New Izakaya menu at ENJU, Prince Hotel

Izakaya is a type of Japanese drinking establishment which also serves food to accompany the drinks. The food is usually more substantial than that offered in other types of drinking establishments in Japan such as bars or snack bars.

Recently, a group of us went to ENJU at Prince Hotel to sample its new and exquisite Izakaya Style Japanese menu. The menu was specially crafted by Japanese Cuisine Master Chef Thomas Lim and his culinary team, including a wide range of dishes and a large selection of sake.

Table settings at ENJU

Cute origami on the table

Once seated, we’re served with piping hot green tea and a refreshing warm towel.

Hot tea and warm towel to freshen up

For a more intimate dining experience, ENJU also has some private dinner rooms to cater to big or small parties.

Private dining room for 6

Private dining room for 10

As with most prominent Japanese restaurants, an appetizer was served in no time.

Appetizer

The first dish served was Tatami iwashi, which was actually grilled dried baby sardine  sheets. Look! They really looked like tatami! It was my first time eating something this unique, it was crispy and slightly salty. Something like those Dahfa dried fish strips that I ate during my school times. Pretty addictive too.

Tatami iwashi (RM8)

While waiting for food to be served, kind Shirley also prepared sake for us! Cold and warm ones. The warm one was Ichinokura Junmai Taruzake (RM50/180ml) while the cold one was Sawanoi Daikarakuchi Junmai (RM45/180ml). To serve the cold sake, the waiter first poured it from the big bottle into a smaller glass jug.

Sawanoi Daikarakuchi Junmai (RM45/180ml)

Only after that he poured it from the jug to small glasses before serving them.

Glasses of cold sake

Look at the greedy me, 3 glasses of drinks! Hot ocha, warm sake and cold sake. I’m spoiled for choices! To be honest, I still couldn’t get the hang of sake, finding it too strong and bitter for my liking. Perhaps I need more practice!

Cold sake, warm sake & hot ocha

witch with Sawanoi Daikarakuchi Junmai

Extra helping of sake, anyone?

Before long, we were served with what I would deem as the ‘riceless sushi’! For this was my first time eating a piece of sushi which contained no rice at all! It’s called the ENJU dynamite roll, which consisted of fresh salmon, cucumber, flying fish roe, tempura flakes and avocado wrapped in dry seaweed. Ahh, the layers and layers of fresh salmon were just wonderful. And don’t forget the huge tempura prawn buried in between those layers of goodness. Eat this with some wasabi and it definitely feels like an explosion inside your mouth.

Preparation of ENJU dyamite roll

ENJU dynamite roll (RM22)

Next up, Shake honey no potato salada yaki which was mashed potato salad with honey and ginger grilled salmon, wasabi and shoyu. This was my second favourite dish of the night (tell me what’s my favourite later on!). The salmon was fresh and well marinated, with white, smooth and flaky flesh. Ah, fresh fish must always be smooth and flaky.

Grilled salmon

Shake honey no potato salada yaki (RM19)

For something light, Gyoza never failed to attract me – Japanese dumplings filled with minced chicken, cabbage, chives and water chestnuts served with a chili oil, vinegar and shoyu dipping sauce. Although I found the skin a tad thick, the flavourful fillings and dipping sauce more than made up for the shortcoming.

Gyoza (RM15)

Rock & Roll is another of ENJU’s signature rice rolls, consists of deep-fried tiger prawn, mango and sushi rice wrapped in dry seaweed. Mango on sushi! How very creative! And how I loved them!

Rock & Roll (RM24)

I have first heard of Japanese pizza only early this year, but never had the chance to savour it, until now. The Okonomi yaki is a Japanese pizza with crabmeat, octopus, prawns, scallops, vegetables, bonito flakes, seaweed and tonkatsu sauce. As much as I loved the toppings on the pizza, I didn’t find the pizza crust to be my cup of tea.

Okonomi yaki (RM30)

Japanese has always been known for a diet of fish, hence, we could never run too far from fish dish, such as the Sanma shioyaki, which is grilled pike fish with salt, lemon and grated radish. A very healthy dish as minimal oil and seasonings were used, yet still flavourful in its own.

Sanma shioyaki (RM10)

The Maguro tataki roll consisted of seared pan-fried red tuna, spring onions, ginger and sushi rice wrapped in dry seaweed. Sesame seeds were added on top of the tuna slices giving them a fragrant aroma. The tuna slices were extremely fresh, and were brilliantly seared with only the top part cooked leaving the rest to be raw in its own juices.

Maguro tataki roll (RM24)

Taking a break from food, we went around cheering with our glasses of sake. Even Sunny was already in cloud nine with his tomato-red face. *LOL*

Sunny saying cheers

Now, for my most favourite dish that night – the Gindara tamagoyaki, which is Alaskan black cod grilled  with egg yolk and cream cheese. Black cod, egg and cheese! What’s not to like? The cod fish was flown in all the way from Alaska, and look at the thick layer of cream cheese on top! Baked to perfection. Of course, it goes without saying that the cod was full of flavour and smooth, giving you the melt-in-your-mouth texture simply to-die-for.

Gindara tamagoyaki (RM40)

Gyuniku kushiyaki provided us with a taste of Japanese street food. Beef skewers grilled with teriyaki sauce could never go wrong with me.

Gyuniku kushiyaki (RM15)

As if we had unlimited stomach space, we were served with Tori katsudon  or creaded deep-fried chicken thigh simmered in soya sauce with shitake mushrooms, carrots, eggs and rice. The rice was drenched with soya sauce, unlike the usual dry version that I was used it. Surprisingly, this turned out to be quite nice. The sauce was not too salty and the chicken was crispy and tender.

Tori katsudon (RM20)

Towards the end of dinner, the Master chef came out with a pleasant surprise! My oh my, a wonderful plate of assorted sashimi! What an eye candy! We were all ooh-ing and aah-ing over this plate of fabulous cuts. Needless to say, all of us wolved these down in no time! I managed to grab a few pieces of salmon and white tuna and they were among the freshest fish that I had ever tasted!

Assorted sashimi

For those who prefer noodles, ENJU has a variety of ‘Menrui’ in their new menu, such as the Yaki udon fried with seafood and tonkatsu sauce.

Yaki udon (RM24)

Finally, it was dessert time! Master Chef came out bearing a tray of goodies! They were cute little mochis! Ichigo daifuku strawberry mochi was made from steamed rice cake filled with fresh strawberries.

Chef with strawberry mochis

With fresh strawberries on top and inside!

Although I enjoyed the generous portion of yummy fresh strawberries inside the mochi, I found the skin to be too thick for my liking. Look at the picture below and you’ll know what I mean. Perhaps mochi is supposed to be like this?

Thick mochi skin

Then, it was time to celebrate Sidney’s mom’s birthday! All of us sang a birthday song and she happily cut the cake which was baked by Sunny, and which was absolutely yummy, by the way. Happy birthday Sidney’s mom!

Sidney and mom

Overall, the new Izakaya menu by ENJU fared a notch above the rest especially in their fish dishes and rice rolls. Mark my word, you would never regret ordering the very delicious fish and rice rolls.

For reservations, do call ENJU beforehand:

ENJU Japanese Restaurant
Prince Hotel & Residence Kuala Lumpur
Jalan Conlay,
50450 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2170 8888 ext. 8203
Email: restaurants@princehotelkl.com.my
Website: www.princehotelkl.com
Opening hours: Lunch 12-2.30pm (Mon-Fri), Dinner 6.30-10.30pm (Mon-Fri) & 6.30-11pm (Sat)
Closed on: Saturday lunch, Sundays and Public holidays

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