Enso Kitchen

人们都知道素食有利于身体健康，但有一种素食料理不仅如此，还能通过禅式理念有助于精神健康，它就是精进料理（Shojin Ryori）。

精进料理是一种日式素食料理，它原本只是禅寺里修行的和尚食用的料理，由于其健康和禅式的烹煮理念，后来日渐兴起。

Enso Kitchen是第一个将日本精进料理带入新加坡的素食馆。因为吃长素，而吃腻了本地素食，创办人Danny Chu决定辞去工作，到日本禅寺学做素菜，并在学艺两年后，将精进料理引进新加坡。

- Enso Kitchen只在每星期天下午于GOTO Japanese Restaurant开放，食客务必要先拨电预订。

- 精进料理使用豆制品、蔬菜和其他季节性原料为食材，能够充分体现自然界的改变。

- 一般味增汤 (miso soup)是要把豆腐切块，精进料理则是用手搓碎豆腐，目的在于体现平等心。禅师认为，让豆腐与汤混为一体，舀汤时大家都有同样分量的豆腐，不会引起区别心。

- 他们通常不让顾客点菜，任由他们调配食物，有助于他们培养无所求的心态，上菜后反而有惊喜的感觉。

- 笑容可掬，能言善道的Danny会穿着日式厨师的服装，脚踩木屐，介绍精进料理蕴含的哲理，才让食客动筷。

* Danny目前人在台湾，因此周日精进料理目前暂停至2011年5月，详情可以电邮询问。

详情请看MISS TAM CHIAK

Reviewers rave about Shojin Ryori Cuisine but this is not serve on a daily basis except on Sunday Lunch @ GOTO Japanese Restaurant where reservation is required. When I knew about Zen Vegetarian Cooking Class by Chef Danny Chu of Ensok Kitchen, I grabbed it. The venue for this special cooking class was held at Onaka (Optimum Nutrition and Kitchen Arts - http://www.onakagroup.com/healingkitchen.php) at Biopolis.

 We have hand-on whipping up Zen Temple Vegetarian Dishes (using seasonal ingredients so as to capture the flow of the energy) -  "Miso Soup with Wakame", "Age Dashi Tofu",  "Spinach Nori Maki", "Braised Gobo and Carrot with Sesame" and a special dish in a relaxing cozy environment with soothing soft music.  The special dish that we learnt was based on the philosophy of minimizes wastage - Spinach's Crowns with Sake. 

Chef Danny said Shojin Ryori Cuisine do not kill the vegetables! Oh, that means no over-cooking, so locking in the ingredients' natural nutrients.  It was an enlightening session, with vibrant food for the body and soul.   Don't get me wrong, there is no free meditation class available on the site after the meal like some of vegetarian eatery oversea do, but before we consume Shojin Ryori meal, it was shared with its 5 reflections.





Wondering, is cooking and dinning with a Chef session can be written as a food review? Why not? In the end, a great meal is about extraordinary dining experience that not only fills one up but different kind of food journey - discovering the history, philosophy and taste of a unique cuisine.  

Attentive, discreet service with the chef personally introducing himself and the dishes.

The lunch started with goma tofu, which is actually made not with soybeans but with kuzu (arrowroot). The tofu was topped with a hint of grated wasabi and flavored with soy sauce. Very interesting texture.

The rest of lunch was:

Eggplant with white miso

- Excellent. The eggplant was incredibly soft without being greasy, and the white miso complemented the vegetable very well.

Lightly broiled/raw (?) broccoli and tomatoes in a tangy sauce

- I usually like my vegetables more cooked, but the dish didn't have that raw taste of broccoli that I don't like. The minced tomato went very well with the broccoli although it should have been in larger chunks. Natural sweetness of the vegetables came through very well.

Zucchini and shiitake mushrooms in soy sauce

- The zucchini was cut into a shape which allowed for maximum absorption of the flavor of the sauce. Tasted a bit like the pickled vegetables you get in Chinese restaurants to cleanse the palate.

Miso soup with tofu and mushrooms

- Excellent. A combination of red and white miso was used. You start the meal with a few sips of the soup.

