Whilst the combination of Brazilian and Japanese food may sound like an odd mix, it’s more popular than you might think. An estimated one and a half million Japanese people live in Brazil, and Brazilian-Japanese fusion was a natural evolution. Even more naturally, the cuisine has migrated again, but this time to London.

The Venue
Situated on the western end of the Kings Road, the frontage of the building practically screams Chelsea. With its dark and unassuming doorway and windows covered with slatted screens, it’s almost as if the venue is daring you to come in, have a peek and try the food. Once inside the fusion begins, with a combination of bamboo dividers, stark, modern tables and a palm tree here or there. Sturdy brick columns and a large fireplace complete with a roaring gas fire is a nod to old fashioned British sensibility, whilst the large bar on one side of the room is part cocktail bar, part sushi bar, where you can watch both types of masters at work.

The Atmosphere
The secretive entrance and dark, moody ambiance attracts a glamorous crowd, with small groups of women meeting up for a gossip and couples out on dates – everyone is young, beautiful, and presumably rich. Staff are helpful, attentive but not overly so, and always within reach if you need anything.

The Food
Whilst the menu may seem a bit confusing and intimidating at first, with a little digging you can pick out some familiar favourites. Japanese standbys are all on offer, from edamame to tempura to all sorts of sushi. From the Brazilian side, expect to find dishes like crispy pork belly and a variety of grelhados (grilled dishes) including rib eye, chicken and prawns. It would be a shame, though, to come to Sushinho and avoid the intermarriage of the two cuisines, as this is where the restaurant really stands out in both taste and creativity.

First up from their special sushi rolls is the Sushinho roll (sushinho translates loosely into little sushi), a combination of salmon, crab and cream cheese that’s been lightly deep fried. Although often the main pleasure of Japanese food is the delicate flavours, this roll is anything but and is all the better for it. The outer coating is crisp and works perfectly with the thick, dense rice and sweet layer of cheese around the big pink cube of salmon – if a salmon roll were to spend a gap year in Brazil, you could imagine it coming back looking something like this, much to the dismay of its traditional parents. Pimenta prawns cost £10 but are a large portion of plump prawns fried in a light batter and sprinkled with a peppery orange spice, perfect finger food, although of course you can use chopsticks as well.

Mains include a grilled tuna steak with cassava puree and chimichurri sauce (£15) that’s really well cooked, complete with a cross-hatching of grill marks, to a nice light pink middle. The cassava puree looks like potatoes but tastes a bit heavier, whilst the chimichurri sauce looks a bit like pesto but is much less spicy than you might expect. This would be an ideal main for someone who’d like to try a fusion dish but is a little apprehensive about the flavours, as everything is quite subtle but still interesting. A bit more out of the ordinary is the lobster with mushrooms and chilli vinaigrette (£28). The lobster has been de-shelled and the resulting meat, mixed with mushrooms, is placed inside the cleaned lobster shell – much easier to eat that way, as dismantling a lobster with chopsticks is something no one should ever attempt. The mix of mushrooms and lobster is a good balance of meaty and smooth textures, whilst the strikingly orange chilli sauce adds some visual and flavourful excitement to the dish.

A short but sweet dessert menu (all £7.50) yields mostly Brazilian-style cakes and puddings, plus a few fruit dishes. The Brasileirinho is a combination of a triangle of sweet, crumbly corn cake, incredibly fragrant and creamy raspberry sorbet and little dollops of meringue and fudge sauce, all sprinkled with caramelised pistachio pieces. Fruit sable is a mini tower of coconut custard, strawberries and raspberries layered between Brazilian nut biscuits and sprinkled with clear jellied cachaca crystals, a bit too intensely boozy on their own but a good balance to the fruity, creamy dish.

The Drink
A large cocktail list ranges from £7 to £8.50 in price and includes loads of choices, including Sushinho Sakeirinha, the house cocktail that’s a bitingly sharp and brightly coloured mix of sake, pink grapefruit and passionfruit. The Dark n' Stormy is a well balanced Moscow Mule-style drink made with Goslings Black Seal rum and ginger beer, whilst the Tropical Fruit Sling is a sweet and fragrant blend of gin, passionfruit and guava. Shots are also on offer for £5.50.

The wine list has about 70 choices, starting at £16.50 for a bottle, not unreasonable for the area. More than ten wines are available by the glass as well, starting from £4.50. Wines are mostly French, but with a few bottles from Germany, Italy, New Zealand and the US, and, of course, Brazil. Several jugs of Batidas (a Brazilian cocktail made from fruit juice and cachaca) are also on the menu for £16, along with four types of sake, from £5 for 150ml to £49 for 720ml.

The Last Word
It might be a combination as yet unheard of in London, but one and a half million Japanese people in Brazil can’t be wrong. A fusion of flavours like these shouldn’t work, but it does, and the result is a welcome new arrival.

venue information venue map view london review user reviews (4) image gallery (12)