Ennju

I ordered the chicken Katsu and some sushi rolls. It did not taste good and the miso soup that it came with taste spoiled and needless to say I threw that out because it was inedible. I spent almost $ 30 on bad food.

When I was working in Flatiron area, I often go to Ennju for a quick lunch. It’s similar to Sunrise Mart that has both cooked & packed food, and food to be cooked after you order.
I love their salad bar and Chigenabe (チゲ鍋) the most. Unlike most American style salad bars, Ennju’s salad bar satisfies my Asian appetite a lot — from both diversity and taste perspectives (ps: highly recommend the seasoned salmon).
I am not sure if Chigenabe is a seasonal item or not, but it’s for dine in only. It’s perfect for winter — a pot (?) that’s full of meat, vege, udon and soup, plus steamed rice on the side/​in a separate container.
Other food are decent too — udon, bento box, snacks, rice ball ().

This is a cafeteria style Japanese restaurant. There are plenty of tables and chairs and it is spaced out and not cramped which is greatly appreciated.
The only reason why I came in here was because my friend told me that it is Japanese owned and she recommended this place because it taste authentic. I ordered a chicken katsu and the katsu was soggy and it did not taste fresh. The katsu came in a rice bowl and it cost $ 10. I also tried the California roll, Philadelphia roll, and the yellow tail roll which cost about $ 7 each including tax. They were very standard and nothing special. The sushi pieces were very small compare other places that I went to. The worst part was the free miso soup that it came with. They actually had a few option of free soup that you pour yourself. They had regular miso and spicy miso as well as sweet and sour soup. The tofu in the miso soup was disgusting. It taste very old and the scallions that they left uncovered on the counter was dried and look like it has been sitting there all day– very unsanitary. I did not dare to add any green scallions on my soup. The cashier also did not speak much English which was not a problem as the Manager was there to help her. Customer service was good but the food… not so much.

Authentic japanese cafeteria style place. many grab and go options like miso soup, sushi, salad– fresh and yummy. if you decided to stay? you can order ramen or various donburi. I love that many of the clients as well as the people who were here are japanese. awesome quick bite with no frills in union square.

This place is great for quickly picking up some lunch or meeting up with friends. The food is not the best I’ve had in these parts but the service is always great and the employees nice and respectful to everyone.
I’ve had both carry out items (like sushi and desserts) and dine in (cooked on the spot). Everything is always kept at a good temperature and things never tastes rotten or overwhelming. I cannot speak to authenticity of the product but it’s good food and to me, that’s all that really matters.
Will definitively be coming back soon.

Perfect quick place to grab your food. I love the variety that they have, and always look out for their summer rolls. Never gets boring here and food is affordable. Some dishes are more expensive than others, but absolutely love it nonetheless

All negative reviews are pissing me off. It’s not a 5 star Japanese restaurant. It’s a sushi/​udon bar. The person preparing the food is an old, authentic Japanese grandfather. The employees are all Japanese and are extra sweet. I was so shocked with the freshness of their packaged sushi, charashi, and nigiri. Extra fresh fish. The place is big and easy to pick up/​dine in for a quick healthy meal. So happy I found you, ennju. :))

Disappointing…
Everyone claiming it’s authentic has either a.) never been to Japan or b.) been gone long enough to forget what makes Japanese food, especially udon soups, good. In all fairness nothing was particularly bad, but having said that nothing was particularly GOOD either.
Wanted some extra mayo for my spicy (not spicy!!!) kara-​age don only to be told it’s an extra charge.
Little things that Japano-​snobs will notice are off: the miso has been boiling all day, the rice in the inari-​sushi is not right (too chewy), etc.
Spicy tuna roll was admirable — and many of their other dishes may be hits, but far too many misses for me to return.
In short: Japanese-​esque food phoned in and just hitting the lowest common denominator.

I stumbled here during lunch and was so excited when I first walked in. Maybe it’s because it reminded me of one of my favorite sushi restaurants in Evanston — the humble interior and large selection of seemingly fresh fish.
I wanted to write this review after eating here for the first time, but I decided to wait and give it another try. I think two times is enough to make a judgement on the food? So here goes it:
I got the miso udon and it was utterly disappointing. It didn’t really taste like anything, but it was super salty.
I went back today, in hopes that my experience would be better than the first, but it really wasn’t. I got the miso soup and it had the same weird salty taste (maybe their miso soup is just bad?) and I also got a salmon and shrimp wrap. (wrapped in rice paper) which tasted off. The ingredients didn’t really go well together (although I’ve tried this exact thing at Whole Foods and it tastes delicious) and it was just really, really disappointing.
I can’t judge the sushi, but I’ve had miso soup at SO many different restaurants, and this was probably the worst I’ve ever had.
Other than the food — it’s a pretty convenient spot and the ladies working behind the registers are super efficient and sweet!

Ennju is a small eat-​in eatery or take out in Union Square. The food for lunch or dinner. Pick up some sushi, noodles or rice dishes. It looks like a bodega at first but walking in greets you with the prepared food and counter to pay or order food further on. The food here is decent and just easy to grab and go.

I found out about Ennju after enviously eyeing my coworker’s takeout from here. I got the salmon skin don which was one of the specials of the day. It came with free soup which they have on the side for you to ladle yourself. You can add scallions and wakame to the soup if you like.
The salmon skin don came in a very big bowl full of rice, salmon skin, roe, cucumber, seaweed, and radish. For 10 dollars (and change), it was a very satisfying lunch. There was pieces of salmon mixed with the rice along with the salmon skin so there was flavor at every bite. I even had leftovers for the next day!
Next time, I’m going to try the chirashi on display which looked very good and well priced. If you are ever looking for a simple and fast Japanese takeout place near Union Square, this is the spot.

