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Savor Sensational Sushi at Samurai Japanese Fusion

Pictured: The Cherry Blossom Roll. Photo by Laura Paquette.

Samurai Japanese Fusion is on a roll. After opening last fall, the restaurant continues to introduce Sarasota to an exciting and innovative menu, where sushi is the star. Aline Chen and her husband, who goes by Chef Chen, own the establishment. While the pair owns restaurants in Naples and Port Charlotte, they wanted Samurai, located on Hillview Street, to bring a new approach to the dishes.

“This side of the city is where people have a demand for more contemporary dishes instead of the traditional ones,” Aline says. Because Chef Chen has worked with sushi for 15 years, he’s well-versed in the various techniques used to produce offerings that are exquisite in presentation and taste. One outstanding appetizer is the uni shot, which features uni, or sea urchin, salmon eggs and quail egg in a homemade ponzu sauce. As diners sip the shot, they alternate between the flavors of the sea, found in the uni, the richness of the salmon and quail eggs and the citrus-based ponzu sauce. “It’s an adventure for people who don’t normally eat raw stuff,” she adds. Each shot is well-balanced, allowing guests to savor each flavor and appreciate all of the ingredients, one of Chef Chen’s main goals. Every bite of a dish must provide a balance of flavors so that each can shine, like a symphony where every instrument has a solo.

Another intricately prepared option is the Cherry Blossom Roll. Filled with spicy tuna and avocado, the roll is encased in purple rice, which Aline considers to be a healthy alternative to white rice. A lobster salad tops each piece, and every bite offers diners’ palates a new experience. “We are focused on and dedicated to freshness and the unique taste of premium higher quality fish,” she says. While seafood is the star of the show, guests shouldn’t miss the decadent wagyu A5 beef tartar, which they can cook and season themselves on a hot stone. The marbled beef, from Japan, melts in the mouth and packs astounding flavor. Plus, it’s fun to cook using chopsticks. Whether visitors opt for surf or turf, they’ll enjoy creative fare in a dreamy and comfortable restaurant, designed by Chef Chen. From private dining booths encased in wooden house-like structures to the mountain-themed light art in the private dining room, the eatery is a lovely backdrop for a delicious meal.

Samurai Japanese Fusion, 1936 Hillview St., Sarasota, 941-777-7707, samurai-fl.com/index.php.


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SRQ Daily Archives

Welcome to the archives of SRQ DAILY: Freshly Squeezed Content Every Morning, produced by the team at SRQ Magazine. From this page, you will be able to view the most recent SRQ DAILY editions as well as search for a specific edition and keyword. The SRQ DAILY Business Edition runs on Mondays; the SRQ DAILY Philanthropy Edition publishes on Wednedsays; the SRQ DAILY Weekend Edition featuring arts and culture publishes on Fridays; and, the SRQ DAILY Perspectives Edition featuring op-eds, columns and letters publishes on Saturdays.

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This Week's SRQ DAILY Editions



Tuesday Dining and Food Edition – Mar 19, 2024

Spanish Ambassador •  Join Fruitville Gecko's for a Mount Gay Rum Dinner, Thursday, March 28  •  Daiquiri Deck Unveils Refreshed Menu with Burger Challenge and Over 15 New Items  •  Duval's Offers Easter Meal for Dine-In, Takeout and Free Delivery •  Sarasota County Public Works Introduces New All-Electric Landscaping Team •  Savor Sensational Sushi at Samurai Japanese Fusion •  Norman Love Confections Relocates Sarasota Chocolate Salon •  Phillippi Creek Oyster Bar serves up the Freshest Seafood and Crab Legs for Easter •  Bricks Smoked Meats Celebrates Easter with Special Menus offering Brunch and Dinner

