I swore off Chinese food many years ago. Sure, it's cheap, but after a
bad chow mein experience, my stomach quivers at the sight of corn starch sauces and rubbery pork cubes in fried rice. Despite this, I gave Café Zen a fair shake, and was surprised by what I found.
Actually, I was there with a date, and we hoped to grab a quick bite before catching a flick at the Senator. For various reasons the girl and I have since, ahem, parted ways. And though my impression of her has wavered somewhat, my opinion of Café Zen has not.
To be clear, I avoided items that read as if they might show up at any Charm City Chinese carryout, and as I flipped the seemingly handmade paper pages of the menu, I noticed cool-looking definitions of the word "Zen" in the background. I ignored anything with the words "Kong Pao," "Sweet and Sour" and the like as this was the only way I could keep an open mind in the laid back atmosphere.
The wait staff provided good tea, and Zen also offers beer and wine. Too bad I was already strapped, what with the Star Wars movie up the street. This is the same reason I didn't bother with the Sushi Favorites, though some of their six-piece rolls seemed reasonably priced for a quick bite.
The most intriguing (though not the cheapest) offerings at Café Zen are listed under Zen Favorites, which is where I found Zen Offering 4: Tender Spinach, sautéed in garlic sauce with Chicken ($9.95). At that price, I'd be over budget if I tried anything else. Most Zen dishes start around 10 bucks and go up from there, unless you like tofu. But, whoa! There was so much food on my plate it was a chore to finish. Fortunately, it tasted good: not gelatinous, not too much soy sauce. There was garlicky and a spicy kick. I washed it all down with free hot tea.
Though the food was good, the conversation was so-so and the service was a little slow. We were rushed to get out in time for our movie and it took us -- count em! -- 12 minutes from the moment we asked for our check to the moment we received it. Don't worry. We only missed a couple trailers.
Dish: In addition to my Tender Spinach with chicken, what's-her-name opted for appetizers and soup, ordering Zen's pan-fried veggie dumplings, a vegetable spring roll, and hot and sour soup. The six dumplings were delicious: green skinned pods stuffed with tofu and crisp veggies, served with a light soy sauce based dip. The spring roll was good, but not exceptional. The hot and sour soup was tasty: sour, oily broth and veggies galore. She got it because it didn't have any pork in it-- a rarity among hot and sour soups out there.
Damage: My dish was $9.95. Her dishes came to $6.70. We shared our meals with one another. Romantic, I know, but not romantic enough to warrant a second date. Our total was $16.65, so my half was $8.35. Not bad for the quantity of food.
Decision: Baltimore may be teeming with run-of-the mill Chinese carry-out joints, but this place is the exception. The food is good, the environs clean, the (too) leisurely service is very friendly. The next time I'm off to another film at the Senator, I'll be sure to bring my appetite to Café Zen first.
Actually, I was there with a date, and we hoped to grab a quick bite before catching a flick at the Senator. For various reasons the girl and I have since, ahem, parted ways. And though my impression of her has wavered somewhat, my opinion of Café Zen has not.
To be clear, I avoided items that read as if they might show up at any Charm City Chinese carryout, and as I flipped the seemingly handmade paper pages of the menu, I noticed cool-looking definitions of the word "Zen" in the background. I ignored anything with the words "Kong Pao," "Sweet and Sour" and the like as this was the only way I could keep an open mind in the laid back atmosphere.
The wait staff provided good tea, and Zen also offers beer and wine. Too bad I was already strapped, what with the Star Wars movie up the street. This is the same reason I didn't bother with the Sushi Favorites, though some of their six-piece rolls seemed reasonably priced for a quick bite.
The most intriguing (though not the cheapest) offerings at Café Zen are listed under Zen Favorites, which is where I found Zen Offering 4: Tender Spinach, sautéed in garlic sauce with Chicken ($9.95). At that price, I'd be over budget if I tried anything else. Most Zen dishes start around 10 bucks and go up from there, unless you like tofu. But, whoa! There was so much food on my plate it was a chore to finish. Fortunately, it tasted good: not gelatinous, not too much soy sauce. There was garlicky and a spicy kick. I washed it all down with free hot tea.
Though the food was good, the conversation was so-so and the service was a little slow. We were rushed to get out in time for our movie and it took us -- count em! -- 12 minutes from the moment we asked for our check to the moment we received it. Don't worry. We only missed a couple trailers.
Dish: In addition to my Tender Spinach with chicken, what's-her-name opted for appetizers and soup, ordering Zen's pan-fried veggie dumplings, a vegetable spring roll, and hot and sour soup. The six dumplings were delicious: green skinned pods stuffed with tofu and crisp veggies, served with a light soy sauce based dip. The spring roll was good, but not exceptional. The hot and sour soup was tasty: sour, oily broth and veggies galore. She got it because it didn't have any pork in it-- a rarity among hot and sour soups out there.
Damage: My dish was $9.95. Her dishes came to $6.70. We shared our meals with one another. Romantic, I know, but not romantic enough to warrant a second date. Our total was $16.65, so my half was $8.35. Not bad for the quantity of food.
Decision: Baltimore may be teeming with run-of-the mill Chinese carry-out joints, but this place is the exception. The food is good, the environs clean, the (too) leisurely service is very friendly. The next time I'm off to another film at the Senator, I'll be sure to bring my appetite to Café Zen first.
