In a town with no shortage of Thai-Japanese restaurants, the Sumo House has long been a favorite.
Located about a half mile the other side of the 17th Street bridge, in a strip mall on the left just before you get to US 1, this restaurant is divided into two rooms – one with entertainment on some evenings.
On two recent visits, we were particularly appreciative of our helpful server, who was more than ready to assist diners navigate a menu that as in all of Vero’s Asian restaurants, offers a seemingly endless array of choices.
My own view is that in combination with good, fresh ingredients, simpler is often better.
As a starter, for example, my favorite is a simple bowl of Thai wonton soup ($3.95). The Sumo’s rendition of this staple of Asian restaurants – plump stuffed ground chicken dumplings and veggies in a clear broth – is one of the tastiest around.
The same holds true for the Japanese salad which is included with dinner entrées. The vibrant orange dressing – a mix of curry and chopped carrots – served atop the crisp iceberg lettuce is one of the most flavorful we have encountered.
For main courses, three of us over the course of two visits sampled six Japanese and Thai entrées, including three of the five house specials.
On our first visit, I chose the volcano shrimp ($16.95), our companion ordered the shrimp tempura ($16.95), and my husband went for the salmon chu chee ($17.95).
The volcano shrimp consisted of pan grilled jumbo shrimp served on top of steamed vegetables in a spicy garlic sauce. The nice plump shrimp were perfectly prepared, and the dish was very tasty. Our companion’s tempura, jumbo shrimp and veggies lightly fried in a Japanese batter, was also an excellent rendition of this dish.
My husband’s pan fried salmon, however, was quite disappointing. The tasty Thai curry and coconut sauce that covered the salmon failed to obscure the fact that the fish had been cooked almost beyond recognition. While the server was quick to take the dish back and replace it with a nice piece of salmon, the original never should have made it to the table and the initial bites put a bit of a damper on the meal.
On a return visit, I opted for the king of the sea ($18.95), my husband chose the grilled salmon in a teriyaki glaze ($17.95) and our companion had the shrimp fried rice ($11.95).
My husband’s piece of Scottish salmon came with tasty selection of steamed vegetables, and our companion’s shrimp fried rice was very flavorful.
My king of the sea – a mélange of vegetables with shrimp, scallop, squid, mussels, fish and clear bean thread noodle in a sauce – was another reminder that I would have done well to keep in mind my own adage that simpler is often better. Some of the components were nice; others less so. And it is always disappointing to find canned mushrooms in a featured dish.
While we were dining, we could not help noticing that many diners apparently phone in for takeout, and in every case, the dishes appeared to be ready when eat-at-home diners arrived to pick up their orders. Dinner for two, eating in or taking out, seems likely to run $50 to $60 before tip and wine or beer.
I might further note that while we did not sample it on these visits, the sushi here draws high marks from many. A sushi boat served to an adjoining table was a thing of beauty.
When we last reviewed this restaurant several years ago, it seemed at the top of its game. You can still get a good dinner here on any given night, and it still clearly has a number of loyal fans. But you might want to keep in mind my adage: simpler is often better.
I welcome your comments, and encourage you to send feedback to me at tina@verobeach32963.com.
The reviewer dines anonymously at restaurants at the expense of Vero Beach 32963.
