Sumo Sabi Rolls & Bowls: Revolutionizing Sushi in Tallahassee, Florida

Sumo Sabi Rolls & Bowls has brought Americanized Asian cuisine to Tallahassee, Fla.'s casual dining scene. This sushi restaurant is ideal for hungry patrons looking for a new flavor and casual dining experience for lunch or dinner.

After seeing "coming soon" ads for Sumo Sabi Rolls & Bowls in various Tallahassee magazines, I was eager to check out the self-proclaimed "evolution in sushi dining." I have to admit, my curiosity about the sushi restaurant was piqued after seeing the restaurant's logo. It includes an adorable, pudgy sumo wrestler.

I visited Sumo Sabi for lunch on a Friday afternoon. Upon entering the sushi restaurant, immediately on the left is the menu on three large panels. Thankfully, the print is large enough so I didn't have to squint. For those wanting to hold a menu, laminated ones are available.

I briefly waited in line for my order to be taken then watched as it was prepared. The set-up is similar to an assembly-line in a sandwich shop. Patrons watch through glass as the Sumo Sabi staff prepares the sushi rolls and bowls.

Call me old fashioned, but I'm not sure if this is a good idea. I was disappointed to see the evolution in sushi making. A machine is used to press sushi rice into a perfectly flat rectangle. The "chef" then places a piece of nori on top and moves it to a plate. He then reaches into plastic bins and adds sushi ingredients. I suppose this technology is befitting of Japanese cuisine, the Japanese are the innovators of technology and it only makes sense there's a machine to streamline sushi making.

Despite having a craving for a sushi roll, I opted for the Ultimate Eel Bowl which is sliced eel, avocado, cream cheese and fish roe topped with eel sauce ($7.99). I chose to have this atop brown rice while my other choices were white rice, noodles or salad greens.

I watched as brown rice was scooped into a white, square bowl and cream cheese streaks were squeezed out of a gun. My eel was heated up on foil in what looked like a pizza oven and placed atop the rice, along with the avocado slices and eel sauce. I added a soda making the bill, with tax, $10.19.

The cashier was friendly, courteous and efficient. In fact, all of the Sumo Sabi youthful staff, dressed in black t-shirts, were friendly. There were plenty of them, too: a handful working the food board, a couple cashiers and a handful continually popping out of the back kitchen.

I sat against one of the two walls painted in two shades of lime green. The wall behind the food board is a burnt-orange color and the entrance area is all windows. The black chairs and tables and tables with chrome-like tops add a nice contrast in the spacious dining area. High chairs are available for little ones. Decor is minimal and the flat screen television airing ESPN seemed a little out of place for a sushi restaurant but appropriate for the college town of Tallahassee.

With my rounded, disposable chopsticks (forks are available for those chopstick-challenged), I dug into the generous portion of my Ultimate Eel Bowl. I was pleased with the light sweetness of the eel sauce and rice and the texture from the cream cheese and avocado, but disappointed in the lukewarm temperature. I didn't realize until more than halfway through my lunch that the fish roe was missing.

Despite these misses, my lunch was satisfying and I'd give them another try. After all, I need to sample a sushi roll. Sumo Sabi complements Tallahassee's dining scene with a whole new dimension in flavor.

Sushi Rolls
Sumo Sabi Rolls & Bowls offer dozens of sushi rolls. Here is a sampling of the restaurant's specialty rolls:
Sumo Steak Roll: Steak, asparagus and scallions for $5.95
Nole Chop Roll: Shrimp tempura, eel, cream cheese, avocado and fish roe for $7.95
Fire & Ice Roll: Steak, shrimp, asparagus topped with sumo sauce and baked for $6.95

A selection of Sumo Sabi's traditional rolls:
California Roll: Crab, avocado, cucumber and fish roe for $5.50
Seminole Roll: Shrimp tempura and spicy mayo for $5.50
Tampa Roll: Fish tempura, mayo, avocado and fish roe for $5.95

Bowls
While sushi rolls are popular, Sumo Sabi has a selection of bowls which are served with a choice of brown rice, white rice, noodles or salad greens:
Spicy Suzi Mix: Tuna, salmon, escolar white tuna mixed with spicy sauce, served with avocado and fish roe for $7.99
Dreamy: Spicy tuna mix, crab delight mix, avocado, cucumbers and fish roe for $7.99
Veggie: Hibachi veggie medley and scallions for $5.99

Entrees range in price between $5.99 and $8.99. Side dishes such as miso soup ($1.99) and edemame ($3.99) are available along with dessert for $2.99. Coca Cola products are served in addition to iced tea, bear and sake.

Location
It's easy to find Sumo Sabi Rolls & Bowls, it's not too far from the Florida State University campus and is in the Westwood Shopping Center on West Pensacola Street. Take out is an option and delivery is available within a limited area and requires a minimum of a $12 purchase. A $1.50 delivery charge is added and taxes and gratuity are not included in the listed prices.

Sumo Sabi Rolls & Bowls
2020 W. Pensacola Street, Suite 62
Tallahassee, FL
Tel: (850) 219-7866

Hours of operation:
Mondays through Fridays: 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Saturdays: Noon to 11:00 p.m.
Sundays: 1:00 to 11:00 p.m.

Read the author's September 2006 review of Tallahassee's Top Five Lunch Spots: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/58781/the_top_five_lunch_spots_in_tallahassee.html