How SUSHISAMBA is turning food into art
It seems that photographing our food is as normal as eating our food when we’re out at a restaurant. Yep, it may be a controversial subject, but there’s no denying that snapping a dish before you try it is a ubiquitous part of modern dining culture.
And while some restaurants find it abhorrent (Michel Roux famously banned his diners from photographing food at his three Michelin-starred restaurant), there’s no denying that social media plays an incredibly important role in getting customers through the door.
After all, how many times have you scanned through hashtags on Instagram to find somewhere to eat, or taken a friend’s recommendation on Facebook?
And one restaurant that is seeing its food as edible art, creating dishes worthy of a double tap, is fusion-restaurant SUSHISAMBA.
The Japanese-Peruvian-Brazilian restaurant is no stranger to social media. Its original Heron Tower location comes complete with a stunning light-up tree, while its newer Covent Garden branch is adorned with Instagram-worthy floral displays.
And now it's ensuring its food is as gorgeous as its décor, with a limited-edition menu that is described as ‘edible art.’
The ‘In Bloom’ menu is inspired by the UK’s love of garden, forestry and nature. So why was it so important for their master sushi chef, John Um, to create a feast for the eyes?
“SUSHISAMBA is a visual brand and we always try to create experiences for our guests that are unique and unexpected,” he told me. “Experiences that are designed to stimulate all the senses whether is visual, taste, smell or sound.”
And admittedly, I was proof that Instagram-worthy food is going to work. The moment my first course landed in front of me my phone was out, taking pictures of the intricately placed edible flowers and sashimi fashioned into roses.
The Umi No Hana dish: spicy crab, salmon, shrimp and avocado was delicately adorned with tiny flowers and squid ink tapioca crisps, while the Temari nigiri came complete with freeze dried fruits.
The star dish is the Sashimi Hanabata, beautifully crafted tuna, salmon, yellowtail, sea bass and butterfish crafted into roses.
And it’s not just floral decoration, the Teien Maki resembles a woodland floor, made using Hon Shimeji and Enoki mushrooms, while tofu truffle is scattered on the plate to resemble earth.
But aesthetics aside, the food was tasty, using responsibly-sourced ingredients, and proof that SUSHISAMBA care just as much about presentation as they do taste.
Even down to the cocktails (the Nashi Martini and the Sake Spritz were particularly delightful), everything is carefully thought out.
Perhaps I AM part of the problem... but I personally think there's nothing wrong for photographing your meal. It allows me to indulge my passion for food, and I love taking a photo of my dish as much as I love seeing other people's photos.
Plus, how can you not want to capture the beauty of this sushi?
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