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Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
Neighborhood: West VillageCreate your own flight of three sakes, from a selection of six diverse and high quality brands, only recently available in New York. $18
Christopher St (PATH)
Houston St (1)
W 4th St (A, C, E, B, D, F, V)
Mon-Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 5:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Mention Yelp to get 20% off your first delivery! Or to receive 20% off from 4 pm - 6 pm! (Dine-in only)
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Blah, blah, blah and blah.
Translation. Spend some money and eat some great food.
Friday Night 7:30pm for 2. Made reservations.
Sat around the center column. Check your coat.
Order the Tofu.
Great Second/Third date place guys.
I came here on my birthday with my boyfriend and his mom. the ambiance was perfect because i wanted a zen place - the interior decorator did a wonderful job.
i enjoyed every dish that we ordered that didn't have meat - i am not a meat eater. my favorite is the eel and tofu - so yummy!
go here for the food, the ambiance and the service.
New York is frigid (for my standards) right now and I had the oden, which was amazing and absolutely necessary for this time of the year. The mochi croquette was perfect. Okonomiyaki was a little flat but the flavour was good.
Also loved the ice cream selection. The black sesame ice cream and apple sorbet really stood out.
I'm not a sippy drinks kinda person but I loved their mixed drinks, particularly the peach one.
Service was a bit slow but always very courteous and attentive. Will definitely be back!
I really enjoyed this place. The only reason that I only give it a three star rating is that I remember enjoying the food but cannot remember exactly what I enjoyed. So, I give it three stars for an overall good dining experience, but without any real memorable moments.
First off, to have a real meal with drinks and alcohol, be sure to bring your wallet. It is not a normal night out with some friends. You'll throw down some money if you want the real experiences.
The decor and service are excellent and definitely add to the whole dining experience. This is definitely important and too many NY restaurants forget this. There is no "we don't need your business" attitude here.
The food is all very good quality. Great preparation and presentation. Like I said, there is nothing on this menu, though, that really falls into the "get a craving, must have" category. Plus, most places of this caliber have a decent miso black cod or pork belly dish. You'll have to do better than that to set yourself apart. The black cod was decent, not extraordinary.
Still, if you want a nice, chic, and quality place for a birthday party or a long-awaited get-together amongst old friends, it is a very cool place to go, and the service will not ruin your night by rushing you out of there.
Recommended.
Japanese food that lived up to its hype.
A destination restaurant for all occasions. Their home made warm tofu was incredible. The pork belly was delicious, the sushi melted in my mouth, and the service was impeccable.
Stunning clean lines, wood, spacious, yet cozy. This restaurants decor will leave you comfy in a tux or content relaxing in casual duds.
Date Rating: 8
Pick up Scale: 2
Strong Suggestion: Make a reservation and prepare to be adventurous.
I love this space and I love the menu. Very consistent. A reliable favorite I keep going back to.
Not often do you come across such a combination of elegance and flavors. I came in last Friday.....The special of the day "fresh sea urchin"......which was alive just few minutes ago.
After two hours of nibbling on different raw fish......WOW!!!
My compliments!!!
This place is one of my favorite authentic Japanese places in NYC. They have a modern twist on their food but over all very authentic high end foods. There is a chain of these restaurants in Japan located at the busy train stations but only one in NYC.
They have the freshest fish I have ever tasted in NYC and seasonal specials that I wouldn't miss for the world...like the clay baked giant oysters. If you are an adventuresome eater or just want to go for the experience (Andrew Zimmeman style), try the yellow tail collar and eat those eye balls.
The Miso Cod is absolutely amazing.
I would avoid the jelly like concoctions as they are really textually too weird.
They have a fresh grilled eel special that I dream about. Need tog o back soon.
The food is as good as the place is stylish.
The food was exceptional. Started the meal with home made tofu and it was possibly the best I've ever had. The meal progressed to natto with pork. Again, top notch. The sashimi, super fresh. The plating was really lovely too. The service was at that 'just right' attentiveness. I was well attended too without intrusion.
I was also pleased to see Hitacho Nest beer on the menu. Not too many places offer this rice ale.
Mmmm I like this place very much.
I had the sake -sochu tasting dinner. It was exquisite. The food was plentiful and fresh, the pairing of sake to each dish, how delightful. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the shochu at all. Needless to say, by the end of the course, I was quite tipsy.
The service was very good: friendly and polite staff.
Recommend the course meal but not the sake shochu pairing. Would rather go for a bottle or a small sake only sampler.
NYC RESTAURANT WEEK, summer 2009 season
OBJECTIVE: chance to eat at some of the City's top restaurants for a fraction of the usual cost (http://www.nycgo.com/?...)
Participant: EN JAPANESE BRASSERIE
Result: SUCCESSFUL WITH HONORS
Strategy: 5 course dinner menu for $35 (tax & gratuity not included) and Restaurant Week Sake Flight for $16.
