Michelin quality food on a budget
Enishi is an intimate ramen restaurant serving bowls of noodles delicious enough to earn the “Michelin Bib Gourmand” award. Although Enishi was originally born in Singapore, it strives for Japanese authenticity in its food, restaurant design, and exclusive hiring of Japanese chefs.
Ambience & Amenities
Enishi is a clean, minimalist space. Random boulders lie scattered on the floor, which probably have feng shui significance or something. Most of the seating is at the counter, meant for couples or singles. There are only two tables that can seat a group.
The toilets are next to the restaurant. Exit Enishi and turn left to get to the public Shoplex facilities.
Menu at Enishi
Enishi’s menu is straightforward with just four kinds of ramen in three sizes. They also serve Dandan noodles, a spicy Sichuan noodle bowl. For extra nibbles, there’s karaage and wantans on the back page. The noodles contain pork, so Enishi is a non-halal restaurant. There are some basic soft drinks, two kinds of sake and Sapporo beer for beverages. Don’t get suckered into ordering the mineral water. Oolong tea and drinking water are free. There’s a jug of water at each section, and the server will bring glasses after ordering.
Click on menu pictures to enlarge
Food at Enishi
We both ordered the standard flavour for broth, Dashi, in the basic and regular size. The regular variant cost us RM5 more and came with a marinated Ajitama egg. The broth had a good taste and wasn’t too salty. It wasn’t nearly as rich and cloudy as at Kanbe, but perhaps that’s what the RM7 “Dashi Rich” option is for. The pork slice was pull-apart tender and easy to distribute around our bowls.
Enishi’s ramen is unique from others I’ve had with duck breast slices, raw white onions and lemon peel. The duck was great, and the onions were interesting but not offensive. The lemon peel was not to my taste, however. The thicker, slightly firm white noodles were a standout to me. The condiment tray in front of us included three flavours of vinegar, pepper and chilli to kick our bowls up a notch.
Enishi’s ramen also includes a free bowl of Mentaiko rice. This freebie is advertised on the mini stand at each table, which you might have to flip over to see. The server offered it to us halfway through our meal, but we declined since that would’ve been too much food.
Saturday Worthy?
When it comes to ramen in Mont Kiara, I think Kanbe is the better choice. The broth is better, the pork is thicker, the portion is larger, and there are unlimited side dishes. However, the price is higher and Kanbe’s queues are tedious. Enishi still makes a decent bowl of noodles, and there were unmistakably Japanese people eating there, so that has to count for something.
Price for 2 Pax: RM80.30
Dashi Basic Noodle: RM34.00
Dashi Regular Noodle: RM39.00
10% Service: RM7.30
Enishi
Address: Lot 15-0-1, Ground Floor, Mont Kiara Shoplex, Jalan Kiara, Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm, 6pm – 9pm Daily, or when limited soup runs out
Alcohol Served: Yes
