I was casually scrolling through Instagram one day when I chanced upon an image of a bowl of ramen topped with a humongous piece of short rib, and my heart instantly told me I needed to visit this restaurant. So off I went to Waterloo Centre in search of Sumo Bar Happy.
If you don’t pay attention, you’ll walk right by this small shop. With just around 25 seats, you won’t have to worry about eating in a noisy environment. This restaurant was opened by the owners of Tanuki Raw and Standing Sushi Bar, so you can expect that the food here is going to be good.
And the quality definitely showed in the Tempura Mazemen ($20), with the yuzu noodles taking me by surprise. These long handmade strands were springy and had a nice aroma of yuzu without being too overpowering.
The tempura onsen egg was spot on, with the yolk oozing out once the crisp shell was broken. The prawn, fish and other tempura had the same light batter that stayed crisp even after being left out for a while.
I recommend trying the cup sakes available here; you rarely see them around in restaurants in Singapore, they’re more popular in Japan. With so many cute designs, you’ll definitely be as tempted as me to bring the glasses home.
The Nyan Cup Junmai Ginjo ($28) went delightfully well with the yuzu noodles, a dry sake with hints of fruitiness.
The Curry Bone Marrow ($16) was intriguing, the gelatinous insides had a subtle taste of curry, and it paired nicely with the crisp buckwheat brioche provided on the side. However, I felt that the marrow could have been cooked down a little longer to result in a more spreadable texture.
Let’s move on to the dish that had me so excited, the Bone-in Short Rib Ramen ($42). This huge bowl of ramen needs to be shared between two, there’s no question about it. With 600g of bone-in US prime short rib slow roasted for eight hours and braised in a red wine tare, my dining partner and I had a hard time finishing the whole bowl, but it was delicious.
The noodles were firm and springy, with a light and flavourful broth. But the best part is that all ramen dishes here come with free flow ramen eggs; the record for the most number of eggs eaten by a single person is seven (along with the bowl of ramen of course)!
Pair that with the Karakuchi Junmai ($23); the sharpness and mineral finish of the sake goes perfectly with the ramen broth so you won’t get too jelak while trying to finish the bowl.
Grab the Char Siew Taiyaki Sliders ($10) if you’re still hungry after the short rib ramen, these fluffy made-to-order taiyaki buns are stuffed with Nagano pork that is incredibly tender. The spicy sesame sauce adds a nice kick of heat that left me wanting more while the fresh lettuce provides a nice crunch and freshness to the sliders.
I had the Poached Pear ($14) to finish off the meal, and it was a nice change of pace from the commonly seen red wine poached pear desserts around. The pears are poached in prosecco and honey here, resulting in sweet flesh that wasn’t mushy.
There was a side of warabi mochi that had the perfect jelly-like texture, with roasted soybean powder and a delicious black sugar syrup, all made in-house.
With a convenient central location and delicious food, Sumo Bar Happy definitely deserves a spot on my list of places to visit for a great lunch with friends. And if you love ramen eggs with that beautiful runny yolk, why not try to beat that record of seven eggs?
Expected damage: $20 -$40 per pax
