Sumo To Go @ JLT

sumo is one of our most favorite japanese restaurants in dubai. very affordable price with big servings and of course, delicious food and excellent service. sumo opened a new branch in JLT (jumeirah lake towers) but called it ‘sumo to go’ as it caters more to the nine-to-five crowd who might want to eat something easy to take away or just want a quick bite.

click here for our first time at sumo, and click here to read about the pretty branch at jumeirah.

 

so sumo to go is different than other sumo branches – it has a self-service counter to make your order, and food is served on plastic container for easy ‘take-away’. no frills, just good food.

 

i got my usual favorite, the teriyaki chicken bento – charbroiled chicken glazed with sumo’s famous teriyaki sauce. the taste is consistently delicious in this small branch, however there’s something less satisfying dining in plastic containers rather than the bento box we’re so used to when we eat at other sumo branches. nothing to do with the taste – it’s just a feel. haha.

 

mr. khairul had HIS usual – the tempura bento; crispy shrimp tempura served with tempura soy sauce. also included is some chicken teriyaki too, and kimchi on the side.

 

 

my boys shared the usual order – the chicken katsu bento; breaded chicken cutlet served with sumo’s own tangy katsu sauce. crispy, juicy as always.

 

 

the miso soup here is served in plastic containers like everything else, and i know it’s more than if it’s served in a small bowl!

 

 

 

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when we asked for extra plate – so pretty! hihi.

 

 

‘sumo to go’ is perfect for – well – people on the go, who wants food, to go! like i said, the quality of food is the same, but i think atmosphere-wise, we will stick to our favorite branch in dubai media city anytime we want a taste of japanese food from sumo. sumo in JLT (jumeirah lake towers) is at cluster C.

Father’s Day Dinner @ Vietnamese ‘Hanoi’, JLT

it was father’s day, and on a special day like this we usually get something like a fat juicy steak. however, this penang boy mr. khairul with a kampung taste wanted something asian. something simple yet delicious. something that reminds him of home.

we looked for something simple like kuey teow soup or noodle soup – and found a nice vietnamese restaurant called ‘hanoi’. by the end of our visit there, it has become one of the best place to get soupy dishes in dubai – vietnam style!

 

 

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the first thing I noticed when I walked into ‘hanoi’ were the trees! fake trees of course, but a lovely addition nonetheless. it blends well with the color scheme of orange and green. simply loved it!

 

walls are adorned with random pictures of vietnamese makcik in vietnam setting that brings out that asian feel. simple, random, but it works! the bench-seats are comfy and gives that homey, relaxing feel too. overall a family-friendly cozy place to enjoy delicious soupy dish!

 

the ‘open’ bar – juice bar, that is.

 

simply love the color scheme! ceria!

 

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the menu is quite extensive within the soup domain – written in vietnamese, with translation. everything looks good, really. there are mainly 4 types of noodle available :

• pho – rice noodle
• mien – glass noodle
• bun – rice vermicelli noodle
• mi – egg noodle

 

the celebrated guy – the father – bapak – mr. khairul’s choice : pho dac biet : ‘hanoi special pho’ (pho = rice noodles aka kuey teow) with meatballs. delicious. really. just like the plain kuey teow soup you get at RnR tapah. instantly a favorite with him, and me too!

 

stuff for the soupy dish that i won't even consider adding because I just like my soup to be plain. so tolak ke khairul hihi

 

my 'mi vit tiem' - braised five-spice duck noodle.

 

my noodle with the duck is super delicious. imagine eating this big bowl of hot delight in a cool winter’s night? perfect! makan panas-panas time sejuk-sejuk winter sure da bom!

unlike mr. khairul’s soup dish with ‘pho’ or rice noodles, mine was with ‘mi’ – egg noodles. I really prefer the rice noodles because it’s my favorite noodle of all but this ‘braised five-spice duck’ dish is delicious enough to eat with any type of noodle.

the duck is tender, and because it’s in a soup dish, it’s not as dry as the other duck dishes I’ve ever tasted before. hoisin sauce is available on the table so it was just a delicious dish to enjoy. huge portion of noodle, a lot of duck to munch and the soup is tasty.

altogether a highly-recommended dish. the next time I order this dish, I’m requesting them to change it to rice noodle!

 

my eldest boy khaleef absolutely LOVE anything soupy so he totally enjoyed his kuey teow soup, a dish ordered from the list in the kids’ menu. I’m glad to note that the portion is huge even for a kids’ meal. delicious, enough for two. A plus!

 

seriously, this is the first time I’m using metal chopsticks. pardon me for getting a little over-excited. there’s a certain feel of authenticity when you enjoy chinese/japanese/vietnamese food using chopsticks. somehow it tastes better! haha.

 

this is ‘goi cuon’ or ‘fresh summer rolls’

 

the worst-tasting popiah i've ever eaten!!!

but wait – before you decide to take my word for it, consider that a) I don't really like popiah basah, or unfried spring roll like this; b) i don't like prawn, and c) i hate the taste of cilantro, and d) I don’t like disproportionate food (eg: more filling than the percentage of pastry in a pie bla bla) – tapi gatal nak makan just to try. amik ko. sohun pun ade dlm tu.

but mr. khairul likes it. fresh. unik. so you guys might like it too. just not my cuppa tea.

