Zenku – Japanese restaurant and lounge

UPDATE: Zenku is now closed.

Yes, we know, there are tons of Japanese restaurants here in Hong Kong. We have heard people complain here about the overabundance of the cuisine and we have even said it ourselves but sometimes a new gem comes along and changes your perspective on everything. You see, there is no denying that there are loads of Japanese restaurants in the city but each one seems to be doing things a bit differently and after one visit to Zenku I must say I am seriously digging their take on Japanese cuisine.

Last week a friend and I were invited to check out Zenku, the new restaurant opened by Christian and Judith Yang  who are also the owners of Bang Bang Pan Pan in Causeway Bay. Zenku occupies 4,300 square feet in the Nexxus Building which is located on Des Voeux Road in Central and the concept behind the restaurant is to give diners a playful take on modern Japanese cuisine. The chefs have taken the effort to make sure that everything they serve has its own unique twist. Take for instance, their “guilt free” foie gras which is cooked in cognac, frozen and grated over cold soba noodles. Um, sounds pretty amazing right?!

For lunch, Zenku offers a set lunch which ranges from $180 to $298 HKD and it includes a soup (chef’s soup which changes daily), appetizer and your main course. As Zenku is already well known for their delicious desserts (Sake Gelee, Lychee Snow, Yakult Sorbet) it may be worth splurging and adding on something sweet at the end for an extra $60HKD. The food, in my own humble opinion, was simply delicious. I ordered the Confit Duck Meat and Foie Gras Gyoza to start and for my main I had the Negitoro Set Rice.  I honestly don’t know which one I enjoyed more and I think a second taste test of the same meal may be needed to determine if the appetizer or the main slightly edged out the other! Zenku of course has a full dinner menu as well with entrees ranging from $200 to $380 so it is safe to say a dinner without drinks would set you back about $400-$500 or so.

Now, a write up about Zenku would not be complete without telling you about the end of the meal. We were served the most creative and mouth popping treat at the end that totally brought back childhood memories for me. Complimentary to every dining experience Zenku offers a plate full of chocolates but the star of the show is their chocolate covered in red pop rocks. It is simply out of this world. Look out for a tapas style dessert menu coming from them soon…should be pretty good if it is like the rest of their food/presentation!

Finally to their decor… the look of restaurant is very modern and sleek with luxurious comfort mixed in. Think wooden tables with uber comfy velvet chairs. I am loving their lounge area and I think it is the perfect spot for a few after work drinks with the girls. Add on to the fact that it is in the same building as Emmanuel f and I think a combination of girly drinks, desserts and some pampering is definitely in order!

Zenku
2/F, Nexxus Building, 77 Des Vouex Road, Central
2899 2216