Some izakaya at Cuppage Plaza was full house one Friday evening. A check on hungrygowhere took us off the beaten track to another Japanese restaurant in a conserved house in Cairnhill area. Oddly placed just next to a road junction, the isolated two-storey building was dwarfed by its tall-standing apartment neighbours. An unusual sight.
The highlight of the menu is their shabu-shabu courses with 12 different meat choices to choose from, which include wagyu and kurobuta. The menu also carries bento sets and other ala carte dishes if you decide to have a quick meal and catch up on some retail therapy thereafter.
US Beef Course - $38
To the shabu shabu newbie pair (that's us), the helpful waitress did a good job providing a brief crash course on shabu shabu before we dip in.
Three different kinda suaces were served - ponzu and dashi for the veggie, and savoury sesame sauce basically good for everything.
Much to our surprise, the soup base was quite bland-tasting, unlike the Chinese steamboat we are familiar with. The meat however was pretty good. Take a piece of thinly sliced beef, dip into the boiling broth and count to three, argh... yumm~~
A great Japanese treat is never complete without that something orange.
The restaurant played a pleasant selection of classic Japanese songs, making it a more relaxing and enjoyable meal. Although Eno Oka might not have one of the best menus to offer, if you feel breathless when Orchard Road gets too crowded, take a leisure walk behind Paragon, Eno Oka might just be the perfect spot for a no-frills dinner. For the budget-conscious, there is no 7% on final bill.
江ノ丘
56 Cairnhill Road
Lunch, 11.30am – 2.30pm
Dinner, 6pm – 11pm
6887 5527