Zen Japanese Restaurant

Food was amazing, best sushi I've had in Toronto. Really wonderful experience I had, staff was friendly, chefs were great. The place is pricey, however I think it was definitely worth it. The course meal we had was for 1 person, but was enough to fill the two of us.

Such an awesome experience! My boyfriend and I had a great time - staff was really friendly, food was unbelievable and the atmosphere in general was classy but not pretentious. We enjoyed the sushi omakase which I highly recommend. The staff members really know their stuff so even when I asked them what the type of fish was after I ate it, they knew right away! Will definitely be returning.

We visited for the first time yesterday, and the food was spectacular! The sushi omakase course for one was delectable and the sushi is 5 stars, no question - money well spent! The service was friendly, and waitress was very personable. We sat at the sushi bar, where the action is, and glad we did. Overall, I would say four stars because of the active use of picture taking by patrons of their sushi. Most with cell phones, but also someone thought their DSLR camera action beside us appropriate for every course detracts from the overall experience for others. For the quality of food and the hundreds of duplicate sushi photos already on yelp for zen, you would think the incessant picture taking of every course would be deemed redundant. I think the restaurant should consider a picture taking policy of the food, and maybe expand their gallery on their website to feature recent sushi pics there. There is no reason for everyone to be taking pictures of the same food items throughout each night of dinner service. We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner, and will return sometime, but perhaps at a table next time so we can focus on the food and experience.

This was my second visit to this well-known sushi spot and it didn't disappoint. Located in a rather non-descript mini strip mall just off the 404 and north of Steeles, it can be a bit off-putting when you turn into the parking lot. My friend even had a worried look on her face and asked me where I was taking her... When you look a little closer you will see the sign on the door indicating "Zen". Yes, you've arrived at the right spot but you don't exactly feel like you're going to a high-end sushi spot. Upon entering, things begin to change. As you turn right down a short hallway flanked on your left is a wall of wood slats, on your right, the window to the outside from whence you came. At the end of this short hall, you turn left and finally arrive at a very, well... tranquil space. A little sparse with a large sushi bar, with about 10-12 seats that are standard for most sushi restaurants. In addition, you can also choose to sit at one of several tables including a few more secluded seats behind a wall. We chose to sit at the sushi bar. So... onto the food. Finally! My friend wanted one of the beef dishes: this evening, we chose the A5 Hida steak which is from the Hida area in Gifu prefecture. This beef is certified Wagyu but is less well known - and cheaper - than the likes of Kobe, Tajima, Yonezawa, Matsuzaka. Still, it is well marbled and melt in your mouth. Lightly seared, it was served with some ponzu, a small pancake, grated wasabi and garlic chips. Yum!! For our main, we didn't want to break the bank so we both had their sashimi plate. With a selection of 11 different types of fish - majority of it from Japan - it was an amazing example of extremely fresh and flavourful sushi. The standouts: otoro, scallop, shrimp and the uni. Ohh... that scallop and uni alone... so flavourful with hints of sweetness. I could've had a dozen or more of each of these! If you want to see what the chef can do, I highly recommend you try one of their Omakase offerings. During my previous visit, I did just that and I was amazed at all the flavours from every part of the dishes we had. You will be glad you did. Just remember though... this is not the west coast so premium sushi will, of course, result in premium prices. Now, if someone would only invent tast-o-vision, I can relive my meal. Guess I'll just have to forgo a few lattes until I have enough scratch to visit again. First-world problems...

Last minute booking unable to sit at the Sushi bar but good quality food & value Omakase sushi course, excellent service :) Will come back for sure!