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UPDATE May 2009: Zen Fine Chinese Cuisine is now closed. A note posted on its website says, “Chef Lau will like to thank all our customer for their support. We are moving to a new location and will not be open for business until further notice.”
Like any self-respecting blogger, I like checking my stats once in a while (or three times a day) and I suddenly noticed a spike in people searching for “Zen Fine Chinese Cuisine” and finding this blog.
Turns out one of my favourite restaurants in the Vancouver area is cited as “the world’s greatest Chinese restaurant outside China” in a book, The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, by New York Times reporter, Jennifer 8. Lee.
An amazing compliment for sure, but according to this article, Zen is struggling just to stay open, resorting to slashing its set menu to half price ($36).
Click here for my original write-up in 2006 of the restaurant that my parents go to regularly. Zen should be booming — on par with lauded restaurants like Vancouver’s West or Vij’s but its location on the second floor of a strip mall in the suburb of Richmond probably hurts it more than anything.
I grew up resenting the Chinese food of my ancestors, thinking it was boring and not refined. Zen totally turns my childish misconception on its head, highlighting and respecting what Chinese food can be, with the advantage of B.C.’s fresh seafood.
Zen stuffs a whole whelk shell with delicious curried seafood. There’s silky smooth smoked Alaskan cod and stunning lobster buried under sweet, not pungent, garlic.
So let me tell you, Vancouverites or visitors, you’ll be kicking yourself if Zen closes before you get to visit.
UPDATE: Zen finally has a website here.
Zen Fine Chinese Cuisine, 2nd floor, 8580 Alexandra Rd., Richmond, B.C., Canada (604) 233-0077. Dinner 5:30-11 p.m. Closed on Tuesdays.
wow, this sounds amazing! I need to go check it out right away.
I’ve been to the Zen and although it’s not bad, I wouldn’t consider it to be the “best” chinese restaurant outside of Canada. Their original prices were estonishingly expensive which of course deterred people going. Along with limited seating, it’s no wonder they couldn’t make money. Secondly, their location isn’t the great, being on the second floor it was hard to find them. Lastly, on a busy road like Alexander, filled with restaurants galore, there are other options at a better price. That’s why Zen’s business not doing well.
I really like to go and support this restaurant, after reading the article, but the price is absolutely way too high. The Chef needs a business lesson from Gordon Ramsey school for failing restaurants because although I hope I am wrong, combination of poor location, limited seating and high price will not help this restaurant in the long run. I mean if the cost of your food is $30 and you only sell it for $36, there is no way you will ever succeed. Suggestion to the owner: get more seating, introduce an economic menu and serve dishes that are $18-20 and you will succeed. The only person who can escape with a $50 plating are Tojo’s which I will only dine there once there no matter how good the food is. Lastly restaurants that charge high prices, package the ambients of restaurant with their food. No one will pay $50 to sample Lumiere’s (note even iron chef Lumiere is barely breaking even) dish in a strip mall. Sam seems like a nice guy, just need to be more realistic. Best of luck.
Who ever said Zen is the best restaurant outside of china is an idiot and has never been outside of Surrey. The food was ok at best and the service sucked!. To call it the best Chinese food outside of china is an embarrassment to all the great Chinese restaurants across the globe. My advice to those of you thinking of going to Zen is, DON’T WAIST YOUR TIME!!
Even though you spelt waist wrong (waste) I will agree with you the service is terrible and the food was a 5 out of 10.
Definitely not the best…Try Phenom Phen in China town its better!