Zen Sushi

I am a big sushi fan and have been to my fair share of sushi restaurants. Zen Sushi is definitely in the top 5 sushi places I’ve tried. They have a lot of specialty rolls, which makes the deciding hard because they’re all delicious. Prices are average for a sushi place. Great staff, every time I’ve been there my server has been very friendly and helpful.

Sushi is fine, but dinner options have virtually no flavor. Nice staff.

I visited here the other day. It’s pretty standard and consistent. It’s a good place when you think «I want a low maintenance dinner and sushi can work». We got some veggie sushi and spring rolls. They were both quite good. The tempura sweet potato rolls were pretty awesome. The price is standard as is the service. Never crowded, nothing special but certainly reliable.

Great food and management. I went with my four year old niece and the management/​waitstaff were both helpful and patient in coming up with an order for my somewhat particular niece.
Go at lunch. They have an amazing lunch special.

The blue ridge roll was amazing. One of the best rolls I’ve ever had. Would definitely recommend!

We’re from Florida, so we are spoiled. I had the 8 pc sashimi appetizer … was very fresh and tasty. Also ordered was spicy tuna roll (tuna texture seemed different than I was used to) but was tasty. California and Philadelphia rolls were not as flavorful as we are used to. Service was good.

I am giving zen Sushi a 5 star review, because in 4 years of me going there, the food has stayed consistent and the staff is always curious and friendly. I generally order the Age Tofu as an appetiser. Good serving size for 2 people, delicious, clean, simple flavours. At lunch I order the Chicken Katsu lunch box, or one of the several other lunch options that they offer, most under $ 10.00. With the lunch box options, you get miso soup, salad, rice, California roll (I get sweet potato instead) and a generous portion of the protein you order. In 4 years, I can say that the flavours have stayed consistent, and true to the cuisine, and the service is always quick and friendly. Also, if you want to try a Sake, I recommend any of the Nigori sakes that Zen Sushi has. Nigori is generally a very sweet sake, with a very fruity nose and a mild flavor that very closely resembles ripe plumbs. This sake is a great drink to complement spicy foods or, if you are like me, you will order it is a dessert wine. It definitely makes for a clean, yet sweet finish to any meal you will have at Zen Sushi.

We went this evening for the first time! Our waitress was wonderful, freshly transplanted from New Orleans and she was so friendly! She answered our questions and was attentive enough, not hovering. The place is nice inside, tastefully decorated. Our food was good! Salad with ginger dressing was good, a bit watery, but fresh! We ordered two rolls and a bento box with shrimp tempura, steak teriyaki and a California roll. The rolls were marvelous! One was called Surprise and the other Happy. Their jasmine tea was good too! We left there very satisfied and happy. The prices were reasonable and the portions generous. The tempura needs a bit of salt, but otherwise, everything was well-​seasoned. It’s not fine dining, however it IS good food! We will go back again!

This place was so good. I got the beach roll and it was the perfect blend of flavors and textures. The hot sauce added to the flavor rather than being too strong or overbearing. I also ordered mochi (mango flavor) for dessert and it was amazing. The person i went with got the Godzilla roll and let me try some. It was so delicious.
We ate there before the dinner rush came in and the atmosphere was peaceful and calm. Very clean, nice staff, delicious food. I am definitely going to go there again.

Sushi is fresh, a wide variety of rolls and sushi related items to choose from. We had
Some non sushi items that were also very tasty like the garlic tofu app, and the chicken katsu donburi bowl. Plus the service was attentive, the atmosphere Is small and quaint. Definitely be back! (Oh and the chicken teriyaki comes out on one of those hot steaming skillets!)

I am not an expert on sushi, but enjoy it when I can. Four of us went for lunch. Two has tempura baskets. The batter was light and crispy and both enjoyed it.
One friend has sashimi and I had three sushi rolls. I thoroughly enjoyed them bust most especially the crunch spice salmon roll. The evidently mix in some tempura flakes and it creates a crunchy texture. It was surprising and delightful.
Service was adequate, but not exceptional. Kind of I’m ready to go home after my shift.

