Melbourne Lifestyle Blog
+4
Hidden along the quieter end of Carlisle Street in Balaclava, this Japanese eatery could easily be missed. Promoting itself as modern Japanese, En Izakaya may not be traditional, but it is authentic. The décor is sleek with touches of Japanese wood features to make you feel right at home in a real ryokan. The lunch time I was there, the service strengthened this, with a single woman serving with grace and politeness.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
I have been coming here for years and just realised I have never written a well deserved 5 star review.
This is a quiet, smaller restaurant in the middle of a shopping centre I often frequent. You walk in and feel peaceful, relaxed and ready to try everything. It is predominantly cooked rather than sushi but they do have sushi and sashimi and all of it is high, high quality and wonderfully done.
One of my very favourite dishes is Tuna Sashimi with a superb wasabi and pistachio sauce, it is a must try. I have come alone for lunch and with friends for dinner and no one has ever been disappointed. They have lots of vegetarian options which are all done delicately and beautifully, the plates look like picture. I have had so many things there, the wage and tofu is so different from any other places I have tried it. They have eel that is just heaven in your mouth. The dishes are small so look to enjoy and savour rather than fill up - but you do leave very satisfied
They have lunch special menus which allow you to try 4 small portions together that also come with the best miso soup you have ever had, it incorporates different types of seaweed rather than just the flat green, and the taste, especially in winter, as it comes warm and nourishing is also special.
Yes, another highly recommend.
On ANZAC Day eve we were grateful to find a romantic restaurant open for dinner! The interior was moody with stylish drop lighting and the service was fast and friendly.
The menu was sharing style, with dishes from the garden, sea and paddock and averaging around $17 per plate. We ordered the:
- Tuna Sashimi (w/ spring onion, soy & wasabi dressing),
- Hokkaido Scallops (sashimi & nigiri sushi) and the
- BBQ Ox Tongue
All dishes were elegant, balanced and extremely tasty! I particularly enjoyed the wasabi dressing on the sashimi :) Although, the portions can be quite small for a very hungry person!
Overall, an intimate atmosphere with delicious Japanese morsels, however I think a full meal would cost more than Zomatos suggested $80 for two. Although, we do go to town on our dinners!
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Had the following dishes:
Tuna and spring onion yuba – The raw tuna seems to be partially minced with finely diced spring onion, wrapped in tofu skin and lightly fried; served with five pieces accompanied with a lemon wedge and some sort of light soy sauce dip. The tofu skin was thin and crisp and the tuna was soft and meaty. It didn’t felt greasy at all and tasted quite flavourful (maybe a little bit of salt was mixed into the tuna) even without the lemon or soy sauce. Squeezing in some lemon juice and a dab of light soy sauce made each bite more vibrant and flavour packed.
Onsen tamago' tsukune – This is a three layered dish; first there was a mash potato base which sat on a small pool of slightly thickened sweet soy sauce. Then sitting on top of the potato base was a big piece of mince pork meatball; and finally topping the meatball was a soft steamed egg sprinkled with Shichimi (Japanese spice). The potato was soft but not fully mashed and had some diced carrots mixed in it; tasted pleasantly sweet with the sweet soy sauce that resembled a very mild teriyaki sauce. The pork meatball was tender and very meaty; savoury but not salty with a hint of sweetness possibly from the little bits of carrot and onion mixed in the meatball. Finally the soft steamed egg was smooth and extremely delicate with a creamy yolk, and the Shichimi seasoning added a salt and spice flavour to the egg. All three components worked well together, each adding a different texture and flavour to the dish.
Panko crumbed chicken thigh fillet – The chicken thigh was sliced open and stuffed with spicy yuzu paste and shiso herb, then coated with panko crumb and deep fried. It came with three pieces of chicken, a handful of shredded cabbage and a lemon wedge. The chicken was tender and tasty with a hint of spice and herb, and the yuzu flavour was quite pronounced and fragrant. The chicken skin added additional flavour and you don’t really notice the skin because it was combined perfectly with the panko crumb coating which was thin, flaky and crunchy. A little bit of lemon juice added a citrus kick which completes the flavour profile of this dish.
BBQ calamari and Yamagata soba noodles – The soba noodles were covered with white miso and vinegar coated rocket leaves and some grilled BBQ calamari, then sprinkled with some tempura crumbs. Soba noodles were served room temperature, soft but not soggy; very mild tasting with the white miso and vinegar dressing from the rocket leaves. However the rocket leaves were slightly too bitter for the most part; dominating the sweet and vinegary dressing. The calamari had a nice bounce to it; wasn’t too chewy or rubbery and you can taste the sweet BBQ glaze; wasn’t enough to balance the bitterness of the rocket leaves but at least it was healthy tasting.
Sorbets – This was served on a big plate with three scoops of sorbet incorporating Japanese flavours; each scoop was a blend of two flavours and placed in separate bowls. The flavours of all three sorbets were paired well and you can taste both elements of flavours; the watermelon and umeshu combination provided a light refreshing sweetness, slightly sour with a hint of alcohol taste; the green apple and shiso was sweeter and less sour than the first with a clear minty herb taste; and the yuzu and honey was the sweetest out of the three, fruity, fragrant and sugary. The sorbets had a slushy like texture, very refreshing and packed with flavour.
