Located north on Abbott road, half mile past Lake Lansing road, in East Lansing; Enso - the new face in town - is presented to the campus town of MSU as an upscale restaurant/ lounge/ nightclub that features an Asian fusion cuisine. I went there, with L, on their 3rd day of operation. From the outside, the place brought the scene of big city's nightlife to my first impression. The fire-lit patio was pretty exceptional. I couldn't wait to see what was awaiting inside.
What Enso has to offer is all new to the community. Its decor is everything from water features, very nice lighting, and an impressive bar. There are big booths that can accommodate a group and provide privacy without being in a closed room, but still get to enjoy the overall ambiance of the entire place with the crowd.
My Yummy mojito
We were greeted with chips w/ salsa & guacamole.
Vegetable Tempura Appetizer: Broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini served with sweet chili dipping sauce. It's an appetizer portion big enough to share with 2-3 people, I think it'd be fun if there's more variety of vegetables in the dish.
Fire Roasted Tomato Soup Sweet, smooth, and creamy - delectable!
Grilled Shrimp & Cantaloupe Salad: Mixed greens, gulf shrimp, fresh cantaloupe, goat cheese, smoked bacon, tomatoes, with tangerine balsamic vinaigrette. L didn't want any meat in her salad, but thought that the shrimp would have given a better balance for the salad's sweetness.Enso Salad w/ Steak: Baby greens, sliced apples, strawberries, walnuts, Gorgonzola cheese prosciutto, croutons, with pineapple balsamic & port wine vinaigrette. I enjoyed my salad a lot. There's lots of flavors going on with all those bold and flavorful ingredients. The steak was juicy and perfectly cooked.
Enso offers a diverse and inviting menu. There's American Sushi, where you find in Asian rice paper roll from pulled pork, braised short rib, General Tso's chicken, or Cajun chicken. How fun is that! Also, on the menu there are pizza, burger, sandwich, steak, seafood, and pasta. Something for everyone, even vegetarians. The portion of food was pretty generous, for us, we had quite a few leftover to take home, and didn't make it to dessert.. Maybe next time!
Update (10/10/09) I had another visit to Enso a few days later, with my friends K and B - for a drink at their gorgeous granite-top bar. Love the stunning water fall!! And it was nice to see Harry Saites, co-owner, was walking around talking with guests. So far, .. I've heard all kind of comments about Enso. Personally, I think the place exhibits the big city's high-end atmosphere, with such a reasonable price. And it's great that it is right here in town!
Hey Rachel - thanks for the post on Enso. They don't seem to have a website yet and I was trying to find information on them and came across your blog post. I live in Okemos and blog, also. Thought maybe we would try Enso this weekend.
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ReplyDeleteI believe the web site is now
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Love this place though!