Dining with a difference is the key to the Kitchen Circle, an inventive initiative that has seen a power station control room, the banks of the Danube and art galleries host a series of successful culinary events. Now KC has made the step up to a permanent restaurant, Ensō, just opened in the edgier part of District VIII. We sampled Asian-Hungarian fusion amid bare brick walls and funky original artefacts.
Anyone who is tempted by alternative gastronomic events, and who is excited about pushing the boundaries of traditional gastronomy, might be familiar with the work of Konyhakör, the Kitchen Circle. Seemingly incongruous locations have been used to stage its gastronomic happenings, placing emphasis on the interior and surroundings to create a one-off dining experience.
Set up in 2014, Kitchen Circle has managed to gain a certain pedigree, so it was high time for them to step up and create with their own fixed place: Ensō.
Chef Dávid Ruff studied at the Michelin-starred Costes, worked in kitchens in Tallinn and around Budapest (ZONA, Beszálló and Fáma), and then was holding down various positions at the glitzy Envy Club in Saigon when he hooked up with Kitchen Circle founder Benjámin Tenner in 2018. When he came home, they put together Ensō.
Right in the heart of District VIII, Ensō – meaning imprecise circle, amongst other things – is located in the back of a cultural events space called Patyolat, in the former laundry it is named after. At the end of the courtyard surrounded by peeling plaster, an industrial interior features plentiful greenery, bare brick walls and tables decorated with works of applied art. As befits the Kitchen Circle, the surroundings that accompany your gastronomic experience and entice senses other than taste also play an important role in Ensō.
“We don’t want to pretend to be anything other than what we’re about: loud music, Hungarian artefacts, fusion cuisine, great conversation, immediate atmosphere, no half-measures – this is Enso,” says Benjámin.
The menu evokes the world of the laid-back Japanese pub-bistro, izakaya, thanks to David’s Asian attachment – with the exception of soup, all the dishes have been composed to be easily shared. Flagship Oriental dishes will be a constant feature, with in-house fusion ones changing every one to two months. Among the permanent offer, pig’s ear, pickled quail’s eggs, ramen, Korean chicken and chirashizushi, ‘scattered sushi’, arrive from Asia, along with seasonal dishes from the domestic canon fused with the Far East.
Drinks also play a big role, whether mocktails or cocktails, and you’ll also find some exciting sake and whiskey options on the menu.
Appetisers are also based on the concept of sharing, or rather safe-sharing, which is how they are presented. The edamame (650 HUF) is tossed with chili salt, the pickled quail’s egg (950 HUF) is in a vinegar-palm sugar combination containing shichimi spices and Sichuan pepper, but the must-have is undoubtedly the pig’s ear (650 HUF). This is cut into thin strips, baked and strongly seasoned, the end result being crunchy and moreish, like a bowl of crisps.
Among the flagships, we sampled the ramen (3,150 HUF), which Dávid modestly describes as ‘not the best ramen in the world, but decent’. We haven’t tasted all the ramen around the world, but no doubt you get one of the best ramens in town here. The duck variety starts with a standard soup base, sometimes with chicken legs and pig’s ears added, and other natural flavour enhancers to generate depth. The end result is a very characteristic, nourishing, rich soup made with locally made ramen noodles, pickled eggs, duck meat, nori edible seaweed and spring onions.
The other regular dish is the Korean chicken (2,550 HUF) is modelled on American chicken and waffles, made from thigh fillets and extra crispy thanks to the breadcrumbs. It’s real comfort food that you can slice up and share. And the citrus mayonnaise that comes with it brings out these Japanese flavours beautifully.
The udon noodles with cheese and sour cream (2,150 HUF) skirts around the Hungarian kitchen, a real carbohydrate bomb reminiscent of childhood, the Vászolyi cheese echoing familiar Magyar Trappist, the salted lemon and udon bringing fusion to the table. Don’t stand on ceremony when this is plonked before you, because the salted lemon and noodles aren’t mixed right in, and what you might remember about this kind of dish from childhood rings true today – it cools down quickly and once it does, it’s no longer 100%.
Desserts will also change, currently the truffle blonde (950 HUF) presents itself for chocoholics – the toasted white chocolate, citrus homemade chocolate balls with caramel overtones are perfect even if they are shared by the whole table. For those who want a looser, lighter derivative, there is the sudachi tart (950 HUF) made with a Japanese citrus fruit from the school of French confectionery.
Ensō is basically designed for non-pandemic times when you like to sit alongside strangers and a large group doesn’t mind digging into each other’s bowls. The virus, of course, has dimmed the intended mood, but they have luckily managed to find the right balance. The atmosphere is relaxed and, thanks to how things are served, there still remains something of the sharing concept if you’re comfortable with it.
Not only that, in addition to well executed, agile and innovative dishes, you are also treated to a great deal of visual pleasure thanks to the plates, the accessories and the interior.
Ensō
District VIII. Baross utca 85
Open: Wed-Sat 4pm-11pm