We started here on our Ashville sushi bar tour which ended only one bar later at Heiwa Shokudo (see other review) becuase we got full. We ordered the daily special Crazy Dragon roll, the I Love Eel roll, and a spicy tuna roll. All three were good but definitely not amazing. The spicy tuna had just the right amount of kick but the other rolls we just ok. The service was friendly and prompt. There is plenty of seating and the area is very spacious. This place would be great for families, large groups of friends or co-​workeres, etablished couples etc… but does not have a good atmosphere for a first date or romantic night out. The facilies were clean but there was a big gash in the booth seat. It was bright and well decorated, and inviting. There is plenty of free parking out front.
Summary
Service 4 of 5
Food 3 of 5
Price 3 of 5
Atmosphere 3 of 5
Facilities 3 of 5

I am obsessed with trying all the sushi restaurants in the Western NC area. My verdict is that Zen Sushi is definitely good but not GREAT. I got a the dinner vegetarian bento box. It was very tasty but nothing stuck out in my mind. They have some really cool speciality rolls that I glanced at but haven’t had the chance to try yet. The service was very good and overall I enjoyed my experience at Zen Sushi. I will definitely return because I live so close.

Great location… simple menu… Good price… come here for you everyday sushi fix. There are a lot better places for romantic sushi getaways but this is your typical sushi dive! Great fresh fish for the price and not the atmosphere for a date night.

This is my goto sushi place in Asheville. Some people may argue that there may be better sushi out there but if you are looking for outside of downtown this is the spot and they’re prices are very reasonable! Plus they have great service and a creative roll menu.

Great sushi spot in north Asheville! We have eaten here many times and always a great meal. And, the Hop Ice Cream shop is right below them.

***disclaimer: we had take out sushi****
Place has good sushi if you eat it an hour later and it still makes you hum in approval. You know the hum Im talking about… the hum that encompasses all the anticipation that has been building up since you read what was in it and told your waitress, I want THIS roll. I nodded with satisfaction as I wondered how much better this roll would have been an hour ago.

I love Zen Sushi. I’ve never had bad service or bad food… and while it is not the fanciest place I’ve eaten sushi, I adore this place. The quality and cuts of fish are great for the price, the rotating special rolls are unique and consistently tasty. I always get the chirashi, and have never been sad about the quality of the fish I’ve received.
It is a laid back and friendly place. If you want blinking lights in your fish, or overly pompous servers and top dollar treatment, maybe this isn’t your place. But if you want good fish and a place to chat with friends, this is your place to be.

It seems as though Asheville is lacking top-​notch sushi. I was hoping I had found great sushi in the place, but I was less than impressed.
The service was not the best. We were sitting for maybe 5 minutes before our server arrived at our table. We placed our food order along with our drink order since we’d had time to check out the menu. We each got miso soup, edamame to share, and 2 sushi rolls. Our soup came out quickly and tasted good. It was about 15 minutes until we saw our appetizer though. It was a super small portion of edamame for the price (over $ 4). It also wasn’t bad, but that’s hard to screw up. Midway through our appetizer, my husband noticed two plates of sushi sitting on the bar. These plates continued to sit there for 10 minutes or so before the server brought them to our table. My husband is very particular about the temperature of sushi (as any true fan should be) and needless to say it wasn’t remotely cold by the time we got it.
We both got the same thing: the eel and avocado roll and the crunchy spicy tuna. The menu did not specify that the eel was cooked so we were both surprised to have a warm soft roll on our plates. The tuna was not crunchy since it had time to reach room temperature and become soggy. I can forgive the eel roll because it still tasted alright (the avocado was really nice), but the tuna was mediocre at best. It was almost like a puréed spicy tuna mixture surrounded by tempura crunchies (which were not crisp as I mentioned).
The food had decent flavor but it was not a very high standard of sushi. The struggle to find decent raw fish in this town is real. I suppose the hunt continues.

We love going here cuz its nearby our apartment. Ever since they opened they have been consistent, clean, and delicious. If you’re visiting Asheville this is one of the better sushi restaurants. Try The Love Boat the fish is very fresh. We go here at least once a month to enjoy the atmosphere and sushi.