Kenhiru Japanese Restaurant: The Best and Juiciest Tonkatsu To Have At Dhoby Ghaut!

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Kenhiru Japanese Restaurant
56 Cairnhill Road, Singapore 229667

Contact: 6684 4418
Email: enquiry@kenhiru.com
Website: https://www.facebook.com/56kenhiru/
Opening hours: Mon-Sun (12pm-2.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm)

Sashimi Mori Special 5 Kind ($58.80)
"Salmon, maguro, hamachi, hotate and amaebi"



Horenso Salad ($9.80)
"Spinach salad with cherry tomato and bacon bits in sesame dressing"



Kawa Ebi Karaage ($11.80)
"Deep fried river shrimp"

If you are looking for a side dish to go with some Saké, pick this one because there can't be any tapas that is better than this! It is crispy and emits a light 'prawn' fragrance (think: dried shrimps but better!) that goes really well with Japanese rice wine. As for its flavour, it is both salty and sweet due to its origin as a seafood.

Iberico Kushi Yaki ($22.80)
"Grilled Iberico pork skewers"

*Iberico pork [ee-BHAY-ree-koh] [pɔːrk]: High quality pork meat extracted from Ibérico pigs — these pigs are reared in the Spanish country side and as a result of their good lives, this animal is much fatter with veins of fat running through its muscle. The large amount of fat layering each muscle results in a much more intense flavour with an unparalleled note of sweetness when cooked.

This is my first time trying Ibérico pork and I love it because the meat is so tender! For this dish, unveil the juicy side of the grilled meat by dipping it lightly in salt before consuming. You wouldn't believe the explosive flavours happening in your mouth then!

Iberico Pork Tonkatsu ($26.80)
"Deep fried Iberico pork with fresh bread crumbs and herbs"

Think: Juicy meat with a light crispy breaded texture. #HEAVENLYSINFUL

Iberico Pork Rack ($39.80)
"Seared Iberico pork rack with herbs in teri glaze sauce"

If you thought the Iberico Kushi Yaki was good, then you are truly missing out on the BEST stuff. This is the bomb!

The juice of the Iberico pork is brought out even further when seared and the teriyaki glaze sauce enhances the natural sweetness of the meat flavour. This is a dish that I would highly recommend everyone to try!

Salmon Teriyaki Set ($14.80)
"Grilled salmon with teriyaki sauce"

The accompanying miso soup in the set meal

Rating: 4.5/5

My two cents:

I quote from @ladyironchef,

If there was only one kind of cuisine that we could live on, it would be Japanese food. There is no one reason why; if we really have to, the list will never end.

The exquisite meal that I had at Kenhiru Japanese Restaurant is a great example of why we can live on Japanese food forever. I had not only tasted flavours that were previously unknown to me — I am now officially a big fan of Ibérico pork — but I also learnt more about how the food that I was putting in my food.

I am glad to know that Kenhiru Japanese Restaurant strives for quality and is meticulous in every detail of the food they serve, from the good quality bonito flakes used to produced their miso soup to the traditional Asian staple food, rice.

Kenhiru imports their rice grains from Narita, Japan, and those rice grains gave the most fragrant and delicious white rice that I have ever had! One of my fellow diners finished three bowls of these rice all by herself; this only goes to show how tasty their rice is!

There is a certain dish that I have to give a shout-out for, it would be their Broccoli No Mentai Ae ($9.80) which is essentially "broccoli with tuna flakes and pollock roe in mayonnaise". This dish might sound really simple but turn of savoury flavours combined with the smooth texture of the pollock roe mayonnaise... it made the common green flower taste just so. damn. yummy!

The price point for the dinner menu at Kenhiru is about $25 (average/pax) which is fine for working adults but it might be a tad too steep for schooling youngsters.

