Singapore Arts, Beauty and Inspirations Male Blogger

31 Jul 2017

Residing within the parameters of Boss Hotel, along the Rochor River of Lavender, Tocha Bistro is a fairly new place to chill and dine. Its bar well stocked with a huge selection of alcohol, particularly whiskies due to its owner's love for it. Crazy Hour is from 5pm to 6pm daily, where beer buckets go as low as S$25++ for half a dozen!

Since cocktails are available, I might as well start off with Sex, I mean the cocktail named Sex On The Beach (S$15.00) which was a fruity subtle-sweet concoction of cranberry juice, orange juice, peach and vodka. My friend's neon blue Singapore Sling (S$18.00) was rather refreshing and I kind of enjoyed sipping it.

Homemade Mushroom Soup was first served, brimming with chunky bits of diced button mushrooms. Enjoying every mouthful of soup, alternating between the perfectly crisp garlic bread. Both the Baked Scallops (S$8.80) as well as the Smoked Duck Roll (S$6.80) do make excellent accompaniment to alcohol.

I had the luxury to try a mix platter of Tenderloin Steak, Iberico Pork, Lamb, sausages and marsh potato, with a side of additional 3 sauces for the meats. I am a sucker for beef steaks and the Tenderloin Steak did not disappoint me. It was chilled and airflown from Australia, served rare which was my preferred doneness. Not bloody nor too chewy yet retaining its juices in the slab. I totally enjoyed the Marsh Potato due to its delicate texture as well as it being drenched by sauce.

Having tried both the Grilled Salmon and Grilled Cod, my friend and I each have our individual preference. Both were comparable, just that I would prefer the oilier flesh of cod as compared to salmon. The skins of both fishes were similarly grilled to crisp and thankfully scaleless.

Probably my personal favourite dish that night that won my tummy over was the fork-tender Braised Lamb Shank (S$16.80) that was slow cooked overnight with herbs and red wine, served on a bed of mashed potatoes and baby carrots. Perhaps I could have slices of bread where I could dip or wipe the entire plate clean from savoury sauce.
(Note that this dish is available in limited quantities daily.)

Do check out their affordable Set Lunches, S$18 at nett prices available the entire week! Each set comes with salad, mushroom soup, fries and a choice of soft drinks.

Address: 500 Jalan Sultan #01-20

Singapore 199020

Contact: 6291 7118

Sex On The Beach (S$15.00) (left) ; Singapore Sling (S$18.00) (right)

Mushroom Soup with Garlic Bread

Baked Scallops (S$8.80)

Smoked Duck Roll (S$6.80)

Platter of Tenderloin Steak, Iberico Pork, Lamb, sausages and marsh potato drenched with sauce

Mixture of Grilled Salmon and Grilled Cod with salad and carrots

Braised Lamb Shank (S$16.80)

4 Jul 2017

Marinated Duck (1/2 for S$38 ; Whole for S$65)

Kam's Roast would be the first Michelin Star restaurant I have patronised and I probably could no longer proclaim myself as a hardcore foodie for a delayed review. I seldom select Chinese food as my option when I dine out as I have the tendency to select other cuisines instead. Kam's Roast was perhaps a game changer since I actually craved for some of its dishes once every now and then.

My dinner started off with a couple of braised dishes such as the Marinated Chinese

Mushroom ($5.80), Marinated Duck's Wings ($8.80) and Marinated Tofu ($4.80). I definitely love the marinated tofu so much due to its smooth silken texture.

I tried both the Marinated Duck and Roast Duck which were contrasting in taste and for you to define which you would prefer. My preference was obviously the roasted duck since I prefer roasted food as compare to 'lor' (gravy).

My favourite dish was the Toro Char Siew! The meat itself was tender and it probably comprised of more than 50% fats that readily melts in my mouth. Not for the faint hearted.

It was my first time hearing about Lean Pork Sausages as I usually ate the commonly known Pork Sausages with bits of fats. I could easily differentiate between them based on their texture and mouth feel and I was totally engrossed with the lean ones.

Last but not least, I ended off my meal with a hearty bowl of Red Bean Soup with Aged Orange Peel ($5.80) for dessert that night. The dessert wasn't too sweet, contained loads of easily mashed red beans with a hint of orange peel. The orange peel did enhanced the soup making it less 'ni'.

