[Food Review] Ippin Cafe Bar - Cozy environment with affordable Japanese Food and Premium Sake

Along Mohamed Sultan where you can find this hidden gem:

 Ippin Cafe Bar - Singapore's first home concept Japanese cafe bar.

Yup you read it right!

This cafe bar is like a hidden spot if you're just passing by the area. 

They fit perfectly along the white stretch of shops but this is a place you should not miss.

Unlike many Japanese restaurants or bars in Singapore, this place is definitely one to go if you like to have a chat session or even just a casual dining and enjoy the cozy atmosphere.

People are friendly, price are friendly, with all prices include GST and Service Charge and best of all, FREE WIFI!

They have a corner for you to check out their merchandises while waiting for your food to arrive.
Or better yet, have fun posing outside for some fun shots and get your creative juice going.
I love how it blends in with the old and new modernized buildings!
It's another great photo-shoot venue and selfie lovers' paradise!

Not only do they serve home-style Japanese food,
they have tea, sake, premium Japanese snacks and even paper fiber clothing too!

If you're into sake, then this place is the right place for you.

There are 30 & more sake, depending on the season to satisfy your sake fix!
They have price-friendly premium sake in-store ranges from
$35 to $95 for 720ml for you to choose from.

Beautiful Ayumi is such a dear!
The lady boss herself and her crew are so friendly and nice, ever-ready to serve you,
so do head in to check out!

***

Was invited for a food tasting session with them and I was impressed.
The set meal are so affordable and food served with quality ingredients!

The starter that is crunchil-y appetizing.

This is not in the menu and have yet been introduced to the public but this is so good!
Salad bars are not new to many Japanese restaurants but the dipping sauce is different
and it taste creamy and flavorful.
Hope they can actually serve this in their menu.

Nikujaga pork and potato stew 

*Part of Deep fried Oyster Set S$24 nett.
Comes with rice, Hatcho miso soup, Nikujaga pork and potato stew, salad 
and hojicha pudding

Oysters are from Hiroshima Prefecture the most famous area of oyster in Japan.

It's lightly battered with the outer layer so crispy, leaving the inside fresh and juicy.

The stew was slightly salty but made well-done to compliment the deep fried oyster and rice.

Pretty well-balance meal!


Yakisoba Set
S$12 nett
Comes with Kobachi (small dish) and hojicha pudding (roasted green tea dessert).

Yakisoba comes from Chiba Prefecture.
A dish that's very Japanese because they have it almost all the time.
You don't have to head over to Japan to have it because you can taste the original from Ippin cafe bar.

Generous amount of marinated pork slices, cabbage and carrots.
My second pick for a simple satisfying meal!

Oyakodon Set

S$15.00 nett

Comes with miso soup and hojicha pudding.

This is one of my favorite among the tasting menu we had.

Chicken was boiled with dashi (stock) to enhance the taste of this dish and was flavorful when mixed with rice. 

It's quite appetizing actually for the right amount of salty taste.

You must be wondering what's that colorful round stuff in that mini cup?

It's actually Rattsu, flavored nuts!

It's pretty addictive when you start it.

Comes in 3 flavors: serious coffee, creamy strawberry and grassy matcha.

All you need to do is select your favorite flavored nuts and fill your cup with it.

Rattsu Nuts are priced at $8/cup.

A good snack to have when you while away.

*Ingredients in their set meals are carefully selected and they come from dedicated Japanese companies with combined history of 329 years!

Talk about traditions and quality!

Address:

Ippin Cafe Bar - Japanese Makan & Drinks Place

18 Mohamed Sultan Road, Singapore 238967

Opening hours: 11am - 11pm

Tel: 67334794

FB/IG Reservations: @IPPIN Cafe Bar

For more informations, check out Ippin cafe bar's FB page!

*All prices include GST and Service Charge. 

Free Wifi available.