EN Japanese Brasserie is the restaurant week archetype. They understand the concept and so they do. They think about each single detail, They want to please you, They want you come back... and They get it with me. Someone who makes the best to amuse you, can't be wrong.
First at all, just mention that the service was excellent, friendly and extremely correct. They also explain with detail and a big smile each of the dishes that they were presenting. 5 starts for them. Moreover, I'm sure they carefully study all the dishes presentation and the result is just perfect, perfect at the first sight, perfect in the details. I had the feeling that serving temperature was perfectly studied. And just an example, they even take care of the orientation of the plate when comes to your table, suggesting which one must be eaten first, follow this suggestion because somehow it works.
Below a detailed description of my experience.
Try it and Enjoy it!
1. HANDMADE TOFU (freshly-made scooped tofu with wari joyu o-BanZaI) very nicely presented in a small wooden box, same as used for Sake, with a wooden ladle. Creamy and Firm; delicate flavor contrasting with the strong Ginger topping and the tasty soy/fish sauce in the bottom. AWeSoMe.
2. chef's selection of two Kyoto-style appetizers: before to describe it, just mention that under my view, temperature is a very important ingredient in some dishes. They know that and they take care for, and so they serve it cold, not too much not a little, just perfectly cold.
SHIRA AE (asparagus with a tofu and sesame dressing): very interesting. The asparagus was perfectly cooked, crunchy, very tasty and covered with a creamy sauce strongly marked for a sesame flavor. yeah, I do like it a lot.
KIRIBOSHI DAIKON (sun-dried daikon radish simmered in dashi). it was good. Although not something I dream for.
3- ONIGIRI and EN MISO SOUP The soup was very good. Tastier than a usual miso soup and comfortable. The soup looks to be the bridge to avoid a big contrast between the appetizers, cold and totally different style, to the hot and more consistent food. The Onigiri was just OK. Its a rice ball so it was dry, but too much; mostly I missed some dressing.
4a- SALKYO MISO GRILLED BLACK COD (black cod marinated in saikyo miso, grilled). So good. So fresh . So tasty. The fish totally laminates when you touched it. Very good and better than in many other places. However, I had before Black Cod at Omen so my request for this dish is very high. Have to mention that as side they serve small pieces of carrots which are crazy salty, but when you combine it with the fish...jezz.... I love it.
4b- one of my friends order the kakunI Berkshire (pork belly braised in sansho miso) instead the black cod. I'm not meat person and definitely not for pork. But he said it was amazing. And for those with big appetite this is what you have to order. Huge portion.
5- KISETSU NO ICE CREAM : Green tea ice cream. 1 ball coming in a cold bowl. Best Ice Cream I ever had. Coming for Spain I know about Ice cream, since its very popular there and same as Italian ice cream, which are some of the best. Well, I don't know how they do it but is amazing. I think they maybe use Soy milk? they achieve a new ice cream texture. Totally smooth with a delicate flavor. HEAVEN
6- Restaurant week Sake tasting. 3 samples. Light and fruity. Strong and delicate. Unfiltered milky...such a progression. Love it.
Wow. Just when I had almost given up on Restaurant Week in NYC, the beacon of culinary light that is EN Japanese Brasserie came through. Five courses, $35. Finally, a true value! The first course was their homemade tofu. I'm not a tofu fan, but this was creamy, silken, and delicious. The second course were two little appetizers, fried tofu with daikon radish, and asparagus tossed in a soy ginger dressing. Third/fourth course was miso soup, yummy rice with seaweed and black sesame seeds, and Miso Glazed Cod. Everything was fantastic.
We finished off with a green tea ice cream. The flavor balance was perfect...just the right amount of creamy and sweet.
The bar really knows their stuff as well. They really turned out some fantastic cocktails, and the bartenders were extremely gracious.
Service was impeccable. Very attentive, but not overly so. They let us linger for a couple of hours, and never made us feel rushed. Such a fantastic experince...can't wait to go back.
En is one of my favorite Japanese restaurant in Manhattan.
They might be a little pricey but everytime i go there, they dont disappoint me!
Here are my favorites:
Ebi Shinjo - simple and yum. Fried ground shrimp(lightly salted) is so tasty!
Assorted Sashimi - Fun to see and happy to eat! Their arrangement is tasty Japanese way. Fish is fresh too!
Kobe Beef Tataki - Japanese roasted beef - speechless!
Garlic Shiso Fried Rice - simple and tasty.
Everything is good.
They have original cocktails using Yuzu, Shiso, etc. They taste good a nd you can have them in non-alcohol(virgin) version too.
Nothing new to report in terms of food / service but let's still pay tribute to EN's super stars...
Marry me saikyo miso black cod. Let's run off together so I can devour you, unlady-like, animal style. Elope with me dear silken tofu pillow, birthed fresh for the world every 3 hours. Are you perhaps the most exquisite soy product in all of nyc? Oh yes. Oh yes you are.
