Dining Review

Kathy Mader

When you introduce a food lover to a new buffet -- a good buffet -- it is

like Christmas all over again. But a truly good buffet is pretty hard to

find, and the mere mention of buffet tends to strike terror in the hearts

of some.

Any food mass-produced has the potential to be sacrificed in either

presentation, preparation, quality and cleanliness -- or all four. Sumo

Sushi and Seafood on the corner of MacArthur and Plaza, one block north

of Bristol Street, manages all four variables quite nicely.My No. 1

question for the self-proclaimed “Grand Champion of the Seafood Buffet”

was how can you offer seafood and sushi in a buffet style and quantity

and ensure its freshness? Owner and manager Young Bui says Sumo orders

fresh fish every day, and the sushi section is refrigerated and on ice to

guarantee quality. Also, chefs are constantly preparing sushi as you

stand there, and the choices are many.

Sumo is a large, breezy restaurant with Japanese accents touting its

all-you-can-eat lobster and crab specials as its major claims to fame.

Sorry lunchers, both specials are served only in the dinner buffet.

Specials include Maine lobster, served on a half shell in a

thermadore-style sauce and quickly broiled. Beware, this dish comes with

all the surprises inherent in a Maine lobster! The other -- crab legs --

is good-sized and makes the labor of cracking and cleaning worth it.

Sumo is defined by its extensive variety, from hot and cold entrees,

soups, salads, desserts, and of course sushi and sashimi. Orange chicken,

beef and broccoli, baked mussels, barbecue pork ribs, tempura vegetables,

crab cakes, shrimp cakes and egg rolls are only a few of the choices of

hot entrees.

The pork egg rolls and crispy crab cakes with scallions were my

favorites. The cold items include scallop salad, salted soybeans, crab

salads, vegetable and shrimp spring rolls, asparagus in oyster sauce and

roast beef in a horseradish/mustard sauce. The list goes on.Wonton,

eggflower and miso soups are always on the menu, with a fourth soup

special on any given day. Pots of steamed jasmine rice are served

throughout the buffet lines, and soy sauce and wasabi are plentiful.The

true grand prize of Sumo -- and much to my surprise, due to my

aforementioned reservations -- is the sushi. The section includes fresh,

chilled ebi (shrimp), smoked unagi (eel), sake (salmon), and my personal

favorite, maguro (tuna). You will of course find the staple California

roll right alongside spicy tuna rolls, lobster rolls -- the house

specialty -- and the spicy salmon rolls. And the ahi sushi is terrific.

White fish sushi, tofu sushi, egg sushi and crunchy rolls -- tempura

shrimp wrapped in rice and nori (seaweed) -- also make a showing. Various

selections of chilled sashimi (thinly sliced raw fish) are available to

those cutting out the carbohydrates. For the hard-core sushi eaters,

salmon roe (tiny salmon eggs), smelt roe and sea urchin sushi awaits. For

the record, I am not a hard-core sushi eater!Each night, Sumo offers a

special sushi creation that attempts to live up to sushi as the edible

art. The night we went, the special was a pan-seared ahi on a spoon-sized

mound of wasabi mashed potatoes all on a crispy wonton. I only wish I had

found this earlier.With this kind of selection, something is bound to

suffer, and unfortunately the crunchy roll, one of my favorites, was

soggy and a little greasy. The sushi snob may find other issues, but for

good, fresh -- and may I remind you all-you-can-eat -- sushi at a fair

price, Sumo is the place.

One of the real eye-catchers at Sumo is the bakery to your left as you

walk in. There is a constant flow of baked goods coming out of the oven,

which also makes for a wonderful smell.

Two long rows of desserts are available, all very big on visual

presentation. Fresh fruit, chocolate mousse cake, chocolate-covered

bananas (get these early, as they can get a little mushy), cream puffs,

lemon cakes, cupcakes and a frozen yogurt machine begin the trip -- it is

up to you to finish.

My only complaint here is that I am one who believes the masses --

including myself -- should not be allowed to cut their own dessert. It

makes for a messy and awkward experience.

Beer, wine and cocktails are served at Sumo and make it a nice place for

a large party.I am always interested in a buffet for the sheer volume,

but I have no problem never returning if the food isn’t good. That won’t

be the case at Sumo. The sushi alone is worth the return, and the rest is

up to you.

WHAT: Sumo Sushi and Seafood

WHERE: 1500 W. MacArthur Blvd., Costa Mesa

WHEN: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

HOW MUCH: Lunch: $10.99 Monday through Thursday, $11.99 Friday, Saturday

and Sunday; Dinner: $17.99 Monday through Thursday, $18.99 Friday,

Saturday and Sunday

PHONE: (714) 438-2455