4. Restaurants

Bombadils Tavern

575 Main St, Phoenix, NY, 13135
  • (315) 695-7144
  • Store is closed

Bombadils Tavern Menu

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  • Colin FX G.

    My girlfriend went there today and absolutely loved the place. She had a titanic roll and a mango roll and they were both delicious. The sushi was average quality, but don't let that dissuade you from going here. Small little place with nice character - she ate lunch in 30 minutes flat.

    (5)

  • Kei Ling W.

    I asked for the ramen that did was the least saltiest. The Shoyu Ramen came, I took a bite, and nearly died from a heart attack. Same thing with the Takane Rice. Good for vegetarians and I like the fact the rice is really juicy. However, it was still very salty. If you go and want AC, get a table in the front. We got a seat in the back and was literally dying from the lack of AC. Why the 2 stars? Got so many flies flying around me that I was pretty scared throughout the dinner....

    (2)

  • Michael C.

    zen sushi. this place has some pretty good deals...as does the majority of the sushi joints in st marks, so i guess its nothing too special. beer specials from 10-midnight...half off sushi all day...so whats not to like about it? for half price sushi i cant complain..not the greatest stuff to have, but its alright. the menu has a decent variety of rolls and the regular menu seems relative to most decent japanese places. one problem i have is their service. man. their service sure stinks sometimes. its bad enough when they dont really check on you regardless if its busy or not, and sometimes you gotta' ask them to do something for you over and over. their waiters look like characters from some anime show and they're just not the greatest servers. all in all, if you want decent sushi for half price...just go to may's place around the corner on second ave.

    (2)

  • Dimitri L.

    Unbelievable Ramen!!!! Wow...and for the unbelievably low price the sushi is absolutely tasty!

    (4)

  • Vic C.

    Actually... more like 3.5 stars. But I'm a sucker for half-priced anything. Hell, put a 50% sticker on a pair of dirty socks and I seriously might consider buying them. So when my sister and I chowed down on 5 rolls for less than $30 (inc. tip), you know the owners were appealing to our cheap Asian sensibilities. And we're still alive to tell the story today (check back with us tomorrow). But the fish was surprisingly fresh. And their slices of avocado fatty! Oh, but stay away from their spider roll. Deep-fried imitation crab is not the same as panko-crusted soft-shell crab. All the other rolls were tasty though... fatty naruto, dragon roll, and I forget the others. Major downside, though: We waited ages (and then some) for our food. The sickeningly cute-ish (white!) couple next to us go their sushi way before us and were 90% done by the time our plate even arrived. [Note to couple: cooked chicken in a roll is NOT sushi. And to the guy: if you're not dumping her for wearing a PINK CARDIGAN on the date, then dump her for not knowing what a Philadelphia roll is] But I digress. The bad service... My sister had to get up and get the pitcher of water to refill our cups. The waitress barely spoke English. She left one of our rolls off the order. (We decided not to get it and not be complete gluttons). And YET, despite all my Chinese instincts yelling at me to tip even less, I still gave her a fair amount. ... I guess they forgot to mention on the service was half-off too.

    (4)

  • Robin T.

    My favorite sushi spot in Manhattan! Can have miso soup, sushi, and a drink for $10. Best in the summer

    (5)

  • PJ R.

    The garlic salt ramen started well, but I felt a bit ill afterward -- likely due to the extreme garlic saltiness, or possibly the sour egg, the tough pork, the top 40 rave station playing, or the mechanical droning of the mystery box in the corner. The other happy customers all ordered something else, and should I ever return, so will I.

    (2)

  • Josh N.

    This place is cute and affordable. The atmosphere is very relaxed, great for lunch but probably not dinner. The bright green walls are a little assaulting to the eyes, but who really cares about the paint job when you're having a conversation? The servers leave you alone and aren't idle to the point of negligence. I love their ramen (even though they're a little cheap on the meat.) The quality might not satisfy the palette of say Mr. ~fabuloso wapanese connoisseur~ but for the average diner, yes please! Shopping for weird crap in St. Marks? Got $15 to spare on a filling meal? Not a Japanese elitist of sorts? (Minus 20 points if you're white and complaining) Good spot.

    (3)

  • Karin G.

    I USED TO like this place. It was my first Japanese restaurant as well as my first exposure to ramen before the sudden pop-out of ramen houses, ie Ramen Setagaya...I know b/c I used to ask for ramen in Japanese restaurants and they were like ??? I think I had the spicy ramen and I really enjoy it. HOWEVER, this place had downgraded on my list from first to bottom b/c I JUST DON'T FEEL SAFE EATING HERE ANYMORE. My friend and I once saw a bug crawling on the wall in this place. Also, I strongly believed I got food-poisoning here from ordering oyaki-donburi (egg w/chicken) dish. Unless I see a total rennovation of this place, I am not going in there.

    (2)

  • Lily S.

    Cheap; good; fulfilling =) what's not to like? Ordered more than a handful of rolls which i can't recall. But they were fresh and that's what counts. Sushi's done differently everywhere. If you like lotsa compact rice, this might not be the place, they do their rolls a bit loose. And for the price they serve it at--half price sushi!! who's to complain ..Their tonkatsu was done pretty good too!! A plus for my palate. This place is always packed

    (4)

  • Alexander H.

    Racism is not cool. I'd give the food a 2.5-3 starts, although I am always afraid that cheap sushi might not be fresh. But I am definitely not going to go here, since they apparently feel the need to make conflicts with individuals a racial issue.

    (1)

  • Peggy P.

    Another 50% off sushi joint, except I wasn't very satisfied at this one. I believe it's owned by the same people who own Sushi Lounge which is further down on St. Marks --the menus were pretty much the same. However...the sushi didn't taste as fresh as I've had at Sushi Lounge. Plus, the service took a while. But, hey, you get what you pay for.

    (3)

  • Justin S.

    Right now this place is worth 1 or 2 stars. Back in 2002 - 2004 when I went there regularly it was like 4 or 5 stars. So I'll give it 3 stars. It used to be a place like taisho. Cheap food. Cheap Drinks. Interesting people. Dangerous stairs... The type of place you'd go into the basement and shoot up with your girlfriend and then go back upstairs and get some dirt-cheap sushi which was washed down with equally cheap (and sometimes warm) beer/sake... at one time Zen was pretty decent as far as dirt-cheap sushi spots go. But like so many restaurants before it a big change of cooks, bartenders, servers, and GM's sent a once pretty decent late-night bar/ramen/sushi shop into an empty and not-so-good Japanese restaurant. The miso ramen used to be awesome. Haven't had it in a long time though, so can't speak for it now. It used to be an underground stop to get gnarly, now it's just another stop on St. Mark's.

    (3)

  • Inside S.

    I came here to eat out with my friends yesterday and I do have to say that it was pretty good. Three of my friends and I consumed 70 bucks of sushi (includes the 50 percent off) and we were rather full. Might I recommend that you guys to come before the rush hour so that you can be seated. It's always packed on weekends and the seating process takes forever. The sushi, dont expect it to be exceptional, but rather, mediocre; it's just good for its price. And they are really generous with their fish distribution; every sushi is packed with tuna or salmon. If you're ever here, might I recommend the Crunchy Crab with Mayo and the Mango sushi, those are the best. Good ambiance and good wait staff( they are overworked, so go easy on them) Well, come if you're craving sushi. Enjoy!

    (3)

  • Michele W.

    the good: sushi was pretty good, especially for the cheap prices! friends ordered ramen and loved it. the bad: service was slow, they are inattentive, and got the order wrong more than once! the interior is "eh" but not bad enough for me to want to turn away. results: i would give it 4 stars if the service was better, but i'd definitely come back if i was in the mood for sushi and ramen noodles and was in the area.

    (3)

  • M W.

    I come here for the 1/2 price sushi. The rolls are amazing. I've tried the other hot food and regular sushi, but these items just don't compare to the rolls. I get take out from here about once a week so give it a try! It is decent for the price!

    (3)

  • Sammy B.

    so cheap so cheap! I go here a bunch of times for sushi. It's either really really good or good enough, which for the price I'm paying, is more than good enough! At least I haven't run into a time when it's bad. I will keep returning. I love you!

    (5)

  • Betty W.

    This place is pretty much a rip off. First off their gimmick is 50% off when their rolls are 9.95 where you can get pretty much the same roll at other places for 3.25. Most of the time I don't mind paying extra money for quality however this place was anything but quality. All the fish had slight discoloration due to lack of freshness. Then at the end of the meal they slapped us with a 20% gratuity on the bill for mediocre service. If you are searching for yummy food and a good deal.... Keep searching.

    (1)

  • Ro N.

    I used to come here all the time-they do have great specials! Good Ramen combo (Ramen with salmon sushi) and great prices! The salmon used to be so fresh that it melts delectably in your mouth. But now, I don't know what happened-it's no longer as good as I remembered. Perhaps it's the mice infestation? One time when I came here to meet up my friends-one of my friend asked if I ever seen a mice fetus? I, naturally said No! We were sitting on the street patio and they pointed to the two mice fetus that were squirming near the floor drain near the restaurant's window. I don't know what this says about the restaurant but I'd became pretty skittish on wanting to come back here. If you're wondering what happened to the mice fetus (the girl who discovered the fetus is studying to be a vet), she couldn't bare seeing the two mice fetus suffering-she used a chopstick to pick them up and discard them into the floor drain. Hmm not sure if they were suffering or suffering more by getting dropped into the bottom of the drain. I also do not know if the drain goes down to the restaurant's basement (if they did, now they are king sized rats or mice)or does it go somewhere down the sewer? Another thing-don't try the UME CHO YU unless you like straight up vodka. The Ume = plum drink--OMG it's just one shiesty little preserved (dried up) plum that's trying to flavor the whole cup of vodka. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I would like to pass on the alcohol poisoning! They are also a bit fickled when it comes to delivery-sometimes they deliver to my place and sometimes they don't!

    (3)

  • Jon L.

    this is probably my favorite cheap sushi place in new york. 50% off sushi all the time..and the fish is actually fresh. i also like the fact that their happy hour starts after 10 pm. i usually go and order way more food than i can actually eat but leave satisfied knowing that i didn't spend nearly as much money as i would have at any other sushi place. the worse part of this place is the service. man it can really suck. sometimes we will order and the food will take like 30 minutes to get there. it just depends on how busy they are. UPDATED INFO I recently tried their ramen and I thought it was excellent. I don't have the highest standards, so I'm not sure if it means anything. The soup was just the right flavor, not too salty (as it is in a lot of other ramen places) and the noodles were just the right consistency for me.

    (4)

  • Maria W.

    50% off sushi every night! The sushi was good, but the seating and table arrangement is very poor. Also, on a busy night, they take forever to take your order. I guess I would come back for the sushi, but not on a Friday or Saturday night.

    (3)

  • beverly c.

    I don't recall this place being called Zen sushi. (didn't it have a diff name a few years ago, better sushi and better deals.?Must've changed managers..although I was hoping..) I don't recall there being an $8 or in my case a $16 dollar minimum PER PERSON to get the half price deal. How can it be that the other yelpers here say it's an $8 min? Did they seriously try to pull one on my friend and I like that? This is why this place now gets ONE star. I had the dragon roll with grilled eel, cucumber and radish (which tasted weird to me but im not sure if it was SUPPOSED to taste like that) and avocado outside. I spent $10.25 on it. I regretted that when I went to Oh! Taisho next.. what a waste of money. I knew it felt kinda empty for dinner time as compared to when I went a while back.. I hope you go out of business for your tricks!!!

    (1)

  • Kitty N.

    5 star ramen and maybe 3.5 star sushi. I fell in love with the tasty and tender noodles. Yummmmmmmmm. Service was OK, not fabulous, you can't have everything.

    (4)

  • Kevin N.

    I really like this place. The sushi is cheap and I personally think it tastes great. Granted, this is not like super high end sushi so ordering sashimi is probably not going to be the greatest, but the specialty rolls are very tasty. I've also never gotten sick from here, which sometimes happens with sushi. Ramen is also pretty good. I would like the happy hour to be a bit earlier, 10pm is kind of late.

    (4)

  • William C.

    Good sushi and almost always 50% off.

    (4)

  • Leila Y.

    I came here with 8 of my friends. At first they said the wait was 20 mins, we waited about 35minutes. First they offered us to seat in the garden but when a few of us went to check out the garden we noticed it looked really ugly. Therefore, we decided to wait for a inside table. They kept coming to us and telling us that this table was paying and then we would go inside, we thought we would be inside within a few minutes but we ended up waiting an extra ten minutes. When we got inside we got menus. The waiter came by after a few minutes and asked us what we wanted. I ordered a dragon roll and fancy naurto roll. I felt that the sushi wasnt that good. I was very disappointed. I felt that they put a lot of vegetables like cucumber and avocado, and not enough fish or shrimp. It felt like I was eatinng cucumber or avocado with rice. I did like that they made the dragon roll look like a dragon, it had a tail, mouth and shape. I think they should spend their time making better sushi though. Even though this place did have 50% off it sushi, it wasnt worth it. I wouldn't go back again.

    (2)

  • Marc K.

    another japanese that i appreciated around east village. i got their shrimp rice.. something like that! lol.... it's pretty cheap and fulfilling..and they close pretty late. awesome deals for a hungry college student like me!

    (4)

  • Maria C.

    Half price sushi usually makes me turn away, like. immediately. But my fiancee was choosing, and he picked this place. I got the miso ramen combo, I think it was ramen and a salad, and a few slices of sashimi on the side. The miso ramen which was meh... just ok, edible, but not great. He had the chirashi, which was half price of course, but we didn't realize the magnitude of the "half price" thing until the check came and his chirashi cost less than my ramen combo! For the best bang for your buck, order sushi, not noodles. I had some of his fish, and it was surprisingly fresh and good. I think it ended up being around $20 for both of us. The service was ok, the waitresses kept our water glasses filled. Overall, a good deal for decent food. Not quite solid, but decent. For this reason, I must round my 3.5 stars down to a 3.

    (3)

  • Sylvia L.

    I did mention that I was never going back to this sushi place again because my first experience was terrible. But my friends from Pittsburgh came to visit, and they wanted to eat at this place because sushi is "50% off!". I ordered the Golden Dragon roll and Naruto Roll...both were mediocre at best. The reason why I'm giving 2 stars instead of 1 is that I didn't see a cockroach crawling up the wall while we were eating like the last time. Seriously, this is my last visit. I mean really. REALLY.

    (2)

  • Casey M.

    What's with all the haters? I actually ate here the first night that I moved to NYC, and haven't stopped going since. The main dining area is clean, I don't know where all these unclean comments come from. Yeah the sushi isn't five stars amazing, but it's pretty good, and you can't beat the price. Pitchers of beer are normally $14, or $7 if you go after 10pm. Their chu hi is pretty weak so I would probably just stick to beer next time. But definitely a good spot to go to if you're craving quick sushi and don't have a ton of cash to spend.

    (4)

  • Joanna L.

    2.5 To be honest, this place wasn't great. The portions are quite small but that's what you get for the $8 bento box. It wasn't amazing. I would head down to Udon West for better food around that price.

    (2)

  • Saila A.

    Their food is great! Half price off sushi, this deal is a keeper. I have come at least once ever month. Can't beat the price anywhere else. And also it is located in a very busy area, that mean you can go to the hookah spot next door or a bar around the corner after you have ate your food. The only thing that suck about this place is their service. The rush us to a sit, crowded us into any small space. Than they rush us to order, most of the time I pick Whatever is on my visual at the moment because I did not have time to look over the menu. once the food has been serve they rush us to finish eating. Most of the time its just me and my boyfriend. Except for the bad service the place is not that bad. I recommend to anyone who wants some good cheap sushi. =)

    (3)

  • Robert T.

    I think my girlfriend said it best... "If we lived around here I would be here every day." We each had Ramen, I had the traditional ramen and she had the spicy ramen (she's Korean and it lived up to her standards!). Service was great, it was a little busy, no wait at 4pm on a Monday. The ramen only had a meager amount of meat, but you can easily double the amount for only $3 more. Despite the lack of meat involved in the dish, I was quite full when I was finished so first timers are recommended to avoid the double meat unless you are either A) a really big eater or B) are able to take home leftovers with you. We didn't have sushi, but the gentleman next to us had a very elegant looking sampler, that smelled wonderful. He requested a knife and fork while eating sushi, which really threw me but he was obviously a sushi rookie so more power to him for being adventurous and trying so many different types. 4/5 for now, simply because I haven't had a chance to try their sushi. If that is as good as everyone else says it is, easily a 5/5.

    (4)

  • Ada C.

    My favorite Japanese restaurant in New York! I first came here about a year and a half ago with my boyfriend for a late night snack. Although they were close to closing, we weren't rushed at all. The waiter was super nice. I come here almost regularly now, about once or twice a month with my boyfriend or with our friends. I always order the chicken udon and the noodles are the most amazing noodles I have tasted in New York. I've been to Japan and eaten their ramen noodles, which it is renowned for, and I can say that Zen comes really close to it. My boyfriend usually orders the sushi deluxe, with an order of spicy salmon rolls that are always good, and the salmon don, which is only $8 because they've got half price sushi. You get 10 pieces of salmon which is a great deal for only $8. The service isn't always superb because there is almost always a wait on the weekends, which is when I usually come. There isn't much decor and the tables are pretty tightly packed so you're kind of sitting close to other tables. But, the waitstaff is always friendly and nice and actually Japanese. Definitely would recommend.

    (5)

  • Roberto A.

    I love this place. The sushi is fresh and cheap. The specialty rolls can be pretty good, but my favorite is spicy salmon. Zen is totally no frills. The rear eating area is pretty plain and the bathroom ceiling is really low... if I'm not careful I'd bump my head. The drinks are pretty strong.

    (4)

  • Maricar M.

    I lived in NYC for 2 years, and this was my favorite restaurant. I haven't been back in a couple years, but I still think about Zen all the time. I even joke around with my friends that still live there, and tell them to bring me some sushi. Whenever I went there, I would order the shoyu ramen, zen roll, and a california roll. If I ever do go back to New York, this will be the first place I would visit!

    (5)

  • Cherry S.

    I wish I could give this place a negative star. Yelp should have that option. I don't understand how anyone can rate this place so highly. Maybe because it's a "college staple" and they advertise their sushi rolls as 50% off. First of all, the place itself is unappetizing and unappealing. The chairs are falling apart and the walls and ceiling look like someone vomited on them. The food is nothing to rave about. So, at the end of our mediocre meal where the service before and during the meal was lackluster at best, my party of three left. I paid our $31 bill and tipped $3. THEN this Japanese waitress had the gumption to chase us and DEMAND for a higher tip. She said, "This is New York. The minimum is 15% tip." I told her that she's lucky she got anything because the service was bad. She replied, "But you ate everything." So, dear reader, please tell me how FOOD and SERVICE are related? Did she make that food herself? When we were done shoveling the food into our gut because we didn't want to waste food, she merely took our plates away. She even gave the bill to the wrong table. So, how is it that she feels the right to demand a tip? She actually told me that I need to give her at least $4.50. So I said, "Fine. If you want to chase me for a dollar fifty, great. I'll give it to you. I just won't ever come back to this place EVER again." I have experienced a number of things in New York, but I have never, in all of the years I've lived here, been ever chased and be treated like I owe this uncouth waitress anything. She did minimal work. Her attitude made me sick to my stomach. What a turn off. Please do yourself a favor, DO NOT PATRONIZE this place.

    (1)

  • Jimin O.

    My favorite place for decently good cheap sushi. There is often a short wait, but the service is quick and good. The sushi quality is fairly good, and the rolls are yummy. I've been to almost all the other Sushi places around St. Marks, and Zen is the best for its quality and price. The dishes are pretty good as well (Salads, Age Tofu, Katsu, Udon). If this one seems busy, I recommend walking one block east to St Marks and Ave A, and you'll see the same chain. Usually it's easier to get a table for a bigger group here.

    (4)

  • Ufei C.

    Yum, for a real half off deal, you can't get much better than this. This isn't your celebrity chef inspired Japanese cuisine - this is your neighborhood, dependable, satisfying sushi. My favorite is the sushi mania where for $10 after discount, you get 2 pieces each of salmon, tuna, yellowtail, eel and a spicy tuna (I get spicy salmon) roll. The fish is fresh and melts in your mouth. The fish to rice ratio (very important) is perfectly sized. The rice lacks a bit of stickiness and does fall apart once bitten. I've also tried their chicken yakitori which is saucy for a yakitori but tasty nonetheless. I've had better edamame. The service is sparse and sometimes it is hard to communicate with the staff. It looks like the same few waiters/waitresses service the entire restaurant, so be ready to wait a few minutes. I've gone back to this place time and again. If you're in the mood good food at a great value and don't mind slower service, then this is the place to be.

    (4)

  • Washieka T.

    OMG Don't ever come here unless you liek parasites. I should have known because no one was there and the avocado roll was slimy and brown and white not green and white. I had an avocado roll and yellowtale. Next day I went to the doctor and he told me I had a parasite and the only thing i had that was different was ZEN SUSHI. If this place burned down I wouldnt shed a tear

    (1)

  • Tim M.

    Delicious rolls! I only get avocado, but they are amazing. Only an $8 minimum here before 50% off. Superior to May's around the block.

    (5)

  • Lena X.

    Got the California roll for lunch one day to take out because I wasn't very hungry. Cost me almost $5 (50% off doesn't apply to orders that are under either $10 or $12). Waited from about eight minutes for said roll to come out, even though the place only had 2 other tables (I waited at the bar). When I got the rolls, I had to squint to find the crab--which is the white, red-coated stick kind, but peeled so they only have to use like 1/6th of a stick of it, instead of the whole thing. Really? Avocado was decently fresh, a couple brown speckles but definitely the creamy green it should be. Rolls were tiny, overwhelmingly rice (and not particularly tasty sushi rice, either)...the whole thing just felt like a huge ripoff. Thank god it was only $4 something. I won't be returning.

    (2)

  • Debby K.

    THEY RECENTLY IMPLEMENTED A $8 MINIMUM & so my friends & i got into a bit of a tussle with one of the waiters, which is funny, because the service at this place SUCKS. honestly, i am never going there again. the prices also seem to have gone up. i have been going to zen noodle cafe for probably a year & a half now, & enough is enough. i will make the trek up first ave to oyama, where the food is cheap & THERE ACTUALLY IS GOOD SERVICE. needless to say there was NO TIP when my friends left, because after the run in with the waiter where he told my friend that he could not finish my shrimp & cucumber roll, we were no longer treated like we were at the restaurant. we were not asked if we wanted dessert, & a different waiter handed us our check. no wonder it was the least crowded sushi joint on st. marks that night.

    (1)

  • Kelly B.

    The cheap-as-hell sushi is a big draw for Zen, as is the great location in the center of St. Marks. The atmosphere is nice- not frilly or over-the-top, but still enough to make for an enjoyable meal. The bathrooms are clean, but that's not really saying much. We used to make a trip to Zen a regular thing when in the city, but after my date had an allergic reaction to the chicken ramen, we haven't gone back. It just never made sense why the chicken ramen would trigger a shellfish allergy, but I guess stranger things have happened...it is a fish place, after all.

    (4)

  • A D.

    sushi is always great and fresh. can't go wrong for lunch here! the staff is so friendly and nice. tempura is great, i'm not sure what other veggie things they give me, i just ask for vegetarian items and it comes out! lol. yet to try the tofu steak however. so cheap as well! i go here when craving japanese/sushi and when i don't know what i want to eat i always end up here. its great every time. :)

    (5)

  • Shaina Q.

    I love this place. I've been coming to this place FOREVER. I brought my boyfriend to this place b/c I realized I loved him and now he's my husband. Thats the only reason he was invited to MY sushi place. I take only really special people to this place. B/c this place is a gem in NYC. I'll admit that it's small, you wait forever for your food, and on a busy night, a table. The staff isn't incredibly friendly, but they're just good. And so is the food. And so are the prices. So yeah, overall nothing spectacular, but on a night when you just want to get something tha'ts consistently good and you know you won't have to go broke for it, you go to Zen. St. Mark's has changed sooo much since I started hanging out here in my teens, but thankfully Zen hasn't. And that's why I keep coming back.

    (5)

  • Jess M.

    So I had made a proclamation to myself that I would quit this 50% off sushi nonsense, for the sake of not giving myself ulcers after eating potentially suspect raw fish. Well, so much for will power, because I caved in to my simultaneous desire for sushi and cheap eats, past midnight, no less. But to Zen's credit, it is the best of the 50% off sushi bunch that I've tried. It was fresh enough, pretty decent-sized portions, and the avocado wasn't crunchy. I only got take-out, which was quick enough. And they were nice enough to give us water while we waited (granted, I had to request it, but still). Well, this makes me feel like a broken record, but I'll say it anyway - good sushi, considering how much (or little) you pay for it. And open late, so you can satisfy your sushi/cheap eats cravings at all hours.

    (3)

  • Michelle R.

    So it's not Nobu or anything and I'm not a sushi aficionado by any means, but who can say no to 50% off sushi? The place is really busy since it caters to college students, but consider how much fish they'd have to go through in a day. The result? Fresh cheap sushi. The more expensive rolls are about $10 which come about 6/roll, so half off of that. There is an $8 minimum, but you can easily make that with just one roll and a smaller roll ($4.50). Yes, the bathrooms are nasty so only go if you MUST. And don't order winer there, it's Carlos Rossi Jug Wine.

    (4)

  • Gino N.

    One of my favorite places to eat sushi. They're half-off, and you can never go wrong with any of their special rolls!

    (4)

  • Takaki K.

    Poor service, mediocre food, weak and small drinks. It's barely worth it if you go for the happy hour (starts 10pm).

    (2)

  • james f.

    HORRIBLE SERVICE AND FOOD. JAPANESE guy runs after you if you dont tip a FULL 15 %. TOOk 1 hour for spicy tuna. They must fishing for it since its that damn long. dont do it. trust me

    (1)

  • Victor L.

    Decent, half-off sushi. The times I went they tended to have the wider, shorter cuts for their rolls, which can be a small hassle for those with smaller mouths. As with any place on St. Mark's there can be a lot of just crappy people around so be careful not to punch someone next to you for being a pretentious douche. The service is a little slow, but its fine for a saturday afternoon late lunch for cheap. Sushi Park down the street around the corner is slightly better.

    (3)

  • Scott L.

    My go to sushi place now in NY. Decently priced and they have good specials and happy hour prices. I am not a complete sushi expert cause I don't eat fish, but they have plenty of veggie options. The tofu steak was basically a brick of tofu with onions on top. Good, but not much flavor. Can't go wrong with the avocado rolls though.

    (4)

  • matthew h.

    stopped here for a ramen lunch the other day. Solid. nothing outrageously orgasmic, but a really good bowl of ramen. the garlicky broth really shone out, the broth was 4 star quality, there could have been a little more pork and veggies, though. still a good decent cheap meal

    (3)

  • kimberley o.

    i was craving ramen that night and went in here because some other friends already ate here before. the meal was ok overall but i do have one complaint. we sat right next to the sushi bar area so we could see the chefs and plates of sushi, and there were FLIES EVERYWHERE. it was rather disturbing to see that some rolls we ordered were probably already greeted by flies before entering our mouths. sorry, the other complaint was like the sushi chefs were not japanese. i guess i shouldn't have expected too much from a place with such low prices, but i somehow thought that st. marks place meant ALMOST all things japanese. the good thing though, was that the miso ramen i ordered was pretty decent and not too salty. my friend's shoyu ramen wasn't too salty either. the saba (mackerel) roll that came with my ramen combo was not bad.

    (3)

  • Katie B.

    This place served me the weirdest spicy tuna roll I have ever had in my life. You know they're usually kind of creamy? This one had the texture of ham salad.

    (2)

  • Jovita K.

    i can't help it. call me cheap, call me distasteful but i'm a sucker for good cheap sushi. okay, the food isn't astounding like morimotos or sushi samba but it definatly doesn't have the kind of quality that you'd expect for 50% off sushi. i lovee the titanic roll, spicy tuna on the inside, avocado and salmon on the outside.. for $5 after the discount, it's a bargain considering most spicy tuna rolls themselves in the city are around $5. i came here on a wednesday night, there was no wait and our food came quite quickly. its not the type of place to bring a girl on a first date, i think the 50% off sushi signs everywhere might make her think you're too cheap.. but once she tastes the food, or if you've been together for a while, it can become your go to sushi place.. if you're in the area.. or even if you're not!

    (5)

  • Stella D.

    back then, i would give this place four stars. i dont know what happened between then and now, but their sushi is not any better than supermarket sushi now. im not complaining much about the fish, but THE RICE?! THE RICE WASNT SOFT AND FLUFFY?! and my softshell crab sushi had more cucumber and avocado than crab. the takoyaki is good, im not gonna deny them that, but i came here for sushi. its so sad how the place just deteriorated in quality. id go back for one more try on the sushi, but if the sushi sucks again, im not going here anymore. even if its half off.

    (2)

  • Ashley B.

    terrible. the 50% off special is misleading as to how much you have to spend. we were initially told $10 per person, but it ended up being $16 per person. beer was warm, not just cool, but warm. sushi itself wasn't anything special. did not taste fresh, did not taste good. service was the worst part about the place. language barriers aside, the staff was rude and kurt. i would not recomment or return.

    (1)

  • Stefi C.

    ummmm....no. my friend and i went here for lunch today and we both got the bento box special. the bento comes with miso soup, salad, two pieces of california roll, two pieces of something that kind of looks like shumai (cantonese food in a japanese bento box? ok, sure), and two chicken nuggets (????why??). her broiled salmon neck had tons and tons of bones and the sauce on my salmon teriyaki was way too tangy. the chicken nuggets were overcooked and dry, but the sesame/miso/peanut dressing on the salad was bomb and the california rolls had a good amount of avocado and crab meat. another thing that irked me about this place was the fact that they have 50% sushi, all day every day. why don't you just change your menu prices, then? doesn't make sense. service was also slow. we were one out of three small tables and it took a good amount of time for our food to arrive. meh, won't be coming back unless it's for sushi, and that's a maaaaybe.

    (2)

  • Bobby B.

    If you have no concept of what Asian food should taste like then by all means... Eat here! Bad food!

