Zen Japanese Izakaya

Went here for lunch. The restaurant was stuffy/warm and service was slow and not up to the level of the food. I felt bad bc the only 1 waitress seemed busy and flustered with too many tables. I had the sashimi lunch bento box which was a lot of variety. Delicious pickled veggies but as others have noted the eggplant was very oily. However everything was flavorful. I might go back to try another lunch special.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 5

Service: 3

The sushi chef is always friendly, music is not loud so that's perfect, the pork miso and chicken karaage are the best in town.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Matcha Chestnut Cake, Spider Roll, Fish, Renkon Hasamiage, Sushi Lunch

Food is fresh and delicious ?.
I love the way they decorate the plate.
The art is beautiful.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Unagi hitsumabushi is a must try! So so delicious!
Also had their karaage and grilled eggplant, the eggplant was flavored so well other than being a bit too oily it was perfect!
The waitress was also very nice and attentive, checked in on us after every dish.
Definitely need to come back and try other items.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Spider Roll, Unagi Bowl

Limited menu but food is good. Staff is very nice and attentive

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

No matter which one I chose, it was all delicious.
It reminded me of Japan. It's the best!
I think this is a good place to eat Japanese food in Houston.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

This is one of the two most underrated restaurants in Houston IMO. Hidden gem. Great quality and great value. Consistently good.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

I thought I ordered a $30 chirashi, not a TGTG leftover item or a scrap sampler. Compared to their chirashi 6 years ago, it seems the owner doesn’t care much about the quality anymore.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 1

Service: 2

One of the best sushi restaurants in Houston! While on the pricier side, this restaurant distinguishes itself by offering some of the freshest ingredients, even some that are unique to Japan.For about $100, we got the eel bowl, takoyaki, fried chicken, chirashi bowl and a piece of nigiri.The appetizers were warm, crispy, and tangy.The fish for the chirashi and eel bowl was very fresh with good sized cuts and rice at just the right texture.For the nigiri, I got the Shimaji fish, which was really fresh and tender with a hint of ocean.Would definitely recommend this place if you want a more unique fish experience!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Takoyaki, Chirashi, Karaage

The most authentic Japanese restaurant in Houston!!We came from Japan and it was very hard to find where we can have REAL Japanese food here in Houston so we were so happy to find this restaurant. After we found Zen, we keep coming back numerous times.They have huge menu which satisfy every family member’s needs, I love their traditional Sushi and my kids love their cooked foods. And their price is very reasonable, too.The restaurant itself is very small & cozy but the decor reminds me Japan, staff are well trained and welcoming.I encountered my Japanese friends here a lot and I believe this is the most popular Japanese restaurant among the Japanese community in Houston.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

So when I showed up to this restaurant, it was on a whim. I live close by and always thought the name sounded close to mine. Izakaya...Issac....ye ye ye.I sat at the bar and the chef was fun to be served by, usually I just let servers bring me what they think i'd like, no questions asked, it's a fun way to experience a restaurant, and in this case, they brought me a bunch of great food, a bento box, a lunch sushi and nigiri plate, and some fried chicken which was awesome.I'd come back daily if I couuld. I don't think there's enough fish in the sea for that. This place is awesome and the staff is welcoming, it's small, and because i sat at the bar, i didn't get a feel for what tableside service was like, but it's definitely a small place, great vibes, and a great lunch spot.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Sushi, Roll, Sushi Lunch

Delicious sushi lunch special. Really a treat for the price and location and atmosphere and everything. It's really a gem of a spot.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Sushi, Ikageso Karaage

For Tuesday’s lunch, my brother suggested @zenjapaneseizakaya. They had several lunch specials…they all looked really good.Hubby and SIL both had the Tonkatsu Bento. I had the Sashimi Bento, which was so much food! Brother had the Chirashi. Dad had the Unagi Bowl and the Tempura. Everything was fresh and delicious.Highly recommend if you’re in the area!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Unagi Bowl, Chirashi

Amazing seafood Champon. Only in Zen. Also impressed by their sardine sushi.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Some of the best sushi and Japanese dishes in Houston without the price tag. We always see Japanese people eating here, so it must be authentic!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5