Conclusion: EN maintains its AAA rating for product consistency, solid service. It's a buy. However.
The marathon rotation of Michael Jackson's Greatest Hits Album during our extended menu tasting. Don't get me wrong, I adore classic MJ, but for 3.5 hours? It's criminal.
Went to EN last night, and I'm still thinking about that homemade tofu. We had a truly excellent Restaurant Week meal, as other posters have described (only with black sesame seed ice cream, not green tea, which suited me fine). We sat in the front room which was extremely quiet -- so much so that it felt appropriate to whisper. Maybe it's just the main room that's noisy, or perhaps it's quieter on Monday nights. Our waiter (not the adorable one who explained the sakes) seemed a little kooky but otherwise the service was perfect -- attentive yet unhurried.
I will absolutely go back and drop $65 on the regular tasting menu. EN sweetened the deal by giving its RW customers a $20 off coupon. Nice!
***3.5 stars****
Proprietor/Chef: Reika Yo / Koji Nakano
.Restaurant Week Thursday PM Dinner.
Taste *** In between 3-4 stars. Five courses ... all being izayaka "small plates". Truly quite an experience, however, a little disappointed in the flavors. To start, the tofu, while clearly made from scratch, had too light and delicate of a flavor. Understandably, the pattern of these izayaka dishes seem to be light & delicate all around. Back to the point, it was the second dish aside from the miso cod that I enjoyed most. The asparagus and bean curd with daikon were a little less ravishing... and green tea ice cream? Uninspiring. The real winner was the cod, which completely saved the meal. Again, it was very VERY delicate, as flaky and tasting as cod should be.
Ambiance **** No one can deny the beauty & elegance of a traditional Japanese setting, with plenty of decor to gaze at. The ceilings and volume of space is extraordinary and big, so be prepared to raise your voice a little. Unexpectedly, the visual serenity of the restaurant clashes with the noise volume.
Service ****A little slow, however, spot on for everything else.
Dislikes - the noise factor. definitely not a DATE environment.
Likes - Minus the noise factor, it's a really pretty, upscale, cultural setting. Absolute beautiful food presentation. Forewarning, it will make you feel like you have to eat all of your meals in small bites-which is perfectly fine with me.... that's how I roll....
Tips - Don't sit by the bar away from where the chefs prepare the food. It's a horrible seating & view... not to mention DARK!
Overall: I liked it...but I didn't love it. I think I loved the decor more than I did the actual food here..... but chance tells me I will be able to give it another shot!
This is another of my faves! Is expensive but very well worth it, and I often go to celebrate something :-)
Food is superbly prepared, and homemade tofu out of this world. Excellent selection, menu, fish, veggies, unbelievable.
Elegant and peaceful lovely place. Popular in farWest Village neighbhd.
Sake and all is excellent and most enjoyable. Service is caring considerate. A wonderful experience and very well worthwhile. May this place last forever here! (Does make up for our great loss inexplicable for Honmura An.)
We chose EN as an end of trip dinner for my mother, and adventurous eater. The large space is definitely somewhat imposing, but once you're seated you appreciate the space and the fact that you're in the village and HAVE elbow room!
We started off with O-Bonzai appetizers (3 for $15): we chose:
kiriboshi daikon: sun-dried daikon radish simmered in dashi (stunning)
kaibashira gomazuae:scallops & cabbage with a sesame & vinegar dressing (the scallops - Though invisible by us - but told they were sliced paper thin- was delicious)
hijiki:hijiki seaweed and soy beansimmered in dashi & shoyu (good, but not memorable)
We also added Salmon Kama (Sort of) it was the Jaw of the Salmon, crisped over an open fire (Perhaps seasoned with miso?) OUT OF THIS WORLD - ask for it, because it wasn't on the menu
Dinner as follows:
Me:Stone grilled washugyu $ 42
Kobe-style rib eye steak served with ponzu citrus soy (Like BUTTAH)
Husband:unagi no shirayaki
live eel flown overnight from Japan,
binchotan charcoal grilled
$30 (not entirely impressed)
Mom:Saikyo miso black cod $ 19
black cod marinated in saikyo miso, grilled (on the sweet side, read "Americanized" IMO)
Dessert:
oshiruko
sweet red bean soup with mochi rice cakes
$8 (Swimmingly Delicious!)
Plum wine:yamagata honten 7
organic plum w/ shochu, gentle touch & refreshing (which the Sommelier made us feel stupid for ordering, because according to him "He would NEVER order it" read: Stupid American)
Would I go back? Yes. It's fitting for a girls evening out, there's even Tatami Seating, where you sit on the floor and it's in a little house in the back of the restaurant; I told you this place was big. In retrospect, I would have rather gone and had the food ordered for me, there's always a little bit of hesitation with a menu full of not so recognizable food, but nonetheless, I would recommend this place!
