| Zen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 2000 |
| Owner(s) | Seiichi Kashiwabara |
| Head chef | Seiichi Kashiwabara |
| Food type | Japanese |
| Rating | Recommended (Michelin Guide) |
| Street address | 7634 Woodbine Avenue |
| City | Markham, Ontario |
| Country | Canada |
| Website | zenjapaneserestaurant |
Zen is a Michelin recommended Japanese restaurant in the Milliken Mills neighbourhood of Markham, Ontario, located north of Toronto. It offers an omakase menu. [1]
The restaurant is owned and operated by chef Seiichi Kashiwabara, who immigrated to Canada from Japan in 1984. [2] Kashiwabara first lived in Ottawa, working as a sushi chef there before moving to the Toronto area. [2]
Zen, a Japanese restaurant situated in a Markham strip mall, was first established in 2000. [3] [4] Kashiwabara initially joined Zen as head chef upon relocating to Toronto. He later acquired the restaurant and moved it from its original Scarborough location to its current address in Markham. [5] [2] [6]
The business only uses fresh fish for their sushi, [2] much of it delivered from Japan several times weekly. [4] Many of the employees of the restaurant are Japanese nationals, who have come to work at Zen via work permit to train under Kashiwabara. [2] [6] Notable sushi chefs in the Toronto-area have worked at Zen and trained under Kashiwabara, including Michelin–starred Shoushin chef-owner Jackie Lin [5] [7] and Takeshi Sato, the head chef of Michelin-starred Kappo Sato. [8]
The business received a 'Recommended' designation in the 2024 edition of the Toronto and Region Michelin Guide. [2] [3] Michelin highlighted the restaurant's price point for its omakase chef's counter experience, and also praised the restaurant for having "some of the best nori in town." [3] Per the guide, a 'Recommended' selection "is the sign of a chef using quality ingredients that are well cooked; simply a good meal" and that the anonymous inspectors had found "the food to be above average, but not quite at [Michelin star] level." [9] As of the 2024 edition, Zen is the only restaurant in Markham to be included in the Toronto guide. [10] Michelin–starred Markham restaurant Frilu was also in the guide before its closure in summer 2024. [10]
Toronto-area digital publication BlogTO lauded Zen as "long holding the reputation as one of the best sushi joints in town." [11]
Zen was included in magazine Toronto Life's list of the best Japanese restaurants in Greater Toronto, with the publication highlighting the business's "meticulously cut" sashimi plates. [12]
In 2022, Markham made United States food publication Eater's list of best food cities to travel to, with Zen receiving a callout as the "go-to destination for hardcore omakase aficionados." [1]
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