Waiter, There’s A Giant Beef Rib In My Ramen
The oversized beef rib ramen is the star at Sumo Bar Happy. But don’t leave without trying its photogenic pink-skinned beef gyoza and savoury taiyaki (fish-shaped pancakes).
We know — who can take a restaurant named Sumo Bar Happy seriously? But the casual spot at the slightly gritty Waterloo Street offers surprisingly well-executed modern Japanese bites, with a focus on hearty beef-topped ramen and one-cup sakes. Such as this eye-popping Bone-In Short Rib number.
The oversized beef rib ramen is the star at Sumo Bar Happy. But don’t leave without trying its photogenic pink-skinned beef gyoza and savoury taiyaki (fish-shaped pancakes).
Who’s the boss?
This outfit is by the people behind Standing Sushi Bar and Tanuki Raw — founded by boyish American-born Chinese Howard Lo, 40 (right in pic — he was a contestant on Ch 5 reality dating show Eye For A Guy many moons ago, hur hur), and run with his genial ex-lawyer wife Hui Nan, 34 (centre). Co-owner-cum-head chef Wing Lam, 38 (left) is behind the menu here. He used to head the kitchen at contemporary Japanese restaurant Fat Cow, and interestingly, also the TungLok group.
Cool and Casual Vibe
There’s a cute little bar lined with colourful one-cup sakes at this 24-seater which blares cracking Japanese rap tunes. And it’s manned by an equally attractive assistant manager, Alex Su, 34, who’s from Canada. Boys — there’s eye candy for you too: say hi to Eurasian yummy mummy manager, Caroline Miranda. Sadly, both weren’t available for this photo shoot. So you'll just have to pop by to ogle.
Bone-In Short Rib Ramen, $42; Feeds Two Pax (8 Days Pick!)
This will get oohs and ahhs at the table: 600g of US prime short rib peeking out from the murky depths of tonkotsu soup, stained brown from the drippings of the beef’s marinade of red wine and yakiniku sauce. The meat is roasted for eight hours, then braised till it’s so soft, it breaks away from the bone at the slightest nudge. It's good: rich and savoury, with just a hint of wine and soy. The skinny noodles are satisfyingly firm and the egg delightfully gooey (the latter is free-flow!). Meanwhile, the soup, simmered with pork bones, is reasonably tasty. But we think its flavour intensity could be dialled up a notch. Also, it'll be even more awesome if this beef ramen actually featured beef-flavoured soup. For something more modest, try the Oxtail Ramen ($21).
Beef Taiyaki, $15
Forget the usual sweet adzuki bean filling. This darling taiyaki (fish-shaped pancake) stars light and fluffy house-made dough hugging tender pastrami that’s cured and cooked in-house, then dressed in spicy sesame sauce. You know you want to Instagram this.
Loco Moco Don, $18 (8 Days Pick!)
Sumo Bar’s artisanal rendition of the Hawaiian-Japanese dish. The ‘luncheon meat’ is no canned stuff — it’s made from scratch. Minced Nagano pork belly is blended with spices, cured, then slow-cooked in the oven for four hours, before it’s pressed for another four hours to shape it. The resulting patty is tender, umami and pairs sinfully well with creamy seared foie gras and vinegary Koshibuki rice from Niigata prefecture. An adorable fried quail’s egg crowns it. Decadent.
Nyan Cup Junmai Ginjo Sake, $28
17 types of handy one-cup sakes are offered here, priced from an affordable $14 each. Most of them are lighter-tasting than the pricier bottled stuff, but perfectly quaffable. We have a soft spot for this cheekily packaged number (third from right in pic), with lovely notes of pear, musk melon and a nice dry finish.
Bottom Line
We strolled into Sumo Bar Happy expecting just booze and garden-variety bar grub. Instead, we got cleverly crafted modern Japanese dishes brimming with big, bold flavours. A really fun meal.
#01-24 Waterloo Centre, 261 Waterloo St. S180261. No phone number. Open daily. 5pm – midnight Mon – Sat; noon – 5pm Sun. E-mail fun [at] sumobarhappy.com for reservations. www.sumobarhappy.com
