Not my first visit to Aburi-EN, but the first time I am visiting their Causeway Point outlet which is a convenience for me — probably one of the very few restaurant options which I would dine at this mall considering the relatively positive experiences with their food from my prior visits at Orchard Central and their Guoco Towers outlet.

At this current juncture, I have already forgotten if I actually had their Iberico Hoho Don before, but I really liked how their offerings have largely stayed consistent throughout the menu with a similar theme — the highlight at Aburi-EN has mostly been their charcoal grilled meats, and the pork options usually feature a premium meat such as that of Chestnut Pork or Iberico. The Iberico Hoho Don is one that features charcoal grilled Iberico Pork Jowl on rice, and is probably the one to go for if one enjoys pork without having to deal with the belly cuts — the pork jowl coming immensely tender with a good bite while being coated with Teriyaki sauce for a sweet-savoury note; the meat also coming with a slightly smoky flavour from the charcoal grilling process. The slices of meat sits above a bed of Japanese short-grain rice which comes pretty fluffy, and flavoured adequately with a lightly-flavoured brown sauce that further binds the meat with the rice together in terms of flavour. There is an option to add Salad, Ikura, Onsen Egg, and Miso Soup; all at its own individual cost so that patrons can actually opt out of any of the four which they do not fancy as opposed to being added as a set — each of the four being a great addition with the refreshing salad providing a light crunch, drizzled with Goma dressing for flavour, while the Ikura adds a umami popping sensation especially when had together with the rice that further adds volume to the Donburi itself. The Onsen Egg comes with a satisfying jiggle, and the molten egg yolk eagerly bursts with a poke of the chopstick to reveal its golden goodness that provides a silkier touch to entire bowl, while the Miso Soup comes surprisingly laden with clams (approximately 5 to 6) which were pretty fresh and provided a briny flavour with the soup.

Aburi-EN is no doubt a more commercial option which I usually tend not to post about, but they are also one of the few which I find myself more likely to revisit over time. Perhaps it’s something got to do with what they have to offer, especially given how I find it difficult to say no to meatier offerings. That aside, I am pretty glad that there is one at Causeway Point now — a Japanese establishment which I am more likely to visit as a convenient option when I am looking to splurge on a meal than being a novelty to have whilst searching for a safe option in other areas. Here’s hoping that the standards will be maintained, if not improved in time to come!