Michael Cressotti, Corporate Chef
My favorite SUSHISAMBA dish: Sashimi assortment and Uni with Quail Egg
My favorite SUSHISAMBA drink: Mojito
SUSHISAMBA dish I helped create: Chicken Teriyaki
My cooking style in a nutshell: Clean, flavorful and a hint of surprise
Chef Michael Cressotti’s creativity and expertise has fueled the sizzling success of SUSHISAMBA’s ‘hot’ kitchen since 2000.
An avid historian, Michael loves to investigate the culture and lore behind the dishes he creates. The pinnacle of his research was an eating tour of Brazil experienced with SUSHISAMBA and chef/author Anthony Bourdain.
”After I came home, I got to work developing dishes, one of which was feijoada, a traditional Brazilian stew with pork, beef, linguiça and black beans served with collard greens, rice and farofa. Moqueca mista is also one of my favorites,” he says of the savory best-selling fish stew consisting of shrimp, squid, sea bass, mussel, clam and crayfish with coconut milk, toasted cashew, dendê oil and white rice. “I developed it after trip to Bahia, by far my favorite city in Brazil. Its African heritage, the passion of the delicious street food, the old women who cook every day, passing on the culinary traditions…traveling to the source is always the best inspiration.”
“At SUSHISAMBA, I’m always studying the classic Japanese, Brazilian or Peruvian dishes…and then I get creative. The mix of cultures provides for endless options - and that’s exciting. ”
The Backstory
When school let out each summer, Michael accompanied his father, a restaurant supply salesman, on his daily rounds to some of New York City’s finest restaurants. These summers of tasting delicious foods and experiencing the otherwise secret lives of New York City chefs inspired him, leading him towards a culinary degree at Johnson and Wales University later in life.
Chef Michael Cressotti Highlights:
- Member of SUSHISAMBA team since 2000
Culinary Degree: Johnson and Wales University
Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management, Florida International University
Turnberry Isle Resort and Club
Part of the “Mango Gang,” a group of influential Miami-area chefs including Robbin Haas, Allen Susser, Norman Van Aken and Douglas Rodriguez who developed ‘New World Cuisine,’ a blend of Latin, Caribbean, Asian and American influences
Sous Chef at NYC’s Patria, which was awarded three stars by The New York Times during his tenure
Traveled with Anthony Bourdain on a tasting tour of Brazil which was featured in The Nasty Bits, by Anthony Bourdain
