Late Night Dinner at Zen Restaurant

Zen Chinese Cuisine

Dining options:  Causal Dinning, Take out/ Delivery

Category: Chinese Cuisine, Dim Sum

Good for groups: yes

Serving: Lunch and Dinner 

We’ve been to Zen numerous times, and although I get the same meal every time I feel that I can accurately say that it’s one of our favourites. Jeans Restaurant and The Great Wall are also great options for Chinese cuisine in the city; especially if you don’t have a car to high tail it out to Clayton Park, but there’s something about this place that keeps bringing us back. 

I’m not sure if it’s the connivence of being able to quickly find parking, or it is the smiles that come with the service, or that the food is comes out quick and piping hot! No complaints from this girl; we always show up late, and without hesitation we are quickly shown a table. My only beef with this restaurant (and it is an issue I have with many) is that the washrooms are always polar ice cold. 

Below are a few things about Zen worth mentioning. 

Food : I don’t take any chances when it comes to Chinese food, I always order my sauce on the side to guarantee that the chicken is fresh and the batter is crunchy.  We’ve all had bad chinese food, and we all know the end result. Zen has yet to disappoint me, and we always show up super late, and the food is always served hot very little wait time.Price :  10-12$ average The price of combination plates (which usually is my go-to when dining out at a Chinese restaurant) are very reasonable for the amount of food that comes on your plate. I usually end up taking half of it home, and heat it up with veggies for lunch the next day. There are more expensive places in the city to get Chinese food, but this place it just as good for a few dollars cheaper. Service : The staff at Zen are great. There is this one woman who serves there, and she always wears her hair in a pony tail braid, and she’s got to be the sweetest little lady ever.  She is always very sweet, and even asks me about school. I’m finished of school, but that is beside the point; she thinks I look young. Atmosphere: The atmosphere is pretty standard, and what you’d expect. What I like about this spot is that Zen is located out of the city, so there’s no worry about driving around looking for parking. The place mats under our meals informed us of the care that went into the design of the restaurant. At Zen they try to inspire a sense of calm, just as their name suggests; this is evident through the coherence in the arrangement of their restaurant and even in the colour choices. Interesting read while awaiting our meals.  For me, when I’m eating out I just want the place to be clean, and the food to taste good and hot. If you can bring my food out with a smile then you’ve got yourself a win. I don’t have outrageous expectations when I’m only paying around 10$ a plate. I think it’s important to put these kinds of things into perspective. Hope to see you there.  Happy Thursday, sp