Things are bubbling in Chelsea. EN is back. In its first iteration since having the lease on its iconic, soaring West Village location not-so-gently lifted by Daniel Humm (of 11 Madison Park fame), EN Japanese Brasserie will return for just this weekend. The “Expression” (don’t call it a “pop-up”), a partnership with Dom Pérignon, will take place June 12-14 at a custom space at the High Line Nine Gallery in Chelsea, before heading to the James Fuentes Gallery in Los Angeles June 25–26.
Part of Dom Pérignon’s “Expressions of Harmony,” a new effort by the champagne giant that looks to showcase its creativity over time through sound, food, performance, and, naturally, Champagne. For the dinner with EN, they’ll bring guests into the sounds of summer, with a sonic environment crafted by Jonathan Weiss of Oswalds Mill Audio (OMA), and unveil three distinct vintages: Vintage 2017, Vintage 2008 Plénitude 2 (P2), and Rosé Vintage 2010.
To resonate with the harmonic theme, EN founder Reika Alexander crafted a special menu. “In the Eastern world, three represents harmony, so I came up with three different dishes,” she says. “When you think of Champagne, nothing can be as good as caviar, so we came up with a caviar with Uni soy milk ice cream and caviar mousse and a little gold leaf on top.” Her second course involves shiso crushed ice, dashi juice, edible flowers, and fresh herbs atop fresh beans. “It’s a beautiful dish, and it comes in a beautiful ball with the lid, so it’s going to be like opening like a nice present,” Alexander says. Finally, for her main, she’s bringing back EN’s famous miso cod. “Exactly the same recipe, but I didn’t want the cod to be fighting with the Champagne flavor,” so she lightened it up, by marinating it for less time.
After EN shuttered, Alexander did some traveling. “This is kind of like the first comeback of En. It makes me feel very good,” she says, adding, “Dom Pérignon is my hero.” Could there be more EN in the near future? More pop-ups or partnerships, or even something more permanent?
“I have quite a few offers in the city,” she says. “I might come back. But I’m a bit heartbroken, and it feels like I need a little break from New York.” She’s looking at a project in Paris, of which she can’t say much, but she’ll acknowledge that it’s with a hotel group, saying it would be “my dream come true.”
