Zen Japanese Restaurant

Quality Omakase and great value, plain and simple. The shirako (fish gonads) are impeccable. Great counter atmosphere, traditional with no frills. Sophisticated but not stuffy. Uni and roe sushi was a standout. The ratio of rice to wasabi is very good and better than other restaurants of this price level. The appetizer dish taro and chicken ball was entirely new for me. Very, very good. Will return.

We enjoyed lunch on Saturday at the sushi counter to celebrate my husband's birthday, and overall, the experience was memorable for its excellent food quality but lacked in service. The food was outstanding, with both the hot kitchen dishes and sushi counter offerings exceeding expectations. The Lunch Gozen menu ($79 per person) was fantastic value for the impeccable taste and quality. Every dish was well-prepared, and they accommodated my shrimp allergy perfectly. A highlight was interacting with Chef-Owner Seiichi Kashiwabara, who personally made and served our nigiri and hand roll. He was friendly, gracious, and professional, making our sushi counter experience truly special. However, service left much to be desired. When I asked for a savory, umami-flavoured sake, the server recommended a $74 bottle of Kid sake. Unfortunately, the sake had a funky, slightly off-putting taste, and the label was damaged from water exposure -- this diminished the experience. Worse, the server never returned to pour the sake, leaving us to manage it ourselves. On the plus side, green tea refills were eventually provided, but the tea was initially served far too hot, burning our tongues. We didn't receive wet towels until we asked -- immediately before the sushi course began. Another service issue was the lack of explanation when my husband’s tray arrived. For example, his chawanmushi (egg custard) contained shrimp and chicken, but this was not mentioned. This level of detail would have improved the dining experience. The meal ended on a sweet note with a thoughtful birthday treat: strawberry and yuzu sorbets alongside the included creamy ice cream options (soy milk, hojicha, or matcha). No black sesame or other flavours were available that day. We appreciated the relaxed pace of lunch and the free parking. If you’re visiting, I highly recommend calling ahead for a sushi counter reservation. The $5 sushi counter upcharge is absolutely worth it for the elevated experience. In summary, while Zen excels in food quality and the artistry of sushi, the service could use improvement, particularly in attentiveness and beverage guidance. Main floor individual washrooms are clean and modern. Unfortunately, the hand soap is highly scented. This affects your experience when picking up your sushi to eat each piece! Unscented hand soap is highly recommended. Would we return? Yes, soon, for the incredible food and the chance to sit at the sushi counter with Chef Seiichi-san again!

Zen is a must try omakase experience. The sushi is fresh and delicious. Staff is very friendly and accommodating. They let us order off menu noodles soup for our kids with reasonable price. We had a great time visiting from Ottawa

You'll never find this place if not for the internet. The sign is so small and dark, it's as if they don't want you to. Adjacent to some shady gaming venue, all blacked out. The food here is great and it's nice that the chefs choice menu is forefront. We got one sashimi and one sushi/sashimi. Added the beef tongue at the waitresses suggestion. The food was great, but the prices are stupid. If you're going to charge 130-180 per person, the place better be perfect. Wooden chopsticks on a cheap metal holder. Washrooms with bare white walls. Seating average. Location and exterior sub par.

Eating at the table ruined the omakase experience. Food quality is good service is average. Anyways a typical 4-star Japanese restaurant.

Zen is one of the oldest established high end sushi restaurant in Toronto. It has been opened for many years. This is still one of the few sushi restaurants that you can still order a la carte. Many sushi chefs in Toronto were once apprentice from here. Good sushi here. Highly recommended

My wife and I went in November for a belated anniversary dinner. The owner and staff were friendly and created a delicious omakase menu! We would go back again!

Nothing I can write here can explain this place with any kind of justice. Don't look at the prices. Just try. They have made the omakase experience attainable for most. If just once in your life, you must try. You will gain an appreciation for fish that you never thought was possible. If possible, reserve for a seat at the sushi bar and the chef will hand deliver each piece of carefully made sushi one at a time. Hall staff service was impeccable. They somehow had the ability to read my mind.

I went here again with my friends to celebrate my birthday again (it never ends) Venue: Plenty of seats, it's good to make a reservation instead of walking in. Service: Always spectacular. We had the same servers as the first time I went here. They don't remember (I wouldn't expect that) but they were so kind and Japanese themselves. Food: My two friends ordered the omakase and this time I ordered the wagyu don. The beef was really delicious and just how you'd want your wagyu to melt in your mouth. To be honest I wouldn't order it again. I don't think I'd pay for a few things pieces of wagyu for $75. The spinach salad was really good though. Next time I'll be having their omakase!

Had the Omakase experience in the private room for my friends bday. Although it was at the back, service was never lacking. One example, I dropped my chopsticks and they were replaced before I even got a chance to ask for new ones... The appetizers were really fun to try. All were well balanced with texture and flavour! Their fish was really good and probably my favourite in Ontario, so far... Top 3 being the blue fish, not on menu, smoked yellowfin and ocean trout! Highly recommend a try, but unlikely to come back since there are so many other ones to try all the other ones.

