Koh Grill & Sushi Bar

I'd been evading Japanese cuisines (especially ramen) ever since I came back from Japan. Somehow I just didn't crave for Japanese food at all,  and the only time I had ramen back in Singapore, I ended up with a really bad stomachache -.-

It's been roughly 2 months since I've had any sushi. Recently, quite a few friends recommended Koh Grill & Sushi Bar as the 'must try' affordable sushi place. The initial plan was to visit last Friday, however the restaurant was fully booked and they couldn't accept anymore reservations when I called in the morning. I highly recommend making a reservation at least 1-2 days beforehand. Since Friday didn't work out, we decided to make a visit on Wednesday instead!

We didn't order much, just 3 dishes, so this is gonna be a quick review.

Shiok!!! Maki

Eel, avocado, salmon, shiok! sauce (tasted like a combination of mentai, mayo and maybe cheese) and fish roe.

Of course, the Maki which made Koh Grill & Sushi Bar so famous.

This was the first dish that come. Highly anticipated and did not disappoint.

First of all, freaking generous portion of shiok sauce and fish roe. The prominent tastes were the eel and the shiok sauce. Because the eel and the shiok sauce were so overwhelming, I could hardly taste the salmon at all. But I don't really mind, because I'm more of an eel fan. Also, I especially enjoyed the popping fish roe in between bites. Just one word-shiok. 

Crappy Maki

Soft-shelled crab, seaweed, seared swordfish belly, fish roe and magic.

So ironic to name it crappy maki, because it was FARRRRR from crappy. If shiok maki didn't disappoint, crappy maki freaking exceeded my expectations by TEN FOLDS.

Shiok Maki pretty much tasted quite consistent throughout, I would say it's a 1-dimensional taste. As for the crappy maki, you get a 3-dimensional taste, very 有层次感. Once you take a big bite, the first thing that attacks your senses is the smell of seared fish, it's a very interesting flavor, a little burnt, charcoal-ish smell. Next will be something crunchy and chewy-the seaweed which gives crappy maki the incredible munch factor. Of course, not forgetting the crispy soft-shell crab! To top it off, it ends with little popping fish roe:) Heavenly combination.

Actually I think my description doesn't do it justice. Please do yourself a favor and try it out!!

Our concluding statement after trying out both crappy and Shiok!!! Maki: 

Crappy Maki > Shiok!!! Maki

Asparagus Buta Special

Asparagus, pork belly and garlic.

Not incredible. But still quite nice! We should've ordered the grilled version since its cheaper! I would say to pass up on this and order more maki! Hahahaaaa!

There was a longggg queue outside the restaurant throughout our meal, and the place is not very big either, so definitely try to reserve!

Koh Grill & Sushi Bar

#04-21, Wisma Atria

Tel: 9180 3805

All about Sunscreen! Hada Labo UV Moist Emulsion

Since the weather is getting hotter, I thought I'd do a post about something that is not to be neglected- SUNSCREEN!

Sunscreen has more or less become part of my daily skincare routine after my great skin breakout a couple of years ago. My dermatologist was the one who taught me the importance of sun protection. It is important that we slap on those UV protection as it helps to prevent premature aging, skin cancer, and most importantly hyper-pigmentation from scarring!!

My criteria for choosing a sunscreen:

-Broad Spectrum for UVA /UVB protection

-At least SPF 30

-Preferably a mix of physical and chemical sunscreen

-No white cast after application

-Non sticky

-Minimum 'sunscreen smell'

What exactly are all these sunscreen jargons?
UVA-Contributes to Aging
UVB-Contributes to burning
SPF-An indicator of the sunscreen's ability to prevent UVB from damaging the skin.

