Address: | 10823 Tamiami Trail N, Naples, FL 34108, USA |
Phone: | +1 239-260-7037 |
Site: | eatatzen.com |
Rating: | 4.5 |
Working: | 11:30AM–12AM 11:30AM–12AM 11:30AM–12AM 11:30AM–12AM 11:30AM–12AM 11:30AM–12AM 11:30AM–12AM |
DA
Daniel Pineau
Naples Parks continued ascent is bolstered yet again by this innovative fusion of the Korean, Japanese, Thai, Chinese and Viet inspired dishes - chock full of umami across the board. The menu is expansive - almost too so - and overs a breadth and depth of options uncommonly found assembled in one place. We were a five-top, seated closest to the kitchen access. The seating itself was comfortable and the room is well lit, attractively decorated, and spatially proportionate. I.e., "it feels right!" Our order: Wagyu carpaccio, crab fried rice, Octopus (Robatad), Bibimbap, Hokkaido Ramen, Tuna-pops, and two Korean Barbeque orders (short ribs & chicken) Wagyu carpaccio: tasty. The presentation itself, while arranged and symmetrical, lacked a certain "color-pop". Maybe it was the lighting. Again, very tasty though. Crab fried rice. Nice! Its always good to have such a dish with Crab and not Krab! This was a good balance of flavors. In the "everyone is a food expert" spirit, I would have enjoyed a wee bit of crunch to the rice to make this dish stand apart - but nonetheless, very good. Grilled octopus. Winner. Frankly, we should have ordered 2 of them. Definitely tender and the accompanying Karachi Miso provides a great counterpoint. Bibimbab. Dont know first-hand, but it looked great (crisp, fresh, arranged) Tuna-pops: fun! Korean Barbeque - didnt have it - appeared fine - I suspect a large part of it is the theatrics of the presentation and preparation. They enjoyed it. Hokkaido Ramen (me): fantastic! Proportionate - well presented, hot upon arrival, full-bodied broth, perfectly cooked seafood ingredients. I even got my prole on and slurped the waning last inch of broth right outta the bowl. So good that commonly expected manners were dispensed with swiftly. In all, this was the perfect venue to meet up with friends and enjoy a sprawling 2 hour experience over good food and atmosphere, laced with intriguing conversation.
PA
Patricia B
I was really looking forward to this place when I saw there was Ramen and the reviews. I have to say I was a little disappointed. Food was ok. Ramen was ok. Service was ok. I didnt get the layers and layers of flavor. There is only type of hot soup Ramen, which is seafood. So if you dont like seafood you wont like this Ramen. For seafood Ramen Id say it was decent. It was tasty, but not 5 star delicious. Korean BBQ sauces were ok. Two of the three of them were really really salty. Korean side dishes were not really Korean side dishes. Seaweed salad and ginger have never been Korean side dishes in any Korean restaurant Ive ever been to. It was dissappointing. The service was a little slow, but good when being attended to. One thing that was nice was the Miso and salad bar you could help yourself to. The decor and ambience was nice, Overall its an ok place. Dosent stand out in my head as the delicious Asian bbq place I was hoping it would.
BI
Birgit Pauli-Haack
Excellent service, very courteous and professional. I ate three appetizers as entree and each one was very tasty and the ingredients well put together for a fabulous meal. The Brussel sprouts combined with bacon and nuts, the spicy garlic Edamame and the Korean Wings. The latter were.the least attractive and not my first choice. I wanted to eat the Spicy Tuna Tacos but learnt that they were noch made with corn tortilla but with wheat flour. Being gluten-sensitive I am drawn to Mexican cuisine and original tacos are made from corn flour. So I picked a replacement fast. I was there with three friends and we sampled each other food a bit the grispy bok choy was also delicious. The lettuce wrap is to be recommended, too. The Ramen dish looked delicious and my friend was very content. Definitely a place to revisit and try out the BBQ dishes. They were just to heavy for a late meal, but they looked very tempting.
JU
justin mears
If you go there enough you will inevitably become familiar with Mike, the always smiling Front of the House manager and owner (part?). He found Chef Koko in NY with a line of people wrapped around the building waiting for their ramen. This came after Koko had spent a handful of years in Japan working at multiple, insanely popular, ramen houses. At least that is close to how the story goes. At any rate, everything on the menu has that extra little "wow" factor. Even the simplest dishes like the Cripsy Bok Choy will make you feel like its worth double the price. Elegant plating and a fabulous selection of traditional Japanese seafood dishes and phenomenal Japan/NY fusion (which is a thing, I hear) paired with reasonable prices will leave one forgetting their franchise laden surroundings here in Naples. Truly a gem.
CO
Colin C
Im going to go a little against the grain here. Zen has been a great experience for us when we are a party of two. The food is always great. With larger parties our experience has consistently been abysmal. This was while the place was half full. Our birthday dinner of 5 tonight was overshadowed by the following: 35 minutes to receive an appetizer, soup delivered with no bowls or spoons or lit sterno (cold before able to eat), sushi delivered when sashimi was ordered, and everyone completely finished their meal before the birthday girl received her entree. When walking past another table I noticed a similar experience - a table full of people with completed entrees and one man finally getting his sushi delivered. The table exclaimed in unison "oh there it is! after an hour and a half". Unacceptable in my book.
JA
Jason Marshall
Probably my favorite restaurant in Naples... truly a diamond in the rough. Zens staff is attentive and efficient. I eat things here that Id normally never eat... for example, octopus. Our hostess told us about the octopus appetizer and how they massage the octopus for an hour to break down and soften the tendons. The octopus was tender, and very tasty. We were also informed about the Hokkaido Ramen. This ramens broth is boiled for 17 hours for an authentic & unreal flavor that youre unlikely to find anywhere nearby. Ive fallen in love with the drunken noodles (chicken, shrimp, or beef options. They also have great sushi here... I try something new each time I come.
NI
Nick Kaye
One of the most unique Asian culinary experiences in Naples! Ive been to plenty of Thai, Japanese and Korean restaurants all over the US and this concept blends the best of all three. I was pleasantly surprised to find a couple of my favorites from each style on the menu when my better half and I dined there last weekend. Brussel sprouts were a delicious appetizer, the sushi roll was laden with fresh cut Tuna and the Hamachi Kama was outstanding (grilled yellowtail collar) - all along with a great craft inspired Asian/American beer selection - We will be back!
RE
Rebecca Wells
If you are reading, stop and just go! Ambiance? Yes, Delicious? Yes, Good Service? Yes. The massaman lamb was amazing. The Ramen with the 17 hour broth, so good. One of the best meals Ive have ever had in town. The sushi looked very good as well but we did not try it. The price point was reasonable for Naples. Im just sad I didnt come here when my friends first recommended it. A new favorite!
JE
Jessica Homer
While in possibly the shadiest looking parking lot in Naples, this place is seriously outrageously cool and delicious. We went for Sunday lunch and while normally Im the type to try a different restaurant every time, Im coming back here soon for sure!!