Lots of promise but low on the delivery. First, whoever seasons their cajun edamame needs to get their taste buds checked... w/ cajun seasoning, a little goes a long way. They dumped a whole bunch of seasoning onto it, thereby leaving only a few pods to be edible. The same person who seasoned the edamame must have also put the scallions on the Negi Hama Roll. With sushi, as with most things Japanese, it pays to show restraint and control. Restraint and control. The real star of the meal (which saved this from a one star review) was the salmon sashimi. It was delicious, I would have skipped the specialty rolls and saved room in my stomach for the sashimi. Sorry guys, Uchi came to town and I'll be going back there for good sushi from now on. read more

I was pretty excited for sushi but ended up being let down (maybe my expectatiojns were too high). The sushi rolls were the smallest I've ever had, portion and serving size. The service was slow, out waiter also forgot the edamame that we ordered. I probably won't go back again. read more

Atmosphere and food were really good. Sushi was fresh and big pieces with average prices. Service was not bad server was a little overwhelmed but not really his fault because they have a stupid curtain blocking the front where the host stand is so it made it hard to see when people needed to get sat. read more

Great, creative sushi (though quite pricy). The Xalapa roll is a must try. Does not have a lot of the more traditional offerings, but worth a try for something different and good. Nice location in the heart of the Bishop Arts District. Delivers. read more

My go-to sushi place! As a vegan, the options at sushi places normally consist of cucumber rolls, avocado rolls, and if you're lucky, a vegetable roll. Not at Zen Sushi - they have a separate menu with vegan items clearly marked (ask the host for the vegan menu), and there are quite a lot of delicious options! My favorite is the tofu roll, which is so simple, and yet addictive. The texture of the tofu is perfect. The tofu lettuce wraps are also amazing. They are very spicy (I like spicy food), but the flavor and texture is amazing. If I wasn't so crazy about the tofu rolls, I'd just order this as my meal and be happy. My husband also really likes the inari zushi (fried tofu pockets filled with sushi rice), but I'm personally not crazy about them. As an appetizer, try out the Cajun-style edamame, which is just edamame seasoned with a Cajun spice mix. Again spicy, but so good! read more

Literally my worst experience in Bishop Arts to date. The server was very sweet, sat us promptly, ordered our sushi, the experience was going great. Until the sushi was set down our table. We ordered 3 rolls, although none of the rolls were described to have cucumber, each roll did. (Even the ice water has cucumber, maybe Zen Sushi has a love for cucumber. I'm not sure what the fascination is.) I had no problems with it, I love all things food, but my sister despises the taste and crunch of the poor vegetable. Once we discussed the issue, our server preceded to say it would be no issue to make the change. I continue to eat my rolls, as another server reaches over our plate and picks up the roll that was created wrong; explaining they must salvage the fish...I've never had such an experience. I feel disrespected. I've worked in the service industry for a long time, I understand the process, if that was necessary, take the entire plate to the back, re-plate and re-serve. I spoke to the owner, she stated she would speak to the server and remove the roll from the bill, at that point, I lost my appetite. We paid for our meal and left the rolls for them to salvage for another table. We won't be back and I'll be sure to tell other people of color about my wonderful experience. read more

Wow, what a great place. The sushi is fresh and just in a word excellent. I cant wait to come back. I will definitely be coming back again and again. read more

Favorite sushi place so far. The sushi chef was EXQUISITE! And the wait staff treated us like royalty. Coming from Los Angeles, I'm pretty picky and I admit not all the sushi was as fresh as my favorite CA restaurants. but for Dallas, nothing compares so far. I'll gladly keep looking for better, but this place will likely be a regular haunt from now on purely from the level of service. read more

Fantastic sushi made to order. Try the Cajun Style Edamame, the ceviche, and any of the rolls. Service was fantastic. Slightly pricey but so is everything in Bishop Arts. Atmosphere was pretty decent but you go here for the fresh sushi bar! read more

I love ZEN, I live in Oak Cliff and my girlfriend and I eat here at least once a week. The best part about this place is they have no problem custom tailoring a roll for you. I have been to other sushi places and they frown upon you being "creative "with your rolls. We frequent here enough that the staff knows us and we never have to ask twice for anything. I highly recommend going here for all sushi lovers. read more

