So here I am, walking down Elm Street arm in arm with a very attractive date to regale her with a romantic dinner.
We’re having sushi — she loves sushi — and right now, in downtown Greensboro proper, there is only one place to get what we need: Rocco Scarfone’s newest venture, Zen Sushi & Sake Bar. And I’m feeling a bit trepidatios about it. There is no easy way to say this. Everything I’ve heard about Zen Sushi basically amounts to the same thing: It sucks.
I mean… Italian sushi? But here’s a life lesson for all of you haters out there: It is unwise to believe in the wisdom of crowds. Opinion should be based on personal experience and not what some joker at the bar or in the checkout line says. So yes, Italian sushi.
I had initially made a reservation to sit at one of the restaurant’s two sidewalk tables, but when we come up on the hostess desk, we see that these tables are not what we had in mind. They’re positioned on the sidewalk in such a way that the diners feel a part of the nighttime street scene which, on another night, might be just the thing. Also in the alcove of the space are two communal tables which might also be fun on a different night.
But tonight we need romance, and the hostess is able to accommodate our lastminute request with a cozy banquette across from the bar. Our first impression of the interior is positive. More accurately, we think it is beautiful, an example of modern minimalism with dark woods and clean lines, illuminated by soft candlelight.
We are impressed by the menu as well, offering all of the things you would expect from a sushi restaurant — nigiri, gunkan and sashimi; traditional sushi rolls in classic and avant garde combinations; hand-rolled temaki; soy wraps without rice or seaweed; and several vegetarian selections. There are udon noodle soups and dumplings and seafood bowls. At lunch they serve bento boxes. For dinner there are hibachi items like steaks and seafood.
But we like the raw stuff, and after we finish our soups and salads, we get down to business. But first a word about the initial courses.
The miso at Zen comes thick and musky as opposed to the thin clouds I’ve had at other sushi joints. I appreciate that it is different, and I enjoy the flavors of fish sauce and seaweed. My date orders seaweed soup, a clear broth redolent of the sea with a fantastic sesame finish. The salads come with the usual ginger dressing, but at Zen it is spooned atop actual mixed greens instead of iceberg lettuce. I have a problem with iceberg lettuce unless it is served in a wedge with bleu cheese dressing at a steakhouse.
We are also interested in sake, and Zen has a full list of about 20 of them. Normally we like it hot, but the bartender talks us into trying unfiltered sake, which is served cold. It is something neither of us has ever tried before, and we relish its milky appearance, its heavy viscosity and light flavor. Also important to note: This was not an upsell.
The bottle he recommended cost $8, and lasted the entire meal. We tasted crunchy spicy tuna roll — always a favorite, and this version was a fine one — and I convinced my date to taste the unagi roll, made with broiled freshwater eel in a smoky hoisin sauce. It give me the opportunity to explain umami, the elusive fifth taste that is both savory and smooth.
We also dive into a plate of sashimi laden with tuna, salmon, yellowtail and red snapper. As we’re gracing the fish with soy sauce and wasabi, our bartender comes over and starts talking toro. Toro, friends, is the Cadillac of sushi, the fatty cut from the belly of the bluefin. The bartender likens it to filet mignon, and he mentions that they just so happen to have some of it on hand. And of course we must try some. The slabs are paler in color than the more robust akami, marbled and tender. Matched with soy and wasabi and a few slivers of green onion, it is a sublime pleasure to eat. So here’s the news, people: Zen Sushi does not suck. In fact, we thought it was pretty good. It’s a tad more expensive than we are used to paying for sushi, but then, it is the only sushi joint on Elm Street, and downtown prices are what they are.
Zen Sushi & Sake Bar; 214 S. Elm St., Greensboro; 336.272.3995; www.zengreensboro.com
Sushi Chef Yun Fuentes (right) worked in New York City and on a Caribbean beach before settling at Zen, Rocco Scarfone’s newest downtown venture. LEFT: A portion of toro, from the underbelly of the bluefin, the sashimi equivalent of filet mignon. (photos by Jill Clarey)
