Zen Kitchen - Adelaide

Atmosphere: **/5
Food: ***/5
Drink: */5
Service: */5

Located within the Mansions Food court, Zen Kitchen offers a little luxury within the bustling cheap Asian eateries, with its own four walls and even a little 'outdoor/indoor' sunny spot.  Often packed though Monday until Friday. Lunchtime at Zen Kitchen is popular, as University students and workers pour in for there lunch breaks.

The service here is based upon food court etiquette with a little bit extra and I wouldn't expect any more for the price of the food.  Ordering is done at the counter, and there is often a line up, but the food is brought out to you.   Due to the popularity of Zen Kitchen sometimes finding a table is quite hard.  However, the food comes out quickly regardless of how many people have ordered before you, my favorite here is the Beef Pho, Number Three (on the left).

The food here has always been consistently good, no matter how quickly it comes out or how many people order here.  The Vietnamese Rolls here are a popular takeaway item and the cold rolls here are so fresh and light.  The last time my friend and I were here we also tried the Tom-Yum which I was told could use a bit more seafood but for the price was consistent and ordering it without noodles the chefs added extra vegetables. 

This place is a regular haunt for my meat eating girlfriends and I to catch up on the weeks events and gossip in our lunch breaks.  I have yet been able to convince my vegetarian friends to come here as the majority of the meals (especially the favourites) are meat based meals.

I suggest you give this place a try, its not somewhere I would take for a formal luncheon, there is no views and the atmosphere is still very much that of the food court, but they are slowly doing the place up with new funky pictures on the wall and vintage quirky Vietnamese hangings. Its the first Vietnamese restaurant that I tried pho in and I am hooked, I am even putting more and more chilli sauce in! If you have not tried pho before or like your beef cooked rather than raw, give this place a go!