There are restaurants that try to seduce the cynical Tel Avivian with sophistication, a double wink and a menu that looks like a final project in visual culture. SUMO is not one of them.
From the outset, it’s clear that the mission of getting the condescending type of Tel Avivian to come to Holon is not on the agenda. Instead, SUMO chooses almost subversive honesty: Good food, colorful, happy, the kind that doesn’t apologize for the pleasure it offers and doesn’t require translation in the body of the menu.
It starts with the name, SUMO. Strong, clear, a bit childish – and precisely because of that, it works. The purple lighting at the entrance, illuminating plants as if they were part of an Asian nightclub set, also signals: Don’t look for Zen-Buddhist minimalism here. Look for fun.
And indeed, once seated, a world opens up that is based on play, on unconventional combinations, and on an understanding of the type of audience. One of the memorable dishes by chef Avi Naamani Luxemburg is sushi with kataifi (NIS 72).
It’s a pairing that for a moment sounds like a joke – Holon meets Dubai – but on the plate, surprisingly, it works. The kataifi provides a delicate, almost airy crunch, wrapping the sushi without weighing it down.
The hinted sweetness meets saltiness and umami, creating a moment of “how didn’t they think of this earlier.” The Nachos Roll (NIS 72) continues the same line of thought: Japan meets Mexico, not as a cultural statement but as a game. A coarser crunch, sharp flavors and balance between them, preventing a slide into caricature.
Another dish that illustrates the spirit of SUMO is a rice paper shell with tuna tartare (NIS 69). Here there is a theatrical element: The rice paper is served as a crumpled work of art, which must be broken and mixed with the filling inside.
It’s a game on the plate, a moment in which the diner becomes an active partner. The result is deep flavors, vegetables and protein that unite only after the breaking action. Not a gimmick, an experience.
The menu is broad, unapologetic, and manages to maintain a consistent level even as it spreads across different worlds. This is a kosher restaurant, but not one that feels limited. On the contrary, it uses boundaries as a springboard for creativity. SUMO does not seek to be “the next Tel Aviv restaurant.” It seeks to be a good restaurant in Holon, and therein lies its strength.
SUMO, Golda Meir 6, Holon, 077-8066300 (kosher)
Away with the stereotypes: The Asian cuisine of Miyo Sushi Bar in Gedera is creative – and kosher
In the heart of calm, sleepy Gedera operates Miyo Sushi Bar, seemingly seeking to inject a bit of color into the moshava. This comes to life in the next dish that lands on the table: Suzhou beet (NIS 79). A bowl of beet wheat noodles – purple, almost glowing, in a color that evokes a contemporary art gallery more than a kosher restaurant in a moshava. The flavor is sharp, earthy, with depth that comes from the unexpected combination of smoked goose and chicken, from a precise sauce and culinary boldness. This is a dish that defies every stereotype – about Gedera, about kashrut, and about excessive caution.
The kitchen of Miyo, which has been operating for 13 years, runs like a well-oiled Japanese machine: Small, efficient and free of unnecessary noise. Behind it today stands Kobi Paar, 31, who grew up in the food world as a teenager and in 2017 became a partner in the place. Since then, he has led a clear line: Asian, kosher, but uncompromising. Not on raw materials, not on color, not on flavor. This line continues with Green Kyoto (NIS 69), a green, almost monochromatic dish of wheat noodles and spinach, broccoli, green curry, mint, bok choy and fresh herbs. It’s a quieter dish than the Suzhou, but no less smart: Softness versus crunch, greens versus umami, and a balance that proves the kitchen here also knows how to pause, not only to kick.
In the sushi category, Miyo presents an interesting breadth. Red Class (NIS 73) with red tuna, chopped and seasoned, is also a dish of bold color and flavor, in which the tobiko is not a decoration but a central player, adding delicate saltiness. Tokyo (NIS 51) surprises with peanuts – a choice that manages to work thanks to correct dosage and a connection to texture. San Francisco (NIS 64) is the “crazy” dish of the group: Inside raw salmon, outside red tuna and delicate sea bream, with lemon cream and Mediterranean influences that seep into the Japanese aesthetic and create an effortless fusion moment.
Surprisingly, we swooned over the dessert, and not only because it’s pareve: Bao Sweet (NIS 37) are four mini buns, a kind of mini doughnuts, filled with chocolate or halva, with candied pecans and sweet sauces. They were spot on, a wonderful finale to a particularly fun Asian meal.
Miyo is proof that it’s possible to create bold, precise, kosher and creative Asian cuisine even outside Tel Aviv – and perhaps דווקא there. It’s a place that thrives on consistency, on a team, and on a vision that looks ahead without giving up on quality.
Miyo Sushi Bar, Herzl 7, Gedera, 2571 (kosher)