I have only (mostly) positive things to say about Enishi from a recent visit. Despite owning just 2 items on their menu (and a limited-time third one on our visit), this small counter-seating ramen bar (so small I won’t even call it a restaurant!) left a rather deep impression on me. 

To clarify the ‘mostly’ part from my introduction. I was rather bummed that we had to get there early and stand in line to secure our seats as, not only do they not take reservations, there are limited servings of ramens made and sold daily. I had to be absolutely certain we get ours, so we arrived shortly after they’ve opened and managed to be third in the queue. Inside, all seats were already filled with visibly smarter alecks, chowing down their ramens! 

You place your order while waiting in line. The menu is basic but comprehensive; including spice and taste levels, plus add-on options. After confirming your ramen choices on a recyclable menu card, the friendly servers will ring up the order, and by the time you’re seated, your ramens are served almost immediately, piping fresh and hot! Kudos to the efficiency! 

We had both items on the menu. The dry Dan Dan Ramen and the Dashi Soup Ramen. Enishi’s Dan Dan ramen is piled full with chopped pork, duck, pickles, cashews, onions, veggies and a ton of other ingredients and garnishes that quietly adds to the flavorful noodles, plus an Ontama (a delicate poached egg) on the side. We selected ‘Zero’,  from 3 choices of spice levels (Zero, Medium, Very Hot). Zero comes with subtle spiciness and is almost but not completely lost when everything is mixed in. The silky eggs (of course we had 2!) bound the noodles and toppings together into a velvety finish. Every mouthful was intense. A roundup of different tastes and textures emerge from the different meats, veggies, nuts and eggs, combined with the starchy chewy ramen. Sharp sulfry diced onions, and a smack of light vinaigrette cut through the heaviness and elevated one spoonful after the next. It was impossibly quite hard to stop! And when you finally do, ask for a spoonful (or 2, if you fancy) of rice and wipe down all that leftover sauce in your bowl with that! Before you decide you have no room for more carbs? Yes you do! Cuz the rice was just as oishii as the noodles! 

It seems rich tonkotsu broth is no longer favorable in Japan, and foodies are after clean, clear dashi based ramens. While I don’t think I’d ever renounce a rich porky bone broth, Enishi’s dashi broth with a bold hint of yuzu was divine! The first sip of the clear but full broth gets you the Mark-Weins-approval “ahhhh….”! Not sure about you but this is my sequence. Soup, followed by noodles, then the accompaniments. The noodles were soft but not mushy. Starchy but not gluey. Chewy but not hard. On to the meats. Pork belly slices were fall-apart tender. Each slice is lightly flame-torched for a touch of smokiness. The meat was not fatty at all and the subtle saltiness was on point. Uncommonly, Enishi’s ramen alsi contains duck. And my oh my, they beautifully salted and cooked to perfect tender pink. The ajitama eggs (of course we had 2!), served whole, slits open to reveal sexy creamy jammy yolks. On top of these, their signature dice onions and a piece of crisp nori came with; and I appreciated them both. Each giving the ramen extra oomph! I polished my bowl dry and wished for more soup!! 

Can’t be more pleased with my simple yet delicious Dan Dan ramen dinner at Enishi. I did juxtaposed it to my much loved Mazesoba at first look and taste; and even concluded that I preferred the Mazesoba; only to find myself scandalously craving for the Dan Dan Ramen the following day! Nuff said, I guess! 

And for those of you soup lovers… the Dashi Ramen is truly one of a kind! It is light and satisfying. I can see how the trend is steering towards Dashi broths if they are all made as delicious as Enishi’s. 

Enishi received the “Michelin Bib Gourmand” award in Kobe, Japan. They promise that the ramen sold in Singapore is of the same high quality and standards in Japan, and though I have no doubt, I am sure I will still suss out the original when I am ever in Kobe next… just to validate this, so you don’t have to!

ENISHI @ 10 Anson Road #02-85A, International Plaza, Singapore 079903

Disclaimer ~ This is not a sponsored post.