuisine but also the music and design. From the Carnival inspired colours to the samba beat to the centerpiece sushi and seviche bar, the soul of Sushi Samba is about enjoying life and celebration.

Celebrate with friends is just what we (Alyona and I) did at Sushi Samba during our recent visit to NY. With friends Brij Sehgal, his wife Rekha and son Sunil. It is tough to get a reservation for dinner (call 4 or 5 days in advance for an 8:00 pm or later reservation). Keep in mind that there is a minimum $30 tab required for dinner on the upstairs patio.

Sushi Samba 7, 87 Seventh Avenue South, New York, NY 10014 212 691-7885

The fare at Sushi Samba traces its roots to thousands of Japanese emigrants who travelled to South America to cultivate coffee plantations giving rise to a culinary coup comprising of Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian cultures. Hearty moquecas (seafood stews prepared with palm oil and coconut oil) and colourful seviches (more on this later) found a place at the table alongside simple miso soup and tender sashimi. You can get amazing, albeit, pricey mixed drinks like the ever-popular mojito, and a fabulous twist on the margarita and martini - the sambarita and saketini. It will cost you $8 for a mixed specialty drink, $9 for martini. The food is a mix of Brazilian and Japanese, so they have cooked food like shrimp and Latino veggie tempura and Chilean sea bass as well as an assortment of seviches and also tasty rolls.

As we browse through the menu we also look around and catch a glimpse of colourful zesty dishes. That's the beauty of sushi and seviche. Sushi is a Japanese specialty based on boiled rice flavoured with a sweetened rice vinegar, a mixture called sushi meshi. Once cooled, the rice has a glossy sheen and separates easily. There is a wide variety of sushi including nigiri sushi (thin slices of raw fish seasoned with wasabi and wrapped around or layered with this rice), hosomaki (thin sushi rolls) and futomaki (thick sushi rolls). To make these rolls, various chopped vegetables, raw fish, pickles, tofu, etc. are enclosed in sushi rice and wrapped in thin sheets of nori (seaweed).

Seviche, considered the national dish of Peru, traditionally consists of very fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juice.

Sunil orders a Chicken Teriyaki Samba Style ($17), which is served with yellow hot pepper passion fruit called aji amarillo, mashed Peruvian potato and crispy onion. Rekha, a strict vegetarian, settles for Black beans and vegetables sauteed in olive oil with steamed sticky rice cooked in Japanese style. For Brij it is Miso Oven Baked Fish essentially fish marinated in sake and mirin. He tells me that it is melt-in-the-mouth. As we order a Samba 7 Roll ($12) with tuna, salmon, cucumber, avocado and ume sauce we are impressed by the presentation of the dish.

For the main meal it is Crispy Whole Red Snapper ($24) with spicy red curry sauce, coconut rice and hijiki. The desserts are the presentation of Executive Pastry Chef Vera Tong and we settled for two of the choicest in the list: Warm Chocolate Banana Cake ($9) with maple butter and vanilla rum ice cream. It was so delicious that we ate in absolute silence. Next came the grand Docinho de Queijo ($8), which is pistachio rice crisp layered with creamy vanilla cheesecake, fresh orange and Sapporo foam. A perfect topper to the perfect meals.