Zen Japanese Restaurant

I have eaten at a lot of Japanese restaurants but this one has far exceeded many of my expectations.  I was told that this restaurant had very fresh, very authentic sushi and sashimi dishes.  For food that doesn't need to be cooked one has to wonder how much "better" can one be.

This restaurant located in south Scarborough is tucked in a small strip plaza but inside the restaurant it has definitely has the appeal of an authentic Japanese restaurants.  They even have two designated stalls where you can sit on the floor and enjoy their tasty meals.

Chef's Omakase Sushi Special

We didn't bring the stroller this time around but there was certainly a chance to do so if one wished to.  There was free parking in the parking lot out front and we were able to park right in front of the restaurant.  We were given menus but we knew ahead of time from our peers to try the Chef's Omakase Sushi AND Sashimi Special.  It comes with special types and more expensive types of fish.  We also ordered a black sesame ice cream, raw beef and a couple of spicy tuna rolls.

Chef's Omakase Sashimi Special

We were served a courtesy dish of edamame beans which was yummy as they did not have a whole lot of salt on them as how some of the other places serve them.  Only one miso soup arrived and that was for the Chef's Sushi Special.  The sashimi special did not come with a miso soup.  The plates came next and it looked delicious.  There was no salmon on either one but no need to.  It included toro, scallops, red snappers and tunas to name a few.  I tried the scallop first and one bite into the scallop sashimi and I knew why this place was a must go.  The scallop was very "sweet" tasting.  It tasted so fresh it was like the scallop was fresh out of the ocean.  It was not frozen or cold.  It was soft, tender and just simply perfect.  Needless to say the rest of the sashimi on the plate was just the same.  It was absolutely different than all the other places I have been to. The fish didn't appear to have been stored for a long period of time.

The raw beef was beautifully made. Lightly seared on the outside and purely raw on the inside the very thin slices of beef were absolutely delicious.  The meat certainly was not too fatty.  The dish was 7 dollars only and it came with 9 slices. It also came with its special sauce, minced radish and minced green onions.  To get the perfect taste, you should put all 3 together to give it that amazing zangy taste.

Spicy Tuna Roll

Raw Beef

Toro Sushi Roll

The spicy tuna rolls were spicy but not to the point where it was too spicy that your mouth was numb.  It had a sweet taste to it but the tuna one can tell was very fresh.  Absolutely no complaints here.  The surprise of the night was the Toro Sushi Roll.  We thought that the Sushi and sashimi's were done but after they had cleared our plates out came this toro sushi roll.  Unlike a California roll where it is triangular in shape, it is actually rolled up into a long cylinder.  The toro roll was very good from start to finish. 

Finally we had the black sesame ice cream.  Although we have had this dish before at other places, the black sesame ice cream was surprisingly different.  For example, it was wonderfully mixed with the milk and very well evened out within the ice cream. Again, the ice cream certainly was not "frozen" nor did it have a frozen taste to it  I personally believe that the black sesame ice cream is freshly made and made only when an order has been placed and not pre-made.

Black Sesame Ice Cream

Overall, this is one of the best sushi places I have ever been to..  I can't speak for some of the other dishes on the menu but the ones on the chef's special is definitely a must try for any sushi and sashimi lover.  On a personal note,  each chef's special set course was $49.50.  The difference between the two is that the sushi obvious comes with fish on the rice while the sashimi special all had at least 2 pieces of fish.  Given the price and me as a personal fish lover, the sashimi special was more worth while simply because you get an extra piece of fish as oppose to getting an extra piece of rice.  However for a much bigger person, the sashimi meal might not be able to satisfy a very hungry stomach.  My recommendation would be to order one of each and yes although it comes out to $100 plus tax and tip, it will definitely be well worthwhile.  It is a great place to bring a special date too and making reservations prior to going certainly would not hurt. Highly recommended and definitely earns my first 5 out of 5.

Zen Japanese Restaurant
http://www.zenjapaneserestaurant.com/

2803 Eglinton Avenue East,
Scarborough, Ontario.
M1J 2E1
(416) 265-7111