EN Japanese Brasserie

Beautiful space in the West Village. We had the Kaiseki Adora (sp?). 7 Courses of good stuff. Really enjoyed the Panna Cotta at the end and the Green Tea dessert. Sashimi was good but not great, therefore the 4 instead of 5 stars.

This is a beautiful restaurant, perfect for a date night, fancy dinner service, or just some drinks and small bites.
The service is always top notch. I’ve been here several times and love how fresh and flavorful everything is while retaining a bit of simplicity and svelte in all their dishes. My most recent visit would be the third time getting the Soyo Kase, one of 3 types of testing menus that are offered. Our table of 4, double date, decided to also do 2 sake pairings to share. The sake flight ranged from dry to sweet, to floral, to fruity, to grainy, a breadth of of flavors meant to enhance the pairing with each course.
We met up at the bar before being seated and shared some amazing cocktails: Cucumber, Sochu, and Seppun Cocktails. They have a great spirits, sake, beer menu with many options to choose from and knowledgeable bartenders.
Our first course of O-​Banzai were a refreshing seaweed, mushrooms, radish, veggie trio medley. Then came the typical sashimi of salmon, tuna, and amberjack laid out on shiso leaves. The main fish was then brought out Saikyo Miso Marinated Grilled Black Cod and was so good with a umami laden marinade and sweetness of the cod coming through.
Then we had some fresh house made scooped tofu. It was milky, delicate, and the perfectly milled soybeans gave it a nice consistency.
We then took a break and they brought out a truffle chawanmushi (not included on the tasting menu) which was luxurious with ample shavings on top. The steamed egg was velvety and beautifully enveloped the truffles with each soft bite. Heaven!
Then came the main meat dish, grilled organic chicken on top of a hot stone that sizzled and you could sear to your liking. It really brings out the flavors of the chicken cooked this way and personalized.
The warm soba in a dashi broth came and was a nice closer to the meal, yet whet our palates enough to anticipate the desserts to come.
The seasonal ice cream was Chestnut flavor, very delicate with a nice clean palate. In addition to the tasting menu, we also got the Matcha Tiramisu that had a very strong Matcha flavor but had a lovely mellow, creamy tiramisu underneath, and a Pumpkin Panna Cotta that was also very well done and leverages the highlights of the seasonal elements.
Overall, this is a wonderful place for any occasion. I often find myself stopping by pretty regularly.

I came here with my Japanese friend and we both enjoyed the interior ambience so so much as if we were back in Tokyo. Food is authentic and portion is just about right. I ordered 海鮮丼 Seafood Don, the sauce goes perfectly with seafood chunks and rice. It’s probably the best lunch set I’ve had in NYC.

EN is underrated by far in the grand scheme of restaurants in NYC. I always get lazy when it comes to reviewing EN because there are too many things that they do well that make it a headache to review. But fine, «it’s a new year, a new me» as the horrible cliché goes so here is an attempted review for EN:
EN is the Japanese restaurant that «foodies» want to condemn as «inauthentic» because of the sleek, cool interior but can’t once they actually taste the soul of the food.
Nothing is ever half-​assed at EN, not even at lunchtime when it’s easy to slack off because who cares? Well, EN does. Even from the small Obanzai dishes, you can tell that they make an effort for the food to speak for itself.
Want to know what’s really good at EN? As cliché as it sounds, the sashimi. Actually, one wouldn’t necessarily expect the sashimi to be noteworthy upon examining the menu full of creative dishes. Still, get the sashimi — the freshness of the fish here is better than some actual sushi places.
Some restaurants are only good at cooking a certain type of food, such as specializing in seafood, meat, etc. At EN though, it doesn’t matter whether you order the «Saikyo Black Miso Cod» or the Stone grilled beef. You can expect that there will always be a high standard reached for any dish because EN is pretty well-​rounded.
My rambling point is – I appreciate the eye for quality and technique that EN demonstrates towards every aspect of their menu. Just as the food is carefully crafted, so is the menu. Some of EN’s best dishes are the simplest ones that highlight the true flavors of the ingredients. My one critique of EN is that some may not be used to the simple flavors in some of the dishes. They aren’t going to go soy-​sauce crazy on anything here. Still, even if something ultimately doesn’t end up suiting your taste, you can’t deny that the freshness or skill isn’t present in the dishes.
To end the review as obnoxiously ostensible as possible, shout out to the «Truffle Mousse.» The dashi gelée is awesome and the generous amount of shaved truffle on top makes me want to high-​five the chef.

