The server was so abrupt and snotty that we got up and left before ordering. He made no attempt to be friendly, and seemed annoyed to be there. We certainly won’t be back.
The server was so abrupt and snotty that we got up and left before ordering. He made no attempt to be friendly, and seemed annoyed to be there. We certainly won’t be back.
Zen House Review I walk in the small entrance to be hit by a wave of heat after being outside in the cold. This is my personal favorite restaurant to visit. It's a small, quaint restaurant with phenomenal decor, and a very friendly, and quiet...atmosphere. I shuffle over to a spot near the window with a large green plant hanging over my seat. The staff are busily cooking away in the back, moving around quicker and quicker as they prepare the meals. Quiet music plays overhead as people talk in hushed chatter. As I look around, I glance at the decor once again. This is a Japanese restaurant and is filled with paintings, plants, Kyusu (Japanese tea kettles), and so many other things. The seating areas are small, so not very well-suited for large groups of people. A waitress passes me a menu to scan, and walks away. Immediately, I flip to soups and ramens, eyes flitting to my personal favorite, ribeye-beef udon. The menu has a wide selection of offerings in different categories. In the appetizer section, I'm torn between the tempura green beans and the vegetable gyoza. They are both the same price, $6.75, which makes the decision even more difficult. Eventually I choose, and the waitress comes back over. I order the ribeye-beef udon, the tempura green beans, and a cold ramune (Japanese marble soda). My meal eventually comes, and the smell is absolutely mouth-watering. She sets down the steaming udon along with the tempura green beans. At Zen House, you grab your own soda from the shelf that also serves as a cooler. In the udon, there are nicely-cut, bite-sized pieces of ribeye, along with vegetables and thick smooth noodles. Chopsticks come with every meal. Along with the tempura comes a spicy sauce that compliments the food perfectly. Raising a steaming chopstick full of meat and noodles, I take a large bite, leaning over the bowl. The texture of the meat and the udon noodles are perfect. The restaurant has many selections of food, although it is slightly disappointing to find that they don’t have a dessert section from what I can see. This is a good restaurant for relaxing and having a quiet time with a small group of friends. I would recommend trying the California rolls and the ramune. We had a very nice time, and I would recommend visiting.More
I ordered delivery, and when I called to check in about it the lady told me that they delivered to the wrong house and they wouldn’t bring my food because “we were out of range”. Never ordering from this rude business again.
I have been to the Holiday Center location and now the one in Woodland. Really good beef fried rice that has a smokey flavor to it. Really good and quick.
The food was incredible! Great, fresh flavor. However, I ordered a deluxe roll and received 5 pieces ! Good thing I ordered curry rice for the side. I was hesitant to ordering so much food...sushi roll 8-10 pieces. And I got 5 ...disappointing. If you...are questioning ordering extra, do it.More
Stumbled upon the Zen House. Sushi was amazing Curried Chicken Fried Rice so good ordered another order to take home for later Roasted Pork Ramen with Garlic base wow. Service was beyond awesome. Our waiter was informative, helped us decided on our order and kept...our water glass full. He checked on us often to see if we needed anything This will be a regular addition to our rotation going forward!More
Their smoked salmon rice bowl was excellent! Adequate seating, but recommend reservations. Huge menu to satisfy any appetite.
Consistently good every time!!! Plentiful portions- even better the next day! I love the Veggie Bowl, dressing on the salad is wonderful! Eat in or take out. Our server did a fine job. Cute little carry out containers, too!
