My hometown, Glenview, has been undergoing a lot of change that's elevating the town's restaurant and bar scene, especially in the downtown stretch. It was always cozy, but I certainly think this is a welcomed change.
One of the newest additions to downtown is Zenzi Den, a Japanese izakaya and sushi restaurant by Ballyhoo Hospitality. Ballyhoo is the team behind well loved restaurants like Gemini in Lincoln Park, Denucci's, Sophia Steak, and one of Glenview's other new restaurants, Jackman and Co. If you're not new to my blog, you know that Japanese food is my favorite cuisine. So, when I heard that Zenzi Den was opening, I knew I had to give it a try. Overall, the food at Zenzi Den was very good and I'd certainly go back to try more.
Unfortunately, I was slightly disappointed with parts of the service. Our waitress was very nice, but at times we felt incredibly rushed. We had ordered a rice entree to share and asked about it on three separate occasions. It didn't come out until we had already finished all of our other food and were ready for the check. Service makes a meal, and overall ours was good, but I hope that for a slow-paced town like Glenview, this doesn't become a place that feels rushed. The ambiance inside of Zenzi Den is fantastic. It's very dark and moody, and the restaurant was designed very well. There is a lot of seating, and also a front patio while the weather is nice. Here is everything we ordered, what we loved, and what we wouldn't order again:
Zenzi Den
Spicy Sesame Soba Noodles: The Spicy Sesame Soba Noodles were a great way to kick off our meal, especially on a hot day. The portion looks small, but it was sneaky big. The soba noodles are creamy, but light, and mixed with seaweed. I would order this again.
Spicy Pork + Shrimp Ghost Dumplings: This was my favorite appetizer out of the two that we ordered. Contrary to what I initially thought, these dumplings don't have ghost peppers in them. They certainly have a kick, but are incredibly flavorful. We learned from our waitress that they are called shrimp ghost dumplings because of their ghost shape. I would definitely order this again.
Makimono - Hamachi Jalapeño and Spicy Tuna: I loved both rolls equally and they were great portions. The Hamachi Jalapeño roll had crispy white pieces on top (still not sure what they were) but loved the texture differences of that roll. I'm very excited to try some of their other rolls.
Wagyu Beef + Onion Sizzling Rice: The Sizzling Rice flavor was very on point, and it was a great portion. I loved the wagyu beef pieces mixed in, but I was expecting the rice to be much more crispy. It had more of a mushy consistency to it that I wasn't a big fan of. I would probably skip this dish and try a different dish off the menu.
