Yakitori Enmaru @ ION Orchard

Franchised from Japan by global F&B developers PJ Partners, the creation of Yakitori Enmaru trails after the inauguration of its sister establishment at Laguna National Golf & Country Club. The new premise located in Orchard officially opened on 19th September 2011 and specialises in Yakitori.

Yakitori Enmaru is a franchise of Japan’s No 1 Izakaya (Japanese bar offering alcoholic beverages and snacks) restaurant, Enmaru, earning the title from a Japanese nation-wide culinary competition, Izakaya Koshien in 2010.

Helmed by a Japanese head chef, Yoshiharu Inoue, signature items at Yakitori Enmaru includes dishes like the Ibushi Yaki Smokey Grill, a chicken dish prepared using a traditional smoking technique; the oven-roasted Sanzoku Yaki Bandit grill as well as the Wagyu Tataki Salad.

I was invited to a sampling session a few weeks ago to try out some of their delectable signature items. The meal was over a weekend lunch and the restaurant was comfortably packed with diners comprising of mainly shopping crowd.

One great thing about a yakitori meal is that the portions are small and ideal for sharing. This means we can try many different menu items without having to gorge ourselves silly.  Below are some dishes I sampled:

Fujiyama Soba

– A crispy version of hot Cha Soba heated and served on a hot lava plate.

Ibushi Yaki Smokey Grill

– a chicken dish which features the use of the aged-old smoking technique that awards the meat a sweet charred flavor while retaining the tender juiciness of the fowl owing to a superbly-timed preparation over the grlll. It is a popular local cuisine in the Miyazaki region of Japan.

Takowasa

– A refreshing starter of octopus and japanese pickles marinated in wasabi.

Wagyu Tataki

– Seared tender wagyu salad

Other Dishes

The restaurant operates with a maximum capacity of 80 and is equipped with a private room for eight. Orders are via an ala carte menu offering with individual yakitori items starting from S$2.80 while business set lunches during the weekdays are priced from S$15.80.

Here’s the restaurant’s details if you are interested to pay Yakitori Enmaru a visit:

Address: 2 Orchard Turn, #04-11 ION Orchard
Tel: +65 6636 7282
Opening Hours: Mon–Sun, 11.30am–3pm; 5pm–10pm

About Chef Yoshiharu Inoue, Head Chef, Enmaru Yakitori, ION

Hailing from the land of the rising Sun, Chef Yoshiharu Inoue, with over 12 years of chef experience under his belt, arrives in Singapore as a valuable addition to the local dining scene. The esteemed chef noted for his meticulous techniques with an eye for detail, brings to Singapore a wealth of varied culinary experiences stemming from his unique ability to cook in different Japanese styles.

Commencing on his culinary journey at a tender age of 20 years old at the prestigious Muteki Chain’s Kushi Bar in Hiroshima, Chef Yoshiharu Inoue was personally trained and mentored by Hideki Takahashi, Former Chairman of the prestigious Izakaya Koshien and Masterchef and Director of the Muteki Chain of Restaurants. It was under the appenticeship at this yakitori establishment did Chef Inoue first learned the art of grilling meat. His devotion to the art of Yakitori and innate talent saw him quickly rose through the ranks and eventually moved on to become Executive Chef at the award-winning fish Izakaya restaurant, Muteki, which specializes in sushi and sashimi. Under his helm, Muteki even clinched third as an Izakaya Koshien in Hiroshima.

Chef Yoshiharu Inoue’s work experience even includes renowned resturants such as Yumehonjin in Hiroshima where he was exposed to the traditional Japanese culinary art of Kaiseki preparation. His versatility and exposure to different types of Japanese cookery including yakitori, sushi, sashimi and kaiseki cuisines thus made him the multi-disciplinary chef he is today.