Zen Asian Fusion Lounge
| Address: | 469 State St, Schenectady, NY 12305, USA |
| Phone: | +1 518-280-0388 |
| Site: | zenasianfusionlounge.com |
| Rating: | 4.1 |
| Working: | 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–11PM 12–10PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 9
IM
iMacOfDeath
My party and I went to Zen for a birthday party, so we book in advance. While it wasnt very packed when we first arrived, by the time we were digging into some cake the restaurant was nearly full. While it wasnt rowdy, it was pretty loud, especially considering a good portion of the restaurant was partaking in some form of alcoholic beverage. The parking is pretty tight though, so you might very well end up walking a decent distance to the restaurant. Oh, and since this is a business-formal establishment, leave the kids at home. Its a pretty adult atmosphere inside, respectable, but adult. The ambience inside Zen is one of dimly lit tables, even into the evening and night, the real candles on each table becoming the brightest thing around you. Decor-wise its a mix of Asian cultures, with statues from Japan, China, and Taiwan. I will mention that one person in my part actually hurt themselves while scooting across the booth to move in, bashing the back of their head against a low hanging shelf lined with smooth stones. It was pretty bad, and while she did calm down eventually, I would highly recommend the restaurant remove or raise the shelf to avoid similar accidents. Had she hit her head any harder, Im certain she would have had a concussion. Aside from that, the rest of the evening went rather well. The menu is a mix of Thai and Japanese food, with plenty of variations for veggie and meat lovers. Prices are surprisingly low for the quality of food you get, though the portions are within the range of what youd expect. My party partook in some ginger salads, miso and clear soup, bourbon sesame chicken wings, red curry, and the chicken hibachi with fried rice and veggies. The salad we found to be under dressed, but a perfect size. The soup we had no qualms about, but the wings, while sweet and savory, didnt have a very strong flavor. The curry was exceptionally spicy, with a nice burn that builds up the more you eat. And as for the chicken hibachi, while the chicken paired perfectly with the white sauce and the rice was cooked just the way I like it, the veggies were a little on the wet side. Our waitress Jing was pretty attentive, and she even brought out warm towels for us to wipe our hands after digging into the wings. Overall Zen is a good place to have a professional or formal dinner, but not a place for kids. It features a wide variety of Asian inspired cuisine, all for a price tag below what one might expect. Try to book for an earlier meal if you want to avoid the crowd and noise, and if you have bad night vision you should think of bringing a small pocket light.
J.
J.C. Kuhne
Lunch, Early Evening or Late Night ...Zen is perfectly transformative and executes its concept as an Asian fusion lounge without flaw. Their food is fresh, sourced rapidly and if someone didnt tell you, it would be obvious from the clean bright flavors. Lunch options are great and there are quick pick menus for various samplers and bento boxes. Their miso soup is spot-on and delicious every time and automatically becomes part of any meal I order. Or you can order any kind of sushi roll, including ther slightly more costly but rewarding and satisfying Signature Rolls. You could even have a nice business meeting here, given the low, chilled music in the background. There is plenty of table seating and views of the bustle and activity of downtown State Street. The bar is equally a great place to sit as the bar is translucent and backlit with its subtle changes in color...it adds elegance and unique illumination to the room. You can easily get in and out for a quick lunch. If your order includes a few picks from the signature sushi roll menu, the chefs go to town in building a beautiful presentation platter which will catch the attention of other patrons as you enjoy its looks and taste! Their bar and cocktails are terrific and very reasonably priced. Mojitos are a specialty, but any drink they make tastes wonderful. For dinner time and late evening, the place can pack a bit, but not unreasonably. The patrons Zen attracts are mostly young and middle aged, and generally good natured folks. This is a nice stop before or after a show at Proctors. It is managed very well and you can easily tell that Zens owner is deeply passionate about every detail of Zens operations. Every waiter, chef, server and bar tender will go out of their way to make sure you are happy there.
LU
Lucas Muller
I am a native to the Schenectady area, Scotia more specifically. This is by far one of my favorite additions to our growing downtown economy. I really enjoy the staff and ownership, who are incredibly friendly and welcoming. Service is always phenomenal (obviously any time a place is busy it is reasonable to expect a small wait, but here never too long). The food is great, especially the sashimi (I would suggest the sampler if you are new to sashimi, but my favorite is yellow tail). Finally, you are in for a real treat if you like mojitos as theirs are by far the best north of the Dykeman/Bronx area!!!
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Chris Heitmann
Stopped in for dinner because we were staying nearby.. Heard great things about the place... thats as far as it went though. The beer is a joke.. If Im going to pay $6 for a beer and they bring it in a can, its unacceptable. Then I ask for a glass for the beer and the glass isnt even chilled! Top that off the special for the night was over cooked and flavorless! Their version of hibachi was more like a TV dinner from the frozen food section of Walmart! Never going there again, and would recommend going somewhere else!
TR
Trich angel
Had a horrible experience. Waitress Jing was very rude. Ordered my drinks and she didnt bring it until after I got my salad and food. Then asked her for a metal spoon, she points at the white spoon that comes with the rice and says "Theres a spoon right there". After we were getting up to leave, she came running up to us and started yelling "my service wasnt enough for you" as she was checking her tips. She yelled and walked away with an attitude. I usually go to Zen often but after this experience, its no.
CH
Christopher Allin
Food was good, BUT the service was horrible. The staff was very slow, undeserving so, no one ever asked how things were or if anyone needed anything else. I will never go back, there are so many other fine restaurants in Schenectady why support one that doesnt really care about YOU?
CR
Crystal Robinson
So I came to Zen twice both times I walked through the door and waitresses seem to be oblivious to the fact that they may have to seat me. The drink are OK, food is borderline OK. Friday nights are the worst horrible service. Youll get better service sitting at the bar.
BR
Brianna Mills
Food is spectacular, this is my third visit and it is always great. The waitress took 20 minutes to check on is after our food was delivered and I waited for a drink for that long as she never came back to ask if we needed refills or offer us water, kind of a bummer.
RO
Roland Jude
Dont ask for spicy. I tried the thai red curry. bad! You may enjoy it if you want indian/thai fusion. All it was bland,red and indian tasting in an asian bistro.Never going back. fyi, they dont serve any beer on tap. All bottled.