    (1)

  • Daniel U.

    I've been pretty spoiled when it comes to Japanese food, so for a long time I couldn't find anywhere that I liked (and could afford). In a sense... that's still true. But I've found myself eating here every so often, dispite myself. The key is lowered standards. It had been so long since I've had good sushi that I started to crave any sushi at all... that's where Zen came in. The sushi here is so-so, but it isn't bad. It definitely IS cheap, though. For whatever reason this place is in a perpetual state of 50% off all sushi (why they don't just cut prices all-together beats me), and the result is that I can actually fill up on $7 dollars worth of raw fish. So... the best thing you can say about Zen Restaurant BY FAR is that their sushi is cheap. But that alone manages to be worth three stars. I haven't tried anything else here, and probably won't. I'll be honest, it doesn't look appetizing.

    (3)

  • Aileen M.

    I have been a loyal fan of Zen for almost a decade and their quality of food has not changed one bit. Good sush at decent prices and portions: check, money left in wallet after: check, service: decent, seats: go during the day or happy hour for chu-his to make it worth the wait. Their spicy tuna roll is solid and one of my must- gets. I am not a big fan of eel, but I am addicted to their golden dragon roll. It's an eel roll topped with thinly sliced mango and lightly sprinkled with sesame seeds. Aside from the sushi, their takoyaki is comparable to the Otafuku stand. I would stay away from the ramen, doesn't even come close to any of the ramen giants in the vicinity. The oyako don is good to order when you are drunk from their happy hr half off beer and chu- hi drinks. It's made with edible chicken meat in an omelet in a huge bowl and over a bed of mirin soaked rice, it will definitely sober your drunk butt enough to get you home. Lastly, if you get unlucky, and come here with not so fish friendly visitors, the chicken teriyaki will make them happy.

    (3)

  • Phil I.

    Zen is the perfect place to take people who 1) like sushi and 2) don't have a lot of money to spend on it or liquor. Go after 10 pm for their happy hour special (half off Kirin draft and Chuuhai drinks); sushi is half menu price all day (and no, they don't inflate to begin with). Sure, it's not high Japanese cuisine, but the bang for your buck (as long as you meet the $8/person minimum) really is too good to pass up.

    (4)

  • Junkfoodie Q.

    3.75 stars. Came here for 50% off sushi. We shared the California roll, yellowtail scallion roll, spicy tuna roll, and another special roll I can't remember. The sushi was good (and not way overstuffed with too much rice the way some other half-price sushi places do), but here's the trick: you have to order at least $16 worth of sushi in order to get the 50% deal. Still, good deal for half-price sushi...

    (4)

  • BrasilPo P.

    50% OFF SUSHI Get the mango wrapped SUSHI!!! It's SO good. Comes with eel, but you can always ask them to sub it with salmon. For 50% off --- great quality!!! The ramen's not bad at all --- but SUPER SPICY!

    (4)

  • Tamar N.

    Zen sushi was the first restaurant I came to after moving to NYC. Centrally located near NYU, the 6 train, and in the heart of the East Village, the deals just dont get any better than this. I almost dont want to tell people about it because lately it has been drawing large crowds. Word to the wise, the bathrooms are disgusting. That is the only thing keeping me from giving Zen sushi 5 stars. Now I am hungry

    (4)

  • Liz E.

    My date and I were one of very few groups of people eating at this small but comfortable St. Mark's restaurant. However, within a minute of being seated, I could tell our waitress was eager to get us out as quickly as possible so that she could read her newspaper behind the bar in peace. Furthermore, when asked for recommendations for appetizers and rolls, she responded with a quizzical look and by saying that "all of the rolls are good." Thanks for narrowing that one down. We ordered an appetizer of hijiki, which had a pleasant sesame flavor, and followed that with three different rolls, two of which contained eel. Both were very good, though not as large as I had hoped; the inclusion of mango was a refreshing addition to the oily eel, however. Still a tad hungry, we ordered a spider roll, which was very tasty; my first experience with soft shell crab. As stated before though, service was at an all time low, and despite the fact that there was a huge ratio of empty tables to occupied ones, and no sign of them filling up, my date and I still felt rushed by our waitress, who had our check ready to be delivered before we had even finished ordering. Might I suggest takeout?

    (2)

  • Ben C.

    Woah woah woah. I don't see why people are complaining about their $8 min. sushi order policy. THIS RULE HAS BEEN EFFECT SINCE I CAME HERE AS A HIGH-SCHOOLER. And mind you..I graduated high school in 2003. So obviously it was stated somewhere where even a brokeass teenager will notice it. Sorry for my rant. I just had to defend my beloved Zen. They spruced up the place a bit so it's not as scrappy looking but glad they still maintain the casual borderline divey-ness atmosphere. My favorite is the Fighting Naruto Roll. Gotta love the 1/2 price chu-hi and pitchers of Kirin. Bring it on! Now I know the quality isn't as superb as other sushi places, but it definetely beats Sushi Park at least (another 1/2 sushi joint down the block and around the corner) and isn't exactly Nobu or Megu here so relax people. I'm a huge fanboy of Zen, what can I say?

    (5)

  • Emily K.

    Half-off sushi that's not of such dubious quality -- I mean, it's half-off, it's on Saint Mark's... it's not for sushi purists, that's for sure, but it's certainly more than "just edible." But can you really argue with 50% off? Good lunch specials too. Waitresses can be rude from time to time, although service overall isn't too spotty, but be warned that it tends to get packed on the weekends, so come early.

    (3)

  • Yoji A.

    Ordered Cashew Chicken dinner, Salmon Teriyaki dinner, spicy tuna roll, futo maki, and the california roll. I thought everything was bland.. Price was reasonable but I wouldn't go there again.

    (1)

  • David J.

    Okay, so to the average sushi consumer this place probably seems like it's hit-or-miss since pretty much all the reviews here either slam the place or glorify it completely. That being said, I'm going to attempt to find the middle ground and give you guys a better idea of what it's like to eat here at Zen. First, I'll address what seems to be the biggest complaint and honestly, rightfully so. The service is pretty bad at times. I don't know, even when the place isn't that busy the waiters and waitresses just seem to be floating around in their own world. I've personally waited 25 minutes on one occasion just for the check, and had other occasions where they were practically throwing the check at me while I was still eating. However, I agree with the sentiment brought up by some of the people who reviewed before me in that, really, what were you expecting? Next to Oyama (over on 1st Ave, I believe?) this is as good of a bargain as you're going to get. You simply can't beat the prices, so if you expect 5-star service to come along with that you were probably the spoiled brat in your social circle as a child. Really, I've found that as long as you have half a voice to speak up when you're not being attended to properly, then it's not really a problem. The second complaint I see alot regards the ambiguity about how much you have to spend to get the 50% off deal. Their standard has been there literally forever, so the only people who can use this excuse are first time patrons. Everyone else must've had their head in the sand. The first time I went to Zen with my girlfriend, we asked our waitress right off the bat what the terms were to get the 50% off deal, and she clearly explained about the whole each person having to order at least $16 worth of sushi in order to get the discount. No problem. Conversely, they don't have this posted anywhere or written in the menu, so I suppose I'll cut the nay-sayers some slack on this one. The bathrooms downstairs are grimy, everyone hit this one on the head. And if you're 6'2 or taller (like myself) you will almost assuredly bump your head on the top of the doorway at least once. Onto the food! The udon is awesome, but anytime I go I only get sushi, in equal parts because of the aforementioned 50% off deal and the fact that I feel getting anything other than sushi at a Japanese restaurant is just a cruel stab at foreplay. The quality of the fish is fine, I wouldn't place alot of value in what the sushi snobs before me said, particularly the girl who complained that her raw fish tasted too fishy. (Gee, really?) The portions are what you should expect (meaning good) and I've never found myself complaining to no one in particular listfully when it comes to the fish-to-rice ratio. I'd recommend the Titanic Roll, Zen Roll & the Crunchy Crab & Mayo Roll. You also can't go wrong with simply stockpiling on a la carte sushi. The little extras are nice too. I HIGHLY recommend this place if you're out late with a group of friends. Happy Hour starts at 10, and you can get half-priced pitchers of Kirin Ichiban for the fellas for $7 (I believe) and half-priced mixed drinks for the ladies. Not sure of the price on the mixed drinks, since I am not a lady. (I'll venture a guess and say $3.50. Sounds right in my head.) All in all, you and a friend can absolutely gorge yourselves till you burst on sushi, and wind up rolling your tongue back in your mouth after seeing your check only come out to $30-35. And really, in the city, you're simply not going to find a better deal anywhere.

    (4)

  • Michael P.

    Really good, cheap sushi. The food: the sushi itself from Zen is REALLY good. I recommend the titanic roll and their spicy salmon roll--my personal favorites. They also have good teryaki chicken. The service: usually quick. They get you your food and drinks very quickly. A couple times it was really busy and it took a little longer but for the most part they're very quick. They're also quick with delivery. The price: this is a little tricky. Zen can be extremely cheap if you follow their policies. Zen has an amazing deal: they give you %50 off all sushi, if you get at least $8 worth (after the discount). In other words, order $16 worth of sushi and get it for $8. For delivery, they amend the minimum to $10. This deal is really good. There's no other sushi place in the city that I know of that offers this much sushi for so cheap. Besides the $16 minimum, their other restriction is that everybody at your table must meet an $8 minimum (again, after the discount), for anyone to get %50 sushi. This doesn't mean that everyone literally has to order that much food, but you must meet the minimum overall. For example, a table of 5 must order at least $40 worth to meet the $8 per-person minimum. The place: the restaurant itself it relatively nice. They have tables and a bar. Be careful going down the stairs to the bathroom. They are very steep and pretty difficult to balance on, especially when you're drunk. The drinks: another great thing about this place is their happy hour. While most restaurants make happy hour unreasonably early, Zen has it from 10 pm - 12 am--a much more convenient time for drinking. They offer a few mixed drinks for $6.50, but during happy hour they are only $3.25!! 3 bucks for a mixed drink is unheard of in New York City. They drinks are good, but there aren't that many options. My favorite is the cranberry-chu hi (it's basically a cranberry vodka). Another good one is the lime-hi. They also over an enormous pitcher of beer that usually goes for $14 for only $7 during happy hour! The beer isn't that great, but it's a really good deal. Friday and Saturday nights you will see at least one large table of people sake-bombing (which they allow). Overall: cheap, good sushi and cheap, good drinks. If you want to get a lot of sushi for a good price, go to this place.

    (5)

  • Kwong Man L.

    This place..if you really don't care what kind of sushi you are getting and have no requirement on sushi standard, great, this is place is for you. I should have known that 50% all day sushi can't be great, but I just don't expect the standard can be this low. My only star is given for the prices after 50% off. It is still not that cheap because you can get the same sushi from any deli fridge and pay less.

    (1)

  • A G.

    I've been eating at Zen for more than 5 years. The food is ok, not the best quality sushi but will satisfy your craving. The service is fast, though one time we had to wait for a table and the server failed to let us know that our table is available and gave someone else the table. Not the cleanest place but what do you expect for 50% off sushi. I will continue going there as long as I don't get food poisoning.

    (3)

  • Roger B.

    My wife and I have been to Zen a couple of times and have enjoyed it. I especially like the sizzling Ika Butter and the Crunchy Crab & Mayo roll. Incredible price for passable sushi and Japanese street food. But they really have to sort out the flies that have buzzed our table during both visits.

    (3)

  • Christine W.

    Good food. Slow service if you go there for dinner. We waited for like 30-40 minutes to get our food. 50% off is a good deal. You have to order minimum of 16 dollars to get the 50% off deal though (so you actually pay 8 dollars). For $16 you can get about 3 ~ 4 normal sushi rolls (ie, boston, shrimp tempura, california, tuna, salmon, etc). If you go for the really fancy rolls, then you can get about 2 rolls. The sushi rolls are of moderate size but good. Definitely worth your money and your time wait.

    (4)

  • Lauren L.

    Love, love, LOVE this place. Great ramen. I haven't enjoyed a bowl of ramen anywhere else nearly as much as I LOVE their ramen. The sushi is great at half price off as well. Their spicy tuna roll is probably the yummiest I've eaten and I've eaten at some pretty great places. It turns off some people because of its consistency, but I don't know, it really hits the spot for me. Their avocado for some reason also always tastes amazing, which is why I get the California roll here and never both with that roll anywhere else.

    (5)

  • Keith M.

    OK so I have been going here for some time now and I have always felt the service sucked. However my past two experiences here really made me not want to go back ever again. A few months ago a friend and I went here for dinner. After dinner I ordered some ice cream. 40 minutes later I did not get my ice cream after asking two waiters, besides my own waiter, to get me my ice cream. After not receiving my ice cream I decided it was time to leave. Guess what? The ice cream was on my bill. Yea that same ice cream I sat around 40 minutes waiting for and never received after asking 3 people to get it for me. Now onto my second and last story. A few days ago I was in the neighborhood with some friends who got hungry. We decided to go in and order some sushi. I wasn't hungry so I just ordered one roll. I was informed that they had some new $8 minimum, which wasn't stated anywhere I could see, and I needed to order more sushi. After telling the waiter it was OK and I didn't want anything he became persistent and demanded that I order more. To which I got nasty and made it known that I did not want anything. He also tried to get my friend who ordered more than $8 to order more, but I was like yea his order is $8.25 so leave it. Now the sushi came out. My one friend ordered too much and offered my other friend and I the rest of her sushi. As I was eating it the waiter came over and said something like you cannot eat that. We got into an argument about my friend ordered something that she did not want so instead of wasting it she gave it to me. He said I can only eat it if we get it to go. I was all like honey we live in the Bronx, so I'm not carrying sushi around for an hour to finally eat it. He then said "whatever" and walked away because he was a diva. Last, but not least we were handed our check without being offered desert or anything else to order. Being that we will never go there again we left no tip.

    (1)

  • Elizabeth N.

    Half off everything? Alright. I got a california roll here last night for $1.88, which is ridiculous. And supposedly everything is just half off all the time. That kind of scares me, but whatever it's the next day and I'm still alive. I also had some sort of roll with raw salmon in it and the salmon looked and tasted really good. This place is pretty dingy though; I don't know what people are talking about when they say the atmosphere is good. I also didn't have the problem with portions; the portions were pretty big.

    (3)

  • tO y.

    Out of 16 visits twice was the food not up to taste. Service is nonbiased. Seating may take a few (so does the check), but we're in New York. For the sushi price, service, and location it's a winner. Get a Spider or Dragon Roll, and wash it down with Miso soup. Enjoy, your in St.Marks.

    (5)

  • Andrew W.

    Pretty good place to eat in or take-out Sushi. Here's my beef (no pun intended) with their "50% off" sushi deal. It's only 50% off if you actually receive a full order of Sushi. The last time we ordered from here, we ordered 3 rolls and though it was 50% off, we only received about one and half rolls worth of sushi. Ummm....that's no deal.

    (2)

  • Tracy L.

    Cheap sushi for a quick fix.

    (1)

  • Fen Z.

    Half price sushi is always tasty sushi to me. Super reasonable, though the wait was a bit long for a Thursday night.

    (4)

  • Helena Z.

    Great price, great food, great atmosphere! 50% off sushi all day, beer and some drinks 50% from 10pm-1am.

    (5)

  • Andrew J.

    The sushi is cheap and fine, nothing mind blowing. The atmosphere is warm and quiet with a nice, but slow wait staff. Weeknights are usually when it's at its most crowded so be warned. But a Saturday afternoon is a perfect time to go. The menu is not incredibly extensive, but they do have decent lunch box specials.

    (3)

  • Kim M.

    I'm just starting to like sushi, so I'm not at all adventurous, but I do like their spicy tuna, inside out roll with avocado and salmon. It's also cheap, which is kind of scary, because I always thought you should avoid cheap sushi places, but like another reviewer mentioned, I'm still alive.

    (2)

  • Patricia R.

    ahh everything here is so cheap and good, keeps me coming back. but are they renovating now? hope they come back soon, and when they do.. I'll be there!

    (4)

  • Nie K.

    I give it 5 stars for how cheap it is and how much you get! Plus the people that work there are ultra friendly. ;)

    (5)

  • Mindy Q.

    sushi is cheap and delicious. their advertisement is great (50% off all day.. which mean no real discount at all). the reason i dont go to that place is the waitress is way too pushy. she came to me what i wanted to order about 5 times within 10 minutes, which annoyed me a lot, not to mension very annoyed faces. friend of mine notes that she saw a bunch of cockroaches there, so she never goes back. but still food is still good so i give 2 stars.

    (2)

  • Amanda B.

    c'mon guys. we all know what brought us here: the 50% off all sushi ad. true, the sushi is rather fresh and cheap, but because of all the business, the service is just about fair. the atmosphere is not extremely pleasant, but the hours of this place are very considerate. here is where me and friend fuel up after a hard day at school/hw.

    (3)

  • diana m.

    This is one of my favorite sushi places. It's got great food at affordable prices, in a good location.

    (4)

  • Elaine Y.

    half off sushi - enough said. i only get sushi when i come here, it's great. they also have half price beer after 10, so definitely take advantage of it!

    (5)

  • Shae M.

    the friend we're staying with brought me and my gf here tonight for sushi. since it was 50% off sushi we took it upon ourselves to stuff our faces. i had the rainbow roll, philly roll, and the titanic roll. it was pretty good. i've have rainbow and philly rolls before and this one isn't any better. the titanic roll was a first for me. i wasn't very crazy about it either, but it was not bad. i don't remember what my gf had (like i said earlier i was busy stuffing my own face) but i do recall that she had the spider roll and this roll with mango on top and eel inside. the spider roll was good, nothing special. but the mango one, now that one is different. i had one piece from my friends plate and one from my gfs plate and the difference that makes or breaks that is the mango. in my opinion, if its too ripe its not that good. for the price we paid we cant really complain bc we left very full and satisfied. the service was not the greatest. it was really busy and the servers aren't the most attentive. the atmosphere was ok. it was very crowed. and im sure it was a fire hazard. but im beginning to see a trend in a lot of ny restaurants. all in all, out of all the places we've eaten at on vacation this one is not one that we need to come back to.

    (3)

  • Bryce K.

    This is my favorite sushi restaurant, period. Cheap and delicious. I come here at least 2-3 times a month. I wish they have frequent diner points for this place! Sushi & rolls are half off, on top of that, they are really good and tasty. Try the spicy salmon roll (haven't had a better one yet), zen roll, titanic roll. Tamar is right about the bathroom, it's nasty, but the food keeps me coming back!!!

    (5)

  • Elizabeth B.

    When it takes too much effort to trek up to Kinokos on 72nd and Columbus for their AYCE sushi special, Zen is a decent substitute. A cute shop with good quality half-off sushi (unlike some other suspect subjects in the neighborhood). Service could be better, but for the price, it wont affect a decision not to go back!

    (4)

  • T K.

    i thoroughly enjoy the food here. when i have a hankering for tasty (not the best but adequate and cheap) sushi, i come here. you can't go wrong with the half off sushi. i think it started as a "campaign" a long way back but i guess that campaign took off and they have half off sushi for three or more rolls. and plus you can get miso soup and salad for $3.50 if you order three or more rolls. a lot of food for not a lot of money. i can't say i've ever ventured to try anything else they offer...i'm a sucker for half off sushi. in a town where sushi can cost you upwards of $15+ a roll, you can't beat $2.75 for a yellowtail roll. be prepared to wait during the weekends though. due to its proximity to NYU, you get a lot of loud rowdy NYU kids drunk on asahi or whatever else is on tap. best if you eat and run...because the more crowded the restaurant gets, the more overwhelmed the servers get thusly translating to less service. and if i were you, i'd refrain from using the restroom. just some precautionary advice from one diner to the next.

    (4)

  • Esther K.

    the service sucks and it's kind of dingy, but who's going to turn down sushi that's always 50% off? it's not the most amazing sushi i've had in the city, but i definitely come here when i want a cheap eat.

    (3)

  • Diana C.

    Dependable delicious ramen spot. Never any wait. Prices are pretty good. I really like the Tan Tan 6 and the Spicy Tonkotsu. Especially great in the winter!

    (4)

  • Alezander W.

    Sitting down, I felt rather dirty in my booth. As per my friend's recommendation, I decided to have the ramen. When I took my first bite, an overpowering amount of garlic flavor filled my mouth. Not only that, but the broth was also immensely salty. My friend from SF was with me, and as they have many ramen places on the west coast, she was not a fan of it either. The two stars are frankly only for the ramen burger. It was very juice and flavorful, so I am happy that it was the one that broke my ramen burger cherry. It would really be the only reason why I would return to this establishment.

    (2)

  • Kristi L.

    I'm so confused, is this place Zen 6, or is Zen 6 Noodle Cafe Zen? They have exactly the same ramen menus, but they are two separate restaurants just a few blocks away. Whatever. It really shouldn't matter. What does matter is that it's 50% off sushi all day erryyday. The food itself isn't the best, but it's solid and will do the job in satisfying cravings/filling you up. Here, they have the best of both worlds: sushi AND ramen. Their ramen is loaded with MSG and tastes as hearty as what a whole bucket of oil would taste like. I'm just kidding...partially. But it's still good; I especially love their soft-boiled egg, partially cooked, but not too runny. Yummm. I've had the Tan Tan ramen twice here and both times it didn't disappoint. But, if I had an option to, I would tell them to tone down on the MSG and the spicy peppers. However, you should probably know that the people behind the sushi counter aren't actually Japanese. In fact, they didn't even look Asian..looked more Mexican than anything else, but hey, they can definitely make better sushi than I can, so props to them. The 4 stars is for its reasonable prices and prompt service. Not the cleanest, most impressive, or authentic place to eat at St. Mark's, but I can definitely see myself coming back here to get ramen or sushi!

    (4)

  • Melissa N.

    If I could give zero stars for this establishment I would. Having gone there several times before and received good service, I was very disappointed and upset about the service I received today. I had went with my friend to Zen after not having seen her in a long time and thought we could enjoy a nice meal together. Our bento boxes took over 40 minutes to arrive, which may sound a tad petty but not when the tables beside us (who sat down 20 minutes after we ordered) were able to have 3-4 dishes on their table and finish them before we did. In addition, my friend had told the waitress that she was ALLERGIC to avocado when she placed her order who apparently had failed to convey that to the chef... 10 minutes into the meal my friend took a bit into her salad and felt a tingling sensation and spit out the AVOCADO! When asked to speak to the waitress, instead of apologizing and quickly getting the manager she denied having been told about the allergy and proceeded to ask "well what do you want me to do about it?" Then we asked to speak to the manager or head of staff, they said that they were not there and were unreachable. This is ridiculous and could've been a life threatening issue if my friend didn't bring allergy rx. Never again will I come here and will my business elsewhere. What started as a day to catch up, ended up being a day to truly never forget.

    (1)

  • Cathy C.

    The food is just average, it's not a fancy restaurant, but they charged us 20% SERVICE FEE for lunch~~it's really ridiculous~~I will never come back again!!!

    (1)

  • Averill G.

    Came here for a late night meal and the food was definitely satisfying. I got the basic Zen Ramen with beef. The noodles were great, not overcooked, and the egg was nice an runny. They could have been a little more generous with the beef though. There were only two slices and both were rather fatty. The food merited a 4 star experience for me but their drinks unfortunately brought it to a 3 star experience. I order the Pear-Hi and let's just say it wasn't the best mixed drink I've every had. The waitress said it had a lot of alcohol and she was right. You can definitely taste it. I'll probably be back to try the ramen burgers, but next time I'll skip the drinks.

    (3)

  • Paulyn B.

    This place isn't fancy, but you sure get your money's worth. They have a lot of sushi and drink specials, especially during happy hour. Try the mango sake-tini. It's very fruity. The meat gyoza is good. A little bland but you can tell it's not some frozen out of the bag type thing. As for sushi, I got the spicy tuna roll and the philadelphia roll. The spicy tuna roll is spicy but not overwhelming, and the philadelphia roll is very fresh. Overall the sushi is good. The service is polite and quick. For 3 rolls, an appetizer, a cocktail and a beer in between two people for about 25 dollars is pretty decent. Warning!!!!!! Cash only place!!!!

    (3)

  • L W.

    bumped into this ramen place while searching for food ...we have a party of 4 and we all ordered the lunch special. At the price of $10, we all got a bowl of ramen and an appetizer of your choice (either roll or fried rice). Ramen is average. pretty decent portion, 3 types of noodles to choice for, thin, straight thick and wavy thick. Appetizer: Rolls are ok, not the best which we all expected. Surprisingly, the kimchi fried rice and crab meat fried rice are very tasty. Rice are just fried to the right texture which is not too soft or hard, and it was not greasy at all. The fired rice did impress us. ( We are Asian, and we have lots of expectation on RICE...lol) it is a good place of quick and easy lunch. If you do not have the patient and time to line up at ippudo, check out this place and you may be surprised.

    (3)

  • Grecia P.

    My favory place food sushi is wonder full ilt love it recommend also when you put like on Facebook or yelp you cant get free ice creem it like

    (5)

  • Paul H.

    Things you may want to know: -Website: zensushinyc.com -Sushi 50% off all day -Similar to New Ashiya's 50% off. -From 10pm: 50% off Kirin Ichiban Draft and Chu-Hi -Minimum $15 for CC -Minimum meal must total $8? Or $10 per order after discount. Sign on window says min. $8 while the menu says min. $10...Wtf so confusing. DECOR: 2/5 SERVICE:2/5 FOOD: 2/5 -This place looks old. Ugh, I was lured in by the 50% off deal and I can see why my Yelp buddies gave this place 2 stars. -This shouldn't even be considered sushi. The fish is of poor quality (I did eat all the sushi bc I dislike wasting food) and the texture was not right. I had to head across the street to 2 Bros Pizza and that was so much better than this.

    (2)

  • D L.

    Half price all the time, it is really half off 135% normal price therefore it is a pretty sweet deal ~ they have to go, but their soda comes from 2 liter bottles. i wonder how that works out for them. Great sushi at a great price. definitely not snob sushi, just great sushi. If you are going to eat more than 30 dollars worth of sushi, I suggest the all you can eat buffet on 32nd street, great sushi, better value !

    (5)

  • Kevin L.

    This is a frequent spot that I usually visit because of it's 50% off sushi deal if you purchase a minimum of $16 per person worth of sushi and it's 50% off beer happy hour after 10pm. This is a review for yesterday night: 1) Titanic Roll - This is one of my favorite rolls at this joint. The fish was fresh. 2) Alaska Roll - The size of their Alaska Roll is larger than the typical Alaska Roll one finds from typical Sushi joints. The salmon inside the roll tasted fresh. Overall: Definitely worth the price for the sushi especially after the 50% off deal. ($9 for 12 pieces of sushi)

    (4)

  • Andrew N.

    As a college student, I found myself here quite often ordering half price sushi. This past weekend after going to a music festival with some friends, we decided to head here for old times. The sushi is really the only thing I ever order. When you're paying 50% off of sushi, you know you are not getting the best quality fish on the market. With that being said, the sushi isn't that bad at all. I usually order the tuna roll, spicy salmon roll, yellowtail scallion, and spicy yellowtail. The restaurant isn't the cleanest, but for what you are paying, you can't really expect this place to be. Note: Sushi is 50% off all day

    (3)

  • Liz C.

    Cafe Zen is the only place I go for cheap sushi that isn't buffet style. With its 50% off deal if you order over $8 worth (or $16 worth before discount), I get pretty satisfied with cheap sushi for $16 after tax and tip. The sushi isn't too quality, but it does its job. Sometimes it's a bit warm, but it still tastes delicious to me. So I would call it good value for the cost. I've also tried their Zen Ramen three times and each time, there is never more than two pieces of meat at most. Maybe that's why it's so cheap. I only keep on ordering it because it's only $7, but otherwise, not really worth it. I've also had their lunch special that was a large bento box for ~$10, which is okay, but nothing special in terms of taste or price. Therefore, the only reason why you should ever go here is because of the sushi. The decor inside is cheap and tacky looking and the service is okay, but it is all worth it because of the sushi.

    (3)

  • Teresa C.

    PROS: - food is pretty decent. - waitress was nice and did not rush us out as we stayed for 2 hours or more chatting away. - sushi is half price! - lunch specials CONS: - nothing much. Decor: the decor of this place is a little plain. has a bar and their shelves are lined with toys/figurines they sell.

    (3)

  • Jin Z.

    Probably my favorite sushi restaurant in the city that doesn't rape your wallet. I'm a big fan of sushi and been to many restaurants throughout the city. Zen's Spicy Salmon Roll is the most unique comparing to other restaurants. Zen does not do the cheap trick where they stuff the "spicy salmon" with tempura flakes (crunchy). The food and service is great here, I often come here with my girlfriend when we're shopping either around Broadway or Union Sq. My must order list: 4 Spicy Salmon Rolls + 1 Alaska Roll + Curry Beef w/ Rice or Noodles

    (5)

  • Jessica D.

    I've seen a lot of advertisement about this restaurant in a Japanese magazine that I read called "Chopsticks" and my boyfriend & I happened to be in St. Marks last night, so decided to give this place a shot. Many of the other restaurants we walked by were filled with customers. Zen had a few more tables left when we walked inside the restaurant. It's super bright inside as the walls are in a lime green color and the decor isn't so great. A lot of things looked rather in old condition and the stairs to walk to the restroom weren't very safe. On most occassions the Japanese restaurants my boyfriend & I go to, the waiters usually present us with complimentary nibbles or edamame, but after ordering our food we were sitting there for a good 15 minutes waiting for our food and we didn't get any complimentary snacks. I ordered the Zen Ramen which is suppose to be their "Most popular menu item" so I decided to give it a shot. The ramen was made from chicken broth and soy flavored with meat, egg, and baby bamboo. The baby bamboo had a weird taste to it in a way that it's not suppose to taste. I was completely discontent with my ramen cause it was oversalted to the max and I had to drink 2 cups of water during dinner, which isn't good. This was one of the worse ramen I ever had. My boyfriend ordered the Cha-siu men and it came with extra cha-siu. He didn't even finish his bowl cause it was so salty and he had 3 cups of water. Not good. I don't know about trying this restaurant again cause the service wasn't the best and the quality of the ramen was below average. There's certainly better restaurants in St. Marks to try than Zen.

