Once again, so much time has passed between restaurant posts that I feel guilty for returning to my blog after such a long break. But here I am ready to comment on ENSO Asian Bistro and Sushi Bar in the Epicentre Uptown. We’ve been there twice now, last year Nathan and I ate there late one night after having attended a function, and we had an enjoyable experience as far as the food was concerned. In fact, this time around I have no complaints about the sushi, either. In fact, both of our sushi experiences were very good. However there is one situation that if management fixed; dining at ENSO would be almost perfect.
The first time we went last year, we had a server named Dallas. It was late night and the floor staff had obviously been cut down to the bare minimum; he had tables far and wide across the dining room. He was doing a great job. Dallas kept up with Nathan and me as well as the other tables that we could see around us; kudos to his service.
On that night, I remember going into the ladies room before I ate. The décor is very impressive. The individual stalls are really nice; they have mirrors in them and are well lit. Sinks and fixtures are interesting, and the counter top is granite with plenty of space to put a purse and (possibly) keep it dry, depending on whether or not the place has had a recent wipe down. However, I was very disappointed with the condition of the stalls, sinks, and floors. The place was a real mess with strands of paper strewn about and only one stall had tissue in it. The state of housekeeping in the place obviously detracted from the designer’s intentions.
The sushi was outstanding. The fish was fresh and the portion of fish on the nigiri was generous. Since the prices are also rather generous in ENSO’s favor, they better be. Two pieces of yellowtail is $7, two pieces of tuna is $7. Sure, I admit I’ve become spoiled by the “discount” sushi restaurant s in the area, but $7 is a bit steep in comparison to other swank sushi spots around town. The fish is longer than the pad of rice beneath it, which is a very good thing. They do a nice job with the presentation, too.
After we’d finished dinner and I made a last trip to the ladies room; I couldn’t believe it…there had still not been a visit to the place by an employee to clean it up during the hour that I’d been eating there. It was in even worse shape than before! What kind of restaurant lets its restroom go to hell like that? While I was there this second time, I used the very last bit of tissue available in the entire place. As we left, I told the hostess, “Your ladies room is completely out of tissue!” Hopefully it got more attention that just bath tissue.
Last night, we returned to ENSO for a friend’s going away party. We didn’t eat much and only gathered in the lounge area to sit on the bench and stools. Once again, the sushi was outstanding and I had a couple of glasses of Cakebread Chardonnay, which tasted as if the bottle was very freshly opened.
Our cocktail waitress (no name this time) kept up rather well at first but then literally disappeared for twenty minutes at the end of our evening. We wanted to leave but ended up stuck waiting to ask for the check because we did not see her for so long. We didn’t even see her going up to the service bar area or waiting on other tables for a long time. Finally, when she appeared at a nearby table, we were able to flag her down for our check.
Before we left, I needed to hit the ladies room. Oh my God! At 9:15 on a Thursday night, the place was a mess! The stall I used barely had any paper in it and there was tissue all over the floor. The other stall was just as messy and nearly empty of paper. The floor of the room needed a sweep up and the counter top was soaking wet with wet paper towels scattered about. Unfortunately, if a restroom gets a little messy, women will keep letting it get messier just like men do. Most restaurants make the restroom upkeep the job of the hostesses. I'm not sure if Enso does this or not. Also, Nathan said that in the men’s room was not much better. One stall had vomit all over toilet and the rest of the room was messy, too. I would assume that a male host would keep up the men's room. In fact, I saw kitchen employees use the facility and wondered why they didn't think to alert someone that it needed attention. I am confused as to how a high-priced restaurant in Uptown Charlotte let its restrooms get into such a condition of disarray.
I often wonder what goes on behind the scenes in the areas that I can't see if the areas that I can see are unkempt. Management needs to remember that something like a restroom influences the customers' overall perception of a restaurant. Obviously, it’s something that has had a big enough impact on me that regardless of how good the food and wine was, this review has mainly been about the neglected rest rooms.
I often wonder what goes on behind the scenes in the areas that I can't see if the areas that I can see are unkempt. Management needs to remember that something like a restroom influences the customers' overall perception of a restaurant. Obviously, it’s something that has had a big enough impact on me that regardless of how good the food and wine was, this review has mainly been about the neglected rest rooms.
Everything matters from the moment guests walk in the door and go to their tables; this includes what they experience at the host stand, in the rest room, at their table, and how warmly they're thanked for their business.
