Sumo Onigiri Rice Ball Damansara Utama

It has been a while since my last food review. Waking up on mother's day today gave me the motivation to review what Janice and I had yesterday over at Sumo Onigiri Rice Ball Damansara Utama. I've heard of these Japanese rice balls before, but have not had the change to try it until now. 

Sumo Onigiri Rice Ball Damansara Utama

Sumo Onigiri Rice Ball Damansara Utama
No. 80, Ground Floor,
Jalan SS21/39 Damansara Utama,
47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Phone: 017-505 0755
Email: sumoonigiri@live.com.my
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sumoonigiri
Website: http://www.sumoonigiri.com.my

The obligatory shots of the restaurant's decor and menu

Arriving at Sumo Onigiri at 2pm, together with foodie bloggers, we were promptly ushered to our seats for an afternoon of rice balls delight. I did not know then that my stomach would be filled with plenty of rice by the end of the "makan" session. Located at Jalan SS21/39 in Damansara Utama, Sumo Onigiri stood out amongst all the other shop lots with its eye catching signage, and cozy looking decor. 

#1 Miso Soup and Chawan Mushi

We were served first with some Miso Soup and Chawan Mushi to tantalize our taste buds before the barrage of rice balls to come. Served in this cute small bowl, Janice and I did like their Chawan Mushi as it was tasty without the heavy fishy smell found at some other spots. I wanted more though, but then the rice invasion came.

This was how the Japanese Onigiri looked like served on a plate

Here's a short fact about how Onigiri (Rice Balls) came about. Taking off Sumo Onigiri's menu description, Onigiris are popular among bento (single portion home-packed meal) makers. It's usually rice shaped into a triangle, oval or sphere with filling in the middle, wrapped in noti (toasted seaweed). The word "onigiri" literally means "taking hold of with your hands", which was exactly what we did to enjoy these balls. 

Various Japanese Onigiri, all at RM4 each

Various Japanese Onigiri, all at RM4 each

Over at Sumo Onigiri, we were served with both the original Japanese version, as well as the fusion type of onigiris. Pictured above were the various Japanese Onigiris, priced at a reasonable cost of RM4 each. The fillings ranged from Kani Mayo, Furikake, Unagi, Prawn to Ebi Tempura. Check out the below for part of their extensive range.

Sumo Onigiri Menu

Here's a cross section of one of the cuttlefish Japanese Onigiris

The rice wrapped with the toasted seaweed had a very nice texture to it, crunchy on the outside due to the seaweed, while being warm when munched into. The fillings were fresh, as each Onigiri here was made to order. We had to patiently wait while each of the rice balls were made. 

The different types of sauce to enjoy at Sumo Onigiri

One thing to note, at Sumo Onigiri, they pride themselves with the unique sauce to complement their yummy rice balls. We had the plum sauce type, the spicy "sambal udang" type, peanut sauce and the really special Wasabi Mayonnaise sauce. Personally I liked all four of it.

#3 Shisamo Mentaiko - RM10.90

#4 Golden Triangle - RM10.90

Up next were the fusion style Onigiris which were bigger and had chilli, sauces and looked more colourful than the original Japanese styled ones. We had so many that afternoon that I lost count of how many rice balls went into my round stomach. Anyway, I did like the Golden Triangle shown above, as it was crunchy and tasty. Wrapped with fried tempura, the rice inside had these bits of egg thrown in which brought out the flavour and suited well with my palette.

#5 Idako Karage - RM10.90

#6 Inari Cheese - RM 10.90

All the fusion onigiri sets came at a set price of RM10.90 with mashed potato on the sides, a small bowl of Chawan Mushi and Miso Soup. For takeaway, it's priced at RM8.90 without the soup and Chawan Mushi. The Idako Karage had these cuttlefish as fillings,while the Inari Cheese was unique with Inari and cheese wrapping the rice ball. The sauce was a tad too much for me though, but I was told these fusion style were heavier on taste to cater for the Malaysian crowd.

#7 Yaki Salmon - RM10.90

#8 Western Style - RM10.90

Of all the fusion onigiris, I took a liking immediately for the Western Style type. Probably it was the chicken slice and cheese coupled with the hot egg infused rice ball, but this was the one I had the most. 

Overall, it was a good meal out at Sumo Onigiri, and I did observe patrons coming over to take-away the rice balls for their consumption back home. Do check out Sumo Onigiri Rice Ball at Damansara Utama should you be in the vicinity and hunger for some Japanese Rice Balls.