Case study
Chef Nick Wang is celebrated for connecting people, flavors, and experiences in unexpected ways. Antonym was engaged to channel his deeply personal approach into an original voice for his new omakase restaurant in Brooklyn, Enso. We crafted brand positioning and copy for Enso's website, reservation system, and socials.
Omakase is an art form, but also an exchange.
The Lexicon
Omakase, Wabi Sabi, Japanese Zen, Symbol of enlightenment, Chef's intuition, Culinary storytelling, Curated hospitality, The element of surprise, Evolution and tradition, I leave it up to you
Each omakase meal tells a different story of preferences, seasonality, and chef's intuition. While relatively new to American audiences, its recent growth in popularity is unprecedented: there are over 200 omakase restaurants in the New York City area alone. Enso is a new player in a competitive space, so Antonym needed to ensure its market positioning would be as distinctive as the fine dining itself.
Antonym found inspiration in the meaning of enso, a circle connecting all of us as part of a shared story. Through conversation, we mined Chef Nick's passions, drives, and inspirations. As we toured the restaurant at different construction phases, we talked about his lifelong dream to create a space like Enso, using his direct quotes and observations to build a story.
Each meal is a story
Making the brand personal
We incorporated his personal approval of intricate details like the custom interiors, fixtures, and tableware into the language.
That includes his painstakingly curated whiskey collection available to patrons, resulting from decades of acquisitions and tastings. The vast whiskey, sake, wine, and cocktail selection is a rarity in omakase restaurants, and we knew it was essential to differentiating Enso.
By making the brand personal, bringing people into a circle of understanding, and relating his desire to create a community through food, we knew we could tell a story that celebrates Enso and distinguishes it from other fine-dining restaurants.
A shared experience
“Antonym listened to us and understood what we were trying to do at Enso, how we wanted to bring people together in a shared experience. This is very personal to me, and the result of many years of hard work, and they conveyed that perfectly to our audience.”
—Chef Nick Wang
Deliverables
A strategy cocktail
Omakase is an inherently theatrical art form that bonds the chef, the ingredients, and the patrons, so our prose is a perfect cocktail of clarity (who, what, when, where) with a dramatic narrative dash. During many pre-opening workshops, we perfected the tone of voice and worked with Enso's digital team to mix their bespoke messaging cocktail into every online touchpoint.
Copywriting
Antonym wrote the origin story, mission statement, taglines, and FAQs for Enso's website, reservations system, and social media. The staff is the emotional brick-and-mortar of Enso, so we captured each of their superpowers in team bios for use on the website, in press materials, and for events.