
Even though Zen looks like its been around forever (since 1992), it remains relevant and popular even today because of an unwavering consistency. High ceilings and richly upholstered accents of wood, brass and burgundy have aged well and the premium ground floor inner circle space bears a graceful vibrancy. The menu spans across Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian and Italian dishes but Zen’s forte are its old-school Chinese and inexpensive Japanese dishes. My 'Maguro Nigiri' seemed fist cuffed into shape but the rice was well seasoned and appointed with tender slices of lean tuna while 'Tamago Maki' was deftly rolled around a Japanese-style omelette. Zen’s signature 'Gin Chicken' was memorable for its simplicity. Juliennes of chicken marinated in gin and green chilli paste rolled into a ball and batter fried to crisp. Another winner is the classic 'Siu Mai Dimsum' which was rendered flawlessly with plump shrimp bursting with flavor through the thin wrapper. I let the menu guide me to 'Zha Jiang Noodles'. flat noodles topped with minced chicken in a yellow soybean paste sauce and served with bean sprouts and juliennes of cucumber. A hint of funk from yellow soybean paste worked well with clean flavors from minced chicken and flat noodles. While the 'Cucumber and Bean Sprouts' looked a bit tired it nevertheless made for a fun medley. The wait-staff is prompt and formal but not particularly helpful with recommendations. Let the menu guide you.