Sashimi porn-yes.
I should start off with a warning about portions at Sushi Suma. Only visit here if you are starving, and even then only go if you’ve taken the precautionary measures and arranged for an emergency stomach compartment or a switch with your dessert tank. Servings here are legendarily huge and service, well it’s an in and out, stuff-em-full sort of place. Four Supermodels could probably share a dinner box and I am including those annoying Supermodels that keep telling us “Oh yes I hardly ever diet! I eat as much as I want”.
This evening we are supposed to meet Rose and Ronald at 6.30pm but we are 15 minutes late. Rose and Ronald have been kicked off their table downstairs in the restaurant and have been asked to wait upstairs in the bar area. We are given a copy of the menu and we order the items upstairs with the no nonsense man with the keypad. In order to expedite turnover, orders are taken upstairs and when the food and table are ready, diners are guided downstairs. Despite there being a bar and having a captive, waiting (and thirsty) audience, there is no bar service as the no nonsense man (we assume the owner) is busy corralling diners. Luckily we are waiting less than 10 minutes when we are shown downstairs. It’s a curious layout, the dining area is small and the kitchen is comparatively huge – larger than the dining space. As we sit down, with the super tightly laid out tables, Rose comments about how loud it is.
Complimentary Appetiser
This vermicelli noodle salad is lightly seasoned with a sweet, vinegary taste.
Complimentary Agedashi Tofu
The complimentary agedashi tofu is a nice surprise as everyone receives one. It’s delicious and one of the better ones I’ve had with a perfectly seasoned sauce (I often find the sauce isn’t flavoursome enough) but this is just right.
Kaiso Salad $8.80
We’re given our Kaiso salad and the size gives us an indication of things to come. It’s huge with a mound of shredded cabbage and thick and thin seaweed. The seaweed itself isn’t highly seasoned or flavoured but the salad has a light dressing over it and a scattering of sesame seeds.
Cream Croquette with crab meat $6.80
The items I went crazy for in Tokyo were Cream Croquettes. These are small croquettes filled with the creamiest potato. I can’t really see or taste any crab meat but I do see a couple of corn kernels.
Other diner’s plates are set down next to us and we are aghast at how big they are. The Katsu meal at the table next to us had 8 huge pieces of katsu and their Tempura had a large variety of food. We see why the sizes are legendary.
Sushi Deluxe $16.80
The sushi deluxe selection is interesting and plentiful with a lot of variety. Everything is very fresh and my favourite sushi is the salmon belly nigiri the salmon belly melting in the mouth.
Sashimi Deluxe $16.80
A Sashimi deluxe boat has my husband’s eyes lighting up with excitement. It’s delicious and fresh although it is quite chilled (I prefer it slightly less chilled). He adores sashimi and sushi and I can recall when the first time he saw me eating sushi. He simply eyed me carefully while I ate it (I think watching to see if I would die). The second time I asked him if he wanted to try some and he agreed reluctantly and he then proceeded to wolf down the rest of my sushi. And as for the third time… well he hasn’t stopped eating it and now leaves me in the dust as far as sushi eating is concerned.
Closeup of the sashimi boat
Una Ju Box $15.80
The Una Ju or Eel box is a long lacquer box with an eel fillet on some lightly sauced rice. It’s lovely and soft (although I’d have to admit that I favour Zenya’s eel more but this place is closer). It is extremely filling especially with the rice.
Chicken Katsu dinner box $32.80
During the dinner we’d received bits from the dinner box from the miso soup, the sashimi, the rice, the teriyaki chicken and we finally receive the huge plate of Chicken Katsu. We’re impressed as it looks huge with 8 big pieces. Taking a piece of the deliciously crunchy katsu drenched and sitting in a pool of that mysteriously good Japanese brown sauce, I find extra space for these delicious morsels. The pieces are sizeable and full of chicken as katsu at other places can be thin and full of mostly batter. We just cannot fit it all in so we ask for it to be given to us take away.