The hubs and I came here as part of the Restaurant Week offerings. I chose EN Japanese Brasserie based on their menu for RW as well as the ratings on Yelp.
It is easy to find and there is plenty of free parking in the area, especially on a Sunday night. We had a 6:15 reservation and were seated promptly. The restaurant itself is in a huge open space with very high ceilings. The kitcnehn is also open, although they do not have great ventilation since you could smell the smoke and everyone else's food being cooked.
For the Restaurant Week menu, they give you a "5 course" meal. Now, this might sound like a lot, but it really isn't. But hubs and I have small appetites so it really filled us up good.
We started with their homemade tofu. The tofu was chilled with wari-joyu, which Is just some sort of sauce with ginger and other ingredients. It was good, but eating it chilled was a bit weird for me since I always thought of savory tofu as more of a warm dish.
Next came two little plates of sides -- one was freshly steamed asparagus with a tofu sauce, and the other one was marinated cold daikon (or radish). I am personally not a radish eating person, but this dish was really light and fresh. I am an even LESS of an asparagus person so I did not enjoy the asparagus dish at all even though it was probably executed very well (crunchy and fresh and the tofu sauce did not taste like tofu at all).
Next we were presented with the onigiri, which is a rice handroll (read: rice in a square shape), accompanied with a miso soup. This came along with our entree -- I ordered the saikyo miso black cod and K had the kakuni which was braised Berkshire pork belly which was served with a hard-boiled egg, spinach and two pieces of daikon radish. Now, people rave about the cod so much and I agree, it is delicious. HOWEVER, I think that a whole portion of it would be too sweet and just too much in general. My dish came with two small pieces; I imagine the regular portion to have more than that. The RW portion is definitely good enough. The pork belly was delicious as well; I highly recommend it for those that do not have cholesterol issues though. It is fatty pork at it's best; literally melts in your mouth.
I was a little disappointed with the onigiri since it was cold. I've been to Japan, and we've NEVER been served cold rice, in any shape or form. I don't know if this was intentional or what? But definitely disappointed.
The dessert was just green tea ice cream. Nothing too spectacular.
At the end of our meal, we were presented with 2 $20 off coupons for our next meal. We MAY come back again... although I would want to try something else.
4.8 STARS
NOTE: I went to this restaurant with children aged 10 and 8 years old.
First, why did I dock 0.2 stars?
- 0.1 because it is too freaking loud and I hate conversations that have "huh?" every two words.
- 0.1 because it is too freaking dark. Come on, when you start providing tables with flashlights so they can read your menu on a regular basis, it is time to do something about the lighting.
OK, that is out of the way. Let's talk about the awesomeness of this place.
The space spacious and well laid out. There is a liquor bar, a lounge eating area, a main dining area, a food bar, 2 private tatami mat rooms to be reserved for parties and an upstairs functional display of a traditional Japanese house and dining area. All the rooms are available to be rented at a cost of $75-$200 (I think).
A big thank you to the staff of En Brasserie for being so accommodating. I went with a family with two kids and the staff was endlessly helpful. Jeremy, one of the managers took the kids for a tour of the restaurant and the waiter bent over backwards to adjust dishes for a child's palate.
They have a prix fixe which we did not have.
Their Sake selection was superb and while I did not choose the sake, the one we had was bursting with flavor. It was a liquid party in my mouth!
Fresh Tofu with wari-joyu- I wanted to come here specifically for this AND THEY DID NOT DISAPPOINT! OMG.
Saikyo Miso Black Cod - I'm sorry Nobu, this is the BEST Black Cod I've ever had. It was sweet, it was light, it was grilled to perfection. And there was none of that narsty black bean bitter after kick.
Otoro Wagyu tataki - Holy! Small portions so savour the moment. It was beautiful. So smooth so flavorful ... so effing good.
KaKuni - pork belly was a solid dish. Great for those who love pork belly.
Crispy fried ChiCKen - another solid dish. it's your standard chicken karaage. Well done but not unique.
Fish Head - If you love sucking on fish bones. Get this. I have no idea where on the menu it was. I saw it on another table and ordered it.
There is so much more to try. I am def going back soon. They take good care of you.
I went here for a huge birthday party in which we had to order one of the Prix fixed dinner menu's. We got the huge table setup right in the left front of the restaurant and though it was very dimly lit, the place was comfortable and welcoming. We got the $65 p/p Prix Fixe menu. It included the following:
Obanzai (chef's selection of a Kyoto-style appetizer) - Some type of cold tofu dish and Edamame
O-tsukuri (chef's sashimi selection 3 pieces per person) - Assorted sashimi
Sea bass Kara-age (sake-marinated medallions lightly fried)
Saikyo miso black cod (black cod marinated in saikyo miso, grilled) &
Roasted duck (with grated radish with ponzu)
Freshly made scooped tofu (served chilled with wari-joyu kakuni)
Braised Berkshire pork belly in sansho miso, with a boiled egg,
spinach & daikon radish
Un agi maze gohan (steamed Japanese rice mixed wth broiled eel)
House Ice Cream
We also threw in some oysters for appetizers, a cold mushroom salad, and some fried shrimp ball thingies. The oysters were ginormous and creamy tasting. Not everyone liked them but I sure enjoyed them!