Outstanding meal! The sashimi/sushi omakase was absolutely delicious and the portions were perfect Side items agedashi tofu and ohitashi were also superb The miso cod on the ale cart menu was so delicious that we ordered two pieces. Highly recommend Miyabi Japanese sake, which was a brilliant pairing with the miso cod. The service was absolutely perfect and much appreciated

So I recently came with a group to celebrate our friend's bday. We were seated in the back of the restaurant in 2 separate rooms because our group was so large. So one room sat 6 ppl and the other room sat around 10. If we had a smaller group we would've definitely chosen to sit at the bar because it truly is a different experience seeing the chef do his artistry and having him tell you what each fish is and their seasonality. The bday boy had called in earlier to arrange all the details around a month in advance for the booking. Some of us ordered mid tier sets, some ordered the higher tier sets (these came with appetizer courses and dessert). Since we didn't have the chef explaining every piece to us at the bar, the restaurant provided everyone with a list of the fish we would be having for the night. When the sushi arrived, the waitress also guided us through them all which was helpful. My top 5 picks out of all the sushi we experienced (in no particular order) were: 1. Uni 2. Ocean trout 3. Hamachi (smoked so it tasted like deli meat which was so delicious!) 4. Otoro 5. Anago For our table we got 2 orders of kamo roast duck to share. The yuzu salt that came with the duck was very flavourful. A little drop of it on your duck slice and the entire inside of your mouth was coated by seasoning. Our waitress cleaned our table and then gladly helped us take group photos for the occasion. I would give her a shoutout but we didn't catch her name! As a side note, when the bday boy had initially called in, the restaurant had told him that it would be 18% auto-gratuity because of how large our group was. We were fine with this. However, when the bills came around, they did not auto-input the 18% gratuity into the machines which I thought was very honest of them. We all tipped 18% or more anyways but these are small attention to details that make the customer feel much more at ease. As far as omakase goes, in the York Region area I think this is the best one I've been to.

One of my favourite Japanese restaurants in Markham. Zen offers authentic sushi and sashimi omakase as well as a limited time gozen menu with dishes other than just pure nigiri. Service is always impeccable and the fish is very fresh. Seating is limited to be sure to make a reservation in advance! No high chairs but they do allow babies / young children in the restaurant. The staff were great with my little one. Would highly recommend.

I had a chance to visit Zen Japanese Restaurant for valentine's day and tried their Dinner Sushi Gozen ($95/pp)! We didn't get to sit at the bar since we gave up our seats to another couple, but the service here is amazing and the waiters paid close attention to us Each dish is really packed with flavour and you can tell it's made with love. I really enjoyed how we got so many pieces of sushi + other dishes for a reasonable price - especially since other places will only give you sushi and nothing else The inside of the restaurant is also beautiful, I wish we had a chance to sit at the bar for the full omakase experience, however the other seating is very intimate which I enjoyed. I was skeptical about omakase before since I thought I wouldn't be full, but this restaurant really hit the spot. I loved the appetizers they started us off with and how fresh each dish was. The matcha ice cream was crazy good too If you're looking for a good omakase place that will keep you full, i'd highly recommend checking them out!

I was craving for sushi on the weekend and suddenly thought of the Zen Japanese Restaurant, as I have visited them multiple times since their old location. Compared with other mid/downtown Japanese sushi restaurants, the parking is free and easy. Plus, you don't have to walk all the way from the parking lot to the restaurant, which is a huge plus for me. I booked for the 12:00 PM Saturday lunch session and only waited shortly unlike other sushi restaurants. Appetizer: The appetizers included all the items listed below and everything is amazing. Maybe I was very hungry that day. My favourite appetizer is the Lobster Chawanmushi. The egg steamed silky smooth and the umami taste (not MSG) is like I am swimming in the ocean. This is one of the best Chawanmushi I have had since the pandemic. * Lobster Chawanmushi * Roast Duck Breast * Tempura * Vinegared sea seed * Simmered dish * Miso soup Sushi: The young sushi chef who served me that day had excellent skills and very attention to detail, which made me feel very comfortable. My favourite sushi of all are the Salmon Roe and Toro sushi. The Salmon Roe is so fresh, that it pops in my mouth. The Toro sushi is the highlight of the show and is very well crafted. The toro has been fire torched and some caviar on top to further enhance the umami flavour. The fire-torched toro sushi just melts in your mouth. I was very surprised when I was serviced sushi by the sushi chef piece by piece like an Omakase sushi experience instead of just a plate of eight different types of sushi. The Omakase experience is great and I feel it is worth every penny for this Sushi Gozen lunch set. The secret is to book in advance for the sushi bar instead of a table. I will definitely go back again.

I absolutely love this neighborhood . Usually ppl would think the best omakase places are usually in the city (Toronto) but I'm so glad that in Markham there is an amazing omakase restaurant that is in the suburbs! Featuring their omakase sushi and sashimi course for one, chawan mushi (steamed egg),Gindara Saikyo Yaki (miso black cod), mandarin orange cream pie and their special dessert tray! Literally every bite was heaven lol. I have tried fish I have never had before. The textures and flavours are just mind blowing. The fish is extremely fresh. Rice is super flavourful. Steamed egg was perfect. Black miso cod - delicious. Toro hand roll - freaking amazing The desserts were great - light and citrus that pie is incredible. The dessert tray was delicious! It changes all the time but we were quite happy with the variety! All in all, if you haven't tried this place and you are a huge sushi fan... you must try this place!

Came here to celebrate a late Valentine's Day dinner on a Friday night. We got a seat at the table for a more intimate vibe, and ordered the sushi omakase. You can opt for the sushi and sashimi set instead where 6 of the pieces become sashimi instead of sushi. The service was amazing, each course came out at the appropriate time and the servers were very attentive. We liked that they had unique Japanese appetizers aside from the sushi such as the wagyu roast beef and beef tongue. Our favourite sushi pieces were the scallop, ocean trout, toro and uni. This is definitely a restaurant for a special occasion, but the quality and care that goes into each dish makes it worth the price.