 

thanks for being a great bapak to my boys. funny, yet responsible. playful, yet strict. the boys look up to you to make them the man they’re going to be. a good role model, peacemaker and a coach. love always!

 

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‘hanoi’ is situated at JLT (jumeirah lake towers) cluster C. you’ll see the italian café ‘o pasta’ and walk down. you’ll see a pizza place, so walk further. soon you’ll see an unassuming place called ‘hanoi’. sit back and enjoy sipping your hot soup with yummy noodle.

 

save this spot for me when winter comes! to my fellow malaysians, kalau nak merasa kuey teow soup ala-ala RnR tapah, moh la ke ‘hanoi’!

Malaysian, Japanese, Spore or Myanmar Dish? Try Innlay Asia @ JLT

there are a few good restaurants around dubai offering delicious malaysian dishes and singaporean food; ‘noodle bowl’ in satwa, ‘singapore deli’ in karama or  – the closest would be ‘noodle factory’ in JBR.

so we were so glad to find out that there’s another restaurant nearby our place offering malaysian taste and from all over south east asia – the ‘innlay asia’ restaurant at JLT (jumeirah lake towers).

 

the ‘innlay asia’ restaurant is set in JLT (jumeirah lake towers) at HDS Tower, cluster F. if you see green-black 'K Pop Chicken' korean restaurant from the main road, you're in the right place. just ask the guard at the parking lot about ‘a thai restaurant’ nearby and he’d know it.

 

the restaurant is in a row facing the man-made JLT lake. you can also opt to eat outside with the nice view of the lake. however, it is already hot summer in dubai and it’s only sensible to eat indoors with the air-cond on full blast!

 

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the menu consist of many delicacies from all over south east asia – there’s the ‘crabstick VIETNAMESE spring rolls’, crispy duck with hoisin sauce, pad THAI noodle, SINGAPORE noodle, MALAYSIAN curry chicken, BALI chicken, JAPANESE udon, kyar zan chet MYANMAR and many more chicken, beef, noodle and vegetable dishes.

 

our appetizer was this special myanmar dish - 'deep fried homemade tofu', made at the restaurant. sedap! freshly fried, with moist texture like fried potatoes. love it. but a bit pricey for such a simple dish.

 

this is khaleef's. he wanted something with noodle, and something NOT spicy. this dish fits the bill – 'japanese udon noodle with seafood', but he asked for chicken instead. delicious! kids-friendly dish that's not spicy, and without much frills. simple and straightforward.

 

khairul the adventurous foodie tried 'mandalay chicken noodle' for the first time, which is a myanmar dish. the noodle is first boiled in chicken broth, then set aside. the chicken is sautéed separately. then noodle and chicken are put together, with the hot chicken broth served in a bowl separately. another straightforward dish that is both tasty and filling!

 

char kuey teow : one of my favorite malaysian dishes!

 

knowing that I can get malaysian food here, I jumped at ordering char kuey teow, without thinking twice. I LOVE char kuey teow! this one in ‘innlay asia’ is a seafood char kuey teow but as usual (even in malaysia) I would ask to change to chicken instead.

this char kuey teow at ‘innlay asia’ is yummy to my standard – not too spicy, the flat noodles were soft and taste delicious of prawn broth. most importantly not too much beansprout!

 

 

a typical malaysian char kuey teow should be darker and more charred, slightly watery, served with seafood, and with much more beansprouts and eggs. still, this plate of char kuew teow at ‘innlay asia’ is satisfying enough for me!

 

 

there are a few south east asia dessert offered in the menu : most of them I can just make at home, haha – like this one dessert was disguised as ‘green pancake with coconut caramel’! hihi. padehal kuih ketayap je sebenarnya! they also have fried banana!

well, those are really delicious desserts from malaysia so foreigners do try them if you have the chance!

we malaysians in dubai would rather try something different – so we tried this ‘chilled sago with honey melon’ – simply chilled, sweetened coconut milk with sago and cut up honey melon. sweet and cooling.

while the main dishes at ‘innlay asia’ are reasonably priced, this dessert however, is a bit pricey for such a simple dish with simple ingredients.

 

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the ‘innlay asia’ is comfortable and clean, a nice family-friendly place. the setting is minimal, with framed scenic pictures of rivers and village on the wall, including one with what I assume are the dewa-dewi of myanmar folklore.

 

 

the service is A-plus; friendly, polite and personalized. the staff suggested different dishes for us to pick, as well as describing how certain dishes are prepared, and their ingredients. a knowledgeable staff like that is a gem in any restaurant as it makes it easier for patrons to decide on their order.

not all restaurant staff make it a point to approach customers to ask ‘how’s your food?’ but here at ‘innlay asia’ they do. kudos!

 

nice table mat, hard and I can imagine easy to wipe clean! (haha, thoughts that only mothers can have!) the glass-ducky chopstick rest is cute

 

this is the view that greets you right outside ‘innlay asia restaurant’. nice and calming.

 

the next time you’re around JLT (jumeirah lake towers) area and have a hankering for delicious asian delights from malaysia, singapore, japan and especially myanmar – head on to ‘innlay asia’!

I will definitely be back just for the char kuey teow!