Vegetable patties with yam, carrots and others

- The dish that I didn't really like, as it was a tad greasy.

Rice topped with shiso

- Standard

Cranberry and lime jelly

- Refreshing, although I would have liked something more "traditional"

The menu changes every month, and I will probably be back.

I found the $50 price tag for a vegetarian bento lunch a tad high, but I suppose vegetarian Zen temple food is a niche market for which there is only one player (that I know of) in Singapore.

That being said, it was clear that the ingredients used were top notch. Vegetables grown in Japan definitely taste different from those available in supermarkets here, and it was a pleasure to sample them in such an attentively cooked fashion. Also, we were surprisingly full at the end of the meal, so it wasn't like the meal left you craving...another meal.

I think it's great how the chef comes out to explain every dish to you, and seems honestly interested in your feedback. Certainly worth a try.

Available by reservations only every Sunday, Enso Kitchen, serving Japanese Vegetarian, operates out of Goto Japanese Restaurant at Ann Siang Hill (Next to Screening Room - a little hard to spot for first timer). They serve Shojin Ryori (Zen temple cuisine), a really interesting departure from the drab Singapore vegetarian scene. No mock meats or deep fried beancurd skins here just simple, straight forward natural ingredients prepared in Japanese context.

The meal is a fixed course so no selection here just go there and sit down, drink the fragrant Genmaicha and wait for the food. A meal with a starter, a zen set, and a dessert + tea will set you back $45+ per person, which even if vegan is not your thing, it is still an affordable dining experience that you may otherwise need to fly to Japan and search high and low.

The dishes changes monthly and ingredients varies with the seasons in Japan. It is suppose to be food that is harmonious with what nature/seasons will provide.

For my set, I particularly enjoyed the Japanese Yam Croquette with shitake mushrooms and the sesame tofu starter. Chestnut rice is also a delight though I do prefer my chestnuts even softer than served.

An overall excellent meal that Chef Danny will explain each dish to you and serving only one lunch a week, he has ample time to interact with you if you have any questions. For vegetarians, this should be a welcome treat once a month. =)

I tried their food at Wacha (An Siang Hill) couple of months ago. My very first Japanese Vegetarian food. Initially I was like.."'Duh...no meat?!!" But it was a gathering with some of my friends and one of them was Japanese and furthermore, we wanted to find out this so-called Zen food thingy.

I never fancy vegetarian food, yet, surprisingly to my disbelief, they were great!! The tea was great, the rice was well cooked, the egg-plant was wonderful and even the cucumber was fantastic. The best was: goma tofu! I have never had so good a tofu before until that day. It was rather glutinous compare to our ordinary tofu. Was made of sesame and...whatsoever great things inside! Love IT...!!!

Food was served in a very expensive dining utensils (hundreds of dollars per set), food was great, even my Japanese friend was amazed..what else do I need to say? Voilà ~

Enso kitchen is actually a catering business, but they serve at Wacha (Ang Siang Hill) every Sunday, which was where I tried the food.

They serve Shojin Ryori, a Japanese vegetarian cuisine that originated from zen temples. My friend suggested the place but after checking out its website (ensokitchen.com), I was fairly reluctant. Told my friend that I don't really buy into this whole "there's a philosophy behind cooking / eating" whatever, plus there was no meat! It was probably going to be one of those bland, small, unsatisfying arty Jap meals.

But HEY HEY HEY! I had to eat my words (and the food which I cleaned out).

We started with sesame infused tofu with a dab of wasabe on top, my favourite dish by far. The wasabe gave a kick to the dish while the subtle, light sesame taste teased your taste buds.

The main course was a bowl of rice, soup, brinjal (which I particularly liked) and two other vegetable dishes. Given that the meal was supposed to be vegan (so no eggs, milk etc) and the zen philosophy required preparing the food without too many different condiments, it was all full of taste. Really strange.

Of course the guy did come out to talk about the philisophy, how it's about clean taste, no food wastage, meeting your soul etc. They also served the food on what he said was very pricey ware, made by some famous guy in Japan. The ignoramus fool that I am, it sadly went over my head.

Left feeling satisfied, healthy and refreshed.