LSA Reviews: Enishi offers a modern take on the art of teppanyaki in Sheung Wan

Chef Shun Sato has built up quite a loyal following among Hong Kong foodies with his almost two-year-old Censu on Gough Street. Now, he’s hoping to do the same with Enishi which he has opened in collaboration with the husband-and-wife team of Toru Takano and Ami Hamasaki.

A Review of Enishi

Enishi, which means “fate” in Japanese, is certainly an endeavour born out of the destined journey of three chefs whose paths crossed in Australia, and converged again in Hong Kong. The new addition to Hong Kong’s teppanyaki dining scene, Enishi is a sister restaurant to Chef Shun Sato’s Censu.

While the cuisines are different, both places aim to provide a personalised journey for their guests through the chefs’ stories and memories. On the day of our lunch, it was only Chef Toru and Chef Ami holding fort. They quickly made us feel welcome in the cosy restaurant which is situated at a quiet corner of the otherwise busy Bonham Strand.

The restaurant seats only 23, with 11 at the teppanyaki counter and 12 other a la carte spaces. Chef Toru wasted no time in introducing us to his special ingredients du jour such as the Hokkaido abalone and the Kyoto Wagyu beef.

Chef Toru dedicated his first dish to his Chef Shun’s hometown of Miyagi: a huge, plump, fresh oyster served with sanbaizu sauce made from vinegar, soy sauce, and mirin, topped with a frothy foam. Scooped straight into the mouth, the briny oyster umami, tangy sanbaizu and the sweet foam converged in complex tastes.

There have been many interpretations of the chawanmushi – the Japanese steamed egg – in both Asian and western restaurants. But Chef Toru’s kani chawanmushi is one of the best in my recent memory. Served in a crab shell, the generous topping of fresh crab meat added a layer of umami and the crab roe adding a pleasant crunch.

Even the simple hamachi sashimi was far from simple. The dish artfully combines the richness of the fatty fish with yogurt and dashi purée, resulting in a burst of strong umami flavours that linger on the palate. The ezo awabi, whole abalones sourced from Hokkaido, was expertly prepared on the teppan and served with wakame seaweed, pearl onions and herbs, and a rich buttery liver sauce that all complemented each other perfectly.

Another highlight was the wagyu tenderloin which was creatively presented with a leafy wasabi leaf used to wrap up the tender beef cubes, adding a subtle tinge of wasabi that negated the use of the actual wasabi paste and even salt.

In a nod to his own childhood, Chef Toru also presented Kimiko’s rice, a hearty and comforting dish inspired by his memories of his mother’s home cooking. The fluffy Niigata rice is cooked with nikumiso sauce made with pork and topped with crunchy dried shrimps, each mouthful conveying rich layers and textures.

Cuisine

Japanese Teppanyaki

We Loved

Kani chawanmushi

Ezo Awabi

Kimiko’s rice

The Vibe 
It’s easy to miss the restaurant along the busy Bonham Strand but it’s like entering a little oasis once you step inside and the sounds of the traffic fade away. Seating along the long teppanyaki counter is comfortable and I loved that the seats are not too high and a little bit wider, making it less elbow-to-elbow. There are two teppan grills so diners at either end don’t need to feel left out of the action. Besides the omakase dinner menus, there is also an a la carte menu as well as a four-course lunch menu for $488 and one-course table lunches (with salad, pickles and soup) for between $198 to $258.

Quick Notes 

Price for two: 

$2,600 for eight courses

$3,400 for 10 courses

Address:

G/F 49 Bonham Strand

Sheung Wan

Tel.  2626 9096

Opening Hours:

Tuesday – Wednesday: 6pm – 11pm

Thursday – Sunday: 12nn – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm