The cuisine here is modern, grounded in Nordic sensibilities

If it wasn’t apparent from the start, it becomes quickly evident that the cuisine here is modern, grounded in Nordic sensibilities but also benefiting from Japanese influences. The bit that clearly affirms how Restaurant Zén prefers to treat its guests is the brief yet eloquent presentation that follows a quick tour of the kitchen, where a staff member takes guests through a selection of the season’s best produce to be featured in the evening’s feast.

Dinner is served on the second floor, starting with a teasing ensemble of caviar, red deer and shiso, lifted by a little argan oil. While clearly informed by Frantzen’s French culinary experience, a lighter hand with the use of overly fatty flavours was noticeable throughout the meal. Still, dishes were as savoury as they needed to be, and there wasn’t anything desperately showy or out of the ordinary about their design—save for a uniquely clever use of one or two unexpected ingredients.

This approach allows the professional yet warm service to shine. Such competence may be a rarity in an industry notoriously starved of the required talent and aptitude, but the fact that a necessary pecking order among members of the service and kitchen teams remains hidden from guests provides a near-seamless and enlightening experience—waitstaff alternated with sous chefs and the head honcho, Tristin Farmer, to finish the dishes at the table, talking us through the highlights of each course in the process. In fact, small talk between the staff and guests is encouraged.

Service is a multifaceted aspect of dining in a restaurant that ranges from the rudimentary to the downright imposing. Suffice it to say, such oversight is not tolerated here.

MINDFUL MEALS At Zén, beer poached crustacean, smetana and wild trout roe is one of the many delights that showcases the kitchen’s approach to refinement and clarity of flavour