At first sushi and papaya may seem unrelated. However, Japan, the country of sushi, and Brazil, the country of papaya, have a deep and lasting connection: Brazil’s Japanese population is the largest outside of Japan itself. Given the large number of Japanese people living in São Paulo, it is not surprising that São Paulo has excellent Japanese restaurants. What is surprising, however, is that São Paulo has an excellent kosher Japanese restaurant, rivaling what I have seen in New York.
Decor and Food
When you enter Sushi Papaia, you are treated to elegantly set tables and Japanese decor. As soon as you sit down, a waiter will approach you with a menu, though the wait-time between receiving the menu and the food leaves much to be desired. Do not come here if you are in a rush or extremely hungry. As you wait however, waiters bring pickled salads for you to munch on.
The food is delicious; the sushi and fish entrees are of prime quality, and the meat is good as well. I recommend the California roll and the salmon teriyaki. Their desert menu includes interesting delicacies such as fried banana. The restaurant also has an extensive drink menu; they serve saki (or sake) and caipirinhas, as well as different types of beer, should you wish to accompany your meal with a bit of alcohol.
Kashrut
There are a three Sushi Papaia restaurants scattered throughout São Paulo. It is important to note that only the restaurant at Praça Vilaboim is kosher; the other two are not (alas!). Due to its proximity to the main Jewish neighborhood (Higienópolis) as well as its being the only nice kosher Japanese restaurant in town, the place does tend to get a bit crowded.
It is best to go for an early dinner or lunch to avoid the rush. Should you wish to go for a post-meal stroll to burn off some calories. The restaurant is within walking distance of the Higienópolis shopping mall, as well as Parque Buenos Aires, and Praça Vilaboim itself is nice to walk around in, though it is on the small side.
Authenticity and Elegance
The restaurant is decidedly upscale; everything from the food to the decor is exceedingly elegant. There majority of the staff is in fact Japanese, including the cook who prepares the sushi right in front of you, and while chopsticks are provided automatically, you only receive silverware if you request it. This all contributes to the authentic Japanese feeling that the restaurant provides.
While many of the visitors when I went were families in search of a fancy night out, the ambience would be appropriate for a date or a business meeting. The prices reflect the restaurant’s elegance. Expect to spend at least 55 reais a person, however, keep in mind that elegant, cheap kosher restaurants in São Paulo are virtually non-existent. All in all, Sushi Papaia offers an elegant dinner (or lunch) of authentic and tasty Japanese kosher cuisine, albeit for slightly more money than you might desire.
Sushi Papaia: Praça Vilaboim 31, Consolacão, São Paulo. Their number is (11) 3824-0400. They are open on Monday-Thursday, 12-3:00, and then again from 7-11. On Fridays they are open from 12-3 only. Saturdays they are open from 8:30-midnight. Sundays they are open from 12-4, and then again from 7-11.
Shayna Abramson - Shayna Abramson is an alumnus of Johns Hopkins University, where she was an active member of the Johns Hopkins Interfaith Center. She ...
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