Zen Sushi and Noodles

Not bad, check it out

I love that there’s lots of food to choose from on their menu.
Our food came out quick and service was great.
The pineapple fried rice is amazing!

Service was definitely off, but the food was spot on.
I didn’t like the «mexican roll» as much as I hoped. All the components on their own sound fantastic — salmon, jalapeño, cilantro… but together? As sushi? Negative ghost rider, there is no freaking pattern.
The tuna tartare dish is fantastic. In fact, everything with tuna was wonderful. Some seared tuna was ordered somewhat hesitantly, but they pulled it off. Usually places over-​season and over-​cook tuna, but this was done just right — a few seconds on each side, not seasoned like a Texas BBQ, and sliced perfectly. The mustard sauce on the side tasted like chinese food hot mustard plus honey. Not good, didn’t eat it, and honestly the tuna didn’t need it anyway.

I accidentally placed an order with these guys thinking I was ordering from another place… wow! I walked over to 714 W Diversey and waltzed inside this very nice sushi/​thai eatery. Décor is very nice and clean looking. Just the right amount of lighting as well.
I ordered the Wakame Salad (seaweed salad), Spicy Tuna Maki, Sake Nigiri, Tuna Nigiri and Red Snapper Nigiri… all delicious and it cost me $ 20. Very welcoming staff here. I am glad I accidentally called these guys! Not sure how long they have been open since I do not see a whole lot of reviews and the fact it was pretty empty (it was a Wednesday night). I guess I will enjoy the sushi goodness here without a long wait :)
I came back and sat inside and again this place is great! They open up the huge windows to give you a nice spring/​summer breeze. The waitress makes sure you have everything you need and is very accommodating. They also have a $ 5 special on mojitos and Sangria (really good). They deliver and deliver fast!
On the Thai side of things, the Thai Tom Yum soup is really good and I actually had the best crab ragoon ever here.

It’s probably my fault. I never should have ordered phở at this restaurant. Still, when a place has «noodle» in its name and phở on the menu, that’s what I’m probably going for. This phở was atrocious. There was no character to the broth at all, it basically tasted like campbell’s beef stock and water. The beef in the phở was disgustingly overcooked to the point where it has that revolting overcooked beef taste that you know exactly what I’m talking about. The noodles themselves were not standard phở rice noodles and I believe they were not even rice noodles at all but some kind of flat fettucine style noodle. This actually might’ve been the worst bowl of phở I’ve ever had.
The chicken pot stickers weren’t terrible but were pretty clearly frozen not too long before they appeared on our table. They were served with that amazingly delicious soy-​vinegar dipping sauce that gyoza is served with, which I almost wish would replace regular soy sauce for all applications in my life.
I should note that my lady had some sushi which was pretty decent. She left this meal reasonably happy. I did not, and will most likely not be returning to this perpetually empty restaurant which I now understand as a barren wasteland of sushi and noodle amongst the myriad other better options in this delicious sushi and noodle city.

I just noticed this place the other day, and I’m sure glad I walk in. They have a very nice décor. I liked the layout. They chose well, considering the space they had to work with.
They have lunch specials for $ 6.95 between 11am and 3pm.
I tried the Pad Siew and wow. It was really, really good. So, a definite 4.5 stars on the noodle side of things. I’ll have to come back and try the sushi. It’ll be hard to top the dish I had.

OK a) have I mentioned that I L O V E this place? I mean seriously hands down the best sushi around b) I was SO happy to come in here while visiting from out of town, I miss walking over from my apartment to put our name on the list Friday nights then going home and getting ready for the night c) I love that the staff is just as awesome and friendly as ever, that my sushi was just as delicious as I remembered it.
I highly recommend the Sunny Crunch, Dragon (had it tonight for the first time and it kicked ass) that being said I don’t think you can order in correctly here everything I have ever had is delicious. The sashimi platter is always a good way to start the night as well as the house salad with the ginger dressing. I’m so glad I got dinner here tonight! I look forward to coming back to Chicago and finding myself here for sushi once again, hopefully sooner rather than later.

