Las Vegas Weekly

July 15, 2008 · 12:54 PM

Sushi Samba, Sugarcane lounge set to open at Palazzo

By Robin Leach

The arroz con leite is on the menu tonight at the new Sushi Samba at the Palazzo.

Photo: Sushi Samba

For weeks, the owners of the new extraordinary Sushi Samba restaurant at the Palazzo have been waiting for their inspections from every county department imaginable. Now, with their myriad of certificates and licenses, the eclectic jewel featuring a mix of Asian, Brazilian and Peruvian treats opens tonight for dinner. Next Tuesday, the restaurant will start its lunchtime service, staying open daily from 11 a.m. to midnight.

Sushi Samba restaurants in New York, Miami, Dallas and Chicago are monster hits -- and the Vegas property is the most lavish and luxurious of them all. It includes the new Sugarcane late-night lounge, which will open Aug. 1 with service until 4 a.m. A star-studded gala opening will be held in early September.

The 14,000-square-foot restaurant seats 150 people in the main dining room. There's a sushi bar for 21 guests and a main bar for 35 more. The Sugarcane lounge will seat another 194 with 20 of those in an elegant VIP section. A distinctive robata grill can be seen in the open kitchen for such unique dishes as lamb chops with guava ponzo, Tobiko, spiced panko and grilled jumbo prawns to complement classic Japanese tempura, Brazilian churrasco and feijoada, and Peruvian marinated skewered meats roasted over an open fire. Challenge your taste buds and food senses by having one item from each of the three distinct cuisines on the same plate! Now that’s a first for the Strip!

I took an advance sneak-peek tour with owner Matt Johnson, and when you see the amazing theatrical interiors and exuberant decorations you also will go "wow." The rich gold and chocolate brown leathers mixed with bamboo and wenge woods, smoked and frosted acrylics and resin is deliciously decadent. Seating is "platinum plush" among Third World relics -- finds Matt brought back from his shopping trips there.

There's no doubt in my mind that Sushi Samba at the Palazzo will be one huge hit. I've seen the Sushi Samba restaurants in both New York and Chicago, and if their success is the standard then Vegas will be even hotter and faster!

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