Overall it was a satisfying meal; the dishes were contemporary and innovative, well executed with ingredients combined to bring out different flavours and textures, nothing over seasoned. The soba noodles with BBQ calamari and rocket leaves was the least exciting, slightly disappointed because the bitterness of the leaves overpowered the dish. Otherwise the rest of the dishes were well balanced and tasty. Not to mention the unique pairing of flavours in the sorbets were amazing.
Had their wagyu beef burger set lunch menu and it was good, even though it is a fushion resto but taste wise was authentic japanese, not chinese as mostly jap resto out there.
The ambiance of this resto was good and comfy, service was a bit awkward but friendly and fast.
Overall good experience, and will go back.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Food (7/10): came here for a pre dinner meal and I wouldn't say the food was amazing but it certainly wasn't bad. En izakaya serves Japanese tapas for a premium price. As they do tapas, the serving portions are tiny but range between $15-20. I honestly feel it wasn't worth the money for basic food. Their menu is very small so it makes ordering quick. We ordered:
* Salmon and kingfish sushi (7/10): the sushi was nicely made and presented. The fish slices were cut neatly however the kingfish had a slight fishy aftertaste.
*Okonomiyaki (7/10): this dish was nice with a perfect amount sauce without it being too overpowering. The mushrooms added a nice texture and crunch to this dish which I loved. The downside is that it is tiny. The batter also wasn't mixed well as I found chunks of pickled ginger clumped up on one side of the pancake.
*Son in law (6/10): this dish tried to be creative but failed in many ways. As soon as we received the dish, the meat and egg quickly slid off and collapsed just after I took a photo of it. The egg was slightly over cooked. There was also an inconsistency in temperature of the overall dish as the egg was ice cold while the meat ball and mash were hot. The meat was a tad bit too salty for me while the mash didn't really add to the dish.
Service (9/10): service was great. The staff made sure our glasses were filled and was very attentive.
Ambience (9/10): nice interior ideal for a date. Chairs are super comfortable which makes for a great dining experience.
Verdict: probably wouldn't come here again as the dishes were pretty average for the price point. The menu also doesn't give me a reason to return as there's not a lot to offer on the menu.
Venue - it's a cosy venue with tables a little close together. Some Japanese features and architecture (like heading to the bathroom) scattered throughout the otherwise modern looking interior. It's not too loud in here, so quite comfortable.
Food - like the venue, it's a fusion of modern and traditional Japanese techniques. Best to order 2-3 dishes per person, as it's a tapas style fare, although there are a few larger dishes. A lot of the dishes are very appetizing so hard to go wrong. Only thing I would say, is that the dishes didn't come out in order of flavour/richness/size - just seemed random.
A very good wine selection, which pairs very well with the menu.
Service - mostly Japanese staff, quite attentive and friendly.
Would I go back? Probably not because I feel like a experienced it, but I would recommend to visit. The food is actually very good.
Had a lovely dining experience here for dinner on a Wednesday night. Looks a little on the fancier side of casual dining, but carried some nice, good vibes. The staff were very polite and prompt in service, and extremely attentive too. All dishes were well balanced in their seasoning, and came out within reasonable time. Good, quality produce - especially with the sushi and their wasabi. Pricing was reasonable and left feeling full without being stuffed.
The plating is really lovely, the tuna with wasabi even better. The sorbet is really more of a granitta, either way again a knock out. Salad also really nice, the rest was not quite as good. Unfortunately, the salmon tempura was dry, the misu soup was salty and missing that depth and warmth I love about it.
Some highs, and some average moments...
All five adults enjoyed a close to perfect Mothers Day lunch today. We ordered 9 dishes, plus rice for under $40 a head. The menu is modern, diverse and has something for everyone. The flavours were clean and not overly complicated but tasty. The service was tentative. Decor was contemporary and warm with nice mood lighting.
Very satisfied! We will be back soon to sample the other dishes on the menu!
Nicholas Bowman (Online Game Time)
+5
Excellent menu and fusion of modern and traditional Japanese cuisine. Great for sharing. Well presented and good balance of flavours overall.
Reasonably priced and a nice cosy but not overcrowded atmosphere on a Saturday evening.
Friendly and attentive staff.
Very nice. Really good service and food and very reasonably priced.
So happy to have finally tried this local place out. Went there with high expectation due to so many recommendations and it did not let us down. There was one obvious dish that really stood out and it was the Kingfish skewers in miso paste. If they are still on the specials board when you go there, make sure to order that! Itatakimas!
A little celebratory dinner here a few weeks ago. It has a charming ambience and great for a night with your partner. Each dish is presented well, though I think the portions were a little small for the price. Favourite was the seared tofu and eggplant with miso - highly recommended. Okonomiyaki was a little too dense.
Great little Japanese Izakaya. Plenty of options to choose from. Great flavour, but as this is Japanese style tapas, portions are small. Price wise, it's on the expensive side.
Will I come back? Maybe, but not in the rush.
Authentic Japanese atmosphere, service and outstanding menu, delicious!
My new favourite place!
It’s becoming a weekly thing.
Love the slow cooked beef dish and the sesame chicken thigh dish.
The tempura prawns.... mmm!
I need to venture to new menu items, but it’s so hard to move past these.
Really friendly service to
Marietta Univaso Navarrete
+5
Beautiful and delicious! Excellent service and atmosphere. I’m happy I found real Japanese food in Melbourne, absolutely recommended.
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