Location: 210 E Trade St, Charlotte, NC 28202
I’m still searching for really good sushi in Charlotte. It seems as if sushi in this city is either terrible, overly complicated/expensive, or both. Back in the good old days, when I first arrived in Charlotte Nikko’s provided me with good roll, at a reasonable price, in a laid back atmosphere. Once Nikkos’s switched buildings I moved on, in search of a better experience; sadly, most of the places with better food do not have an authentic feel to them and are terribly expensive. My favorite spot in the city, in terms of taste, Enso Asian Bistro and Sushi Bar, falls into this trap as well; the sushi is pretty good and creative, and the location is great (to some) if you want to go out afterward. The problems with Enso include price and atmosphere; I have to admit, I enjoy my meal every time, until the check comes.
The Good: It is rare for me to find something on the menu at Enso that I don’t like; in fact, my wallet has spread like Jiff, every time I walk through the doors and I have enjoyed every roll eaten. The appetizers rarely disappoint and there are plenty to choose from; the beef yakitori skewers are excellent, and worth of the hefty $15 price tag. Every specialty sushi roll is extravagant, delicious and if judged by taste alone, the best I’ve tried in Charlotte. A couple of my go-to pieces are the Honey River and the Surf and Turf: the Honey River has a nice mix of spice and sweetness, it is so good I often order a second.
The Bad: The pain I feel, as I cut open my own body and reach for my kidney so I can pay the bill, is sharp. The place is expensive, almost unreasonably expensive. Maybe I am naïve, but sushi, even good sushi, used to be reasonable. Once prices start to rise to the point of $20 + a roll my T-rex arms start to cramp up. I have the same reaction every time I eat at Enso, satisfied after the meal, then a little shocked when the check comes. One can easily spend $150 on a meal here, which gets into fine dining territory, add to that the price of parking, it gets even more ridiculous. Enso is located in the Epic-Center, so if you are coming by car plan on adding another $20 for valet parking, or about $10 for a parking deck.
The Ugly: I am not going to mince words here; to me Enso has the décor of a strip club (of course I know this by movies I have seen…AHEM!). The whole place, everything from dark lighting at night, to the music, and the decorative bar reminds me of a place that should have to giant body guards mulling around. The waitresses wardrobe greatly adds to this theme; when sitting in the restaurant for a second I wasn’t sure if I was going to get waited on, or if there was a buffet with bad eggs and pancakes (should I have brought more cash?). I may be exaggerating a bit here, but not overly. Some may not find it terrible, but it is certainly not what you would expect from a sushi restaurant.
The Verdict 6.5 out of 10: Despite its flaws, I like Enso Asian Bar and Sushi; by default it is probably my favorite place to get sushi in the city. Yes, you pay through the nose to eat here and yes, you may feel like you should have brought a wad of singles, but overall I really enjoy the food.