    (2)

  • Gordon C.

    Half price sushi on St Marks is one of those things that people are skeptical about but rarely regret indulging in. Sure, it's not the most authentic. You're probably going to order your usuals anyway, right? Everybody's got a go-to trio of rolls. Mine are the eel avocado, spicy tuna, and philadelphia roll (my guilty pleasure). If I have room for one more, I almost always go for a spider roll too. Zen delivers on all of these in good fashion. Anyway, what's not to like about Zen? It's got plenty of seating, prices are reasonable, and it's so very conveniently located.

    (3)

  • Vanessa R.

    I had a dream last night about the spicy tuna roll I always get here so I have to write a review. I've been coming here for years and I've always been pleased with the food. There's a great dinner and lunch bento box special. Lately, all I've been eating is their spicy tuna and salmon rolls as the flavor is incredible. They used to play music like The Smiths in the background, and that's changed a little, but besides that, still great! The wait staff is friendly and apparently some of the draft drinks are half off now too. Thanks for all the delicious food!

    (5)

  • Mathew W.

    I love their sushi! It taste so good in every aspect. The camelia, curnch crab and mayo, titanic and sushi deluxe are my favorite! I have had ramen here too and they are not that bad! I will come back to this place for sure!

    (5)

  • Hannah L.

    So I used to really like this place. I'm a big fan of eel anything, so their eel donburi was pretty awesome. However, this happened to my friend: After we paid the bill, my friend and I realized we didn't have enough to tip the woman sufficiently. We left her what we could so we could still get home, but the amount we left looked like it was more of an insult than an inability to tip. Tried to explain things, but she LOSES HER SHIT and says directly to me, never mind that my friend is white, "Why don't black people ever tip?? I dont understand?", some other stuff in Japanese, thrn ran us out of the place Yeah, I'm never coming back, and I hope they realize their racism will cost them business. That's really just not cool.

    (1)

  • Amanda L.

    The decor. A horrible neon/lime/wasabi green. I can overlook that. What I can't overlook is the sliver of salmon they tried to pass off as sashimi. It was so thin, I could see through it to the lettuce it sat on. It was more of a garnish. I complained about it to the waitress but, as I expected, nothing was done about it. The other rolls I had ordered were salty. They lost one of my friends' order, only to find it and bring it over after the majority of us were done eating. Presentation of food (like the mango slices on the golden dragon roll) were poor and crude. Definitely won't be back.

    (2)

  • Ben L.

    Thought this was the other ZEN 6down the block. Ordered fried squids and chicken kara-age to start spider ramen and shoyo ramen as entree. The ramens and soup base were ok but the boiled egg was completely cooked and the soft shell crab not too fresh a bit fishy. The apps were both way overcooked

    (2)

  • Oliver R.

    I love this place, probably my favorite bang for buck sushi place (once you hit the $10 min and get the 50% off deal, which is easy enough to do). Recently, the last couple times I have come by they have not had their outdoor seating open, which is a real bummer as I love sitting out there while I get my sushi and sake on and it is half the reason I choose to eat there when it is nice out... Otherwise, my only real complaint is that they don't take credit cards, which is usually not an issue as I often prefer to pay cash, but the other night we went there with a member of our party intending to pay with a CC, and we were told AFTER the bill arrived that they don't take credit cards and were pointed to their ATM they have installed... being unwilling to pay their ATM fee, one of us waited there while I walked to the Chase up the block. I just wish they informed us of of this policy before hand. A note taped to the folder containing the bill at the end of the meal does not cut it, nor does the tiny sign they smugly held up that was previously way laying down on end of the bar out of view of anyone. If you want to be cash only, that is fine, but at least put that sign with the rest of the notices around the restaurant so I can make arrangements before starting my meal instead of having to choose between paying an ATM fee or running up the block after the meal... Outdoor seating actually being open and being notified of their cash only policy before being seated would have earned this place a definite 5 star review... I will be going back, hopefully I can add a couple stars after my next meal!

    (3)

  • Rose W.

    I don't get why they advertise the 50% off on sushi, because you get it ALL THE TIME! You might as well just mark the entire sushi menu price down 50%, and it'd be the same thing. Of course, that's how they trick costumers. You think that you're getting a great deal, because a roll that's originally $7-12 is now only $4-6, but really, the roll wasn't even $7-quality to begin with. In fact, their sushi would only be a 3/5, mediocre quality at best. Plus, they're pretty small. No one would buy any of this stuff at full price ANYWAYS. I did not like the ambiance. It was a cheapy little restaurant with bright, but faded colors. Their soju came from a BOX, like a place you'd get fountain drinks. They DO have one pro: they are extremely generous in their avocado serving. But their fish is meager. I had their Dragon roll, and I found it amusing that they actually attempted to shape it like a dragon. Other than that, they added this weird teriyaki sauce on top that just tasted TERRIBLE! Someone PLEASE tell them NOT to put that crap on their sushi anymore...either that, or REDO that recipe! I felt like I was ingesting BBQ sauce!

    (2)

  • Valerie P.

    Now I'm big on sushis. I love love sushi! This place is small but big enough to bring a party of 10-15. They even have an outside "garden", if you'd want some cool breeze while enjoying your shrimp shumai or your tuna roll, eel roll whatever. What I like about this place is the size, the environment-very authentic, mixed crowds (hipsters, different races)-love places like this. I usually go for their shrimp shumai (which is always my appetizer-extra), their spicy tuna roll, miso soup (of course), their sushi platter (different types)-yumm! My cherry on top is and will always be their plum wine-I am in love! It's sweet but not too sweet (I'm not a fan of sweets at all but that plum wine has the right amount of sweet for me). I'm not sure if I asked but I love their plum wine so much I need to go back and ask if they sell the bottle-hoping. Environment is cool, the people ummm they're alright-they don't go above and beyond but honestly the food makes up for it-as long as the place is clean, food is tasty I'll worry about them later on. Keep in mind that after 7 or 8 o'clock every sushi on the menu are half off-now that's lovely to me haaa! (I usually go after work which is around 8ish so that works for me) Their beers are usually half off too but that's after 10pm-not a fan of their beers. I suggest you give them a try if you work in the city or happen to be on St. Marks. You won't regret the visit-enjoy!

    (4)

  • Marie C.

    My husband and I had ramen here and enjoyed it. It was not the world's best but it was good. My husband loved his Dragon Ramen. I thought my Hakata ramen was yummy and satisfying. They were out of meat gyoza and we substituted the vegetable which I would not get again. We wandered in here more or less at random, as there are a dozen or so Japanese restaurants nearby and we were craving ramen. I might come back but then again I might try something different. Service was good.

    (3)

  • Amy S.

    Okay, this is the place to come for cheap and not bad sushi! If you get $16 worth of sushi, you get half off! That's about.. 4-5 rolls depending on what you get. It's filling and cheap, not bad huh. I mean, it's not great sushi, but I'll take it on any sushi cravings. Not so good things: - They just repainted the place almost-lime green.. LIME GREEN? I couldn't recognize the restaurant when I stepped in... - Service is eh. They mixed up me and my friend's orders tonight so half of his sushi was on my place and half of mine on his. They also completely forgot one of the rolls altogether lol. So about a 4/5 (I'll be generous and make it a 4 because it's cheap), but I still come here because of the cheap sushi. YES! Also, you can get like bento boxes and stuff and they give you a lot of food so it's a pretty good deal that way too.

    (4)

  • Clemens W.

    I come here because it was the first sushi experience when going to Cooper. The sushi is half-off and the happy hour beer special helps me pre-game. All I cared about back then was cheap food and drinks. That being said, there are also tons of other half-off sushi places around this area. I think I only prefer this one because I'm a loyal customer. I had recently revisited this place, and I must say that I may have grown out of it. I still firmly believe the company largely determines my dining experience, but the place seemed rather normal. I felt at home a bit and loved to just order my usual spicy tuna rolls and some ramen. *shrug* Food's still good and you get the St. Mark's energy. It's a huge college hang out place.

    (3)

  • Diana S.

    Zen was a college staple. 50% sushi made it really easy to stay within budget when planning events for school clubs and organizations. I've probably ordered there 5+ times to feed anywhere between 30-100 people. The sushi is okay, not super amazing but still tasty and definitely a steal at $2/3 per roll. The actual place is pretty shody. Mismatching tables/chairs and random posters/specials taped on the walls. I've gotten the okayo-don and it is one of my favorite dishes at Zen. The spicy ramen is pretty tasty, although a little too salty - it has chopped up kimchi in it though, which I thought was pretty interesting. The Nabeyaki Udon comes in a big steaming bowl and the broth was delish! I would definitely recommend getting that one. We got the gyoza once and I'm pretty sure it's just reheated frozen dumplings!

    (4)

  • Jordan S.

    How on earth did anyone rate this so highly? I understand the tendency to star inflate based on nostalgia, but come on, this place blows. Who gives a flying...fish if the sushi is 50% off? It's warm, the rice is sloppy, and the fish is old. You know what's a really great deal? 100% off! Don't eat here! There sadly wasn't a single redeeming quality to our meal. The decor is meant to be whimsical (I imagine) but it comes off as a bad rendition of a 60s izakaya filled with tchotchkes. Our service was equally laughable. I think our water was refilled once throughout the entire meal, we waited ten minutes after being seated to get a menu, another fifteen to order, and following the disappointing first round of sushi, I made the mistake of giving them another chance, which involved playing a game of 'yes, I am looking at you, and yes I would like something' with the waitress for another fifteen minutes. For what? A Titanic roll that was in no way better than any of the other rolls/sashimi I'd eaten, and was in some ways worse. Listen, if you want sushi that doesn't suck and also want to feel like you're gaming some system, go to a buffet in Queens. Hell, go to one of the three(?) in Manhattan. Will you spend a little more? Naturally. Will you be satisfied? Yes, something you can't ever say after eating here. PS. Don't even think about the ramen. HA! The ramen. Oh lawd somebody better hold me back. PPS. Seriously, setagaya is right across the street. It's worth hmm..about an eight day wait in comparison to this bowl of...shhh

    (1)

  • Dorothy C.

    Had a horrible experience here. Two of my friends and I came in spontaneously for lunch as it was pouring outside. There were only two tables that were occupied, so it was not busy. We ordered a ramen each, nothing fancy, but had a longer than usual wait. When they finally came, my ramen was not cooked thoroughly. Literally, when I stirred the noodles, I found out they are all caked together in the bottom. You know how you can buy ramen in a store and it comes in a caked form? That was how it looked and stayed - that was because it was not stirred when it was cooking so it has not properly separated - which, I feel, is unacceptable for a 'noodle cafe'. I don't know how to explain this properly but I asked the waiter and he said it was not cooked and took it back. Then I had to wait the same amount of time while my friends finished their bowls. When mine finally came, my egg was missing. I asked the waiter again and he went back to get it for me. I appreciate them for making me a new bowl and getting me my egg, but given it was not a busy time for the restaurant, I can't give them any excuses to the insensitive service. Sorry, not coming back.

    (1)

  • Nina K.

    Go-to cheap sushi place. Ridiculously low price for a solid amount of sushi. Don't expect you're getting all super fancy, but it's definitely good!

    (4)

  • Amy S.

    What a ghetto sushi place! Zen restaurant is cramped and divided into two awkward front and back sections. There is little to no decor and the service is average at best. But I gotta say, I love Zen. Yes it's ghetto, but in an awesome way. The cramped space can be interpreted as quaint and the lack of good service and ambience can be interpreted as unpretentious. They have a 50% discount on all sushi all the time which they balance out by inflating their prices, so it ends up coming out to a good deal for better than average sushi. Even though it would probably make more sense if they just took away the discount and adjusted their menu prices, somehow I don't mind being fooled into thinking I'm getting a good deal. I always get the exact same thing: the salmon don, which is raw salmon slices on top of seasoned sushi rice with a little roe on top. I like to add avocado to it (just $1 more!). The salmon slices may not be as thick as I normally like it nor is it the highest quality salmon, but it is fresh and the salmon don with avocado is only $9. Thrifty, yummy, and filling. yelp.com/biz_photos/wNWE… The only beer they have on draft is Kirin and a pitcher is just $14. They also have a happy hour deal after 10PM where a pitcher of Kirin is only $7. Though they advertise their 50% off deal on every wall of the restaurant, don't mistake the 50% off for 50% off everything. It only applies to sushi, not their curries or ramen. Their curries and ramen are pretty tasty according to friends that I've gone to Zen with, but I only have eyes (or should I say taste buds) for the salmon don. Zen is the place I go if I'm craving sushi but don't feel like spending $$$. It's a dive, but such a good one.

    (4)

  • David C.

    Not the greatest of taste but great in value. Especially in a single digit weather like today, nothing beats a hot and steamy big bowl of ramen noodle. Not to mention their happy hour is 50% off sushi and Kirin draft for the entire day, fantastico!

    (4)

  • Joan R.

    I eat @ zen on a regular basis perhaps once a week and I have been doing so for at least 20 years. I would give them five stars if they still served brown rice but unfortunately they only have white rice. The food is good and especially the price is great, if you order the prefix lunch or dinner. The prefix lunch is $10 and it includes soup, salad, dumplings, California roll and your main entrée. I love the teriyaki salmon and stuffed chicken with cheese and scallions. Of course you get free tea. Always ask for the prefix menu if you are looking for a bargain. In the summer, you can sit outside and watch the colorful crowd of characters walk by on St. Mark's

    (4)

  • Crystine W.

    EEk, definitely saw a few things that I did not like so much during my visit at Zen Restaurant. The 50% off sushi was definitely a draw to us and they were also the only place without a long line at 10:30 PM on a Friday night - now I see why. From the exterior, it looked kind of chic with the pale green colored walls. Once inside and seated, it looked very tacky instead. The seats and tables looked like they had not been wiped down in days, it was difficult to get the attention of the servers and the food just didn't look sanity. I read other Yelp reviews for this restaurant AFTER going and for those who said that they got sick, I am quite frankly not surprised. I find it difficult to believe that Zen Restaurant would pass any sanitary inspection.

    (1)

  • R Y.

    People, it's 50% off sushi - if you order over $15. Can't complain too much. Surprisingly enough, their rolls have been improving. More fish and less rice. I hate places that give so much rice that the fish looks like a spec of dust. I've been here several time and the sister restaurant - with exact same menu further down St. Marks place and I never got sick eating here and the service is always pretty good. I normally get the regular rolls, which are half the price of specialty rolls, so I get to order more. Such as spicy tuna, spicy salmon and eel. Yum.... Definitely a place to go when you are hungry and want to munch on specialty rolls for cheap.

    (4)

  • Becky W.

    My experience here was pretty awful. The waitress didn't do anything but take our order and give us food, so I gave her a $2 tip but she started to bitch about me in Spanish. Never coming back.

    (2)

  • Justin H.

    Stopped by here with a few friends on a Friday evening. It was one of the few places around St. Marks that wasn't packed at around 7PM. The first thing I noticed about the place is that it's kinda grimy. Some areas of the small restaurant looks unclean and I really question how this place ever passed any kind of sanitation inspection. A couple of friends went for the Half Off Sushi special (All Sushi half off after 7PM), but I opted for the Pork Katsu with Indian Curry. Salad was watery from the ginger dressing and forgettable. The Katsu was serviceable, and not too heavy on the wallet. That's pretty much this restaurant summed up in one sentence. The meal was portioned off just right and I was pretty full after that.

    (3)

  • ariela r.

    I got a salad with avocado, iceberg lettuce, cabbage, carrots, cucumber... I had to wait 30 minutes for it!!! ridiculous. Even the waitress didn't seem to understand why it took so long. It's probably the easiest thing on the menu to make! It was also way overpriced $8.66! It also comes with egg and some seafood but I asked them not to put them in as I'm vegan. Of course, they didn't make any adjustment to the price. The salad was good..but I just can't get over the wait time..a half hour for a super simple salad. The woman working was very apologetic at least.

    (1)

  • Jason C.

    It's on St. Marks and has a pretty good deal. We were part of a party of 8 and watched table after table be seated before us. So maybe not the best spot for a large group. The sushi is plated nicely here, as my dragon roll actually looked like a little dragon. I was not impressed with the crab mayo roll that other reviewers raved about. Maybe they were a bit on the inebriated side. The service here is okay, but my stomach hurt a little bit after leaving here, which is not a good sign for a sushi place. A few others from our group felt the same.

    (2)

  • Ben C.

    I took my parents out to the village and my sister as an avid zen patron she insisted this place to us. The place decor is alright and people are very friendly. While I was there I ordered a sushi mania (A couple of tuna/salmon and eels with choice of soup or salad $20-30) My sister ordered a calamari salad (fried calamari and vegatables). Overall she is still a fan, however i felt it as an a-ok spot.

    (3)

  • Kristina C.

    This was basically the only place without a massive line outside on a saturday night so my friend and I tried it. Looks drab and cheap inside and it sure is - the menu has great deals! But I really enjoyed the food here and service was very friendly. I had the "small salad" which was good. Really tasty sesame ginger dressing. We had gyoza as an appetizer which was tasty. The ramen was also flavorful and we were stuffed afterwards. Very good and at a cheap price.

    (4)

  • Angel C.

    Good sushi, good price; that should be the tagline. Neither extraordinary in quality nor shocking in price, Noodle Cafe Zen hits the middle of the road note in its offerings. The interiors are expected St. Marks taste, which is to say casual, and service is standard. Easy place to stop by if your pockets and stomach feel light.

    (3)

  • Sam S.

    I've been going here for years and years, since I started practicing yoga on Saint Marks Place. Service can be hit or miss (last night it was a definite MISS), but I love this place anyway. The prices are good and the food is great. It's a go-to for post workout calories for my yoga buddies and I. Favorite dish: Chicken Katsu Curry Killer draw: The oddest "happy hour" in the city (~$7.50 pitchers of Kirin Ichiban past 10pm). ** They have recently started to add an 18% service charge on the check... which I think is why the wait service has suddenly gotten poorer. Language barrier + no skin in the game = long waits, botched orders. I'm sure they'll figure out how to motivate their staff again though. The older waiters/managers are super diligent, friendly and attentive.

    (4)

  • Jessica H.

    THIS place.. just wow! I came here with a friend where all sushi was 50% off. I only had $20 dollars in my pocket. I was starving. For myself I ordered 3 California Rolls, 2 eel rolls, 1 spicy dragon, and a small cold sake. The waiter looked at me like I was INSANE. I shrugged. She bought this MASSIVE plate of sushi out that took up half the table. My eyes went WIDE. I whispered to my date 'I can't afford this' he said he'd cover me. I didn't eat all the food of course. My bill came... $13 dollars.. WHAT?! THAT'S IT?! I was AMAZED. gave her my 20 and said thank you. I was a block away when my waiter ran up to me because I left my gold chain on the table. Lady I seriously love you. I love this place and I am coming back

    (5)

  • Dawei L.

    The food is cheap, the lines are short, the beer is cheap...however, don't expect amazing service or delicious food when you come to Zen. As listed, this place has a lot of good combos that offer a lot of food. I had the ramen combo with Tonkotsu and a roll, both were decent and tasted fine, but nothing memorable to write home about. I did really appreciate that we did not have to wait in line unlike the other st.mark's asian restaurants. Furthermore, they have this interesting happy hour at 10pm where sushi and beer is half off. If you're looking for cheap sushi and beer, I'm not sure there's a spot in St. Mark's that can beat this place in terms of value. P.S. The service here isn't the best, the servers are often confused and are usually pretty abrupt/not the nicest. They pretty much harassed the table next to us about their order since this table had ordered sushi twice...it was really awkward to watch.

    (3)

  • Haiyin T.

    When I ate there with my friend, all I wanted was to relax and talk after we eat. But it felt like as if they rushed us and wanted us to leave. We didn't even ask for the check and they gave us the check. The quality of the food isn't that great as well. I definitely could have gotten better Quality sushi for the price I paid. The service and food wasn't that great overall.

    (1)

  • Sarah P.

    So this place is a perfect example of what two stars mean. "Meh, I've experienced better." While it wasn't a complete disaster, I probably won't come back. Where to begin? The food is only ok which is to be expected from the cheapness of everything. The edamame was soggy...you probably shouldn't get that. The edamame shumai was flavorless. You know it's bad when the only reason you're conscious that you're eating food is because you're chewing and swallowing. For the sushi, some of the rolls are ok. I would avoid the spider roll. My friend ordered it, and we actually had to ask what it was because the soft shell crab looked like a molted Zoidberg. The restaurant building itself left something to be desired. It was probably my seating in the restaurant, but every time someone walked by, the floorboards would wobble a little. At first it was bearable, but after constantly being walked past, it got very old very fast. The only reason this isn't a one star is because of the service. While the food was a far cry from a good meal, the wait staff was very kind and tried to help as best they could.

    (2)

  • Jor-El G.

    Sushi? Ramen? Japanese dishes? Plum wine? Beer? 50 PERCENT OFF OF EVERYTHING? Any more questions? I had a great time at Zen and its the perfect place to go out for dinner and drinks on any given weekday. Sure, the ambience isn't the greatest but ya can't beat the prices and the food is pretty damn good!

    (4)

  • Sue L.

    They used to always have 50% off sushi if you order more than $20 but recently idk why EVERYONE on the table have to order $20+ of whatever they're ordering for sushis to be 50% off which is ridiculous because people who don't want sushi need to order $20+ and get no discount if they people who want sushi wants to get the 50% discount. They're kind of rude tbh, they tried to rush our orders and it wasn't even rush hour, it wasn't that crowded when we went. The food aren't even that great. Like average. I used to go for the 50% off sushi but I won't be going back anymore. Sushi park one street over have 50% off anytime if you order $15+ lower minimum and not everyone on the table have to order over $20 despite of what they're getting. Yeah, saying bye to this place.

    (1)

  • Jason G.

    This place has a large selection of sushi and it is all 50 % off the listed price! I don't go here for the ambiance. The food has never disappointed me. I got teriyaki and some appetizers last time and they were good. The sushi being 50 % off is a huge plus. They have many sushi items, both regular and special, with avocado in them. This makes me very happy. A special roll here like Dragon or Titanic ends up costing only 5 bucks for 8 delicious pieces of sushi.

    (4)

  • Yujie Y.

    Their zen ramen is super delicious even during late night time! my friend and i went there after 10pm so we got 50% off on sushis we ordered which tasted fresh enough. the restaurant was warm and bright. Great hangout place at night!

    (4)

  • A K.

    Pros: Green Tea Sushi Roll by the piece Credit Cards accepted Cons: Ramen had the fatty bits of pork (not very healthy) Place smells like disinfectant There's so many better places in the area, I'd suggest you try Oh Taisho or Udon West.

    (2)

  • Michelle W.

    The sushi here is pretty good, and tastes even better knowing that the prices are slashed in half. If you aren't a big eater, this is the place to go, otherwise head to a sushi buffet. The ramen and udon are good as well and the service is decent. This definitely isn't the cleanest place but what restaurant is? After all, you are at St. Marks, but the sushi is definitely worth every penny. Tight cramped corners, but they do take reservations. Fun place for a late happy hour or a late night snack.

    (3)

  • Mia T.

    Not the best sushi I've ever had, but definitely the best value! Especially the 50% off sushi!

    (5)

  • Fiona C.

    love this place for the "half price" sushi. I've never been disappointed here.

    (4)

  • Ben G.

    Right off the bat.... You better have came here for the %50 off Sushi!!!! The sushi here is nothing spectacular, but it's solid and fresh. In a city loaded with cheap eats how often does sushi come into consideration.... Enter the Zen. Right on St. Marks, the Mecca of cheap... is this little sushi spot that serves up some standard quality Japanese at a penny pincher price. The staff are very pleasant, the service is quick but not rushed, and the place is clean. I wouldn't suggest this place for anything except the sushi deal. Grab all of those standard rolls and some of the special rolls are good as well. The way it works is that the total must come to $8 per person so make sure that you reach that mark when ordering.... You can always equal it out with a small sake if you're in the mood for one or two rolls. Regardless of the fact this anytime deal is better than most lunch specials around and applies to all roll and sashimi items. WINNING!!!!! If you're in the East Vill and need a sushi or cheap fix, this is definitely a spot worth checking.

    (4)

  • Margaret S.

    The 50% off deal when you get $16 is a good deal. The sushi is not bad, unless you are someone who is very particular with fish. I've tried their udon and chicken teriyaki which is okay, but I don't exactly recommend it because there are places you can go that is much better. It's a good place to go for college students and a younger crowd of people who are going out casually. The decor is not impressive and the service is not stellar. The service is kind of mediocre.

    (3)

  • Betty Ming L.

    With so many little sushi spots in the East Village, it's no wonder everyone thinks of this area as Little Tokyo. The concept of "50% off" sushi is pretty common at most of them. What it means depends on how many of you show up and what you order. There were about a dozen of us and it took some discussing to get the half off deal. Overall, the food was fine and the location is convenient. Beware the plum wine; it's a bit strange. Better to stick with a beer.

    (3)

  • Amanda M.

    Came here last night with a group of friends. As soon as I walked in it felt dirty, it smelled like a dirty pet shop. I almost was afraid to eat here because of the grungy feel to this place. We sat down and immediately we were served water, one of my friends accidentally dropped his water on the ground.... The waitress came back to the table, picked up his cup and refilled it... I was disgusted " Excuse me, this cup fell on the floor, can we have another glass??" We ordered edamame which was good, but then again how could you screw that up?... I ordered chicken terriyaki that had came with a salad (salad was great) . The chicken was all fat with bean sprouts and undercooked green beans that were so filled with pepper I could not eat them. The chicken was sitting in a watery pool of ginger sauce, so it wasn't chicken terriyaki at all.... I was very unappeased with the dish. My friends ordered chicken curry plate, and 2 "zen" Ramen which they all said were just "OK"

    (1)

  • Kassia G.

    I'm surprised to see so many positive reviews. There was nothing "zen" about my experience at this restaurant. The rolls we ordered were mediocre but that's what you get with half-priced sushi I suppose. The service was terrible. Our waiter acted as if he didn't have time for us although it wasn't that busy. A couple that ordered after my friend and I were served well before we got our basic rolls (two each). When the bill came and we handed over two credit cards to be split evenly -- both charges were placed on my card. When I asked the server to fix the error, he only pretended he did it the first time. I had to call him out on it so he finally fixed it. I asked to speak to the manager but surprise, there was no manager to be found.

    (1)

  • Katrina L.

    I used to come to this place often because of the 50% off deals, however because of one horrible incident I haven't been back since nor do I ever plan to. Sushi and other food there is just mediocre. The incident was that I came with another friend asked for a table for three since we were expecting one more, who ended up not making it. I ordered my usual sushi minimum of $16 to get 50% off and my friend ordered something else. When the bill came, it was a surprise to both of us and it was marked higher than expected because they didn't take into account the 50% off my sushi. We asked about it but the waiter gave us a fuss and was stubborn about charging us the full price. I argued that I've been here many times before, I made the minimum of $16 for my order and it always worked and nowhere does it say the other person needs to make any minimums. However his argument was that my friend did not order enough to make $16 minimum herself (this discount does not apply to her anyways, so I had no idea what he was talking about), and that we got a table for three instead of two (there were plenty of empty seats around), and all these other unreasonable arguments. After a few minutes of this nonsense, he finally gave in and applied the 50% discount to the correct subtotal, however he put in a 20% tip included for himself. Umm, excuse me I think that is illegal??? Whatever, didn't want to bother arguing over that since we already wasted so much time and effort over the bill already. NEVER COMING BACK.

    (1)

  • Theodore R.

    This is one of those places where you kinda have to be really really really drunk or something because the sushi is OK and I mean that wholeheartedly. I think the 50% off deal is a scam and that everything is deliberated priced 2x much than it actually is to make it seem like you're getting a great deal when in reality you're still paying a not-so-great amount for a small roll of sushi. Their bowl of salmon and soy sauce and rice was priced at around 12-14$ which is just astounding to me because it wasn't so fresh, there wasn't even any salmon in it in the first place. Mediooooocre. Service was good, I guess.

    (2)

  • Casey W.

    - anyone coming here is coming for the 50% off sushi menu - cheap eats. . not the freshest or of the highest quality but it's never made me sick so it's at least got that going for it - more of a "grab a bite to eat" than lets say "take a date" or "linger

    (3)

  • Irene L.

    This place isn't the fanciest and newest, but I'm giving it 5 stars anyway. This is my favorite Japanese place in this neighborhood because it's cheap, the food is great and I usually have no problem getting a seat. This place gets 5 stars for being the type of place it is, which is a good place for college kids looking for pretty good food for a pretty good price. If you're a food connoisseur this isn't the place for you.

    (5)

  • Pinky And The B.

    2 and a half stars. But a half star for the fact that it is half price. We only went because it is half price and we are pretty much broke. The Pro's-We didn't get sick. The size and bargain was spot on. They do own up to the 50% special after 10 PM. The beer was cold. The Bathroom wasn't too dirty like a lot of restaurants in this area. The cons-Not a single Japanese working here. Most of the customers were college students and not Japanese people. But when you are broke like us it is a good bargain.

    (3)

  • Shelley L.

    SERVICE IS HORRIBLE. I went with two other people, ordering up to $20 worth of sushi in total, and they dared to slip in a 20% service fee. The waitress didn't bother to seat us - she just waved us into a general direction to seat ourselves. She looked all irritated and like she didn't want to be there the whole time when she took our orders and brought them to the table (which took longer than expected). Portions are meager for the price when you don't take on that 50% deal. The sushi itself is mediocre; I've tasted better. The soup is just plain overpriced and not worth it. The staircase to the bathroom is somewhat hazardous and I saw COCKROACHES down there (which I killed). Never going back there again.

    (1)

  • Vivian H.

    When I want sushi and can't afford to shell out the big bucks, I come here. Half off sushi all day every day, and it's pretty good too! I really like the simple hamachi/scallion paired with one of their complicated specialty rolls. You have to order at least $16 ($8 with the half off) of sushi for the deal but that's pretty easy and usually what you need to get full anyway. Order a variety and share with friends! Service is meh. The sushi takes awhile, but they do make it to order and bring it all out to you at once. It's a pretty clean and cute place, and I've never had trouble getting a seat.

