By Eden Selman
Staff Writer

Being a foodie really pays off with the new all-you-can-eat sushi buffet, Sumo Sushi, in Oregon City. The sushi buffet, located on Beavercreek Road and the Trails End Highway, is open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on weekdays and until 9:30 p.m. on weekends. This spot is perfect for an afternoon lunch or a hefty dinner with  friends and family.

The buffet consists of dishes like fried rice, chicken wings, chicken skewers, spring rolls, gyoza, fruits, vegetables and dessert items. Interestingly they also had soups such as eggdrop and miso. For drinks they had fruit juices and thai milk tea, as well as boba and jellies to put in your drink of choice. They also have other fun drinks on the menu for an extra charge like, an icy strawberry, icy grape jasmine, icy sunshine jasmine, icy passionfruit and icy grapefruit yuzu jasmine. I ordered the icy strawberry and paired it with the mango popping boba, which was a perfect combination of flavor. 

Buffet line at restaurant. Photos by Madyson Muresan

The buffet was restocked every few minutes to keep the food fresh. My favorites were the gyoza, which are crescent-shaped dumplings, fried rice and chicken skewers. As a big fried rice enthusiast, for a buffet I was impressed with the quality. Although my first round of fried rice was old and crunchy, moments after they put new rice out I ran up, filled my plate and it redeemed itself as soft, steamy rice. 

Although there was plenty of food on the buffet bar, there were also delicious entrees such as specialty sushi rolls, noodle soups, grilled meats, tartare bowls, shabushabu, handrolls and sashimi. These could be ordered through the digital QR code provided to order off your phone and delivered to your table by an adorable sushi robot. You seriously can’t make this up; a sushi robot. Unfortunately the cute sushi robot didn’t deliver to our table but we watched it zoom around and zip around customers in a rush to deliver the sushi to the hungry customers. 

Patrons enjoying their meal.

The pricing of the food is somewhat reasonable for two people. The bill came out to $52, gratuity included. There are three options for food; the silver plate, the gold plate and the $15 buffet only option. The silver plate is the standard level of all you can eat, including classic sushi rolls, hot dishes, appetizers and buffet items. The gold plate is the most expensive option. It includes everything that is in the silver plate along with higher end ingredients and specialty items not available on the silver plate. The $15 buffet option is only paying for the buffet with no add-ons. Fortunately with all of the options stated before, you get an included drink from the buffet bar such as thai tea and juice. There is also a percentage charge for the food left un-eaten after you have finished, as well as an included tip. The prices also vary depending on time of day and age, kids under 12 eat for cheaper. Dinnertime will be the most expensive bill and lunch time is the most affordable. Definitely something to keep in mind about coming to this place. 

The waitress explained how the place worked simply and with a smile. She seemed very knowledgeable about the place and was open to any questions. The place as a newcomer is a little intimidating and confusing so it was very nice to get briefed on how the establishment works and to feel in the loop. The environment was incredibly welcoming and open. The whole place was covered in intentional decorations, curating a warm sushi restaurant vibe. Paper umbrellas hung upside down from the ceiling as well as lanterns all throughout the restaurant. The lighting during the daytime was enjoyable because of the windows surrounding the entire place, letting in the natural light. The ceiling is made out of wood which gives it a home-like vibe as well. 

Outside of Sumo Sushi.

When I go out to eat, the quality of the food matching up to the price is important to me. Given that it is a buffet my expectations were not high, but this place exceeded them. It was thoroughly impressive with the quality and quantity of the food.