Monday Business Edition – Mar 18, 2024

Sarasota is PINC Again •  League of Women Voters of Sarasota County Upcoming Event •  Heritage Golf Group Acquires Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club in Sarasota •  Tandem Construction Announces Strategic Leadership Promotions •  SRQ Passengers Increase Nine Percent For February 2024 •  Manatee County to Pursue Emerson Point Preservation Expansion •  Brooke Chase Associates, Inc. Selected for Inclusion in Hunt Scanlon's 2024 Select Guide to America's Top 250 Executive Search Firms •  Local Medical Information Tech Company Announces Market Launch for Healthcare Professionals and Patients •  PGT Innovations CEO Appointed to Board of Astec Industries  •  Bal Harbour Shops Access Pop-up Tour Arrives in Sarasota  •  DSDG Architects Expands Reach with Opening of Naples Office •  Clive Daniel Home Transforms Homes by WestBay's Newest Models •  Spirit of Manatee Awards Spotlight, Remember Nonprofit Leaders

Freshly Squeezed Content Every Morning – Mar 17, 2024

Saturday Perspectives Edition – Mar 16, 2024

The Journey to Environmental Resiliency •  Transparency Continues to Challenge North Port •  Moderns That Matter: Sarasota 100

Friday Weekend Edition – Mar 15, 2024

DANCE: Carlos Acosta On Before, April 19-20, 7:30 pm •  Van Wezel Friday Fest Returns With New Dates •  Rarely Produced Haydn Opera Closes Sarasota Opera 2024 Winter Opera Festival •  Florida Woman Storms The Stage at Ringling Museum •  Intimate Apparel at Asolo Repertory Theatre •  Hermitage Artist Retreat Announces Full Line-Up of Events for 2024 Hermitage Greenfield Prize Celebration •  Manatee Music Series Coming to GT Bray Amphitheater

Thursday Family and Recreation Edition – Mar 14, 2024

Bianca D. Named Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota And DeSoto Counties 2024 Youth of The Year •  Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Ringling College Announces its Spring Semester: March 11-May 3, 2024 •  2024 LWR EGGstravaganza Event  •  Hermitage Announces New April and May Programs Featuring Award-Winning Artists and Performers in Theater, Music, Literature, Visual Art, and More •  Wellen Park to Host Second Annual Half Marathon and 5K March 16 •  Learn About Cattle Management with UF/IFAS Extension South Florida Beef-Forage Program •  The Inaugural Sarasota Wine Festival Prepares for Debut •  Spring Training and Downtown Wellen •  Grapefruit League Update: Orioles, Braves and Pirates Make Roster Cuts

Wednesday Philanthropy Edition – Mar 13, 2024

Carpe Diem •   •  All Faiths Food Bank Recognizes Exceptional Volunteers During Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon •  Girls Incorporated Announces 2024 Celebration Luncheon Honorees •  Wine Auction Raises $88,000 for Local Church •  Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties Partners with Atlanta Braves Foundation to Host Ceremonial Groundbreaking for the Steven and Marjolaine Townsend Campus, Home of the Gene Matthews Boys & Girls Club in North Port •  Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation Welcomes Back Artist-In-Residence Adrian Anantawan  •  Sing Along with Key Chorale this Spring •  Embracing Our Differences' Reading Day Makes a Significant Impact: Over 9,600 Students Engaged Across 528 Classrooms •  Rise Up Cafe Takes Off for a New Adventure •  Easterseals Southwest Florida Raised $600,000 at Abilities Shining Luncheon •  Two Million Dollar Matching Grant for The Bay Announced by Gulf Coast Community Foundation •  The Child Protection Center Therapy Team Ranked Amongst Top In State of Florida •  Community Foundation of Sarasota County Parent Leadership Grant Opened March 1

Tuesday Dining and Food Edition – Mar 12, 2024

Raising the Steaks in Lakewood Ranch •  All Roads Lead to Rome •  Celebrate St. Paddy's Day at Gecko's •  Brick's Smoked Meats Celebrates Easter •  The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota Brings Easter Splendor to Florida's Gulf Coast •  Find St. Patrick's Day Gold at Ford's Garage  •  Ka Papa Offers First Day of Spring Wine Dinner •  Renowned Artist Lipstick Lex Unveils Artistic Evolution in First Solo Exhibition in Four Years •  Savor a Staple at Breadsmith of Bradenton

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