Been here twice, once for omakase and most recently another time to try their Gozen set. The first time, I would say the quality was the best out of the omakases I've tried in Markham. Mostly recently though, while still good, it was far from how good it was previously. Felt like the pieces of nigiri were not as well put together

All of their fish were from Japan. The quality of the fish are so fresh and high quality! They never disappoint us. The most important thing is this restaurant is own by Japanese . Since sushi is raw , it is very crucial who and how to prepare them. Only Japanese will insist certain way to prepare them.

We always make it a point to come here and eat when we visit Toronto. We loved every part of it. The seaweed they use on the handrolls is mouthwatering and we constantly crave it! See you next time!

If you haven't tried omakase and would like to, I highly recommend Zen. The atmosphere was very comfortable. We sat by the sushi bar so we could watch the sushi chefs work their magical knives, slice by slice. The fish were deliciously fresh. The scallops melted in my mouth. And the uni was of generous portion. Best uni I've ever tasted. I love the sushi with a touch of citrus flavour so yummy. The presentations were impeccable. And the service were pleasantly polite and fast. I want omakase again.

Fantastic food. Hand roll was the best one of my life. Sushi was great. Everything was fresh and well above average. I would have given this 5 star if it was a bit less. If all the food was as good as the hand roll I would have paid $500 and been very happy. I would say it' was all great but other than hand roll nothing blew my mind. I'm happy to pay a lot of money for amazing food. I would say 500$ for 2 people was too much for the meal I had. That's my only negative.

My recent dinner at Zen was wonderful. I think it was because this time I sat at the sushi bar for the Omakase dinner instead of at a table. I thoroughly enjoyed the food and thoughtful service. The overall experience was a perfect.

we were craving sushi and found this little place nearby. we stopped by for lunch. we ordered duck, agadashi tofu, udon, and a sashimi sampler. the duck was tender and moist. agadashi tofu was flavorful. the tuna bowl was super fresh. same for the sashimi plate. if we're ever in the area, we'll definitely try the omakase. parking is out front for free.

Excellent service, friendly staff, fresh and good variety of fish, and an quiet atmosphere

Good news: My most recent visit to Zen was an improvement over the last couple of years. There was a dip in quality and etiquette at Zen over the last couple of years that was disappointing, but food was great (a Zen hallmark) and authentic and the service level high. The waiter and waitress were Japanese and so was our chef. The owner was not in for lunch and we were served by a younger chef, but the sushi and maki were excellent. The prices are ... sigh ... but it is what it is honestly. At least, one is served the real items with great ingredients here. Two classes of people dine here. Lovers of real edomae sushi who know and appreciate the food and certain class of folks who want to appear suave and hip to it all. There is still a Chinese chef available to speak to Chinese customers signalling the owner's savvy business acumen (see the restaurant's location), but I was delighted as always. It is too bad the prices do not allow me to visit more often. The toro, chutoro, sayori sashimi and temaki were excellent and no complaints could be levelled. Chutoro is $10 each sushi nigiri, Aburitoro is $15 each and a roll could set you back $15 too. Several oddities: They seem to place reservation signs on all tables and in front of counter seats, yet the seats do not become occupied. The drink I wanted was advertised but out of stock. The exterior plaza is shabby and the asphalt is not even recently paved. Does anyone remember the old location? Zen seems to make a habit of nice interiors, good food and embarrassing locations.

Oishee! Every time I come here, it's a "gold" standard for quality of fish and professionalism. I have not been disappointed. The fish is delicious, even the cuts that I don't normally enjoy at your typical AYCE or a la cartes. They know how to balance the soy sauce and wasabi, if you want it. Even though you are full at the end, you don't feel "heavy". We thoroughly needed this evening to detox from our work week and enjoy our time together. Perfect atmosphere to enjoy great company and wonderful food. Worth every penny.

In 2018, I went on a trip of a lifetime to Japan and just as the other travelers warned, it practically ruined Japanese food for me back home. Some time later, back in Markham, I walked through the nondescript doors between a Karaoke lounge and a car decal shop and suddenly, I was teleported back there. Zen Japanese Restaurant: the gateway from a Canadian suburb to a Kyoto alleyway sushi shop. From the beautiful wooden hallway to the quiet dining area where chefs work diligently at their craft, the entire place evokes the concept of zen. The menu takes your taste buds on a flight all over Japan. Unintentionally, it perfectly mirrored my own adventures to the country, from the seaside coast to the inland cities. Sitting at Zen's counter and watching the chef create one of the most exquisite Omakase Sushi & Sashimi meals, I relived the experience of sitting in a small shop at Kanazawa's Omicho Market. The fish was fresh and exotic with flavours that I seldom taste on this side of the world. The refreshing feel of amberjack, the meatiness of horse mackerel, the sweet smokiness of a piece of charred sea eel...Each piece of sushi was a delicacy and each slice of sashimi was a fresh burst from the ocean. Travelling south from Tokyo, we saw the peaceful villages of Shirakawa and Takayama, built around the mountainous Hida region terrain. This region is also home to the famous Hida cows, which provided the juiciest skewers and tastiest meat buns. Our appetizer gave us a small piece of that melt-in-your-mouth Wagyu sensation again. Served beside a piece of miso squid and sweet scallop, it made for the most amazing mini surf-and-turf ever. The steamed egg and homemade tofu made wonderful pairings. Travelling further south still, we spent a fair amount of time in landlocked Kyoto. Known for colourful Geisha and golden temples, a regional delicacy is actually the humble tofu. Far from a flavourless chewy block, Zen served homemade tofu reminiscent of the type you may have in a traditional Kyoto Kaiseki meal: soft but very aromatic. The soy milk broth we ordered was surprisingly savoury and as it bubbled away on top of a mini burner, it formed "tofu skins" that you can scoop up and enjoy with a bit of soy sauce and dried seaweed. Definitely a highlight of the meal and something very unique I've never seen anywhere else in Toronto. While it is unlikely you will go to Zen for dessert, our meal was capped off with an eclectic mix of sweet touches that I would order again in a heartbeat: homemade soy ice cream with red bean and, one of my favourite flavours in the world, black sugar syrup. Chewy mochi added texture while a pink wafer heart with cream filling added whimsy. The most unique, and the one I crave again, is a slice of melon imported straight from Japan. It is mind-blowing how good the fruit is in Japan, and I am reminded of it again here. Zen is an absolutely beautiful experience, with a luxurious price tag to boot. The regulars here definitely exude Crazy Rich Asians vibe (but hey, this place IS next to a Karaoke lounge and car decal place.) I will likely never take another 3 week trip to Japan, but at least I can justify an infrequent treat to, arguably, Markham's best Japanese restaurant.

