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Probably the best sushi in the Valley.
My friend and I discovered this place because it's really close to both our apartments, we can even walk there! The two of us go all the time...a little less now since we're broke, but we talk about it ALL the time! It's just a hole in the wall, you could drive right by and miss it.
It's consistently the best sushi I've ever had. The rolls are insane. I've gotten almost every one...the sashimi salad is nice too. I've never been able to eat eel until I got it here...perfect. For apps, house salads are great. I'm addicted to the veggie tempura, and my friend says they have the best oysters she's ever had.
Amazing food, great price, solid service! Sometimes when I order the tempura they forget it, and don't bring it till the end. That's my only complaint...But the sushi is so good that I can't be mad. And the price: also delicious. Don't get the iced tea (ew), just stick with beer or something if you want a drink. Come to EAT!! :)
The food here is good. It's better than many sushi bars, but not as good as some. Sushi Dan is still the best (but more pricey).
My wife and I usually go to Sumo Sushi simply because it's cheap and close by.
On our first visit we sat at the bar and the chef catered to us, adding crunch (tempura) to all of our cut rolls -- no charge.
On subsequent visits we've sat at a table and my major complaint is that the waitresses don't seem to speak a lick of English. I'm never certain what I'm going to get, or how much I'm going to pay. For example, we ordered 3 rolls "crunchy". We asked to make sure it was not extra to do so. When we got our bill, sure enough we were charged for the tempura -- something like a $1.00 for each roll. And of course the waitress (also the person who takes your check) couldn't understand any of our objections. She annoyingly smiles and agrees with you and waits for full payment.
OK, so we learned. We stopped ordering our rolls "crunchy".
Our visit tonight was the straw that broke the camel's back -- the reason for this review. Every time we go to Sumo Sushi, we are presented with an "appetizer" (I guess) of Edamame (fancy for hairy green beans). They're not my favorite, but their free... or so we thought.
Tonight it looked like they had forgotten to bring out the edamame, so my wife asks the waitress "Can we get some edamame?" The thought crossed my mind, "I hope she doesn't think we're ORDERING edamame." Just wondering if that's still their thing (it was last week).
So the waitress understands the word "Edamame" and she brings it to our table. When we check out we notice we've been charged $2.50 for a small bowl of beans! We ask our waitress/cashier, "Why were we charged for the edamame?" She no understand, but say something about "side".
GRRR!! So frustrating. This restaurant does NOT cater to English-speaking customers.
So, in summary, the food here is good. It's not the best. The prices are good when you guess correctly and be extremely careful not to say one of the key engrish phrases that your waitress knows and inadvertently end up ordering something (or paying for something) you didn't know you'd be ordering or paying for.
I was extremely disappointed. Granted the sushi was ok but with me I look at all aspects of dining. So here I go ordered some sushi that was ok. I ordered Tuna Sashimi, seaweed salad, sushi pizza and dragon roll and 7 drinks. When I received the bill, I was like OMG what is all this 4.99 charges when I asked I was told it is for the drinks. Bottled apple juice with no refills for 4.99???? Orange Juice was the same price 4.99... When I asked them they acted like that was normal pricing. I dont know.. I was so upset when I left because I felt that they were over pricing drinks for kids...
So, if you guys are in for mediocre sushi and high priced OJ and apple juice thats the place to be... As for me that was the last time I'll visit that joint!!!!
Still amazed at the price for juice...
I was really craving sushi and had driven by this place every day on my way to work so figured I would give it a shot. I have to qualify my review with the fact that I took it to go which is really not ideal when eating sushi.
I had a rainbow roll and a spicy tuna roll since I didnt really know their menu nor was it available online. The spicy tuna was tasty and could have been a little spicier but thats just my preference. It came with an interesting dipping sauce that give it a nice variation of flavor. The rainbow roll was pretty generic and not necessarily bad but just not anything special.
I picked up a menu so I can try some of their specials next time but I would say this place is worth a shot.
