Exotic fruits, sauces, rainbow colors and no homage to the Japanese tradition: Brazilian sushi is the result of a centuries-old culture, or at least now. From the chef's restaurant to the restaurants for Instagrammer where to make sushi-aperitifs: here's where to find him in Milan
The kitchen is the mirror of society, history, climate and economy. It reflects the centuries-old trades and dominations, and the intuitions that run today on the roads of the Net. It is as original as polenta and tomato in Italy, or sushi in Brazil. It's as recent as it is so well rooted.
Japanese in Brazil
Brazilian sushi is not an invention of the Temakinho in Milan, but the result of the emigration of Japanese workers who come from early twentieth century they settled in South America. Today there are about 1.5 million, the largest Japanese community outside the national borders and with its own culinary culture called Nikkei Burajiru jin. In a foreign land, the Japanese chefs began to use avocados and tropical ingredients, fish with salmon and sauces with exotic flavors, simplifying and daring, without limits of raw materials, textures, combinations. From there they started, like to work as sushi-man around the world, and little by little instead of doing "pretend" to make pure Japanese sushi, they expressed their culture. Different, contaminated, but still with a gastronomic sense and a history.
Now it is no longer a Japanese-Brazilian one
A Japanese sushi man twists his nose at the thought that Americans mainly eat uramaki (which in fact were invented in Los Angeles in the sixties), do not conceive the California Roll (the one with avocado) and imagine the Philadelphia – where Philadelphia is going to cheese. By now they will have sent him down, but he would do harakiri thinking that there may be gods sweet pink roll, rainbow ones or crumbled potato chips. In a sushi-Brazilian restaurant, this is part of the fun, but there is little Brazilian now.
From exotic, once transplanted abroad, Brazilian sushi has become "a lot", super seasoned, extreme, pleasure, and the flag under which to register everything, where everything is granted – including any gastronomic fashion, no matter what, from tacos al ceviche, as long as it works. But and indeed, especially for this, like it and the restaurants are overflowing. A success, because the "Japanese-Brazilian" style is more colorful, fun and satisfying for Western palates looking for a dinner in a nigiri dish.
In the world, restaurants with Japanese-Brazilian cooks are many, many, and only in Milan there are historical signs and new openings, from those of level to the premises designed to please Instagram. Here they are.
Finger's: the gourmet experience
Elegant and trendy, the restaurant of the chef Roberto Okabe, Finger's, is the maximum expression of the kind in Milan. Before him, in Milan nobody had dared to mix Japan, Brazil, and Italy, nighiri, tropical fruit and extra virgin olive oil. Signature dish, the Carpaccio Okabe with gaspacho, lime and ginger, salmon sushi and avocado Saudade do Brasil, and no foreclosure, not even ingredients made in Italy such as cheese, peppers and béchamel which for example uses a dish called Taiyo and Luna , scallop with cream cheese and kataifi pasta.
It also says the sign: Fingers, creative Japanese cuisine, so there is no expectation of respect for the Japanese tradition – but that of Brazil. Okabe is Brazilian, son of Japanese, and brings in the technical plate, experience and exuberance, but never excessive or designed to make news. Here raw materials are widely selected and no expense is paid – so even the bill is to be calculated accordingly. Opened in 2004, now has two locations in Milan (one with a Zen garden), one in Porto Cervo, Megève and Rome. Trendy and well-attended environment (players and VIPs included), just think that this is also a Maison Krug.
Berimbau: churrasco and samba sushi
Brazil calls Italy in this place where al rodizo of all-you-can-eat meat joins a proposal of Brazilian style sushi. Perfect for companies, because it does not impose the same menu choice at the table, here you can choose individually what to eat. The restaurant in Corso Magenta is historic and for years now works on this double track, tested. It has recently introduced a new invention, born from the owner's passion for international cuisine: Sushi Cup Small portions that allow you to explore different combinations of flavors, without respect for tradition, and that bring in "mini-pokè" raw fish, cooked, meat tartare, exotic fruits but even truffles and caviar. They are eaten without chopsticks, from small bowls used to drink sake, small, and then they can eat 9,12, choose them from the menu or compose them alone. And then, attention for vegetarians, diabetics and those who must be careful about the diet, without wanting to deprive themselves of taste and fun.
Temakinho: the masters of the format
We must acknowledge one thing: the Temakinho chain (which now has restaurants in London, Ibiza and Formentera) has made Brazilian sushi known to the Milanese on a large scale – and now thanks to the injection of capital from investment funds, to the rest of the world. Founded in 2013 by three Italian entrepreneurs in just 5 years Temakinho has grown and has become one of the most innovative European models of Japanese-Brazilian cuisine, as well as a machine to make money. And he did it with beautiful, colorful rooms, amusing, that after many years are still the favorite of the Influencers. Before them the "temaki", the cone of nori seaweed stuffed with rice and raw fish, was still unknown, keeping up with the times and now they also offer breakfast, always in fusion sauce.
Y-not: aperisushi
Local in the Brera area, Milanese furniture and property, serving Japanese-Brazilian style sushi in a crowded urban mood. So in addition to business lunch you can also stop for an aperitif with a saucer paired with wine or cocktails. Among the specialties, chimeras like uramaki with venus rice or Mexican ones with jalapenos and nachos, the exotic fruit replaces the local one, like the apple combined with tuna and Philadelphia and the tempura is also of pumpkin flowers and shrimp. A handful of hot dishes.
Bomaki: without borders
Casual, the Bomaki of chef Jeric Bautista, is a "uramakery", that is, it focuses on the thousand creative versions of uramaki – but over the years has developed Japanese-Brazilian tacos and jap-style burritos. Inside the uramaki we end up with everything: avocado, parmesan, cheddar, jalapenos, spreadable cheese, mango, pistachios, … are stuffed, rolled up, topped, flambéed, rolled in chips. Fun, a (fairly) healthy junk-food in the form of sushi where it abounds with mayonnaise and sauces. Opened in 2013 in full swing, in Corso Sempione, now the premises are 6, colorful, with tropical wallpaper and background music.
Japan Square
Last arrived among the openings of nippo-brasiliani, it is of Neapolitan property. From the name it might seem a new super-colored venue, instead they focused on a more "adult" environment. The menu is more or less the same, made of creative rolls, temaki etc. New in the industry, they also make sandwiches, a couple of hot rolls and offer a € 15 single-course lunch with raw fish, rice and roll. Even here, Italy enters in arrogance as for the Carpaccio of Salmon seasoned with oil and basil.
This recipe has already been read 436 times!