You'll never find this place if not for the internet. The sign is so small and dark, it's as if they don't want you to. Adjacent to some shady gaming venue, all blacked out. The food here is great and it's nice that the chefs choice menu is forefront. We got one sashimi and one sushi/sashimi. Added the beef tongue at the waitresses suggestion. The food was great, but the prices are stupid. If you're going to charge 130-180 per person, the place better be perfect. Wooden chopsticks on a cheap metal holder. Washrooms with bare white walls. Seating average. Location and exterior sub par. Cut the prices in half and I'll come back. For now I'll stick with Tomo.

Delicious sushi and sashimi. All the fish was very fresh. Service was good as they were attentive. Price was not cheap. There are cheaper options but quality and food tasted good. Highly recommend making a reservation as they get busy.

*Experienced before COVID 19 Lovely experience and glad there is a really good omakase option in Markham! We asked to be seated in front of the bar and the experience lasted 2 hours long. I had the sushi omakase and 2 of my group members got the sashimi and sushi omakase. I would say the sashimi and sushi omakase is worth it for the extra bucks since you get the extra pieces. Our party also shared the hida gyu hohba yaki which was hida beef on a small grill. The portion was expected (small), but the beef was fatty, juicy and flavourful. One thing to note we weren't served different cuts of tuna (lean, medium, fatty) which is something we usually look forward to in an omakase. We were only served the lean cut. Overall, it met my omakase expectations and is comparable to Toronto omakases. Definitely a great place to try if you're in Markham and don't want to make a trip downtown for the experience.

4.5 stars! My family went here for lunch and it was pretty good! We got the Nigiri Sushi, the Chirashi & Udon, the Saba Shio Yaki Set, the Hamachi Kama Set, and we got an order of Tempura to share! Oh I also wanted to note that they were out of mackerel for the Saba Shio Yaki Set and gave us another, similar fish to go with the dish instead! Everything was really fresh and delicious- especially the tempura (the batter was so light and good!). The servers were also very friendly and was really quick to refill our tea mugs :') I'm only knocking it down a half star because of the high prices :/

Hubs had made a reservation to celebrate our anniversary, and I must say that they really pay attention to the fine details to help you celebrate. They first offered us two glasses of plum wine on the house before our omakase got served. We didn't opt for the bar seats this time as we wanted some private space to have our conversation. We were served a daikon radish appetizer with a yuzu type broth and topped with a piece of lobster (which was chunky and juicy!). Talk about attention to detail, I noticed the radish was roughly etched into 4 so you can easily break it with your chopsticks. We also had a second appetizer with a cold chrysanthemum dish with grilled octopus, scallop and duck. The sushi and sashimi was good in a way that fish is fresh, but no fish was really that special where you can't get it elsewhere (honestly, I found the sushi better the first time I went to Zen - but that was also before I got spoiled by the quality of fish and sushi from my Japan trip). As with alot of places, they give you a miso soup (which I believe had dashi broth in the mix) and alot of kelp. Dessert was yummy! We had a piece of honeydew melon (which was super soft and sweet!!), soy bean ice cream, mochi and a green tea cookie. Because it was our anniversary, they also served two heart cookies stuffed with black sesame ice cream. You'll see in the picture I posted that they decorated the plate for it as well with a loop made from this type of string. Apparently it is often used for blessings/good luck? Total for two omakase meals came up to about $320? Which isn't too bad knowing that you get appetizers and desserts here with your sushi/sashimi where I know some other places only offer the sushi omakase with maybe an icecream to end the meal. My recommendation? If you want to boujee it out and have an amazing experience with the chef, the ambiance, different fish and appetizers, try out Shoushin (but it'll run you dry of $500 for two omakase meals). But if you want really good sushi only and no appetizers, you must try Yasu.

This has now been my 4th or 5th omakase experience and my overall verdict is that it's just alright. I'm giving it a 3 star as an average of my 2/5 rating for value and 4/5 rating for quality of food. Having experienced both the $85 omakase sushi as well as the $115 omakase sashimi course for 1, I definitely have a few cents to share with you. First of all, if you didn't already know, the difference between the two is that the cheaper option consists solely of chef's choice sushi while the more expensive option is like a combo that gives you a handful of appetizers and a dessert as well. The "sushi-only" omakase was personally my preferred choice because it got down to the real reason why I was there - to have delicious high quality sushi. The fish variety was fresh and I was delighted by the overall portion sizes. Normally when I have 15-20 piece omakases, I'm not that full at the end but somehow, this 14 piece omakase was plenty filling. However, the "full-course" omakase had its own merit as well and I'd actually recommend this one IF you fancy taking pictures of food or have an adventurous palate - that is, of course, if you have the means to dish out a few extra dolla bills on a more well-rounded meal. The 6 additional appetizers are interesting to say the least and really sensitizes your tastebuds. Some more savoury, some more sour, it's a nice blend of flavours and because they come in sampler portions, it makes you feel like you're a dainty princess/prince. For dessert, you also get 3 different dishes and although the ice cream was the only noteworthy one, it was absolutely delicious. Unique to Zen, the two varieties of homemade ice cream - soy milk and hojicha were very tasty and I'd highly recommend you try it if you're an ice cream fanatic. In fact, we had ordered extras of them at the end of our meal despite their hefty $8/scoop price tag. I mean, was it worth the value? Not at all. But was it worth the experience? Definitely for a one-time thing.

