If you are a Delhite (or are in NCR) and have not visited this restaurant so far - just go without any second thought. but but but .... if you can't eat chinese or japanese food, don't go to this restaurant as this restaurant serves only chinese and japanese food. Even if you are not a Delhite (or NCRian) and planning to tour Delhi, I am sure you will definitely spend a couple of days in Connaught Place, the central hub of Delhi, and once you are there, do go to this restaurant for your lunch or dinner.
I have been to this restaurant both at lunch as well as dinner. found the same energy and vigour in the staff at all times. Food was very tasty. Ambience is perfectly ok. Location is at the inner circle of connaught place. And if you are planning to get down from metro to roam around Connaught Place, you will be getting down at ''Rajiv Chowk'' metro station. There are different outlets to come out of this station (as this station is underground). Be careful to take the outlet taking you to Plaza Theatre side. Else if you go towards Palika Bazar outlet you will have to walk more to reach to this place. Getting out towards Plaza will take hardly 2-3 minutes to reach to Zen. Zen is in B-Block. The complete address is: B - 25, Connaught Place, New Delhi - 110 001.
Food is slightly costlier as compared to the same class restaurants elsewhere. Pan Fried Noodles costed Rs. 160/-, Fresh Mushroom & Babycorn vegetable in Ginger Sauce costed Rs. 140/-. Although the prices are higher but the good taste of food compensates it. The gentry around is always good. What else will you look for in a Restaurant - Good ambience, good people around, tasty food, good service, this all you will find there in Zen.This Restaurant serves Wine and Beer. Has two floors to seat people. But it will still take time for Delhi People to mature up when they DRINK in Restaurants/ outside.
I got disturbed by two things there when I was having food at Zen:
There is no classification in the zones as Smoker's Zone and Non=Smoker's Zone. So you have heavy blows in between your food of the smell of Cigarettes around as the persons sitting next to your table may be smoking heavily and thus spoiling the atmosphere around you. Now if most of the tables are occupied and you are already settled on a table, and moreover you have placed order for your food, I think you will compromise with the smell of cigarettes smoke around and will have your food.
But the Restaurant Management should think seriously to clearly ear-mark the tables in the smoking zone and table away from the smoking zone. And since it has two floors, ground and first, it can provide drinks and food on first floor and only food at the ground floor. I think many families would not be preferring to get into this restaurant in the night even if they know that the food is excellent just because of cigarette smoke around in the atmosphere (sometimes very heavy smell) and the drinking lots around.
I observed a newly married couple requesting the waiter to shift them to a table upstairs since a single person was sitting on a table 90 degrees to their table and was having his beers and cigarettes, and was continuously peeping into that newly wed lady. This couple waited for 5-10 minutes on that table and when found that situation is not good, shifted to upstairs table.
Conclusion Good points:
1. Good Ambience
2. Good Aesthetics
3. Good and Prompt Service
4. Good Tasty Food
5. Professionalism in the air.
Points of Improvements
1.. Separation of Smoking and Non-Smoking Zones
2. Drinks should be served only on first floor.
3. Prices are slightly higher.
Overall I would seriously recommend a visit to this restaurant to have mouth licking Chinese and Japanese Food. at least once.By the way did I tell you the meaning of Zen - it means ''Perfection'' or ''Perfect''