Sashimi as part of the Dinner box
Complimentary ice cream with green tea syrup, sweet red beans and cornflakes
And just when we think that we can’t fit in another bite (this is the fullest I have felt for about 15 years), we’re all given complimentary vanilla ice cream scoops with green tea syrup, cornflakes and sweetened red beans. I can’t fit much else in so after trying a bit (it’s delicious and refreshing) I pass this onto my husband who is grinning broadly, ready with outstretched hands.
The waitress approaches the table next to us holding their ice cream and asks if they can eat their ice cream upstairs as other people need their table. We take that indirect cue and ask for our bill. We exit with our takeaway box of goodies, my husband delighted at being fed sushi, sashimi and all other goodies for a tiny $24 a person.
So tell me Dear Reader, do you eat until bursting if the food is good? Or can you stop as soon as you feel full?
And because today’s theme is fun on a budget, we have a giveaway for all of you lovely Victorian readers out there. Escapade Events is giving away a double pass worth $60 to their launch party to be held at Tony Starr’s Kitten Club on Little Collins Street, Melbourne on Thursday the 23rd of July, 2009 from 6.30-8.30pm. All guests receive a gift bag worth $130 as well as cocktails, canapes, cupcakes, Nailene demonstrations and door prizes. All you have to do is name another upcoming event hosted by Escapade Events and email it to: nqnescapadeevents@gmail.com. The competition closes at midnight on the 21st of July. Good luck!
Sushi Suma
421 Cleveland St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Phone (02) 9698 8873
Barely any space between the toilet and the table!
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42 Comments | Add your own
I’m such a pig, I could eat a whole dinner box.
That Unagi is the Hugest serving I have ever seen and now I want one. Size does matter lol.
I remember when I was a kid going to Sizzlers, gorging on cheesy toast, cheesy bread, salad, and 5 or 6 desserts. good times good times.
What a funny place. Seems like the service and seating is eccentric, but the food looks delicious and plentiful, which is obviously why it is so popular.
Oh wow, sashimi porn indeed! It all looks delicious. If there is good food around, I take one for the team and push the limits so that I can try it all – even if I feel that I couldn’t possibly take another bite. (After all, we have a second stomach for dessert
).
Mmmm sashimi porn! So glad you made it there. Remember when we tried to go that Sunday?
I need to get there when I’m back – I’m always seeking out good agedashi tofu. It’s the holy grail for me! I’m a fan of the one at Tomodachi in Broadway if you’re in the neighbourhood.
Ahh so much love for Sushi Suma! Love the agadeshi tofu; my friend once said that she could have the cabbage and be happy; love the teriyaki chicken there, oh and the ice cream! I’ve shared the dinner set twice and been stuffed by the end! Such good value, the top bar area that’s not a bar area is a bit strange, they should really utilise that area a bit better.
Oh my, yes please to sashimi porn! I’m with you on the crazy for croquettes. They are the best when they have corn in them! How odd, my brother had the eel at Zenya the other day and said it was really disappointing. Maybe because it was takeaway?
LOL @ space between table and toilet. Oh and the photos do the serving sizes justice – they look humungous!!
hey Lorraine, great review! been going there since the mid 90s. Those set meals have gone from like under $20 and steadily creeping up each year. kinda miss the old sushi suma. things were alot more hectic then…but i guess they always needed more room.
i always order too much. but i also have a rule of finishing whatever i order… much to my detriment…
Wooo Sushi Suma! They’ve been known for the portion of their food for sure!
Most of the waitresses over there are Japanese. But strangely EVERY TIME I ask something in Japanese, they wouldn’t understand me – like I have strong non-Japanese accent or something!! grr.
I have such fond memories of Sushi Suma – such good value for uni students! This is the new more spacious renovated outfit of Sushi suma – it used to be even more of a shoebox! They’ve clearly become wildly popular over the years since they’re asking people to move if their guests are late. I say so because I was once 30 mins late to a date with my bf. They didn’t tell him to move, they just looked at him sympathetically because it looked like he’d been stood up…
I love you… my fave Japanese (used to be local) restaurant. Now I need to go back there after seeing these pics. I miss their Agedashi Tofu!
