From the first bite onwards, you realise that there are no shortcuts here. Each dish has been painstakingly created, lending it delicate flavours and taste. EN in Mehrauli is the one-stop place for authentic Japanese, like no other in the city, says Hamari Jamatia
The happiest thing about eating out is the rare discovery of food that is made with sheer love. By love, I mean the absolute dedication and obsession with which a chef goes after the ingredients and stirs them together, making it his/her own while loading it with taste that explodes with the first bite. At EN, a newly-opened Japanese restaurant, the food served is just that — painstakingly created, with absolutely no shortcuts.
The fine dining restaurant has a regular menu and a set menu and my friend (a Japanese girl) and I decide on the latter after the chef and manager Nobuhisa Iimura recommends it. We choose Japanese beer Saporo as accompaniment that lends a smooth start to the evening.
Or first item for starter is an assortment fried prawn, chicken and asparagus with tofu cheese. The chicken is a delight. It has been boiled in strips and marinated in a specially made sauce to lend it sweetness. The best thing is that the dishes retain the taste of the main item (prawn, chicken and asparagus) as none of the spices used overpowers them.
The starter is followed by the tempura, which is the Japanese deep-fried meat and vegetables. There is salmon, prawn, zucchini and sweet potato. They have been cut in round shapes and fired after being dipped in a batter of refined flour. The texture is that of a crispy potato chip but the taste is what gets at you, especially when dipped in the sauce served with it. After I have the prawn, our host asks me to mix radish paste (served on the side) to the sauce and try again. I do as told and the difference is incredible. What if a simple dish becomes tangy and fiery. We quickly gobble the remaining pieces.
Next is an assortment of three items — the miso soup, the braised pork and vegetable, and chicken and spinach with ponzu sauce. It is important to mention here that the portions of each course is small but at En, the number of courses in the set menu is so high that the small portions come as big mercies. A few bites and a few slurps and we clean the entire course. The braised pork has been slow-cooked for so long that the pieces of meat melt in the mouth. My friend goes on to say that she has never eaten such authentic Japanese food outside of the country ever. Just then the sushi platter arrives. It has salmon, tuna and salmon eggs. Here, the sushi made with tuna and spring onion, requires special mention as our chopsticks keep going back to the bite-sized delight.
We are then served the chawanmunshi (egg custard), the only item that I don’t embrace. My friend who has grown up on it however goes all nostalgic and finishes mine too.
By now it is time for the dessert and we are served an assortment of green tea cake with cream, chocolate cake, and a mocha and cream pudding. The chocolate cake is quite run-of-the-mill but the green tea cake is a dollop of happiness multiplied by infinity. After digging in the last spoonful, we sip tea and look out of the window.
located at Mehrauli, just a hop away from Qutub Minar, we have chosen a table from where we can see the monument brilliantly lit up. The restaurant has been constructed by revamping an age-old haveli so the old-world charm lingers. For those looking for a meal with family, En can set you back by a few thousand but if you are willing to allow authentic Japenese food to tingle your taste buds, this place is it. As we finish our meal, I am almost tempted to give the restaurant a standing ovation, but I realise I am just too full.