Zen Japanese Restaurant

Went here for my first ever omakase and was completely blown away. The atmosphere was fantastic - very quiet with calm music playing in the background. All of the staff were amazing! The waiters were very sweet, explained everything I didn't know. The two chefs that prepared the food were also very nice, told the names of the specific sushi or sashimi we were being given and what kind of fish it comes with. Everyone always had pleasant smiles and super attentive. Before this place, I was never a fan of tuna and seaweed, because it always tasted too fishy. But here, those two things left me speechless, because I loved them the most! The Negi Toro hand roll was one of the most delicious foods I've ever tasted. The tuna was just heavenly and more importantly, the seaweed that wraps around the roll was just perfect - a nice hint of sea taste that comes with any seaweed, slightly nutty and crunchy. After finishing the hand roll, I wanted to cry because there was none left anymore...Anyways, solid 11 out of 10 for the food, atmosphere, staff, chefs and the whole experience.

I’ll start by saying, yes, this place is very expensive. However, after being to so many expensive restaurants I have to say this one is WORTH IT. If you spend under $200, you’re probably missing out.The restaurant itself is fairly small and intimate. Lighting is low except for the cooking area, which is the best place to keep your attention as the chef prepares the sushi/sashimi. If you’re lucky enough to book the counter (which costs an extra $10 per person) you can see much more closely as they prepare, and they deliver directly to you. They do coat check for free, and give you a container to place your bag under your chair.The chefs are really kind, and you can talk to them as they cook. Most of the staff are fluent in Japanese, (and are most likely Japanese if that matters to you) so if you wanted to say a few Japanese phrases or words they’ll respond back in Japanese. The head chef encouraged me to practice with the chef serving us, and it was really fun. Speaking of, our chef was very young and dressed differently so I think he was an apprentice (as were the other 2 chefs; I like that they each had their own colour of uniform).The food itself is so amazingly hard to describe. You can taste what you pay for and then some with the high quality of each ingredient. For an extra $15, you could have real pure wasabi ground freshly for you. Watching them prepare the food was like watching an artist paint; each movement was so careful and delicate. If the cut was angled oddly or slightly off, they would do it again until they got it correctly. I kept forgetting to take pictures because I was so distracted. Each piece of sushi was a new experience!I should note that not every piece was necessarily perfect, which is understandable since again I think our chef is in training as an apprentice. But it’s still more impressive than the average sushi chef!The taste is something you really have to go try yourself; no amount of words can describe how delicious each piece was, and each one told a different story. I’m not a fan of Uni, but I have never tasted Uni quite like it before; there was no grainy after taste, it was creamy, AND it had some kind of magical after taste that had me seeing a clear ocean behind my eyelids. It was a whole RIDE, and that was from one piece of sushi! The seaweed was so fresh; it had such a satisfying crunch as you take a bite, and the taste was so-!!!I can go on and on about every single piece of sushi but you really need to go try it yourself!! I went for my birthday, and they prepared a small surprise at the end. Overall, I can’t praise this restaurant enough. I definitely plan to return!

I really enjoyed the food and overall experience. I think their torched (tuna?) May have been one of the best and most flavourful piece of sushi I've ever tried. The amount of umami was a very literal eye opening experience The other highlight was the ice-cream, the tea flavour was strong and it was so creamy. The staff was all very kind. The atmosphere would have been 5 stars but the washroom smells really really bad. That psychologically I thought I smelled it even in the dining area. Unfortunately I also got a little sick after :(

100% recommend if you want some of the highest quality and freshest seafood in the city. I have been going to Zen for over 15 years and love it. Service is incredible, the atmosphere is friendly. Get a seat at the counter if you can, watching the chefs work is a great experience! This is traditional Japanese sushi and food.

This is THE sushi place I go to. Unlike many other places the owner actually care a lot about his food and service by personally working there everyday. Make sure you ask for the Chef’s choice for sushi. It has a lot of special fishes that are not part of the normal course meal.

You might just have to go to Japan to get much better. A little pricey, but wow! Omakase and premium sake flight were well worth it, for a special occasion.

We were having lunch in Zen for a special occasion. The waiter politely greeted us at the entrance and sat us down without delay.The restaurant was decorated with a minimalistic theme like most Japanese restaurants - simple yet clean and comfortable. In other words, it was quite Zen.We ordered two lunch specials - one sashimi and one sushi. Both came with appetizers that could overload our tastebuds. I especially liked the steam egg with lobster meat but other appetizers were also top notch in quality.The sushi and sashimi were fresh. The distinct sweetness of the meat jumped right out as I put them in my mouth. The chef minced the onion and mixed it in rice of the tuna roll. It enhanced the flavour of the tuna, the seaweed and the rice, making an ordinary tuna roll extraordinary.In term of price, it was on the high side but one would find value for the dollar without a doubt.Overall, the atmosphere, the service and the presentation as well as the quality of the food were well executed. Zen deserves a 5 star rating in my humble opinion.

Really good omakase experience. Definitely worth the $$$ in terms of food and service. Food was excellent. Fish and shellfish were really fresh and never tasted fishy. The amount of wasabi they use is just right and the vinegar was not overpowering the rice. The Hokkaido uni was a first and a big surprise for me. You can definitely taste the creaminess and a little bit of the ocean in comparison to the nasty stuff you get from BC and Boston. The sushi chef paced our sushi well and we were never in a rush.Service was top notch. We reserved a regular table but was bumped to the counter. Tea was always topped without asking. Servers were really attentive and kind. Highly recommend this restaurant for those who want to have that feeling of being in Japan but couldn’t go because of the pandemic.

Excellent quality of fish, attentive service, the appetizers were the best imo. The variety, taste and texture were so well done. Presentation is top notch.Downsides are price being on the high end, good for an occasional splurge. Sushi and sashimi omakase didn't have the same types of fish as sushi omakase and no tamago although price is the same. And increasing wasabi as the meal progressed

Came here with my family for Christmas dinner. The omakase experience was great - food was very fresh, presentation was intricate and service was very attentive. Would come again!