Sam found the outdoor children's playground while I was still pondering how to occupy the 20 min to lunchtime. So I ended up holding Sam back from the water sprouts - wonderful play area if you're in swimsuits, but a definite no-no for a mother without a towel & sun block!
The swings, see-saw & other play areas are all uniquely designed. More for older kids, I thought, since I saw teenagers play on the see-saw effortlessly. Sam climbed up the little hill only to find the blue slide scathing hot to the touch. In an effort to get him out of the hot noon sun, I brought him to the shaded area in the centre of the playground where multiple horses await by a girl & her cash register. I thought of treating Sam to a ride on the motorised animals.
But I was mistaken. Only after I've paid the $10 deposit did I realise the horses are mechanical, requiring the child on it to push the pedals up & down with his legs to move the animal, mimicking the action of horse riding. Sam was way too young to understand the task required of him, and 3 min after sitting dumbly on his camel (of all the horse available, he chose the only camel!), he asked to get off, then proceeded to push the camel around the compound!
The girl in charge was quite sweet: seeing Sam playing off the camel, she only charged me the 3 min Sam was on the animal. I asked Sam if he wanted a photo with the 'horse', & he specially made this pose! Now only have to teach him to look at the camera at the same time........Left the playground hot & sweaty, & my eyes were drawn to Shin Kushiya, due to the large banner outside the restaurant advertising its kushiyaki (various foods grilled on sticks). Haven't eaten in a kushiyaki restaurant for years!!!!! So I got Sam seated in the white Ikea baby chair, then realised Sam probably couldn't eat most of the kushiyaki, & I had too full a breakfast to risk ordering 2 different meals for Sam & me.
In the end, I settled for the Ladies Set (S$19.80) - a little of everything - so Sam can eat the udon & I can try the kushiyaki, sashimi & dessert. The futomaki & salad were quite standard, the salmon sashimi thick & fresh, the lemon cheesecake pretty good, the braised eggplant was firm & well-seasoned, and the cucumber/seaweed appetiser was, well, very appetising.
The chicken (I think) kushiyaki were pretty good, soft & tender & not overcooked. I like to eat kushiyaki plain with the sauce it was served in, but I tried out Shin Kushiya's special salts: the yellow curry salt was strong & flavourful, you wouldn't taste the freshness of your food with a smear of this seasoning! The purplish plum salt was a trifle too sour for me, I think it would complement the kushiyaki much better were it be much milder.I had ordered a Ikura Oroshi ($12.80) - fish roe with white radish & lime served attractively as a cocktail appetiser - for Sam to eat with the udon from my set, which turned out to be such a small portion I added a Mixed Chazuke ($6.80) after he finished all the noodles & fish roe. Not many Japanese restaurants serve ochazuke, which is rice & salmon/seaweed/plum served in hot tea broth. Hubby says it resembles Teochew porridge. ;P
Anyway, I find the mixed chazuke (containing salmon, seaweed & plum) here too 'wet'. I prefer those that allows me to pour out the broth from the teapot myself, so I can control the amount of broth in the bowl. Turns out Sam was fairly full after the udon, and I end up 'ta bao'-ing most of the chazuke home.
Hubby turned up when I was finishing the meal, and ordered a Hotate Kariage Don set ($18.80), which had such a big bowl of rice he barely managed to finish it! I liked his side dish of stewed vegetables, but hubby finds the kakiage don (mixed shredded vegetables fried tempura style) too dry - he prefers those that adds the egg sauce over the don.After we left the restaurant, we saw its takeaway booth just next door, with delicious looking rice balls & kushiyaki. Something to try the next time we visit!
Shin Kushiya
Vivocity #02-120/122
Tel: 6275-8766
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