I heart this place! Such a step above the old Y2K. Y2K was the place you’d go if you really had no groceries and were super lazy. But Zen is definitely a place that I like and would actually look forward to ordering from. Sad I moved away cause I would definitely be eating here once a week if I still lived next door.
I’ve actually eaten here a couple of times and ordered takeout from the other Zen on North Ave. and I’ve never been disappointed. I saw reviews on here that the sushi wasn’t that good, but I was pleasantly surprised. I ordered only two rolls and told my BF I was worried I’d still be hungry since I was starving. When they came out, the negi hamachi was good sized and the special maki I ordered (can’t remember what it was called) was HUGE! So I ate both rolls and was stuffed. And I thought they were pretty good — not top of the line sushi but I definitely wasn’t disappointed.
On a side note, I wish there was some sort of standard sizing for sushi. You never know what you’re going to get when you try a new place. My favorite sushi place I can eat 4 rolls no problem. Other places you order 2 rolls and it takes up a whole boat. Seriously. As long as it’s good I guess it doesn’t matter that much.
BF got the Cambodian noodles which were awesome. And the friends ordered some Thai noodle dishes with shrimp. The dishes themselves were tasty but the shrimp tasted like nothingness — in both of their dishes, so I don’t think it was a fluke. But then they came out with the complimentary Zen roll and it was tasty. Warm, crunchy tempura batter, and drizzled in unagi sauce. Loved it!
I’m slightly worried about how long this place will last though. Both times I’ve dined in there was only one other table there. And last night I noticed not even one person came in for takeout. It was nice out, too, and it was like 7:30 so I don’t think it was an off time or day.

Their lunch sushi platters are a very good deal, and I love any place that makes their ‘spicy’ sauce actually spicy (as opposed to just being reddish mayo.) Also love that they have free wi-​fi. There is little better than a leisurely sushi lunch in a sunny, attractive restaurant with attentive staff and all-​you-​can-​use internet.

I really enjoyed my lunch here. Had a Zen Crispy Chicken salad, which was huge, and really tasty. They used a generous amount of lime dressing, which made the salad super refreshing. The lime flavor was almost a bit TOO heavy, but overall it was tasty. Also had a lycée berry cocktail, it was ok. The waitresses were sweet and attentive. Nothing bad to say! I’d definitely come back.

Went here for a sushi fix and Toro was way too packed. Walked in and there was only one other table in the restaurant. I remember when this used to be Y2K… anyway, they have really changed it around. I like the décor. Its cute. Its BYOB and they have booze so it fits everyone’s needs. We got the Sushi Mono Supreme (there was like 4 rolls for $ 20), volcano, and spicy tuna. One person got the chicken teri. They brought out some miso soup which was really good. I thought the sushi was pretty good for the price. Its a reallly cheap place so dont expect anything crazy but I liked it. The person that got the chicken teri said it was really good. Overall, I would go back here for my cheap sushi fix. I just dont know how long they will say afloat because there was like no one in the restaurant on a Sat night… I wanna go back and try the thai sometime… it all looked so good!!!

If sushi is not your thing then Zen might just be the place for you!
The lunch specials caught my eye, split a sushi special and a noodle special with my buddy, the sushi was fresh but not impressive, The Pad Siew was on point totally delicious! The little spring rolls that came with the noodle dish were better left in the grocers freezer (not good!)… the Miso soup was wonderful!
Truth is the sushi was good for the price ($ 15 for four maki rolls) but I would be upset if I had to pay full price for those rolls…
Next time no sushi for me…

This place is right down the street from me — so when I need a quick meal and don’t want to pay for delivery I go here. The first time I ordered food I was a little disappointed with the roll I got. I believe it was a California roll — which was good (they use real crab meat) but it was a little small. I also got a piece of nigiri shrimp which was fine. Everything seemed really fresh.
The second time I ordered food was much better. I ordered an Alaskan and a negi hamachi roll and a piece of nigiri shiro maguro (white tuna). The rolls seemed bigger (fatter) and they were stuffed with very fresh fish. They paid attention to my picky requests of no sesame seeds on the rolls and no wasabi on the nigiri. I was very stuffed after that meal. It was very good.
The place never seems to be crowded — but I’ve never dined in, so I don’t know what that experience is like. The staff and sushi chefs are all very nice from the little interaction I’ve had with them.
I will definitely keep ordering from there and seeing if it remains a good place for a quick pick-​up order. I just hope it stays opens and business picks up for them!

My friends all love this place, so I’ll give it a safe 3 stars, but I ordered Basil Beef. Pretty hard to screw this one up… and the beef couldn’t have been any chewier. not good, zen!!! I hear the sushi is proper– will have to go back and try. polite, quick service

Good for take out. I think this is the same chain as the one on North Ave., which I used to frequent quite often. Their food is fresh and flavorful… I wouldn’t say it is anything extraordinary but very, very decent. Also, they are super fast for take out. So if you are looking for a fast, cheap easy take out meal, give Zen a call! Plus they have a huge menu so everyone can find something they like! (BTW-​The Singapore noodles are quite tasty.)