Follow me at:

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/zerika.says / Personal FB page

Twitter: https://twitter.com/zerikagan

Instagram: https://instagram.com/zerikagan

Till then,

Zerika-says

[Food Review] Grand Opening of Saboten, Millenia Walk, 27 April 2015

Howdy everyone!

(Source)

I believe many of you might have heard about Saboten and knows that they used to have one outlet at Millenia Walk.

*They're one of the largest Tonkatsu chains with over 500 outlets in many countries such as Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and many more.

And...

They're finally BACK in Millenia Walk!!

I used to work at Parco, Millenia Walk and most of the time, I would go there for my lunch break.

The service was awesome and they've never once disappoint me with their food quality.

A meal which costs around S$20++ (depends on what you're ordering) and comes with free flow of miso soup, imported Japanese rice, and fresh cabbage! 

It's so worth it!

It's always Hunwari Tenderloin Don for me. Always! 

I'm a sucka for that. 

I don't have to look at the menu to choose, it's always Hunwari Tenderloin Don!. 

A loyal fan! teehee^^

I'm so glad they're finally back at Millenia Walk because It's just walking-distance away from my current workplace. *egg-cited*

I'm so lucky to be able to attend and witness their grand opening!

Read on because they're having a great promotion right now!!

At the Grand Opening of Saboten, Millenia Walk..

Special drum performance for all the VIPs and invited guests.

Opening Speech from one of the directors of Saboten.

It's really an eye-opening ceremony!

We get to try the sake and wow, it's strong!

(source)

Finally it's meal time!

We get to try out their extensive food menu and I'm impressed!

(source)

Mix of Ebi Katsu and their most popular, Pork Loin Katsu just for the two of us!

Super generous!

Le Boyfriend was sharing with me how he fell in love with their cabbage 

(*he hates his greens but fell in love with Saboten's Fresh Cabbage!) 

Credit me okay, I introduce Saboten to him one. *proud*

After meal dessert.

We were already super full by then.

I can say it's really refreshing and a good way to end the meal!

Thank you Saboten Singapore for having us! 

We, and our tummy, enjoyed very much!

And guess what,

They're having a super duper good promotion!

50% off  on every second set ordered 

(*selected set only)!!

and it depends on the day itself.

My favorite Hunwari Tenderloin Don is on Fridays!! Woohoo!

(Source: Saboten's FB Page)

For more information, do like their page and follow their updates!

Great deals till end of June 2015!!

#DontSayINeverShare

Till then,

Zerika-says

Follow me at:

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/zerika.says / Personal FB page

Twitter: https://twitter.com/zerikagan

Instagram: https://instagram.com/zerikagan

[Sponsored beauty review] bSoul Hydra-lip - an essential for humid weather and travelling!

Just wondering if any ladies/gentlemen out there suffers from chapped lips or even dry, flaky lips that hurts?


Photo Credit: Google.com

I know the above photo probably was one of the worst but trust me, I've had experience before and  sometimes I do tend to peel the 'flaky skin' off  when I daze and ......causes it to bleed. OUCH!

Some of you that follows me might have already know I just got back from my Hong Kong trip and I was complaining about the cold and strong winds.
In my mind I was hoping Singapore can at least be in 'air-condition' temperature, you know, Singaporean.


Was checking on the temperature for Hong Kong while in SG, it was showing a cooling clear 26-27 degrees for day and so I didn't think much and just brought along only a pullover and a hoodie jacket, some sleeveless dresses and essentials. The temperature changes just when we landed in Hong Kong airport reporting it as 19 Degrees Celsius!


  Just imagine walking along the street in broad daylight with temperature at 18-19 degrees with strong wind blow.... and at night? Lucky that we went shopping in Mongkok where there's many tall buildings surrounding so it's not that bad plus I just keep stuffing myself  with food to keep warm! lol!
 But I can't be relying on food right?

Shivers, in need of water, hands and lips so dry.
I had to keep on applying hand cream.

