Not only Tel Aviv knows how to do it: The restaurant bringing Asian flavors to Holon

Unlike nearby Tel Aviv, Holon is not considered a culinary stronghold with big promises. Despite this, the former “children’s city” surprisingly boasts gastronomic bright spots that arrive straight from distant Asia. The Sumo restaurant has been considered one of them for years. Here you’ll find a combination of flavors and aromas that landed directly from the Far East, and thanks to the careful design and good atmosphere, you’ll discover not just a restaurant but a true entertainment venue.

The restaurant, located near the Mediatheque in Holon, belongs to the “K Group,” owned by Eyal Eliyahu, an entrepreneur and interior designer responsible for the design of all the group’s restaurant spaces. The group includes various restaurant chains such as Patrick’s, Café Lalush, and Umai. Tomer Assidon serves as the group’s acting manager and leads the professional and managerial operations of all the restaurants.

These days, the restaurant is shifting direction and offering a new kosher menu in an intriguing collaboration with Lagziel, promising premium meat cuts. The move, led by the group’s chef Avi Naamani Luxembourg, comes from a desire to expand the customer circle and adapt the place for events as well. The new menu is suitable for everyone: Vegans, children, meat lovers, and fine-dining enthusiasts, and you will find kosher versions of beloved signature dishes alongside new, indulgent creations rich in flavor.

We arrived midweek, and the restaurant was already full in the early evening hours. We chose to sit at the bar and enjoy the full entertainment experience. At first, we ordered two refreshing cocktails—one from the sweet family containing citrus liqueur, pineapple, and lychee (NIS 48) that immediately transported us to an island in Thailand. The second was a local and refreshing version of gin, martini, strawberry purée, and St-Germain (NIS 52). From there, we moved on to dishes that were generous, rich, and successful—except for one disappointing dish.

We started with chicken nems—two rice paper rolls filled with root vegetables and chicken. Iceberg lettuce, chili, sumac onion, and coriander leaves (NIS 47). These were two crispy units, fatty and full of vegetables. From there, we moved on to pulled-beef gyoza—four steamed and seared dumplings, especially tasty, served on tomato cream, chili, and a soy–sherry vinegar dip (NIS 59). The Seven Leaves Salad also made its way to the table. The bowl featured lollo lettuce, red and green oak, salanova, mustard leaves, radish, crispy beans, and sweet potato, all coated in coriander vinaigrette (NIS 63). This was a rich, crispy leafy bowl with a well-balanced dressing that didn’t overpower everything.

Next, we continued to two units of pulled-beef bao, slow-cooked for 12 hours (NIS 67). Chuck roast in chipotle sauce and cucumber rested in an airy bao bun, and the combination was delicious and precise. For mains, we ordered Red Curry and Pad Kapao. The Red Curry dish included fresh egg noodles, onion, bell pepper, spinach, green beans, Thai basil, peanuts, coconut cream, lemongrass, chili, and kaffir lime, and for the protein we chose to add beef (NIS 72). The dish was generous and full of flavor. Despite the promise of high-level spiciness, we received it at a milder level than expected, yet we still loved the dish. The disappointment came from the Pad Kapao (NIS 69). The classic dish includes minced meat with ginger over white rice, cucumber threads, and a sunny-side-up egg on a crisp lettuce leaf. The dish did arrive with all its components but was less successful. It was dry and tired—not only compared to its counterparts that shone brightly on the table.