For the price and the amount of food we ate, it was totally worth it. I can't wait to come back for some more great food!
I recently arranged a surprise birthday dinner in the private dining room for a party of 13. Making reservations was not a problem- both Jeremy and Orlando were very pleasant and accommodating. I have to commend the restaurant- they were very understanding that the dinner was a surprise party, so they let most of the party get seated earlier than our reservation time. The hostess even played along and showed me and the birthday girls to the private room, even though she had already brought me over to the room earlier.
Because our party was over 12 people, we were required to choose one of their preset menus. We went with the $45.00 preset menu that included:
1. Edamame- soaked in dashi
2. Tofu Salad- mizuna greens, cherry tomatoes & Japanese turnips with yuzu dressing
3. Crispy fried chicken & vegetables- with aromatic rock salt
4. Saikyo Miso Black Cod- black cod marinated in saikyo miso, grilled
5. Kakuni braised Berkshire pork belly- in sansho miso, with a boiled egg, spinach & daikon radish
6. Jako Gohan- steamed Japanese rice mixed with tiny dried fish
7. Green Tea Ice Cream
I would have to say the highlights of the meal were the crispy fried chicken and the pork belly. I had extra servings of both. The fried chicken was crispy on the outside and very moist on the inside. It had a great taste to it, not too salty and the lemon brought out the flavor really well. The pork belly was very tender, it just had that melt in your mouth quality. The rest of the menu was forgettable and I was underwhelmed by the other courses. I've tasted better edamame and miso black cod and the choice of rice right before dessert seemed like an odd placement. Hardly anyone touched it.
I'm giving this restaurant 3 stars because although the space and decor were impressive, the food wasn't outstanding and the service was sub par. Granted it was only $45.00 for 7 courses, but that could have been better spent elsewhere. We had to wait a long time before our drink orders were taken. We had the room reserved for 3 hours and yet the waiters kept bringing the next course even before we were finished with the previous one. It would have been nice if they had let us savor each course and given us some time in between courses, rather than bringing out the next course too soon and letting it get cold an making us feel rushed. I almost feel like we would have gotten better service if we weren't in a private room or didn't have a preset menu. What made up for the food and service was the company. =)
This place is so beautiful to the human eye. I came here as a special date awhile ago and was blown away by the food and the ambiance. The drinks are really good too.
I can't remember exactly what we ordered, but it was a omakase of sorts. I remember the tofu dishes which apparently EN is famous for. My date is allergic to soy so I got to eat all the tofu dishes myself. It's small portions, but what it lacks in size it kind of makes up for in quantity because there are a lot of dishes in the tasting menu.
This is definitely a nice place for a romantic date, but it's also good for corporate dinners or something because they apparently have private rooms.
A lot of my friends say I'm lucky. And if you've read any of my previous reviews, than you will probably agree.
Valentine's day was no exception.
I was waiting on the corner of Kenmare and Lafayette for my date to meet me. There I was, smoking a cigarette waiting for her to arrive when I caught her in the corner of my eye crossing the street. I will never forget what I saw because she was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I caught myself staring at her as she crossed the street when I realized I should probably meet her half way instead of having her walk all the way to me.
And then I realized. I am lucky. To have a woman this beautiful on my arm for the evening accompanying me to dinner.
We arrived at En, and this was the second time I'd been here. My first experience was exceptional and I had gone to dinner with a few co-workers when I first started. It was a way of introducing me to everyone. The first time I went I remember noting to myself that I wanted to take someone special here one day because it was almost perfect. And I'm glad I finally got a chance to do so, and couldn't have picked a more wonderful woman.
Our reservation was at 7:30 and we arrived on the dot. We sat at the Sake bar for a couple minutes while they prepared our table. The high ceilings, intimate lightning and wonderful aroma of food gave En a majestic feel. It is romantic, with small quiet chatter throughout the space. I couldn't take my eyes off of my date as we sat at the bar and made some small talk as we waited to be seated.
The hostess approached and escorted us to our table. It was unfortunately in the smaller dining room in the front. I had hoped for a table in the main room where it's stunningly decorated. As we walked by, I could sense that everyone watched her walk by. She turned heads. And it's obviously no question as to why she would. I was just happy enough to be the one with her and not the one wishing I was.