Having Chinese food in a restaurant, especially a Michelin star-ed one could be an option for me in future.

Toro Char Siew

Lean Pork Sausages and Pork Sausages

Marinated Tofu ($4.80)

Roast Duck (S$11.80 for Portion ; S$48.00 for Whole)

26 Jun 2017

I probably have not heard of the term shoe tree before, not until I came across this E-commence platform called SHOETREE Singapore. My curiosity was seriously pounding me hard to google the word sheo tree, finding out if such a term do exist.

In fact I need not google Shoetree at all since the webpage not only serves as an E-commence platform, but also provide loads of other information in regards to leather shoes/products. Interesting articles such such as "How To Care For Leather Shoes And Make Them Last A Lifetime", "Things To Look Out For When Buying Leather" and "Shoe Tree Guide" definitely do provide useful insights to end consumers.

Recently, I got my hands on the varnished Japanese Oakwood Shep Horn as shown below. Probably my main reason for wanting this 40cm long tool would be the convenience of sliding my feet into my pair of leather sheos without the need to squat down or retying my laces.

By using the sheo horn, it would also prevent crease marks made on the sheos by repeatly forcing of feets into them.

Another thing I love about this Shoe Horn would be the aesthetically beautiful natural Japanese Oakwood it is made from, coated with a thin layer of varnish that protects it from absorbing water or getting mouldy. Unlike plastic and metal shoe horns, you do not have to worry about snapping, bending or rusting over time.

Shoetree Singapore provide FREE delievery service within Singapore and all Sheotree project accessories are automatically registered for a 6 month warrenty.

Do check out their webpage here!

3 Jun 2017

Niku Katsumata 肉勝又 Chef’s Special Appetiser (S$19)

Niku Katsumata 肉勝又 is a hole in the wall restaurant along Duxton Road that carries a range of A4 Wagyu Beef. They recently launched one of the best value-for-money A4 Wagyu Beef Set(S$38) that comprises of 5 dishes.

The meal started off with 2 slices of Japanese Pork Prosciutto, followed by Homemade Kimchi and Marinated Sprouts. Chinese Cabbage Salad Topped with Umami Seaweed might looked rather mundane but it was rather refreshing and the Umami Seaweed proved itself worthy with its dry-plum-like texture and savoury notes.

A platter of 5 different parts of Premium A4 Wagyu Beef was served next, each individually barbecued over the smoke-less crystal glass by the chef himself. Thighs were my top pick since they literally melted in my mouth without much chewing effort. Do seek advice on which cut would taste their best in either their homemade ponzu sauce or salt!

Last but not least from the set would be the A4 Beef Curry that contained minced beef. It was definitely highly addictive despite its appearance. How could curry look appealing in the first place?

Besides the A4 Wagyu Beef Set, I got to try 2 other dishes as well. The Chef’s Special Appetiser (S$19) consisting of 3 spoonful of foodgasms. My favourite was the Uni (sea urchin) wrapped with A4 wagyu beef sashimi, gently brushed with shoyu. It was a total meltdown as I felt that both premium components fused easily together. The other two were Foie Gras & Caviar drizzled with truffle oil and marinated ikura.

The other dish was Tataki Wagyu (S$20) which was equally instagrammable since slices of medium rare looking wagyu were neatly piled against the rice in a circular fashion. Simply top up S$5 to enjoy premium ingredients such as uni, foie gras, ikura or caviar. (Basically all 4 ingredients for S$20 or you could even select 2 portions of eg. uni for S$10!)

Address: 47 Duxton Rd, Singapore 089511

Opening Hours: 5.30pm - 11pm

Contact: 91627502

Webpage: http://www.niku-katsumata.com/

Niku Katsumata 肉勝又 A4 Wagyu Beef Set(S$38)

Tataki Wagyu (S$20)

28 May 2017

I got excited upon hearing that Machida Shoten already has 43 outlets all over Japan after it was founded in Jan 2008 and Singapore's outlet being the first that was out of Japan!

A series of new dishes was unveiled, made only exclusive to Singapore's outlet. I wasn't surprised when I found that some of these dishes had Chinese influences, probably to adapt to the local palette.