If you have a lot of time to kill (a *lot*), then this might be a sushi place to check out. My friend and I initially checked out ZEN because we heard they had not just vegetarian items (somewhat rare at Japanese places), but an entire menu of specifically vegetarian and vegan items. They have offerings that range the entire menu, including modified versions of their specialty rolls. Coming from a diet that limits our sushi intake to 1-2 variations on the vegetable roll, that's quite an upgrade. The first time we went was late on a Sunday, where a single waitperson appeared to be overwhelmed by the number of people in the restaurant (maybe a quarter to half-capacity), which we attributed to the unexpected rush that close to closing time. It took a long time to get any attention, but hey, it's almost closing on a Sunday, they probably were just not staffed for how much business they ended up getting. However, we went again tonight during normal dinner hours, and it was the same story. One waitperson for the entire restaurant, which apparently is just how they roll. It was a little slow with only a few other parties in the restaurant, but as it began to fill up, things got that much slower. The food is decent. All the rolls we got were large; very very rice-heavy and sometimes with what felt like minimal filling. Their vegetarian "california moon roll" (tempura'd avocado, carrot and cream cheese roll covered in sriracha and spicy mayo) is absurdly rich and just as delicious. Other sushi was fine to good, but definitely felt overstuffed with rice. I also tried their vegetarian ramen (again, a mournful rarity), and was pretty disappointed. The noodles were cooked just right, but the broth was bland, and vegetable-wise it was mostly carrots with a little onion and mushroom. It definitely was not bad, but it was certainly not memorable. The take-home for me was that the food did not feel proportionally worth the amount of waiting that one has to do. It seems like adding another waitperson would do a ton to alleviate a lot of my concerns. They haven't been open *that* long, and maybe it's a matter of kinks getting worked out. I 'll come back to ZEN, but it won't be any time soon. read more

Loved this place (:) chef made a special Vegetarian Roll that was Awesome !! Figs and chipotle peppers mmmm! Definitely going back here!!(:) read more

I have frequented here several times and gotten take out here a few times as well. Everything is always super fresh and very tasty. My only complaint is that the rolls are a bit on the small and short side. You know how regular rolls are that look like a snake they're so long? Well these look like about half that size. Still good though and prices are not too bad either. Mmmmm, I'm getting hungry right now just thinking about it! read more

The sushi itself was pretty yummy, this coming from a self-proclaimed "Dallasite" who, per the label, eats plenty of sushi everywhere. I made sure to try a house version so I ordered the Xalapa roll...loved it! I'm usually not crazy about rolls but this was delicious. As for the drinks, my friends ordered a house special with lychee that tasted very watered down and nothing special. I ordered sake which is bottled so nothing to review per the restaurant. The location is fantastic (though parking is tricky) and the staff is friendly. Good times. read more

Sushi in Dallas. Lately every place that I've gone to is serving cat food. Yuck. I was pleasantly surprised about the freshness at Zen. I ordered an array a sashimi and it was wonderful. Food arrived timely. My only drawback was my app did not arrive before my entree which is a bummer. that's kind of the whole point. server shrugged it off without an appology. since I ate at the sushi bar (solo) I didint' mind much but if I was with a group i'm sure this would have bothered me a bit. All in all, I'll be back to this lovely Oak Cliff Sushi surprise read more

