Zen Box Izakaya

8 here w/ my daughter & son-in-law. Zen Box definitely lives up to their motto "Japanese Comfort Food." The appetizers & happy hour menu plates were luscious. The Japanese version of "ribs" was mouthwatering, should've stopped ½ through, but I ate them all. There was about a 10-min standing wait before we were seated. It was VERY crowded. It was loud. It was fun❗It was moderately priced (aka - not cheap). It was not a place to go and have an intimate conversation. But if you're looking for great food, good drinks, and a lot of fun fellowshipping with family, this is the place!
5 7 years ago (14-02-2018)

My husband and myself Wet here on our honeymoon and I have to say that this place was absolutely spectacular! The sashimi(raw fish) was fantastic, even when they were relatively full we had fast service. 5 stars!
5 7 years ago (04-03-2018)

I made the reservation skeptically. Skeptic because, and not try to sound like 'uppity a$$', I've traveled to Japan twice (I know, only twice). Once as a child and as an adult. I love Japanese staple food, they tried to make everything perfect, even though it's a simple fried food such chicken karage. I've falling in love with Japanese food ever since. So, back to Zen Box. I told my SO, I will just going to order basic Japanese meals, to see if they really good. Because if you ruin basics, the other complicated food will def not good. So, I order takoyaki, chicken and ika karage, and chicken yakisoba. It was good. It's simple and yet delicious as I remember. The yakisoba sauce blend perfectly with the noodles. The chicken and ika karage was moist in the inside and crispy on the outside. The takoyaki.... meh... I've got better version than that before. Overall, I like it. If i live here in MN, I definitely will be back. But unfortunately, we will fly back home.
4 7 years ago (24-05-2018)

The tonkatsu ramen is delicious. Good broth, pork belly was a little fattier than I like it, but it's pork belly so oh well. The takoyaki were fried to perfection and the seaweed salad was fresh. The waiter was responsive and friendly. Good value, too. If I'm ever back in MSP, I'd return to Zen Box Izakaya
5 7 years ago (28-04-2018)

I used to think this place was alright, but I now think it fits its niche very well: Japanese comfort food. Everything is shareable, tasty, and cute. A little on the pricy side, but a great place to come with friends and enjoy hearty Japanese classics.
5 7 years ago (23-02-2018)