Frequently asked questions

Michelle considers her menu ‘contemporary American cuisine,’ which has become more mainstream now.  While sushi is inherently Japanese and its techniques are unique to Japanese culture, she respectfully incorporates elements of Asian and Latin American cuisine to her traditional sushi training.  Sushi, in Japan, is largely very traditional, even today. The menu is not as diverse as what we find in America.  Perfection in sushi is achieved through mastery of technique and less through additions of foreign ingredients.

The Zen Sushi menu is reflective of her biography and environs and follows some basic tenets of Nouvelle cuisine philosophy:  an emphasis on freshness, innovative combinations, preservation of natural flavors and a rejection of excessive complication in flavors.

Her formula for creation incorporates Japanese technique, balanced with additions of cultures which Michelle grew up with.  Our menu is not aimed at purists.  Innovations such as the Xalapa Roll, Fox Ears, Zen Bruschetta, and Jalapeno Roll cannot be found anywhere else.  They are exclusive to Zen and Michelle.

We are a casual restaurant in a casual neighborhood. Our customers feel comfortable in business attire, casual wear, or date-night attire. Our prix-fixe dinners and weekends tend to be dressier. Notwithstanding health codes, we want you to be comfortable. Wear shirts and shoes, please.

There is 4-hour free parking directly in front of the restaurant.  There are limited spaces in the lot on Madison and 7^th street and the lot on Melba and Bishop.

There is valet parking service available at the corner of Bishop at 7^th  Street. The cost for valet is $7.

You are also able to park in the surrounding neighborhood and there are a few lots on Bishop.  The Bishop Arts District has grown exponentially and the property developers are working on long-term parking solutions.  We love the neighborhood and we welcome all visitors, transplants, and locally-grown patrons.

If you don’t want to come in and live within a 5-mile radius, call us or order online.  We will deliver to you.

We have an entire vegan/vegetarian menu.  Please allow extra time when ordering from this menu, so that we are able to make your food correctly.

There are plenty of keto and gluten-free options.

For example, rice is gluten free, but soy sauce is not. Most sushi is gluten-free by nature. Keto dieters often eat sashimi.   We can also grill most proteins to order.  Please be sure to speak to the person who takes your order or ask the chef.

If you have any questions, please email us in advance of reservation and our team will have time to research and to have an informed dialogue with you to ensure you enjoy your visit.

One caveat: our restaurant is not set up to accommodate life-threatening or severe food allergies. To ensure the integrity of the chef’s vision and creations, we may not be able to accommodate all requests, but we can try when possible.

Our menu provides many cooked options that include, but isn’t limited to house-made dumplings, grilled steak, shrimp tempura, pan-seared duck, sea bass, fried rice, and an entire vegan and vegetarian menu.

(People get sick from eating contaminated food, whether it is raw or cooked.  We are professionals.  We do our best to ensure you are paying for a good experience:  delicious, creative, fresh, made-to-order food reflective of quality ingredients and technical execution in a clean, modern ambiance with friendly service.)

We have a dedicated Quora Account that answers plenty of questions, including this one.

For small parties, no, you don’t have to. Depending on the day/time, we do have a brief wait, but certainly, it’s easier for us to accommodate your requests.  (Mondays, Fridays – Sunday are generally busier)

For parties larger than 4, please call ahead to ensure that we will have a table ready for you.

All omakase dinners require a reservation.

*Omakase is a pre-fixed 10-course dinner.

Omakase translates to ‘chef’s choice’ in Japanese.  The patron entrusts the chef with selecting the best food for the customer. It is a different approach to how we generally feel about the dining experience today.  Here the chef is the expert, and she decides what to serve based on the availability and quality of the ingredient along with how she will maximize the flavors through her own knowledge, creativity, and technical skills.

At Zen Sushi, a 10-course omakase dinner requires at least 72-hours notice and a minimum of 4 people at $125 per person.  Wine and sake pairings are not included.

Michelle will have a dialogue with you to clarify preferences and allergies.  She conceptualizes and executes your 10-course dinner.  We have a lot of repeat customers for Omakase.  She ensures your dining experience is unforgettable.

Yes.  Call or email us with a minimum of one week’s notice.  Let us know your budget, number of people, and Michelle will develop a menu. We can also deliver and set-up depending on the size of the order.

We have catered numerous dinners and events off-site.

Yes!  Michelle has access to everything in the ocean:  uni, live scallop, ankimo, giant clam, geoduck, razor clams, even fugu. We carry specialty seafood from time-to-time, but if you have a craving, just ask.  We are happy to special order specialty items for you and do an off-menu specialty for our other customers that weekend.  (As she is half-Cajun, she has prepared an all Cajun-omakase several times.)