After reading all of the reviews on Yelp, I was expecting something... well... better. The food was bland, the service was S-l-o-w, and to top it off our sushi was served very close to room temperature! We'll start with the food. The hubby and I tried the miso, it wasn't that salty hit I was looking for and it wasn't very hot. It was however, swimming with fresh tofu, green onions, and seaweed, which I enjoyed. We ordered five rolls, there wasn't a huge selection and it seemed that you had top choose either semi-bland or raging hot, nothing in the middle. Since the hubby isn't a fan of raging hot, we chose bland, and they were just that, bland. The highlight for me was the alaskan roll (cream cheese with smoked salmon on top). It was pretty much on par with what I've had other places. Everything else was well... not as good. All of the rolls lacked a good thick coating of rice (why skimp on the cheap stuff?) and the tempura roll was tiny (there's only one on the menu too... most places have at least a few to choose from). Oh, and they boast about the California rolls having snow crab meat, but really, it just wasn't that tasty. I'll take my Krab with a K I think. We needed a pick-me-up, and I desperately wanted something tasty from this place so we tried the Ginger Creme Brulee. It was probably the best thing we had all night, but, in reality, I've had way better. The ginger flavor was subtle, which was nice, and the crust was perfectly browned, but it lacked that custard-y texture. It was more like whipped cream than creme brulee in some ways. There were some high points. The food wasn't bad, it just wasn't good. The fish seemed VERY fresh (even if the temperature was a bit off). Oh, and I don't have that post-sushi fishy taste in my mouth. Very nice. As for the service... well lets just say I would have given this place three stars if it had been a little faster. It took them over thirty minutes to do our five rolls, and the place wasn't exactly packed. Even our dessert took ten minutes. I don't mind a wait, but it seemed a bit excessive for how many people were there. Will I go again, NO. Do I recommend this place, NO. There are way too many sushi places in Dallas to go to a mediocre one, especially for what they charge! read more

Really great sushi. Had a bunch of buddies raid this place one night, the whole Arts area was completely dead. I think they were happy to have us as customers. The sushi I ordered was really tasty. I had a dragon roll and a dynamite roll. The avocado and the fish was really fresh tasting. I think everyone in this place really takes great pride in putting out a great product. read more

Solid sushi restaurant in the Bishop Arts district. Service was good. Had the tiger roll (okay), xalapa roll (recommend), spicy tuna roll (okay), lotus roll with thinly sliced lime on top (recommend for vegetarians/vegans), and the beet xalapa roll (don't recommend; was lacking flavor). They do have an extensive (especially for a sushi restaurant) vegan and vegetarian menu so that's a plus. Good selection of sake. Also tried the zen martini, which was a tad sweet and not strong, but tasty. read more

It was mediocre. However I would not return based on the fact that we were served sushi chunks. How am I supposed to chew with a boat load of rice in my mouth. Our sushi mainly consisted of rice. If you didn't catch that. read more

Finally visited Zen Sushi this past Friday and I hate to say it but I was underwhelmed. :( It was not in the least horrible but not what I had previously imagined it to be. After hearing so much about the owner/chef, I was disappointed when she wasn't there to prepare our sushi rolls. But hey, everyone needs an off day right?!? I ordered the Tiger roll and the Tuna tower. The Tiger roll was good, no complaints there but I've had much better Tuna Towers at other sushi places around town. Let's move on to the cocktails...I hate to say it but they were not the best. I had the pear martini and it was bland...almost without taste. There were no distinguishing flavors anywhere to be found. I will say that the staff was very friendly and welcoming. Because of the staff, I will definitely try Zen again. Places have off nights and last Friday must have been it. read more

Awesome vegetarian options (we had the lotus roll and the beet something- super good) and the coconut sake is delicious! We were seated quickly and the server was very nice. It's a must when visiting Dallas! read more

Loved it! Everything was SUPER fresh and we had the Martini civiche dish and it was incredible! Definitely go here again!

It is probably good for a night out, because of its location. I have had better sushi in Plano though. It wasn't bad, but it was kind of expensive for what it was. read more

Lovely atmosphere. Tasty drinks and a happy hour menu that I can fully get behind. I would highly recommend this place.