I am a recent sushi convert. It all looked good to me!!
have always enjoyed the japanese salad at Sushi Suma and agedashi tofu. such good value.
eeee! this looks lovely. i’ve never had sashimi before but i really want to try it now.
When I really love something I definitely over eat! I used to always order entrée and main courses and then completely over-stuff myself until I felt sick! Now I either order 2 entrées or just a main, then if I have room I get dessert! And I don’t have the “I’ve eaten so much I feel sick” thing happening.
Oh I love sashimi and I love large servings, Sushi Suma and I appear to be a match made in heaven!
This place used to be top of my list for Jap food. I thought it used to be a lot better. However, I also went recently, still not bad – their tofu & icecream are delicious.. (both are my fave)
You might have done a review on tengoku? (i forgot whether you have) You know whether they are still open?
This is a regular haunt of mine for many years. It’s always packed, just wish they made the upstairs part available to diners as well. Their dinner sets are HUGE, good value to share between 2 people.
Totally off topic howeve rplease help… Where in Sydney can you buy rice wafer paper to make nougat? I’ve tried coles, Plenty, DJs… no luck. Thanks for your help.
I can’t stop staring at the first photo. Sashimi porn of the hardcorest quality.
Heard great things about this place and we still haven’t tried it – looks like great value
The serving sizes are amazing, and the price and quality sound good too. That eel meal really does credit to eels being a long fish!
Now that is food pornography at its finest! I was absolutely mesmerized by the photo at the top – gorgeous colors!
(Oh, and sadly no: I don’t stop – can’t stop eating whenever the food is great. But, what the heck: you only live once, right?)
wow the food looks great!!! I think I’ll be heading there with the boy tonight to try. I’ve just looked at their menu online, would it have been cheaper for you guys to get the Sushi Dinner set rather than the sashimi deluxe and sushi deluxe seperate? Or is that what you guys got but posted it as seperate? Hehe just deciding what I should order!
It really depends on my food and the mood. But sushi? Oh…That is just…THE BOMB….
That just looked amazing. I could eat sashimi until the cows come home and never be satiated. This place does look like it could give me a run for my money though!
For Sushi lovers Sushi Suma must be heaven, the complimentary sides are a nice touch. My neice’s husband would love this place and it’s criminal how much food that boy can put away,lol. The Escapade Events prize sounds so good, for once I wished I lived in Melbourne.
OK, you pretty much had me sold with the cream croquettes. The fact that everything else looks wonderful is pretty much just an awesome bonus
Love your description of the Chicken Katsu …. mmmmm
you got my attention when you mentioned that the serving sizes here are legendarily huge – it’s not common for a japanese restaurant for sure and all the better
i’d say that when the food is so good, i eat till i’m bursting…probably not a good thing
Hi Blond Duck-hehe it’s so tempting but they’re huge! And you’re a tiny thing too
Hi Tara-it’s massive isn’t it! I was surprised when I saw it! Yep size definitely matters
Oooh sounds like great memories! I always remember food from childhood 
Hi MrsDesperate-Yes I think they know they can be a bit strange with the service as the food is so cheap and servings so huge!
Hi Cakelaw-Ahh good on you!
Yep that’s right, the secret dessert tank! 
Hi Christie-hehe I remember! We were so set to go and then we found out it was closed!
Oh cool, if I’m there I’ll get the agedashi tofu! 
Hi Betty-yes I can’t believe how big the dinner sets are! Surely they’re meant for 2 people? Or a Sumo wrestler?
Yes they could make a killing there!
Hi Steph-hehe yep food porn is good porn
Aww no, how disappointing! It’s usually so good! I know a lot of readers go to Zenya for the eel too! 
Hi Trisha-It was tiny! Plus I saw someone squeeze through
They were massive, I was stunned!
Hi Kewpie-Thankyou! Ah yes it has been renovated hasn’t it! hehe great effort! I tried but failed
Hi Yas-Yes it’s not Japanese sized servings that’s for sure! Oh really? how funny! Are they from a different area?
