I LOVE “engawa”, the meat from the tailfin of a flatfish, usually a flounder. The thin flesh has a soft, creamy texture, with a buttery taste.

At Tono Izakaya in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur, I had engawa as part of a lunch set, and the same dish as a lunch offer – two for the price of one.

The engawa was torched, giving the delicate bites a smoky flavour. Ikura, seaweed and slices of egg completed the toppings on the rice.

The rice was delicious stirred up with a bit of mayo, tobiko and wasabi. I could have happily eaten another bowl of this, part of a two-in-one offer.

Then I was back again for the bafu uni (sea urchin), engawa and ikura don lunch offer last month.

It had my two favourite items on it – engawa and uni. It was a steal and we were not disappointed.

The luscious uni was generously portioned, as were the engawa and ikura. As usual, the rice was exquisitely flavoured.

I am glad I can still have engawa in a regular lunch set, served with a silky chawanmushi, appetiser, pickles, miso soup and dessert.

We had oden here, with daikon, fried fish cake, tofu puffs and a hard-boiled egg in a lighter, less sweet dashi broth. It is served with mustard.

Though I tend to avoid ordering chicken, I was delighted by the crispy, tasty fried chicken, fragrant with its ginger marinade. The lunch set portion was generous.

The tamago mentai set pleased my dining companion who doesn’t eat meat. The egg was soft and fluffy, and finished in the oven with the yummy mentai topping.

The prawn tempura was done well here too, crispy and light, and most importantly, the prawns were sweet and fresh.

I’m hooked on the unagi sando, a grilled eel sandwich assembled with soft white bread, crispy fried batter, and rich unagi, sweet with its marinade. We shared this as a delicious starter before our main meal.

Sashimi, sushi and yakitori are also on the menu. We came to grief on just one a la carte item – grilled beef tongue, or gyutan.

The meat was just too chewy and tough. We pointed it out and the item was taken off our bill, which we didn’t expect at all.

It is worth checking out what Tono Izakaya has on offer each month for lunch.

For August, the Japanese-style panko-fried foie gras sando with winter black truffle is still available. It has rave reviews.

Tono Izakaya is located at 30, Lorong Datuk Sulaiman 1, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur. To book a table, WhatsApp 019-694 2377. – August 12, 2023.

* Eu Hooi-Khaw has been writing about food for the longest time, covering all aspects, from restaurant reviews to cooking and recipes, as well as the healthy side of it. She has written for major newspapers and magazines, published the cookbook Fresh Ingredients, and also writes for her website hooikhawandsu.com.