This is the best sushi restaurant in town. There are thoughtful and precise taste combinations. A freshness in content as well as mindset, not present in the overpriced uptown fare that seems to be directed at the lowest common denominator of Texan tastebuds. Waiters can be hit and miss on service but the place is so intimate a space not hard to wrangle one when needed. I like very dry cocktails (unsweet) so I might be extra sensitve, but I found the cocktail combos on the sweet side and will request they modify mine next visit. All in all I HIGHLY recommend Zen. Sushi fans may be interested in Michele's Secret Sushi Society club (need to check to see if those montly, special creation prix fixe dinner events are still available)!! read more

Love the laid back vibe and great service. The restaurant is small and intimate. It is a great place for a date! The sushi menu is typical at first sight but has some great hidden gems and special rolls. The appetizers and dinner entrees are creative and are easily split so you can try more than one. The pulled pork sticky buns are the greatest thing I've ever eaten. Get them. We have lived in this area for a few years and have yet to eat anything less than phenomenal here. They also deliver with great online ordering and quick service. read more

Tried out Zen tonight based on reviews and location (close to home). I am personally not a sushi or seafood fan but my boyfriend loves it. I often find myself ordering edamame and a California roll. I decided to try the California sun-crab, cream cheese and avocado, tempura fried-it was so good! Also had the carnitas buns and they were delicious. Boyfriend always goes for sashimi and he was impressed by the selection and quantity. Service was slightly slow but it was quiet and an overall great experience. Finally found a sushi place I enjoy. read more

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My favorite sushi in Dallas. The owner has worked hard to make this a great restaurant, and she's involved in the community. Lots of daily specials. Huge vegetarian menu (ask for it). Extremely reasonably priced. Considering the low cost and high quality of food, not to mention the creative in-house specialties, this is the best sushi bargain in town. read more

For a Japanese restaurant, it's not so zen. it's as lively as any neighborhood joint! We love it bc we also have children and they are always welcomed here. My son had his first tako (octopus) sushi here and is a sushi convert. My other little one is a fan of the teriyaki chicken. They even have a kids portion. This is a great restaurant for families who want to eat good sushi as well as a place that caters to kids. read more

I'd prefer to give 4.5 stars. I took the GRE yesterday, and knew I wanted sushi after to reward myself for sitting through a bullshit standardized test. A friend and I chose Zen because he had been before. We arrived sometime around 5:45 for our early dinner and were the only people in the place for an hour. Service was impeccable. I had a lychee sangria that was delicious - very sweet, but I like sweet drinks. My friend got a Rising Sun and a Horse Neck - he preferred the Horse Neck, but both were good. I started with the seaweed salad, and he had miso soup. Pretty standard, pretty tasty, but I'm used to my seaweed salad being more seaweed and less veggies. Then came the rolls! Even though I had been craving sashimi and nigiri, we couldn't pass up the maki. I started with a Tiger Roll (salmon, avocado, shrimp) and it was very good. My friend had the Dragon Roll (spicy tun, yellow mustard, avocado) and it was just toooo spicy. I love spice but the flavor of the fish, rice, and avocado was completely drowned in the mustard. This roll is the only thing keeping me from giving 5 stars. We ordered two more rolls, though. I got a California Sun (tempura fried cali roll) and my friend had the Caterpillar (eel wrapped in avocado). Both were beyond excellent. Pretty sure I uttered the phrase, "If an orgasm had a flavor, it would taste like the Cali Sun roll." So there you go. Excellent food (minus the Dragon roll), fancy cocktails, great ambiance (though being the only table for most of the night may skew our view), stellar service. I will definitely be back. read more

I was having doubts about whether or not I should review a place based on having eaten there on a night where special pricing was involved, I decided that in fact that was the BEST time to review, as the Monday Night Sushi Special Menu would ostensibly be an affordable way to show a broader base of customers what you do well. The answer, if my visit is any indication, is 'not much.' My date and I had cajun, vegetable, avocado, and spicy salmon rolls. They all looked bland; like they had been sitting in a grocery store case all day, and were poorly rolled. Not many of them made it from plate to mouth without losing their structural integrity and dropping bits everywhere. We also tried the seaweed salad, which was about half of what you'd normally get at most sushi places, inexplicably surrounded by rather tasteless strips of carrot, jicama, and other filler that didn't even go well with the savory seaweed. The miso soup was lukewarm enough for me to think that the health department might have an issue with soup served this tepid. The vegetable tempura was the best part, but it's hard to mess that up. Probably not coming back. Especially not at full price. read more

The first time we went, the place was great. Great server etc. This time, perhaps it was because the server wasn't as good, but it was just lacking. Way too much rice on the sushi and in the rolls. read more