I was surprised with a visit here to try out the kaiseki menu a while back; this review is super outdated so the menu options most likely have changed since then. The quality of the food was absolutely amazing - I especially enjoyed the yakimono (grilled A5 hidagyu steak & sea perch) and the zensai (roasted duck, foie gras, uni). The food tasted like it was literally fished out of the sea an hour before it was served. To be honest, I normally despise raw fish - I just can't seem to keep it down no matter how many times I give it a chance. However, this time I was pleasantly surprised as I didn't mind the taste of it! Although I personally wouldn't ever dish out this much money for kaiseki, if you're a fan of raw fish and want top notch quality I highly recommend trying it out. The service could not have possibly been any better - our server explained every single menu item in detail, checked on our table consistently, and made sure we were satisfied with everything. At the end of our meal the chef even came to our table to formally greet us. Fun fact: the main chef of Shoushin actually was one of his students! If you enjoy sushi and you're looking for the best of the best, Zen is the spot to go! I definitely do plan on coming back, but probably just for a la carte instead of the course menu.

I used to frequent Zen for lunch when it was in Scarborough. Funny now they moved to Markham, which suppose to be in my hood and I only been here for lunch once?! The decor here definitely more upscale than their older location. The sushi bar area so much more spacious and can fit more customers! I always sit at sushi bar even I am here for lunch and order off the lunch menu. Service now is more formal with younger wait staff in uniforms. More chic but I kind of missed the older no nonsense waiter/waitress. Lunch menu did revamped. I ordered NIGIRI SUSHI にぎり寿司 ($29.50) and really enjoyed it. Classic with good cut of fish (uni, scallops, fatty tuna, spot prawns) with none of the fusion/torched. Maybe I would one day come for dinner? They do have Hida Gyu A5 飛騨牛 on the menu?!

Service and Food is still top notch!! Zen has taken careful precautions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, they take your temperature upon entering. The plexiglass installed at the sushi counter is much nicer than most I have seen. It is basically transparent and the installation was seamless and barely even noticeable. The courses are incredibly fresh and executed beautifully. Seiichi-san & his team are incredibly incredibly skilled. They take extra care in every piece. Every item is a work of art. I recommend the Omakase Sushi Course ($160) for those that are coming here. It starts off with appetizers then the nigiri then dessert. Some outstanding pieces I had today include: Hokkaido Scallop, this was incredibly juicy and huge in size Squid, the texture was spot on. Uni, insanely fresh Otoro, melt in your mouth texture Overall, you get what you pay for. The food is top notch and the service is very very good. The servers are very attentive. The water refills are often, the plate clearing, the table cleaning, etc etc. The price is worth the service that you are also receiving. I will be back to try the ultimate omakase course !!

Came into this omakase experience with pretty high expectations and was frankly disappointed overall. Opted for the Omakase Sushi Course which included an appetizer, soup and dessert along with a healthy selection of sushi. Right away when seated, I realized this wouldn't be the experience that I would enjoy. Everything seemed disjointed as the sushi bar had everyone ordering different sets and courses which meant that the chefs were not really there with you the entire time. What ends up happening is the chef just makes the sushi, drops it on your plate, says what the specific fish is and then leaves to make a completely different sushi for other guests at the table. It just took away from the entire thing and lacked the small conversations that you can have with chefs at other omakase places in town. Quality wise it was decent at best. Nothing really blew me away but nothing was bad either. Pretty much as I expected for food, high grade, fresh sushi. The appetizers and dessert was solid overall and added a nice touch to the course. Would not recommend for those looking for a more interactive and holistic omakase experience as I was because you won't find it here.

This review is for the takeout menu that was launched post COVID. I was a bit disappointed in the chirashi because the sashimi didn't taste as fresh as I expected. The handrolls were good though - I had them at their sister restaurant that specializes in udon and they are always tasty with crunchy seaweed. I might try other items on the takeout menu but only if I feel like splurging.

Came with my girlfriend for my birthday on a Friday night, and reservations are a must. They took our coats at the front and were seated at the sushi bar. The atmosphere and service is a bit more relaxed, and we were given a wet towel and a place setting. It all reminded me of actual experiences in Japan. We both ordered the Omakase Sushi Course, which comes with some appetizer dishes, the sushi course, and a dessert. The appetizer dishes felt like a mix of traditional Japanese, sometimes with a more modern topping, so were quite interesting. There was also a light soup. After that came the sushi course, made right in front of you if you're at the bar. There were 12 pieces of nigiri sushi (including one very delicious seared tuna piece), followed by the BEST Tuna + Green Onion roll I've ever had. The seaweed is so crispy, so they tell you to eat it quick as they hand it to you. Dessert was a coffee jelly, a very sweet honeydew slice and some pieces of a light mochi. All in all, the meal was very good. Price was on the high end but reasonable.