First time here and it was new year eve. They have special menu and we picked the $ 130 one. The Zensai is very good, followed by the fresh sashimi. And then we have seafood nitsuke which was the best! The following steak and soba noodle were just okay. The dessert was good too. Overall I am very satisfied with the meal.

Great Izakaya in the West Village.
I’d especially recommend EN for group dining. They have two tatami rooms which are really fun (as well as a few other private dining options) and offer reasonably priced prix fixe menus for large parties. We came here for my birthday, and everything from the booking to the service to the meal itself was pretty much seamless.
Foodwise, the two standouts are the fresh tofu and the stone grilled chicken, which was some of the best chicken I’ve had in a while.
Overall, consistently very good food and service in a classy yet comfortable environment.

12÷6÷2015
First timer here. Made a reservation online for two about a week prior to the reserved date after looking around for a decent Japanese restaurants in the city. I asked for bar seats in a hope to watch the kitchens working their magic.
Atmosphere and vibe are 2 key factors that affect my preference over one another and my willingness to go back to the same restaurant, and I have to admit that the EN Japanese Brasserie did well on atmosphere and vibe. Expect a rather formal dress code although not necessary, and I thought it was pretty cool to listen to a way lady greets you in Japanese when you first enter the restaurant and being guided to your seat as well.
But first thing first, about the food.
I took my lady friend on a date and we ordered «Soyo Kaze,» which was one of the course meals offered in the menu. Please note that we did not get a sake/​shochu pairings although I strongly think it would not have had any impact on my Unilocal rating.
And before I start off with the course menu– staff explained what the each presented menu in front you was and how it should be eaten (for a more flavorful way to eat I suppose), so hopefully that helps if you were wondering if you would be explained of what is in front of you and how to enjoy it.
The course meal started with «O-​Banzai,» a chef’s selection of 3 Kyoto-​style appetizers. I actually really enjoyed the mushroom a lot but unfortunately I do not recall the name.
The fact that I came in a bit hungry still would not change my opinion of how good the mushroom was. Very fresh and flavorful. I usually don’t enjoy mushrooms all that much but I enjoyed it.
2^nd menu in the course was «Chef’s Sashimi Selection,» which was presented with 3 varieties of sashimi with 2 pieces each. The presentation of the dish was very simple and clean– nothing too fancy. Sashimis were one of the better ones I have had this year. Too bad it was only 6 pieces which was gone within a minute or two even though I tried to eat them slowly enjoying the texture and a flavor.
Next up was «Saikyo Miso Marinated Grilled Black Cod,» which looked and tasted pretty decent. Coming from a Korean family, my mother always cooked a variety of fish, and I know what a good fish tastes like when cooked to a perfection. A bit of sweetness and a saltiness of this grilled cod proved to be quite decent.
4^th on the menu was «Freshly Scooped Tofu.» Coming from an Asian family, this was no surprise and it was medicore to be honest. I am not saying it was bad. If you like tofu, give it a shot.
5^th on the menu was «Stone Grilled Organic Chicken.» I kind of had to laugh at this not because it wasn’t good, but it had me wonder if there are non-​organic chickens out there. They probably meant they are serving a chicken that was fed with organic grains, etc. Make sure you do not burn yourself as the stone is indeed very hot. Chicken itself was very tender and I could not taste any rawness. Much better than the chicken I cook from time to time for my lunch if that helps you see what kind of taste you can expect from a chicken. How good can chicken get? Figure it out.
6^th on the menu was «Warm Soba,» and I have to say that I am not a too fan of warm soba. I will take warm ramen over warm soba any day. This was probably my least favorite on the course menu.
7^th on the menu, and the last «finale» was an ice cream. «Kisetsu No Ice Cream.» It tells you it will be a seasonal ice cream, and I believe what we were given was a light purplish ice cream of a flavor I can’t recall. Ice cream was alright. Nothing fancy!
****CONCLUSION****
I know some of you probably already scrolled down all the way saying this guy is just too much. But listen, this is important– do not waste your money on this course menu. I and my lady friend agreed that we should have just ordered Uni-​Don of some sort and maybe 2 or 3 delicious rolls they were making in front of us instead of medicore course menu.
I will have to go back here another time to try some other offerings that is NOT a course menu. I am only going to give 3 stars (3.5 if I could pick 3.5 out of 5) for now until I go back and try something better. Atmosphere and vibe were nice if you are into that vs. the taste and offerings, and the value of the food.

