You know, if there's something about life that I've learnt all these years, it is to 'never say never'.
Doesn't matter what it is.
It might be something bombastic- like an experience which you thought you wouldn't have, a person you'd never meet- or it might be something simple- like entering a mall for a meal which you previously thought you'd never would.
I never thought I'd go to Aperia Mall on Lavender Street for a meal.
But then came Valentine's Day this year and I've since happily changed my mind.
No matter if I don't wish to have McDonalds, Tim Ho Wan or Ya Kun Kaya Toast.
There's a Ichiho Donburi & Sushi- on the second floor- that I'll make a special trip for, and will go to.
The food there's pretty good.
Shall I say that it came as quite a surprise?
That I hadn't been expecting such a quantity and quality, or even this level of detail, but everything turned out otherwise?
You see, instead of a poorly-breaded, overly-fried, dry, hard piece of katsu dumped on top of cold, ill-comforting rice, I got a thick piece of very well-breaded pork filet that contained a flavor and a crisp so on point that I could feel, and hear the crunch of the breaded skin over every bite.
I loved how juicy and tender the pork was.
I also loved the contrast of textures that this particular dish gave me.
It wasn't just on the filet itself.
Mixed between the slice of pork filet was the very soft, mushy scrambled which gave off a lovely, moist feel that sank into each breaded slice and slid comfortably over your tongue.
They'd taken effort with the spring onions and the seaweed too.
So good it was that we ordered a separate piece of katsu ala carte, and munched happily through it just the same.
Katsu, however, wasn't all that we had for Valentine's Day.
There was another bowl of salmon don for my friend, and whilst I don't have pictures of this bowl, we were impressed by the charming way the thick, cold, fresh slices of salmon sashimi had been arranged over the warm, fluffy rice, and the smooth, chewy texture of the fish itself.
I think the generous portion of fish roe made him extra happy.
Perhaps the best thing about the food here at Ichiho was just how fresh all of them were.
None of it made me feel like they'd been half-heartedly done.
None of it made me feel like it was microwaved or hurriedly thrown into the pan.
And the quality wasn't only present with the mains.
It was with the sides too.
Like the two cute slices of sashimi that came with the salmon don set, the fresh salad of vegetables, sliced cucumber and red cherry tomato, the pile of shredded cabbage that came with the ala carte katsu, and the crispy, hot dish of deep-fried salmon skin that we'd specially ordered as an appetizer.