On the other hand the lunch menu, which features set meals like the Salmon Teriyaki Set, is much kinder to the wallets of students as their set meals are priced around $15 (average/pax). Thus there is hope afterall, for all the young gentlemen who would like to impress their lady girlfriend with a fantastic Japanese meal! (P/S: Valentine's Day is coming!!!)

For customers looking to drive to Kenhiru Japanese Restaurant, there is a public carpark available in the area however do note that it is a 5-10 mins walk away from the restaurant — especially if your female date is decked in her favourite pair of killer heels.

With that concern in mind, the restaurant has kindly arranged valet service for all their driving guests so you may drive to Kenhiru Japanese Restaurant in comfort and enjoy your sumptuous Japanese meal with them!

Recommended dishes to try: Kawa Ebi Karaage ($11.80), Iberico Kushi Yaki ($22.80), Iberico Pork Rack ($39.80)


Note: Kenhiru Japanese Restaurant will be officially starting their business as of 30 January 2016. This post was kindly sponsored by Kenhiru Japanese Restaurant.

The Lokal

The Lokal | Café, Restaurant, Bar
136 Neil Rd, Singapore 088865

Contact: 6423 9918
Website: http://www.thelokalsingapore.com/
Opening hours: Mon (8am-6pm), Tue-Fri (8am-10.30pm), Sat (9am-10.30pm), Sun (9am-4pm)
Nearest MRT: Outram

THE LOKAL Lobster Roll ($22)
"Slipper lobster tails, gherkin, coleslaw & lemon mayonnaise"

THE LOKAL bangers & mash ($20)
"Served with onion gravy"

Featuring fellow blogger Kaiting and Darren, the executive chef and owner of The Lokal.



Rating: 4/5

My two cents:

The Lokal is situated at the corner of Neil Road, before the road turns in to Bukit Pasoh Road. The place was cosy and brightly-lit when we arrived. Despite the time being past lunch hour, we were handed brunch menus (yay to all-day breakfast!) and chose the two mains as seen above.

The Lobster Roll was stuffed full with four generous halves of lobsters and tons of coleslaw. The sandwich was a tad too sour for my liking as the lemon mayonnaise was found to be overpowering, thus preventing me from being able to taste the natural sweet flavour of the lobster when I ate the sandwich as a whole. On a side note, I loved the curly fries as a side-dish because it added an additional savoury flavour which goes well with the lobster roll.

As for the Bangers & Mash, this was my favourite of the two mains. The mash potato was grinded perfectly and there was not one bit of potato to be seen. The texture and flavour was soft, moist and buttery, and it went perfectly well with the onion gravy. Two different kinds of sausages were used and each was pan fried to perfection, with a crispy outer skin and succulent juicy stuffings inside.

I love it when cafés offer freshly-made fruit juice for me to wash my palate, and the fruit juice choices at The Lokal intrigues me as they offers some pretty uncommon fruit choices for their freshly squeezed juice such as watermelon or pink grapefruit (do not try if you are not a fan of anything sour!) at $6 per glass!

If you are looking to pack a bunch of vitamins in your glass, opt for their juice of the day instead which contains a unique blend of fruits/herbs/vegetables at $8 per glass.

The Lokal is one of the rare cafés at Outram that opens super early during the weekends, so if you are ever in need of a weekend morning café-hop do remember to pay this café/restaurant/bar a visit!

Have you done your CNY shopping?


Chinese New Year is coming up really fast this February and the CNY chimes started right after 25 December 2015, like a harsh slap in your face that it is time for shopping — or perhaps getting money red packets for those who are still unwed.

With that said, I realised that the experience of shopping for CNY clothes has changed drastically over the years. Before the surge of technology or the Internet per se, people took time out and went to ACTUAL PHYSICAL STORES to search, fit and buy clothes.

These days shopping is an entirely different experience as all you would need are: an electronic-powered device with good wifi signal and a measuring tape.


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Versatile, clean and effortless is what you get when you buy ALAND.

