EN is a Korean owned Japanese Izakaya in Santa Clara, CA where there is a large Korean population. There are rows of Korean restaurants along El Camino Real. There are Korean businesses - supermarkets, food court, Galleria Mall, beauty salons and the Sweet Potato Stall. EN is open until midnight everyday which is perfect for us late night owls.

I like Japanese tapas because it gives the opportunity to try many dishes without feeling too greedy. The prices at EN are very reasonable, all the dishes are freshly made and the portions are generous. The dishes ranged from good to lip smacking delicious.

The $7.50 poached egg with uni was the stand out of the night. The temperature was just right à la Three Bears - cool, the light soy broth, gooey egg yolk and the fresh sweet uni made it taste like Sikhye.



One of the best price for Ankimo (Monk Fish Liver) $6.50 for over 6 thick pieces, the sprouts on top was a nice added texture to the heaviness.



Creamy Scallops Croquette $6.50 - if the menu didn't indicate it as scallops I would have thought it was only potatoes.



Uni Fried Rice (Uni Ikura yaki meshi) $12.50 - The first time they served the dish in a ceramic bowl so there was no crispy rice at the bottom. We ordered it the second time requesting a stone bowl (which is how it is usually served) and it tasted much better.



Yaki Onigri with Cod Roe $6.25- I love onigri because I love crispy rice, if I could I would only eat the crust but social and dining etiquette denies me the right. The onigri at EN had a thick crust, the rice is flavorful thoroughly and retained the golden rice essence.



Crispy Pork Belly and Spinach Salad $8 - The pork belly was not too fatty and the combination of onions, raw spinach, tomatoes, and a soy balasmic dressing is a good way to start the meal.




A snappy crunch from the $5.75 fried chicken cartilage. The $5.50 grilled beef (Gyu Kalbi) was a little too salty and tough.



Pork and Kimchee Hot Pot $8.50 - It was a cold night and I wanted some hot soup. An over abundant amount of bean sprouts and tofu served in a stone bowl.



Bacon wrapped Oysters $7.50- Served in a tomato sauce reminiscent of Spaghetti O's it was devoured by my dining companion because he loves the canned pasta. The oysters would fair better if the bacon was crispier.



Even though I was stuffed up to the gills there are plenty of new dishes to try. I wanted to try the Aji mackeral because they grill the meat and bones separately but they didn't have any that night. There is no menu online but I took photos, please click here.

EN
3450 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95051
(408) 246-0011