Summary: Food and service were amazing but in my opinion, the quality of the sushi is lacking considering the high price point. My boyfriend brought me here for my birthday and I loved it (his wallet didn't). We each got the sushi omakase course and the total after tax and tips was around $300+. We've had high quality omakese multiple times before, both in Toronto and Japan, so we had a good baseline of what to expect. We made reservations to sit at the sushi bar and we don't regret that one bit - we got the watch the chef prepare everything in front of us so definitely recommend this experience for anyone else. The omakase course included appetizers and dessert so we left pretty full afterwards. I'm leaving 4 stars instead of 5 because we thought the rice quality was lack luster and the fish wasn't as fresh (the fish being pre-sliced was a big sign). Very disappointing considering the high price tag. Also, the only piece of sushi that made us go "wow" was the torched otoro (fatty tuna). Every other piece was good but we feel like we could've got the same at any mid-range sushi restaurant.

I've been to Zen Japanese Restaurant a few times over the past few years, though unfortunately somehow I don't have much pictures left in my phone. So this review is going to be fairly dry :P Overall experience is decent. I wouldn't call it perfect as there were pieces of sushi that I found were a miss, but on average the food is good enough for the price charged. One particular good experience was the Kaiseki Course - there was one time we had Kaiseki Course 1 (around $180/ppl, requires 24 hours advance reservation) for a party of 5. The course was well paced with cold/warm appetizers, sushi, grilled fish, noodles etc. and every dish was fairly well crafted. I especially liked the green tea flavored dessert at the end. Most recent experience was their takeout - this time I did have pictures taken. One thing to note was the reservation could be made over the phone and the pickup time would be more flexible than what appeared on the online ordering system.

The tasting menu offers unique flavours and range of fresh seafood. I was just so surprised by all the beautiful dishes and plating, it's definitely never boring and I guarantee they'll have new dishes every single time!

If this is touted as the best sushi uptown, I'll opt for the downtown trip in the future. The quality of the sushi was just alright and the other parts of the experience didn't make it much better. Came for a Friday dinner with my brother, and we had reserved spots at the sushi bar as we got the omakase sushi course. The course that we ordered included a variety of appetizers and desserts, which served as nice bookends to the sushi. The only pieces that really blew me away were the tuna belly pieces - a seared tuna belly sushi as well as a tuna belly hand roll. The seating was a bit puzzling and frankly ruined the experience for us. We were at the very edge of the bar, and in front of one of the chefs responsible for prepping fish. Our actual chef was about 5 seats down which was odd as we expected some interaction, and definitely a close up to the sushi making. Instead, the chef would make the piece, drop it off and mention the type of sushi and where it was from, then immediately go back to their station. Not once were we checked on to see if the rice/wasabi ratios were ok, or if we were enjoying the course in general. Looking around it seemed like there wasn't much interaction with any of the sushi bar customers. The fact that everyone was ordering different courses and started at different times meant that the chefs were doing a bunch of combinations at the same time. As a result, our course sometimes had delays between pieces/items. Given the high price point, it was disappointing that the experience part of the omakase did not stack up.

Reason for Visit: Anniversary dinner (there goes my lunch money for the month). Menu: Zen is a high end Japanese restaurant for over 20 years now originally from Scarborough. The owner/head chef (Seiichi Kashiwabara) currently manages Zen and also their new Zen Sanuki Udon restaurant that just opened up. Zen offers an omakase menu as well as a la carte. As other Yelpers mention, this is a more casual omakase experience. The chefs are talkative, fun and genuinely like interacting with the customers. Chef Vince who served us trained under Seiichi for over 20 years . Vince was quite impressive with his knife work. You can tell that Vince and Seiichi were very proud of their work as they went over each piece and educated us and other guests in the history behind each dish. This was probably the main reason why I enjoyed Zen. It was essentially an amazing food experience with a lot of education. Some of the waitresses don't really speak English well so when they were introducing the appetizers, I really had no idea what they were saying. However, that being said, food was superb and the waitresses were super friendly and nice. The sushi is similar to what you will get at other Omakases. What stood out to me is their appetizer of abalone soba noodles. That was quite refreshing and tasty to start. Also, their desserts of home made soy milk ice cream was also very unique and delicious. It was also very cool they import their melon from Japan. Service: Exceptional. They really have an emphasis in making sure customers have a great time. Note: If you are late for your reservation, you will lose your spot. Zen is very strict in arriving on time to be fair to waiting customers. Atmosphere: Very clean. very nicely decorated. Their sushi bar is beautiful with excellent lighting. Perfect for Yelpers and IG. Overall: Spectacular food. However, this is really one of those places that can easily hit $200/person a meal so won't be able to come back often except for a special occasion or if I win the lottery. I informed head chef Seiichi that once I save up enough money again, I will return. FYI: Seiichi said his favourite udon at Zen Sanuki Udon is the thick pork slices one with an onsen egg

An authentic Japanese place perfect for omakase. Tempura and simmered food are also yummy.

The best sushi in Markham. I've been here twice, and I've enjoyed the second time a lot more sitting at the sushi bar watching the sushi chefs work their magic and craft. I highly recommend sitting at the bar; that way your sushi is prepared as it's made one at a time rather being served all at once. It's rather snug with the other patrons beside you at the bar. It's not as intimate and elusive like yasu is, but rather zen is more casual and relaxed. Reason being, Zen is slightly bigger and the chefs have to create sushi for the surrounding tables, so it might be confusing to follow at times. The interior is simple and clean, it quite wonderfully embodies the Japanese philosophy of minimalism. We ordered the 14 piece omakase for $95 per person. On the price spectrum for omakase, is actually one of the better value ones around. I'd peg it at a slight notch below yasu, but for $40 less then yasu, I can't complain. I ordered some other appetizers on my first visit here, but decided they weren't anything special so we opted not to get them. We were simply here for the fish. The fish was really fresh; most are melt in your mouth - especially the o-toro, and the uni. I was really surprised at the size of the scallop, shrimp, and the sea eel. They were massive! The sea eel and the goiden snapper were blowtorched. One of my favourite things were the negi toro handroll which was warm, crunchy, and just the perfect amount of fat and umami from the o-toro. The garnish and finishes to the sushi made a huge difference whether be it salt, zest, or kabosu. The chefs were considerate enough to ask for feedback on how they were doing in terms of wasabi and in general. The perfect way to finish off your meal is with the mandarin orange cream pie which really rich and sharp. The cracker crust was really soft and was wonderful. Highly recommended.

