Enchanko Hotpot & Kamameshi

I remember there was a time when before HaidiLao infiltrated Singapore, one of my favourite kinds of hot pot was the Japanese Shabu Shabu pot where the broth is lightly seasoned and the ingredients were mostly premium meats and seafood

When Enchanko opened in Vivocity, I wanted to give them a try but never got down to it as Haidilao always pops up whenever I get a hotpot craving. It was sheer chance that I ended up in Enchanko in the end but it was a satisfactory meal. The restaurant is part of the stretch of open-concept restaurants where mall-goers can look into the restaurant’s interiors

Those who prefer more privacy can take the booth tables further into the restaurant where there are dividers which will block out the views from the public. The restaurant’s overall decor is focused on warm wood with elements of Japanese culture and design in their wall murals and paper lighting

The restaurant focuses on individual pots like the Sumibi nabe, udon and steamed pot rice with many options for customers to pick from. For shared hotpot, there are only 3 options seafood, chicken or pork sets. You can also order add-ons for the hot pot which is priced individually. The shared pot ranges from SGD 30 upwards for 2 persons and SGD 50 upwards for 4 persons. The add-on items range from SGD 3 to SGD 12 each

The soup broth is clear broth like most shabu shabu and comes with a bunch of vegetables like cabbage and mushrooms. We ordered the seafood version which came with a couple of prawns and some other seafood. There was not a lot of meat in the basic pot so we ordered additional pork meat and sides

Most of the ingredients were fresh and ok in quality but some of the following items were unique to Japanese hotpot like the silky udon noodles which were fresh and not frozen so the texture tasted much better in soup. The fresh tofu skin also had great soya flavours which were soft and creamy when cooked in the soup. Lastly was the lucky bag which was stuffed with mochi which absorbs the broth and bursts with flavour when bitten into

Overall, there is nothing too special about the add-on ingredients for the hotpot but the Japanese-specific ingredients were delicious and fresh which gave the hot pot a totally different flavour compared to other hot pots. The meal was overall satisfactory and light without strong flavour sauces or soup bases which sometimes leave you thirsty after the meal. The light flavours here tasted more natural and I can walk away feeling healthier than going for the Chinese hot pot

Address: 1 HarbourFront Walk, #01-52 VivoCity, Singapore 098585

Opening hours: 11 am to 10 pm