Great welcoming experience from the hostess to the waiter. Fresh half dozen oysters, outstanding sushi and the rest follows. Enjoyed my birthday for sure.

We went here for dinner. Decent food, nice plating, good atmosphere, but expensive price. Overall, not worth it. We ordered three dishes. Let’s go through them.
Freshly-​Made Scooped Tofu: This dish got a lot of hype from the other reviews, but honestly it’s just tofu. How good can tofu taste? Not THAT good.
Saikyo Miso Black Cod: The fish was flavored nicely, albeit a tad overcooked. Also the quality of the fish did not seem up to par with its price.
Chu Toro Spicy Okaka: The sushi roll tasted quite good, but nothing special, especially considering its price.

This place is expensive, it’s not a sushi place ias well. It’s Asian fusion. The service is good and food is normal, but I had to get a slice of pizza afterwords to satisfy me. My bill for three people was $ 700

I wanted to love it, but I thought the food was mediocre. Nothing really left me wanting for more! EXCEPT for the sashimi and the Seppun cocktail. That cocktail was delicious! Aside from those two things presentation and ambiance was definitely there. They also have an extensive sake selection.
Also…Don’t waste your time with the small dishes 3 for $ 16 deal!
Homemade tofu — we were told this was a must try! I agree that it was unique but I was underwhelmed. The tofu was silky and had a bit of a texture to it and came with a salty soy-​like sauce.
Lobster Ishiyake — small pieces of lobster served on a stone. Super small plate for $ 22, but lobster was nice.
Crispy Fried Chicken — I expected this to be amazing! But it was very regular fried chicken. Super tender though!
Kurobuta Kakuni — braised pork belly — i love a braised pork belly! This was a little tough to chew on but quite yummy, though was lacking a sort of umami flavor. The one at Kyo-​Ya is much better in comparison!
Matsutake Rice Pot — took forever to come out and was enough for 4 small bowls… for $ 36 which is pricey for rice…
Uni-​don — not a fan of uni but there was lots of it in here! Think it was worth the price
Maguro & Chu Toro — my favorite out of everything we ordered! Super fresh and sooo good!!!
I enjoyed my experience here and the service was very attentive! But this would be a one time visit for me!

3.5 stars
Last minute decision to dine here, and fortunately able to get last minute reservations.
We had izakaya in mind and i thought this place was going to offer that. I didn’t look up or book the place, my cousin did. Upon entering, I realized we were definitely not having izakaya tonight!
The place is sleek – modern, dark, sexy, and small touches of modern and traditional Japanese décor. We arrived early and like most NYC places, all party members must be present to be seated. Not a deal breaker. Gave me a few minutes to collect myself after being stuck at the tunnel for almost an hour.
I will say, I felt a little underdressed (everyone in my party was actually underdressed) because i initially thought i was we were having izakaya. However, the staff didn’t treat us differently which is a bonus. There were others that were also underdressed… but i assume this day and age, you can’t judge someone by how they dress because you won’t know if they are millionaires?
The menu focuses on traditional seasonal Kyoto cuisine. Reviewing the menu and prices, i realized this was more of an upscale dining experience. We were all game to try various dishes and opted to order random stuff and do family style (but don’t expect family style portions).
o-​banzai — did the 3 for $ 16 but doubled up since it was small. so $ 32 for 6. zenmai, goma ae, buta bara. I expected small portions, but not that small. Flavors were decent, reminiscent of traditional vietnamese stuff… homey feel.
our dinner:
–lobster ishiyaki
–scottish salmon kama
–garlic fried rice
–stone grilled chicken
–crispy fried chicken
–warm soba noodles
–fresh tofu
That’s all the dishes i recall.
I thought the meal was decent but not exceptional in taste. The stone chicken was probably the best dish and the fried rice was nice. I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat here again, but would definitely go here for a small dinner and drink to impress a date.