Great spot for a quick meal when you’re on the go. All remaining sushi in the refrigerated case is discounted half off every night starting at 9PM. Try to get there a little early as regulars will already be lined up to grab whatever is left in the case to get the deal.

I love getting Ennju takeout for lunch during the work week. When I first started coming here, I used to dabble around their sushi and other japanese dishes, which are all good value for the price, especially in Union Square.
Now, I always get the same thing: miso udon! It’s hands down my favorite udon in the city. It’s all about the broth. Most udon typically comes with a soy-​based broth, but the miso’s dashi broth takes the soup to a whole other level. I’m obsessed. Pro tip: call in advance to skip the sometimes hectic line!

The food here was okay. I ordered a Japanese curry udon and it was not a thick broth but a light broth. The udon was good but there was hardly any meat. The service was good though and they were friendly.

Hidden, like very hidden, under scaffolds and a tiny door hidden– is your best solo hide-​out spot in Union Square!
Okay, the 3 stars could be a little misleading but there were nothing wrong with the food or the experience, but after all it is still a take-​out sushi joint (with about 9 tables and three high stool counter-​tops.)
I had the spicy salmon roll (8pcs, $ 6.50) and green tea/​strawberry mochi ice-​cream for dessert (3 for $ 2.75 or 1 for $ 1). The sushi was good, could be fresher, but like I said, it’s pre-​boxed sushi. The mochi ice-​cream was awesome though, and they were individually packaged, so you can always save one for later!
They have a wide variety of just about anything, daifuku, sake, sushi, bento, little snacks, bottled drinks/​tea, and mochi. Definitely should check it out!

Fresh onigiri, made to order sushi for a low, low price and all the Japanese drinks and snacks you could think of? This place is a great find for a quick lunch near Union Square!
The digs are shabby but the offerings are on point. They have a variety of sushi, sashimi and onigiri in their refrigerated case but I usually ask the sushi chefs to make me something fresh and they happily oblige. I also love their mentaiko onigiri, especially when you catch a fresh batch and the rice is still hot. I have not tried their salad bar but am always tempted because it always looks like a great spread of interesting Japanese hot and cold dishes. Their hot prepared foods are also very good, and the bento boxes really pack a lot of food for the price!
Finally, definitely get some of the Japanese matcha tea on a cold day or if you’re feeling sniffly. It’s great quality for much less than you’d pay for crappy tea at a coffee shop.
Minus just one star because it’s still takeout sushi but I’m glad this place exists!

It’s a Japanese quick /​prepared food place that is meant for you to eat and leave. You either pick one of their really affordable bentos or sushi /​sashimi options then head to the register. after you pay for it, they can heat it up for you. They also offer hot food, but I’ve never bothered with it so can’t comment. For a filing meal, I gravitate to the Vento, but their chirashi bowls are also solid. Many of their bentos and sushi boxes offer brown rice (huge plus).
There’s usually a bottle of water at the big circle table that you can get water from (it services the entire eating area). There’s also a bathroom in the back.

Need a quick lunch break from work, on a budget and want authentic japanese food? This is the place for you.
I’ve been to this place a lot of times with my coworkers for our lunch break. My personal favorites are the udon noodles (chicken), the salmon bento boxes and of course the sushis. The sushis and bento boxes are already prepared in containers and ready for pick up to go or to stay, whichever you prefer. If you are ordering soups be ready to wait for at least 5 minutes until the nice japanese ladies call out for your order number.
The place is of a cafeteria style and if you are getting your food by 12:30pm, expect a line is already forming by the cashier and all tables occupied.
Rating dropped from A to B but good food, good staffs, quick service, and reasonable price… I give this place 4 out of 5.

Prepared to smell like a Japanese take out kitchen.
Without Sunrise and Café Zaiya anymore, my coworkers and I needed to find a new Japanese market to call home. Ennju isn’t that close to our office but was our first line of defense when craving udon last week. I usually grab take out but we had a little more time, and we took our meal at the restaurant. Our whole table ordered the spicy kareage udon, and within minutes three piping hot bowls flooded our table.
For the price, Ennju is a great deal, providing a decently-​sized bowl. There could’ve been a bit more noodles, but the fried chicken was exactly what we all wanted that chilly afternoon. The other defining ingredient was the spicy garlic. Obviously it made the broth spicy, but the garlic brought everything else together in a weird and indescribable way. Or maybe I’m just too much of a fan of garlic…
To be honest, I would only ever get their udon. Their sushi never looks that fresh, and their salad bar sometimes scares me. However, I’m completely content with ordering straight from the kitchen and knowing that what I get will hit the spot.

Ennju seems more like a lunch spot.
A friend and I came in on a Wednesday at around 6. We needed a quick dinner option since we were on a time crunch.
They have a lot of options (such as ramen or udon) if you don’t eat raw fish (like my friend). I opted for the chirashi. Even though I’m not very picky with my raw fish (though I probbo should be) — it wasn’t the greatest, but it wasn’t exactly bad either. It was actually pretty good for a fast food sushi option.
One thing I like — they do make their sushi fresh (whether or not their fish is fresh though, is a whole other story — tasted fine to me though!). Even after 7, I saw a couple of employees diligently rolling up (sushi rolls, that is!) I also read from other Unilocalers that after a certain time, their sushi is discounted so at least you won’t have to worry about leftover rolls the next day!
I wish this place was closer to my office. If it was, I would deffo be picking up lunch from here whenever that craving were to hit!