Ensui

Ensui is about a 5 minute walk from Nakameguro Station in central Tokyo. Since its opening in December 2020, Chef Ito and his restaurant have quickly rose to fame amongst diners. Upon graduating from culinary school, Chef Ito spent two and a half years serving as front-of-house staff for renowned nihon ryori restaurant Ryugin, followed by seven and a half years at the same establishment as a chef specializing in simmered dishes.

"Ensui" consists of the character en, meaning flame — representing grilling over an open flame — and sui, meaning water, representing the making of dashi, the stock fundamental to Japanese cuisine. This name reflects Chef Ito's desire to lead diners to areas of Japanese cuisine they have not yet explored, by delving into these fundamental elements in a way that others rarely do. Ensui focuses on the customer's experience from the moment they enter the restaurant. From the staff's humble service conscious of the five senses, such as preparing the food in front of the customer for them to enjoy the aroma and sound of the food, to employing stylishly beautiful, aesthetic and convenient touches like Tokyo Kumihimo, a traditional craft also used on prestigious Rugby World Cup medals, used to clasp together diner's lap blankets and having an easy-to-handle custom-made change tray prepared for clients paying with cash or worried about credit card fees.

Everything is assembled while thinking about the customer to achieve the utmost customer satisfaction.