Nakka
In our last night in São Paulo, we met up with my partner’s friend at Nakka in Jardim. This was a sushi restaurant close to our hotel that offers Japanese fusion type food. At first glance at the menu, the items look exactly similar to anything and everything in the US. My partner was adamant that Brazilian Japanese food was much different than what I had. The friend made a reservation for 7 PM, so we were able to walk in and get seated.
Ambiance & Service
The ambiance is dark and very club like. It reminds me of those Asian restaurants that prefer to have a dark, social vibe to it. The sound was quite loud with not only the music, but also the acoustics of the place bouncing all the conversations people were having.
The service was fast, and there was no shortage of servers. Anytime we wanted anything, we could flag any runner down, and they’d place the order in their mobile handheld.
A note to all the prices is I’ve listed them in Brazilian currency (Real). At the time of purchase, the ratio was 1 USD to 5.4 Reals. Basically, take the price listed, and divide by 5.4, and that’s what the USD equivalency is.
As a FYI, each glass of water costs R$12. Brazilian restaurants do not provide tap water, only bottled water with or without bubbles (gás).
Food
The Tangerina (Tangerine) Juice (R$28 - right) was a little sweeter than the orange juice. It had noticeable acidity to it.
The Laranja (Orange) Juice (R$20 - left) definitely tasted fresh squeezed with not an abundance of acidity.
The Temaki Califórnia (R$24) came with the standard California ingredients with a mango slice in it. The mango was interesting, but definitely not preferred. The seaweed sheet was comparable to other sushi restaurants.
The Spicy Tuna Batera (R$56) was basically just spicy tuna roll.
The Salmão (Salmon) Carpaccio (R$104) came with 16 slices. It had some truffle salt on top. The truffle salt caught me by surprise, but the fish was pretty clean.
The Shimeji (R$40) was just some mushrooms dressed in some soy sauce glaze. I nibbled a piece of this, and I did not noticed any strong mushroom flavors. The texture was bouncy, as expected.
The Ebiten Especial (R$64) came with pepino, massago, and salmon. The salmon was torched all around. This was not much different than any special roll sushi you can get in the coastal cities.
The Nakka Sashimi (R$142) came with 18 pieces of the chef selection. From what I recall, there was robalo (sea bass), salmão (salmon), aji (horse mackerel), buri (yellowtail), hirame (halibut), and maguro (tuna). The fish generally wasn’t much different than what we’ve had in Los Angeles or New York City with two observations. The salmon is less fatty, and the tuna seems pretty fresh.
Final Verdict
Nakka is a pretty no frills Japanese restaurant to get your fix for all things fusion. There isn’t anything taste wise that was unique compared to what you can get in the west or east coast in the United States.
Yelp Jabs
This restaurant is on the Michelin Guide and I truly see why. From my opinion, they have top-notch service and food here.
This Elitist comes from Colorado, so maybe it’s better than there. I would say the food is comparable to most fusion-type places anywhere in California or New York City.
Outstanding fresh and authentic sushi at Nakka. Not surprising since São Paulo has the largest Japanese population outside of Japan. The tuna and salmon sashimi, Wagyu, and shrimp temaki were excellent. Perfect spot for lunch or dinner to get your sushi fix.
I would be disappointed if this wasn’t fresh. Rest assured, that the fish did not give me any issues. I know that São Paulo has the largest Japanese population, but this restaurant’s food is pretty consistent with anywhere that has a melting pot of cultures.
Revisions
- Jun 18, 2024 - Initial revision.