News

SINGAPORE – Come July, the internationally acclaimed dining and entertainment hot spot Sushisamba hopes to raise the roof in Singapore.  The brand, founded in New York in 1999, is known for its swanky locations on high floors that combine Japanese-, Peruvian- and Brazilian-influenced cuisine with cocktails and music. Its upcoming launch in Singapore comes on the back of its recent expansion to Edinburgh’s W Hotel, Doha’s Waldorf Astoria hotel, Dubai’s St Regis Hotel and Bahrain’s Conrad Bahrain Financial Harbour.  It also has offshoots in The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas, as well as London’s Heron Tower skyscraper and Covent Garden.  In Singapore, Sushisamba will be located on the 52nd floor of the Capital Tower skyscraper in the Central Business District. Boasting 360-degree views of the city skyline, the circular venue takes over the former space of the now-defunct China Club, which closed in 2020. Sushisamba’s 12,000 sq ft space, which seats 250 people, includes a theatre-style open kitchen and robata grill, a main dining area, a cocktail bar and three private dining rooms.  Its iconic Samba Room – a signature of every Sushisamba outlet worldwide – is a chic lounge area on the mezzanine floor that can be used for private events.  Food will be at the forefront, says Mr James Oliver Burton, 41, vice-president of Asia for Dubai-based hospitality and investment company Sunset Hospitality Group. The group has a strategic partnership with Dubai-based investment company Shamal Holding, the brand owner of Sushisamba, to operate Sushisamba’s outlets here and in Dubai, as well as upcoming ones in Abu Dhabi and Milan.  Mr Burton, speaking to The Straits Times from Bali where he was on a work trip, says: “Each brand needs to adapt and cater to the market in each destination. For Singapore, the initial focus is on the food and beverage aspect with wine and cocktail pairings.  “Then, we will inject the samba feeling and lifestyle on weekends. We will ease into this to see how the market takes it.”  The group’s South Korea-born culinary director Moon Kyung Soo will be in Singapore in the lead-up to Sushisamba’s opening.  Chef Moon is no stranger to Singapore, having helmed Fairmont Singapore’s Japanese establishment Mikuni in 2011, before going to Australia to set up another Japanese restaurant, Kisume, in 2017. He has been the group’s culinary director since 2021. Sushisamba Singapore’s executive chef Paul Hallett – from Fairmont Singapore and Swissotel the Stamford – will run the show here with a local team that has been trained at Michelin-starred establishments.  The menu will consist largely of dishes from Sushisamba’s global menu, along with some Singapore-exclusive items. Think a Samba Singapore Roll – a nod to the Republic’s famed chilli crab dish – as well as Peruvian ceviche, sushi and sashimi.  Sushisamba’s entrance into Singapore via the Sunset Hospitality Group, which has a wide portfolio of hotels, beach clubs and restaurants, signals its plans for expansion here.  Mr Burton lets on that the group is in the process of signing a “fantastic resort”, a hotel with restaurants to create a “culinary hub”.  On how Sushisamba will fit into Singapore’s lifestyle scene, he says: “You have the traditional huge nightclubs that I might have loved when I was in my 20s.  “Then, you have a fantastic cocktail bar scene, but maybe there’s room for a luxurious lifestyle environment where those who are 35 years old and above can enjoy a bottle of wine or cocktail in a fun, sophisticated environment that is not crazy madness. The Samba room will definitely deliver that to guests.”