Itadaki Zen

Came here on a week day evening and was surprised to find a very cosy place with a real mix of asian & western diners and some people even ordering a take away.

Service is terrible because the waiters were fairly absent-minded. The guys seem lovely but are so slow & totally unable to pre-empt what customers may need.

I tried their sprouted brown rice set menu and thought that was quite nice (I do like my food quite plain). The rice tasted good with red beans mixed in it, and the side dishes were flavoursome. Only disappointment was the tofu which I didnt think was anything more than Cauldron.

I'd personally describe the place as fusion and not Japanese, and was expensive for what it is. Definitely go & see for yourself but I know I will not be returning
Comment on this reader review

6 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 6
Sunday, November 14, 2010

There are lots of London Japanese restaurants worse than this restaurant. However, the bad thing is they call themselves that decent +authentic Japanese they serve......

Udon which they highly recommend, is totally overdone and tasteless as other people wrote down here.

Sushi is totally homemade level ( not at all quite an expert level ).

The reason I wrote this review, is I would like to stop people believe this is proper Japanese and it is very rip off and look down the customers if they think truly they serve very nice Japanese. Japanese was not popular 10 years ago in London. However, it got popular and it is in a way, an insult to serve this kind of food as purely decent+authentic food. I am Japanese and love Japanese food. Don't get me wrong. Vegan food is not equally tastless.
Comment on this reader review

Miki
1 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Monday, July 12, 2010

I'm Japanese and I had one of the worst Japanese meals here.

I love veg food but the food offered by Itadaki Zen was tasteless and it wasn't properly cooked.

I'm quite easy going for food and usually i finish up dishes even when not as tasty as I wished but this place is one of a few places where I had to stop eating after a bite.

The service wasn't great either. I ordered tea and it wasn't hot enough, I asked to change it and it took about 20 min. to have a new one.

They brought me the bill with service included and it took me 10 min. to explain why I didn't want to pay service charge.

It is an awful place and I wouldn't recommend to anyone!
Comment on this reader review

miyo
1 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 0
Saturday, April 24, 2010

Go to Itadaki Zen for an out of this world experience. The restaurant has a soul, and you can almost hear its heart beat from the kitchen to the basement. This is not just a clever idea. It is one of those enterprises ambitious enough to set itself up as an example to follow. Pioneers.

We like our food? Then let's source it right. A basic premise for any intelligent eater. Itadaki Zen brings trust back into the experience of eating out. Because they have clearly thought about it. And they are believers. So don't be fooled by the legeresse of the decor and the featherlike quality of some of the dishes, these people have substance. And, of course, the food tastes great.
Comment on this reader review

10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Sunday, March 07, 2010

I'm afraid the food here was really not good. I am hoping we just made bad choices. The menu was very difficult to understand, i had a noodle dish that you dipped into a watery sauce/broth but the broth tasted of nothing, it was just like dipping boiled noodles into water. The servings were small. the sushi set i had didn't include avocado (which i love in veggie sushi) and the rice was very dry. They don't serve green tea either. Overall very disappointing. It's such a shame as i went to an amazing vegan Japanese in San Francisco, so the concept can work. i think they are trying to achieve too much....
Comment on this reader review

ME
3 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 2
Friday, March 05, 2010

I was disappointed with their service. It would have been nice if we had been able to feel we were welcomed.

But food was good. They are suitable for vegetarians.
Comment on this reader review

7 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Very quiet when we visited. I think it is quite new and it's slightly hidden away from the bustle around the station. (A short walk down King's Cross Road which, granted, isn't the most stylish of locations. Service was very sweet and helpful and the place is nice and cosy inside. Nothing flashy, just clean and minimalist. Good for lunch or a quick dinner after work.

We are both meat-eaters normally and have eaten Japanese food at some excellent restaurants in London and beyond, but I believe this is the first all-vegetarian Japanese restaurant in central London. Certainly glad we visited! The food was so fresh and full of flavour, especially the veggie sushi and perfectly crisp tempura. One tofu dish was a bit boring (but that's tofu for you) and the cold soba noodles are a new one on me, although very enjoyable.

We left feeling full and very healthy, having only spent about £20 per head (including some sake). We will definitely be back to try out the lunch sets. Highly recommended if you are vegetarian or fancy a meat-free meal.
Comment on this reader review

M.
7 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 7
Friday, January 08, 2010