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After having a feast of fresh, wonderfully prepared and presented food at Ebisu Restaurant, a new Japanese eatery in Providence, I had a dizzying bunch of thoughts to share.
•Sauce makes the meal.
•What an ideal place for a first date, especially if you shabu shabu. Really, just read on.
•Sake and saketinis are a lovely change from wine and vodka drinks.
•The more the merrier for trying a variety of foods. You can satisfy a vegetarian and a carnivore with equal ease.
•Don't skip dessert.
•What a bargain!
Ebisu is owned by three friends, Kazu Kondo (the beverage guy), X Premwat (the chef) and Gift Nutalaya (the manager). They met working at Haruki, one of the grand dames of Asian restaurants in the Ocean State. They are making their mark at a small spot just off Reservoir Avenue near the Ocean State Job Lot plaza and the Cranston line.
Their passion is to offer Japanese sauces as interpreted by Premwat, who is experienced in French cuisine. They include the sweet Thai-spice- infused oyster sauce on the Baby Back Ribs appetizer ($7) with tender, slow-cooked meat. As much as I adored the light-battered vegetable tempura ($4.50 for plate full of eggplant, asparagus, carrots and green beans), I found myself dipping all around the table into the small bowls brought with that dish and the fine gyoza (pork dumplings, $5). I dare say you want to inhale them all. I ordered a bowl of rice just to have a vessel to enjoy them in their purest state.
The term shabu shabu means swish swish, and refers to how the dish Shabu Shabu is prepared using hot-pot cooking at your table. With wire scoops, diners submerge very thin slices of meat, vegetable or fish into a pot that looks like a slow cooker. In the pot is boiling dashi (a Japanese fish broth, unless you prefer a vegetarian or beef broth). You swish the food back and forth several times in the pot until it is cooked.
As one of my dining companions concentrated on cooking at the table, I thought it could take a lot of pressure off a first or second date because it gives you something to do as you eat. And it's fun.
There are more sauces to try with the Shabu Shabu, including sesame and a ponzu citrus.
A platter of fresh vegetables accompanies your choice of protein. We tried the seafood platter ($11.95) which included plenty of scallops, tilapia, salmon, squid and more. You cook a little fish and veggies at a time, and add cut scallions and other spices brought in a dish.
With all this we ventured into Kazu's drinks, including the many sakes which are served cold like wine. We enjoyed a signature saketini, the Tropical Cloud ($6). It's made with unfiltered sake, coconut juice (not milk), a little simple syrup and topped with coconut shavings. Unfiltered sake is a bit sweeter than the more refined versions and it has a nice texture to it.
Excellent was the Kurashizuku ($5.50 by the glass), a sparkling sake. Our helpful and efficient server explained that she presents it in a traditional style which is to put the glass in a wooden box and overpour the glass. Once you've finished what is in the glass, you pour the overflow into the empty glass and have another half a glass. Such traditions help make a dinner out of the ordinary.
Kazu also fashions his Mexican Samurai margarita with Ty Ku, a liqueur made with sake and Asian vodka. It has a natural fruit flavor and replaces the triple sec in the margarita. It's a clean and very different flavor that was nice for a change.
As the meal proceeded and I enjoyed the heartiness of the Katsu curry ($9.95), another fabulous sauce from Premwat over slices of batter-coated chicken, I tried a Hitachino White Ale ($5.25), a Japanese beer that you rarely see on menus. Kazu also offers the excellent Hitachino IPA, which paired nicely with the Ebisu Ramen ($8.95), a hearty soup-style bowl with thin egg noodles and barbecue pork in a pork broth.
For the vegetarian, the Yasai Yakisoba ($7.25) was perfectly balanced with pan-fried wheat noodles with a fresh blend of vegetables. You can have the Shabu Shabu with just vegetables and mushrooms for $4 and $2.50 respectively.
Which brings me to the menu and its size: it's huge, yet every item we tried was well thought out and prepared with care. That includes the yakitori with food cooked traditional Japanese-style on a charcoal grill served with guess what, more great sauces, a teriyaki or a garlic cilantro ponzu. There are two skewers per order and they cost but a few dollars. The pork meatballs ($4.25) were dense and flavorful.
This variety of food makes it fun to dine with a crowd and try as much as possible. We even felt empowered to have several desserts, a fabulous mango crepe, fried ice cream with puff pastry and chocolate sauce, and a ginger cheesecake (each $4.75). They were refreshing and perfect. Don't skip them.
And why would you? Have you been following the prices? This place is a bargain and that is only enhanced by the quality of the food and the entertaining experience. Ebisu Restaurant, 38 Pontiac Ave., Providence, (401) 270-7500, ebisuri.com. Casual, reservations accepted, parking lot. Wheelchair accessible. Highchairs. AE, D, MC, V. Serving Monday-Wednesday 4:30-10 p.m.; Thursday 4:30-12 a.m.; Friday-Saturday 11:30 a.m.-12 a.m.; Sunday 5-10 p.m. Appetizers $4.50-$7.50; yakitori dishes $2.50-$5.95; entrees $7.25-$16.95. Extensive sake menu. Full liquor license.
A dinner for two at Ebisu might look like this: Tropical Cloud…$6.00 Hitachino White Ale…$5.25 Ribs…$7.50 Shabu Shabu Seafood Platter…$11.95 Katsu Curry…$9.95 Mango Crepe…$4.75 Total food and drink…$45.40 Tax…$3.63 Tip…$10.00 Total bill…$59.03