For the latest in women’s Korean fashion, ALAND is the go-to brand to update your style and stay ahead of the trend. Satisfy that inner fashionista and browse through their amazing collection of tops for women.

Complete your outfit with accessories that exudes simple elegance and end it all off with a tote bag!



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Pros of digital shopping is that you get to browse through a hell lot more "stores" in an hour, than you could ever physically achieve with your actual two feet.

Oh and, here is another benefit that all men throughout the world shall be able to relate to:

Through online shopping,

male partners get to avoid sitting around waiting for their lady partners to be done deciding between this dress of a light shade of pink or that skirt with a darker shade of pink (a man's logic: "THEY ARE BOTH PINK?!! MAKE UP YOUR MIND ALREADY!"),

and to avert being reminded again of the thumb-dwindling hours spent waiting when asked to help carry their lady's shopping bag/s.

This makes a good reason for our man to encourage digital shopping and better yet, physically show support by handing us their credit card right?

It is after all, a much worthy trade of "money" for "time". #buyingtimegetsreal

Lepark Tapas Bar

Note: This post was fully paid for and not sponsored.


Lepark Tapas Bar & Restaurant
People's Park Complex, 1 Park Rd,
#06-00, Singapore 059108

Contact: (+65)6908 5809
Website: http://lepark.co/
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 4pm-12am

Lemmy Lemonade - $6, Kronenbourg 1666 Blanc Draft Beer - $10/cup

Lepark Platter - $18
"Poached Chicken Sushi, Thai Basil Pork Tau Pok, Otah Bomb, Chicken Skin & Nacho with Spicy Salsa"


Salted Egg Yolk (SEY) Soft Shell Crab & Crabmeat Ball Sliders - $12



Rating: 4/5

My two cents:

This is a place where quality > quantity. You will definitely get a meal which would satisfy your tastebuds, but probably not your tummy unless you have a small appetite or that you're ready to spill out all the cash that you've got on hand.

As a means to try as many of their tapas as possible, I ordered the "Lepark Platter" which was incredibly pleasing to my eyes and my Instagram! My personal favourites from the platter were the Otah Bomb, Thai Basil Pork Tau Pok and — oh how my cholesterol levels would disapprove of this — the Pepper Salt Crispy Chicken Skin.

Contrary to other reviews, I did find the Poached Chicken Sushi (ie. the bite size version of chicken rice) to be rather interesting and tasty. However it did not hit a note that was as resounding to me as its fellow competitors on the same wooden board had!

As for the "SEY Soft Shell Crab & Crabmeat Ball Sliders", one word: WOW! The taste really packs a punch but it has got to be the most expensive slider that I have ever had to pay for. It costs $6 for just ONE bite-size burger, ouch to my wallet!

The soft shell crab was a tad over-fried and too dry for my liking, however I got excited when I bit into the crabmeat ball and found actual crab meat as like how it was shown on Clicknetwork's Foodporn episode featuring Lepark. The crabmeat ball was crispy on the outside, whilst soft and moist on the inside! A tinge of natural sweetness from the crab meat could also be tasted when savoured slowly.

I would have given Lepark 4.5/5 if it weren't for its disproportionate portions of food. I get that what I ordered were simply tapas and its signature side? dish, but still the price was not reasonable for the amount of food presented.

Regardless if you are planning a gathering with your friends that involves beer and tapas, Lepark would be a great place to hang out due to its interesting variety of tapas and their wide range of ciders and craft/draft beers to choose from!


[ADDITIONAL INFO] Directions on how to get there:

  1. Get your ass up to level 5, either by the elevator or escalator (your choice!)
  2. Look for a dodgy spiraling stairwell that would lead you up to one floor above, level 6
  3. Go through the door and enter the rooftop
  4. Walk up the tiny flight of stairs to get across all the rooftop chimneys ahead of you. Do not be distracted by the rooftop chimneys ahead and the huge patch of empty carpark space towards your right (FYI brilliant spots for #OOTD shots).
  5. The entrance to lepark is guarded by a conspicuous metal sliding door, pull open the sliding door and you are ready to 'lepark'!