I can never get enough of Zen. Everything is always fresh. The flavors are simple, clean, bright and oh so good. I've been to too many sushi restaurants that douse their products in flavored mayo, probably to hide the taste of subpar ingredients. Do not leave without ordering a xalapa roll or a ceviche martini. read more

It has been a year since I wrote my first review and wanted to come back and give it another 5 Stars as Zen Sushi is seriously to me the best sushi in Dallas. Since I moved here a year ago I have been to Nobu, Steele, Blue Fin and a handful of other sushi places and although all of those places are good (and ridiculously overpriced)...Zen Sushi is overall and by far THE best. The atmosphere is relaxing, the wait staff is down to earth and Michelle's menu continues to be exciting. Being a purist I cannot get enough of the salmon sashimi--we had 5 orders between 3 of us. If you go during the week they offer some great daily deals on rolls and sushi as an added bonus. I give it two thumbs up and another 5 stars! read more

Let me preface this by saying how disappointed I am that I can't give this place a better review. Its hard to find sushi places with extensive vegetarian options, so I was really excited to add this one to my rotation. Alas, it was not to be. Service was ok when we first arrived. I ordered 2 rolls and the vegetarian ramen, date had chicken teriyaki. The vegetable tempura roll was literally a vegetable roll that was battered and fried, as opposed to the usual method of frying stuff individually and then rolling it. Interesting, but a little bland and greasy. Next roll was a beet/avocada roll. Supposedly there were jalapenos in it, but it was not spicy at all. There were lime slices on top which was new, but again the whole thing was a little bland and... off. Same for date's miso soup. Ramen was next. Even though it was broth, the mouthfeel was greasy. Very strange. Date was informed his teriyaki would be out soon. 10 minutes later we were informed his food had been delivered to another table, but a new order wold be done in about 7 minutes. 15 minutes later, we were informed his dish would take "just a little longer". As this point, since the service had been slowly deteriorating and nothing so far had tasted particularly great, we decided to cut our losses and leave. I give two stars because of cucumbers in water and higher quality chopsticks. Hard to justify giving this place another chance with Sushi Zushi a few miles away. read more

After going to a really sub par sushi restaurant last night AND paying out the nose for it, I'm finally going to stop my procrastination and write a review for Zen. Zen is one of the best sushi joints in Dallas, period. The atmosphere is intimate and relaxing. While the service can sometimes be slow, it is such a small place that we never have a problem getting someone's attention. It is clear that the chef, Michelle, is highly trained in her art and rigorous in it's execution. The ingredients are super fresh and her flavor combinations are always right on target. Crazy sushi ingredients are so in vogue right now that you never know what you are going to get at some other sushi restaurants. Michelle's creations are thoughtfully designed and superbly executed to fit a more refined palate. The Zen Bruschetta is absolutely delightful. read more

I wrote a review a few months back and had a not great experience. Went again recently and was much more satisfied. Fish was better, rice was better, service was better. Maybe they were having a bad day after all. Not fantastic sushi, but pretty good and would go back. read more

A welcome change from imitation crab and mediocrity so common to America's sushi restaurants. The California Sun, a tempura fried California roll containing real crab, fresh avocado, and a hint of cream cheese, was perfectly balanced by the spicy mayonnaise and sriracha on top. The spicy salmon, although regrettably lacking in heat, more than compensated for its shortcomings with perfectly prepared salmon. In contrast, the heat of the spicy tuna roll overpowered the flavor of the tuna. The eel nigiri was so delicate that it melted in the mouth. The salmon skin, usually a favorite of mine was disappointing although not unpalatable. Reasonably priced. read more

Great sushi spot located in the heart of Bishop Arts. Simple decor with focus on food. The owner is hands on and engaging with the staff and guests. Sat at the sushi bar both times I visited and attention to detail is not missed in the preparation. Highly recommend for a night out with friends or that special someone. Be sure to come hungry and try everything!!! read more

So disappointing. Both the rolls I ordered were predominantly rice and cucumber. Definitely won't be coming back.