Kenboru – Stay Wealthy, Eat Healthy!

Being 99% carnivorous, I have always found it hard to enjoy vegetables on their own. I don’t fancy healthy food in general as well. Nonetheless, it is true that healthier foods have always been on the pricier and less tasty end of the spectrum. Strangely, I was drawn to Kenboru’s healthy Japanese Western fusion bowls which are very affordable. Kenboru offers premium proteins and ingredients that are super tasty!

While most undergraduates, like myself, are still sitting around scratching our heads, Samantha has been honing her culinary skills. She’s been learning how to cook from her mom since she was young. Despite graduating with a degree in Economics from SMU at the age of 23, Samantha decided to pursue her passion for cooking, and is now the founder of two F&B establishments located at the basement of SMU’s School of Information Systems – Kenboru, and Bricklane!

With no experience in the F&B industry, Samantha had many doubts and faced numerous uncertainties at the beginning. As SMU is located in the heart of Singapore’s Central Business District, it meant that Samantha had the opportunity to reach out to the masses. However, she had to do her own R&D to ensure that her food would appeal to everyone and not just the students of SMU.

Kenboru serves Japanese fusion rice bowls and soba! Taking pictures in the kitchen, I found it fascinating that zero oil is used throughout the entire preparation process in order to keep their bowls healthy and wholesome. After the rice bowls are packed tightly with ingredients that are neatly arranged, a generous serving of Kenboru’s housemade mentaiko sauce is applied!

Presentation-wise, the rice bowls had already fulfilled my aesthetic requirement, but Kenboru takes it one step further by torching the meat on the counter in front of customers! The flame gives both the meat and the mentaiko sauce a glorious charred look, releasing a smokey aroma. At this point, I simply couldn’t wait to dig in!

This is Kenboru’s Smoked Salmon Mentaiko with Fish Roe ($10.90) which is one of the 3 most popular dishes I tried. Samantha mentioned that the housemade mentaiko sauce was created through a series of trial and errors. Their success is apparent from its flavour and texture. Rich and creamy with an acute savouriness, the sauce went perfectly well with the rice, fish roe, and salmon that was slightly charred.

Before you complain that the rice is a little plain, remember to break into the yellow core of their sous vide eggs that are consistent in texture for every bowl. Almost completely liquid, the yolk is held together only by a soft and malleable layer of white. The moment I pulled back the egg white, the yolk burst and a creamy and robust yellow goodness oozed out.

The Grilled Teriyaki Chicken ($6.90) was tender and juicy with the right amount of meat and a layer of fat that had been nicely flamed. Once more, I broke into the egg and mixed it into the rice. Don’t be afraid to make a mess! To strike a balance between healthy and tasty food, Kenboru had to think of an alternative to soaking the entire bowl in the sweet donburi sauce we are familiar with. I found that the egg is a far better substitute! If I had the choice, I’d definitely opt for Kenboru’s egg over any donburi sauce for my future rice bowls.

Lastly, I tried Kenboru’s Smoked Duck Breast ($7.90)! For the same price, you can have either Cha Soba or Romaine Lettuce in either Roasted Sesame or Wafu Dressing for your base! I’ve never been a fan of cold noodles but this was something else. Similar to the previous two rice bowls I had, I released the glorious yolk from the sous vide egg, and everything came together surprisingly well! The soba had a springy texture, was firm to the bite, and the roasted sesame seeds lent a delicious nutty flavour, complementing the overall taste of the bowl.

I appreciated the variety of toppings that are added to every fusion bowl to make the entire dish more vibrant and visually appealing. Apart from looking good, the toppings also serve to balance out the entire meal; they provide a refreshing alternative to the umami of the meat, mentaiko sauce, and egg. The Japanese cucumbers are thinly sliced, bright yellow daikons extremely crunchy, and cherry tomatoes fresh, juicy, and sweet! For someone who doesn’t usually fancy vegetables, I think Kenboru did a pretty good job at tricking me into eating healthy.

What started off as a small goal to dish out good food for the SMU community may now expand into big dreams for the future! When I asked what the next step was, Samantha mentioned that she has possible plans to either open more outlets or venture into new areas of the F&B industry. Whether you’re a student at SMU or in the city looking for a meal that’s both healthy for you and your wallet, do check out Kenboru at the basement of SMU’s School of Information Systems!

In addition to Kenboru, Samantha’s other F&B outlet at SMU called Bricklane serves healthy and customizable salad bowls with proteins like rib-eye steak, chilli and lime tilapia, and grilled chicken. Believe it or not, every salad bowl (including the one with rib-eye steak) goes for under $8! On top of that, Bricklane also has one of the cheapest Sojus in town(3 bottles for $36 nett).

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Kenboru. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!