En is a bar and restaurant located on the popular Goodwood Road cafe precinct. The venue is a type of bar known as an Izakaya, which is a Japanese drinking establishment that serves tapas style dishes to accompany the drinks. While tapas dishes make up half the menu, there was also a need for larger plates to generate more revenue.

The main dining area is setup like an indoor outdoor space fully equipped with fake grass. A combination of bench and normal seating caters for about 40.

The bar area is located in a passage way behind the main dining area. Customers have the option to sit at the bar or dine at some of the tables located on one side.

The Yakitori Chicken was tender and succulent, and covered in a subtly sweet teriyaki glaze. Nothing more to say except it was well executed.

The Oba Cheese Fry is deep fried cheese wrapped in shiso leaf. Hidden inside a firm and crunchy exterior was a soft gooey cheesy centre. A thin slice of shiso leaf was located right in the centre which had a taste similar to coriander. I thought this dish was a bit oily for my liking.

The Tsukune are minced chicken patties on a skewer. The chicken is soft and moist, and you can taste the subtle hints of ginger from the sauce. Nothing spectacular when eaten by themselves, but when dipped into the mustard, the flavour was a bit more balanced.

The Karaage Chicken had a light crispy coating that covered tender succulent morsels of chicken. This dish was also well executed.

The Prawn Tempura had a batter that was slightly thicker than expected, however, the prawns inside were perfectly cooked.

The Gyoza were fried to a nice golden brown. The filling was soft and moist, however, I thought they were a bit conservative with the pork filling.

The Takoyaki was simply amazing. Tender octopus pieces fried in batter with mayonnaise, okonomiyaki sauce, fragrant green nori and bonito flakes. The wonderful array of creamy, chewy and crunchy textures work perfectly in harmony.

When we first arrived, we were the first customers there, and it was expected that we had their full and undivided attention. The staff were friendly and courteous, and the drinks and first set of tapas dishes arrived promptly. As soon as the venue started getting busy, the service went downhill. Our plates were not cleared, drinks weren’t refilled and even one of our orders was forgotten. I suspect they were understaffed and weren’t able to handle the large volume of customers. On top of that, the glare from the setting sun and the presence of flies was somewhat annoying. The air conditioner was even turned up to the point that it became cold.

As far as price goes, I think their price point is fairly reasonable. The tapas dishes range from $3-$10, while the mains start from $10. Between the two of us, we shared 7 tapas dishes and it only cost us $20 each. Some dishes were fantastic, some were average and some could have been better, but all were edible. It certainly wasn’t a perfect evening, but I’m more inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt because they’re new.

WHERE: 107 Goodwood Rd, Goodwood