We sat down and she took off her coat to reveal a seductive dress. We had a corner table and a lamp was placed there. It reflected off her skin giving her a warm and inviting glow complimenting her hair and eyes. Despite her assets ... her true beauty was with her eyes. Though I'm sure any man would be caught looking at her neck line, I was preoccupied with getting lost in her eyes. Corny, I know. But it's the truth.
The service at En is one of the best. I ordered for the both of us and while she got a white wine, I settled with the Seppun. A delicious citrus flavored drink that not only compliments the food, but also serves as a nice treat for your taste buds.
We started with the Edamame, served cold with a light touch of salt. They tasted fresh and had great flavor, despite the rudimentary preparation. Our second course was the Minced Duck which was served on a leaf on top of a burning clay pot which cooked in front of us, tantalizing our olfactory senses with wonderful blends of duck and scallions. Though the crackers were admittedly a bit tough, the duck ended up tasting great and we took down the whole serving. Team work!
We followed that up with the stone grilled organic chicken which was succulent, tender, and broke apart in your mouth. She was going through her wine glasses as I was going through my Seppuns and we were making great conversation. She told me about her dreams and what she wanted to do. She had a great vision and the confidence to prove she could do it. What a turn on. I took a more passive role, listening to everything she had to say. I wanted to learn everything about her and she obliged.
Our final course was two sushi rolls, the Tuna Avocado and the Salmon Avocado roll. After she finished her first bite, she looked at me, eyes completely wide (and omggg so sexy), and remarked that it was the best sushi she's ever had. I couldn't help but smile because I just wanted to make her happy and thanks to En, it seemed to be going in my favor.
The service was top notch. Truly experienced wait staff who never interrupted when it seemed inappropriate or when we were in mid-conversation. They came only when it looked as if we had a down time or a pause in the middle of things. They cleared the table in a timely manner to prepare for the next course, and they refilled my water even when it was only half full.
I never had to ask for the check, and they gave us plenty of time to talk and order a couple more drinks and continue conversing. When it did come, my date politely excused herself so that I could handle the bill. I thought that was very classy, and something all women should take note of.
When she came back, we were ready to hop across the street to Lelabar to have a few more drinks. En is in a great location that also has Sweet Revenge right around the corner for some after dinner desert. I've recommended this place highly to anyone asking for a Japanese place, and I'll stick to my guns in recommending it again to all my Yelpers.
En stole my virginity...my foodie tasting menu virginity that is. With 7 courses for $65 this is a Japanese tasting menu on the cheap.
Don't think that this means the quality is low however. I'd put En's overall food quality just below Sakagura (both being a bit below Kyo Ya and Tsukushi). But hey, in the top 4 is still quite a feat!
They make the entire tasting menu experience a no brainer. For each course you have the choice between two different dishes. Obvious answer: Go with a friend or date, both order the tasting menu, and one person take the left side, the other the right.
I remember liking every dish, but it's been too long since my initial visit to remember all of the dishes I had. I can still remember that the black cod was amazing as was the udon (served over ice chips) and yellowtail sashimi. Also, the black sesame ice cream is the blackest sesameist richest I've had anywhere.
The service is TOP NOTCH too. Orlando (the host) does a great job of making you feel like a special guest. He stops by a few times during your meal to make sure everything is going perfectly. If something's wrong, he will fix it. Despite the frequent visits, they never make you feel rushed. Take as long as you want to finish a dish, and like clockwork, once you finish it is whisked away and replaced with your next in an instant.
Water Refill Meter: 4/5
Usually didn't have to ask, but I did, it took no time to be refilled.
My boyfriend and I had a lovely dinner at ENJB. It was really ideal for what we wanted that night--calm and laid back. We had the kaiseki menu here and I really liked that the meal wasn't hurried, though it seems to be the low point for some people. The servers were attentive and we definitely made the right decision going with the prix fixe menu. The fresh tofu was silky, the sashimi the best quality, and the pork belly melted in my mouth. There was a couple next to us eating big bowls of salads, staring jealously at our food. We went home and tried to cook pork belly but failed miserably. I guess we'll just have to return to ENJB sometime soon.
Fresh-made tofu. Do it. It's made only at 6, 7:30, 9 and 10:30 and is in limited supply. We had it warm but it's available cold. It comes in a wooden box with a ladle for scooping. I have nothing against tofu but I never go out of my way to order it. EN's fresh-made tofu is smooth, silky and melts in your mouth. It's served with a side of soy sauce mixed with fish broth. This fresh tofu is the main reason I'd return.
I went with the Restaurant Week menu for my meal.
App - Chef's choice sashimi. High-quality fresh fish.
Main - Kurobuta Yawarkan. 3 hefty pieces of marbled, fatty pork belly. This was cooked in dashi sauce so it was lighter than the regular menu preparation. It was very bland unfortunately. I had a bite of the regular pork belly and the dark sauce was divine - savory and sweet. The dish was served with half of an undercooked egg and some greens.