Tasty meal, decently priced, nice experience.
We came as a group of 3 for dinner on a Friday, and we had the the aozora kaiseki. We were fairly well guided throughout the menu by our server, who gave us her recommendation as well as sake suggestions. Among my favorite dishes were the lobster shabu shabu and the rock fish rice pot; the uni ice cream was interesting, especially since I like uni, but it didn’t quite suit my fancy. The food was overall very well prepared and tasty, and I enjoyed the more classical dishes as well the more unique ones.
It’s a big space, but there’s enough separation between groups that it can still feel intimate. Definitely a good spot to come for nice, pricier Japanese food in the area.

Everything I ate here was amazing, and I’d gladly eat brunch here every day. My personal favorite was the chicken karaage, even though I realize that it’s just fried chicken. But still… the batter was perfectly seasoned and crispy, while the meat was insanely juicy and tender. Also, you get a pretty generous portion.
The steak and egg was another great choice, even if it’s just for the experience of using the hot stone to cook off the meat to your liking. The beef had just the right amount of fatty marbling to give it that wonderful mouth feel. The poached egg, which was swimming in some sort of soy mixture, was nice and runny on the inside.
Their house-​made tofu is another excellent standout. I’m not usually one to rave about tofu (or any other vegan food for that matter) but theirs was so silky smooth and creamy that I couldn’t stop myself from finishing off the whole vat. And they did provide a generous portion, mind you. The sauce that it comes with is a game change. I drowned my tofu in it.
Aside from the awesome food, the service was top notch. Our waitress was really nice and friendly, our orders were executed perfectly, and we hardly had to wait at all.

Love this place! We made a last minute reservation and had a great time. The space is super nice, chic and spacious.
The food is delicious and well presented. Very carefully prepared. I especially love and highly recommend the home made fresh scooped tofu and the stone grilled kuroge washugyu. Overall I love the delicacy this place presents!

Wonderful House-​made Tofu!
I believe good food requires good company. We eat with more than our mouths, we taste with our eyes, our ears, and smell. Everything around you contributes…
Had a wonderful lunch here, in one of the semi-​private rooms. Before stepping in you take off your shoes and walk into the sunken table. It is very relaxing, once the food comes the whole experience is very pleasurable.

Its a fancy Japanese restaurant. But the food is definitely not living the fancy standard. The price is way over it’s quality.
Our server was nice to explain the menu. The one cruel thing in this restaurant is that if one person wants to try the pre-​fixed menu, everyone has to order them.
We had the sashimi mix, it was alright… I tried the special hand roll, it tasted just ok and the presentation of it was horrible.
The pork belly was pretty good, compare to the squid rice pot — which was absolutely bad. It was super fishy, the squid was definitely not fresh (and according to the server, the only use daily fresh ingredients)…
The desert wasn’t so good either… Wouldn’t go back again.

Love the food here! We ordered scooped tofu, avocado and tuna salad, black cod, duck with potatoes, and squid and other seafood rice pot. Almost every dish is special and creative!
The place is not hard to book as I experienced. We booked one day prior and got 7:15, 8:30 reasonable slots left for Friday dinner.
The price is affordable-​$ 150 for two including t&t.