I have to say on a street and in a part of town where there is a lot of great Thai food, I have been underwhelmed by the food at Zen’s. I have not had their sushi yet, so I can only discuss the Thai portion of the menu. The food was bland and unoriginal. I like all types of Thai, but the food I’ve had there had very little flavor.
They are new to this part of town. Maybe the Thai competition will make them a better eat.

Zen noodles makes me want to move south.
When do you get cheap and tasty in the same sentence? When I ask you!
I love that their menu goes on for days and includes a lot of items you wouldn’t normally see on a Thai menu. I can’t comment on the sushi because I haven’t tried any of it. But I’ve had most of the noodle dishes and I’ve never been disappointed. The servings are generous and an order of Pad Thai will end up being three meals. So awesome!

Went to try this new place in my neighborhood this past Wednesday. First impression, what a great atmosphere. Very nice, sleek interior. Sushi bar looked cool, but didn’t sit there. Healthy portion of edamame and only $ 3. Rolls were good and fresh. We had the Zen, Dragon, and Spicy Tuna. Service was good, Sushi chef thanked us as we left. They could work on their music selections, but it didn’t annoy me that much. I will definitely be back with a bigger group, as this is totally a place I’d be glad to go on the weekend too!

Let’s get down to business! Zen Sushi & Noodles is where Y2K used to be — although it’s in the same spot and they both serve sushi and noodles, everything else has changed. The new owners really spruced up the place, it looks really nice on the inside — very woody and hip. They play the radio which was weird — lots of commercials and static and a strange selection of All American Rejects.
For most of our meal, we were the only patrons. While it’s nice to have a quiet meal and to have the attention of the wait staff… they STARED at us as we ate. I know they weren’t very busy as they haven’t been open long, but what looked like an owner, 2 waitresses, and 2 sushi chefs stood on guard watching us as I fumbled my chopsticks trying to get food into my mouth as fast as possible. Every time I’d look up, they would dart their eyes away. Creepy, especially while sitting through «Gives You Hell» while eating sushi. Just didn’t add up.
The sushi selection is kind of small but the noodles and stir fry selection is several pages long. If I was in charge, maybe I would have named the place «Zen Noodles and Sushi», although that doesn’t ring as well as «sushi and noodles». We had egg rolls, seaweed salad, chef’s selection of sushi and noodles. Egg rolls were OK. The seaweed salad was overdressed but the dressing was bland. The chef’s selection of sushi had 6 pieces of nigiri which were good, but average. I have no idea what roll we were served and the waitress didn’t tell us. It had some kind of imitation crab in it, I think. It was OK, but the selection wasn’t as fresh or inventive as it is at some other places. Plus, I was being stared at as the fish fell off the rice while I was dipping the top in soy. Noodles were pretty good.
All in all, the sushi was average and so were the noodles. Clark and Diversey is a tough place to be average as far as sushi and noodles or noodles and sushi go. I would normally give it 3 stars, but I deducted one for the blatant staring. What, you’ve never seen a fat girl eat before?

Went over to Zen not realizing Y2K had not only changed names but changed everything. I really loved Y2K so I was skeptical but I left impressed. Hardwood panels, candles… It’s so cozy and classy now! And clean! I’d actually go there for a date night as opposed to just a quick meal with girlfriends. Too bad we were just carrying out due to lack of parking meter money.
The place was completely empty when we walked in so the two waitresses and one hostess greeted us enthusiastically. We chatted with the staff while the chefs made our food. They were knowledgeable, nice and professional.
We ordered steamed chicken potstickers, maguro nigiri, hamachi nigiri, an aloha roll, a california roll, and a negi hamachi roll. The nigiri was the freshest I’ve had in Chicago. VERY good! The other rolls had tons of fish in them and once again, the freshest I’ve had in quite awhile. The sushi menu wasn’t huge or original but the quality of what they did offer was excellent. I have a lot of friends who don’t eat sushi so it’s nice to have someplace to go where everyone is happy with the menu options.
The atmosphere is great, prices aren’t too bad, and the sushi is really really fresh and substantial. They deliver for $ 2.50 if you don’t want to venture out. Give Zen Sushi and Noodles a try!