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| The facade of the Sumo Sam Gateway Mall branch |
There
is something about Japanese cuisine that makes me tongue-tied. It could be
because of the intricate fruit carvings, delicately hand-rolled sushi and
thinly sliced sashimi showing little art masterpieces on each plate that always
seem to heighten my excitement and tease my palate to give each dish a try. The
said temptation intensifies as soon as I get a whiff of the wasabi and miso
broth wafting into the air. Such smell somehow prepares my tastebuds for the
complex flavors that awaits diners at the newly opened Sumo Sam branch in
Gateway Mall, Araneta Center, Cubao.
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| Mr. Marvin Agustin and the Sumo Sam executives. |
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| Sumo Sam's President/Owner actor/entrepreneur Mr. Marvin Agustin with the Sumo Sam executives. |
As
soon as you open the door and step inside Sumo Sam, the first thing you’ll
notice are the bright red interiors with touches of modern Japanese
architectural design. The ambiance is one of the things to consider in choosing
a date spot, and you’ll never go wrong with Sumo Sam’s Gateway branch. Sumo Sam
has an elegant, classy yet relaxing atmosphere, with its modern and neat
interiors.
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| Cozy nice interiors. |
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| Chopsticks can be found even on their walls. |
The
Sumo Sam experience begins the minute you approaches your seat where you’ll be
welcomed by the staff with smiling faces, ready to offer you assistance. The
instant you set foot in its walls, you feel instantly welcomed. And to me,
that’s real customer service.
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| Sumo Sam's Hot Prawn Salad |
My
eyes were drawn to the Sumo Sam Hot Prawn Salad, which bursts in colors and
flavors. Served on a bed of lettuce, the orange prawn on top, the pink tuna
cubes, chopped brown nuts, red cherry tomatoes, and yellow citrus slices was
such a delightful way to start your meal!
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| Sumo Sam Spicy Tuna Salad |
As
if that Sumo Sam Hot Prawn Salad was not enough, we were then served another
salad called Spicy Tuna Salad. This dish had given me the surprise of my life.
Served with lettuce, tuna flakes and some spicy dressing topped with bits of crunchy
tempura batter. Spicy food enthusiasts will surely enlist this as their
favorite Sumo Sam dish.
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| Tuna and Pink Salmon Sashimi with slices of Lemon and Wasabi. |
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| Tuna Sushi with dip. |
The
shrimp tempura is simply delish! Do I need to say more? Here’s a proof: the
tempura was so good that I was not able to take a photo of the dish. Most items
on Sumo Sam’s menu are already good for two to three persons. You can expect
straightforward food, served in a casual and contemporary setting. Other big
hits on their menu includes the tummy-filling Yakisoba with onion-thin fish
strips as toppings, sweet and tasty Chicken Teriyaki, succulent and yummy Beef
Gyudon bowl with Nori Strips toppings, a boat of mixed tuna sushi and sashimi
with fresh lemon slices and wasabi on the side, and Japanese fried rice with
loads of bits and pieces of ingredients such as shrimps, chicken, mushrooms,
etc.
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| Sumo Sam's Chicken Teri |
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| Sumo Sam's Beef Gyudon |
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| Sumo Sam's Gyoza with dip. |
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| Sumo Sam's Yakisoba |
Indeed,
with the presence of Sumo Sam (Gateway is their 11th branch with
more plans of expanding soon, even abroad—according to Sumo Sam’s President
actor/entrepreneur Mr. Marvin Agustin who graced the said event), diners and
Japanese food enthusiasts don’t have to fly all the way to Japan to get a taste
of some authentic Japanese food. Discover heaps of Japanese food
fusion/inspired dishes at Sumo Sam. And as a way to end our pleasant Sumo Sam
Japanese food tripping, we had carved fruits as desserts.
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| Intricately carved fruits with bits of ice. |
As
I bid my foodies and blogger friends goodbye, Ms. Tina Papera of Sumo Sam asks if I had a great
meal and tells me to come visit them again. Well, what do I say? I most
certainly will!
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| The author, Purple Plum Fairy with Sumo Sam's Ms. Kristina Andrea Papera. |
Purple
Plum Fairy says Arigato Gozaimasu to Ms. Tina Papera of Sumo Sam, Mr. Marvin
Agustin and the staff of Sumo Sam Gateway mall branch.
Disclaimer:
I am not compensated for this blog post. Opinions expressed are 100% my own.
