I've always thought Sushisamba to be the poor cousin (but more expensive one) to Duck & Waffle. After all, D&W has a higher floor, a better view from the inside (I think so anyway) and is open 24hours. On the other hand, Sushisamba offers a Japanese-Peruvian mix culminating in Kobe beef at up to £1000 and sushi rolls with gold and caviar. Whatever it is you're going for I suppose. I'd heard similar stories from friends which had thus dissuaded me to go until recently for a friend's 30th birthday.
The excitement of getting stopped and denied entry by the overly important security staff downstairs is the same. The exhilarating glass lift up is also the same. Both venues have nice drinking areas and it seems SS has a better outdoor one complete with an ornate orange tree. There's also blankets to keep you warm on the outside whilst the alcohol does on the inside. The drinks are definitely on the more expensive side with cocktails at £13-14 to cover the cost of the view.
Pistachio & Avocado Batida (fresh avocado puree, Velho Barreiro cachaca, pistachio orgeat & cacao) served with cone of maize cancha £14 was nice and refreshing without a strong alcohol taste but with only very mild flavours of pistachio and avocado. Extra avocado to make the texture thicker would have been very welcome.
The food hall itself is also interestingly decorated with masses of dangling light globes. I'm not sure what motif it is but I approve.
- Edamame (soybean, volcanic salt, lime) £5 - simple and plain topped with strong black salt;
- Wagyu gyoza, kabocha puree, sesame snow £15 - simple without any benefit from wagyu or any real sesame flavour from the snow;
- Nikkei salmon ceviche, tamarind, sesame, seaweed, macadamia £14 - thick salmon coated by an even thicker tangy and savoury sauce. Really good;
- El Topo samba roll (salmon, jalapeño, shiso leaf, crispy onion, spicy mayo, fresh melted mozzarella) £12 - mozzarella went well with this roll adding extra umami to the layers of ingredients. Good textural contrasts also;
- Tiger Maki samba roll (takuwan, wasabi tobiko, crab meat, tempura prawn, tiger prawn, wasabi mayo, beetroot yogurt, soy reduction) £16 - a good read of ingredients that seemed to blend in together;
- Sea Bass Tempura (heritage tomatoes, beetroot ceviche, aji verde, lime) £29 - a beautifully presented dish with otherwise mild flavours;
- Corazon de Pollo (aji panca) served with Peruvian corn £12 - my choice of dish was my favourite. Chicken hearts excellently grilled with big kernels of corn. Simply excellent method of using an otherwise maligned cut of meat;
- Chocolate Banana Cake (maple butter, plantain chip, vanilla rum icecream) £10 - moist textured cake that was overpowered by the strong syrup sauce.
The food tastes quite good. The ingredients are probably of high quality. But I can't help feeling I'm spending way too much for the view and to be with the cool crowd of people continuously taking selfies. I can see what they are going for and I don't think it is for me.