When it comes to food, a good Asian restaurant is hard to beat and when you are looking recommendations for one in Belfast, quite often Zen is on the tip of everyone's lips. The Adelaide Street spot was opened by Eddie Fung in 2003 and has become a staple in the city for more than 20 years but despite having been recommended both here and their sister restaurant House of Zen, I had never tried either.
Stepping inside the restaurant for a bite to eat before we went to see Ben Elton at the Ulster Hall, I was immediately struck by how busy the place was for early on a Thursday evening.
The first thing that you notice as you walk through the doors is the stunning decor which I have been told has remained pretty consistent for more than two decades and the distinct smell of jasmine in the air. The smell immediately transported me back to a trip to China which I undertook a number of years ago and more specifically to the tea shops on Maliandao Street in Beijing's Xicheng district.
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After being shown to our table, a server promptly brought us wet towels to freshen our hands ahead of the meal and it wasn't long before we were ordering drinks. As we were both driving, I opted for a Sumo Sister which was a passion fruit mocktail while my guest opted for watermelon juice.
Both drinks arrived within minutes and if they were anything to go by, I knew we would be in for a delightful meal.
The menu is quite large with an excellent variety but we opted to order from the High Tea menu which is served between 5pm and 6:30pm and offers two courses for just £22.50 per person.
For starter I ordered the Crispy Duck with Crispy Pancakes while my guest opted for the Pan Fried Japanese Chicken Dumpling. On the recommendation of my guest, we also ordered the Tabi Kani Maki which are maki rolls filled with soft shell crab and topped with avocado and crab roe.
The waitress began by bringing us some chopsticks and their in-house soy sauce. A short while later, our starters arrived and they did not disappoint!
The duck pancakes were like nothing I had ever tried before. They were deep-fried and resembled something of a cross between a poppadom and a taco shell. The duck was cooked to perfection, and the hoisin sauce provided a perfect balance of flavours to the dish.
I will admit that this was my first time trying dumplings and while the texture was not to my personal taste, my guest devoured them and said that they were some of the best he has had.
When it came to mains, we decided that rather than eating a full main each, we would share them and so we ordered the Honey Peppered Shredded Chicken and the Roasted Duck with mixed vegetables in Teriyaki Sauce with sides of fried rice and yaki ramen.
Once again, I was blown away at the quality of the food for the price. The chicken was tender and somehow managed to maintain its crispiness despite being slathered in the honey pepper sauce. The duck was also delicious and paired well with the teriyaki.
All in all, this was a delightful meal and I would definitely return. One thing to note before you go is that they do apply a discretionary service charge of 10 per cent to your bill, which I did not see advertised on their menu.
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