Mister Sumo Pleases Kids and Adults Alike

My son’s school friend and neighbor Mila had her birthday celebration at a location that was not typical for kids.

It wasn’t at Pump It Up, Chuck E. Cheese or any other place you would expect.

And, it wasn’t in Crystal Lake. It was in Palatine.

It was at newly opened Japanese restaurant–Mister Sumo’s–in the shopping center on Route 14 where the road makes it big bend.

It’s next to the Dollar Tree, which is next to CitiCorp on the southeastern end of the mall. At the opposite end of the mall is where Hobby Lobby is located–on the mall’s northwestern end.

A bit hard to find, but worth the effort.

Actually, the restaurant is called

Sumo Japanese Steak and Sushi.

“I’m never had more fun in my life,” Mila’s younger brother Mateo said.

“I never want to leave.”

I’ll bet owner Seung Kim, otherwise known as “Mr. Sumo,” didn’t know he had a children’s attraction.

And, I’ll bet most parents don’t realize that this Japanese restaurant, in the style of Benihana, complete with huge frying surface at every table, would hold their children’s attention so completely.

The chefs do their thing with their spatulas, flipping them first, then an egg that ends up in his hat, they an unbroken egg shell that end up aimed at Mateo.

Even the dishes full of fried rice were flipped before delivery to the young patrons.

And, of course, there were pyrotechnics.

And, the open flames were what brought us from Crystal Lake to Palatine.

Mila’s and Mateo’s grandfather is Crystal Laker Marty Walter, owner of Walter Alarm.

If you own a business that needs an expert with providing fire retardant equipment and alarms, plus dealing with local government officials, Marty is the man to call.

His work for Mister Sumo stimulated the birthday party celebration.

They obviously get along pretty well.

The kids loved the onion rings which turned first into a fire spouting volcano, then into one spewing forth lava.

I like onions about as much as my father liked celery (not at all), which he though my mother put into every meal she prepared.

I have a similar suspicion about my wife. I pick them out of one of our favorite salads, which is really quite good…without the onions.

But these onions tasted good.

I wish I hadn’t given so many of them to my wife before I tasted one.

They didn’t taste like onions at all.

My wife had scallops.

I had swordfish. (Although Marty treated, I noticed that the swordfish was less than $20. Prices ranged up from there.)

My son settled for fried rice, which included the egg that landed on the chef’s hat.

It was just like being a little kid again.

Only, it was the chef cutting up my fish, instead of my mother or father.


After the opening of presents came dessert, pineapples cut so they looked like baskets with the sweet part of the pineapple easy to extract.

Again, cut up.

The staff sang a birthday song. Not, “Happy Birthday to you,” for which royalties would have to be paid. A different one like Rain Forest Cafe.

Then, Mister Sumo entered with his staff banging on a big gong.

It was loud.

It delighted the kids.

Even more delight followed when Mr. Sumo held the gong and let the kids hit it.

Some were gentle.

Some were not.

When it was behind my wife, she was holding her ears.

Too close I guess.

An unexpected, but great place to hold a birthday party.

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All pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them.


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