Zen Cafe in Dhanmondi is a beautiful place serving up a mix of fusion and classic continental food so whether you want to eat something true and tested or something new, they have you covered.
“We want people to experience continental dishes but also to ensure that it's something they are comfortable eating,” said Assistant Manager, Zubayer Hossain.
Their continental dishes include chicken and mushroom vol-au-vent and grilled Greek chicken among others.
Food
We began our meal with chicken and mushroom vol-au-vent. The marriage between the creamed chicken and the puff pastry was spot on, making for a memorable mouthful.
The creaminess of the mushroom-infused chicken filled our palates, while the slight crisp from the puff pastry worked wonders. The vol-au-vent worked like a charm as an appetizer to whet our appetite.
Next, for mains, we had grilled Greek chicken, served with grilled vegetables, mashed potatoes and mushroom sauce on the side.
While the chicken was well-cooked and the veggies and the mashed potatoes were well-thought out additions to the chicken, we felt that the chicken played it too safe and was a little basic and it could have highlighted the flavours that made the marinade ”Greek.” The lime, thyme, rosemary, and garlic didn't pop as expected.
The mushroom sauce, with a hint of jalapeno, had a dominant umami flavor, but we could barely get a hint of jalapeno at all, although dabbing the chicken in the sauce did help to elevate the overall taste of the chicken.
We then had the Mexican chicken, which had more of a punch. The spice rub on the skin was flavorful however, yet the seasoning hadn’t seeped into the chicken to give us a little more of an intense hit that we come to expect from Mexican dishes. The chicken came with Mexican rice that had black beans and tomatoes with a side of chips and salsa.
The nachos had Doritos instead of tortilla chips but that is perhaps because of what people come to expect from nachos in Bangladesh. The salsa was still fresh and enjoyable.
For dessert, we went classic with a brownie with vanilla ice-cream, and this classic combination was a hit. If you’re an ardent fan, this version of the brownie and vanilla ice-cream won’t disappoint. The brownie itself was moist yet light and served warm which contrasted beautifully with vanilla ice-cream.
We washed our meal down with a passion fruit and pineapple juice. The juice was refreshing with a dominant pineapple flavour and only a mild hint of passion fruit.
The price range for a meal at Zen is Tk800 to Tk11,00 per person.
Ambience
Located in Dhanmondi at Rangs fortune square, Zen features Boho-themed furniture and decor and a calming atmosphere with off-white hues throughout the space. The natural light through the window makes the space brighter, also making it a good spot for pictures as well.
Challenges
Opened in August 2023, the most recent challenge that Zen has faced is the political climate and the recent increase in VAT that had been imposed momentarily earlier this year. Customers assumed that they just increased their prices, not realizing that the new prices were a direct result of the increased VAT.
“Recently, when the VAT had increased momentarily to 15%, customers took offence and thought we had just increased the price. They did not realize this was a result of a VAT increase,” said Hossain.
Putting the customers first, Zen responds to customer feedback by immediately modifying the dish to exactly how the customer wants it, without any further defence or questions.
“If a customer does not like the taste of a dish or wants us to modify it in any way, we do it without any question even if the other person on the table may have liked the dish. We believe in customer satisfaction as we want to ensure repeat customers,” added Hossain.
Verdict
Definitely give their chicken and mushroom vol-au-vent a try and we’re sure this appetizer will be one of your favourites, as it was the same for us. You could relish the brownie with ice-cream as much as we did. Overall, we do think that Zen Cafe has potential if they work on ironing out some teething issues on their mains.