I love Sumo Sushi. It's a no frills, black light, bad TV kind of place, but man, the Sushi is good! I recommend the Kampachi Sashimi, absolutely delightful! The fish is fresh, they slice it thick, and the service is friendly. True, the decor needs to be updated, but are you really going there for decoration? Sit at the bar, it's a better experience.
this is the best sushi i have ever tried. this place taught me what it is to eat sushi. their teriyaki beef, not the kob beef is not that great to me. but im here talking about the sushi.
BEST SUSHI IVE EVER HAD
recommended rolls: PCC (pink cadillac crunch roll)
spicy tuna hand roll with sesame dressing.
itchi roll
sumo roll
scallops sushi
This is the place I became a sushi fan at. Introduced to the place years ago by my wonderful next-door neighbors, it actually took me quite awhile to find a sushi restaurant I liked as much as Sumo. I've always been happy as a clam (heh) at Sumo.
Sadly, I would have given it an easy 5 stars a few years ago, but have had to take a star off with some of the semi-recent changes at Sumo. I haven't seen teh head sushi chef, Bob, in quite some time, and it's shown a little bit in the craftsmanship of the rolls and such. They also changed the decor a tiny bit, making it darker with a cheesy, glow-in-the-dark wall paiting on the right when you walk in.
I must emphasize, though, that these changes only warrant the loss of 1 star. The sushi is still excellent. Sumo Sushi is still highly recommended. And it's still one of my two favorite sushi restaurants in the valley.
Dee-licious! I had the shrimp roll with soybean paper and loved it. Very clean and fresh-tasting. The servers and hosts were all very cheerful and welcoming without hovering--nice. The decor is sort of funny--and not at all Japanese--and the music is rock and roll, but come here for a tasty dinner and you won't be sorry.
I had my birthday celebrated their yesterday. And it really exceeded my expectations. I decided to try one new sushi that I've been dying to try for a long time called 'Uni' {Sea Urchin], and was I ever glad to have my first taste of it here. A soft, melt-in-your-mouth meat with a very light taste that floats on your tongue. Definitely bumped up as my favorite, followed by Tamago and Unagi.
My main dish though was the special of that day called the "Pink Cadillac Special" which I have to say is phenomenally delicious. From what I can remember it's made of a combination of albacore, spicy tuna, roe, tempura bits, and marinated with a sauce of some kind inside. These all gave it a soft, spicy, and crunchy taste that explodes in your mouth with zest. Definitely my favorite dish now.
Everything right down to the tea was really an experience well worth tasting, and I would highly recommend any who love sushi to come here.
This is one of my favorite sushi spots in LA. Great little place, nice people, good sushi but most of all cheap prices. If your looking for decent sushi in the valley this is one of my top picks. Dont come here for ambiance, but you can find decent rolls for a great price. I give this place a 88/100
Again, a place with great food and great people! My daughter and I love coming here between 4PM and 6PM, before the dinner rush. The waitresses are very attentive but the chef is GREAT! He'll send plates of samplers over - which led us to discover Salmon Collar - my new favorite! The sushi pieces are good cuts, the salads are big. Over all, they've been consistent which I really appreciate.
Very good sushi and a welcoming staff in a cute local spot! Fun for birthdays! Good prices! Plenty of free parking!
Went for a birthday with 8 people and had a fabulous time. They even have a better version of spicy tuna on crispy rice than what I usually get at overpriced Katsuya. And the Charlie Roll is amazing. I asked for a little something special for the birthday girl and handed them some candles I had brought thinking maybe she could get a little mochi or something. They came out with hats for everyone, 2 plates full of lit up tempura ice cream and mochi, played cheesy birthday music in the whole restaurant AND took a picture of us with their Polaroid and sent us home with it in a birthday card. SO CUTE! The only reason 4 stars instead of 5 is that it could use a bit more ambiance - maybe some lighting, put in a few more windows or something. But I will definitely go back.