Physical sunscreen-As what the name suggests, physically blocks/deflects the harmful UV rays by forming a shield over the skin. Eg Zinc Oxide & Titanium Oxide

Chemical sunscreens-Work by absorbing the UV rays. Eg Octylcrylene & Avobenzone

The sunscreen I'm currently using is the Hada Labo UV Moist Emulsion, also known as the Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing UV Milk. I have no idea why they want to have 2 names for the same product.
I tried Hada Labo UV Moist Emulsion about a year ago. Previously I was using Biore (the pink bottle) but I noticed that I was developing some oil seeds, so I was on the lookout for a new sunscreen. I picked up Hada Labo's because I've been using their skincare items and my skin reacted well to it, so I thought might as well give it a go!

Price:

S$20.40 at Watsons. I bought a back-up in Japan for less than S$10 (:

Texture:

Light, milky texture that's quite runny.

Swatches:

Packaging:

A compact plastic bottle that is functional and minimalistic.

Smell:

A slight sunscreen smell, but not too strong or offensive. I don't even notice it now when I put it on in the morning.

What I like: 

• Multi-functional. Other than being a sunscreen, it also gives hydration and acts as a makeup base!
• Skin feels smoother. I think that’s why it is suitable as a makeup base.
• Doesn’t break me out.
• Light-weight texture. Once the sunscreen sets, it doesn't feel like anything at all and it's very comfortable to wear.
• Non-oily and non-sticky. Some sunscreens tend to leave a greasy finish on the skin. The Hada Labo’s sunscreen has got quite a natural finish, that is not too dewy or too matte.
• No white cast. But I wouldn’t recommend it (in fact, any forms of sunscreen) for flash photography.

What can be improved:

I don't really have anything to complain about...but if I really want to nit-pick, I would say the smell of the sunscreen could be improved upon?

Actually it is recommended to re-apply sunscreen through out the day. But I find that to be too troublesome! Especially when I have makeup on, it just doesn't make sense to slather the sunscreen over makeup. Hope they do a spray version soon! It could be something like the Caudalie beauty elixir, but with SPF, so people could just spritz away during the day to freshen up and add on some sun protection! 

How to remove sunscreen?
Personally, I like to use my Bioderma to remove the sunscreen first and follow up with my usual cleanser.  I'm really paranoid about keeping my skin clean, better safe than sorry I feel!

Ingredients

More information about sunscreens!

http://www.skinacea.com/sunscreen/physical-vs-chemical-sunscreen.html#.UeYrzs0vufo

http://www.sun-protection-and-products-guide.com/sunscreen-facts.html

Restore Cafe & Vintage Store.

Restore is a little cafe cum vintage store located along Tanjong Pagar Road. Other than the usual desserts and coffee, Restore also sells vintage furniture such as chairs, home-ware, and little knick knacks.

The cafe is divided into two distinct sections - a dining area for customers, and a space for the display of vintage furniture. I like how they display the chairs!

A couple of reviews mentioned that Restore serves pretty good bagel. Unfortunately, they didn't have bagels when we visited on Sunday.

I find that there's little variety on the menu. Most of the things they serve are desserts (I consider waffles to be dessert as well...), and they have very few savory options! If I'm looking for a cafe to have a filling full meal, I probably wouldn't choose to visit this place.

The open concept kitchen is manned by one lady, and another lady takes care of the orders. Given that it's pretty much a one-man show in the kitchen, I would say our orders came rather on time-Except for our request for plain water, which only came after we've finished our meal. 

Lemin and I ordered the Portobello Market Sandwich, and we were both rather disappointed by how it turned out. Firstly, it wasn't the type of sandwich we were expecting. We thought it would be the Subway Sandwich kinda sandwich, but it turned out to be 2 pieces of toast. Secondly, we thought the serving portion of portobello mushroom was going to be a lot more generous.

To be fair, the mushroom wasn't too bad, but I think overall the dish just lacked in terms of substance.  For $10, I really don't think this is worth the price. 

Portobello Market Sandwich

Ade ordered the Roasted Eggplant Sandwich, which was quite similar to ours. I'd very much prefer to have the caramelized onions instead of the tomatoes!

Roasted Eggplant Sandwich

Alicia ordered the Lemon Bundt Cake which I thought was a little dry. lol, but I think it's the prettiest dish on our table. I even like the design of the plate that came with it!

