Zen Japanese Restaurant

Zen Japanese restaurant on the surface, look like any other regular Japanese restaurant in suburban Melbourne, but delve deeper and you will find a restaurant with grace and well executed food.

Lunch boxes are a steal, at $9-9.50, its one of the most value for money lunch boxes in this side of town. You get a salad, a main, rice and Miso Soup.

A refreshing salad of crunchy lettuce dressed with light sesame based dressing, was a nice start.

A properly cooked Miso soup is rare these days, even in some decent Japanese restaurants, restaurants nowadays seem to take shortcut approach of cooking them (water+ miso soup pack). I can't vouch that the one at Zen is not made from the soup pack, but the miso i had was pretty good.

The Nasu-Dengaku was solid delicious, thick, savoury/sweet miso splattered over a baked eggplant. A play on texture and and flavour.

Nasu-Dengaku

And to the main dishes...

They both essentially have the same teriyaki sauce on them. Teriyaki sauce, was OK, nothing really to rave about. The salmon fillet was executed to perfection Salmon, while chicken was cooked well with chars on both side, whilst retaining juiciness in the middle.

Chicken Teriyaki and House Salad

Salmon Teriyaki and House Salad

In addition, the service was really top notched service staff were gracious, and the constant pouring of tea into our empty tea cups, I would have to admit, left us slightly embarrassed.

Lunch Mon-Fri 11:30 - 2:30
Dinner Mon-Sun 18:00 - 22:00
Fully Licensed & BYO (wine only)

Score: 3.75/5

388 Burwood Rd,
Hawthorn, VIC3122
Ph:(03) 9818 0116
http://www.zenjp.com.au/


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