There are already a number of Japanese restaurants that are
scattered all over the metro but none of them have yet to establish a name for
itself as the defacto brand when it comes to Japanese cuisine. One particular
restaurant that’s trying to put its name on the map is Sumo Sam.
A couple of weeks ago, our editors got an invite to a movie
screening in Makati and was lucky enough to get gift certificates to Sumo Sam.
So my friend and I took the GCs and decided to check out what kind of food this
resto had to offer.
THE MENU
Sumo Sam isn’t exactly what you’d call an authentic Japanese
restaurant. Instead, it offers food that’s what you would call as Japanese
fusion – a cuisine that combines elements of different culinary traditions,
which in this case Japanese and Filipino flavors.
Their menu offers a comprehensive option of Japanese
delicacies from sushi, sashimi, tempura, soups, ramen, noodles, donburi and
bento among others. We tried fried gyozas, the all meat fried rice and chicken
tempura with fried potatoes.
I’m not really a big fan of this particular type of food,
but all in all, the experience was quite adequate. The chicken tempura was
really delicious, well-cooked and comes with a mayo-based dip. Gyozas on the
other hand, were crispy, though I would have preferred if the dipping sauce was
a bit more out of the ordinary. Lastly, the all-meat fried rice was okay,
although I think it doesn’t need the shredded nori on top.
THE SERVICE
The restaurant’s services were in fact very fast. The food
we ordered was served in fewer than 10 or 15 minutes and the staff were very
attentive whenever we call their attention. We also ordered a bottomless drink
and we were surprised that the staff was constantly refilling it even without
us asking.
THE VENUE
The Sumo Sam branch that we visited was the one at SM
Megamall just beside the food court. Honestly, I think the restaurant should
invest in making their place a bit better or actually consider moving to a
different location. The ambiance was actually the worst part of the dining
experience.
As it is located just beside the food court, a lot of people
are passing us by all the time making the place a bit noisy for us to eat
comfortably. The dining area is open and gives the restaurant quite a tacky
feel, which doesn’t really reflect the price they’re charging for their food.
WRAP UP
To sum it all up, Sumo Sam offers a somewhat unique menu of
Japanese fusion. In terms of taste, its food can do some sprucing up to
accentuate its Japanese flavors. As for its branch at SM Megamall, we wish they
could do some renovation and get the place a bit cozier and quieter or better
yet, move to a better location with better seating.