Lemon Bundt Cake

All of us ordered their coffee, except for Ade who had rootbeer float. I wasn't expecting much since Restore is not known for it's coffee, and true enough, the coffee turned out to be pretty average.

Hi LM!

Alicia!

~Ade~

Overall, we felt that the food at Restore was mediocre at best. I think there're many cafes out there with better quality of food at similar price point. With the emergence of cafes like Carpenter & Cook, the concept of a vintage furniture store cum cafe is no longer new. A good thing about Restore is that it's not too crowded, and you can take your time to slowly enjoy your meal. Given that there are still a lot of quirky little cafes which I've yet to explore,  I don't see myself rushing to visiting Restore again.

Had a great time meeting the girls and Beng! Hahahah, it's always nice to have a guy around to help us take pictures. I think we spent about 2 hours in the cafe just chit-chatting. Next time we must visit Wimbly Lu okay!! Confirm y'all will be more than satisfied!

Restore Living Pte Ltd

124 Tanjong Pagar Road

Singapore 088533 

6222 3510

Opening Hours
Mon: Closed

Tue to Fri: 11am to 7pm

Sat & Sun: 11am to 6pm

Lush Ocean Salt Scrub Review

I always look forward to my weekly exfoliation sessions because I feel like I get a new layer of skin after getting rid of the all the dead skin cells that could potentially clog up my pores.

I got hold of Lush's Ocean Salt when I was in Japan. Having heard many good things about it, I bought the smaller size (120g) just to try it out. I was particularly intrigued by the beautiful blue colour and the fact that it's made from mostly natural ingredients.

Lush Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub is one of Lush's best sellers.

It's an exfoliating cleanser that combines fine and coarse sea salt to physically exfoliate the skin. One thing interesting about it is that it is a lime infused vodka-based cleanser. The vodka acts as an antibacterial agent and is supposed to be great for blocked pores/backheads and blemishes. Lastly it also contains avocado and coconut to rehydrate the skin, leaving it feeling soft and smooth. 

How to use it:

Use 1-2 times a week.

Lush recommends splashing some water on the face and apply about a teaspoonful of scrub using an upward, circular motion to exfoliate. Afterwhich, rinse with clean water and pat dry. Some people prefer to use it on dry skin. I tried out both methods and I think I prefer using it on dry skin as well! Of course since it's also a body exfoliator, it can be used on other parts of the body.

Price: 

S$24 on Lushsg.com

Smell:

I read reviews saying that Ocean Salt smells like margarita? But to me, it smells pretty fresh and quite manly at the same time, like a men's cologne. 

Packaging:

I got this when I was in Japan, thus all the Japanese words. I like how the scrub is packaged in a little tub. I'll definitely keep the container after using up the product and use it to store little things in my room. The Jap words definitely made it 10times cuter than the ordinary Ocean Salt. But yeah, tubs are not very sanitary. 

The product comes with a layer of salt on top, and a thick cream at the bottom. It is recommended to mix everything together before using!

I saw pictures of Ocean Salt online, and some people have a bright blue mixture, while some have something that is similar to mine- a light blue :( I would prefer a bright blue for sure. Since Lush's products are all handmade in each individual countries, it is quite common to have the same products but with slightly different colour/shapes.

So I tried using Ocean Salt just like how Lush recommends, splashing some water onto my face before applying the scrub. I find that the sea salts dissolved really quickly upon contact with water. Even before I could get a good scrubbing session, I find that all I'm left with is a milky watery lotion.

After another attempts with the same method, and getting poor results, I decided to use the scrub on dry skin.

The trick is to be reaaaallllly gentle. Apply as little pressure as possible, using a small circular motion to spread the scrub onto the entire face. After about a minute of gentle scrubbing, add some water to emulsify the scrub. The scrub will turn slightly milky and most of the sea salt will dissolve in no time. I like to continue spreading the milky solution, for another 10-15secs before rinsing it off. I find this method to be the best of the two. Ocean salt is a physical exfoliator afterall, so the exfoliating capability is totally dependent on friction to physically slough off the dead skin cells.

