South Beach Sushi Gets a Twist

Wagyu Gunkan

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Foie gras, scallops, Wagyu beef. These don't usually come to mind when you think of sushi, but executive chef Michael Bloise of SushiSamba in Miami Beach is adding them — and more — to the American sushi playbook. The menu additions are labeled "Gunkan" (which means "battleship" in Japanese), named for its oval, boat-like shape. Rather than being rolled and sliced, each piece is made indivivually, with a base of rice wrapped in nori, allowing fluid and chopped ingredients to be added without dripping or falling out. Quail egg and nashi pear also figure in with delicious and surprisingly filling results. My favorite of the new group was the succulent foie gras, followed closely by the Wagyu (pictured), which is nearly bursting with small chunks of the prized beef.

Also new to the menu is acaraje, a variation of a traditional Brazilian street food. Bloise's version is an azuki bean shell genorously stuffed with soft, warm manchego chese, served with miso-tomato jam. Insanely tasty.

Tags: food & drink | Miami | Miami Beach | South Beach | Sushi