8 Reasons Why Not To Travel With A Travel Agency

Less than a month ago, I returned from my trip to South Korea. Unlike my previous travels, I went with a tour agency this time and the holiday lasted for 9 days and 8 nights.

My tour package was purchased from ONE of the Big 4 tour agencies in Singapore (clue: It starts with "H"). I was elated at first when I bought my tour package because:

  1. The itinerary was awarded by Korea Tourism Organisation for being one of "THE BEST KOREA TOUR PROGRAMMES IN THE WORLD",
  2. It was affordably priced.

Unfortunately the actual experience with the tour agency was not as expected and indefinitely less desirable than what was promised. To sum up my two cents on it, I have four words to describe — it was...


I have friends and family who raved about their tour experience and sadly, I can and never will be a part of the tour-raving gang. I know that it was my fault to a certain extent when I made the mistake of penning my name down the signature line.

Here are 8 reasons why free travellers (like myself) should never travel with a tour agency:

1. The overall expenditure cost is not that much cheaper


The good thing about tour packages would be that your flight tickets, accommodation, attraction entrance tickets and most of the meals have already been paid for! Initially I thought it was a very valuable bargain given that so many things were included in one price, and that the hotels/resorts we stayed in were mostly 4* or 5* hotels.

However now that I have completed my trip, I realised what a fool that I have been! We mostly went back to the hotel only at 9pm-10pm and had to leave the room as early as 7am on some mornings, so that doesn't leave us much time to enjoy the luxury of our grand hotel.

Also, the food provided by the tour was horrible and tough to stomach (this part would be covered in the 3rd point) and so more money had to be spent to buy extra food to fill our tummies!


2. Your airplane ticket is the lowest paying class of the lot


Here is a translation of what that means:

It means that your seat options are the least desirable, and there is a pretty high chance that you will be seated at the back of the plane.

For those who hate sitting at the back because you are either sensitive to the smell of the lavatory, or the burning of gasoline, kudos to you! (Tip: You might wanna invest in a small tub of Vicks before you board the plane!)


3. Lousy food quality

The worst meal that we had in Korea. Apparently the Samgyetang (ginseng chicken) that my fellow tour members had was worst, I nearly avoided it by having opted out of that meal.

A supposedly-delectable seafood steamboat turned out to be a horrendously bland disaster. It was a meal that few of us could bring ourselves to chow down.

Don't get me wrong. I don't blame the nature of the cuisine, but rather I blame the nature of the restaurant which has been altered to cater for tourism — and I blame myself more for having been the reason why I had to land my two feet in that restaurant.


4. Being shipped off to one merchandise shop and then another


My tour guide's objective was to ship us to as many affiliated shops as possible so that she could clock as much commission as possible. It went to the extent that we were also brought to shops that were not part of our itinerary, and we had no prior knowledge or opinion in that matter.

In plain words, going to those EXTRA merchandise shops were a waste of time and everyone on my tour group agreed that the time could have been better spent elsewhere.


5. Lack of opportunity to understand and be immersed in the country's culture


I travel to gain more knowledge about another country's culture and language. I visit historical sites to expand my understanding of the country and its residents.

I did have a tour guide like all tour trips, however she explained everything minimally and retorted back when asked a question. The worst part was being forced to pay her a compulsory tip of ₩45,000 for her 9 days of service despite the fact that one of the days was "Free & Easy".

The only attraction site that left me with a distinct memory was Deoksugong Palace which I went during my free day, just to make up for the lack of learning on the tour.


6. Butt sore


The phrase "pain in the ass" becomes real and is no longer used to describe an annoying person. It is now used to describe the agonising discomfort at your tailbone due to prolonged hours of sitting on a bus. FML


7. Meals being missed just to keep up with the 'schedule'

Korean fried chicken was my comfort food

There was a particular night when we had to settle dinner on our own (ie. own expense meal). Settling that night's dinner was suppose to be an easy task to complete IF the tour guide had followed the itinerary, and brought us to the fucking theme park where we could have also settled our dinner.