Had sushi omakase by the sushi counter and was very disappointed. At this price point, neither me or my partner's rice should be falling apart upon picking up the nigiri with our fingers. This just doesn't happen in other places e.g. Jabistro, Kaji, or Yasu just to name a few. The seasoning was not as well balanced either e.g. sometimes the wasabi or the soy sauce was too overpowering. I feel our bad experience may be due to having a more junior staff serving our pieces. If you do go, make sure you choose to be seated right in front of the head chef (he was standing on the far left side today).

Food: 3 Stars (per Yelp standards, it means "A-Ok") compared to my Michelin-starred sushi omakase experience in Japan (never got around to write that review). Experience: 5 Stars because I was able to interact with the sushi chef, Vince. As my fellow yelper Chris W said, this interaction made the experience much more enjoyable. It's a much more laid back environment compared to my experience in Japan. If it is just you and another guest, grab a seat at the sushi bar and enjoy. Overall, the food quality doesn't match the high-end sushi I had Japan. However, the difference in price is probably double. Summary: a) The temperature of the fish and rice were not at the optimal temperature; b) I'd prefer more vinegar in their sushi rice c) the horseradish in their wasabi is powerful (I told Vince to cut back on it and he obliged); and d) the fish is pre-sliced Long-review below: Ordered: Sashimi and sushi omakase Each course was explained in great detail. The first two courses were appetizers. First course was abalone with noodles in some soup/dashi. The soup/dashi was cool in temperature which made for a refreshing start. The abalone was tender. I really enjoyed the flower pedals sprinkled over the dish. The floral flavour caught me be surprise. Second course: (via pictures) On the leaf like bowl: Octopus (normally comes with duck breast but I abstain from meat on Friday), some savoury cake, and some fish. In the blue vessel, fish with crispy skin. In the cup, baby shrimp with some noodles. The soup/dashi was slightly different from the first course. All the proteins were cooked well. Third: Sashimi course I have no idea what I had. There were some Hokkaido scallops, wild tuna from Boston, trout... There was nothing fishy about any of the pieces. Pure and simple. The highlight for me was the piece of fish that was touching the lemon. The citrus really complimented the fish. Miso soup: Piece of fish at the bottom had a very meaty in texture. Fourth: Sushi Chef Vince would explain each sushi piece and the origin of the fish. The highlight was the seared tuna belly. The smoky flavour imparted from the blow torch and the fat melting in my mouth made for an "Oishii" (Japanese word for delicious) comment. I also enjoyed the sushi topped with Japanese chives and ginger (see photo for the sushi with green stuff on top). The onion flavour was so pure and the ginger provided a slight warming undertone without over-powering the piece. Lastly, the uni was simply perfect. Creamy and smooth. The best part was the taste of the deep oceans waters that lingers. Sourcing quality ingredients and treating it with respect. This is Japanese cuisine at its best. We added mantus shrimp (aka pissing shrimp). The shrimp is boiled. The shrimp was mild in flavour. Its texture and the surprise of the roe were the highlights. Zen does not end their sushi omakase with the traditional tamago (egg). Instead, they offer a hand rolled chopped tuna sushi. My first bite was mainly seaweed and the rice. Their seaweed imported from Japan is wicked good. I would have been happy if I just snacked on the seaweed. Fifth: Dessert Imported Japanese melon: It was okay... Soy bean ice cream: Tasty and not overly sweet. Gritty texture, but still enjoyable. Match and almond flour cookie: Crunchy and tasty Mochi: Average

Solid 3.5 stars. Came for dinner with a couple others and called in advance for a reservation to sit at the bar - got the omakase sushi course for 1. Started with a cold noodle appetizer, followed by another appetizer of one-biters: shrimp with sesame, fried fish with grated radish, miso black cod, sweet egg cake, and a thin piece of duck breast. Then there were 13 pieces of nigiri and a chopped tuna hand roll along with a miso soup (our fave was the super sweet uni from nigiri, the hotate and the anago). Dessert was a great end to the meal - came with a slice of cantaloupe from Japan, a scoop of soybean ice cream with red beans, a green tea cookie, and a delicious mochi in soybean powder. Why not a 4 or a 5 star, you ask? The overall quality of the fish and attention to detail/handling of the fish was lacking a bit (and perhaps this experience was specific to our sushi chef as we noticed a couple of the others being more attentive). At one point there was a long gap between our nigiri pieces and we looked around and the chef was chatting with one of the tables (probably a regular). Typically this wouldn't bother us but it it was a good 12-15 minutes before he came back to serve us the next piece of nigiri. One of his fellow sushi chefs noticed us sitting idly for a while and looked around for him too. What was slightly irritating thing was that while he was chatting, he left a few pieces of our fish on the cutting board just sitting there which just felt slightly off. They also didn't slice any of the fish to order as everything was pre-cut when we sat down already. Comparing the overall quality and experience, I would prefer the omakase from Yasu downtown given its similar price point. It was a good meal but I wouldn't come back for another omakase here, maybe for lunch.