We came here on a Saturday night with no reservation so we sat at the bar, which was fine because our group of 4 were still able to sit across from each other like a regular table.
Fresh Cold Tofu: It was just OK. I thought it would be smoother and softer like Ooyotas but it definitely still tasted fresh. It came with a side of soy sauce and salt.
Organic Chicken: I think this was the best dish of the nite! The chicken was surprisingly flavorful and came with some dipping powders. It was also super tender. Get this!
Miso Cod: This fish was too sweet for my taste, but the quality was good. If you like a sweet miso flavor, then you will like this.
Lobster Ishiyaki: This dish was not worth the price, IMO. You only get a few little slices of lobster and the flavor isn’t that great, either.
Pork Belly: This dish was very meh. The meat wasn’t tender and the radishes didn’t have any flavor. Wouldn’t recommend.
Salmon Clay Rice Pot: This was so tasty! But I love rice in general. I loved the flavor of the salmon mixed into the rice with the fish eggs on top. Yummmmm. SO goood.
Blowfish «Wings»: These fried «wings» were totally not worth it. There is like no fish on the bones and there were soooo many tiny little bones I felt like I was just eating breading.
Donuts: They were just chewy mochi balls that are fried with a side of vanilla ice cream. Nothing special. Not that good.

I came here because I saw that ENJB was offering the $ 25 lunch restaurant week special. I made a reservation for 12pm. It was fairly empty when I got there. The seating was very lobby-​like, very open with big leather chairs, not what I expected at all. The waiters came by several times before we ordered which probably is because there weren’t that many people here.
The $ 25 lunch only had a vegetable tempura option for those who do not eat meat/​pork so I ended up going with the black cod lunch set ($ 22). The lunch set comes with a small portion of miso black cod, miso soup, a mushroom tofu salad, a green salad, a wakame& bean sprout salad, tofu, and rice, which I substituted for pickles. Though the fish portion was really small, it was one of the best tasting fish I have ever had. Perfectly cooked and not too masked by the sauce and spices. The small dishes that came with the fish made up for the small portion. I also really enjoyed the mushrooms for they had a very beefy/​smokey taste. The tofu was great as well and will definitely order that again.
My father had the $ 25 prix fix lunch which came with two small mushroom salads (one was instead of the rice) the first was citrus-​yuzu-​ish tasting and the second was the same one I got, which was very ‘umami’. He got the wagyu beef which is why I gave them 4 stars and not 5. He really enjoyed the beef but the waiter did not tell us it was $ 13 extra nor did he make a accommodations for the misunderstanding. For dessert, he had the fig ice cream which realistically I ate most of it. It was really delicious and the fig taste was very dominant. He also had the genmaicha tea which was super earthy tasting (in a good way)
I would highly recommend getting the lunch set for it is a vert large portion with really great ingredients for a reasonable price.

Lugar absolutamente espetacular! Apesar do nome ser brasserie, não se engane, é um restaurante chique e muito muito bonito por dentro. Tradicionalmente japonês, arriscou dizer que tirando os pops Nobu e Morimoto ele é de longe um dos melhores restaurantes japoneses de NY. Se VC precisa indicar um japa em NY para um japonês, indique esse. Ele só é um pouco carinho.

Beim nunmehr vierten oder fünften Besuch hat sich meine Begeisterung etwas abgekühlt. Schuld daran ist zum einen das auch für hiesige Verhältnisse hohe Preisniveau und dann meine persönliche Erfahrung, dass die Kaiseki-​Menues (Das sind die drei Degustations-​Menüs.), die wir jetzt erstmalig hatten, einen wirklich nicht vom Hocker reißen. Ich fand, dass das Alles irgendwie labrig schmeckte und bei weitem nicht die Raffinesse der a-​la-​carte-​Gerichte erreichte. Sehr enttäuschend ! Also hieraus meine Empfehlung: Weg von den Kaiseki-​Menues — der Rest ist vier Sterne, da es einen Punkt Abzug wegen der Kosten gibt.
Ach ja, der Laden ist aufgrund fehlender Schalldämmung laut. Noch ein halber Punkt Abzug.