Hi Forager-Yes it’s like 2 meals for the price of 1 isn’t it!
Aww how times change!
Hi Caroline-Thankyou! yes that agedashi is great isn’t it-and free!
Hi Bethie-Ahh wonderful! Are there lots of sushi places near you?
Hi Simon-Yes it’s incredible value!
Hi holly-I love it, especially salmon belly sashimi!
Hi Gab-Yes that’s me too!*sigh* I do that trick too and I tend to like the entrees on menus a bit more too. Great minds!
Hi Bill-If you like large servings, you will indeed be in heaven!
Hi isLa-I’ve heard it used to be better but that it’s still pretty good (from friends). yes they’re great and how great that they’re free too!
I will be moving there soon so I will if they’re still around!
Hi Howard-Yes they could really utilise that upstairs space better and yep definitely the sets are for 2 people!
Hi Kelly-Have you tried the Essential Ingredient? They usually have everything!
Hi Mr Taste-hehe why thankyou!
it’s fantastic value and even my hubby couldn’t complain as he was stuffed full!
Hi Arwen-Yes it was the longest eel serving I’ve received!
Hi Midge-hehe thankyou! Yes true food porn is always something you cannot take your eyes off!
Yep that’s true! And if it’s good it’s hard to stop!
Hi Julie-Oh great! I’d love to know what you think of it
Yes I don’t think we ordered very well. In fact a dinner box would be enough for two! 
Hi amy-Yes I can eat loads of protein but not as much carbs. Hehe cool!
Hi Jessica-Me too!
I can eat an inordinate amount of protein 
Ahh really! Sounds like a must visit? 
Hi Matilda-Yes the sides are very generous! Aha sounds like a match made in heaven!
yes if only it were in Sydney but I guess I have so many Sydney comps!
Hi Kate-hehe I only wish there was crab in them!
Hi Anita-hehe thanks! I’ve never had a chicken katsu quite like that!
Hi Panda-yes it’s not common at all! that’s why we were so impressed
Yes me too sadly! 
Yumm…. that first pic looks so good. I want sashimi NOW! Love their huge servings and I definitely eat till bursting each and every time if the food is good.
The tofu looks DELISH, you are having a give away as well? WOW, sorry I have not been by recently but finally getting settled in.. I missed so much.
OMG, the food looks amazing! I love it when food is art as well as delicious!
I am creating a list of all the restaurants that we need to go to in Sydney (the list is getting quite long). Definitely adding this one. I’m going with my husband and our good friend who are both avid sushi lovers. I know they’ll fawn over this place.
NQN have you been to Sushi Man in Balmain? the quality is not amazing, just fair but the food comes out really quickly and the prices are pretty amazing – dinner sets for around $15 from memory.
Those sashimi are so close I could almost taste them.
OOohh if you say they are big I need to give them a go! How do they compare with sushi tengoku? The unagi does look big
and that chicken katsu *droooool*
WOW, everything looks good! this makes me crave for Jap food again!and I can continue eating if I’m full =)
Hi foodie-central-Thanks so much! Yep I love a bit of sashimi porn
Me too!
Hi Girl Japan-It was great! Good to hear that you’re all settled!
Hi Faith-It was great! I love the colours of the sashimi and the presentation of Japanese cuisine is gorgeous
Hi Akila-Hehe yes you won’t want for a great meal here!
Just don’t forget to activate all emergency stomach procedures i.e.loose clothing, no belts 
Hi lindsey clare-I haven’t been but I bet hubby would love that, thanks!
Hi SushiTail-Hehe thanks!
Hi FFichiban-I hvaen’t been to Tengoku (yet!). The amount in the dinner box is definitely man sized. I think you might have trouble finishing it!
Hi Pigpigscorner-Me too, I always can with Japanese food!
It was the worst serive i ever had, i waited 50 mintues to have other people get a table in 5, when asked why, well i didnt order beforehand!! WOW asking me would be good too!! i never ate there,ruined my friends birthday and i think its a OH&S issue waiting on the stairs of that tiny place
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