Hungry Sumo Taiwanese Cuisine at Retiro Cor. Banawe, Quezon City

2 weeks ago, I was invited by Mr. Jonitson Po and Ms. Amerilie Ang to sample the newest cuisine on the block- Hungry Sumo. As with new things, I didn't know what to expect. I initially thought that the place would be a Japanese resto offering typical ramen and sushi. But I was wrong. According to the owners, the place is actually a Taiwanese-style restaurant offering the best of the country's street food. The food resembles a highly American-influenced cuisine (due to the heavy westernization of Taiwan after 1948).

Upon further examination of the menu, I found that the viands are actually composed of chicken, pork, and fish deep fried and served with rice, pasta, or bread. Moreover, the drinks are actually composed of milkshake favorites served in a variety of flavors. Prices are actually very friendly to students and office workers looking for a tasty and affordable alternative to the fast food offerings in the area. The hungry meal, composed of 1 piece of deep fried chicken, pork, or fish capped with rice, sauce, and vegetables, are below 100 pesos. The sumo meal, on the other hand, composed of 2 pieces of the fried favorites, can go for up to less than 150 pesos. The specialty milkshakes start at 70 for the coolers and 90 pesos for the rocksalt variants (with cream cheese and salt). Drinks are at 30 pesos per glass. For those who prefer pasta, these variants start at 95 pesos per platter. With meat toppings, these can go up to 140 pesos. Bread lovers can try out their sandwiches capped at about 130 pesos complete with fries. For those craving for extra orders, chicken, fish, or pork poppers can be order at around 70 pesos per serving. Given the affordable prices, who wouldn't want to try out these delights?

They even offer the Hungry Sumo Platter: a delectable array of 8 pieces of their fried favorites together with pasta, milkshakes, sides, sauces, and rice that can feed 4 to 5 people. Priced at Php 745 to Php 1265, this combo offers an excellent value for money choice for barkadas who like to eat big and spend less.

The dishes aren't composed anything complicated or too exotic to the palate. These were just the way I like it: simple, tasty, and not so taxing on the wallet.

I was offered a taste of their specialty dishes: the Sumo Chicken Curry Rice Meal (Php 155) accompanied with a tall glass of Mocha Rocksalt shake (Php 90). According to the owners, their specialty lies in making chicken that is so melt-in-your-mouth. I was clearly impressed upon tasting. a few seconds after savoring the tasty curry sauce and breading, the chicken literally melted without me giving an effort to chew it. Now that's the true embodiment of tender juicy. Every part of the viand satisfied me. The skin, while deep fried, wasn't too salty. The meat, apart from being tender, truly absorbed the taste of the curry powder and the oil. Add to that the well-cooked rice and dishes, and you have a hit that catered to my tastes. According to the owners, customers were truly amazed at the texture, taste, and style of their chicken. I'd say it just needs a wee bit more of promotion to stand out from the giants in the fried chicken industry.

The milkshake, on the other hand, was pure creamy goodness. The texture and consistency was just right, and the mocha taste was not too bitter and overpowering. Even with the rocksalt and cheese, the drink didn't seem too fatty for my taste.

Given the array of dishes, I'm pretty sure Hungry Sumo would cater to a younger crowd very much interested in fried favorites and milky drinks.

Hungry Sumo is located at Retiro corner Banawe Street at the back of BDO and Papa Johns. Store hours are from 10:30 am to 9:30 pm Monday to Sunday. The restaurant also does packed lunch deliveries and bulk orders.

You can also visit their FB page at https://www.facebook.com/hungrysumo88/

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