En Jap (Japanese Dining Bar)

Japanese food. I love Japanese food but not just any run of the mill japanese food. I only like good Japanese food. It was this thought that i joined our dear friend, HFB's invitation to try out a place which he has raved about since his visit. 3 times in 2 months? Definitely a must try for foodies when a tongue as tough to please as his, wags praises about a restaurant.

Location: 207 River Valley Road #01-57 UE Square Mohammad Sultan Road Singapore 238275

Contact: 67352212

Price Range: $32-40 per head

The En Jap Sign

First up, it took us a long time to locate the restaurant because it was supposed to be found in UE square. The truth of the matter is, it can be found along the sides of UE square. In fact, its directly opposite Mohammad Sultan road and next to another restaurant called Bonta. En jap also boasts 2 different settings for seating. There's the semi alfresco seats on the outside and the oily and stuffy seats on the inside. Good thing for us, HFB managed to secure the alfresco seats which was still a double edged sword at best. Why is that so? Because the weather is so darn warm, its impossible not to sweat regardless of where you sit in this restaurant. However, a good point is that the waiters noticed that and actually turned the fans in our direction. Thats a good start in terms of service.

2 x Salmon Belly Sashimi ($13 x 2)

Recommended by HFB as the must eat and must have dish of the day, we had 2 servings of this elusive salmon sashimi. Well, i'm no expert but i have to say its rather interesting. Unlike normal salmon sashimi, it has a layer of fats which gives it a certain new degree of texture. The salmon is fresh and sweet but not cold enough even with all that ice beneath it. Its nice but sinful due to the fats.

Imaiyu Salad ($15)

Yummy. Appetising and definitely a must try. The Imaiyu salad comes with generous salmon sashimi pieces scattered throughout the immaculately chosen greens. Its also topped with delicious sour dressing which serves its purpose well in whetting our appetites. Definitely worth the time and effort to enjoy.

Beef Carpaccio ($16)

The star of the day in my book. This beef carpaccio beats every other beef carpaccio i've eaten thus far. Tender and thinly sliced beef smothered in something akin to cheese and a sweet and sour soya sauce dressing that has to be tasted to be believed. You can taste the fragrant cheesy taste in every bite and the beef is literally juicy and melts in your mouth. Must try this!

Kushi Mori ($17)

HFB introduced that En Jap is actually famous for their skewered meat but unfortunately on this case, i have to say i disagree. I had minimal tastings of the above but from what i did have, basically the bacon and asparagus and the chicken, it tasted fairly normal to me. Nothing particularly interesting about the item at all.

Unagi Fried Rice ($13)

Now this is a close second when it was served. Unagi fried rice. The fragrance of the rice is unbearable to the point that smelling it invariably makes you want to savor the dish immediately, but it was the generous serving of unagi mingled with the rice that makes it so much more special. When had together, its simply sweet, fragrant and undeniably good, not to mention the portion was generous as well. A must have on any visit!

Satsuma Age ($7)

We were nearing the end when we ordered this and honestly, it looked so much more promising on the menu. When it was served, we were slightly taken aback that we had ordered fish cake. And worst of all, its 2 miserly pieces at a whooping $7. Now this takes the cake as a royal waste of money. How it tastes like? Just like any 50 cent fish cake you can find outside, and i'm not even trying to be nasty.

Salmon Belly ($13) Mekajiki ($12) Tako ($11.50) = $36.50

Another sashimi platter which we ordered. Needless to say, the salmon belly is as fresh as ever and the same goes for the squid and the swordfish pieces. I didn't get to try much of the rest but i'd say that for the price, they really could have given more sashimi. The portions as above were miserly at best and a rip off at worst.

Wafu Steak ($17)

Recommended by HFB as one of the better items on the menu as well, this was our last order of the day. Juicy thick cubes of beef prepared simply can still turn out to be an art form. Fresh juices accompany each bite of this little gem and is a joy to have. The only gripe here is that its too oily and there's too little beef to go around. Other then that, i'd love to have it again.

Bill

A semi satisfying and interesting meal turned out to be $173.16 for 5 people. Effectively, i'm a happy man because of the company and some of the hits we've found.

Overall Score: 7.5/10

Last Word:
Thank you HFB for introducing the place. Its pretty good. Not excellent, but pretty good still. The good items like the carpaccio, unagi fried rice and the Imaiyu Salad are items not to be missed while the rest are either too miserly portioned to recommend or simply don't measure up. I've heard comments that the standard is inconsistent as well but overall, i'm still happy with my visit here. Definitely return for the value items and the carpaccio.