Had lunch yesterday and, as usual, we were happy with our meals. Food is fresh, tasty, reasonable, and plentiful. We have eaten here dozens of times and consider it one of the best retaurants in Duluth, and certainy the best Japanese/Asian restaurant. Premises on Woodland...are restricted so you don't go to the Zen House for atmosphere, you go for the food. I had the bento box with tofu and my husband had the spicy teriyaki chicken rice bowl. We brought some home with us because the portions were so generous. Highly recommend.More
Zen House is located on the corner of Woodland Avenue and Calvary Road. The streets may be wet and cold most times of the year, but inside the restaurant, the atmosphere is comfortable and soothing. On January 21st, I trudge inside the little restaurant, reading...the sign that greets me, saying “welcome” and listing the sushi specials. I find a table to sit, a waiter promptly comes over to me and hands me a menu, and I order. When my appetizers come out, I eat. First, I have gyoza, which are pork dumplings served with a delightful sweet citrus sauce. The dumplings are savory, and mixed with the sweet and tangy citrus sauce, it is delicious. Next, I have the seaweed salad, which is served in a small bowl. It is, as you would expect, rather slimy in texture, and with a sweet and tangy taste, it is quite good. The restaurant is comfortable and casual, with sweet, spicy, and savory smells wafting towards me from the kitchen. The walls are beige, and certain accents, like the curtains and lanterns are green. There are Budda statues decorating the restaurant and dolls dressed in silk dresses. There are small plants, like bamboo, all around the restaurant. The light is soft, and the restaurant is quiet. The restaurant patrons are dressed in varying shades of casual attire. Soon, the waiter brings the main course in. I have ordered three rolls, the Ninja Roll, the Dragon Roll, and the Crunchy Shrimp roll. The Ninja Roll is displayed neatly in a curving line, as is the Crunchy Shrimp Roll. The Dragon Roll, which consists of BBQ eel, cucumber, and avocado, which gave it a fresh, meaty flavor, is presented in a different way. It is a dragon, with a wasabi head and the sushi as the body, complete with octopus suction cups as eyes and nostrils. As exquisitely as the Dragon Roll is presented, I think the Ninja roll tastes the best. With spicy tuna, tempura shrimp, and cream cheese, it is delicious. Next is the Crunchy Shrimp Roll, which is also mouthwatering. It consists of tempura shrimp, avocado, and spicy mayo with mango sauce on top. This roll is sweet and spicy. Overall, Zen House is a beautiful, if casual restaurant. It’s service is amazing, with a friendly, helpful staff, and its food is delicious.More
We eat at Zen House on Woodland regularly and are never disappointed. The food is tasty and freshly prepared and there's a wide selection of dishes. I often get the Tofu Bento Box and my husband often gets the chicken teriyaki bowl. But we vary...our orders too. Food is freshly prepared and generously portioned. Sure, it would be nice if the venue was a bit more classy, but I will take good food over ambience any day. I have been in too many restaurants in Duluth where the atmosphere promised more than the food that they served. Service is quite good though of course in a more formal restaurant one might expect even more attentive service. In short, we think this one of the best places to eat in Duluth and certainly the best Asian food to be had in this town. It's very reasonable too.More
We all were pretty pleased with our selections. They even serve Sushi. I had a Vegetable Rice Bowl, I couldn’t eat it all. It was just as tasty the next day for lunch. I opted for the salad with my meal. The dressing on the...salad was wonderful! I would love the recipe. Not a large restaurant, it was very busy the evening that we were there. Our server was really busy. The decor could use an update, in my opinion.More
I stopped in the woodland location to order our family dinner to pickup. The hostess was running around waving her hands above her head yelling “We’re too busy. We’re too busy.” I stood there and the only thing she had the decency to tell me...was that they disconnected the phones because they are too busy. After that she completely ignored me. Worst customer service experience I have ever had and I will definitely be taking my business elsewhere from now on. Too bad because their chefs are great!More
Whenever I visit I'm extremely happy with my food! I love the Pork Don buri. The sushi is very good. I've never been disappointed. All affordable! Homemade msg free sauces. Great, friendly staff. I love this place. I crave it all the time! I personally...could eat here multiple times a week if not every day. I've eaten in restaurants all over Minnesota and the states and this has to be hands down my favorite restaurant. I would recommend to anyone and everyone! A hidden gem.More
Okay, in fairness, there were some good things about our dinner. The tempura shrimp and veggies was crisp and tasty. The rice was just the way I like it. The wasabi wontons are delicious. But the overwhelming moth ball smell when you walk in is...unsettling. Plus, our young server did not know enough about the menu or available beverages to answer any of our questions. Nor could she describe sauces or make any recommendations. Yikes! More troubling than anything was what I observed--the person preparing the sushi would step out from behind the counter and run his hands through his hair, scratch his arms, and never wash them before going back to rolling sushi. I specifically watched to see if it appeared he was washing his hands. I did not see it. Needless to say, I couldn't eat any sushi. Their server(s) need more orientation. And the cook needs a lesson in food prep hygiene.More