Sides: Miso Soup and Chestnut Rice. The Chestnut Rice is the other reason I'd return. The candied chestnuts and the sweetness of the rice is addictive. I've never had anything like it.
Dessert: Plum Ice Cream. This was totally strange. It was super salty. It tastes like poi or those Chinese salty & sweet orange peel treats. I did my best to get through half of it before I put down my spoon in defeat.
The service was excellent. I even got a $20 coupon off my return visit if I get one of their Omakases which start at $65.
This restaurant impressed me.... it really did.
Not because I had low (or none) expectations but it was just a bottom-line, top dollar, impressive. Good refined Japanese food with great service.
I was here for NYE so I don't know what the default experience would be here, but my guess is the omakase is a little cheaper and patrons are not tipsy wearing their A-game. I digress...
Of course being a yelp-er (duh!) I try to do some recon by reading up and I caught the words "tofu" "wagyu" and "fried fish". I liked the homemade tofu and it was definitely interesting and unique but I wasn't wow-ed... which was fine. I won't not like a restaurant if I am not food-gasm-ing over tofu. Gimme some fatty stuff! And surely they did... with the thinly sliced wagyu with scallion and salt dippers (and sauce).... lobster fritters with red/yellow/green (I forget the flavor) salt.... and the fried cod... yum! And many more, my memory escapes me right now so I apologize.
Even with the NYE premium this "fancy jap" restaurant still isn't up there with the big boys, I feel. I enjoyed my meal and would recommend this place.
At first, I came here during restaurant week to try new places.
Love the Decor, Service and the Drinks!
Plenty of selections of japanese drinks.
Food was good but not filling. They Majorly do Homemade Tofu.
I had tofu skin salad which was really good (very blend, and can taste the soy flavor). Then had the pork for entree which was interesting. Felt like I was eating at home, everything was soo good!.
Dessert time!, YOU have to try this "black sesame" ice cream!.
After that I went back 3 times with different groups of people who appreciates food and the drinks.
EN Japanese Brasserie has delightfully creative Japanese dishes that taste just as good as its presentation looks~
My first experience with the restaurant was through Restaurant Week about a year ago, and I've been coming back ever since! It never fails to satisfy my cravings or my finicky tastebuds.
EN Japanese Brasserie makes their tofu fresh, every half hour or so, every night. And I just love their cold tofu!!!!! I could eat bowls and bowls full of their tofu! (this coming from someone who normally doesn't like eating tofu at all).
Their House Infused Soju in fig is also fantastically refreshing to sip~
The best thing about their food is how fresh everything is, from the tofu to the sashimi to the black cod and everything else I've ever tasted at EN Japanese, simply sublime.
For dessert I love to get the toasted mochi in red bean soup (not sure what it is actually called on the menu...)
but for something different and perhaps 'exotic', try the Green Tea Tiramisu they make, out of tofu no less!
I love this place, for a small group of four, or just dining with one other person, the experience is always perfect.
So, we got both fixed menus and the uni dish. The Uni dish was fabulous. Not too much and not too little. I'd go back there for this dish. It was 25 dollars. Not too shabby.
The fixed menus were a problem. There was no contrast in either menu. Played off the same flavors. the highlight was the fish. I believe it was in the 65 dollar prefix menu. I'm writing this review 2 weeks after my visit. Meaning, the memorable things were the fish and the UNI. Oh yeah! the service was great! we were helped by the manager and every server on the floor. they were wonderful. (remembering about the service just bumped it up a star)
enough said.
Throw out any expectations you have about Japanese food, there's a couple of sushi rolls, but the place is all about modern preparations of both local and Japanese gourmet foods. Sample dishes we've had include sea urchin hot pot, stone grilled food like beef or chicken served table side, crab miso soup, Berkshire pork shoulder and lotus root, duck with ponzu sauce, etc. Place goes from casual to suit and tie, the atmosphere and presentation is as intricate and flawless as the food... a very unique experience. A bit expensive, but worth it and not surprising for what it is... we save this one for special occasions and guests. :)
The best part of this restaurant was definitely the decor and the server. The ambiance of the place is pretty mellow so it was a great location to hold a conversation and catch up w/a friend.
Several people told me that they were best known for their hand-made tofu. We had it warm but afterwards I wished we ordered it cold b/c it was a little too soft for my taste. The edamame was great b/c they soaked it in what tasted like miso soup, giving it a little more flavor. The braised pork belly was delicious but it's really the clay rice pot with salmon and salmon roe that I enjoyed the most. The servers mixed up the salmon and rice by the table and the roe was given with some kind of green herb. Both of these had strong flavors alone but when eaten together and with the rice it was amazing. The only thing that I was not impressed with was the sea bass marinated in sake, which I thought was a little too salty. After reading the reviews from other yelpers though, I'd really like to go back and try some of the other dishes!
