When the first Japanese immigrants arrived in Brazil in 1908, they likely never envisioned that their influence would shape the country’s culinary culture over the next century. Over approximately 60 years of Japanese immigration, São Paulo became home to the largest Japanese community outside of Japan.
The Japanese initially came to work on local farms, but over time, their influence expanded from the countryside to the city’s dining scene. Japanese cuisine gradually gained popularity throughout São Paulo—a city of over 11 million residents—and reached a status comparable to other well-loved culinary traditions, such as churrascarias.
The city's renowned sushi chefs, locally known as "sushimen," have preserved the precision that characterizes Japanese cuisine, elevating the quality of dishes served at their sushi counters and restaurant tables. With their refined technical expertise, top-quality ingredients, and occasional local touches, these chefs have turned São Paulo into a compelling destination for lovers of fine dining and Japanese cuisine.
Below are the restaurants that showcase São Paulo's approach to Japanese cuisine. It’s no surprise that many of them have been awarded MICHELIN Stars, alongside the likes of Kinoshita, Huto and Oizumi Sushi, as well as others with a strong Japanese influence, such as Kazuo.
Jun Sakamoto: Nigiri par Excellence
Master-chef Sakamoto is celebrated for elevating nigiri to a culinary art form. At his eponymous restaurant, he serves sushi made with perfectly crafted rice and fresh, seasonal fish, ensuring that every bite is a complete sensory experience. His tasting menu ranges from tuna tartare with karasumi roe to nigiri featuring sea bass, red snapper, and other selections that Sakamoto and his right-hand man, Chef Ryuzo Nishimura, decide on that evening. With its discreet ambiance (don’t expect to find the restaurant’s name outside), the establishment has earned One MICHELIN Star for its exquisite cuisine.
Kan Suke: A Corner of Tokyo in São Paulo
At first blush, you might just forget you're not in a bustling corner of Tokyo. A few meters from the frenetic pace of the Avenida Paulista, a small door opens to reveal a warm space in an unassuming shopping center—it's one of the best Japanese restaurants in the city and also one of its most traditional. Here, you’ll find a single chef behind the counter, armed with nothing but a rice cooker and a chopping board. Keisuke Egashira slices fish with surgical precision and his menu changes with the season (red snapper, amberjack, grouper, sea bass). Working with speed and rigor, Egashira barely has time to glance around the room. One taste and you'll realize why the restaurant that has been awarded One MICHELIN Star.
Kuro: Where the Grill Takes Center Stage
Kuro centers around omakase, where the star of the show is an exceptional grill—and it's not just any barbecue. The Kuro team uses a Binchotan, a traditional Japanese charcoal grill known for its intense heat and the distinctive flavor it imparts. With only 10 guests per sitting, sushiman Henry Miyano and his culinary partner, Luís Gustavo Costa, craft a 16-course tasting menu featuring top-quality fish and authentic Japanese wasabi. The ambiance, accented by a black stone counter and a painting of the Mona Lisa in a kimono, enhances the dining experience at this MICHELIN Starred restaurant. Diners wishing to extend their evening can pay a visit to the upstairs Shiro bar, which serves cocktails inspired by Japanese culture.
Kotori: A Celebration of Yōshoku Cuisine
With its bar vibes and creative menu—paying homage to yōshoku cooking through its reinterpretation and adaptation of Western (primarily European) dishes to the Japanese palate and ingredients—Kotori is a delightful restaurant. Chef and co-owner Thiago Bañares serves dishes that blend Brazilian ingredients with Japanese products and techniques, such as Eryngii mushrooms with chicken broth, tucupi, and mustard seeds. The menu features everything from grilled vegetables and fish of the day cooked over an open grill to classics like crispy karaage. To accompany the food, the restaurant offers a menu of expertly crafted cocktails, a badge of honor for Bañares and his team, who also run the award-winning Tan Tan just a few meters away.
Murakami: Japanese-Brazilian Hospitality
Following an early career in São Paulo that began in Liberdade, the district traditionally associated with the city’s Japanese community, Tsuyoshi Murakami has expanded his culinary empire to other parts of the city, proving that his dedication to Japanese cuisine knows no bounds. His career has also taken him to distant places like Tokyo, New York, and Barcelona before settling in Brazil’s largest metropolis. Now established in a modern, minimalist space in the Jardim Paulista area, he offers two menus (always prepared with pristine ingredients): one focusing on sushi and cold dishes, and another more varied option that includes hot dishes, appetizers, and tempura. Both menus highlight Murakami’s creative signature, which has played a pivotal role in earning the restaurant its MICHELIN Star. Born in Hokkaido, Japan, the chef learned early in his career the importance of hospitality. It’s rare to find as charismatic and engaging a host in São Paulo.
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