First Look: A Lunchtime Treat At Sumi Robata Bar
By Anthony Todd in Food on May 7, 2013 6:00PM
We were pleasantly impressed by our first visit to Sumi Robata Bar shortly after it opened. We had heard all about the back story of robata grilling from Chef Gene Kato, and we wanted to see if the flavors lived up to the hype. Capsule review: They did. It was amazing. But if you ate your heart out, it could get pretty expensive. Late last month, Sumi launched a new lunch menu which, we hoped, would give us a more economical way to get a taste of their charcoal-grilled delicacies.
Their lunch menu is significantly more limited than the dinner menu and is missing the biggest draw: the huge selection of different robata-grilled bites. Instead, they have gone with a fixed-price bento box style, which gives guests a filling lunch with a hint of that robata goodness for just $15.
The box includes one grilled item — salmon, chicken, skirt steak or vegetables. The salmon and steak portions were generous and perfectly grilled. The vegetables were delicious but a little sparse, and vegetarians might want to order another side dish to make up the difference. In addition, the box includes an outstanding seafood croquette, a green salad, rice and soup. Sumi continues to show off its skills with soy, as the entire bottom of the bowl miso soup was covered in a layer of soft, creamy tofu that made this dish much more than your typical salty palate-cleanser.
The best part? Lunch isn't too crowded (yet), so it's a great opportunity to sit at the robata bar, chat with the chefs and watch them grill. At that time of day, they're also doing plenty of their evening prep, so you get a chance to see some of the dishes from the more extensive menu coming together. It's like a really great "coming attractions" segment.
Combined with an inexpensive portion of their excellent and refreshing salt-cured cucumber, lunch cost about $17 per person. If you're looking to get taste of Sumi's menu without laying out too much cash, this is your chance.
Sumi Robata Bar is located at 702 North Wells Street.