Overrated, overpriced and way too loud: Restaurant Sushisamba (5. May 2023)
I’ve only been to the Sushisamba once before and that was more than 10 years ago in London, but given it was located in the same tower as The St. Regis, I decided to give it a try. I started with a “Samba Corcovado” (80.00 AED), which was a nice and spicy start into lunch.
The “Mizu Highball” (75.00 AED) was the next best thing, but it was mainly ice with some booze. I guess, that is always the challenge, when you take a highball drink.
What I quite liked was the fact that they had a “business lunch” (159.00 AED) offer where you get to pick two starters and one main. The first thing you get, once you’ve placed your order, is a “miso soup”, which is quite nice.
As starters, I went for “sea bream ceviche (green chili, coriander, cancha corn, panca oil)” and “chicken taquitos (aji panca, garlic, charred pineapple, avocado)”. The ceviche was decent, but far from the best ceviche I’ve had. The chicken taquitos were tricky to eat, because they were hard shell tacos (not very Mexican), but they were decent to enjoy.
The “prawn gyoza (tiger prawn, crab meat, chili ponzu)” were far from special. I mean, they are okay, but they are not really what you would want.
The “angus beef tenderloin anticucho (aji panca)” were decent. I mean, the meat quality was okay, but it wasn’t anything outstanding or special.
As a main, the “black cod (white miso, shichimi, chimichurri rice)” was the first choice, and while I must say that sometimes cod can be really amazing, it turned out to be quite a disappointment. The chimichurri rice sounded super promising, but it was nothing great either. A true pity.
The second main course was the “Australian angus tenderloin (spicy soy, foie gras, chives, 100gr, plain rice)”, which was actually quite okay. The wild broccoli on the side really did it for me, and the beef with some foie gras on top worked as well. Not necessarily the best foie gras – again -, but the combination worked.
Finally, it was time for dessert and the “mochi selection (coconut, mango, matcha)” (54.00 AED) was a good way to end the meal. Trying these mochis is always something, but it also reconfirms my understanding every time that I’m not too big a fan of mochis.
What is quite great from the Sushisamba is the view you have, since you’re in the middle of The Palm, you get to have a look around Dubai (at least that area) and the Burj Al Arab can be seen quite prominently from the top.
All in all, the Sushisamba is not really worth visiting. I mean, it’s a decent place, which has decent drinks, offers decent dishes, but it’s all just very average and nothing out of the ordinary. Plus, the music is rather loud, so, it is hard to hold a conversation. However, since the place is vibing, I would highly recommend you to book your table well in advance.
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Contact Details:
Restaurant Sushisamba
Level 51
St. Regis, The Palm
The Palm Jumeirah
Dubai (UAE)
Tel.: +971 4 278 48 88
Homepage: https://www.sushisamba.com/locations/dubai/
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
