Instead of Wrestling With Its Menu, Dohyo Sumo Offers 2 Rooms

A 14-foot sumo wrestler greets diners at Dohyo Sumo Steak and Polynesian Bar, which opened Feb. 19.

Dohyo combines two concepts. There’s a Teppanyaki Room, where chefs cook a traditional Japanese steak menu while diners look on, and a Polynesian Room, which features dim sum, Chinese pasta and other Polynesian and Chinese dishes in light sauces without MSG.

On the Japanese side, entrees range from $5.90 to $12.75 for lunch and $12 to $25 for dinner. The Polynesian Room is less expensive: $3.50 to $9 for lunch and dinner entrees.

Dohyo in Orange is brought to us by the owners of Shogun, a Japanese restaurant in Pasadena.

In keeping with the spirit of its nearby neighbor, Disneyland, Dohyo is also planning to photograph guests with the sumo statue. Guests would stand behind a sumo wrestler body and allow only their heads to show. General manager Russell Tyson said the photo set-up will be ready soon.

The statue, which was imported from Japan, is a likeness of Akebono Sumo, the first American grand champion of sumo wrestling; he holds the 1992 championship title.

The Teppanyaki Room is open Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m. On Fridays, it is open from 5 to 10:30 p.m.; Saturdays, 4:30 to 10:30 p.m.; Sundays, 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.

The Polynesian Room is open Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Weekend hours are the same as the Teppanyaki Room.

3500 West Orangewood Ave., Orange. (714) 634-1305.

Sfuzzi, which opened at the Triangle Square Mall in December, has begun offering lunch daily beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Lunch items are $10 and include soups, salads, pizza, pastas and special dishes such as grilled salmon served with asparagus and creamy basil vinaigrette or Romano crusted chicken breast topped with tomato basil sauce and served with a side of linguine.

1870-A Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa. (714) 548-9500.

Far West Concepts, a division of Irvine-based Restaurant Enterprises Group, has announced that it will convert five of its Southern California Reuben’s Steakhouse & Seafood Grills into Charley Brown’s restaurants.

The locations are Corona, Universal City, Redlands, Thousand Oaks and Oxnard.

Charley Brown’s offers less expensive meals than Reuben’s. The former has been emphasizing its children’s menu and is offering a shrimp and all-you-can-eat prime rib dinner for $13.95.

The March special menu at Restaurant Antoine will feature “haute potatoes.”

In keeping with his tradition of including a single ingredient in every course of the menu, Chef Jean Pierre Lemanissier has created these dishes: truffle potato chips, crispy Santa Barbara shrimp wrapped in potatoes with a yucan gold relish, steamed sea bream with a caviar sauce and assorted flavored potatoes, roasted rack of lamb “haute pot” and warm sweet potato galette with a mango chutney.

The fixed-price menu is available Tuesday through Saturday, 6 to 10 p.m., at $48 per person, plus tax and tip. Located at Le Meridien Hotel, 4500 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach. (714) 476-2001.

Anne Michaud is a staff writer for The Times Orange County Edition. Information for the Newsbites column can be Faxed to (714) 966-5663, or addressed to: Newsbites/OC Live!, The Times Orange County, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Calif. 92626. Or call (714) 966-7898.