Our decision to visit Enmaru Izakaya was an impulsive one. Which meant we made no reservations and I didn’t do any research beforehand (I like to read up on the restaurant and learn their signature dishes and know what to expect).

So, let me start off by telling you that we didn’t try any of their signature dishes….oops.  But, their non-signature dishes got me intrigued enough to blog about this izakaya restaurant.  This restaurant originates from Japan and features beautiful robatayaki grilled dishes.

 Grilled Chicken Wings ($68)

Grilled Pork Sausages ($58)

 Asparagus with Shichimi Mayonnaise ($48)

 Sashimi Platter 4 Types ($388)

Beef Wasabi ($128)

Cod Saikyoyaki ($128)

Short Ribs ($98)

By grilling the ingredients over binchotan charcoal, dishes like the asparagus and sausages have a charred crispy exterior, but a juicy and tender interior.  The sashimi platter was exceptionally fresh and had thick slices of fish.   My favorite of the evening was the classic Cod Saikyoyaki, which was silky and creamy.

I didn’t mind the Wasabi Beef dish at all, but I need to warn you that the amount of wasabi in the dish could be a bit overwhelming for some.  Another warning I should give you is the poor ventilation of this new restaurant.  When we walked into the restaurant the first thing that hit us was how smokey it was, and I was immediately put off with the idea of sitting in front of the robatayaki grill (fingers crossed they fix the ventilation soon and the smokey environment wasn’t intentional).

Enmaru’s signature dishes include the Hokkaido Kinki fish, Simmered Beef Offal, Homemade Potato Salad with Salted Squid and Homemade Tofu.  We tried the famous Kinki fish during our visit to Inakaya earlier this year (post here), and despite how tasty it was I’m unsure whether we should give this $888 dish a try again (hmm…it is a better deal than the $1430 one we had at Inakaya).

I look forward to going back to this cozy restaurant again and  give their signature dishes a try.

Dinner Total:  $1137* (2 people)
Address:  Shop 1001A, 10/F, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay / Tel: 2721 9955

*Includes 3 Lychee Calpis Soda’s