MenuPages

when my husband was courting me, he intoduced me to zen palate over a decade ago. it was at the now extinct upper west site. i was enthralled. it was like being transported to another world. it was tranquil, serene and tho i do not remember what i ate, it was delicious. it was a great dining experience. fast forward to yesterday when i met a friend for lunch at the 9th ave locale. had not been to zen palate in 10 years. the food was better than OK and the portions were generous. but the place has a stone floor and chairs w/metal feet. gone was serene. it was abrasive. customers and staff alike would scrape those chairs against the floor and it was like chalk on a blackboard. the staff was very young, not a bad thing, but telling. the food took forever to arrive ( we went at 2:30p at the end of lunch rush...thinking it would be serene. ah well) i asked my friend why she chose this restaurant; she shrugged and replied " i usually order out". got it. that being said, the bill was more than reasonable, but if i want serene , that site will be far down on my fave list.

This was the first time I was here. I had a restaurant.com certificate, so that made it a good deal. The salad was very fresh, and my tempura mushrooms were tasty. My husband had spaghetti with "meatloaf" pieces --- he didn't care that much for it, but I thought it was good. I enjoyed his leftovers for lunch the next day!

The food is so interesting and delicious. I'm not a vegetarian, but this is a favorite.I don't understand the complaints. I always have a delicious meal and good service. If you really want to feel righteous, try the kale & seaweed salad. Yum. We love the desserts, too.

Food was delivered cold and tasteless. The food was drenched in sauce that was unappetizing. Waste of money.

i should have known after we walked past the kitchen (weird) and into the cramped and hastily decorated dining room that we were setting ourselves up for disappointment. my friend and i split an $18 entree described as "crispy wheat gluten filet a l'orange, with fresh asparagus, mushrooms, string beans and red onions on a sizzling platter". first, i'm not quite sure why they listed all those vegetables. there was the equivalent of one asparagus spear chopped up, maybe three string beans, a few slices of mushroom and i'll have to take their word on the onions. (hello, health food?) the wheat gluten was not crispy unless "crispy" means "chewy with hard edges". i'm a vegetarian that's allergic to soy so whenever seitan/wheat gluten is on the menu i try it. texture wise, this was the poorest i've ever had. i think the sizzling platter element might be a sham. the food come very fast and tastes microwaved. it would be pretty easy to microwave dishes and put them on hot platters that have been sitting under the broiler. the rice that came with the dish was good. the scallion pancakes are the first scallion pancakes i've ever liked, i think it's because i don't like scallions (there wasn't much in them). my friend did try to quietly complain about the food but the employee he complained to turned it into a big scene. he rolled his eyes and said things like "that's just your opinion" and tell us it's a popular dish.

Zen Palate used to be reliable. I was told the restaurants were sold a couple of years ago. Since then, everything's suffered - food, service, even atmosphere. The Ninth Ave. location has become depressing. Sad to see an old favorite turn to crap.

I had heard about this place and looked forward to trying some healthy food after a play. I did not even mind the wind blowing on my head in the cramped quarters and a passive-agressive waitress. But the food was not good. Not tasty. Not attractive.