We came here to celebrate my husband's birthday. He got the course menu and I ordered some a la carte items with quite good coverage of the varieties of food here. The full meal turned out to be mediocre, not even one dish wowed us. With a price of $100 per person, I was expecting much more. I wouldn't recommend this restaurant to you in general.

The benchmark for sushi in the GTA. Well worth the money, it will change your perception of sushi. I've gotten the omakase sushi every time we go and I always sit at the bar so I can watch the sushi chefs exercise their craft. It's a really beautiful thing to watch them create the perfect bite of sushi for you. At the bar they will make each nigiri one at a time and serve it to you so you don't need to worry about what order to eat them in. You should eat as soon as they put it down so it's fresh (My mouth is watering as I'm typing). All their ingredients are of the best quality and come from all over the world. Since you're at the bar and right in front of the sushi chef, ask him questions about what you're eating. They're very friendly! You can tell they love what they do as you watch them react to patrons reacting to the sushi they just tasted. Take your time enjoying each piece. Close your eyes and feel the textures and taste the complexity of each creation. My eyes actually watered while eating the last item because it was so good. Other than what I've said, let them surprise you with the layers of flavours they've mastered to give you the privilege to enjoy! Although this restaurant is quite high-end in food quality and service, you don't need to be wearing a tuxedo or a dress. Casual attire is fine.

Update Feb 2020 Omakase Sashimi and Sushi with 2 side orders of Soft-shell crab and miso black cod. Food and service are still good. I am not as impressed this time though. Last time, I felt like every course wowed me. This time, I could actually pick some fault in dishes. An example would be finding a bone in the black cod. I would still give my experience a 4.5 stars, which round up to be 5 stars still. ----- First Review: March 2019 We went for the Omakase Sashimi and Sushi. There were 6 courses altogether. Forgot to take a picture for first course (wagyu beef with tofu) and second last course (hand rolls), but you can find the rest in this post. In short, the food, decor, service remind me of my fond memory of visiting Japan. The fish, though not as fresh as in Japan, was fresh tasting. While I enjoyed both the sashimi and sushi, I have to say my favorite was their hand roll and soya ice-cream. The servers were attentive and came numerous time to add tea and take away our empty plates almost the second we finished with the food. It was a good experience!

I went to Zen after recommendation from a random Redditor. He recommended this nigiri only set (pretty sure that wasn't on the menu). Also normally you need to order this one in advance but the sushi chef was happy to oblige my last minute order. I've been to multiple omakase-style restaurants like this. This was probably the best meal I've ever had in my entire life! The whole experience lasted about 2 to 3 hours, but it never felt too long or too short, and was well-paced. Almost every item was perfectly executed, with a nice balance of flavors and textures. Some of my favorites were the aburi Toro, hotate, ankimo, and aji. I would come back to Toronto just to eat at Zen again!! I definitely recommend this place and sit at the sushi bar if you can. It's fun watching the chefs do their thing and interacting with them.

I took my bf here for his bday and we were both delighted by the food and the experience. It's our second omakase experience and while Zen was great overall, it had its ups and downs. Ups included that they put a lot of effort into the appetizers and the desserts- more so than the other omakase restaurant we went to. You got a sampler of items for both so that was nice, and it accompanied the sushi omakase really well. Obviously, the sushi was delicious and they asked if we wanted wasabi in our sushi, which was a nice thought for them to ask. The chefs were very friendly and I felt comfortable conversing with them. The fish was very fresh and I would say it's good value for the money that you're paying. If I could afford to eat here more often, I would. Some of the downs included the flavours of the dessert, which I found underwhelming. I didn't really like the individual components. I've definitely had better dessert elsewhere. Not much else to complain about, really!

First omakase experience, but definitely a great variety of fresh fish flown in from BC and Japan. Service: Waitresses and chef ran the experience like clockwork, preparing each nigiri one after another. I had ordered omakase sushi course, and ordered the omakase for my parents. The miso soup came halfway into the meal, which was an interesting surprise. Enjoyed the small talk with the chef, who explained each piece of nigiri and the garnishes. Food: If you order the omakase, definitely sit at the bar for the full experience. The chef will prepare the nigiri piece by piece in front of your eyes, and hand each piece onto your plate. He also already places the wasabi and soy sauce for each piece before handing it to you, you can ask for an adjustment if you prefer more or less. The variety of fish is decent for the price of the meal, although I had hoped there would be more pieces of tuna (the different parts). I enjoyed some pieces (eel, scallop, tuna) more than others (ebi/shrimp), as I wasn't used to the texture but that's more of a personal preference. The fish was very fresh, with no "fishy" odor. You can tell the chef's attention to detail from the way he zested the ponzu to how he molds the rice for each nigiri in his hands. The wagyu as part of the appetizer was a bit tough (maybe because of the thicker cut), but the octopus was very nice. Overall: Fantastic omakase experience for me and my family, great for special occasions. Make a reservation at the bar for the whole nine yards!

I had scoured yelp for the best authentic sushi up north and all signs pointed to Zen... until it didn't. The food was meh, and the experience was a bust. For an upscale sushi restaurant, the sushi rice was SO dry. It made the rest of the sushi very hard to eat and ruined my omakase sushi set. They were also very stingy on the uni, I had a little tiny piece on the corner of my nigiri - the rest of the sushi was topped with cucumber slices (??). It puzzles me why Zen would choose to offer omakase at the same price for those sitting at the sushi bar vs tables. The sushi bar customers get to watch the chef slice your fish, intricately decorate your sushi, and serve you plate by plate. Meanwhile, I sat at at table, longingly staring at the fun being had at the sushi bar while puzzled by which of my 12 nigiris were what on my giant plate. Don't come here for omakase here unless you can get a seat at the sushi bar.