Review: Zen (♦♦1/2)

If a Chinese restaurant inspires one spew Japanese poetry, is that a good thing? If the decor taxes one’s bladder, can it be truly relaxing?

Apparently, yes.

It was one of those “I dunno, where do you want to go” weeks, so we took a flier on one of the more dreadful genres of eateries: the expensive hotel restaurant. Too often, they corporate-tailor menus for captive guests already paying high prices so they can avoid being exposed to the uncomfortable and the unfamiliar. At one point in history such restaurants strived to be the finest on the planet, and there are still amazing places paying tribute to this heritage, but where we were going didn’t exactly have a record of excellence during its past incarnations.

But the group’s reaction within seconds of getting our entries during our first visit to the new Asian restaurant at the Goldbelt Hotel was like nothing in memory. The sentence fragments from people stuffing the shared dishes into their mouths is best summarized by this subsequent haiku:

“We went to dinner at Zen
It was yum-a-yum
New favorite restaurant”

Subsequent visits smacked us with a moderate reality check about hoping for excellence in low-budget dishes like sesame chicken and lo mein noodles. They have, over a period of a several months, lost half a star from our initial ratings because of too many disappoints when we order something other than the "usual favorites."

But during that initial exploration of Zen’s specialties menu they could do little wrong.

Nearly every dish was all but assaulted with utensils, including a rib eye steak ($29) openly mocked based on the menu description as a “connoisseur” 16-ouncer pan-fried and slow-baked (”why not go the whole hog and poach it?”). Connoisseur steaks are supposed to be grilled at 1,800 degrees or some similar insane temperature, searing the surface while locking the juices inside. But Zen’s approach resulted in an equally pleasing crust and was perfectly cooked to a melt-in-your-mouth medium rare. “Exquisite — I could have cried,” our poet gushed. “I’d have to say my favorite, (even) with all these (other) delectable flavor combos.”

The ginger halibut ($22) was ordered with some hesitation since it’s essentially the mozzarella cheese of fish — only as good as the rest of the ingredients providing the actual flavor. The thin strips of halibut were tender, and the ginger and scallions they were stir-fried with gave it a strongly pleasing taste that wasn’t overpowering (although for some reason it wandered over the line in the fridge by lunchtime the next day). The sauce in the Thai coconut curry shrimp ($20) was monster — rich and assertive — and got its own box after the shrimp, peas, mushrooms, onions and peppers were fished out. Had we any appetite left, it would have been consumed like soup.

Things fell off a bit with the teriyaki glazed salmon ($22), a white king fillet lacking the preparation to elevate it above its inherent texture and flavor. It was perfectly acceptable, but we’ve done as well or better with fresh cuts at home. Failing to make even that grade were the teriyaki short ribs ($22), whose mild and sophisticated seasonings were a vast step above the typical sweet glazes, but the meat was somewhat tough and full of gristle. Long experience has taught us there’s usually a few bum steers in the herd, so to speak, and that may be the case here, but if so the kitchen should have noticed and put those stray ribs out to pasture.

Entries are served with nicely crunchy stir-fried Asian vegetables and “forbidden black rice,” a description that mystifies us since what was in our side bowls was your basic white. Our non-alcohol crowd felt the sodas could use an upgrade — mediocre fountain Cokes are expected at cheap places, but where triple-digit bills are common they ought to stock some Vernors and Thomas Kemper (”if you are going to have fancy-pants food, HAVE FANCY-PANTS SODA!” is one of our personal rants). But what appeared to be green iced tea was a refreshing change from the usual Lipton and “quite good for iced tea made north of the Mason-Dixon line.”

Having to ask for refills on the tea was a minor gripe in what was mostly good service matching the upscale surroundings. The room was packed during every peak dining period we were there (reservations are recommend during those times and for parties of four or more), but the servers never appeared hurried or made us feel so.

Zen put more effort than most into its decor, adding considerable ambiance to its built-in advantage of having a view of the downtown waterfront. Large bamboo poles, rocks and a fake bonsai tree (which apparently took some effort) are far more tasteful than the words imply. One of ours praised the “nice, relaxing atmosphere,” although for some reason “the waterfall in front made me want to pee.”

For those unable to get a table, Zen offers takeout and it was there — and ordering dishes often associated with to-go cartons — that imperfections were magnified.

A random sampling of appetizers were a letdown. Crab Rangoons ($10), ideal in crispness and their balance of cream cheese and real crab, also possessed a sweetness that caused the pleasure factor to drop considerably after the first one. Fantail shrimp ($10) were large but didn’t have much flavor beyond what they were dunked in. And the salt and pepper calamari ($10) were a rubbery waste of calories, again with little hint of flavor.

A better, but no more than ordinary, so-called starter was the peanut chicken salad ($10), an enticing mix of vegetables large enough to serve as a healthful entry. The chicken was a bit dry, but not enough to seriously distract, and the dressing tasty — although again flirting with the sweet factor too much.

Shrimp lo mein ($12) had large crustaceans of good quality and a mild flavor rather than the overpowering saltiness often experienced with takeout, but was heavy on oil and light on distinction. Sesame chicken ($14) did nothing to justify the price, suffering most of the same overpowering sweetness and chewiness found in cheap supermarket takeout. Crispy duck ($17) suffered the same disappointment as the ribs - the appealing natural flavor of the meat was negated by the fact much of it was too tough to appreciate. Admittedly, cooking duck properly is a real bear, but there are grocers in Seattle’s international district where you can get entire ducks to go for less that are just short of exquisite.

The dessert selection is short and unimaginative, limited to cheesecake ($5) and creme brulee ($6). The latter ended one meal more with a period than an exclamation point, scoring points for flavor, but losing them for a caramelized top that tasted slightly burnt and an overall texture more dense than light.

Zen ultimately has its fans and detractors in our group, but it is (perhaps strangely) now the place of choice if someone in the group happens to be in the mood for steak. The rest of us can order dishes we know and like, but it'd be nice to try something different and feel like we're not going to come away disappointed. Sadly, however, there simply hasn't been any evidence they're lively to elevate their kitchen over time.