*Yeap, I can't take hot weathers and cold especially sudden change of weather! I'll fall sick very easily. That's why Melvin have to always accommodate to my needs and making sure I feel comfy when I stay over. He can just wear a long sleeve shirt to The Peak still feeling 'OKAY~' while me piling up a pullover, hoodie jacket and still feel cold. -_-'''



Here I would like to share this amazing lip care with you that uses natural ingredients to moisturize and care for your lips!

Was telling Melvin how grateful I am that this amazing lip-care came in-time for this trip, and was so compact and super useful that I have to bring it along everywhere now!




Do you know that some of the lip balms that we are using/used to use form a synthetic film over the surface of the lips, causing us to think that our lips are properly moisturized? Such ingredients do not work any further than just the surface and may even cause our own body and skin to forget to function by itself! 

Took this photo while I was in the cable car towards Lantau Island and oh my..
was uber cold and raining and foggy and.......
I couldn't see any scenery at all! No greens, no sea.. nothing! Like as if I'm floating in clouds~

I can feel my hands and my lip so dry and numb!

Applying the hydra-lip!

I like how bSoul is the first eco-friendly phytoceutical cosmetic line that also certified by ICEA (Environmental and Ethical Certification Institute).

It is very important to know what we're applying on our face and body.

Nowadays there's so many chemicals used in all skincare cosmetics. 

This is really good as there's no parabens, silicons, petrolatum, paraffin, SLES and they don't test on animals! :)

Here's the ingredients:

Aqua [Water], Persea gratissima (Avocado) oil, Cetearyl alcohol, Glycerin, Xylitol, Cetearyl glucoside, Hydrogenated olive oil, Butyrospermum parkii (Shea butter) butter, Sodium stearoyl lactylate, Brassica alba seed extract, Olea europaea (Olive) fruit oil, Olea europaea (Olive) fruit unsaponifiables, Citrus aurantium dulcis (Orange) peel oil, Tocopherol, Sodium hyaluronate, Ascorbyl palmitate, Lecithin, Xanthan gum, Limonene, Citric acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium benzoate, Sodium dehydroacetate.

Rich creamy texture that glides on my lips very well, creating a natural protective coat that lasts longer than any lip balms. 

Not sticky, greasy at all! 

A little goes a long way~

 

No complains at all from le bf. 

His feedback? Soft and moisturize lips not like before.. so dry. 

Thank ah! -_-'''

..:: Usage :: ..

Apply the cream on the lips throughout the day (under or over lipstick) and massage until completely absorbed.

Note: If you have been using a lot of lip products made with synthetic ingredients, the initial stage of using Hydra-Lip, you will find flakes coming off as you massage the cream into your lips. It is normal as those could be the “dead skin” or even those silicons that other products contain. 

..:: PRICE ::..

Retails at SGD$52

*Specially for my readers!

Key in "Zerika10%" for 10% off hydra-lip on

 http://www.meditrina.com.sg/detail.php?ProductID=993 !

** For online members, every $10 you spend accumulate 1 credit point. 

Every 1 credit point offset $1 off your future purchases! 

Follow them on FB: https://www.facebook.com/bSoul.Singapore

bSoul is on Instagram too!

 @bSoul_singapore  #bsoulSg #bsoulSingapore

with many kisses.... muackzzz!

Till then,
Zerika-says

Connect with me at:

Personal FB page 

FB blog Page.

Twitter

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#zerikasays #zerikatravels #zerikaeats

[Beauty Review + Giveaway ended] Swag your nails with Niu Nails and win a set of free gelish manicure worth S$45!

Hey everyone,

Do you still remember me posting this pretty and swag looking nail designs
couple of months back in my instagram?




For those who follows me, you'll know that I'm very into Chrome Hearts lately and yes,
Serene, the nail expert from Niu Nails helped me created this
simple yet swag-looking Chrome Heart inspired nail design.


And I super love it to the bits!

I was actually prepared to choose designs which are more of her forte
such as sweet and floral themes.


 I merely just chat with her on how much I like Chrome Hearts,
she immediately took out 1 accessory box and showed me her collections.

