We discovered this place sometime late last year.
It was one of those places that I'd thought might be a possible hit and miss.
But as it turned out, no, far from it, our meal was remarkably delightful.
I wish I had more pictures to show, but they're in another device and I can only add them in at another time.
Ichiho Donburi and Sushi is a restaurant/cafe sitting on the second floor of Aperia Mall right close to PICO and Lavender MRT Station.
It's a place that caters to a casual crowd.
Over here you won't find yourself needing to be in suit jackets and skirts or suit jackets, shirts and ties.
Why, you can come even in your Tshirt and running shorts gear.
They won't mind.
That's not to mean that they don't serve great food nor have good service though.
They do.
Someone put quite a bit of thought into the place when they set it up.
Or at least considered it like some of the casual dining places in Japan that cater to both the solo diner and the lively groups.
I don't know if eateries in Japan look like this, but I liked how easy and comfortable it was with a bit of decor on the walls and very rustic-looking furniture too.
I particularly appreciated the service.
Yes, there were only a few other diners around, hence their speed, but the staff seemed to know pretty well the menu, and they were prompt in bringing some of the extra condiments we asked for.
There was a lot on the menu that we were eager for.
Like a wagyu beef donburi that looked really appetising.
Like a dish of gyozas because we were peckish.
And chicken karaage because it looked pretty huge, and pretty nice to munch on.
This evening we made an order of pork katsudon and salmon don.
I don't know if these are the names of the dishes- I didn't take a good look at the menu- but that's what they definitely were.
And can I say that the katsu in the katsudon was not just really huge, but soft, juicy, and almost completely enveloped with deliciously prepared omelet too?
I was surprised.
It's not always that I have a katsudon this good.
Truth is, I had been expecting a hard, dry, even tasteless piece of pork fillet- as so many places with $17 priced bowls are, but this one delighted me, and made me smile.
Inside the bowl was a chonk that had a lovely crisp to the breaded part and a tenderness to the pork part inside.
I had such a lovely time eating it that despite being only reasonably hungry, I finished the whole bowl without hesitation, seaweed, spring onions, vinegared onions, omelet egg and all.
I'm glad I got to have a bit of salmon sashimi too.
Because my dining companion and i had earlier agreed to order our own individual bowls and share.
So whilst I lifted several slices of cold, fresh, skillfully sliced salmon sashimi from his bowl, a couple pieces of mine crossed over the other side.
Did the flavors clash?
Nope, not at all.
In fact I thought they went together rather well.
Maybe because everything tasted so wholesome and so clean, so much so that the (fishy) taste of salmon did not linger.
And neither did the oil of the pork katsu in which it had been deep fried.