    (4)

  • Grace C.

    2.5* What does it say about me that I give this establishment a 2 but find myself here a few times during the year? I rate it low because it is not exceptional sushi, it got a B from the NY health dept BUT it's half off and i'm always on a budget. they did redo the place. It's lime green, not the first color i think of when i think sushi restaurant, but it does look a bit livelier. I always get the titanic roll. i am a fan of the dragon as well. chicken katsu is a large portion so if you're hungry, try that out. comes with a bowl of rice and salad.

    (2)

  • Nisha N.

    I've been here several times because the sushi rolls are super delicious. But the service is ridiculously pathetic - I didn't realize they always add an 18% service charge irrespective of the number of people at the table - so not worth it since they're always a mess. The girls forget your order, delay it and serve others who came in after, they're always rushing you when it's closing time (no restaurant does that!!). I think I'm gonna have to stop going here. It was the half priced sushi and Kirin beer that always drew me back. But that's it. I'm done. The two stars are only because of all the times I went back. I'd rather give it zero now. Ugh.

    (2)

  • Ray Y.

    I would only come back if I am super desperate for sushi, super drunk, or all the other sushi joints across the street and down the block were closed. Sure, 50% off all rolls sounds like a good deal - that's why I came in. However, they require a minimum order of $10 per person. Lame! Here's what my friend and I ordered: Spider roll, Alaskan roll, Golden dragon roll, and Seaweed salad. All the rolls were tiny, rice was soggy and hard, and nori was stale. The fish tasted mushy and warm. Gross! Who wants to eat warm raw fish??! Sorry Zen Restaurant, don't think I'll be coming back again!

    (1)

  • Alice W.

    Half off all maki rolls! I've been here a couple times, pretty good sushi, especially for the price. Very fresh avocado, but a little heavy on the rice (which gives this 3 stars instead of 4). Happy hour after 10pm (not sure that's all the time or just on weekends) and rarely a wait.

    (3)

  • Justin K.

    I have to say that the sushi here isn't all that great. It's kind of bland and felt like it was either missing something or having too much. Some of the specials also seem out-of-date. I've experienced better sushi elsewhere. The service was not bad at all considering the waiter/waitresses were making sure we were taken care. But that's about it.

    (2)

  • Caroline K.

    St. Mark's is full of affordable sushi restaurants. This place will keep you full without breaking the bank. The sushi kept me full and although it's not as fresh as I would like it to be, it's cheap so I can't complain. Great place to go after yoga.

    (3)

  • Eugene K.

    5 stars for all day half off sushi, RUN by actual Japanese folk. Authenticity? You don't come here for quality (even though the taste is definitely there and you will feel completely satisfied) but if you were to compare it with other half/off sushi joints, Zen is the superior. You also don't come here to order your basic spicy tuna, salmon, or other standard sushi/sashimi/rolls. Get the Titanic. Get the Zen. Get the Dancing/Flying Naruto. You'll understand completely afterwards. Insane happy hour: after 10PM, $8 pitchers (Kirin I believe) which is nuts. $8.50 for a carafe of house sake. Beautiful. You can get your drink on here if you like but the food is where the mastery is at. They have these dinner specials: $11.75 for a small plate of sushi or sashimi AND a bento-type box that comes with all the fixings: salad, shumai, california roll, AND your entree. I personally think the tofu steak is tops (which is basically a larger portion of the age tofu - one of their hidden gems). They have other dinner options and the one I come for all the time is a bowl of ramen and 2 pieces of sushi for: $11 (give or take). The ramen you choose from the listing of items that are $8.50. Now on to the ramen: I'm going out on a limb and saying that THIS IS THE BEST RAMEN I'VE HAD IN NYC. And I thank my cousin from Korea who I brought here while I got sushi. He ordered the spicy ramen and I thought "what a Korean." But when he went to the bathroom, I snuck in a spoonful of the broth and fell in love. Here's how I rank my ramen (keep in my I haven't visited Totto and Hide-Chan so will update shortly: Zen Ippudo Minca Menchanko Tei Menkui Tei Setagaya Why Zen you ask? #1: price. #2: the broth. #3: the noodles. Seriously, I rarely finish the entire broth in the bowl of ramen but this place takes the cake. Ippudo is a very very close second by mere millimeters but then I remember paying $16 for Ippudo...yea, you're second. The noodles, pork and bamboo shoots complete the meal (oh, and don't forget the boiled egg - Ippudo's is better though). So please please please, come to Zen and try there ramen. Join the fan club.

    (5)

  • Danika C.

    Came here a couple nights ago craving ramen. Opted for the ramen special which includes 2 pieces of sushi, a bowl of ramen (choose from #1-4 from their ramen menu) and a salad. Sushi and salad were good, but the ramen I got (#2-garlic salt something), while large, was the SALTIEST thing I've ever had in my life. It started off delicious, very flavorful, but by the 3rd bite, soup was almost unbearably salty. I enjoyed the noodles, the succulent meat, my egg but was unable to get the full experience of a good meal as eat bite I took resulted in 2 gulps of water. On the bright side, our waitress was quite attentive and came back often to refill my water. Knowing what I do about their noodles, I'm going to stick to Setagaya across the street, and only come here for half-priced rolls when the mood strikes.

    (3)

  • Sonny C.

    cheap cheap go to (americanized) sushi joint. don't really know how people even rate sushi in america as 99% of these non japanese joints are not exactly sushi in it's traditional form. at least this place is an actual japanese joint, not chinese or korean. good, cheap, and a chill joint.

    (5)

  • Pauline L.

    They advertise 50% off all sushi...but the quality of the sushi is not worth it.. I ordered the dragon roll & could feel the bones of the eel slide down my throat..the futomaki was fairly good.The service is... bleh.. & they add 18% gratitude to your check

    (1)

  • Andrew C.

    It's not my first time to Zen, but I felt like I should've finally given it some attention after the last encounter. Long tiring study night, tired, and looked forward to eating and hanging out with friends again--looked forward to a social night. After a few drinks here and there, I think we may have forgotten the pricing issues. Decor's kinda bland/plain, but it's nice. There's outside seating in the front and back of the restaurant. Definitely LOVED the service...or maybe it was just me. Not sure how the rest of the group dealt, or maybe my waitress/bartender was cute, but no complaints. Tip: If you open up with a smile, use manners (please, thank you, pardon, etc), and pay a compliment, good things happen 90% of the time. Party of 7. Top of my head, we had: Gyoza, Age Tofu, Shrimp & Vegetables Tempura, Sashimi Tuna & Avocado Salad. Bunch of rolls + Entrees. Bottle of sake + tea + 1 draft of Kirin. All of it was..."ehh". It wasn't bad, wasn't great. We probably got confused at the 50% off thing, as it probably applies to SUSHI only. I don't know anymore. End of the night, it was $20/head, tax + tip included. I think we were all semi-full, but it's whatever. The company makes everything better. Minus TWO stars: -Ehhhh. Food is...it's good, but only if you eat sushi I guess? Everything else is kinda hiked. -Was there even a happy hour? Why did I get that draft for...? -Not sure if it's by design, but the men's bathroom door is small. I'm not sure how that deducts points, but it made me feel like I was going into a tunnel. Zen's okay by me. Just Okay. I won't object to coming here--just gotta remember 50% applies to SUSHI only. I think. Ahh!! Always so confusing.

    (3)

  • Danielle K.

    I can honestly say that I come here AT LEAST once a week for their sushi. There's nothing truly amazing about it BUT because of their affordable prices on both the rolls and the beer it's become a favorite of mine. It's 50% off on the sushi section of the menu ALL DAY EVERY DAY if you order more than $16.00 worth of sushi. It makes me squeal every time I see the huge 50% off sign in the front of the restaurant. It's like a food sale for your stomach. I've tried all the rolls and I think the best one is the Titanic. The service is mediocre especially if it's crowded, which is usually weeknights but I can't really complain since the sushi's worth it to me.

    (3)

  • Benedict T.

    The ramen is awesome, the sushi is poor

    (2)

  • sean k.

    50% off all sushi, all day when you order $16 or more. I usually order 3 or 4 rolls and spend under $12. It's a great deal, and you are always seated right away, and served relatively quickly. The service isn't the best, but who cares when youre paying so little for so much fresh sushi? The quality is great for the price, I really like the Titanic roll. 3 star sushi for a 5 star price.

    (4)

  • Carly W.

    Things i LOVE about Zen: - If you spend $15 on sushi, it only costs you $7.50...yep, 50% off all the time. - Chicken teriyaki is served on a cast iron platter, like you would get when ordering fajitas. It was the perfect touch, and definitely put it a step above any other place I've eaten the same thing. -TITANIC ROLL, ohmygoodness. Titanic roll.

    (5)

  • Jennifer B.

    If it's 50% off all the time, why not just price your menu accordingly? Also, the waitress had a hard time explaining exactly what the 50% off entailed. First, we both had to order $16 worth of sushi to get 50% off, then it was okay if we just ordered $16 worth of sushi total. Then she changed her mind and said we just had to spend $16 but one item had to be sushi. At this point, we didn't really care about receiving the discount. We were just going to order what we wanted. Two beers, a rainbow roll and a bowl of ramen later, our check arrived and it was only $22. Not bad. The food was good, but nothing spectacular. Actually, the ramen was pretty darn tasty. The interior is a dump and the servers barely speak English. The table next to us was a little pissed that their check was auto-grat at 20%. I heard one girl say, yeah 20% is fine if you're actually doing your job, but I didn't even get a water refill. So yeah, don't come for service and don't come in a large group.

    (3)

  • Sandra C.

    I'm not really a fan of sushi, but my friends wanted to try this place out so I went along. The restaurant itself was a bit cramped; the tables were very close, and it was hard to move. One girl even fell down the stairs going to the bathroom! I ordered sashimi with rice, which was decent, but not particularly memorable and my food came out shortly afterwards. My friends knew better and actually ordered the cheap sushi that was 50% off. They got SO MUCH SUSHI for less than 10 bucks! Not gonna lie, I was a bit jealous. Other than that...typical restaurant...wasn't stellar. But I can see the appeal. I doubt I'll be going back.

    (3)

  • Kristen C.

    Hands down my(and several of my friends') MOST favorite sushi place EVER (besides the sushi I've had in Tokyo). They don't skimp on size and it is always fresh. 50% off deals? Please find me a better deal in the city for this kind of quality..

    (5)

  • Trisha T.

    Meh. Think of this place as a "sushi dive bar." 50% all day sushi special? If it's half-off all day , everyday then it's not really a special. That's kinda like the default price (if you make the minimum.) It's pretty much the sketchiest sushi place I've ever been to in my life, with its snot-green walls and odd decor that doesn't make sense. It's just another example of the over-saturation of Asian food and faux-sushi places in St. Marks due to the influx of NYU students in recent years. Seriously guys, there are enough sushi/ramen/korean bbq/Asian-fusion-whatever food places in this city that are good and cheap, you don't need them all in one place that used to actually have it's own unique character. What was one a haven for punk rock and counter-culture is now home to mediocre Asian restaurants with generic names such as "Noodle Cafe Zen." That name almost doesn't make any grammatical sense, and it's just as bland as their food, which was uninspired at best. Also, the floors and table were sticky. Yuck. Do yourself a favor, go elsewhere and let the trendiness of "blah" noodle cafes in St. Mark's die out.

    (2)

  • Dorothy W.

    The good: -Spicy tuna roll and salmon roll -Good variety -50% sushi rolls ($16+ per person before discount) -Bar in the front with cool toys for sale The bad: -Takes a while to get your sushi, 15-20 mins for 5 rolls?? -Service is OK -Smaller restaurant Meh, quite frankly I only come here when I'm dragged...

    (3)

  • Hansel B.

    Located right in St. Marks, this place is good for cheap sushi. The sushi isn't the highest quality around, but the 50% off after you spend $16+ makes it a very good deal. I go here about once a month for cheap sushi... not much else to say about the place. Service is not great, they are not very attentive.

    (3)

  • Jing X.

    I love coming here for the sushi! Spend $16+ and it's 50% off! The sushi is good and delicious and well worth the price! I always get one of the New York POP Creation (it's about $10 a roll before the 50% deduction) and it has up to 3 different kinds of fish with mayo or avocado yuuummmm!!!!! and 2 of the standard rolls. With tax and tip it's about $12, which is like a lunch special at any other Japanese sushi place except at Zen, it's the whole day! I got the Fancy Naruto Roll (POP Creation) and the chef had the eel stick out like a tongue and made eyes and a tail. The avocado was on the outside so it looked like a green snake! The waitress was really nice and attentive to us when my friend and I went last night. A really great place to try if you love sushi and want to come with a friend or two! Very casual.

    (5)

  • Sean S.

    The first thing that's a little off about this place is the name. When you walk in their's a sign the wall about 50% off, but restaurant mentioned was different than Zen. And I think the card said something slightly different too, like Zen Sushi or something... odd. Sure you can get some deals here, but I don't know if I would go back. My friend I went with really likes their ramen. I think I had some basic sushi combination. Nothing to write home about. Not the best place on the block at all.

    (2)

  • betty x.

    Very dirty and unhygienic. Cheap booze. Slow workers. Stay away!

    (1)

  • Ryley P.

    My go to spot for some udon and cheap rolls, The sushi is 50% off. All the time. As in you can get 100 dollars worth of sushi and a bill for 50 bucks. I understand that you may never want to ingest 100 dollars worth of sushi. But think about it. Dats. Cheap. The miso soup is crack. Try the Hi drinks. Go after 10 and enjoy half off pitchers AND half off sushi. Just go. Really good place to take less adventurous Japanese food eaters. As you can get whatever the fuck you want while they can dive into some bangin chicken teryaki. (its really good i know its so cliche to order but whatever judge me) O and get the salad. The dressing is clearly made by magical Japanese fairies.

    (4)

  • Siu N.

    I've been coming to Zen for years now. Zen is great for their 50% off sushi as well as happy hour beer specials. I've tried their regular sushi rolls (spicy tuna, eel avocado, etc.), special rolls (there's one with mango and eel that I especially love), and noodle soups (udon and ramen). They generally don't disappoint, although the last ramen I had a week ago was a little on the salty side. If you want mind-blowing food, this probably isn't the place to find it, but it will certainly leave you feeling satisfied. The place does get busy too, but the service is pretty decent for the number of people that come. Overall, this is a good place to try over and over again.

    (4)

  • Jodi S.

    Awesome sushi, amazing price. My go-to sushi place since I moved here in 2007. It doesn't matter where in the city I live or how long it takes me to get to this restaurant, I will always come here for sushi. Although the service is not friendly, they sure are attentive. The sushi can sometimes take a bit long to come out, but other than one or two times, it's never been an issue. For those who rate this place a 2 for decor and service - honestly, realize what you're walking into when you're on St. Marks. EVERYTHING is old, tacky, and gritty (except for the food, of course). If you want a high-class, upscale sushi place go to Sushi Samba or something.

    (5)

  • Kenny C.

    Slow service, waiters that don't really check on you. Ok sushi for the price. Its not really 50% off because their regular prices are marked up ridiculously high: 10$ for a mediocre roll for example. Even though this used to be my favorite relatively cheap sushi place, I'm confident to say I probably wont be coming back any time soon. They are pretty sneaky with service charges adding 20% on to a table of 4 even though the menu clearly says its for tables of 5 or more. I normally wouldn't mind paying 20% but just because of the fact that they: 1. made it mandatory (I thought tips were for good service) 2. lied to us when we asked about it, they said it was for tables of 4, but we looked at the menu outside while leaving and it said 5 or more 3. The service was slow, it took 45 mins for our orders to come out. 4. Id consider 15% a reasonable tip for good service at a low end restaurant like this one. 20%.. who are they kidding? 5. There were flies everywhere in the seating area, I don't even want to think about how many flies there were in the food prep area. For those who are saying its super fresh sushi, really? Im from the west coast, thats fresh sushi, and its much much cheaper too. Here, you get the standard bland food colored tuna, and farmed salmon . I guess it doesn't matter though if you're getting rolls that are filled with all sorts of tasty sauces that mask the real fish flavor. To each their own I guess. The one thing that is nice is their 1/2 priced pitchers of Kirin after 10pm (2 stars for the cheap beer) oh, which by the way you cant get unless you buy at least 10$ worth of food per person after the 50% discount

    (2)

  • Jordan M.

    Dropped in because I was late to yoga. Ordered curry udon and some rolls. The rolls were tiny as heck and not the best. The udon was ok but the meat tasted rubbery. Not the best. Probably would only return if I really was tight of cash. Service was good though.

    (2)

  • Diane D.

    This isn't a sushi place. Calling it that would be an insult. It's more like a "sort of a sushi place". The service here was the worst. My chicken teriyaki was chewy and fatty and the rice in my sushi was super dry. I had to smell my sashimi to make sure it didn't smell fishy before eating (a sign of fish going bad). Thankfully it wasn't. Would I come back here? No, never. I'd rather eat prepackaged supermarket sushi than come here again.

    (1)

  • Teresa L.

    The good news is that the restaurant offers 50% off for sushi rolls. It seems like a deal... when you compare it to sushi prices near midtown. The rolls are decently sized for the price you pay. Great deal for those on a budget. The bad news is that happy hour starts at 10pm, which is annoying if you're really craving drinks after work. The drinks are pricey, and there's nothing on the menu that's unique. I ordered the orange juice + sochu drink. It was OK. The restaurant is on the smaller side, not great for large groups.

    (3)

  • David C.

    This restaurant has been our Japanese go-to restaurant for years. Now, it looks like they have changed ownership and subsequently, their prices have increased about $5 per sushi entree. However, since it is 50% off on sushi, I guess it is still a descent deal. Their new menu has eliminated most of the cooked foods which is a negative for us since not everyone in our parties eat sushi or noodles. Also, the service is lacking. After being seated and given menus, no service was provided for over ten minutes so we left. We are upset with the changes to this restaurant so we will no longer patronize this restaurant.

    (1)

  • C L.

    As much as I want to give Zen 4 stars instead of 3, there are simply too many cons to Zen. Zen really does serve its purpose at times though. Zen is not the place to get good sushi - it's the place to get cheap, semi-edible sushi that tastes pretty good with beer. Like, you really do have to be at least a little drunk to fully appreciate what Zen has to offer (which makes sense now why Zen is neighbors with Kenka). Half-off pitchers after 10:00 P.M.! However, I have noticed that the sushi have gone WAY downhill since last year. Every time I order the salmon don, the portions get smaller and the salmon quality decreases. It's like, paper thin now. Hopefully they change that because it was really good at one time. Also, the more I go to Zen the more I question the cleanliness of the restaurant, and each time my fear of food poisoning increases. It SHOULD be fine though... I hope. The service really is hit or miss, depending on who you get. Some of the waiters are really rude and cold-shoulderish while others are super friendly and attentive. I've experienced some true rudeness here though, which is also keeping me from giving them an extra star. Like, some of the waiters just really don't care about the customers at all, and you'll feel the indifference/lack of passion. One huge plus is that when all the other restaurants on St. Marks are full, you can usually count on Zen unless you have an enormous group or something. And the food's not TERRIBLE. I've never had to wait too long to get a seat here. In conclusion, this is not a place where you will get good, nice food, but at certain moments you can walk into Zen and be like, "This is just what I need."

    (3)

  • Hao H.

    This is THEEEE place to go for sushi in the Village! Their 50% off deal on sushi is the attention grabber. As long as you spend $16 or more per-person, your bill gets cut in half!!! (Sushi Only). The sushi here taste great, not Godly but it has me coming back for more; and the price just adds a bit more flavor on top =]. For ladies, getting two plates of sushi will have you leaving here rubbing your tummy. As for the gentlemen or sushi fanatics, 3 or 4 plates will have you unbuckle your waste belt and fall slowly in to a food coma. Each of you will find yourself spending less than $15, more sushi anyone?

    (4)

  • Evan J.

    *Important note* The storefront merely says "Sushi" and has a small, covered patio in the front. My go-to spot for lunch as it's right around the corner from my office! Sushi Special = 50% off sushi if your meal nets to $8, i.e. if you order 2 rolls for $8 each less 50% = $8; or $4 appetizer + $8 sushi (less 50% = $4) = HOLY SASHIMI BATMAN! Simply an unbeatable deal! Granted, the interior isn't amazingly luxurious, but the servers are nice, and there's free hot tea to boot. Also try the Ramen bowls or Katsu-don bowl for an inevitable food coma a la post-thanksgiving dinner. All-in-all, Zen Restaurant is a solid, value-oriented, hole-in-the-wall joint that not enough people know about.

    (4)

  • Jin Y.

    This place is great for a casual lunch or dinner. Nothing fancy or special about this place but amazing prices and pretty decent Japanese food. I'm not a raw fish fan and I usually get bento boxes and this place have the cheapest bento box dinner (keyword dinner) I've found in all of USA and beyond...! I don't remember the exact price but it was only a little over $10. It came with soup and salad (I like how it is nicely chopped), shu mai, rolls, sushi, and your main entree. Great portions, I'm usually bloated afterwards. One time, our food never came out, 20 min. passed I decide to get the servers attention and found out she forgot to send the order to the kitchen. Then our food came out within minutes. I knew something was wrong, they are usually quick. She apologized and said we can order any non alcoholic drinks on the house but I said, "Could we have ice cream instead?" There we got 2 free red bean ice cream, yay! The ice cream was icy though, which means it's been in the freezer for way too long. Eh, it's free so it's okay.

    (3)

  • Lucy C.

    So far, after every broadway show I've seen I've craved asian food and zen is one of the last places still open that late. What I like about this place is that it is totally affordable and their food is good. I like the $10 salmon lunch special--excellent. Wait time can be lengthy but they accommodate large parties. My only major complaint is that the decor is really atrocious. They should really at least try to try.

    (3)

  • Pia D.

    Just have to give Zen another shout out. We tried another place in Williamsburg that was comparable in price and it had nothing on Zen. Their fish is so fresh and delicious, I honestly don't know how they do it. We still only get the sushi so I can't speak to anything else on the menu. But this place is such a gem I can't recommend it enough!

    (5)

  • Luda B.

    This place doesn't look fancy but sushi is here so good. My favorite rolls are spicy salmon hand roll or just roll, spicy tuna and spicy dancing tuna roll. If you like spicy sushi try it ;) You will love it!

    (5)

  • Brian H.

    50% sushi all day everyday!

    (5)

  • David L.

    I went to Zen Restaurant last night with three friends and had a lot of fun. Singalongs to songs from Flight of the Conchords, conversations about The Critic and Futurama and Ingmar Bergman, discussions on muscle memory and laser surgery and discreet mathematics -- good times! I had the biggest sushi platter -- after the house special 50% discount it was only $9.95 -- it came with the choice of house salad or miso soup (I chose the former), two pieces of tuna maki, two pieces of salmon maki, two pieces of yellowtail maki, two pieces of eel maki, and a spicy tuna roll that was, thankfully, actually spicy... The ginger was okay, the wasabi was okay, the soy sauce was okay.... My friends had a few different rolls, there were no complaints... We split a couple pitchers of Kirin Ichiban -- half price after 10pm! Service was fast and friendly... The clientele was surprisingly diverse, much more actual Japanese than I expected, and thankfully not too many drunk idiots loudly singing songs from cable TV shows and blathering on about Swedish film and animated television.

    (3)

  • Franklin C.

    This was my go-to sushi spot during college. The menu has been reorganized, but I can still name exactly which rolls I order. Here they are: Crunchy Crab and Mayo Zen Titanic Camelia The food won't blow you away. But it's good. So is the price. Stop by okay? It'd be great if this place is always here whenever I come visit NYC.

    (3)

  • Carol L.

    50% off sushi is better at Sushi Park. I got the salmon roll and yellowtail scallion roll which both had hardly ANY fish in it. I was basically eating rice and seaweed. I had asked the waitress for light rice, maybe she thought I said light on the fish, though that doesn't sound like rice at all... If you DO decide to come here, it would be wiser to get the spicy rolls. For some reason, they are a lot bigger than the plain ones and the spicy tuna was pretty good. After 10 PM it's 50% off beer and they serve a yummy pink sparkling sake for 9$. Not bad for some quick drinks before heading out. I know the place is supposed to be "zen", but I wasn't really digging the lime green interior at all. When I think zen, and sushi, I would imagine a trickling brook and sky blue walls perhaps. There was hardly enough waitresses for the tables and we waited a while to order, but the food came out pretty quickly afterwards. It was another ordeal to grab the check, but the most disappointing thing about zen were the japanese "cocktails". I got the grapefruit cocktail because the yummy grapefruit greentea bubble tea from kung fu tea was still fresh in my mind. I know I was a little delusional in expecting something similar, but this cocktail was sooo bitter! It didn't even taste like fresh bitter grapefruit, just more like extremely bitter juice. At first I thought it was the high alcohol content that made this drink so gross, but then I realized it was just the juice! Eww. It is 50% off cocktails after 10pm as well, but I would just recommend getting the pink sparkling sake. Much more worth it for a girly drink.

    (2)

  • Leighann F.

    What happens when you've overindulged on Maker's Mark at "real" happy hour and suddenly find yourself starving and short on cash? Consider Zen's own version of happy hour that's unsanctioned by time limits and you're guaranteed to satiate your drunk munchies and not drain your wallet. 50% off sushi does have its asterisks. It may go without saying, but you're definitely not getting the best sushi in the city, but with the rotation, constant wait for tables and high turnover, the fish has not been sitting around all day. They also offer a bento box for vegetarians, including a substantial portion of vegetable tempura, seaweed salad and an avocado roll, which was totally satisfying and rang in around $10. Continuing to drink? Pitchers are half off from 10pm - 12am as well, so you can keep the party going, fill up and head back out with a belly full of sushi and buzz that pleasantly carries you through to the next bar.

    (3)

  • Serena T.

    Whaaaa? Half-priced sushi? NoshGirl, you so crazy. I know, jumping at a discount for raw fish sounds like a bad idea. Sometimes it is. (Note to self, never have all-you-can-eat sushi on a cruise, ever again! Let that be a lesson to you) However, I've been going to Zen for sushi for a few years now, and I turned out just fine and dandy. Soooo, if you're willing to subject your stomach to some frugally-priced sushi in the name of a bargain, Zen is the place to go. Following in the vein of cheap-but-good food, I first discovered Zen as a poor student. Back then, my stomach was a bit stronger, and more importantly, my sense of food smarts was a little less inhibited. Combine the two, and I was a regular at Zen. Here's the dealio - each person in the party orders $16 worth of sushi, and then you get half price. So, I had an eating buddy with me, so there were two of us. We ordered $16 each, so we had $32 worth of sushi. You with me? Then, it was half price. So, the two of us ended up gorging ourselves on $32 worth of sushi for the mega-low price of....$16! I know I'm not explaining this well, but I hope you catch my drift. Bottom line - it's half price. I usually stick with the rolls here, which are pretty good. The menu titled "New York POP Creation" has their more inventive stuff - I'm not sure why it's called POP, but there you have it. We ordered the crunchy crab and mayo (crab stick, fish roe, tempura flake, mayo), golden dragon (eel, avocado, mango), camellia (crab, fish roe, mayo with tuna, salmon), and the spider (fried soft shell crab, avocado, cucumber and fish roe). Everything tasted fresh, the rolls were neatly prepared, and the service was prompt. For $22 (includes tax and tip), my eating buddy and I were fairly stuffed with pretty good sushi. Is there better sushi out there? Surely. Is there a better sushi deal out there? (One that you'll want to eat, that is). Not that I know of. Half-priced sushi that you'll want to eat.

    (3)

  • Jade N.

    What can I say that hasn't been said? I've been a patron to Zen since they opened and it's my favorite discount sushi spot. The rice isn't so well made, the fish is mediocre, but when I'm feeling that pinch in my wallet, I can come here to get sushi satisfaction on the cheap cheap. I've never been impressed with the sushi at Zen, yet I've never been disappointed (unlike May's, which got me sick). Their special rolls are about $10 before discount. I get two of them and I'm set for dinner. Definitely beats Teriyaki Boy.

    (4)

  • Jin C.

    Serviceable. That's what this ramen is. If you're craving ramen and you want the next level up from instant ramen, Zen Restaurant does an okay job. It's relatively cheap at $9 for a bowl of tonkotsu ramen, but you do get what you pay for. Only one slice of slightly slimy pork in this big bowl of soup, and generally speaking, nothing to shout about.

    (3)

  • Cliff K.

    Clasp your hands together in Zen. You've found it. The perfect balance between cheap and delicious. You've achieved Zen. First thing you see, a sign that says 50% off sushi! I know what you're thinking. "Is this a happy hour deal" "Is this a lunch special" "Is it a weekend deal". Yeah... none of those. This deal is 24/7. Wha? Why wouldn't they cut the prices on the menu then?? Here's why... THE CATCH: Every person has to order $16 worth for the table to achieve the half off deal. This isn't to say the amounts don't bleed over. For example, if you're with a party of 5, you have to order a cumulative amount of $80. It's kind of annoying, but when you realize that your order of sushi is coming out to 8 bucks, I mean they're not asking for much then. Now onto the sushi. Ok so I've had the sushi, it's passable. It's less like a letter grade, but more like AP exams. This place gets a 3 for it's AP exam. You'd be happy with anything over 3, and you get it. Here's where they rock, the rolls. It's obviously VERY hard to get rolls wrong, and they don't screw it up. Again, it's passable, the Spicy Tuna roll and Spicy Salmon rolls are very solid. The sucky part is, you get 5 pieces per order. But because of the 1/2 off cap, you gotta order a lot anyway. If you're an overachiever, you are definitely not going to enjoy this place. The quality isn't up to par. But if you're like me, cramming the night before to get a 3 on your AP exam, celebrate with this place. It's cheap, it's solid, it's Zen. Ah.

    (4)

  • Dan P.

