Sumo Sabi Rolls & Bowls: Revolutionizing Sushi in Tallahassee, Florida

Sumo Sabi Rolls & Bowls has brought Americanized Asian cuisine to Tallahassee, Fla.'s casual dining scene. This sushi restaurant is ideal for hungry patrons looking for a new flavor and casual dining experience for lunch or dinner.

After seeing "coming soon" ads for Sumo Sabi Rolls & Bowls in various Tallahassee magazines, I was eager to check out the self-proclaimed "evolution in sushi dining." I have to admit, my curiosity about the sushi restaurant was piqued after seeing the restaurant's logo. It includes an adorable, pudgy sumo wrestler.

I visited Sumo Sabi for lunch on a Friday afternoon. Upon entering the sushi restaurant, immediately on the left is the menu on three large panels. Thankfully, the print is large enough so I didn't have to squint. For those wanting to hold a menu, laminated ones are available.

I briefly waited in line for my order to be taken then watched as it was prepared. The set-up is similar to an assembly-line in a sandwich shop. Patrons watch through glass as the Sumo Sabi staff prepares the sushi rolls and bowls.

Call me old fashioned, but I'm not sure if this is a good idea. I was disappointed to see the evolution in sushi making. A machine is used to press sushi rice into a perfectly flat rectangle. The "chef" then places a piece of nori on top and moves it to a plate. He then reaches into plastic bins and adds sushi ingredients. I suppose this technology is befitting of Japanese cuisine, the Japanese are the innovators of technology and it only makes sense there's a machine to streamline sushi making.

Despite having a craving for a sushi roll, I opted for the Ultimate Eel Bowl which is sliced eel, avocado, cream cheese and fish roe topped with eel sauce ($7.99). I chose to have this atop brown rice while my other choices were white rice, noodles or salad greens.

I watched as brown rice was scooped into a white, square bowl and cream cheese streaks were squeezed out of a gun. My eel was heated up on foil in what looked like a pizza oven and placed atop the rice, along with the avocado slices and eel sauce. I added a soda making the bill, with tax, $10.19.