In a city that’s receiving a lot of love for their up-and-coming small plates restaurants, sometimes it’s nice to balance that with an established, slick, big city vibes locale, and that’s what Yakuza is. From The Olivier Group’s Olivier da Costa, who is a bit of a celebrity chef and entrepreneur, this is another popular venue in their roster of 35-strong restaurants across seven countries.
The Décor/Vibe
Tucked away off the main Avenida Liberdade, the parking lot entrance makes you feel more like you are going into an under-the-radar nightclub than an upmarket restaurant – which is a good start. Once inside, things are suitably dark, glossy, with atmospheric lighting. This is the perfect location for a fun night with friends, or an upbeat date night.
The Food and Drink
There’s a bit of a ‘90s vibe here, which feels right on trend; this is the kind of place where dining is the night’s only plan. Settle in, order a cosmo, and watch the crowd, which was a mixture of well-heeled locals – everyone from families to what seemed to be professional athletes – to stylish tourists streaming in.
The menu has all the usual maki and sashimi favourites (order the sashimi scallops), well-presented, as well as a large selection of innovative signature dishes like salmon, clams, and green apple sunomono and the Yakuza First Choice maki which includes salmon, toro, king crab, chilli oil, crispy sweet potato, and shiso. They also have a large selection of items on the robata, a few noodle dishes, and enough caviar, Wagyu, lobster and king crab to ensure you’ll have an easy time splurging if you want to.
The cocktails, appropriately, are Asian-inspired in their ingredients, and the dessert menu might be one of the best we’ve seen in a while; don’t leave without having a ‘Kit Kat’ creation, a slice of yuzu cheesecake with black sesame, or a passionfruit soufflé (takes about 15 minutes) with coconut sorbet.