    This has quickly become one of my go to places in the city. I'm a sushi junkie, and this is the best place I've found to get my fix. It's not the greatest sushi in the world, definitely not the worse, but for the price it just can't be beat. Like so many places, there are things that you get and things you just don't get at certain places. For example, at a place like this I'm not gonna be eating tons of raw fish here, as I try to save that for the really top notch places where you know that the quality is gonna be there. A friend of mine ordered a rainbow or dragon...one of those crazy rolls with 5 different kinds of raw fish on top....and it was crap. My go to's are the spider roll, the zen roll (shrimp tempura roll), yellowtail scallion, and an occasional unagi/cucumber roll. All cooked (except the yellowtail) and all pretty damn good, especially when you consider that you're paying half price. But what really draws me here, and what I find myself craving at all hours of the day, is the agedashi tofu. It's lightly deep- fried chunks of tofu in this awesome broth of mirin and soy sauce, with bonito flakes on top. I've had this dish at tons of places, but they all pale in comparison to Zen's. Damn it, now I've gone and made myself hungry again. So, I eat tofu and sushi there. I rarely spend more than 15 bucks and I'm always full. The service is also very good...not over the top great, but they are definitely attentive. One day I'll venture out and eat something else...but like I said, its my sushi fix. AND I NEED A HIT, RIGHT NOW!

    (4)

  • Diane Z.

    Sure, they have cheap drinks and a happy hour that starts at 10pm.. BUT does the waitress have to lecture me about ordering a minimum of $8?? Went with a group of 7 and we were getting drinks. The waitress told us the minimum in the beginning, so we knew. We ordered a round of drinks to start. While ordering the second round, the waitress feels the need to point out that we don't have the minimum yet and that we won't get the discount without the minimum. I told her ok, we will be ordering more and will meet the minimum and proceeded to order the second round of drinks. She then proceeds to lecture me about the minimum. I tell her that we will be ordering more. And she continues to lecture me!!! WTF! I then tell her that I know and that we will be ordering MORE AND MORE. And she finally gets the hint, that we will be ordering more. How can a server be so dumb and rude to patrons?!

    (1)

  • Cheryl T.

    I don't really get why people come here for the 50% off sushi. Quite frankly, Sushi Park is a few blocks away with 50% off sushi as well. And Sushi Park has much better sushi, no doubt about it. The rolls at Zen are tiny and just not appetizing compared to the rolls at Sushi Park. With that said, I still frequently come to Zen, especially when I want a cheap bowl of ramen. The Zen ramen is pretty good for $6.95, although it is quite salty. I downed so many cups of water when eating it, but it's still quite decent. But what I've found to happen is that I go to Zen, fully intending to get a cheap bowl of ramen, but end up getting one of their dinner combos. Usually the broiled chicken or chicken teriyaki. It is SO good. For $12.95, you get the entree, a bowl of rice, salad, soup, sushi or sashimi, and shumai. It's a LOT of food and all quite yummy. My boyfriend usually gets one of their rice dishes. He likes the katsu curry don ($10.25) but it's just one bowl of rice with katsu and curry over it. It didn't seem that worth it to me, but then again I don't like Japanese curry. The service here isn't the best, but it's also not horrendous. Sometimes it takes a while for them to serve you, especially when it gets busy. The staff doesn't really understand English sometimes. It took us four tries to get a waitress to understand that we wanted straws. The thing that pisses me off is that they include gratuity on the bill, which from what I understand, is illegal in New York. I mean, I'm not stingy so I would have paid the same amount anyway. But I really don't like that I'm being forced to do so. I'd still continuing going back, but I'll stick to the dinner combos or ramen.

    (3)

  • Valerie S.

    I totally dig this place to satisfy my insane appetite for sushi. By no means do I have many standards for quality sushi as a humble full-time volunteer, but this place lets me fill up on sushi as if I was almost getting paid a living wage! I actually walk out of here with my stomach, mouth and wallet feeling the happy sushi high. Great place for sushi lovers with big stomachs, smaller standards, and even smaller budgets. Fun atmosphere as well.

    (4)

  • Jane H.

    I love any place that has half-off sushi! You only have to order 8 bucks worth (that's 16 bucks worth of the actual price) and it's all half off! Fairly easy - all you have to do is order two special rolls, and you are good. The place is small, but it has its own charm. What I found wonderful was that the rice was warm, while the fish was cold. That is a marker of good sushi - it means the rice is fresh and the fish was kept cool, and the sushi chef was quick about making his rolls. That is a rarity in NYC! Also - I noticed that a lot of people were also ordering ramen, and it smelled REALLY good! I will have to try that next time.

    (4)

  • al o.

    Really great prices. Get lots for your money. Will definitely be back for more. Delivery very useful specially for those football Sundays. Half off menu a bonus. Fresh fish and really good courses. Will try their sister restaurant soon.

    (3)

  • Navid D.

    I hate to say it but my gf is always right about NYC restaurants and eateries and she turned me on to this gem among many others. I absolutely love this place. I've ordered multiple of their specialty rolls- which are extremely affordable due to their half price promotion on all sushi. The specialty rolls are creative, delicious, and well rolled (unlike a lot of places where these rolls can fall apart because there is so much packed in there). Their plainer rolls (straight tuna, salmon, eel, etc) stand out as well simply because the fish is of such obvious high quality. They are small- but extremely cheap again due to 50% off. Delivery is also extremely fast. They will tell you 30-40 minutes, and who knows, some day it may take that long- but usually they're at the door in 15-20. Disclaimer: I have never once ordered anything but sushi here.

    (5)

  • Rebecca C.

    CONS: *Service is nice, but they are hard to flag down *Rolls take awhile. *They gave this place a bit of a face lift last year but they seemed to have ignored the (still!) gross bathrooms downstairs. PROS: for the past 6+ years I've never had anything here besides the sushi rolls and chu-hi (and Kirin) and that's all my friends and I need. It's 50% off sushi all day and drinks after 10pm. If you're a food snob then don't bother coming, Zen is a good place for sushi that hits the spot, just don't expect it to be Masa quality (hello? 50% what do you expect?) but it sure beats all those other 1/2 off sushi spots anywhere else. Favorites: Rainbow + Fighting Naruto roll.

    (4)

  • Eva G.

    50% off sushi is pretty attractive, but you can't really expect the sushi to kick more than 50% ass. You can get the discount if each patron eats at least $16 worth. Fortunately, they allowed us to average the bill among 4 people to get the discount. It tastes ok; it'll fill your sushi-void without breaking the bank. Just get there earlier because there starts to be a wait at around 7-8pm. There is a 20% gratuity pre-tacked onto the bill, which I deem outrageous, because that is against my beliefs, but I guess that is how they getcha.

    (4)

  • Jason H.

    The short: A few-frills, inexpensive, pleasant and clean Japanese food/sushi/cali roll restaurant. Good taste, good quantity. Good for snack or hearty meal, great for first and casual dates. I'd easily walk 20 minutes to eat here again. The long: Came here with a friend for dinner. I was pretty hungry as I'd taken a bus in and walked more than 6 miles touring the city. It was lightly busy, enough so that we weren't the only ones talking but not so busy we had a hard time hearing each other. The tables are close but definitely keep enough privacy. Waitress came quickly to give menus, water, and take our order, and checked in a couple times during our meal. I ordered from the Dinner Special menu, got the seared salmon. I have to say, it shocked me with how much food there was! For about $15 (after tip!!!) I got a huge cut of salmon, a few pieces of sashimi, a few cali rolls, some lettuce, some dumplings, and a bowl of rice. The wasabi tasted excellent. The salmon was great, especially for the price, it was seared and flavored very well. I would have normally expected to pay this price just for the salmon cut alone, but with all the other stuff I was full, and I normally can eat more than an entire Chipotle burrito. I can't really comment on the quality of the sashimi, as my taste buds don't really detect that very well, so maybe refer to other reviews for that perspective. But whatever they say, keep in mind that the portions are bigger than I usually see. Make a note that sushi is half-price, every day. Why don't they just change the menu? I dunno, marketing I guess. Why 5 stars? Speed of service and food delivery, taste AND quantity of food. Any down sides? Not really. The only knock I have on them is that the radio played L'il John while we were there, but that's not really their fault. Don't worry, it wasn't loud, it's just that I didn't feel in the mood for getting crunk. Definitely not annoying enough to remove a star. This isn't a good place for groups larger than about 4-6, as they don't have large tables. But it is perfect for 6 or less.

    (5)

  • Jeanette Y.

    The food here isn't anything special, but I think what pulls everyone in is their price tag. 50% off of sushi? YEAH, that's sure enough to draw a crowd of people here! It's in the heart of st. marks and well, there really aren't too many places on st. marks that serves sushi. I mean, I can't say that the food is horrible, because it's not, but it's not OMG, this food is to die for reaction either. It's very MEH. All in all, if you're poor and desperate for sushi, this can be your go to place... otherwise, there's definitely better sushi elsewhere.

    (2)

  • Jeanne C.

    Love the price points here, just like Sushi Park/May's Sushi around the corner. I love the dancing spicy tuna roll. Drool. I think my friend and I ordered a crapload of food, and it was still only $13 total including tax and tip. If there was a recession special restaurant, it would be this one. But the prices have always been this cheap even before the recession. Kudos to Zen.

    (4)

  • Anna N.

    I can't bring myself to go back after a big ass, many legged bug crawled up the side of the wall next to my table...in broad daylight. Thankfully, I was done with my meal and getting ready to leave. Or maybe not thankfully since the sight of it made me want to hurl. The sushi deal isn't even that good if you think about it because you have to order a certain amount (price wise) before you can get the discount; it's not even good sushi. Also, the service. You know it's bad when everyone complains in unison at the mention of it. They could care less, really. The bug was the last straw.

    (1)

  • Whitney R.

    One of my favorite spots in the city. I've been coming here for years- and it never disappoints. Good deals on food, especially as the night wears on. The best part, though, is that it's great for Saki bombing since drinks are 1/2 price after 10. It's a tight fit, but totally worth it, though you might wait for a table. Also be careful not to hit your head when heading down the stairs to use the restroom. It's like a Willy Wonka staircase and gets more and more dangerous the more you drink. Overall, a place to definitely check out when you're on the the East side. Great!!!

    (4)

  • Kevin W.

    If you want cheap, come here. If you want quality, go elsewhere. Just had the spicy tonkatsu ramen. The tonkatsu ramen was actually a pretty nice flavored broth. Problem is they put vinegar in there, or something weird. Maybe from the cheap Chinese hot sauce they throw in to make it spicy - there's probably some sour vinegary flavoring in there. Was just weird after a while. It's $8.50 for a bowl - you get 1 ring of pork (so half the meat you get at your nicer Ramen places). This is like a bad habit I keep going back to thinking it'll be like I remembered. Maybe I've just gotten snobbier and would rather pay more for the Ippudo and Totto's out there).

    (2)

  • Dee Y.

    I've been eating at Zen for years, 50% off sushi is hard to resist, even if there are a lot of horrendous things about Zen. Some times they will try to slip a 20% service fee in, even if you're only eating with 3 other people. Some times you'll see so many flies around the sushi bar. But for cheap sushi, you kind of just sucked it up, drink a whole bunch of Kirin and let it slide. But this is where the line has to be drawn--COCKROACHES. I don't pretend to think that the kitchens of New York City restaurants are sparkling clean without any vermin or bugs. But I was able to convince myself out of sight out of mind (silly, I know, but how will anyone be able to eat out otherwise..). Oh Zen, how I will miss you. I will never be back again.

    (1)

  • Sergey S.

    Really solid sushi but to be honest we only go there for the Titanic Roll..which in my opinion might be the best spicy tuna roll in NYC. Everything else is good but not amazing. The atmosphere is very college crowd.

    (3)

  • Alice Y.

    Come here for lunch special and I always get ramen because I love ramen and because the one time I tried the tempura box, the tempura was not fresh, no sir. But lunch special is worth it, I come once a week, or every 2 weeks.. If you come in to zen one day, just shout out 'ALICE!' I'm probably sitting there slurping my ramen, as usual. Because it's that good. Lol jk it's just ok good. Good nuff for me to come back regularly. For lunch.

    (3)

  • Kay M.

    The food here was cheap came here after a we heard about it and chose it over sushi park which was also nearby. It wasn't terrible as some say but they did mess up on one of the orders which they were very willing to fix. We instantly got seats but i wasnt that happy sitting right next to the door which was cold and also at the same time next to the heater which was burning.

    (3)

  • Arthur L.

    Lets be real...we all go here because of the 50% sushi. Its not the best sushi in town but hey for 50% no complaints here. And after 10pm, pitchers of Kirin are offered for happy hour. So its a great spot to just yourself a cheap fix for sushi. sometimes they like to charge you a service fee, even though I was with a party of 4 and sometimes theres no waiters around to take your order and somtimes they even forget parts of your order but everyone tends to just let them slide because of the half off sushi...the boss/owner of this place has got to be genius lols

    (3)

  • Susan C.

    favorite spot for quick sushi fix. always leave satisfied

    (4)

  • Pavel K.

    It smelled bad and it looked really dingy. The service was REALLY slow. The sushi was not good. Don't have anything else to say except that they had a decent happy hour special and the waitress wasn't unfriendly. Definitely not worth a visit considering there are better sushi places in the area.

    (1)

  • Helen O.

    My friend bought me here because we were hungry, craving sushi, and didn't want to spend alot of money. Since the sushi was 50% off if you order more than 16$, then I definitely wanted to order ONLY SUSHI! And it's pretty easy to order over 16$, especially if you're in a group. STEAAAAALLL! And the sushi is pretty good for the nice. I ordered the spicy salmon roll, titantic roll (LOVEEEEEEEE spicyness inside and raw salmon on top YUM), and I think I tried the dragon roll too. I was very satisfied and the spicy salmon roll only came out to be $2.50. I mean, c'mon, 2.50 for a roll. You can't get it for that price anymore nowadays. We also ordered the takayaki, which are the octopus balls. It was my first time trying it and it was pretty good!! I was pleasantly surprised, so definitely give that a try too.

    (4)

  • Lena Y.

    Located in the heart of St. Mark's, Zen is bound to get packed on evenings and especially the weekends. I've been coming here for years and the food is always consistent. Note that you will not have your best sushi here but the best deal in town as all sushi and rolls are discounted 50% given that your order comes to at least $10. While other sushi places in the city have lunch specials, Zen's 50% deal offers no time restrictions. Usually three rolls will satisfy me for less than $13. Service is not the best as there are at most two to three waitstaff on hand. There seems to be a shortage on cups since I remember a few times that I've seen a waitress washing out glassware in the front bar to circulate to existing customers. If you're ordering takeout, its best to call beforehand to avoid the long wait.

    (4)

  • Laura L.

    Had the rainbow & titanic rolls today. The food was good, wasabi was spicy, and everything was half off so it came out to around $10 before tax/tip. Not bad.

    (3)

  • Numa P.

    If you qualify for a sushi gourmet scholarship and will notice every single detail up to the cooking time of the sticky rice then you will surely miss the soul of this place. It is not about quality but quantity and taste. What would you expect from a place with such a unique place if not to be straightforward? Have you ever heard of the permanent 50% off concept? No matter when you come, the menu will always be half-priced. More special offers after 10 PM with beers being discounted as well. I'm up for a $2.25 draft Kirin anytime. But a regular hour meal for two and huge rolls + two drafts will amount to $50. However, go for the rolls. This is not the right place to enjoy the freshness of a simple tuna sushi but to discover how makis can get creative, colorful and unbelievably tasty. Go for the New York Pop creation and try the Titanic, Spicy Mayo, Spicy Dragon and Naruto rolls. Service is decent enough. Now get addicted.

    (4)

  • Philip S.

    3.5 Stars Cafe Zen is not a bad Japanese place at all if you're on a budget. Sure there's a difference between good and bad Japanese places and things like ambiance and the like should be taken into account. But who seriously expects to get upscale Japanese in St. Mark's Place? That being said, I like Cafe Zen. The food is reasonably priced for the quality and the portion sizes. I ordered the Chirasa [sic] which was 50% off. I think the sushi is 50% off if you order at least $16 worth for a person. My friends ordered another sushi and fried chicken, which both were also pretty good as well. Cafe Zen is a good place for the younger adult crowd to catch a bite. If you're any older, you should consider paying a bit more for a more upscale Japanese experience though,

    (3)

  • Debie K.

    Discount sushi. Normally those words would make my stomach churn, but at Zen the discount sushi is actually....good. With 50% off any roll, you can go a little wild and order a ton of food without hurting the wallet. The few times I've been here I've always been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the fish. It's fresh, well prepared, and of course, cheap. My last visit there, I tried the salmon avocado roll and the Christmas roll (ordered only because I wanted to say "gimme the christmas roll") and both were delish. The small bottle of cold house sake tasted a bit watered down but was less than $5. Coulda been worse. You don't come to a place like Zen for the service-- as other Yelpers have noted it's pretty much nonexistent. We waited awhile for our small orders of sushi to arrive and and after that we hardly saw our waitress. The words "discount sushi" can be scary but don't worry if it's from Zen! It's definitely a worthy, cheap eats find in NYC.

    (4)

  • Kevin Z.

    Really good for 50% off sushi. Its a regular for me however dont expect to be seated quickly on Friday.

    (5)

  • Brittany H.

    Quaint and very low key .. like most small restaurants in the St. Marks area. Not too busy for a Saturday evening and we were seated rather quickly. Standard sushi rolls ... offered chirashi, teriyaki box specials and sushi roll specials but no sashimi platter specials. The quality of the fish was on par...not spectacular but acceptable based alone on price. If they charged any higher, it would have been balls to the wall!! I was not impressed with the selection of the chirashi.... crab meat, eggs, one pc of tuna, salmon, yellow tail and one unidentifiable fish, which I believe to be fluke. A chirashi without EEL? Seriously? So just for that... I had to order one eel sushi.. JUST so I can fully complement my variety.... not to mention some other standards that were missing....white tuna... My friend did recommend the spicy tuna, which melts little pieces of spice & heaven. It was good.. as is the sushi rice. Moist & flavorful. I didn't realize that we stepped in happy hour (?) where everything was 50% off?! They did not do such a good job advertising.. but then again, it's pretty evident that english is not the primary language here! So a bit of a barrier communication. So I'll do it for them! 50% Happy Hours! I'm not sure when...and for how long...but it's a pretty darn good deal wouldn't you say so? But judging from the other reviews, prices have been consistently low anyways.

    (3)

  • Elsie W.

    I don't ask for much. All I ask is that they give us the right order, and to refill our hot green tea when it's empty. But no, they didn't do any of that. I was quite disappointed with the food as well. The texture of the shrimp tempura was the worst I've ever had, and the thin slivers of sashimi did not satisfy me at all. Yes, I was full, but my taste buds weren't satisfied. There are better places for 50% off sushi.

    (2)

  • Shuo Y.

    Zen has decent Japanese food at a really good price. Their rolls are well made, and the salads and appetizers are good as well. Their Age Tofu was surprisingly on par with others I've had around the city. I actually always forget that everything is 50% off when I look at the menu, because the prices are not crazy to begin with. But when I see the check, I'm always excited that my meal was a lot less than expected. As you would expect, drinks are expensive, but if you just have a lot of sushi, it's a steal. If you are in the area and have 15 dollars for Japanese food, check Zen out. Otherwise, hit up 1 dollar pizza across the street.

    (3)

  • Nathan W.

    I guess I got what I deserved for breaking the cardinal rule of not ordering the eponymous food at a restaurant. I've never tried the sushi at Zen Sushi save for a single Philadelphia Roll. BUT I have tried their ramen and their chashu-don. Tasteless, expensive, flavorless, and did I mention it was bland? I'm sure their sushi is decent, but frankly after two misses with pretty standard Japanese options, I don't think I'll be back there anytime soon. And for some odd reason, the place is always PACKED at night. There will be a wait, only to be disappointed at the end of your meal. Don't do it.

    (1)

  • Katie C.

    This place gets three stars for having 50% sushi every day, even weekends. You have to spend a min of 16 dollars before the 50% off so it's easy enough. You just have to order 2 special rolls. Or you can order 2-3 hand rolls. I got a miso soup, which was really over priced at 2.25. Like WTF? Just cause you have cheap sushi you don't need to spike up prices for soup. SO sad. I got the orange dragon roll and rainbow roll. The fish wasn't super fresh, but it wasn't horrible. I actually never had horrible disgusting looking sushi in NY even at cheap places. I just think NY has decent sushi no matter how cheap you're paying for it. Back in the Bay Area, that's not the case. I have seen some pretty horrible looking sushi. Anyway, the rolls were OK. Nothing fantastic. The service was fast. The sushi came fast. The orange roll was like a dragon roll but with eel and salmon on top. And I don't think there was shrimp tampura in the roll, which is the way I prefer my dragon rolls. The rainbow was original. It had the white fish, tuna and salmon. The inside consisted of imitation crab and such. Nothing special. If you want cheap sushi the come here. Looking for GOOD sushi go to Je'bon up the street. If you want quality sushi then fish out 200 dollars and go uptown. You won't find that sushi at St.Marks.

    (3)

  • Angela L.

    Ok, so lime green wall paint is unique, but that should have been my first sign that I stepped into the Twilight Zone of Horror Food. I ordered the Golden Dragon, but was given a regular Dragon. Fine, I'll accept that perhaps she didn't hear me. I was pretty hungry too, so thats cool. I had a spicy salmon roll and Dragon roll, which was falling apart and tasted terrible. A beer on Tap tasted super watered down, ick! I left half the food on my plate, because it was just that bad. Then I went to the restroom, which is downstairs. Each step down was at a different height, which made me think ' where am i?' and the stairs and floor was super slippery. To be honestly, I'm embarrassed to have even eaten here and admit to it, but I think that this terrible place needs warning signs all over it. ALERT* WARNING* DO NOT EAT HERE!!! WARNING* ALERT The only saving grace: I didn't have the runs, whew!

    (1)

  • Frances L.

    New Years Day... and we went to 3 ramen places, all of which were closed. We ended up going here and were pleasantly surprised. The wait was a little long, about 30 minutes. Spicy Ramen = pretty good, very large portion. Also got a couple sushi rolls at half off. Can't complain about the price really. The only thing is that the place is a little dinky and seating can be a little tight, but that's the charm I guess.

    (4)

  • Margaret F.

    I've had much cheaper and better sushi. Why didn't my sashimi come with rice? Small portions, not worth the price. And the miso soup was 70% scallions, 30% soup.

    (1)

  • Darya S.

    The sushi here is always fresh and delicious. I love trying new rolls with no fear because i know it's always gonna turn out great. their 50% off is quite helpful- if you spend at least $10, you get half off, which is a steal! Definitely recommend their rainbow roll and dragon roll. however i once got their ramen and was not satisfied. it was like salt in a bowl. be warned, their service is ATROCIOUS. the rudest of the rude, especially if you go in with someone who doesnt wanna order anything, they'll instantly ask you to leave.

    (4)

  • Brian A.

    Extremely fresh sushi. Staff is type low and you would have to wait a couple minutes before being seated and given the menu. I'm a big fan of their crunchy crab and mayo, dragon roll and spider roll. Although my brother swears that nothing is better than the spicy tuna roll. Keep in mind that 4+ people is considered a party which is a mandatory tip of 18%.

    (4)

  • Brian B.

    I've been coming here for ~5 years and Zen has always done me right. I know the draw for a lot of people is the half price sushi but I've never been much of a sushi fan and it is called Zen Noodle Cafe or Noodle Cafe Zen.. so I tend to go for the.. wait for it.. noodles. For years I got the katsu curry, and theirs is pretty good, solid, Japanese comfort food. I've moved to the curry udon which hits all the same flavor notes but sits in my tummy a bit lighter, definitely a good thing. Service can be lacking and the music is almost always terrible but for some reason I keep coming back.. if only for nostalgic reasons.

    (4)

  • Mark A.

    Stick to the mixed/minced/fried rolls (e.g. spicy tuna roll/tempura stuff). The rolls with big chunks of fish were a bit tough. Otherwise, still a great meal deal.

    (3)

  • Wendy G.

    Bargain price for really really yummy Japanese little dishes and appetizers!! *heart*

    (4)

  • Troy M.

    The second restaurant to Sushi Lounge.This venue is tad bit smaller than Sushi Lounge but the menu is practically the same, lacking only a drink list but adding the Zen ramen bowl. There is actually a bar to sit down at and hard liquor at the bar. This venue has more of a relaxed atmosphere. Bathroom is downstairs and the stairs are STEEP. Do not get sauced and walk down the stairs, lol. Overall the quality of the food is not bad, but the presentation is a notch above SL. Sushi Lounge was my intro to Japanese but Zen may be my staple.

    (4)

  • Geoffrey N.

    St. Mark's is full of Ramen places. Whether it's a dedicated ramen shop or a yakitori joint with ramen. Zen is a place I've passed by a few times without ever giving a second glance. Nothing about the exterior says "Come in and eat"...the interior too actually. So we walked in and was greeted by the smell of Mr. Clean. Reminds me of the high school cafeteria. I ordered the Shoyu tonkotsu ramen and was expecting to be disappointed but MAN was i wrong!!! Very interesting flavor soup, it has a hint of butter and garlic...(I KNOW RIGHT?!). It was really tasty. Waitress was nice, not over friendly and not rude...just perfect. Oh did I mention they also have a garden to eat in? Oh, did I also mention their happy hour starts at 10pm?! 1/2 price off their drinks and beer!! My new place to get some pre-game going on before a karaoke fest! P.S. the bathroom is pretty awesome. Go downstairs and you're greeted by a really narrow and low ceiling basement...kinda like a sketchy tokyo alley where you're going to get mugged. I liked it! Will definitely come again!

    (4)

  • Jinna W.

    I am always on the look out for the next bowl of delicious ramen. Therefore, I actually ventured out of my cozy room to once again, go ramen hunting at St. Marks, during Snowpocalypse Number Two no less! The place was packed at 8 pm, filled with an eclectic group engaging in lively conversation and laughter (fueled on by the cheap beers I'm guessing). We waited about 15 minutes for a table for two. Unfortunately, the ramen was not what I hoped it would be, average, at best. Too much cabbage in the salty but not flavorful soup, yuck. The sushi, on the other hand, was great! 50% of select rolls! I recommend the Alaska. Overall, Zen is a good low-key place to come to for some cheap drinks and food with a friend or two to talk and catch up. The atmosphere is friendly and inviting, and oh-so-cozy on a snowy winter night where you can watch the snow fall from this underground den. The hunt for ramen continues!

    (3)

  • Rachel H.

    Sushi- at 50% OFF!?! That is all the Jew in me needed to hear to run over to Zen last Friday night. The place is kind of a hole in the wall, and the sushi isn't worthy of a 5-Star rating, but after downing a few shots of sake, I thought I was at Sushi Samba. L'Chaim! All in all, for the price, it's not half bad- Get it? Half-price, half-bad!? No? Not even a chuckle?! Guess I should stick to my day job...

    (4)

  • Ethan C.

    Great price. Very fresh. Should give a try. Be sure they will charge you $.25 for extra wasabi and service is not that great.

    (2)

  • Cheryl P.

    I think Zen and I have decided to split. We had a fall out. She can take her food while I take my money. Maybe it's the whole sushi on Monday theory. The fish was definitely not fresh. i ordered three rolls and the only one that I enjoyed was the futomaki, which didn't have fish. The spicy tuna and the yellowtail roll was sneakily given to my friend, who had no issues eating it. Now I have no favorite place on St. Marks. I have no place to rave about cheap and good sushi. I'm just going to shut my mouth when I talk about sushi because Zen and I are no more. Goodbye.

    (2)

  • Alice C.

    A little embarrassed to say that I kinda really love this place.. Even though they advertise 50% off sushi, they totally hike up the prices a little first, but it still turns out to be a good deal. I think you have to order over a certain amount though to get the 50% off. Also, if I remember correctly, their tonkotsu ramen is one of my faves in the city. The broth is flavorful and hits the spot juuuuuust right. I recently saw it listed on some top 10 ramen in the city list too, so I feel pretty justified in my opinion now and a lil less embarrassed to announce my love for this otherwise mediocre Japanese restaurant!

    (4)

  • Justin W.

    50% off sushi is not usually something you look at without a wary eye. However, by my taste buds (definitely not the biggest food critic out there), the fish was pretty quality and worth getting. Though a place that has sushi that's always 50% off should just change the prices of the rolls on the menu, it's always nice to feel like you're getting a good deal. I've been here twice in the last week. Haven't been sick yet, so I have to think that I'll be back here every time I get a sushi craving but don't want to pay the big time prices. Once I go to Yasuda my opinion might change, but for now I'm content with this place. Tuna and salmon rolls while pretty standard are always enjoyable. Yellowtail and scallion was good, but you're probably better off with the regular tuna roll or the spicy tuna roll. Of the bigger rolls, I've tried the rainbow roll and the spider roll, which are both good. A word of caution with the spider roll is that it is a relatively larger roll (diameter wise) and hence is more likely to fall apart. They also sell other stuff like ramen, katsu, curry, and noodle dishes but I've never had those since they're not 50% off and I have other places that I go to for those types of dishes.

    (4)

  • Sajid Z.

    I've had lunch from here. It was good Japanese food. I've had better BUT I think the food could have been a lot worse. I had a lunch special consisting of Chicken Teriyaki. I expected a lot from this place and it was probably wrong of me to but it looked good. This is more of a value-driven restaurant. I think for what it costs, it's worth it. I would not go out of my way to come here again but I wouldn't be disappointed if I end up here. The only reason they get 3 stars is because they allowed me to order take-out for lunch which did not get me sick. Their sushi deals look amazing and I will update this review if I get to it. As for now. 3/5 for food quality 3/5 for restaurant atmosphere and design 3/5 for price in relation to their quantity I think it could be a lot better!

    (3)

  • Jenna K.

    You can't go wrong with 50% off sushi! Their rolls are pretty decent being that it's 50% off, the spicy salmon is my all time favorite! They might want to try fixing their other dishes though. I orders a kimchi beef dish (something along the lines) and yuck! It was terrible. The mochi ice cream looked as if it was melted then frozen again. Terrible. At least have the decency to choose nice ones. Silly me for even getting mochi ice cream. Only sticking to sushi from now on.

    (3)

  • Hannah M.

    pretty good deal for sushi. titanic roll eel roll for $8? yes, please! rolls are a little small, but it's acceptable for the price. service was average and my friends seemed to think their meals of tonkatsu and veggie dinner special were perfectly acceptable as well. if you want a cheap, okay tasting japanese meal zen is your spot!

