My second Japanese meal last week was a much better one compared to the one I had at Akira. I knew I didn’t have to worry anyway since the place, En, came highly recommended by olduvai who really is a much bigger foodie. Her very slim and svelte figure, however, doesn’t betray that fact. Jealous jealous!!!
Along with olduvai and slumbering girl, us three girls tucked into very hearty and good Okinawan fare. This Japanese restaurant had some unusual items on their menu. It’s probably because Okinawa is more culturally diverse than the main Japanese islands of Honshu, Kyushu and Hokkaido, hence this cultural mix is carried over to its cuisine.
For starters, we had grilled spare ribs served on a skewer. Piping hot and glazed with a delicious salty marinade, the perfectly golden brown ribs were a joy to eat as we attacked it with our hands and started eating it like we would attack sticks of satay.
The sliced pork salad with sesame dressing was next to arrive. This big bowl of salad was like a garden salad filled with thinly sliced pieces of pork and adorned with the extremely tasty sesame dressing. Highly recommended dish to order!
We also had the Wafu spaghetti which was thin spaghetti with cod roe dressing. These pinkish-orange spaghetti might look a tad weird but it tastes good. I liked the slightly spicy note which could be detected. Olduvai says it’s because it has some Korean influence in it.
The mixed platter of grilled skewers of fish cartilage, chicken balls, green chilli, and chicken was also very tasty. Hearty fare to tuck into.
The last item we had was the salmon cheese fry. This was a deep-fried salmon patty stuffed with cheese and avocado. Golden orange on the surface and perfectly deep-fried, this patty had a pink minced salmon on the outer core, followed by white cheese and green avocado at the inner core. It was an interesting combination and I was surprised that I liked the different layers and tastes the dish delivered.
Olduvai and slumbering girl companied their food with lovely cold Asahi beer. I, however, had to sit out because I wasn’t feeling too well. I didn’t want to compound my illness with alcohol.
Prices are reasonable (expect to spend about $25-30/person) and the service is pretty good. Highly recommended!
En Japanese Dining Bar
207 River Valley Rd
#01-57 UE Square
(On Mhd Sultan Rd)
Tel: 6735 2212