When you think of sushi and bento boxes in the UAE, you have to think about Sumo Sushi & Bento. It’s one of the oldest and most well established sushi brands here. This Japanese restaurant franchise was launched in 2000 and now almost two decades later have branches across the UAE as well as around the GCC with ongoing plans to expand in the near future. With their extensive menu including a decent vegetarian section along with specials each month, there really is something for everyone.
Both of us had our first sushi experience at Sumo Sushi & Bento many years ago, so for us it’s definitely a nostalgic place.
Our verdict: Great food with innovative dishes and an extensive menu, you will definitely find a dish or two to try out even if you’re not a sushi eater.
The Food
Wasabi Fire Shrimp [AED 33]: As huge fans of Dynamite shrimp, we had to order this. However it was a slight let down. The wasabi flavor was lacking and there was a very mild fire at best. It’s a tasty dish, but not what we expected.
Edamame (Garlic) [AED 26]: A simple starter but the garlic was well diced and roasted hence added a crunch element that made it not only taste great but also added some texture.
Kimchee Fried Rice [AED 48]: This was the biggest surprise for us and was the highlight of our meal. The kimchee was well mixed into the rice and they also give some on the side. The tanginess of the kimchee really elevates this dish. It’s delicious! The chicken was a bit average on its own, but if you have it with the rice it works well. We highly recommend this dish.
Sweet Potato Crunch [AED 38]: If you haven’t tried this, you are missing out. The flavours work perfectly together and those sweet potato curls really are crunchy. Delicious and with great textures, we highly recommend this. This dish is Sumo Sushi at its best, still a maki roll but they’ve boosted it by adding a modern delicious twist which takes your taste buds on an adventure.
Lotus Salmon [AED 48]: T loves Lotus root and so had to try it. M didn’t really care for this one. There is the option of getting it rolled in smoked salmon as well for those who prefer it. The lotus root added a nice crunch element.
Emperor’s New Roll [AED 44]: Firstly we love the name! Another unique dish on the menu. Prawn tempura, avocado and crab stick are rolled in a rice paper roll with sweet chilli sauce topping it off. We thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s also quite colourful so the presentation is great.
Forbidden Roll [AED 33]: A vegetarian sushi roll made of black rice and avocado. T didn’t enjoy this as much, but M found it to be very tasty. The rice had a nice bite to it and the creaminess of the avocado complimented it well.
The Drinks
Sumojito [AED 21]: This is basically lemonade with blue curaçao. Sumo Sushi’s version of a mojito.
Ginger Cooler [AED 19]: This drink was great, proper amounts of ginger pieces in the drink which you can eat or just press down to release some more ginger juice into the drink. If you like the taste of ginger we would definitely recommend you to try this. We really liked it.
The Dessert
Matcha Dream [AED ]: The dessert was a bit of a let down. We didn’t really get the matcha flavour in the cream or the cake. We were hoping it to be more prominent. The texture of the cake is very soft though which we quite liked.
Mochi [AED 19]: We almost didn’t order this, since mochi usually isn’t made in house. But Sumo Sushi actually makes their own now. It is a bit different as it’s a bit flatter, perhaps there needs to be more ice cream in the filling but the glutinous rice coating was really well done. They have more traditional flavours like vanilla and strawberry which are all great, but we would recommend the Salted Caramel and Matcha ones. Absolutely delicious!
Tempura fried ice cream [AED 19]: M hasn’t ever had fried ice cream! This is a strange dish, the more you eat it, the more you enjoy it. T started off very apprehensive, but both of us almost licked the bowl clean at the end. The batter used is with panko crumbs hence are lighter but still provide a nice crunchy element. Try it out you won’t be disappointed.
Service
Sumo Sushi & Bento has great staff, they are always very welcoming and quite attentive. They are helpful while taking the orders and always seem to want you to have a good time and make sure you’re content with your meal and dining experience, which we really appreciate.
The Venue
Sumo Sushi & Bento is located in the middle of Town Centre Mall on Jumeirah Beach Road. The restaurant is on a slightly elevated platform and is open from all sides making it feel very spacious and much bigger than it actually is.
To Book or not to Book
The restaurant is big enough and we have never had any issues with finding the place. We don’t think you need to make any booking.
How to get to Sumo Sushi & Bento
Sumo Sushi & Bento is located in Town Center, which is on Jumeirah Road and quite close to Mercato Mall. When heading in the direction of Dubai, Town Centre is right before Mercato Mall. When heading in the direction of Abu Dhabi, once you pass Mercato Mall on your left, you need to take a u-turn and go into the first service lane. On the right will be the entrance to the underground parking.
By Car: Town Center has free underground parking which makes visiting Sumo by car a viable option.
By Cab: You can tell the cab driver Town Centre Mall on Jumeirah Road and he should ideally take you right to the mall itself. Alternately you can tell them to head in the direction of Mercato Mall.
Public Transport: Not the best option. However, there is a bus stop right in front of Town Center, so if you have no other alternative then you can catch one of the following busses: 8, 9, 88, C10 and X28 and get off at the Mercato Mall stop.
Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/kb9zeb4JfsE2
The Entrance
Once you head the to the ground floor of the mall, look around as its very easy to spot.Sumo Sushi & Bento is in the centre underneath the building skylight. The main entrance would be from opposite Paris Gallery.
Restaurant info
- Sumo Sushi & Bento – Jumeirah 1
- 8007866
Note: We were invited by Sumo Sushi & Bento to review their Jumeirah 1 Outlet. However, our thoughts and opinions are unbiased and our own.
