Fujiyama soba
If you like the idea of winding down over sake and yakitori without having to sit in a smoke-filled eatery after work, check out the newly opened Yakitori Enmaru.
Located in ION Orchard, Yakitori Enmaru prides itself on authentic Japanese dishes and its crew of mainly Japanese cooks headed by Chef Yoshiharu Inoue.
This probably explains why Yakitori Enmaru sees a good following of Japanese working men who throng the izakaya style restaurant after five.
The restaurant specialises in a wide variety of yakitori or Japanese BBQ skewers ranging from chicken, beef, pork, vegetables such as mushrooms and asparagus to more exotic choices such as buta kimchee ($3.80), pork belly wrapped in spicy kimchee.
Minced chicken meat balls
Some of our favourites include chicken ball, minced chicken meat balls evenly marinated with a sweet and savoury sauce and tamago yaki ($6.80), a generous wedge of Japanese sweet omelette served with daikon radish.
Though highly recommended, we were not impressed with the house special ibushi yaki ($14.80), a chicken dish prepared using a traditional smoking technique. While tender, the chicken was simply too smokey (we did not think that was possible either). Coupled with the overly salty seasoning, the dish simply overwhelmed our taste buds. Perhaps, this was meant more for sake-downing diners.
Ibushi yaki
If you’re after something more hearty, try the Fujiyama soba ($15.80), a crispy version of hot cha soba served on a sizzling hot lava plate, topped with bonito flakes and strips of bacon. Give the noodles a good stir before you tuck in so that the hot stone chars some of the noodles, turning them into additive crispy bits. And like a classic cha soba, a light sauce is served on the side for dipping.
Yakitori Enmaru also serves value-for-money set lunches starting from $15.80 daily.
2 Orchard Turn, #04-11 ION Orchard
Tel: 6636 7282
Opening Hours: 11.30am–3pm, 5pm–10pm (Mon – Sun)