I've been here a couple of times in the past, and let me tell you, Sumo Sushi is not a real place to eat sushi. Their fish is not that fresh, and the menu concentrates more effort on Americanized rolls (which I despise) rather than on traditional, nigiri sushi. The cooked dishes themselves, like the tempura and teriyaki, are so-so. But still not anything worth seeking out.
Because the rolls are covered up with so much wrappings, sauce, and all that, many customers would tend to think that it tastes good. But if you actually eat the fish itself in it's purest form, you'll see that this place is pretty mediocre.
Maybe in terms of cheap sushi, it's a decent place. But if you want just great sushi in general, I don't recommend this joint. Iwata Sushi is the best sushi restaurant in Sherman Oaks and that's definitely a much better bet.
It's been a few years since I have been here last but this place forever holds a special place in my heart. This was were I have my first Sushi Roll. Amazing to this that prior to this place I had never known the joys and succelent pleasures of Sushi.
Anyhow as I remember the chef is a royal prick early in the evening but as things roll on and he gets drunk - he become quite enjoyable and amazingly his sushi becomes better
The Sushi Cone is memorable every things else is the same cookie cutter shit you will find at the local grocery
I just moved to Van Nuys from Santa Monica, sadly leaving behind Hokada's, Noma and The Hump. In looking for my new sushi joint, I started poking around on Yelp and Citysearch but didn't find anything impressive near me.
Then on Saturday, my boyfriend and I - exhausted from a full day of hiking - walked over to Sumo, desperate to satisfy our cravings with even mediocre sushi. Boy, were we shocked! Sumo (the owner) met us at the door with a friendly "Irashai!" and we were greeted by the rest of the chefs and staff immediately. The atmosphere was very comfy. We were tempted to eat in, but we had a movie waiting for us back home. The sushi menu had some very creative-sounding rolls but we opted for straight-up sushi. We ordered two dinner specials, which included miso soup, a selection of sushi, and either a cali or spicy tuna roll. We ordered it take-out, and Sumo himself prepared our order.
Skip to the food: WOW. The miso was fresh & good, and the sushi was fan-freaking-tastic. The salmon melted in our mouths. After we recovered from our post-sushi daze, the boyfriend made me promise never to go there without him, so he'd never hear, "Oh, I went to Sumo yesterday, can we go somewhere else?" :)
The albacore and seared tuna sushi was delicious. I was disappointed that they didn't have japanese scallop though. Prices are very reasonable, but the rolls are just ok. Sushi is fresh and tasty.
Sumo...well, my significant other and his friends eat here once a week. So, I often join them. I agree with some of the comments that there is too much sauce on their fancy rolls, but they're fun and tasty.
When I do order sushi, I am usually pleased. Only once, a while ago, did I get a tuna that was not to my liking - slightly 'eh'. I just had the Spanish Mackerel yesterday and it was delicious.
We always sit at the bar with the sushi chef named Ricky. He is very friendly and appreciates the familiar company. He also looks out for our best interest and tries to give us what is freshest.
Oh, the UNI there is delicious. At other places, it can be gross. But Ricky served us very fresh stuff that he insisted was the highest quality level. The taste said it all. The only time I've ever enjoyed the stuff.
If you ever walk into a sushi place and:
1. It's warm inside
2. It smells fishy
RUN!!!
Sumo offers both of these unpleasant surprises.
I loved this place and especially the Van Nuys Roll!! I have been to this place several time for lunch and a few times for dinner and every time it was just as good!
The freshest Yellowtail and Salmon Sushi in the valley. Also, on Thursdays, Sumo gets a fresh delivery of Ankimo and Uni. If you are into these 2 types of sushi, you really need to visit this restaurant.
Not too big into their rolls. Although the Bob Roll is cheap and good. The staff and chefs are friendly. The decor at night is a little like a night club with black lights..., but I go for the yellowtail and uni.
yummy yellowtail!!
