Note from CJ..... not long after first publishing this review the owners complained bitterly and I withdrew it but on reflection I feel we were failing in our duty to report the truth!  There was nothing wrong with the food, it was delicious, it was the service that left a lot to be desired!  We hope that after our comments that may have improved.

Visited January 2007

Having heard very good things about Japanese food in general, and Zen in particular, three of your Ladies decided that a dreary January Tuesday needed brightening up with an exotic lunch and we set off in the hope that we could be fitted in without a booking. We needn’t have worried; we arrived to find the place open but deserted, apart from one of the staff sitting in the bar area. The welcome we received as the only customers was casual to say the least and, having decided to use the ladies loo while waiting for the other two to park the car (no, they weren’t both driving, one was driving while the other did a very good line in “back seat” direction) I finally found the toilets upstairs but in total darkness with no light switches. I improvised (don’t ask) but the next Lady to arrive was a good deal more vocal and eventually the lights were switched on. Altogether a bad start...

Zen is the only Japanese restaurant listed in the Southampton area Yellow Pages so it is likely that they have a lot of customers who are unfamiliar with Japanese cuisine. Consequently, they have both a regular a la carte menu plus a very useful ‘tasting’ menu which offers selections of different types of food, allowing you to mix and match to discover what you like. Having lived in the Far East, JI was able to recommend some of these dishes and we began with a bowl of Miso soup which was served in one of the most unusual bowls we’ve have ever seen, a wooden pot with a lid and a wooden ladle (not necessarily the easiest thing to eat with!). The soup itself was delicious, made of a tasty stock with a green vegetable, possibly spinach, and tofu. We were starting to feel a bit better, helped along by a bottle of white wine called appropriately “La Diva”!

The ‘main course’ consisted of a selection of tastings; a plate of Maki (various rice items, some wrapped in seaweed, and including seafood and vegetables, served cold); Tempura (both prawn and vegetables dipped in the lightest batter and deep fried) plus a plate of fried noodles. The food was truly delicious and recommended even for those wary of trying Japanese cuisine. However, if our lunch is anything to go by, it is very light food, almost no carbohydrates, and anyone with a good appetite would either need to order a lot more or be on a diet!

Sadly, the service was also pretty light (unlike the toilets) and, even though they had no-one else to serve, the staff were barely there most of the time. Would we go back? Well, it is the only Japanese restaurant in Southampton and the evening experience may be a lot better. I certainly hope so...

Cost:  ££+ including wine and service charge

Yummy Factor: 6/10

Guest Review by CS of Romsey (note from CJ, would like to say a big thank you to CS, she lunches with us often and when she does I always persuade her to do the reviews, sure you will agree her wonderful writing style puts the rest of us to shame!).