What I like about it:

The avocado and coconut really help in making the skin feel smooth and soft. I like how my skin feels baby smooth after the exfoliation, and I have to say I'm quite impressed. Even though it is a scrub, it doesn't give me that tight/dry feeling.
The skin looks visibly brighter and less dull.
A little goes a long way! Even though it's not cheap, I think the cost could be spread over a long period of time.

What can be improved:

Personally, I feel that an indicator of a good exfoliating product is how well skincare products get absorbed into the skin after a good scrub. Skincare products such as serums and moisturizers tend to sink into the skin and get absorbed faster and better after the dead skin cells are removed. Unfortunately, I did not experience that with Lush's Ocean Salt. I think that is probably because the exfoliation wasn't thorough enough. This is kinda of the deal breaker for me. As much as I like how my skin feels and look after using Ocean salt, I don't think it makes the cut in terms of its exfoliating properties.

Overall, I think Ocean Salt is pretty efficient at polishing the skin surface, but for more thorough exfoliation, I still prefer my Cure Natural Aqua Gel. Ocean salt is definitely a good product, but for me, it isn't groundbreaking. I will continue using it, however I don't think I will be repurchasing it, just because I personally prefer gel exfoliators. I'm used to gel exfoliants (CURE Natural Aqua Gel), which I feel  is a more efficient and gentler form (because it is non-abrasive) of exfoliator compared to physical exfoliators.
I think if they make a facial cleanser (at a cheaper price lol) with the exact formula, just without the salt, I'll definitely buy it!

I bought 3 different products from Lush in Japan, and Ocean Salt is the only one that left me feeling   slightly underwhelmed. The other 2 are absolute HITS! I'm so glad I got to try them out, and rave reviews of those 2 products will be coming soon!

Ingredients:

Easy Toasted Marshmallows/S'mores Recipe

My favorite thing to BBQ has to be marshmallows! Since it's not everyday that we get to BBQ, I decided to use whatever equipments/tools I have at home to satisfy my sweet tooth. It is super fast and easy to make. Great snack at anytime of the day!

Introducing...my home-made S'mores!!

S'mores are basically toasted marshmallow and chocolate sandwiched between two pieces of graham crackers. My favorite way to eat it is without the melted chocolate as I find the combination to be too sweet.

What you will need:

Toaster

Marshmallows

Crackers

Optional-Chocolate bars, preferably at room temperature so that it's easier to melt it.

Step 1. There are 3 pieces of crackers per pack. Break the crackers evenly, so that you get 6 smaller pieces, and place the marshmallows on 3 of the crackers. The remaining 3 will be used to sandwich the marshmallows later on.

Step 2. Place them in the toaster, giving each of them ample amount of space, as the marshmallow will expand and we do not want our marshmallows to stick onto each other.

Step 3. Set the toaster at 150deg celsius, for 8-10min. Every toaster works differently, so do check on it every 3-4 min. Adjust the timing according to your own preferences. If you don't like it to be too burnt, take it out earlier.

Step 4. Once the marshmallows are sufficiently toasted, use a spoon to scoop out the toasted marshmallows and crackers from the oven. It should look something like this.

Step 5. (Optional) Place a small piece of chocolate on the marshmallow. The heat from the marshmallow will melt down the chocolate.

Step 6. For the last step, place another piece of cracker on the marshmallow and gently press down the marshmallow.

Step 7: Aaaaanddd, you're done! Now it's time to sink you teeth into those little squares of perfection. It's so sinful, but so yummeh. I just love the combination of gooey marshmallows and crunchy crackers.

Another bonus of these toasted marshmallow is that they fill the entire house with a sweet, yummy aroma! Positive externality!! Highly recommend anyone with a toaster at home to try it out. The rest of the ingredients are readily available at any grocery stores :)