Dine Out Vancouver happens Jan. 14-Feb. 1st. I believe it has become an annual event, sponsored by Tourism Vancouver. Not wanting to miss out on a good deal, Hubbs & I chose a few places to try based on the attractiveness of their online menus and some of the reviews we've read about them.
Our first selected restaurant, Zen Japanese Restaurant, appealed to us because of its comely pictures on the website and also the DOV menu we saw online. This restaurant is quite highly regarded in the sushi world, and is known to be quite innovative with their menu.
We went on a Saturday night and arrived right on time. We were seated immediately. Unfortunately, our table happened to be situated right beside a large 10-top table, and the big boisterous lady seated next to Hubbs (separated be a mere foot of space between their table and ours) happened to bellow and laugh very very loudly. We quickly asked to be moved, and were reseated at a table at the opposite end of the restaurant from the loud diner. The restaurant was only about 40% full when we were there, so we probably had the pick of the tables had we insisted.
We ordered quickly and our meals came relatively quickly, though our appies did not arrive simultaneously. Thankfully, since Hubbs & I were sharing, it wasn't so bad; if I would have had to watch him eat while my tummy grumbled, he would have had a miserable dining experience ;) Hubbs' Prawn 3 Ways was very yummy, with my favourite being the lightly breaded and fried Popcorn Shrimp Roll. I liked my Crunchy Duo but to be honest, I found some of the sauces too strong, and they overpowered the flavours of my rolls.
Hubbs' Chef Selection Sashimi and my Signature Sushi were both okay, but nothing extraordinary. They were fresh, the cuts were reasonably-sized, but as entrees we found the dishes a little less spectacular than they could have been. After a while, everything seemed to taste similar, and that's not the impression any good Japanese restaurant wants to leave. DOV is an opportunity to showcase your best, and we both kind of felt let down that Zen didn't seem to do that with their entrees. The portions were also a bit wee for our appetites.
For dessert we both enjoyed the chocolate brownie. It was warm with a crispy top, and the gooieness of the cake melted in our mouths. I'd say that the brownie was my favourite part of the meal, although my piece of brownie was again far too small for my liking.
The DOV menu was priced at $38/person, and after we tacked on green tea and a drink apiece, the total was a bit steep, particularly since we weren't even full. The restaurant, by appearance, didn't look terribly elegant or upscale, so it wasn't like we were paying for the ambiance. Overall, we found Zen Japanese Restaurant to be poor value for the dollar, and not nearly as innovative and spectacular as some reviews have hyped them up to be.
Service: 3.5/5
Food: 3/5
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