Japanese in São Paulo

Kosushi ★ 4.3

Kosushi, founded in 1988 by sushi master George Koshoji and now at this Itaim Bibi address, held a Michelin star for five straight years in Sao Paulo.

TipThe name comes from the Japanese word for turtle, chosen by Sensei Taketo Okuda as a symbol of longevity for the restaurant.

Kotori ★ 4.3

Kotori is chef Thiago Banares' single-menu Japanese room in Sao Paulo's Pinheiros district, built around yoshoku-style Western-Asian dishes.

OrderThe Eryngii mushroom dish with chicken broth and tucupi, and the rabanada de shokupan for dessert.

TipThere is one set menu rather than an a la carte list; a sake or cocktail flight is worth pairing with the courses.

Kanoe ★ 4.6

Kanoe is an Edomae sushi counter in Jardins from the Omotebako group, where chef Tadashi Shiraishi ages fish in house for the omakase in Sao Paulo.

OrderOmakase built around house-matured (jukusei) fish

TipReservations are charged in full when booked and diners must list allergies and restrictions in advance for the whole party.

Oizumi Sushi ★ 4.5

Oizumi Sushi seats twelve guests for an omakase built on house-matured, dry-aged fish, chef Danilo Maciel's specialty in Sao Paulo's Cidade Moncoes.

OrderOmakase featuring jukusei dry-aged fish

TipSeating is limited to twelve guests a session, so the room stays intimate and reservations book out early.

Kinoshita ★ 4.6

Kinoshita traces to a 1970s Liberdade restaurant and now serves kappo cuisine in Vila Nova Conceicao, Sao Paulo, the only Krug Ambassade room in the region.

OrderKappo-style tasting menu of seasonal fish and shellfish

TipThe separate Krug Room pairs a chef's menu with Krug champagne for special-occasion bookings.

Murakami ★ 4.6

Murakami in Jardins runs an omakase built by chef Tsuyoshi Murakami, who trained in Tokyo, New York and Barcelona before opening this Sao Paulo room.

OrderMurakami Experience or Sushi Experience omakase menu

TipThe chef sets two menus, Murakami Experience and Sushi Experience, that change with seasonal ingredients rather than staying fixed.

Jun Sakamoto ★ 4.7

Jun Sakamoto in Pinheiros has no sign on the door. Chef-owner Jun Sakamoto and chef Ryuzo Nishimura each run their own omakase for guests in Sao Paulo.

OrderNigiri omakase, either the Sakamoto or the Mesas menu

TipTwo separate omakase menus run side by side, priced differently depending on whether Sakamoto or his chef Nishimura is cooking.

Kuro ★ 4.5

Kuro seats ten diners in Cerqueira Cesar for an omakase grilled over binchotan charcoal, with the Shiro cocktail bar attached upstairs in Sao Paulo.

OrderOmakase built around binchotan-charcoal grilling

TipOnly two nightly seatings run, at 19:00 and 21:15, so the ten counter seats sell out fast.

Kan Suke ★ 4.5

Kan Suke is an eight-seat sushi counter in Paraíso where chef Keisuke Egashira works alone, slicing imported garoupa, tuna and hamachi in Sao Paulo.

OrderCounter sushi and sashimi omakase

TipThe counter, in Loja 12, seats only eight, with a few more seats upstairs, so the single-chef service is intimate and slow.

Izakaya Issa ★ 4.5

Izakaya Issa packs twelve counter seats into a Liberdade boteco in Sao Paulo, where Margarida Haraguchi cooks petiscos in front of every guest.

TipSit at the counter to watch Margarida cook, and order the takoyaki, the octopus dumplings she makes behind the counter.

Kintaro ★ 4.0

Kintaro has poured drinks from a narrow Liberdade counter in Sao Paulo since 1993, its ten-plus daily petiscos drawing mostly Japanese-Brazilian regulars.

TipLook at the display case for the day's ten-plus cold and hot petiscos rather than the printed menu.