My oh my...
I am seriously impressed with her keeping up with the trend.

She's always so bubbly and friendly to all of her customers. :)


And guess what..

*

*

*

*

*

It's...

 . GIVEAWAY TIME . 

Niu Nails is sponsoring 1 lucky reader of mine
to win 1 set of gelish manicure worth S$45!

All you have to do is follow the steps below:

Step 1: Like Niu Nails and La Voga 's Facebook Page
Step 2: Like Niu Nails and La Voga 's  Instagram
Step 3: Click this link >> https://www.facebook.com/zerika.says/posts/977095615640724 , 
Like & Share (set as public) 
and comment [[ I want to win this! @niunails ]]


Contest will end on 26 November 2014, Wednesday, 2359.

Winners will be picked and announced on my Facebook page: Zerika Says the next day.
So do remember to Like and follow my page in order to know if you're the winner.

*This contest is for SG residents only.

Start sharing with your friends! :)

Good Luck!

Till then,
Zerika-says

[Movie Review] Must Watch Movies in October 2014: Black and White : The Dawn of Justice 《痞子英雄：黎明再起》

Recently won a pair of gala premiere movie tickets, Thanks to Taiwan Beer SG and Clover Films.

BLACK AND WHITE : THE DAWN OF JUSTICE 
《痞子英雄：黎明再起》

Directed by: TSAI Yueh-hsun 蔡岳勋
Starring : Mark CHAO 趙又廷 , LIN Gengxin 林更新, HUANG Bo 黃渤

Genre  Action/Police/Comedy

Brought along Melvin to catch this action-packed movie.

It was held at Vivocity, Golden Village Cinema and was super glad to see friends watching the same movie too!

We were treated some 'eye-candy' as the Director and the Main actor came in to the cinema to share a little of this movie.

If you did not know, BLACK AND WHITE: THE DAWN OF JUSTICE was actually a second prequel of the 2009 Taiwan TV series which stars Mark Chao and Vic Chou.
This time, only Mark returns to the big screen and with his new annoying yet funny partner, starred by Lin Geng-Xin, to battle with time and the Mastermind from destroying the Harbor City and save the innocents.



Mark CHAO 趙又廷
In this movie, he's more of the action-packed kinda police officer compared to his 'self-proclaimed' partner, Lin Geng-Xin. Acting as Wu Ying Xiong, he fights hard to find out the mastermind in order to bring peace to the citizens of Harbor City.



LIN Gengxin 林更新
The annoying 'self-proclaimed partner' to Wu ying xiong. But he's super cute in this movie.
If you are wondering why he look so familiar, Lin is known for his role in Scarlet Heart, 步步惊心, the14th son of the Kangxi Emperor. 

In this movie, he's smart and many a times, you'll find him rather adorable. The way he interacts with Mark Chao will definitely makes you laugh.

HUANG Bo 黃渤
He's super funny when he's interacting with Mark Chao in the movie.
Melvin was telling me that he was one of THE Best Actor in China!
After watching this movie and some movies he acted previously, I understand why. 

TSAI Yueh-hsun 蔡岳勋
The director also starred in this movie too. Keep your eyes glued to the screen and see if you can figure out which actor is him. He's really good I must say. 
Really worked for this movie.


[Zerika-says: Rate: 4/5]
I'm really surprised I actually DID enjoy this movie ALOT!
It's a combination of Action, many Laughter and some parts you will just get sentimental.
I'm not really an action-packed movie kinda person but it was like as if you're literally IN the movie with them.
 You'll laugh at silly remarks exchanged between the actors and curious for the next move.

Go watch it!
It's good! :)

***

Find out more at..

Clover Films FB: https://www.facebook.com/cloverfilms

Website: http://www.cloverfilms.com.sg/



Book your tickets here: 
Golden Village: http://bit.ly/1y9gWH4
Cathay Cineplexes: http://bit.ly/1shYwAt


Thanks Taiwan Beer SG once again! <3

Till then,
Zerika-Says