I came here for restaurant week last month with my boyfriend and was impressed with the really cool decorations they have. There is some sort of a live tree growing in the middle of the room - at least that was the illusion I got. However, we were seated at the bar, right next to the back kitchen so the ambiance was somewhat smothered.
My boyfriend and I both really liked the sashimi appetizer and the complimentary tofu, but as for the main dish, I definitely recommend the pork as the fish I got was really bland. Dessert was really terrible tasting plum ice cream. It was overwhelmingly salty and I really couldn't handle it.
They did, however, give us complimentary $30 gift cards for a future trip (I think it was only applicable to the tasting menu - I can't remember now).
All in all decent, but with so many great Japanese places in NYC, it certainly doesn't top the list.
The RW menu was FANTASTIC and so was the non-alcoholic drink I had. We started with O-BANZAI & handmade tofu and it was so silky! The wari joyu was just the right flavoring. Then came my entree Saikyo mIso grIlled black cod. It reminded me of Nobu's signature dish, miso with black cod. Not the same, but quite close. Together with the entree, came onigiri and En miso soup. They were a good complimentary to the black cod. And finally the kisetsu no ice cream was green tea ice cream and again, reminded me of Nobu's green tea ice cream. The interior design was elegant and modern. Loved how spacious it was and the service excellent. I'm going to go back for another round before RW ends!
Went there for my 3rd time last week. Honestly, I was not impressed by their food on my first 2 visits. It was not bad but not amazing except for their homemade tofu. BUT on my recent visit, I tried 9 different dishes and all of them were very tasty! They are all my recommendations: Cold summer appetizer platter (this might be only for Restaurant Week), raw tuna and avocado salad, kakuni (pork belly), mochi croquette, yamaimo okonomiyaki (pancake), garlic shiso fried rice, crispy fried chicken.
I was almost going to give this restaurant 5 stars if it weren't for the pretentious maitre'd. We had reservations and we still had to wait an extra 15 minutes. Thank goodness for the yummy drinks at the bar...
Once you are seated though, everything gets much much better. The waitress was sweet and very helpful.
Highlights of the meal were:
1. the SEPPUN - best drink ever (was a mix of shochu, shiso and grapefruit, yuzu and other wonderfulness)
2. the home-made tofu and the agedashi tofu. although i'm slightly allergic to soy.. i can never resist creamy home-made tofu! (AND they make it every hour and a half, if you come at the right time, it could've just been made!)
3. black sesame ice cream YUMMAY
I went during restaurant week but had some of the a la carte items and at the end of the meal they gave us each a $20 gift certificates to use for another meal. Their normal izakaya menu is about $65 and with the gift certificate, it's almost at restaurant week prices! How can you say no to having another faux-restaurant week dinner with MORE food!
mmmm black sesame ice cream!!! this is the the best I think this may even be better than the black sesame ice cream I had at the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
This is from memory but the the black sesame ice cream was so good
We had the 65.00 kaiseke cuisine and the fish let me just say its the freshest thing I've had...next time I go back I have to try their hand made Tofu
There are many great things about this place. First, the decor. It's a huge space with high ceilings; I think it used to be a furniture warehouse? Don't quote me on that, but whatever it used to be, they did a fantastic job redecorating. If there arent any seats at the bar but still don't want to stare straight at your date, you can cozy up to the centerpiece (which, by the way, used to look a lot cooler with a funky stick design). Very unique. Great for groups, great for couples.
The food is pricey, but often justified Their garlic rice is to die for. They make it fresh, so it takes about 20 minutes, but oh-so-worth it. Their homemade tofu is amazing, soft and creamy, completely different from regular tofu. Raw tuna and avocado salad with wasabi soy dressing tastes super fresh and comes highly recommended! If someone else at our table orders it, I have a hard time keeping my chopsticks out of their dish. Honestly, I'm not normally that rude.
Most dishes are really solid, but they start to taste the same after awhile because they use a lot of ponzu sauce. I'm not complaining, ponzu is great, but I like more variety, especially if we're eating a lot of smaller dishes. I'd also recommend against the raw wagyu beef, its $38 for only a few slices. Plus it tasted hard and practically frozen, not red and fleshy like I like. Maybe there's something special about it that I'm not getting, but I didn't think it was worth it.
Another thing -- their private rooms look AMAZING and I wanted to book one for my boyfriend's birthday. The problem is, they will only serve prixe fixe meals in the private rooms, which is unfortunate because 1) I wouldn't be able to have the things I love, like the tuna salad and garlic rice, and 2) because no one likes to be forced to pay $50+ and have zero choices about their meals.
Great place though, definitely worth checking out!
Outstanding, Tokyo-quality food. They make their tofu fresh - several times at day. Expensive but not outrageously. I recommend the tasting menu. Lovely decor.
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Jersey City, NJ
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Jersey City, NJ
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: West Village
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: SoHo
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Category: Japanese
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