    (4)

  • Anastasia I.

    last week I went there with a friend of mine and the waitress dropped my order on our table and me. The broken plate cut my arm, and she barely cleaned up the table. It took her around 5 minutes to propose we change tables. She didn't apologize for her clumsiness and when it came to the bill - we got charged for everything, no discount. We did not receive anything extra either. When I called another waitress (the clumsy one disappeared) and told her that there should be some consideration shown from their side, she did not understand English or was pretending she didn't. However she understood when I asked if I could talk to the manager - she said they didn't have one today. I will not go there ever. Food is nothing special anyway, and in the summer they have flies flying everywhere.

    (1)

  • Adina F.

    COULD IT BE? 50% off of every roll ALL DAY? I thought this place was too good to be true, and thank god it wasn't. The sushi was pretty good, not the most amazing or the most fresh, but for $2.50 a roll for certain items, you can't beat that! I totally pigged out on spicy yellowtail, tuna and avocado (the Christmas roll), and bbq eel, got soup and salad for an extra $4 and left this place feeling fat and happy. The interior is really cute, painted lime green, and it goes pretty far towards the back. I will definitely try the ramen next time I come, but nothing can stop me from getting cheap rolls.

    (4)

  • tiffanie n.

    I really like their ramen here. I got the tonkatsu ramen...love the garlic in the broth. sushi was decent. not the best. but for the price, it's not tooo bad.

    (3)

  • Christine M.

    Always leave this place with a smile. The sushi is pretty great, but what makes it even better is how freakin' cheap it is! It's unreal - sometimes I wonder how they make any profit. Also, two very important words: agedashi tofu. The flakes, like, move. Also been here for late night drunk food - a great place for post-drinking (but I think you need to make it before midnight). I always try to make it here every time I come to the city. Love it!

    (5)

  • Don H.

    I know this isn't the greatest most refined sushi in the world, but I love coming to Zen. I went again today and brought my son and friend and we pigged out on sushi, tonkotsu ramen and I even had 2 beers and the whole thing was tasty and less than $50. My son loves the ramen and the sushi and while the service isn't fast they are always nice and friendly.

    (4)

  • Thompson L.

    I don't understand all the red tape behind this 50% off sushi restaurant. Even with the discounts you're still spending $3-4 for what looked like sub par rolls. On the menu there was a explicit min $10 for the discount.. per person. I walked in during a late afternoon while food hopping and wanted a quick snack (after having Mark's next door). I had no room for 8 rolls (my hopping buddy!). Restaurant was pretty empty and I was still given a hard time. Nothing Zen about this place... we walked right out.

    (1)

  • W L.

    We went in with little expectations because you can only demand so much from 50% off sushi joint, right? WRONG! It can be worse than bad :( The Server was sweet, but personality has no value when you cannot ring in our order in the computer. After watching her struggle trying to input our order, we can only hope we would not pass out before the food arrived. We finally received our "entire" order after: 1) asking our server TWICE, 2) speaking to the manager THREE TIMES, 3) seeing 7 tables served BEFORE us 4) watching the server get YELLED by the sushi chef 5) watching the manager & sushi chefs YELLING at each other (ugly sight!) 5) seeing tables seated after us finish their meal before our order was served, 6) having to tell the manager our order was still MISSING an item. Can it get any worse? The manager thinks he was offering us a fair compensation by not charging us for the last item, but really?? 15% is an insult... why bother? We can confirm that the staff was very efficient in clearing our table & placing our check without being asked... Don't get fooled by the 50% discount, it is not worth the frustration.

    (1)

  • Maggie G.

    Crunchy Crab Roll..... is all!

    (4)

  • Swan Z.

    it's....okay. it's not really as cheap as other people make it out to be. for a better bang for your buck, i think udon west is much better and more yummier too. and after sushi park, i don't really believe in 50% off sushi deals, because after that 50% off, the rolls still come out to be average price and only barely passable quality. why bother, really... boyf got the zen ramen. it was so salty that we diluted it with the ice water they gave us, lol. it was better after it was diluted. i got the nabeyaki udon. the single piece of tempura in it is...bad. it's doughy, which tempura should never be. the rest of it was alright. nothing special. for the ~$20 we spent, i'd rather much have gotten chipotle. lol ;__; we went there after 10pm, and the entire place reeked of beer and was sooo loud, like bar loud. it was extremely awkward because we weren't drinking and i just wanted a nice satisfying but cheap dinner. the green walls are kind of disgusting too, argh. but at least service was decent. the waiter let us move tables because we were seated at this awkward table in the middle of the room at first. and our water was refilled when needed. probably not going back--so many other choices in the area.

    (2)

  • Adjoa T.

    Um, all kinds of yum. First, the sushi was good. Second, all the sushi (rolls, sushi & sashimi) is 50% off all day if each personal individually spends $16 (pre-discount), so it's hella cheap. Third, it was a relatively short wait for getting sushi at 8p on a Saturday night. (Ordered the Fancy Naruto Roll & Barbecued Eel roll. Companions ordered Spicy Tuna variations and Shrimp Tempura Roll. All good, only criticism was Eel rolls were a tiny bit lacking in eel sauce.) Conclusion: Major pwnage/HELL YES/I heart you, Zen.

    (4)

  • Tim G.

    The teriyaki chicken is not too bad and the food comes quickly.

    (3)

  • Ren X.

    more than $16 and u got urself half price sushiiiii. yea i mean the quality of the fish is not amazing, but ur eating it in the roll so you can't really taste it. besides if you are looking for top quality sashimi, what are u doing in st.marks?

    (4)

  • Jason P.

    After a long day of playing in the city we decided to check out Zen for its lunch specials. Our party of three, came here around 2pm on a Saturday afternoon, to which the place was pretty empty as compared to the neighboring restaurants. About 4 tables of the 25-30 tables were occupied. We were quickly seated and given menus and three glasses of water. Service was average, as the waiter came over to take our orders promptly, cleared any used dishes, and refilled our waters without us having to get their attention. For my entree, I ordered the Ramen Combo ($11.00) which included choice of ramen, a bowl of salad, and choice of roll (california roll, oinari, salmon sushi, and one other that I forgot). I'm a bit of a spice lover so I went for the Spicy Tonkotsu ramen (original garlic salt flavored noodle soup with meat, mushroom, egg, and baby bamboo) and the salmon sushi. Salads came out very quick in what seemed only 3-4 minutes, served in a medium-sized white bowl. Portions were larger than the standard salad, with the basic ingredients (lettuce, sliced carrots, cucumbers, and the Japanese dressing), all of which were fresh and familiar. The ramen bowl came out next which looked and smelled quite divine. The broth was very tasty and had some nice heat after slurping a few spoonfuls. Yum!!! The ramen noodles felt more like the packaged ramen noodles you would typically find at a supermarket, good though nothing spectacular. The ramen felt all too boring and simplistic. My one gripe was that only ONE slice of meat was included in my bowl of ramen, a HUGE disappointment. Following that note, the bamboo slices tasted almost like they came from the can, though the egg was tasty as if slightly soaked in soy very briefly (the egg white and yolk was ever so slightly tinted brown). Midway through our meal, our sushi came out, which was a relief, but I found quite odd as I would have preferred for the sushi to come out between the salad and main entree. My 2 pc. salmon sushi was average sized.. The salmon was fresh, rice was sticky and firm. The wasabi had some nostril tingling heat. Just the way I like it!! And the white ginger was fresh and palate cleansing. I also had a chance to try the Chicken Katsu which was breaded perfectly, crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Included in the Chicken Katsu bento box was two very small chicken wings with barely any meat/skin. It was a nice surprise, though I would have preferred they stick to something more traditional than trying to be original yet skimpy. Overall, I found the ramen to be rather simple in ingredients. $11.00 for a lunch special was a little on the pricey side (for the skimpy portions), though the bento boxes seemed like a better deal for $7.95. The bento boxes also included Miso soup, salad, and a bowl of rice. With the abundant choices of Japanese restaurants and ramen shops, I'd probably look elsewhere.

    (3)

  • Tia H.

    This place will always hold a special place in my heart. I discovered it during my first weekend living in New York many moons ago, yet I continue to return for 1/2 price sushi and pitchers because it's DELICIOUS and CHEAP!

    (4)

  • Eddie P.

    CHEEEEAP. Get Sushi Mania and an Alaska roll for a FILLING sushi meal of under 20$. The quality isn't amazing, but I'm not complaining at 20$ including tip. Plus, I'm full at the end and it is extremely expensive for me to be full (I have a HUGE metabolism), especially on sushi. Yummeh...

    (4)

  • Esther K.

    Let me preface this by saying I used to LOVE Zen. I never thought the food here tasted any better than low-end average. I recognized that the restaurant was cramped and usually smelled like a urinal. I never for a second assumed the quality of the sushi was any higher than "it probably won't kill me." But it used to be SO DAMN CHEAP. Half price sushi all day. And the $8 minimum was always in place but they never actually implemented it. Then they shut down for a few months to "renovate" (And I really don't see any major changes. Maybe the paint was spruced up?) and since they've been back I've gone twice and felt completely ripped off both times. At least be clear about your policy. Nowhere on the big yellow sign advertising half-off sushi all day is the $8 minimum stated. And their guiding principle seems to be to maliciously mislead you as much as possible. The first time I went back right after they re-opened I ordered about $8 worth of sushi and was told (not all that politely I might add...the server acted like he caught me trying to swindle him.) that the discount only applies if you order $8 after the half off. The second time I just had a beer (which is half off after 10pm) and my friend had about $20 worth of sushi. When the check came around she was charged the full price. We were told there's actually an $8 minimum per person just to sit down. But instead of charging me $8 for my beer, they went ahead and gave me the beer for half price but gypped my friend out of $10 because we were together. WTF??? So basically, it's cheap if you want to spend a lot of money.

    (1)

  • Katherine E.

    I go here ALL THE TIME. Legit. It's the best Japanese restaurant in St Marks. The Miso soup is amazing. I would definitely nominate it as the best miso in New York. Totally recommend the chicken teriyaki, AND the salmon teriyaki. Curry's great, but the curry over at Udon West is a -slight- bit better. Their rolls are awesome!!! Everything is very fresh, and I think this is the best Yellowtail Scallion roll in town. Excellent selection of drinks. Getting the lunch box is strongly recommended. It's awesome. Chef's salad is a must have. Again, super fresh and HUGE portions. Sushi is really at a good price here. Ramen is also really good. Last time I came here with my fiance, I had Nabeyaki Udon and he had Zen Ramen. Super fresh ingredients, and it's all so good. Great place to go with friends, or on a date. Sitting in the backyard with a large group of friends in the summer after a night out is STRONGLY recommended. ;) The service is great, very speedy. Not much in terms of desserts, but the green tea ice cream is always a hit. LOVE THIS PLACE! LONG LIVE CAFE ZEN!!!

    (5)

  • Han S.

    I ordered steamed shumai, which were vomit-inducing.The sushi special gave my friend food poisoning, most likely caused by her gray-ish fish tartare that topped her sushi roll. The place didn't look too sanitary when I walked in. I'd return to eat .... if everything was free. Maybe not even then.

    (1)

  • Daniel B.

    As I understand it, there's a lot of good Japanese food in the village. Few have 50% off all sushi (provided it doesn't come as part of a non-sushi-based set menu). The food was good, I had the curry cutlet and brought home some sushi for my lady, which was reportedly good. The restaurant itself plays Latin music, but is staffed entirely by Japanese. Plan on returning soon.

    (4)

  • Lianne Z.

    Okay I love this place. Jumping on the bandwagon for all day half-off sushi, this place is by far my favorite. The sushi is fresh and the service is reliable. After 10 pm they have half-off on this liquor called Sochu ($2-$3 for a huge glass). Similar to the korean vodka Soju, this clear liquid is mixed with various juices or teas to create an Asian twist on a mixed drink. I love the Oo-long tea and the grapefruit one. They also have beer specials but I can't remember what they are. Probably $1-2 for Sapporo. I always order way too much but in true fattie fashion, I always eat ALL of it. They have such a great selection of special rolls- all large and stuffed with delicious, fresh fish. I have fallen in love with their "Christmas" and "Titanic" roll...I think they have a "Dragon" and "Orange" one as well. You get my drift? They closed for a bit earlier this year due to renovation but I called today and they are back! :) I'm so happy. They also serve hot food and I hear good things about their ramen. Don't go expecting Nobu or Morimoto but on average $10-$15 pp covers for an INSANE amount of food and liquor, it's turning out to be quite a timeless classic. Just don't go around telling too many people.

    (4)

  • Diane P.

    i'm all for great-tasting cheap food, so zen is really a no brainer. their sashimi/sushi and rolls are pretty standard and they do give generous amounts of sushi. that being said, it isn't the highest quality of sushi, but i'm sure those who go there are smart enough to know that there's only so much you can expect from a half-price sushi place. you're paying for what you're getting, so just be realistic about your expectations, and you'll be just fine. but in comparison to other cheap sushi places, zen comes out as a front runner. if you're craving sushi AND you want lots of it, zen is a great place to go. aside from sushi, they also have a really good appetizer called sake-kama, which i definitely recommend! most restaurants throw out the salmon neck/jaw but they broil/fry(?) and salt the salmon to perfection! i've also heard good things about their miso ramen, although i've never had it myself. the only real complaints i have about this place is that 1) they've started setting minimum/person before the discount applies (and on their happy hour drinks too) 2) they use chinese rice instead of real japanese sushi rice and (again, paying for what you're getting) and 3) the food takes awhile to come out (there are only so many sushi chefs). NOTE: so i'm not sure when this all started up, but last time i went, they had all these new rules about having to order $8 worth of food per person before the 50% off sushi discount kicks in ($10 for delivery), which is just annoying because they didn't use to have that. that also applies to their "happy hour" (after 10pm) beer deals which are advertised super cheaply, but only apply after you've ordered a certain amount (so just be aware that you might not get the discount if you don't order enough).

    (3)

  • Victoria F.

    If you spend $16 per person, you get 50% off the entire tab. For instance, 7 of my friends went there and our check was $67.00 including tax and service charge. It's always awesome. however, a few things that come along with cheap sushi: 1) sometimes the rice is a little warm, sushi is usually best cold and 2) sometimes the pieces are cut a little too big for your mouth, so you wind up shoving it in and chewing awkwardly. If you can handle those two "cons," then go and enjoy quality, cheap sushi!

    (4)

  • Amanda W.

    I want to give this place 4 stars because I can get full off of around $10 of sushi, but the service here is just terrible. I went with 2 other friends so luckily we didn't have to pay too much tip for having a party of 4+. First we felt a little rushed to order (adding up sushi to get the deal isn't easy!) and I feel like filling up our cups with more green tea (hot is free, iced is $2.50) shouldn't be something we have to constantly ask for. I eaten in here only twice and I don't know if I'll continue to do so. Maybe just get takeout or delivery because the sushi is of pretty good quality. If you're looking for a place where you won't be bothered at all though, this would be the place for you. Sushi takes a while to come out though, or at least the wait was long enough for me to notice.

    (3)

  • Leilani R.

    My one stop shop for.... You guessed it, RAMEN & SUSHI. Go figure. * 50% off all sushi, all day * Large bowls of ramen * 50% off draft pitchers 10pm-midnight * Chill during the day, CRAZY late at night Can't go wrong... but late at night it's packed with drunk people, so if that's not your thing, this might not be the place for you late nights.

    (4)

  • John P.

    You get what you pay for. The prices are decently cheap for the city and for the variety they offer at Zen. I like their happy hour. I also like their set meal menus. The quality of the food is decent. This is one of my go-to spots if I'm hungry for some Japanese food, on St. Marks, and am not feeling too picky.

    (4)

  • Jacob C.

    This is a great place to get your fill on all kinds of Japanese goodies at a really good price. It seems like thats the going thing on St. Marks. I went to Zen with a friend from out of town and we pigged out and shared a HUGE bottle of sake and out bill was still around $60. Taking into consideration that the huge bottle of sake was $35..thats pretty damn good. We had tako yaki, soba noodles, yakitori, and a few different sushi rolls. It definitely a great spot to go to if you want to eat a ton of food on a budget.

    (4)

  • Tina W.

    The service was kind of slow. The sushi didn't taste as fresh as I had hoped, but the good part is that you get 50% off when you order more than $16 worth of sushi. Not the best if you want good sushi, but good if you're really hungry and looking for cheap sushi.

    (2)

  • Pearl H.

    I would give it a 3-star if it was purely for the food. The sushi is not great but still yummy. The 50% discount on all sushi is primarily the reason why my friends and I frequent this small restaurant. So it is the service that drags down the whole rating. One of the waitresses was very rude and impatient when she served us, but this wasn't the worst. Later I heard her screaming at two young ladies something like "I HATE CHINESE!" and "DON'T EVER COME BACK!" Everyone in the restaurant was shocked when she repeated that. This was very very unprofessional and unacceptable. I really don't want to give Zen a 1-star rating because of this, but it would be nice if the restaurant owner could learn a lesson that service is also a key ingredient for a restaurant to stay popular and long. Anyways, my feelings are badly hurt and I don't think I will ever go back.

    (1)

  • Teddy T.

    Zen sushi is a steal. Where else can you get sushi for 50% off if you order more than $16?! Granted, the sushi is not of the highest quality- but if you're looking for a bargain, this is definitely the place to go. They have a lot of interesting rolls beyond the typical "rock n roll" and other standard fare you can find at any Japanese restaurant. Try the fancy naruto roll- it's got all my faves: shrimp, eel, and avoc Their ramen and udon are not too bad either. I had the spicy ramen the other day and it had a good amount of spiciness in it- but was not overpowering. Unfortunately, it doesn't come with anything except for a single piece of chicken and veggies so you may want to ask for some shrimp tempura to be added in :) The only drawback with the udon and ramen is that their broths can be a little bit oversalted. I felt I was reaching for a glass of water every five seconds to wash away the saltiness of the broth. But the flavor wasn't too bad overall.

    (3)

  • Kim C.

    *3.5 stars, but rounding down Is it still a "deal" when they offer 50% off every meal every day of the week? Regardless, the sushi at Zen was delicious. Fresh, cheap, and not the least bit fishy--just the way sushi should be. We tried the spicy tuna, which had just the right amount of fish/mayonnaise ratio, shrimp tempura roll (yum), titanic roll, and then something else that had eel and mango (not my fave, but a fave of my fellow restaurant-goers). Service was good, restaurant was generally clean. I'll go back eventually, but if I need to satisfy a sushi fix immediately, this is where I'll probably return.

    (3)

  • Susan L.

    I came here a few times, and it was pretty good at first. There is a 50% off sushi all the time when you spend more than $16. The dumplings aren't that good. I used to always order fresh salmon rolls but after this time, I don't think I would even want to come back here. The sushi here aren't that special, it's basically you get what you paid for. There were flies flying around the restaurant. However, the worst part of it is that the fresh salmon roll was NOT fresh at all. At first it even looked like it was tuna, so my friend and I took the sushi piece apart to see if it was fresh. You can totally see it was NOT fresh and the salmon was warm- isn't salmon suppose to be cold? We thought maybe it was warm because of the rice, but the rice was not warm at all. The avocado from the dragon roll was not fresh too. The barbecue eel roll didn't look right too. There were still bones in the eel and the eel didn't look fresh- I think I can even get better tasting eel in a supermarket. Overall, my experience for this place keep on decreasing.

    (2)

  • Rhobin D.

    Love this place. I've learned what's best to order on their menu and always leave extremely satisfied. Ramen, takoyaki, yellowtail neck never disappoint. If you come here during lunch and dinner times you'll notice it's always filled. A full restaurant is as telling as it gets.

    (4)

  • Jim U.

    I went here for lunch earlier this week. I had their bento box lunch special with the broiled salmon neck. Additionally I ordered gyoza for an appetizer. The gyoza were a little heavy but not bad. The "broiled" salmon was actually pan-fried, very salty, and overcooked. Salmon is a wonderful fish that is difficult to prepare badly. What a shame. Didn't try the sushi, but for their regular Japanese menu I can't recommend.

    (2)

  • Ann B.

    Also known as "Half Price Sushi".. I actually just started to be able to remember it's real name. It's better than the one on St. Marks and Avenue A.. The happy hour drinks after 10 pm. are great and tasty. Pitchers of beer are really cheap. It attracts a lot of college kids but it's got a low key vibe and it's nice inside (all wood and not cheap/tacky looking). The vegetable tempura is mediocre, too bad. But I love the tuna and avocado salad. The sushi is nothing special, but I've eaten there a million times and it's never made me sick or anything. Which, considering the fact that it's SO cheap, is kind of a miracle.

    (4)

  • Sunni Y.

    Not too good. People are rude and snobby for food that is mediocre.

    (2)

  • Deanna L.

    I like this place because whenever I'm there I get the special of the day - 50% off sushi! Oh who am I kidding, it's always 50% off. That sign has been up there for years! It's happy hour sushi everyday! Drag a friend and get the specialty rolls. The place is kind of tiny but if you are cheap like me, or a college student, this place is totally worth it.

    (4)

  • Janet H.

    I ordered the lunch ramen combo ~ $11. It came with a salad, your choice of ramen and your choice of sushi roll. I decided to go with the Tonkotsu ramen (see picture) and salmon sushi as my choices. It took quite a while for our food to come out.. we were all hungry so that annoyed us a bit. The ramen had a good broth though nothing too outstanding. You get one piece of fatty pork, half a hard boiled egg and wayyy too much little bamboo pieces. The noodles were a bit on the soft side, I think it would be better if it had a "bounce" to it. The salmon sushi (2 pcs) was good. Overall, this place was not bad, cheap prices and decent food. Like all the other reviews had mentioned, they have a big sign for 50% off sushi. I'd definitely give it a try if I were to come back to this place.

    (3)

  • T H.

    Wow 50% sushi, Going to Run in with my own pair of chopsticks =D Sushi is fairly Good and don't forget the Takoyaki. Good for my budget since i'm a college student

    (4)

  • Allen Y.

    Nestled into St. Mark's Place, this sushi establishment boasts a perpetual 50% on all their sushi. That alone should tell you what kind of place it is. It's definitely clean and has all the typical sushi rolls (dragon, rainbow, spider, naruto, etc.), but it's not the classiest or most creative sushi you'll have. The restaurant was oddly empty during lunchtime on a Saturday, but the sushi we got was very acceptable (my favorite was the dragon roll), and came out to pretty cheap (four 'fancy' rolls for under $30). Music playing in the background was a bit odd, but everything went fine here. They also apparently have a 'garden' in the back if you want to sit outside.

    (4)

  • Melissa A.

    Ew. I got a sushi sampler platter and the sushi wasn't fresh. Almost every roll tasted fishy. I love sushi and wasn't able to finish the platter because I was kind of grossed out. Maybe I'm spoiled by having a great inexpensive sushi shop right by my apartment (Kiku in Park Slope is like heaven), but so what...I expect my fish to be fresh, especially when I'm eating it raw. Try St. Mark's Sushi across the street. Their sushi is quality and hasn't ever let me down.

    (1)

  • Jay T.

    not the best sushi but for 5 dollars for a roll you can't complain. They have all day special of 50% off sushi. My favorite is the Golden Dragon roll and the spider roll. Ramen s good also. The service is a little slow. The price you pay you can't complain but you must order at least 8 dollars to get the half price sushi.

    (3)

  • Pierre C.

    No one has seemed to capture the true essence of this little gem, So I will do my best... First off, it has a small exterior seating area that is not that appealing. On the inside it is a good old Sushi spot, nothing quite interesting about the decor. I went to lunch with my co-worker, we were hunting for anything to eat, and not any particular craving, i knew there was a Sushi joint down on St. Mark's that just closed down, so I was looking for an alternative. I did not notice the 50% off sushi, it probably would have stopped me from entering, the assumption is "cheap sushi = bad sushi". Nevertheless I jumped in, I ordered three "safe" rolls, that nay Sushi joint should make well: A Spider Roll - 9.95, Boston Roll and an Alaskan roll I think like 6.95 or so each. With two pieces of Salmon Sashimi. I was told that if I spend $16 the Sashimi is half price, so two pieces of Sashimi for 2.75 is not bad. My co-worker ordered a Meat Udon soup, lo and behold the "meat" was pork - her muslim boyfriend will not be happy. She ate it anyway. Quality you ask? Well, I have to say I was pleasently surprised, it was pretty good, the green tea was awesome, and everything hit the spot. I was actually stuffed from consuming 15 pieces of Sushi, lol. The biggest surprise was the check! Everything was half-off! So the 9.95 spider roll, was like $5 bucks... for two of us to gorge ourselves the check was $25, not bad for a belly-stuffing Sushi lunch. they have a happy hour after 10PM that is half-off beer too. Sushi is 50% off all day. I would have given it 4 stars, but the service got crappy towards the end when i wanted to leave - freaking trying to get the check and then have them take it was like pulling teeth... and it was NOT crowded at lunch. we were attended very well.

    (3)

  • Stephanie H.

    I've been to Zen a couple times, but tonight I had the WORST dining experience in my whole life! Sure, the 50% off of sushi is a pretty good deal, but they added 20% of tip on our check!!!? It was only 4 of us on a Sunday night, and they didn't even have good service to begin with. I told the waitress and had her adjust the bill. We ended up paying about 14% tip because we hated their service. Then here comes THE MOST ridiculous thing: right after we walked out of the restaurant, our waitress ran out and asked me for $2 bucks because her manager wasn't happy about our tip!!!!!!!! I will never go back to that place ever again!

    (1)

  • Jessica O.

    Cheap and good ramen and udon - perfect for after drinking a little too much wine!

    (4)

  • Resa W.

    A definite so-so on sushi. Well, I didn't expect much considering its half-assed exterior but I mean, how wrong could they go? Pretty wrong I guess. The food was extremely lackluster and why the hell did they give me chicken nuggets in my bento box? SO CONFUSED.

    (2)

  • Francis E.

    Great Happy Hour prices and hours. The beer is beer and the sushi won't get you sick. Sake bombs, pre-gaming, etc... There isn't much more to ask for.

    (4)

  • Angelique A.

    Taking off one star because of its ridiculous cash only policy but otherwise, what a great restaurant! The staff is gracious and welcoming and the food is delicious. Particularly good: tan tan 6 They have great lunch and brunch deals too!

    (4)

  • Ray L.

    This place used to be a staple of mine for years, but I haven't been here in a while (after an expat stint abroad) and was sorely disappointed at what they've become. I used to be able to deal with their deceptive marketing (e.g. 50% off expensive prices ALL THE TIME-- or do they just list a high vs. low number to prompt us into think it's cheaper?), roachey bathrooms with random flies drifting around-- it was part of the charm to be in a run-down cheapo sushi place. BUT, I recently saw that they've resorted to even more underhanded tactics to weasel money from their customers and I'm no longer patronizing this place. Specifically, I saw that they've decided to stop accepting credit cards (with no signs indicating cash only-- aside from a clumsily taped handwritten piece of paper on the *credit card holder* that you get with your bill) and decided to install an ATM that charges $3 per transaction just inside the vestibule. Really shady, in my opinion. In general, their sushi is OK, but the quality was never great and this new development is just one deceptive technique too many. Not to mention that my sake kama (broiled salmon neck) was overcooked and dry. Thumbs down...

    (1)

  • Harry H.

    Should've trusted others and stuck to the sushi, or the unavailable-via-online-orders ramen burger, but went for the Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen 110.95 Choice of Noodle: Thin. Arrived to pick it up and was greeted with the strong scent of cleaning products, and the order not being ready, but they quickly remedied that and handed off a huge mass of clumped-up noodles (even after adding broth and mixing). FYI stacking Yelp checkin special wasn't tried, and there was/is a seamless 20% off PS not to be confused w/ Zen6 on E6th

    (3)

  • Henry T.

    Been to this place for cheap booze with a few friends in the past. Decided to come back here to give its food a try after my friend and I couldn't decide on what to eat in the St.Marks area, so this was our last resort. Upon walking in and getting settled down, I went to the restroom and the only way there was down these narrow, steep and uneven steps. The basement was no higher than 6 feet so I had to somewhat duck down while waking around down there. I ordered the chicken teriyaki bento box and that came with sushi/sashimi, salad, 2 pieces of shumai and 5-6 pieces of grilled chicken smothered in teriyaki sauce. I also checked in on Yelp to receive an addition complementary salad on the side. The sauce for the chicken was somewhat solidifying when I got it and that gave me reason to believe that my dish has been sitting around for a while. My friend had the Zen ramen which consisted of pork belly and vegetables. We also had a ramen burger that looked unappetizing but tasted somewhat decent. All our orders had one thing in common. They were unnecessarily salty. It was salty enough for your tongue to lose feeling and wanting a lot of water (which our waitress only refilled once the whole time we were there). Would I come back? Probably not.

    (3)

  • Leonard L.

    Zen 6 NY Manhattan St Marks 2:30pm Thursday 14th May 2015 Three Stars Would this be the place that I recommend if you had one meal in NYC? Absolutely not, but this place is much better than its two star rating. I walked in and there was nobody inside this 50 person ramen and sushi place which was a disheartening sign but I wouldn't let that stop me from eating here. I have heard good things about this place but I realized that this is a satellite restaurant to the one on 6th when I checked in on yelp. You do get a free salad. It had mixed greens, tomato, corn, avocado, carrots, and onion with a ponzu dressing. *If you check in at the other place you get a dessert bar. There are way too many menus. There is main menu with the ramen and 50% off sushi (which is just priced ridiculously). There are three special inserts: 1. Ramen Burger 2. Super Spicy Ramen. 3. Tsukemen / Cold ramen. There is also a Sake-Tini menu and a separate beverage menu. Lastly there is a lunch special which I ordered off of. I had the hakata ramen with 3 pieces of a California Roll. The ramen had a nice salty unctuous broth. The thin noodles were a bit over cooked but were still tasty. The two pieces of pork were not very fatty and a touch dry. You get a whole egg but the yolk was more medium. The person who shelled the egg mutilated it. The bamboo shoots were surprisingly sweet. There was also micro greens, nori, scallion, red ginger, sesame seeds, chili oil. The California roll had Krab meat, cucumber, and avocado but was rather mediocre. Overall, it was a filling $12 dollar meal.

