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| - On the Saturday of my bachelorette party, my girlfriends treated me to dinner at Sushi Samba. It was a fabulous, memorable meal, where we ate well and celebrated in style.
We were staying at The Palazzo, and Sushi Samba was the perfect venue for the occasion. It was convenient to get to in heels, and the atmosphere was festive, edging on clubby without being obnoxious. We had a big comfortable table, and service was excellent. I wish we'd gotten the name of our waiter - he did a great job attending to our every need, and he guided us through the whole dining experience with expertise. (For management - he was a tall guy who served a party of nine on 6/29. You know, your only bachelorette party of the month?)
We ordered cocktails, which were pretty good. I had a Blame it on Rio, a caipirinha variation with cachaça, agave syrup, fresh lime juice, cucumber, and jalapeño. It was both cool and spicy, and it went down really easy. The classic caipirinha was also great, with just the cachaça, lime, and sugar. I also tried some of the Chu-Cumber, a shochu drink with Hendricks gin, elderflower liqueur, and muddled cucumber - very refreshing. At some point, we got a complimentary cocktail tree, a beautiful iron tree bearing shot-sized wine glasses on every branch. They held some frothy, sweet version of a screwdriver that was great for the occasion.
Dinner was delicious. We had the option of ordering a la carte or omakase, and we decided to keep things simple. We specified a price point and listed dietary restrictions, and the food just started coming. It was all served family style, and everything was well portioned for our big group. We left full but not overstuffed - a plus, since it had taken a team to stuff me into my white dress for the night. The cuisine was fun, a creative, unforced fusion of Japanese and Peruvian styles.
First, we had a trio of vegetable otsumami, all served together in a lovely green array. There was the staple edamame with sea salt and lime, and green bean tempura served with a rich black truffle aioli. My favorite of the three, though, was the handful of shishito peppers. These were grilled blistering black, polished with sea salt and lemon. They were pretty irresistible. Next we got a tray of Japanese A5 wagyu beef gyoza. These were great, thin-skinned and stuffed with luscious hunks of beef rather than the usual mince. They came with kabocha pumpkin purée, a sweet soy drizzle, and a su-shoyu dipping sauce. The best thing I ate all night, though, was a crispy taquito overflowing with yelllowtail, avocado, and roasted corn miso. The shell was thin and crunchy, and the fresh, tender fish was just right with that avocado, miso, and some thinly sliced vegetables. The taquitos were served with spicy aji panca sauce and fresh lime - that piquant, frothy sauce was just the icing on a beautiful fusion taco cake.
After the smaller plates were done, we moved on to big platters of sushi and sashimi. I do not remember everything we got, as there were at least six or seven rolls and even more kinds of sashimi. The rolls were great, a nice mix of California standards - you know, the mix and match of eel, yellowtail, tuna, etc. with avocado, cucumber, and dots of mayo - and more Samba-specific stuff, with the stray crab leg and lobster claw. I particularly liked the Samba Strip, with Maine lobster tempura, mango, tomato, chive, soy paper, and a coating of crispy rice. It was unusual and flavorful, served with a peanut curry. The rest of the platter came with a sweet thick soy sauce and a bit of mayo. The sashimi was more traditional, served on a bed of ice. It was hard to share, as there was only one of each kind, but the slivers I had were great.
The most filling part of the meal was the churrasco course. We got two hefty platters of the Rio Grande with three meats, grilled hanger steak, ribeye, and chorizo. These were great, juicy and tender and full of that hearty grilled meat flavor. They came with a trio of dipping sauces - malagueta pepper oil, chimichurri, and a third that is infuriatingly absent from the menu. We also had some sides of rice, beans, collard greens, and a medley of roasted vegetables - giant corn kernels, toothsome brussels sprouts, carrots, celery, pearl onions, and more. We also got miso-marinated Chilean sea bass a la carte, with roasted organic vegetables and oshinko. This was a winner - the fish was moist, flakey, and shot through with miso flavor.
We were full by dessert, but loved the complimentary chocolate mousse, served with a sparkler and a congratulatory message. The lush mousse came topped with crunchy chocolate pearls, whipped cream, and a little bit of candle-stuck banana. We each got a sweet bite to end our wonderful dinner.
In conclusion, my friends are the best - thank you girls for this weekend, and for this fun, delicious meal. Sushi Samba was an A+ choice, worthy of a night I won't soon forget.
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