KAN.JO Asian Fine Dining & Sushi Bar at Algarve Marriott Salgados

KAN.JO at the Algarve Marriott Salgados Resort & Spa is where Asia’s culinary artistry meets Portugal’s soul. The name itself—kanjo, meaning feeling, emotion, or sentiment in Japanese—sets the tone for an experience designed to stir the senses. From the very first bite to the last lingering sip, KAN.JO invites guests on a gastronomic journey that balances tradition with daring innovation.

The setting is every bit as captivating as the cuisine. Perched on the resort’s top floor, the restaurant unfolds in three moods: a stylish lounge bar, an elegant dining room, and a terrace with views that stretch across glittering pools, the rolling golf course, and the Atlantic just beyond. The interior design is cosmopolitan and modern, blending tones of gold, oxblood, and taupe with sculptural rattan chairs and black marble tables veined in white. In the dining room, a flowing banquette snakes gracefully through the space, creating cozy niches for intimate dinners. Even before the first course arrives, there’s a sense of anticipation that this will be more than a meal.

KAN.JO’s philosophy is as thoughtful as its design. Japanese, Chinese, and Korean culinary traditions are honored, but always with a Portuguese accent, thanks to the use of fresh local ingredients. The kitchen embraces creativity, sustainability, and cultural fusion, elevating each dish into a moment meant to be savored and shared.

At the sushi bar, chefs work like artists, slicing and placing delicate amberjack, tuna, and salmon sashimi, or composing nigiri with smoked eel, tuna, or octopus brightened with umeboshi. Rolls are playful yet refined, such as tuna hosomaki with shiso or a putomaki filled with black mushrooms and takuan. Hot starters bring warmth and texture: gyoza stuffed with succulent pork belly or mushrooms enriched with okonomi sauce. Main courses highlight both sea and land: tender grilled squid with spinach purée, or deeply flavorful 48-hour braised short rib enriched with hoisin sauce. Even the sides—fried rice with furikake or cauliflower dressed in matcha butter—feel like stars in their own right. For dessert, rice pudding with soy butterscotch and sake ice cream offers a final surprise that is both sweet and subtle.

The ultimate indulgence, though, may be the view. Time your visit just before sundown, order a cocktail, and step out onto the terrace. As the sky glows pink and orange, reflections ripple across the pools below, turning the Algarve coast into its own light show. Emotion, after all, is at the heart of KAN.JO—and here, it’s impossible not to feel it.