ZEN Japanese Grill & Sushi Bistro

The sushi is fresh daily! I’ve seen their trucks delivering fresh fish all the time. The tonkatsu ramen is amazing and their poke rainbow bowl is delicious, filling, light and a great value. Their lunch boxes are the best deal in town. Can’t beat the food you get for the price. You get a salad, a soup, and an entree with veggies noodles rice and protein with gyoza for about 12-15$.

I'm so disappointed to have to write this. I've ordered from this place in the past but this is the first time I went to dine in...and it was awful.

The server we had was sweet and tried to be accommodating and hospitable, but also disorganized and seemingly not knowledgeable about the menu at all. She tried to seat us at several tables only to get there and find they hadn't been bussed or cleaned yet. Maybe she was new so I won't hold that against her.

We ordered our food and my daughter's plate came out more than a full 15 minutes than any other dish. By the time ours came, she was nearly finished eating and starting to wiggle in her seat.

The gentlemen at the table ordered poke bowls that looked fantastic, but the seared pepper tuna salad I ordered was awful. It came on a dirty plate and the inside, "rare" part of the tuna was dark brown, not the pink or flesh colour of untreated fresh tuna. It was obviously oxidized and smelled old. I caught the attention of the server and she tried to tell me that it's because the tuna is seared, but I know what seared pepper tuna is supposed to look and smell like. Please look up pictures of oxidized tuna. It's not fresh. I tried to be very polite and not act like a "Karen," but I just couldn't eat it, so I quietly said "thank you" and ate my sushi roll.

The gentlemen I was with said "We'll eat it if you don't want it," so they did, and within 1.5 hours, both got sick.

The restaurant wasn't crowded when we arrived so I don't know why this happened. I tipped well but I won't return.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 4

Apparently, Zen has a new boss. Who is very cheap!

I've been coming here to get the Laksa Curry Ramen for a hot minute. It comes with pork, but I always substitute that for chicken. It's never been an issue considering chicken is not more expensive than pork. I go today and I get told that I cannot sub out the pork for the chicken I have to ADD CHICKEN. What makes even less sense, they said they could PUT THE PORK ON THE SIDE, and they could put the chicken on the side. So it wasn't an issue of oh the ingredients are already mixed together, it's simply the new boss being a GREEDY jerk who wants to charge me for 2 types of meat when I'm only eating ONE. Make that make sense.

This was my favorite place. I come here to eat alone. I will not be coming back for this dish bc I'm not paying extra for fricken chicken. Thankfully this time someone else is treating me so I can still order the chicken I want on the side. How ridiculous.

I love the staff here too. They're so sweet and very attentive. GET RID OF THE BOSS! VOTE HIM OUT!🗳

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We’ve been going for years. So this isn’t a one time experience written account.

The serving sizes have dwindled so pitifully —even Zen is absolute cheapo, currently, on their rice servings. So sad! Ugh!!

The rainbow bowl used to be beautiful and lavish. My family was amazed at the amount of food it was for the price, before it went sky-high. These days everything is “cheaper and more expensive”. Their prices have gone up around 30-35% and their servings have decreased about 40%
———WOW!!! Terrible.

It was without a question. Zen was a place to go! Now it’s more a place to avoid… Like a poor McDonald’s. Why even continue trying a place who is showing a steady decline in care for their returning customers.

Less food for higher costs. The simple mathematics is recipe for failure and avoidance. Stop it, management….yesterday.

Your serving size on rice is so bad it’s enough to keep me driven away (and I love my rice; you’re an Asian cuisine and you’re holding back on your rice????? So sad!)

Seaweed salad amount is down about 50% as well. SMH. Change that, too!

I’m done. Having to cater to places who hold back on serving their customers with Mickey Mouse servings. YIKES.

Adios, Zen.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 2

Service: 3

Recommended dishes: Fried, Rainbow Poke Bowl, Tuna, Roll, Sushi

I never leave reviews. This time I have to, between the longest wait I've ever experienced at any sushi place I've ever been. The server was nowhere's to be seen as we watched others that came in way after us getting served. After almost 30 mins I had to flag down a server just to get a water. I know boo whoo but it was just ridiculous for a place so regarded. The price not worth the food and the food not even close to worth the wait. The sushi though not terrible was simply not worth the time nor money. I heard so many great things about this place and thought it be a nice place to take the family to only be left disappointed. I'm not sure if we were just picked or if they assumed we were not worth there time. This will be the last time I personally go but that does not mean that you should not try it. It was just that bad that this is my first review.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 2

Service: 1

The Fried noodle is a mess. We order fried noodle with beef, first of all the beef comes awful, they didn't stir fry the beef, it looks like they boiled the beef and go to pan to mix with noodles and sauce, making the beef tough and dry. The noodles are alo not good, they sticker altogether, I think the whole dish is the worst fried noodle ever.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 1

Service: 3

Had high hopes for this place because of the keto roll. To give some background, I am on a very strict ketogenic diet, and this was my only meal for the day. Once I saw the keto roll, I was skeptical due to the amount of fruit and my skepticism was valid. Unfortunately the roll is not keto friendly, and has kicked me out of ketosis. Other than the misleading dietary menu item, the food was great! The presentation was great and the service was also great. If I could give the chef a tip just remake the roll and replace the fruit with something else that is sugar free. Maybe make sure the yogurt being used is low carb? I hate to leave the low review, but this is a pretty big swing and a miss for me.

I have added picture of my glucose and ketone measurements that are always taken 2-3 hours after a meal. You can see that my glucose was spiked from this meal being 116mg/dl.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Why would someone pay $35 for a two combo hibachi of steak & shrimp and when served the plate it was 6 square slices of steak & 5/6 shrimps. Then the manager or whoever it was told me how they portion it & I was like okay next time if we come we will know. The manager then goes to the kitchen & brings out a tray of the steak portion to show me after I already said okay now I know. You just lost a customer. Now I know why there were only 3 tables on a Saturday night at 6:30ish. Also the water tastes like dirty bath water.

Lengthy wait for our rolls and they weren't that busy! The rolls were good

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 3

One of our favorites & always fresh .

Only sushi restaurant I go to on the Northshore ! The atmosphere is on point. The service is crazy good. If sitting at the bar, they will gift you with a small plate on the house. Which is top tier if you ask me. Quality of the food is amazing. Can’t get better. I’m glad to see this restaurant thriving. Giving us great sushi here in Mandeville. Thank you!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Traveling for work and checked it out. It was a hot day & their AC was definitely struggling. The Hawaiian roll was bigger, but sloppy. The seaweed wrap was so chewy, I had to take it off completely and eat the insides. Probably an off day I hope

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 2

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Roll

Delicious fresh sushi

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Look at the pic
These chefs are wired tight??

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Very hot, maybe the AC was broken idk!

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 4