I didn't expect it to go any differently than it did, but I still want to tell everyone that my first time eating at Enkai (used to manage Shinshen) was fabulous. I've never written a restaurant review, so I'll just tell it like it was.
The menu was pretty much the same as when they had Shinshen. As far as I'm concerned that's a good thing. First thing's first, the location. I have to admit I was worried when I found out where they were going. That location hasn't had the best of luck with bars or restaurants, and it's not exactly a well traveled road. That being said, I love it! They did a great job decorating with local artwork without being over the top. My only complaint with the setup is I feel like we were sitting in a very dark spot and it was hard to read the menu. Everyone else seemed to have enough light, it was just that one table. Now onto the food. I had the sunomono (I think that's how you spell it) for an appetizer which is a cucumber salad with ginger, seaweed, crab, and a butterflied shrimp. This was one of my favorite items before and it is still fantastic. I am more than happy not to share. Also at the table was a miso soup (it disappeared too quickly for me to try some so I'll take it as a good sign) and edamame. I used to think that you couldn't mess up edamame until I had it at another restaurant where it was soaked in butter, but Enkai seasoned it perfectly. The rolls were delicious. Pictured above from right to left (approximately) is the Bourbon roll, crunchy spicy tuna, kyoto (another tuna roll), they dynamite, and the sunshine roll. The Bourbon was one of my favorites at Shinshen and it has not lost its quality. It has the perfect amount of crunch, sweetness, and just plain goodness. You can never go wrong with the tuna rolls, and the dynamite was dynamic as always. I'm pretty sure the sunshine is a new roll, I liked it. Unfortunately I do not have the memory to recall the contents. If anyone knows please comment, I'm sure everyone (including me) would love to know what goes in that or any of these rolls.
I hope this was informative and interesting for all, and I hope it encourages you to visit Enkai for an evening that is sure to impress. Just be sure to call to make reservations, it's no secret how good they are.