But no, she decided to push-forward our trip to Dongdaemun and squeezed it into our already insanely-packed schedule for the day.

She knew that she was going to divert from the itinerary and hadn't bother to warn/share with us in advance. She had little to no consideration for any of the travellers, especially the young children in the tour group.

Now as I am writing this, I wonder if it was a deliberate move by her to screw up our dinner/trip because the tour group had refused her offer of settling for us our 4 own expense meals at the price of SGD $140/pax. If yes, then that is a fucking disgusting thing to do.

That night, we reached the resort at 11pm. With little fresh food options left at that timing, I had Korean Fried Chicken (again) for dinner at 11.45pm — thankfully I love KoFC!

I slept at 1.30am and woke up at 6am; we had to gather at 7am for breakfast. Feeling shitty from the lack of sleep is an under-expressed statement.


8. Leaving Singapore feeling tired; Coming back to Singapore feeling even more tired


This would have to be the worst feeling of the lot in this list.

You go on a vacation to relax, enjoy and rejuvenate. Unfortunately nothing went as planned, albeit it was a PRE-PLANNED TRIP. You end up coming back feeling more lethargic and exhausted than before you took off, and if you have work the next day... FYL.

I would not deny that there were fun moments during my tour, however the overall experience was much too disgusting and horrendous for me to rate this trip as a positively memorable one. This was an expensive lesson learnt.

DRUM TAO: Hyakka Ryoran Hanabi

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Last week, I was invited by VizPro events to attend the premiere performance by Japan's most celebrated company of martial arts drummers, DRUM TAO!

Drum Tao is back in Singapore this year to present their brand new show “HYAKKA RYORAN ~HANABI” (otherwise known as "HYAKKARYORAN ~The World of Japan~") at the brand new Mediacorp theatre situated at 1 Stars Avenue, Singapore 138507.

Together with my girls Michelle, Kaela and Kiyoko at The Theatre @ Mediacorp

The Japanese Drum Art performance is produced by Director Amon Miyamoto, Costume Designer Junko Koshino and Stage Designer Rumi Matsui, all who became the first Asian team on Broadway who received FOUR Tony Award nominations for the musical “Pacific Overtures”.

Now, they have reunited for DRUM TAO’s latest show “HYAKKARYORAN ~The World of Japan~” which has made a huge splash throughout Japan and marked a record of over 150,000 spectators in a single show!!


DRUM TAO made their first big hit in 2004 when they attended the world’s largest festival of the arts – the Edinburgh Festival Fringe – and made No.1 box-office smash hit of the festival in spite of their first participation.

Following with their win at The Festival Fringe, DRUM TAO has spread their success overseas and ran a three month long tour in Germany and Australia as their first world tour career.



They have also been invited to perform at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010, and since then every single of their 50 shows during their first North American tour (visiting 44 cities) has been sold-out!

DRUM TAO is now expanding worldwide and has performed for up to 6.5 million spectators in over 22 countries, 400 cities!


Their new show “HYAKKARYORAN ~The World of Japan~” promises more explosive and dynamic drumming and a dramatic plot that would transport the audience into the world of TAO with beautifully choreographed moves and music.


The musicianship, athleticism, humour, and choreography together with explosive traditional Taiko drumming has had critics raving about the group's extraordinary precision, energy, and stamina when they performed in Japan.

Supernaturally fit and superbly trained… Stunning… Fully deserving of the standing ovation that the company receives.
- Herald
Extraordinarily talented percussion artists,and they’re seductive, alluring performers.
- Chicago Tribune
You'll regret for your life if you miss this.
- The CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY
Undoubtedly one of the finest shows on offer.
- EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS


TAO has been rewriting the whole story of traditional Japanese Drum and it proudly stays one and only, and yet the greatest of all Japanese Drum Performers in Japan.



Rating: 4/5

My two (amateur) cents:

To be really honest, I was hesitant to accept the invite when I first received it. It was my first traditional musical performance in a long time (by long, I meant that the last show I caught was 8 years ago 😱) and I almost knocked off asleep during that previous performance. #crudebuttrue

However Drum Tao proved to be unlike any musical experience that I have ever had! The performance started off with a fast rhythm that kicked me wide awake, and oh don't get me started on the hot-looking Japanese guys!! *woosh wipes sweat*

Then came the ladies who amazed me because their movements were so graceful in their kimono — how do they dance and still beat the drum in that tight dress?!?! — and yet they were able to produce drum rhythms that were hard and steady.

The show was alluring from the start to the end. I am officially a fan of Japanese drummers because they gave me a new perspective on drums (that drums aren't loud and noisy!) and drums can be used to produce soft, soothing music.

Drum Tao's "Hyakka Ryoran Hanabi" ran from 7-9 Jan 2016, and tickets were available at all SISTIC channels. Prices start from $68, $88, $108 to $128 (exclude booking fee).

Join Drum Tao's fan club (click 'here to go to TAO Club) and to get the latest information on their shows, pre-sale tickets and their merchandise.

Note: This post was kindly sponsored by Drum Tao, Viz Pros Events and The Influencer Network.

The Pizza Place

Note: This is not a sponsored advertorial. All food items were fully paid for.

The Pizza Place
Raffles City Shopping Centre
252 North Bridge Road, #B1-16, Singapore 179103

Contact: 6336 1979
Website: http://www.thepizzaplace.com.sg/
Nearest MRT: City Hall

Ice Lemon Tea ($3.80)


Truffled Mushroom Soup ($6.80)

Truffled Fries ($7.80)

New Yorker Pizza (Regular size - $24.80, Large size - $34.80)
"No frills found here in a straight up combination of pizza sauce, turkey ham, beef pepperoni, ground beef, beef bacon & mozzarella."

Meatball Linguine ($14.80)
"Delicate and juicy, these handmade beef meatballs are sure to satisfy. Comfort food doesn't get any better!"

Ham & Mushroom Baked Rice ($14.80)
"Butter rice topped with mushroom sauce and loaded shiitake mushrooms, turkey ham and the usual cheeses."

Rating: 4.5/5

My two cents:

I am a frequent visitor of the City Hall district (ie. Raffles City, Marina Square, Suntec City) and out of the three, Raffles City is the nearest to the green/red line MRT stop.

It is hard to disagree that both Marina Square and Suntec City has more food options as compared to Raffles City. And so with the little food options available combined with the massive crowds of hungry people during lunch/dinner hours, it is a nightmare looking for food at Raffles City during the peak hours!

Luckily for me, I found a small pizzeria tucked at the back of the basement at Raffles City. It promises a good pizza or decent pasta that has never failed to leave me smiling because I have had a great meal!

I love a great all-meat pizza and New Yorker from "The Pizza Place" is my favourite amongst the many pizza options on their menu. Loaded with a variety of meats, this pizza is baked to perfection as it gives a slight crunch when bitten into and a light hint of tomato from the pizza sauce spreads and lingers throughout your tongue!

As for my favourite pasta, it has got to be their high-in-demand Meatball Linguine! The meatball is like no other that I have ever had. Tt is crisp on the outside (from having been fried) whilst soft and moist on the inside. When eaten together with a twirl of the tomato sauce pasta, the meat flavour is enhanced and each bite gets more addictive. It is not a wonder of how it ended up being on my 'favourite list'!

The Pizza Place is also a brilliant place for truffle lovers as they have Truffled Mushroom soup and Truffle Fries which you have just got to try! Do try their Thai Curry Baked Rice if you are a fan of green curry, however be warned that only a limited stock is available daily!