The Burdock Tempura (S$7.80) came about as a perfect snack for itchy-mouths while waiting for mains to arrive. Thinly sliced, perfectly crispy yet not excessively oily.

Cha-Shu Croquette (S$6.00) was one of the dishes that has Chinese influence. In fact it was seasoned meatballs that was tender and moist, deep fried till a brown crust was formed. Popping these Croquettes into my mouth would be an easy task, but not stopping at 1.

Garden Salad (S$9.00) would be a perfect option for health enthusiasts since the vegetables hardly undergone much heat, remaining kind of raw. Drenched it with the homemade curry dressing as well as the non-oily oba leaf vinegar for a flavourful finish! Loving the sliced deep fried lotus root as well!

The Seasoned Iberico Spareribs (S$14.00) that was boiled till easily fall-of-the-bone, seasoned with Machida Shoten's original sweet soy sauce reminded me of another Chinese zi char dish. The light sweetness yet not overpowering the meat was unbelievably tasty.

Spicy Shrimp Fried Rice (S$10.00) would be an option for rice lovers if they prefer rice over ramen. Close resemblence to sambal fried rice, probably also due to it reddish hues, it was prepared with about 12 different ingredients. Try their Homemade Shrimp Gyoza (S$9.80 / 5 pcs) if you would want more seafood intake.

Machida Shoten has a reputation for its 'iekei' ramen, meaning 'home' in Japanese. It evokes a sense of warmth and homliness from its offerings. The highlights for that day would probably be either one of the 3 bowls of ramen since my table of foodies have distributed views.

The chef's recommendation mentioned was Shoyu Tonkotsu (S$14). It was a combination of soya sauce and pork bone broth. Miso Tonkotsu Ramen (S$14) was actually my personal favourite as the broth was tonkotsu based with a blend of red and white miso. I loved the crunch from all those corns as well as a piece of butter that added kick to the already thick and robust broth. The Garden Veggie Ramen (S$15) had a close resemblance to the Garden Salad. Its broth was the lightest among the 3 since it was made with from just vegetables.

I also bet the ladies would find the chef an eye-candy!
Thank you Brandcellar for the invite.

Japan Food Town
435 Orchard Road
#04-40 Wisma Atria Shopping Centre
Singapore 238877

Burdock Tempura (S$7.80)

Cha-Shu Croquette (S$6.00)

Garden Salad (S$9.00)

Seasoned Iberico Spareribs (S$14.00)

Spicy Shrimp Fried Rice (S$10.00)

18 May 2017

Papa Poika is a brand new English-inspired Male Barbershop at Paragon, under the renowned Japanese Komars Group that also brought in EC House, Ramen Champion, LA Barbershop and more.

Everyone knows the meaning of Papa, which is 'father' while Poika means 'son' in Finnish. This barbershop lies an interesting concept behind its name. It is a shop where both father and son could enjoy a bonding session while having a haircut since the mother and daughter would be busy shopping around Paragon, Orchard. (Note: Daughters could also have their hair cut here.)

I had the privilege to enjoy a haircut by the gentleman who handled my hair with precision while my friend Kenny had his done by another stylist. Basically all the hairstylists at Papa Poika had over 10 years of experience in both adults and kids haircut. Expect a personal and cosy experience as well since at any one time, the shop only attends to three adults and a kid in regards to the type of services from Precision Haircut (S$44), to Full Beard Shave (S$32) or the less commonly heard of Ear Cleaning (S$23), that uses a series of special tools without any infliction of pain.

The type of hairstyles would lean towards the 'manly' / musculine kind since Papa Poika's concept of making their customers looking like a refined gentleman after its services imply. Even the shampoo used had a hint of musculinity from its minty aeroma which could rinse off your wax/gel from your hair in a single wash. For normal shampoos, usually it would be best to rinse twice to thoroughly cleanse your hair.

Check out those unique wash basins that are located in front, as well as a lego wall with a huge ''tree'' where kids would keep themselves entertertain while their dads have thier haircut in peace.

FREE handmade lollipop for every Prince Dry Cut (kids's haircut 0-12 years old) & FREE hand towel for every Precision Haircut. While stocks last!

Thanks Kenny for jioing me along for this! You may also want to check out his blog post here.