    (3)

  • Crystal C.

    The ramen here is darn good. The service, not so much. This three star rating is solely for the food. Planned to grab a quick bite after a mini spring shopping session, but the ramen shop I was originally headed to only accepts cash. When we found Zen, we walked in and saw the hostess dealing with customers. We knew she couldn't tend to us right away, but we didn't appreciate the lack of acknowledgement. We were awkwardly standing at the front of the shop for a few minutes. When we were getting ready to sit at any table, that is when the hostess decided to hand us menus - so weird. The menu has a variety of options, which is always a good thing. I went with Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen and he went with Zen Ramen, both thick wavy noodles. Their ramen is definitely up there so I'll give them that, bonus points for pretty plating. We wanted to try the sushi so we asked the hostess to put in our order because our waiter wasn't around. Our sushi never came. While we were eating we noticed one group decided to leave because they were waiting too long. It wasn't busy at all, so I'm not sure why there was a lack of attentiveness. Eh.

    (3)

  • Jo B.

    YUM!! So happy I ordered the Akadama Champon for lunch. Delicious, hot, on time! You will need a really big bowl to eat the noodles and soup together.

    (5)

  • M P.

    One of the sushi chefs took a phone call and talked on the phone for a long time while making sushi. The sushi sashimi combo tasted average, just like those you can get at a supermarket. It's not worth the money even at 50% off. And I have had much better ramen at other Japanese restaurants. If you want to have Japanese food on St. Marks Street, this is not one I would recommend.

    (1)

  • Yan T.

    Noodle Cafe Zen (and/or whatever it was named in the past) has never been cool or sexy, but it's always been a reliable purveyor of 50% off sushi rolls in a borough where such Brooklyn pleasures are rarely afforded. I first started coming to Zen a decade ago, a nice Japantown refuge for a low-wage desk jockey. They're still true to form, offering happy hours and 50% off regular rolls and sushi, provided your order exceeds $10. For the price, it is pretty good sushi too, and, I believe, served by actual Japanese people (also a rarity in this town). After a decade-long hiatus, I returned triumphantly after a long run at Central Park (and on Japan Day, appropriately enough) to partake in some nibbles. I wasn't terribly hungry, but still able to scarf down the ramen burger (yes, they offer one), which was both inexpensive, delicious, and delivered upon request, bypassing the hour-long existential misery of Smorgasburg. We also enjoyed some sparkling sake, which was served in a fancy ice bucket we all associate with fine Champagne. It was a bit rosy but tasty and crisp. Atmosphere is pretty sparse with bare tables and minimalist decor. Service is decent enough (there are some English gaps), and you will be surrounded, based on the time of your visit, either by broke students or random families, but if you're a bargain-hunter for raw fish, give Zen a try.

    (4)

  • Kathy X.

    It took awhile for the food to come, but it was well worth the wait. The Ramen Burger came with tortilla chips and a light green hummus-y dip. I thought the tortilla chips were cute, if a bit unorthodox in a Japanese restaurant. Though, it did look like the main chef was Mexican so he probably just wanted to add a bit of that flavor into the meal. We also tried a side of charsiu pork, which was way too fatty for me. I am used to the Chinese version which is bright red, lean BBQ pork so could not fully enjoy the Japanese version of the pork. I did, however thoroughly relished The Ramen Burger. The ramen itself was fried and the meat patty was a blend of beef and pork. The meat was incredibly juicy, savory, flavorful and delicious. There was also tomato, green onion, Asian mayonnaise and a sweet dark brown sauce that worked well together. It was pretty messy, but definitely worth it to try to get a bit of everything in one bite. It was also very filling and satisfying.

    (4)

  • Christopher M.

    Even with how nice the staff were....I just can't round this 2.5 review up. My experience left me so wanting for quality dining in this food genre that I had to order ramen and apps the next night....because 24-hours later Zen 6 STILL left me wanting that badly. I've walked past this place a ton of times. never noticed it. Now I know why: nothing really noteworthy to draw attention. I mean, it's fine. But you can easily walk to other places in Chinatown and throughout LES that are tremendously better. I was all set on the Ramen Burger....but my gut just told me not to....and, the server was awesome enough to say that he himself has never tried it....and that about 30% of customers don't seem to like it. No, thank you, Sir. Got the Tan Tan 6 and the octopus balls. The balls were gross. Ate three just because I was paying for them. Couldn't pawn off more than two to the table. Tan Tan 6 was fine. But no finesse in the heat....they forgot my extra charsiu (though didn't give me a hassle about taking it from the bill, and did apologize)...the eggs were cooked too hard. Broth was fine...but I didn't want to slurp down the broth when done (bad ramen sign, IMO). The sushi one friend ordered looked fine....though just like taking grocery store stuff out of the container. The Chu Hi was fine. Though couldn't really detect any hootch. The warm sake was lovely, though. My friend said the crab rice was off the chain. So there's that. But all that, AND they're only cash, AND none of us saw any signs saying as much until the huge note on the check holder? Not cool. But such is the LES. Lastly, my other friend said the bathroom was half broken, with string holding the door shut. Won't be back on my own accord.

    (2)

  • Alexandria T.

    This review is solely for drinks at the bar. We stopped in Noodle Cafe Zen to grab a drink in the attempt to avoid the bars that you find in this area. We sat at the totally empty bar, and the rest of the restaurant had four other tables. We each got a drink--a glass of plum wine for me and a beer for him. We finished our drinks and no one came up to us to offer the check--an unnecessary amount of time passed before we were able to get our check. It really isn't a bar, so this probably isn't the best place to grab a drink, but at least it was quiet and not full of bros.

    (3)

  • Mr F G And Ms M S.

    3.5 Stars! We were here for a late dinner at around 9pm on a Friday night. The place was really busy right after we got in. We didn't have to wait. We were seated immediately. The place looks clean. The decor is simple, nothing worth mentioning. This place serve ramen burger but we didn't try it. We got the tonkotsu ramen, the spicy tonkotsu ramen, & a bottle of Sapporo beer. The ramen came with few slices of chasu & a whole egg. We thought the spicy tonkotsu ramen were much better than the regular tonkotsu ramen. It has more flavor than the regular tonkotsu ramen. What we don't like about the regular tonkotsu ramen is the strong ginger flavor. As for the portion, it was decent. We can't say we were really full from just eating a bowl of their ramen but it was just enough. 50% off for sushi & this place is cash only. The service was decent. Our server was polite. Service was definitely quick. The food came out fast, our water cup was filled when it was almost empty without us having to ask, & when we asked for the bill, our waitress were also quick on that. Overall, this place is decent when it comes to food & value.

    (3)

  • Lils Y.

    1.5 stars. DON'T CONFUSE THIS PLACE WITH THE MORE POPULAR ZEN 6 a few blocks down. -Tan tan ramen - spicy, decent, the fried garlic is overpowering. -Ramen burger - GROSS, bland, unoriginal (really, it's just two ramen burger buns stacked with a patty with no flavor). Does not at all compare to original Smorgasburg ramen burger (which I would wholeheartedly wait an hour to have). Service was poor - waitress never updated us on the wait time when we arrived, couldn't get a hold of anyone to pick up our bill. Also, they stated they "prefer CASH" but no where in the store do they have signs stating this. Floor were creaky. I felt every step as the waiters walked by. I was very surprised to see this place nearly packed on a Friday night, but probably because of the 50% off happy hour special and sushi. Is it worth it? Methinksnot.

    (2)

  • Ana G.

    It was raining and I got in the mood for ramen. This place looked pretty good through Yelp, shoot ramen AND sushi? Food did the job, we waited a little for our check to come. When it finally came, we paid and stayed seated finishing our beers. The waitress comes back and tells me I did not leave enough tip. NOPE, I finished my beer and stormed outta there

    (1)

  • Xin C.

    As many have mentioned previously, they don't let you know beforehand that it's cash only. That aside, the food was just not good. It was a hot day, so I ordered the Zaru Soba. Now, that just translates to "cold soba noodles." What I received was lukewarm, not even iced or on a bamboo mat. It just blew my mind, because I've had Zaru Soba on an airplane before, and even they had it iced for me. It just seems like the chefs don't know what they're doing, and that's probably not what you want when you're planning to pay Manhattan prices for a meal. Service was good though. +1 star for that.

    (2)

  • K E.

    No no no no no!! If only someone had warned me! SO GROSS! Ramen is foul and disgusting. Buns are crap. I didn't have the sushi but I also didn't feel like risking my life. Ugh. Yuck. What a waste of money. Never again.

    (1)

  • Alison W.

    We were greeted by a very nice waitress and was seated quickly. The waitress gave us 3-4 menus altogether. The seating and ambience was decent. But it's not really good for large groups. My friend and I both got one of the lunch specials and we got what was worth. But I disliked it. The broth and the flavoring was off. Also, the dumplings weren't as good either. The salad didn't even taste like the usual salads. I would not come back..

    (2)

  • Heather G.

    The space is cute and has a quirky charm to it. But the food was mediocre at best. My friend and I order ramen. I had the tan tan 6(?) he had the zen original(?). Mine was extremely salty but the flavor was nice. Not very spicy if that's what you're expecting. My friends lacked a lot of flavor. The eggs were cooked perfectly so that right there deserves a star on its own. I've yet to find a ramen spot that properly cooks their noodles, although Misoya comes close. Good ramen noodles should be al dente. We also split some curry chicken karage and a spicy yellowtail roll because it was half off. The roll was good, If I ever come back Id probably try more of their sushi. The staff was friendly and the space was filled but not packed. I don't understand the awful reviews, I mean, it's not excellent but it's really not all that bad.

    (3)

  • Brennan W.

    I came in here for a second lunch, so I wasn't really hungry and ordered something light. I was told that the restaurant is cash only; no problem, the waitress said the food would be ready in about 20 minutes and there's an ATM up the street. Fast forward 45 minutes and the waitress comes by to say that the food is on its way out. Another five minutes later, and the food still hadn't arrived. I couldn't believe how long it was taking for a small plate of fried oysters so I got up and left. Based on the fact that I ordered a single side dish, and multiple people came after me, ordered whole meals, and were served and eating, and also based on the fact that Kenka and several other Japanese restaurants are on the same block, I have to say that this place definitely isn't worth it. Save your time and go somewhere where you'll have more than a glass of water at your table within a reasonable amount of time. 日本語 ウェイトレスに長い間待たせられたから、全然戻らないつもりです。

    (1)

  • Kristina L.

    Didn't know this place excited in St. Marks. Its much bigger and has a bar for those who wanna chill. We were able to accommodate 10 people! Best part... 50% Kirin Ichiban draft beer and Japanese cocktails ALL DAY!! Service was ok..I had to ask for a cup of ice 3 times. Ramen burger: not like their other restaurant... Epic fail... Their bun was over cooked and soggy. I had absolutely loved their ramen burger at their other place, but this one didn't fulfill my craving. They also give you chips and some green dip, but the chips were a little stale. Maybe they were just having a bad ramen burger day...

    (3)

  • Cesar M.

    I agree with Jaki Y.'s review from 7 months ago; and I quote: "Here's a Haiku to start this review: Hungry and hopeful Waited for like an hour Fuck you Zen Ramen" Let me just start with the Pros and Cons. Pro: - free water - free look at the menu while sitting down drinking free water Cons: - you'll leave hungry - you'll never get your food - you'll be forgotten about I've wanted to try this place for a long time but instead always went to Kenka because of their cheap food and drinks. I'm glad I always went to Kenka instead and I know I probably won't be back here ever again. I came here with one other person and it was not busy at all (a little after 3:40 pm). We wanted to get some Japanese food in St. Marks, but unfortunately, all the other good Japanese restaurants like Kenka and Yakitoritaisho don't open until 6pm. We were greeted and sat down immediately and was handed the menu and some water. We placed our order about 5 mins after we sat down (about 3:45pm). Around 4pm, more people started to come in. Fifteen minutes pass by and EVERY OTHER PERSON who came in AFTER us received their food except for us. We only ordered ONE bowl of ramen and some fried oyster thing. We waited over 45 minutes since we placed our order which was ridiculous. No wonder this place is never full when we walk by during dinner time unlike the other restaurants. By the time we decided to leave without receiving ANY food, 2-3 other tables who came after us got their food and already left the place. If you need a place to sit down and drink some water and leave without eating anything, then do come here. If you are looking to eat a quick meal, don't come unless you want to be forgotten and never get your food or an apology. Instead, for cheap Japanese food, just go to Kenka a few stores down. The price, atmosphere, quality of food, and service is definitely worth their usual 1+ hour wait.

    (1)

  • Vanessa M.

    I used to come here often at least once a week when it was noodle zen cafe. we stopped coming here because the quality and taste of the food starting going all over the place. We moved to be regular customers of sushi park until the tragic occurrence this year and decided to give the new zen6 a try. It is not good and does not compare to other places on this block. The sushi is half off because half off makes it normal prices now. $9 for a spicy tuna roll - are you crazy? They don't have soy paper and the waitresses, although nice, don't understand what you are saying when you order. It is a disappointment and we will not be coming back. It is time to find a better sushi home until sushi park comes back with guns ablazing! FYI this place says "cash only" but they take credit cards which is ridiculous!

    (2)

  • Stephanie F.

    The other Zen 6 location has this place beat! First of all, a ramen shop that has only wooden chopsticks? I spit on the man who invented wooden chopsticks. The ramen was good, not great. The chashu was fatty and under seasoned. The broth was underwhelming and the noodles overlooked. Couple that with the fake chopsticks and I think this was my worst experience with ramen thus far! And I LOVE ramen! So that is saying something! We also ordered a ramen burger. I found it to be actually kinda good! I'm glad I tried it! It was small but good. It fell apart in the wrapping. I don't think I would have it again. For me it was more or less the novelty of it being a ramen burger that made me order it. Anyway, so continues the trend of shitty ramen on St Marks. Walk the two blocks over to Ippudo or find your way to the other (smaller) Zen 6 location on 6th street.

    (2)

  • Emily L.

    Pork buns were fantastic! And a great ramen burger too!! The pricing of the pork bun was a little expensive but over all a nice environment.

    (4)

  • Roze R.

    (They constantly change their name haha) I have attended this location about 15+ times because it is delicious and cheap. I usually attend with my boyfriend or just me and a friend, so it's usually a group of two, and the bill will come up to about $40. We usually get the bento box with extra sushi and gyoza, plus drinks. The food is very filling, but the service should have some improvement since they did tend to ignore you and take a bit too long with the food. Of course, I still go back despite the service because it is still really delicious. It is a very casual place and they do offer take out, which is nice if you want to go to a park and enjoy some Japanese food. I have brought about 5 other people to this location and they all loved it enough to want to attend. The menu can seem a bit intimidating, since it is a bit clustered, but overall the food is great and the price is wonderful as well. They only accept CASH so make sure you have some handy before you go. Also, they are not known for their desserts, but the dessert spot is on the same place and it's a great location as well.

    (4)

  • Quoc L.

    A farmer comes home one day to find that everything that gives meaning to his life is gone. Crops are burned, animals slaughtered, bodies and broken pieces of his life strewn about. Everything that he loved taken from him. -- My exact sentiment on Zen's With every visit, my love and fondness for this place dissipates. At first it was the tiny roach on the wall. Then the ingredients became consistently stale. No ice in my glass? Ok, my spirit is defeated. The walls all of a sudden turned green. Remodeling, that's always a good sign; maybe there was hope after all. The prices went up. I relished too soon. And the worst part? My favorite waitress is gone. I can only hope she has found another source of income. Perhaps our paths will cross one day... one day.

    (3)

  • Christina L.

    Been here a couple times. For the price, sushi is very decent. I really enjoy their BBQ eel donburi, and it's a very large portion! Got a orange dragon and a fancy naruto roll last night. We had to wait about 25 minutes for our food, which seemed very long. The waitress was very apologetic and even offer us free drinks. Will keep coming here for their cheap sushi!

    (4)

  • Alan F.

    Not the best place to go to for food, at least not my go to place. I understand that 50% off all sushi is very enticing but when the food sucks it's not even worth it. First we had a fried calamari that tasted like it was fried a couple hours ago so it was not fresh at all. The sushi was not prepared normally. Each time I tried to pick up the sushi it felt as if it was going to fall apart. The service could have been better. Everyone else got their food except for me and my food didn't seem like it took too long to prepare. Don't go. Just save your money for something else.

    (1)

  • Ingrid A.

    I have been going here for years! I just love this place and can't get enough of the food. (I am a bit of a sushi snob after Japan............ BUT! for "American Style" sushi I give this place points and my business!) FOOD I LOVE: -ZEN Ramen 〈ゼン・オリジナル醤油ラーメン〉 Chicken Broth, Soy Flavored. w/ Meat, Egg, Baby Bamboo -Spicy Salmon Roll〈スパイシー鮭巻〉 -Spicy Tuna Roll〈スパイシー鮪巻〉 -Titanic〈タイタニック・ロール〉 Spicy Tuna w/ Salmon, Avocado Outside -Golden Dragon〈ゴールデン・ドラゴン巻〉 Eel, Avocado w/ Mango Outside -Dancing Spicy Tuna〈ダンシング・スパイシー・ツナ巻 〉Cooked Salmon, Avocado w/ Spicy Tuna Outside (Can you tell I love/adore AVOCADO???) SERVICE: Courteous, fast and friendly! CROWD: NYC/Cooper Union/ Young Professional/ Police Officers/EMT Workers Everyone is welcomed! GOOD FOR: Happy Hour/ Friend Dinners/ Dates/ "Tough conversation dinners"/ Solo Sushi Gorging! The 50% discount is great! TIP: Gets a little crowded around 8:30-10pm but the staff can usually find you something! Also there's a quaint outdoor space for the summertime! Took a friend here yesterday for a "cheer up dinner" and I love this spot!

    (5)

  • Nan. C.

    I used to love this place so much. I've frequented this place since 2008. And as the years pass... I see it get progressively worse. I think they've changed ownership at some point, and that was when the quality of the food started going down. When I go with my friends, I will always order the spicy salmon roll since it was my favorite. The sushi is very 'mehh' but after ordering 6 rolls to share between friends... they gave a pinch of wasabi. When you ask for more, they will charge extra for it. I've had the Zen ramen a couple of times as well, and it has always been a tad bit salty. If you're only interested in grabbing a quick and casual meal, this place is ok; there are more choices in the area.

    (2)

  • Emerson F.

    So far we've been sitting here for 30 mins and our waitress comes over and says I forgot to put in your order! And begs likes she's asking for mercy the struggle is real right now cause I'm starved.

    (1)

  • Thom H.

    2 stars for the generous rating. There is no wonder why this place is usually not busy while the other restaurant near by are really packed. The food especially ramen is bland and not authentic. I ordered Hakata ramen which was really gross. It came with a very thick belly and bland pork. My friends ordered pork bun and ramen burger. Still the same terrible taste. We were reluctant to eat. The only good thing is the service which is pretty good and attentive even if they just forgot my ramen and I had to ask the waitress to confirm if she got my order. If you really wanna try real ramen, AVOID this place at all cost. You better try simple ramen at Ippudo, Totto, or Kenka or udon at Udon West (definitely cheaper and more reasonable price)

    (2)

  • Shannon Z.

    Ordered the chicken cashew obento box with the sashimi for dinner and I must say I was skeptical about it until I took my first bite and I was sold. They're very generous with their cashews and the flavor of the chicken was deliciously savory. The butter squid wasn't very good. There was a lot more vegetables in that plate than anything else which didn't stand out to me much. Their mini beef rice bowl was yum! I'd definitely order that again since the dish had soup ladled on the bottom with rice on top of it topped with beef. The best dish for your money though are the Obento boxes, hands down. P.s. the decor could use a bit of work though. It looked so bland in there, kinda like you're sitting in your great aunties house. Dont bother ordering the sushi or sashimi, quality of fish is definitely not very good. Choose your sushi rolls wisely.

    (4)

  • Najma J.

    Terrible service and even WORSE food! There was food waiting at the counter, took forever to get our drinks and the all the seasonings were too much. The ramen burger was the worst with soggy ramen and soggy patty. Avoid this place!!! There are so many better places on east village, and it was ridiculously expensive too.

    (2)

  • Ilan S.

    Food is crap basically. This is New York great food is all around. Sushi was rubbish. Fried chicken was small and crap. And the udon noodle soup not good. Sorry

    (1)

  • Lee T.

    This place is really bad. My girlfriend and I still joke about how I brought her and a friend there. If I could use one word to describe our meal that night, it would be "soggy". Really, the "roll" was wet, poorly made, and should not be called sushi. Disgusting. I have no gone back since 3 years ago. New York has too many great sushi restaurants for anybody to be wasting a minute of their lives or a unit of their taste-buds on Zen sushi. Edit: GF wants me to add that the fish in the sushi was lukewarm.

    (1)

  • Leila L.

    This is a good spot for a quick sushi fix; if you're craving for one or two rolls of sushi, it's cheap (50% off all sushi!!) and will be enough to satisfy small cravings. If you're here to eat big, sushi buffet will be the better choice and more worth your money. The sushi itself was decent. Beware of the stairs of death that leads to the bathroom. Caution advised!

    (3)

  • Lauren S.

    I don't remember much about my meal. Going out and partying will do that to you. But I do remember the fried tofu which was good, and the ramen which I devoured. The staff was good, prices were reasonable.

    (3)

  • Brandon C.

    Noodle Cafe Zen might be the worst restaurant I've ever been to in my entire life. I've had burps that made me puke a little in my mouth that were better than my meal here. I've been walking down the street and had gross water from an air conditioner fall into my mouth that was better than my meal here. The list goes on. I should've known something was amiss when almost every restaurant on St. Marks had a line EXCEPT Noodle Cafe Zen. "Hidden gems" only exist if they are actually hidden, not on one of the busiest streets in all of NYC. Another red flag should've been the name of the restaurant. Noodle Cafe Zen? Those are just three random words strung together that don't really make sense. It is neither a cafe, nor did I experience a feeling of zen whilst dining there. Our waiter didn't seem to know how to read body language. For example, when I was holding the menu up to my face and he came over and asked if we're ready to order, and I said "another couple minutes please," and then thirty seconds later he came over again and asked for our order, despite the fact that I was still clearly looking over the menu. Little things like that. My two friends and I ordered the ramen burger to start. While I appreciate NCZ's attempt to keep up with culinary trends, throwing a mayo slathered tiny slider beef patty onto some soggy Cup-of-Noodles which you've called a "bun," does not really give your patrons the full ramen burger experience. We asked if they could cut it into thirds so we could all get an equal share, and she said "no, we can only cut it in half." I guess they have one of those knives that only cut things once but then won't let you cut it again. Doesn't seem like a practical knife to own at a restaurant. For my main, I got the Zen Ramen. To call it bad would be an insult to bad food. This was inedibly bad. Every time I took a bite and said "oh, yeah, that's probably the worst part about this bowl of ramen," my next bite would outdo it. The piece of pork that came in my ramen was a shriveled piece of rubber fat that was so tough that I literally could not bite into it. When I called the waiter over to ask if it was standard that the meat was this terrible and inedible he simply responded "yes" and walked away. My two friends and I all had more than half our meal go uneaten. When the waiter came over to give us the check, we gave him our credit cards, at which point he told us it was "cash only." We asked him to point out where there was a sign that communicated that fact, and he pointed to a little handwritten note in the check presenter that simply read "only." "That just says only..." we pointed out. "Oh, well it's supposed to say cash only." Even if it had said cash only instead of just only, maybe that's something you should tell the customer when they walk in, not when you're presenting them with the check for the meal they've already suffered through. As I write this, I have positive reviews for Noodle Zen Cafe taunting me on the side of my screen, and I can't believe that these people dined at the same restaurant as me. Should there be a zombie apocalypse and chaos ensues and for some reason the only restaurant still operating is Noodle Zen Cafe, I would take my chances catching squirrels in the wilderness rather than re-enter this abomination of a restaurant. May we all hope that they go out of business soon, so something worthwhile can take its place. In case my review did not make it clear, I did not enjoy my experience there.

    (1)

  • Justin M.

    I've only had the sushi once, and probably won't have it again, but the ramen is quite good. I typically get the Hakata Tonkotsu (pork broth with skinny straight noodles), which I love. Great alternative to Ippudo's Hakata Classic, when the wait there is long (always).

    (4)

  • Joyce C.

    I believe that Noodle Cafe Zen is under new management: they've remodeled and have gotten new staff, as well as revamped their menus. This review is a combination of great past experiences (i've religiously dined here over the last few years since I go to university nearby) and my disappointing most recent experience. in the past, i've never had an issue with the staff or the food at Zen. I've always enjoyed their rolls, particularly the spicy salmon / spicy tuna / crunchy crab & mayo / titanic rolls. their ramen is also really great, with choices on what kinds of noodles you prefer. the staff were always very kind and helpful, and the food was cheap and speedy-- it's what's kept me as a loyal customer. however, my most recent visit just two days ago was extremely disappointing. my friends and i (table of 3) entered and were seated. we took in the renovations (they finally repainted over the neon green with a much more pleasing white, and they replaced the bizarre artwork with nice framed prints of sushi) and immediately ordered our regular choices. the waitress took our order and left us to wait. my friends and i chatted for a while,but after 30 minutes, we realized that no food had come for our table yet. we thought it was odd. we ordered a combination of sushi and ramen, and we hadn't ordered very much. but since we're loyal customers, we chalked it up to maybe just being a busy night (the restaurant was decently full) and continued waiting. the original waitress never came by again to check on us or our order. eventually, another waiter walked by, and asked us if we had ordered yet. we replied that we had, and that we had been waiting for over 30 minutes for our food. he asked us to repeat the order, and he went to the kitchen to check on our status. he returned looking extremely apologetic. apparently, our original waitress had not even put our order into their POS system, so the cooks / chefs never even got our order. he offered to put it in for us immediately, and they would push our order to the top so we didn't have to wait long. unfortunately, we had trains to catch so we kindly declined his offer. he seemed extremely regretful that we had a bad experience, but i told him that it was alright and that i would still visit again in the future. hopefully whatever issues they had will be resolved. i'd hate to cross this place off my list of favorite restaurants in the NYU area :(

    (2)

  • Kathy L.

    Odd service. Two different waitresses came to ask us if we were ready to order when both of our heads were still looking down at the menus. Different waitresses kept walking around and checking up on us in an awkwardly way. Probably, checking to see if we're done eating so they can give us the bill. And yes they were extraordinary eager to collect the bill book. They tried to smile and act friendly but it was just no. Let's talk about the food now. The ramen came to us in less than 8 minutes. They were not authentic Japanese style and it was not that good. The broth was weak and had not much flavor. It tasted like something I'd make at home. There was a piece of BUTTER on top of my Sio Ramen?!?! Since when do people add butter to their ramens lol. I thought this Zen 6 was the same quality as the one on East 6th st. so needlessly I did not check on Yelp before coming into this place. I started reading reviews after I ordered the food and it was too late. I am disappointed.

    (1)

  • Sylvia Y.

    Stumbled upon this place as a last resort. Unfortunately, as most last resorts do, this cafe failed to satisfy. My friend and I together ordered a ramen burger, a bento box, and shrimp tempura udon. The ramen burger, being $8, was amazingly miniature; not even the five tortilla chips included could compensate for its price tag. In addition, the udon noodles were hardly firm and the tempura was soggy. The bento box was alright, hence my two-star review. The water (which did not even have ice) may have been the best part of our meal. Not sure if I'll be returning.

    (2)

  • Antony D.

    Pricey as fuck. The happy hour drinks (all night long) with discounted on all sushi and sashimi seems like a hot deal at first but it is just as pricey. Service is whatever. This definitely will not be my first choice for Japanese food and drinks. Any recommendations for great sushi and drinks??? I'm still hungry and thirsty as fuck, def not about them price! **eating, drinking*** fuck, bye Felicia! This also makes you wanna get a dollar slice. Ciao!

    (1)

  • Jaki Y.

    Here's a haiku to start this review: Hungry and hopeful Waited for like an hour Fuck you Zen Ramen

    (1)

  • Sharon L.

    Nice little spot in St. Marks...I used to go to Sushi Lounge a lot when it was on St. Marks and Ave. A ...the sushi was 50% off and the ramen and Kirin beer is awesome...but ever since they moved up the block its just not the same...Zen 6 is more like the old Sushi Lounge but cozier and lite...50% off sushi is always good with me...this place is right up my alley!

    (5)

  • Jennifer C.

    My friends and I got bento boxes. We waited a while for the food (around ten minutes?), but that just means that it was being freshly cooked! For the price (9.95 for a bento box), I thought it was a good meal. I ordered the chicken teriyaki and it came with a bowl of rice, a bowl of miso soup, salad (in the bento box), fried/breaded chicken pieces, shumai, and two pieces california rolls. It was really good; the chicken had the skin on it and it was very moist, while other parts of the chicken had an exterior that had a slight "crunch" but it wasn't a bad crunch. The waitress seemed kind of sad though, I wonder if she needs a hug or a pick me up! But she was really nice and filled up my water glass even though it was hardly used. Come here for a quick lunch in an atmosphere that wasn't very crowded or noisy at around... 11:30 to 12pm

    (4)

  • Stu K.

    I love Ramen noodles and not the instant ones. Their noodles here are tasty. I ordered the signature zen 6 and it was fulfilling. Lots of layers of flavors. Their miso soup was pretty good too. The size was decent and definitely worth the money. The only thing is there are so many Ramen spots around st. Marks and I like the other places better because they have a bigger selection of soups and appetizers. Overall decent place, worth coming but I'll stick to my original spot.

    (4)

  • Jeanette Y.