I do not recommend this place. They are more into fancy rolls and they aren't even very good. I order some cut tuna rolls and the tuna was cooked. And it even tasted like Chicken of the Sea. Wait... didn't I order tuna?? But is it chicken or fish???? Maybe my friend Jessica knows. Oops...I'm getting side tracked again. But I agree with Steve C. that they cover up their rolls with so much sauce and stuff that they are hiding the true crap that lies underneath.
im a frequent patron of this place. great sushi. always taste fresh. their service is fast usually. never had any issues here.
Good half priced sushi.
I always enjoy this place for sushi. Good food, good prices, friendly service.
i live practically right next door to this place, so it was imperative that i tried it at some point. thankfully, i walked out of there happier than expected for a couple reasons that have led me back there since.
First off, they have a surprising variety of unique sushi rolls. i havent hardly scratched the surface of the whole menu, but i havent been disappointed yet. i particularly liked the Las Vegas roll, the Van Nuys, and the Playboy (take a guess who was ordering based on the names alone). Second, and maybe a little more exciting, was walking in for the first time and seeing the walls glowing under black lights and vibrating to a pulsing techno soundtrack. (wha?). After a short pause and a shared look of disbelief, smiles and bobbing heads soon rippled through my little group of friends. They dont rock that music every night, but its fun when they do.
i'm not giving it 5 stars because its not the GREATEST quality sushi in the world, but the preparation and graceful staff make it more than worth visiting.
This place is delicious! Extremely reasonably priced sushi and fantastic, creative rolls. The Bob's special is definitely a favorite, not to be missed! Sumo Sushi is a great place to go to feed a sushi addiction without breaking the bank.
well what can i say?the playboy roll is the bomb i can not get enough of that roll.in a very close second is the baked salmon very very tasty.and last but not least is that spider roll yumy yumy in my tummy.....go try it out you will not regret it
We just moved to Sherman Oaks about two months ago and finally had a chance to get out for dinner in our area on Saturday night. Being that sushi is our favorite, we decided to Yelp a place nearby... Sumo Sushi had a decent amount of good reviews and was about two blocks from our house, so we decided to give it a try. From the moment we walked in, we knew it wasn't for us. They line their walls with black lights making it feel more like a quazi-nightclub/playzone than a good sushi joint. Maybe it was the day glow shirt I was wearing (total coincidence) or the way I could see weird speckles on my fiance's everywhere, but black lighting at dinner is not for me unless I have $5 dollars worth of tokens in my pocket. We ordered the Van Nuys Roll, albacore sushi, yellow tail sushi, and something called sushi pizza, I think. The Van Nuys Roll was....well, I hate to be so opinionated on just my first time there but frankly, it was disgusting. It's a california roll topped with fresh tomato, bay scallops, chunks of white button mushrooms and some kind of sweet, spicy and vinegary sauce. First of all, I don't like warm/cold combos with my sushi so the fact that the mushroom, scallop, tomato topping was hot really killed the dish for me. Secondly, it's just a bad combo over all. I really felt like the sauce was overpowering and way too spicy, it was basically all I could taste. The mushrooms were cut way to big and made the dish a bit clumsy. Also the use of white button mushrooms really bothered me. I don't know, maybe I'm too picky but I would have preferred something a little more fine sliced or some kind of Japanese mushroom. I feel somewhat the same about the tomato, it was cut much too large and truly felt out of place. This combo of ingredients didn't work well together in this dish but with some minor changes (smaller pieces, a more complimentary sauce) the Van Nuys Roll can be better. The sushi we ordered was quite dissappointing as well. The sushi rice was warm and the fish itself was just okay. Not the best tasting by far. The sushi pizza was actually pretty good except it was deep fried and it showed. With each bite I took, a little bit of oil squeezed out of the roll. The coolest thing about the place was the woman's bathroom. If you're ever at Sumo, please check it out. It's kind of creepy and dirty and perfect for shooting some kind of horror flick where blood runs down the mirrors or something. So, even though this place was close enough to ride our bikes to and it got several good reviews, we will NOT be going back to Sumo Sushi.
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Sherman Oaks, CA
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Neighborhood: Sherman Oaks
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Neighborhood: Sherman Oaks
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