    It's cold outside, so ramen is a good idea to warm you up right? Right, but not at this place. Service - no. Food - could definitely be better. Service: I'm going to kick this off with service. Right as I walked in, I looked at the waitress and had 3 fingers up indicating 3 people right? Well I assumed she understood what that meant, but then again, not. She kept asking what we wanted. Um hello, a table of 3. Then right as she gave us the menu, she asked what we wanted to eat - obviously we didn't get the chance to look over the menu. And each time we asked for something (a spoon for our ramen, water refill, etc.,) it felt like we were just bothering her or that she looked confused. It just wasn't very welcoming. Food: my boyfriend and I both got the ramen bowl ($13.50/bowl) and it wasn't very appetizing. The noodles were okay but the broth was very salty and oily and the meat and egg were tasteless. My boyfriend also ordered a pitcher to split with his friend. And since it was 50% off, you'd assume it would be a good deal? Guess again. It wasn't filled all the way up and a bit bland. But I guess you get what you pay for - very deceiving. Overall, I'd recommend just going to Chinatown or K town for ethnic BETTER ramen. This isn't really the place to go to. Sorry, actually not really lol.

    (2)

  • April K.

    I used to love this place when I was in college. I would come here twice a week. Now, I will never go back. My miso soup, which was a sad bowl of lukewarm salty water with a few pieces of tofu was $3. The sushi that I got wasn't even that cheap with the 50% off. Originally, the special roll is $16, so half off is still $8 for the roll of 6 crappy pieces of sushi. I ordered the golden dragon, which has mango on top. This used to be my favorite roll, except this last time that I came, the mango was dry and unripe so it tasted awful. I also got a Philadelphia roll, and the salmon inside was brown! It did not look fresh at all, and it tasted kind of warm and soggy. The service is also awful. They never checked up on our meal or refilled my water, and they took forever to bring us our food. The decor is also shoddy, and the tables are lopsided. The prices really are not that great of a deal either. I would rather pay more for much better quality sushi. Yuck.

    (1)

  • Eric V.

    There aren't many restaurants that I've consistently eaten at over the past 11 years, but since I've discovered Zen Noodle in 2004, it has not only been my go-to for sushi, it has been my long standing favorite restaurant in the city. The value has remained strong over the years. The sushi rolls are always flavorful and copious - and a recent menu update brings new and tasty additions to the table. The decor, while still meeting the criteria for a St. Marks establishment, has received numerous refreshes over the years. Even thought the East Village is no longer my hangout spot, Zen Noodle is still my dinner spot.

    (5)

  • Charity T.

    Run away guys! The last time I came here was a year ago and man, it changed drastically. I really thought its under a new management. The price for sushi has gone up and it just doesn't make sense. Their special rolls are about $16 to $18 and 50% off, they are still about $8 for crappy rolls. You can tell they dont care about their sushi. The cut of the sushi wasn't even. I ordered 4 rolls and they were gross. My 1 star is for their ramen which tasted ok. At least edible. Since when this place is cash only? I told the waitress that I have no cash, she said its fine paying with card. I put 2 cards because I wanted to split the bill with my brother and the other Waiter told me that he can only take 1 card. Wth. He yelled again telling us and it actually cash only. (Yeah, as if he did us a favor) Guys, go somewhere else. Dont waste your money on crappy sushi.

    (1)

  • Andy Y.

    Very mediocre, especially for the price. Had two rolls, which were supposedly half-priced (as was all sushi), but I think were priced a bit too much even then. The rolls were way too small and nothing special. Also, there was a weird chemical-like smell for much of my time there.

    (3)

  • K T.

    Not sure what's happened to this place but I went back today and was very disappointed. I'm going to start by telling you that the C grade from the DOH is hidden in the front window, behind a yellow banner that was purposely stuck there to conceal it. I normally don't pay much attention to these DOH grades because I know how easily they can be influenced (pay off the inspector, inspector in a bad mood, etc.) but the fact that they are actively concealing it makes me very wary. They also stopped accepting credit cards. Cash only. And they have placed an ATM in front of the location. I didn't realize it was cash only until the check came, with a big note on top of the folder that said "CASH ONLY". The prices have gone up astronomically. The last time I was here was about a year ago, so it's been a while, but I am not kidding about the prices going up. The ramen is now $10.95 per bowl for the cheapest bowl. The Titanic rolls, which I mentioned in my previous review, have gone up to $16 per roll, so even at half off that is $8 per roll. The food took a long time to come out. We must've been sitting there for nearly 20 minutes before the ramen came out, followed 5 minutes later by the sushi. There was no soy sauce (oops??) on our table, so I had to ask for it... The ramen that came out was barely warm. It was certainly not hot. And the egg that was in the ramen, which is supposed to be a soft-boiled egg, was obviously not. It was hard boiled all the way through. The egg in ramen is supposed to be wet in the yolk still. It was also COLD which means it was made significantly before hand and refrigerated. And frankly, the egg tasted strange, so it makes me wonder if that DOH grading of C was too generous and the egg may have been spoiled. It certainly didn't smell spoiled, but the taste was definitely off. The bill came out to just about $51 after tax before tip for the following: 2 bowls of ramen, 2 Titanic rolls, 1 spicy salmon roll, 1 eel avocado roll. We had 3 people in our party (including me) and were full but for $18 per person we could've gotten a meal elsewhere. I doubt I'll be returning here... Don't know what happened, maybe new management, but I'm very disappointed.

    (2)

  • Chia-Hsuan L.

    The noodle burger is bad but not cheap. No taste for the noodle and the meat is not special, just normal burger meat! And the ramen looks good but indeed it tastes like Chinese style instead of Japanese style. No wonder there are seats while other restaurants needs to wait for longer time!

    (1)

  • Diana T.

    I think this place is pretty nice. Not that great but the food isn't bad. Service is nice too and there's entertaining music. It just sucks that they only accept cash. There's only two waitress so you know it doesn't really get busy.

    (3)

  • Jen L.

    Idk why this place gets so much hate. I guess it has been a while since i've been there so maybe a lot has changed. I've always loved their half off specials. I've ordered ramen and sushi here, and the food has always been good especially on days when I'm super hungry.

    (4)

  • Lenny A.

    It used to be a retively inexpensive sushi place for East Village. We used to frequent this place because it was affordable. But they raised all of the sushi prices and the 50% off on sushi they they advertise is no longer a good deal at all, because they doubled the prices of most sushi rolls. The beer prices start at 5.50 for a bottle of Supporo, and the smallest glass of draft Kirin will set you back almost 7 dollars. The food is good, but not great, especially for the price.

    (2)

  • Heather K.

    The worst..! The korean waitress was awful.. She took our plates even we didn't finished. Getting worst there.. Don't go! If u got there u will be ruin your day.

    (1)

  • Liliana L.

    Came here to try their Ramen burger with my boyfriend and we can't complain. It was simply amazing, delicious, hot and juicy.

    (5)

  • Tanz I.

    Came here on a Wednesday night around 8:30pm as we were craving ramen and udon. Bad idea. Way overpriced for no reason. The food quality wasn't the best - instead it was pretty salty and very unsatisfying. We thought we would order a roll of sushi to share at the end since the ramen and udon wasn't satisfying but even the shrimp tempura sushi was bad. (How do you even get that wrong?!) And they charge you extra for a side of spicy mayo - hmm really? It makes sense why this place was nearly empty and the other restaurants on the same street were PACKED. Just go to Udon West or any of the other locations on that block for cheaper and better quality food. Never again!

    (2)

  • Chrystina C.

    I think they changed their cook or management or something because it's just not the same! Even the menu is different. The sushi isn't as fresh or yummy and they're skimping on the ingredients. They also raised their minimum per person for the half off sushi. Their drinks menu is also more limited than it used to be, no more flavored shochu.

    (3)

  • Pete H.

    I ordered the Zen Ramen and was unable to eat the noodles. The broth was .... The roast pork slices were okay. I was only able to eat the roast pork slices, paid then left. They apologized that I couldn't eat it but offered nothing.

    (1)

  • Marlana Y.

    Two things I remember: 1) 50% off on ALL SUSHI ITEMS 2) hot and cold wait service Is it bad that because I'm Asian, I don't expect the greatest, NOT EVEN GOOD, service from fellow Asian establishments (unless your in JAPAN- cuz their service the bomb!) ????? And when they are nice I get pleasantly surprised? Well that's how it went down. The service here is bipolar, one wait person is super friendly and smiles, asking how everything is and there's another that looks at you like your a little ant about to be squished - YOU KNOW WHO IM TALKING ABOUT if you go! It's one extreme versus another. Granted I took it with a grain of salt cuz they are Asian and I don't expect much other than my water being filled. It was a bit entertaining to just see what that particular wait staff was about to do next. Sushi was pretty decent. All sushi entrees and sushi rolls ( middle of the menu titled SUSHI is Half off) I got the salmon don with the zen roll. Salmon don was delicious, it came with so much sushi rice and 8 pieces of salmon. The pieces weren't thick and sashimi like that I'm used to, it's more longer and thin. Most of the specialty sushi rolls has more cooked sushi inside ( shrimp tempura, soft shell crab) than raw fish ingredients so it was hard for me to choose because it all looked the same to me. I guess another nice thing is - no wait for this restaurant compared to another on the same street that had a line out the door ......oh wait, is that good??? :/

    (3)

  • Derek F.

    I can say it's the worst ramen shop in st marks, compare to other shop they are very expensive but the taste is awful, also when we almost finish our meal, the waitress just walk toward us and pick up all the stuff and ready to "kick" us out, if it's rush hour I will be totally understand, but there's a lot of table there so the service It's terrible

    (1)

  • Kathy O.

    I didn't know about this place until one of my friends brought me here. I've been here a few times so far and to me it seems like a good place if you want to try a wide range of Japanese food and drinks. They do have a lot of options for food and drinks However, the food here is not as good as the ones at other restaurants in the area in my opinion. It is a nice place if you just want to eat some snacks/drinks while chatting with a group of friends though. The skewers and the sushi are okay but I've had better ones. The takoyaki were very heavily drenched in the sauce and I had to wipe off the extra sauce on the side of the plate. Even then all I could taste was the sauce which was not okay for me. I think the best thing I've tried here is the lychee sake which was pretty good. Overall, the food here is cheaper (which may explain the quality of the food) but I think I would rather pay a bit more for a better meal.

    (2)

  • Vivian H.

    This place is awful. I went during weekday lunch hour, the minute I walked in it smelled like some cheap fragrant bathroom spray. I didn't want to be rude and just leave so decided to give it a try-bad choice- I should have just walked out. We ordered lunch special(tonkatsu ramen + crab fried rice). Food was fake, non-authentic, some ingrediants actually tasted weird- like old canned food. The bill said cash only but they took our credit card. I would NEVER come here again, and DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE AT ALL.

    (1)

  • Xiaoqing Z.

    The Raman is awful, though the soup is good. Service is below average. Not on the same level of Totto nor Ippudo. Don't recommend.

    (1)

  • Xin F.

    I ordered ramen and gyoza. I waited for gyoza even after I finished the ramen, wondering why the appetizer came so slow. I felt a bit disappointed when I found out the waitress forgot my order of gyoza. And I just did not want it.

    (1)

  • Betty L.

    If someone asked me what I would recommend at Noodle Café Zen, I would simply say "The ramen burger was NOT WORTH IT." Maybe it was because of all the hype, but I bought a ramen burger from this restaurant, and it was extremely bland. I mean, ramen is usually flavored by the soup, but at least put some salt on it. The only reason I gave it 3 stars was because of the cheap sushi deal. It was 50% off every roll at night. Even so, their sushi wasn't great. The simple roll slices (salmon roll) were so skinny and small, I was disappointed. The waitresses were nice, but it's so busy at dinner time that sometimes you get unintentionally ignored. I completely understand that it's very busy, but I wish it didn't take so long for the food to come, or for a server to refill your water. I definitely wouldn't come here again. Could find better sushi (even though it's not as cheap) at a place more worth the time.

    (3)

  • Stephanie P.

    Hmmm...I don't get the negative reviews for this place. I've been coming here for years now and I've never gotten sick, had a problem with the staff or the service and my food has always been delicious. Rolls I usually order here include tuna maki, salmon maki, crunchy crab & mayo, carmelia (tuna, salmon, fish roe, mayo...I think that's it), yellowtail scallion, eel. My sister raves about their Christmas roll, Dragon roll, Spider roll, the Alaska Roll and the ones aforementioned. The katsu-don and noodley ramen dishes are delicious and big servings make it possible to share with some apps. The only thing I haven't been too thrilled about is their steamed pork gyoza. They're pretty meh and I'm a dumpling snob - I can live with out these. Their fruity cocktails are tasty, tasty yet weak - you're better off with their saki which isn't a bad thing since they do have a nice, simple offering of sakis ranging from hot to cold and from dry to sweet - I'm a fan of sweet sakis my self and usually go for their "Princess of Love" saki (at least that's what I think it's called...it's definitely 'Princess of something' and it comes in a light pink and white bottle) if you like sweet rose, moscato or riesling wines then I think you'd like this. Although I don't come here (or their sister restaurant on Ave A - "Sushi Lounge") as often as I used to one of their main waiters (possibly manager?) still recognizes me and makes an effort to be friendly and extra speedy with my orders without sacrificing taste or portion. Sure they've got nauseatingly neon lime greet walls, but whatevs this place makes it hard for me to each anywhere else in the neighborhood when I'm craving sushi (which is almost always) so without any hesitation I give it 5 stars (or 5 sushi pieces!) :D.

    (5)

  • Jerome Espinosa B.

    i had syoyu-ramen here one late evening. it was OK, big serving (it's chicken broth, soy taste, w/meat, egg, and baby bamboo). my friends had spicy ramen and the miso soup. hmmm, nothing looking very exciting here actually. maybe we're a bit tipsy that's why. not bad as far as i can remember; i'd be back sometime to try their other offerings.

    (3)

  • Daphne H.

    50% off sushi and 50% off beer at 10pm = good deal. The out of town boyfriend is in NY again and he wanted cheap sushi so this was the place according to yelpers. At least this was the place, near my home. We ordered several rolls, I had some ramen. It was good. Actually surprising yummy, because I was a little iffy about the whole 50% off - I mean how good can it be? Sounded sketchy to me. But i'm home and so far, we're both ok :p I guess we'll have to wait till tomorrow huh?

    (3)

  • Lulu P.

    Although definitely not the most authentic Japanese restaurant on St. Marks, Noodle Cafe Zen is pretty cheap for its solid food and good portions that always leave me satisfied. For lunch they have bento box lunch specials as well as ramen+sushi lunch specials that are pretty decently priced and always have generous portions. At night, I usually order the half-off sushi. You are required to spend $20 in order to get it half off, but that means $10 = two rolls. Pretty sweet deal and their rolls are MUCH more filling than Sushi Park's meager ones. In terms of flavor, the ramen is meh. The soup base is decently flavorful but the toppings were a bit sparse. The sushi, however, is really solid. The fish taste fresh and there are a lot of good ingredients packed in and not a crazy amount of rice. Guaranteed there are many greater authentic Japanese places on St. Marks. Stay away especially if you want ramen or udon. But for the half-off sushi deals that are famous on this street, turn to Noodle Cafe Zen.

    (4)

  • Kwen Y.

    their staff are super nice. we ordered couple appetizers and they were below average. but the ramens are good, my fds really like the soup. i recommand you to try their tantan six ramen with thin noodles, not bad at all.

    (3)

  • Kimberly X.

    I was absolutely disappointed with this place, they messed up our orders of rolls. And didnt bring us our green tea until we asked the third time, we asked at least 3 different servers. And on top of that they force u to pay %20 for tips, they will calculate it in advance on the bill(is that even legal?). Never coming back here. Will be going to Sushi Park from now on!!!!! Oh and they changed all the staffs, horrible service very hectic...

    (1)

  • Karen M.

    Decent sushi. They have a 50% off deal, but it's all the time so the sushi prices are half of what they are listed anyway. Cheap food, not the best ever, but it's a deal.

    (2)

  • Dave V.

    Not all that bad for an obvious dumpy atmosphere lunch type spot. Very good considering how cheap it is. I had a few special rolls, all were pretty good, got one off tasting fishy piece of salmon at the end of my meal but that sometimes happens at the more high end joints. With so many choices around st. marks it's kinda hard for me to see myself craving this, but if I'm trying to maximize my buying power and still be fed well I'd have to say this is a good bet. Oyama used to be a lot like this as far as getting a good deal.

    (3)

  • Kaity C.

    I have always liked this place for its reasonably priced sushi as well as noodles. However their sushi quality has deteriorated lately. The fish is no longer fresh like it used to be. Time to find a new sushi place...

    (3)

  • Alex E.

    Cheap sushi, passable quality. There are certainly pricier options, but if you want to eat as much sushi (and some nice maki selections) as you care for, and want to pay less than $30, Zen is your place. It gets busy after 7 on weekends, but it's worthwhile.

    (4)

  • Carmen L.

    I went out with my childhood friend a few weeks ago. I had decided to go for Indian food at first. Just when I decided to try the place i've always wanted to between 2 and 3rd ave on 6th street, a sign was placed outside saying that they won't be open until the 30th of July. I was actually quite mad that day. First off, my professor cancelled class, so i wasted transportation money for nothing and then 2nd this restaurant was closed for renovation. So I ended up going to someplace else to eat at St. Marks. Alice and I kept walking up and down the streets, deciding what to eat. Then we stumble upon this Japanese restaurant and sushi it is for today! Plus it was 50% off on all sushi, so that was a bargain for us. We went in and it was pitch dark but I like the creativity of the restaurant, very Japanese like feel, nice and calm So I ordered a smoked salmon box which comes with Miso soup and white rice for $7.95. In addition, I ordered another spider roll. I told Alice that I tend to ordered more than I can eat. Anyways, she ordered 2 rolls, spicy salmon and spider roll. I didn't think that was enough. But hey, my stomach is different from hers. I was pretty shock to see non japanese people cooking my food. I was thinking could I trust them. But then again, I was in this tex-mexican restaurant once and there were Chinese people making my tacos so I guess so right? Anyways, the box came and I had a large piece of salmon glazed with a brown sauce, 2 siu mai, salad, 2 california rolls, and the miso soup and rice. The miso soup tasted weird for starters. It was a bit watery for me. But the Salmon sure tasted really yummy. I think it's because of this that I'm starting to give another perspective on fish and their taste. I think the kick to it is their sauce. Well the siu mai tasted horrible. Salad was nice. And the Spider was just Amazing! I love it. In the end I couldn't finish my meal and I had my friend help me... =( Anyways, the total came down to a little over $20. Definitely I would come back again.

    (4)

  • Anthro Food E.

    Review #1:whenever i wanna bring a sushi snob to a non-pretentious sushi restaurant at a great price, i take them to Zen. people dont necessarily come here for the atmosphere-they come here for the food! the fish is super fresh and the bento box is the best deal in town! other non-sushi items are authentic japanese cuisine, like the octopus dumplings (potato and octupus in bbq sauce-trust me, it's good)! try the chicken and cheese bento box! its sooo good! the cheese is melted in a crispy chicken roll with scallions...mmm... and if you like soju, they have various refreshing summer soju drinks for around $5! Review #2: okay, so i went here again the other day and i did not have a good experience AT ALL! the service was terrible because the waitress did not understand what 1/2 off sushi meant, my friend found a slug on the bathroom toilet paper, it was like pulling teeth to get our check, and oh! the girl sitting with her dad next to us who was in her late teens, loved to burp like an 8 year old! yes, not a good experience. so i am going reduce this to a three star dining experience. hought i'd share this with you all...

    (3)

  • Daniel A.

    I have aten here many times. The food is great. My favorite rolls are crunchy crab and mayo, dragon roll, zen roll, spider roll, and also dancing spicy tuna. I also prefer to get spicy mayo sauce. It's absolutely delicious even though it's 50cents. I hate the workers to death! The workers are lazy and doesn't look like they want to work there at all! Besides that I had a great experience everytime. Too bad they don't have seats for a party of 6 and up...

    (5)

  • Anita P.

    If not for the 50% off your rolls I don't think this place would be that big a draw. It's generally pretty crowded and I don't get where the unclean comments are coming from. The actual dining area is fine. The bathroom is a gross mess, avoid at all costs. They were closed for a while for renovations, what they fixed is a mystery to us all. I went once post renovation and I was stunned at how awful the service was, getting orders wrong and forgetting things. At the end of the day it's cheap and pretty good sushi

    (3)

  • Jay H.

    Maybe I shouda tried the noodles instead of the sushi. Oh yeah...they also need a fly trap. Those things kept coming into the restaurant. Lame...eh well. They actually had really good Green Tea.

    (2)

  • Lis D.

    Cheap food, cheap drinks, can't go wrong. service is decent. always packed with locals. no frills, just good food. they have the 50% discount, and pitchers of singha for the price of drink elsewhere. i go here ALL of the time.

    (3)

  • Larry Y.

    Tasty and inexpensive. Not great, but not bad. Had ramen, pork chops, gyoza and cold noodles. It was typical Japanese fare. It was one of the few Japanese places on St. Marks that was open for lunch.

    (3)

  • Wren R.

    Zen is a wonderful little sushi shop and while it might not have that air of "oh, we serve sushi" I think it's cute. It's basically what you'd expect walking into a corner sushi spot in Osaka. They're not too concerned with asserting that "we're asian here, guys!" A lot of people seem to freak out over it being dingy and mice infested but whatever. I hate to break it to you, but mice are in every restaurant in this city. I've also eaten here probably 30-40 times in the past two years and no one I've eaten with has gotten sick. It's not dingy, it's just not super up-scale that tends to be associated with sushi. It has more of a pub atmosphere. That said, the sushi itself is delicious. And they have enough non-sushi on their menu that you can go here with your sushi-hating friends. Their chicken curry rice has a number of fans among my own sushi-hating friends. Even sushi-snarfing boyfriend has been known to take some of their ramen bowls in favor on occasion. They have some damn good but simple miso soup too. I'd argue it some of the best in New York City. Do not be afraid to ask for more water. You won't be getting any more if you don't ask for it. And if you're too shy to ask for the check yourself, you won't be leaving anytime soon. Besides these two points, service is pretty good. There was some grossness on a spoon they gave me once and they replaced it speedy quick with a clean one.

    (4)

  • Melissa T.

    this place has great prices for japanese food with sushi at 50% off!! you can't expect the "best sushi ever" at the price you're paying here, but the crunchy crab and mayo rolls and also the spicy tuna rolls are so good here!! I've never had a crunch crab and mayo roll as good as here. try it!! interior is just ok...it is a bit small. i have been here a bunch of times and will definitely come back many times again!

    (4)

  • Kat C.

    While previous reviews complained of the roach problems, you have to think.. all these restaurants are on ST MARKS.. probably not the cleanest place to put a restaurant.. just some food for thought. I think the 50% off deal is great for the quality that you get and the beer is cheap (remember we're talking about quick, cheap and fun not anything high class like megu or nobu or whatever). I think i drank about 30oz. of kirin in one sitting. and i like the funky pictures on the wall. If its not zen for your cheap sushi fix, it would be sushi park nearby. oh and if its crowded, try to avoid sitting in the back, the smell of the scary bathroom can waft up. oddly enough, last time i was back there, there was a piano .. maybe just waiting for someone to play it

    (4)

  • nayoung j.

    Not all that clean and the food was just mediocre. Didn't think the price was of any consolation so...not going back.

    (2)

  • Stephanie V.

    Man, I love this place. The sushi is 50% off ALL THE TIME. The service is really quick, so it's a good palce to come in for a quick bite to eat. I haven't tried much of their other cuisine since I love sushi and it's so cheap. Their soups are good and the bento boxes look very tasty, but I've never tried them. After 10 p.m., the beer is cheaper and if you want to eat there late-night but the tables are all filled up, I reccomend sitting at the bar. You can order whatever you like and it'll come to you faster. And there will still be a bunch of chumps waiting to be seated, and you'll be done with your meal already.

    (5)

  • Kuen C.

    My friend and I couldn't decide on which ramen shop to try at St. Marks. We flipped a coin and this place was the winner. When we walked in, we were greeted and sat in the front. Food was alright, nothing marvelous, nothing bad. I got the plum rice and zen ramen. Both were more salty than expected. I showed them the free salad with yelp check in and got it immediately. Price was cheaper than Ippudo by $2-3. But you can get better food in St Marks than this place.

    (3)

  • Kerry M.

    Cash only. Came here when Ippudo was packed to the brim on a Saturday night. We were seated promptly and the waitress was quick to inform us that sushi was 50% off the menu price. I have regularly walked past this restaurant and seen a sign advertising 50% of sushi so I'm not sure if this is actually a deal. Before coming here we had been debating on ramen vs sushi, so we opted for one of each as well as a plate of gyoza. Our order consisted of: Spicy Tuna roll: The flavor was not bad but not memorable. The roll was fairly thick and contained more spicy tuna than rice, but was cut into only five pieces. While it was worth ordering at 50% off, I would not consider it worth the original price of $8.95. Gyoza: Mushy and lacking in flavor. Crisp gyoza are the best to eat with ramen, but I didn't even want to finish these. Tan Tan Ramen: While a little too salty, this was the standout dish and probably teh only one I would order again. The broth was slightly spicy after mixed and had a pleasant flavor. Noodles were plentiful and al dente, I would prefer a higher portion of toppings to noodles but that's just my preference. The egg was cooked perfectly. After tip the total came to about $30 for two people.

    (3)

  • Meghan C.

    Surprised to see some not-so-positive reviews on here given that my experience at Noodle Cafe Zen was a very positive one. My boyfriend and I stumbled upon this place while strolling down St Marks and decided to give it a try. Service was very attentive and we received our food quickly. Ordered the Titanic Roll which was fantastic and my boyfriend and I both got the Ramen Burger which was really really good. Only removed one star because it was Cash Only which annoys the crap out of me. All in all, a very unexpected great meal! And cheap!

    (4)

  • Edwin S.

    I came here on a couple of ocassions, able to try their lunch obento box, ramen burger and a special roll, Titanic. The ramen burger was a bit smaller than expected and blandish for a fried product. The special roll, Titanic was 50% off, but the portion sizes matched 50% off as well... so not really of a bargain there. The roll came with 6, 3 with avocado and no salmon while the other 3 were vice versa. The lunch obento box was the best value and product I've had there. I had salmon teriyaki with it which was nice and tender. The sides that come with the obento are two small shumai you could find from chinese groceries, 2 deep fried bits of chicken, a bit of corn with avocado salad, a bowl of rice and a bowl of miso soup. Most places mess up their cooked salmon, and that is what's carrying the burden of the rest of the place. Service is a ok.

    (2)

  • Doug B.

    Now there's a first: bones in my sushi. I've been coming here for years, and I like the place. But bones in the "regular sushi"? The waitress explained to me that, you see, because it's fish, it has bones in it. So there it is. Apparently at Noodle Cafe Zen, it's not uncommon to encounter bones. In sushi.

    (1)

  • Wei V.

    This place was just OK. It was better before with a different owner. There was some weird smell, when the waiter opened a drawer. Another waiter dropped a glass of water on the floor but didn't even bother to ask the customers who sat nearby if they were ok. Flies were everywhere. If they didn't have 50% off special on beers and sushi, I would give only 1 star. Oh by the way, it's cash only. There was no sign at the entrance.

    (2)

  • Helen L.

    As an Americanized Asian, I like St. Marks, this very Asian-American hot spot, but I've learned to not have too high of expectations when exploring the grubs here. There are tons of hip food spots to choose from and most are pretty solid, but nothing really stands out as amazing. This place is no different. I came here just for the ramen and it was exactly what I expected...fine. The spicy tonkotsu broth wasn't spicy at all and, while quite salty, was also somewhat bland in the umami category. It wasn't horrible. I ate my whole bowl of noodles and fixin's, but left the broth behind. For my friend trying ramen for the first time, I felt the need to explain that there's better ramen out there and to please not let this experience prevent him from trying ramen again.

    (3)

  • Kelli Y.

    They do not know how to make pork...for any dish. The pork buns were inedible. I could not even bite through the pork, because the meat was so tough. They clearly did not braise the meat properly. The pork on the ramen was also tough. Then they tried to tell us that we must have a "different preference" of meat doneness... The manager was nice enough to bring a new set of chashu, but unfortunately, it was not much better. I would recommend spending your money elsewhere. We wanted to get up and leave, but felt it would be rude not to pay for anything. Although, it was definitely money, calories, and time wasted!

    (1)

  • Darryll S.

    I would stay away from this establishment. Far far away. I know the sushi says its 50% off. maybe its worth it for you, maybe its not. First sign of trouble is when they seated us at a table, granted it was empty but there were still water rings from when cold drinks were placed down showing that they didnt completely clean the table. Then after taking our orders, we waited approximately 30 minutes for 2 bowls of ramen and some pork buns. This place was pretty empty, maybe 20% capacity too. Add that to insult, the pork buns were so mediocre. At about $8 for 2 pork buns, the pork was a small round disc, then, and slathered in whatever mayo sauce they used. So disappointing, definitely do not recommend. Ramen we ordered the pork based broth and I ordered the tan tan ramen. If you like salt and garlic, tan tan ramen is up your alley. I had to drink copious amounts of water for it. The ramen overall was overpowered by the copious amounts of green onion they would liberally throw onto your bowl. Overall in a place like Astor place, there are tons of better ramen places. This place is overpriced, with sloppy slow service, and I would defintely never come back here.

    (1)

  • Susie C.

    My family and I wanted to go to the restaurant two doors down but it wasn't open for lunch so we came here. It was pretty quiet for a Tuesday afternoon. Food took awhile even though there weren't many people there. My family and I ordered many 9 different sushi rolls, two big ramen (Red Evil and the Tan Tan 6) and their Chicken teriyaki bento box. There were 6 of us. My parents really enjoyed the sushi rolls - I thought it was just average - I've had better sushi elsewhere. The ramen were good. My cousin, sister, and I really enjoyed it. I like the Tan Tan 6 more with the straight medium noodle. It was really good. The Red Evil is the spicy ramen - it was good, too but not as good as the Tan Tan 6 for me. We had the thick wavy noodle for the Red Evil ramen.. my dad said the wavy thick noodle was too chewy and thick for him. I asked the waiter what was the most common noodle and he said most customers ordered the straight medium but we decided to try wavy thick.. next time we'll stay with straight medium. The sushi rolls were 50% off!! That was the nice deal! The bill came out pretty cheap for the amount of food we ordered. Since I checked in on Yelp they offered a free salad.. it was suppose to be a Japanese ice cream but they said they ran out so they offered the free salad instead.

    (3)

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Bombadils Tavern

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