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    Now and Zen

    3.4 (283 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

    Order Now and Zen Takeout or Delivery

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    NOW AND ZEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Appetizer Sashimi
    Jen ..

    Great service and lovely staff. The sashimi was fresh and interior decor is kept minimal. Only caveat was that ginger had to be asked for and the chopsticks are disposable. Prices are decent, definitely would highly recommend for dinner.

    Giant dragon? Roll. Vegetarian

    This place had excellent food and very generous portion sizes. I had the miso marinated black cod, which was excellent. My eating partner had vegetarian miso soup followed by a giant dragon roll, which was very good. They are good with food preferences gluten intolerance, and vegetarian options. The menu is very large lots of choices. The waiter was very helpful. Kitchen staff seemed friendly as we walked by. Tables were comfortable. This was an overall very positive experience with food left over at the end to take home.

    Crunch Roll
    Kayla P.

    I've been to now and zen several times now, and it has never disappointed. The sushi and apps have always been delicious. The portion sizes are large. You really get the best bang for your buck here. 10/10 would recommend !!!

    Spicy Salmon roll and Tuna Carpaccio Salad
    Julia W.

    I've only eaten in restaurant many years ago, but I have had take out multiple times recently and they have all been stellar. Love the jumbo sized sushi, my favorite is the Green Giant. I'm normally not much into cream cheese in my sushi, but the rolls here are where I make an exception. All excellent, fresh fish, and flavorful, delicious rolls. The sashimi salads are also excellent with lots of flying fish roe and sweet micro greens. My only comment was the Tuna Carpaccio salad that I got recently had a bit too much wasabi in the dressing, but aside from that it was excellent. Highly recommend for fresh, delicious sushi. Go all in with the jumbo sized rolls here, you won't regret it. I can't speak to the service since it has been a while since I've eaten in-restaurant, but I recall the interior having a lot of dark furniture.

    New Orleans Roll
    Beth K.

    Yummy!!! Our server John (I think that was his name) was great! We ordered the Agedashi tofu to start; it was excellent, very flavorful! Then we ordered two large rolls- the New Orleans and the Salmon Melt Roll. They were delicious. Nice service. It was busy!

    Salmon Melt Roll

    The sushi is delicious, but the udon is somewhat salty and the noodles are too soft. It also contains eggplants, which is a bit unusual. The crab cake is enjoyable for those who love creamy dishes. Unfortunately, the service made us uncomfortable. My friends used bowls while eating sushi, so when the udon was served last, they didn't have any clean bowls left. When they asked for two more clean bowls, the waiter told them they should use dishes for sushi and bowls for soup. It felt like he was teaching us how to eat and judging us. I don't understand why, as people should be able to eat in the way they feel most comfortable. Just like you don't have to use chopsticks in a Chinese restaurant. Besides, he gave us the bowls at the beginning, not when the udon was served. If they are reluctant to provide bowls because of a shortage, they should feel sorry because of not meeting customer needs and increase the number of bowls. Such service definitely does not deserve the 20% tip they demand.

    Fried rice.
    Elda G.

    I really wanted to like this spot! But as a tourist I did not do my due diligence in researching that your meals do not come out at the same time. It was pretty busy when we arrived but were sat quickly. We order a couple of rolls which were delicious. The rice bowl my hubby ordered sat because he thought our dumplings and my beef bowl would be right out, but it wasn't. 25 minutes of waiting and then we asked for our food and the waiter only mentioned that the dumplings were on their way, which meant they forgot my beef bowl. I was trying to break the tension and stress by taking my toddler to the bathroom for breaks. Did I mention this place is not kid friendly? Not this trendy restaurant's fault, though. My partner was over the place by the time our dumplings arrived followed by my bowl. We had to leave. I'm certain this place is super popular and awesome for people sans children or people who have not been restaurant manager previously. It was a bad night for them- I could see the staff was stressed and over it, too. We left and saw many people waiting to enter.

    Crab miso
    Katherine S.

    TL:DR: cute space, attentive workers, yummy food I've noticed a lot of people have complained about the service here, but from beginning to end, our service was awesome. Never had an empty glass, always checking to make sure our food is good, etc. But I guess every place has it's off days. Food: Aburi salmon: So good. It's like a tower of rice and salmon, that has some type of soy glaze on it, and then the fish is lightly singed with a blow torch. Fell apart a little bit, but still worth getting Shake roll: for all you salmon lovers out there. salmon inside, salmon on top. A lot of people mention how thick their cuts of fish are on their rolls, but I am not complaining lol Crab miso: very good! But it's definitely messy to eat if you want to get the most out of your crab. Sashimi dinner: Beautiful presentation (I love flowers), and a decent amount/cuts of fish. Will always make a stop here when in Charlottesville

    Green Giant (vegan)

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    1 year ago

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    8 months ago

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    6 months ago

    Food was really just bad and disappointing, the peanut sauce was definitely store bought, the hostess was rude, would not recommend.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Food was fantastic and the staff were great with recommendations. Great Sushi and just off the main strip in the downtown mall.

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    Page 1 of 8

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    Maru Korean Restaurant & Bar

    Maru Korean Restaurant & Bar

    4.1(202 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Dinner at Maru was marvelous :). Not a SINGLE thing we ordered tasted bad. I got the grapefruit…read moresoda, it was slightly tart but still sweet and yummy! For appetizers we got the Maru fries and their Korean Fried Chicken wings -- HIGHLY RECOMMEND! And a bonus is that their fries are gluten free yet still taste amazingly soft and savory. I ordered the Bibimbap with beef and my boyfriend had their beef bulgogi plate. 10/10, no notes :) Our tummies were full & happy at the end of the night. We came around 7:30 and they close at 8:30 during the week, so they delivered our food super fast, hardly had to wait. The restaurant is super cute inside, we got sat at a cozy booth near the door and it was lovely. The only reason I subtracted one star is because our server was kind, just not attentive at all. He took our order and then disappeared. I understand it was close to closing and he was probably ready to go, but he didn't even ask if everything came out okay or if we needed anything. Not a huge deal though -- our overall experience was great and I would 100% go back again and I think everyone visiting Charlottesville should try this spot. They also do have takeout if you wanna grab a yummy bite but don't want to dine ;)

    My friend went here roughly six years ago and couldn't stop thinking about it so we took a roadtrip…read moreto come back to this place--and she was not disappointed a second time around. She got a ramen-like dish that looked incredible. I'd want to try it myself if I wasn't vegan! It was called Korean army stew. If they could make a vegan version of that I'd be in heaven. Those noodles looked amazing! I got the spicy soondubu jjigae. It was one of the vegan options on the menu (they also had vegetable dumplings). I was pleased their menu clearly indicated what was vegan, what was gluten-free and what was spicy. That was super helpful! Staff were also knowledgeable, kind and helpful. The space is located in the heart of downtown, lots of other shops, bars, etc. to explore before or after. Great for a date night or walk about with friends. We got ice cream after and it was a nice little evening strolling around.

    Photos
    Maru Korean Restaurant & Bar - Decor

    Decor

    Maru Korean Restaurant & Bar
    Maru Korean Restaurant & Bar - Lemon soju

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    Bad Luck Ramen Bar - Mr. Spicy Ramen

    Bad Luck Ramen Bar

    4.0(50 reviews)
    0.4 mi

    I was quite excited to try this place as the ambiance was quite warm. The place feels so welcoming…read morewhen you walk in. I came here for lunch, so no real wait time. I ordered the Bok Choy appetizer and the Momo Chicken Ramen. I was only given the Ramen, the waitress apparently forgot to put that part of the order in. The Momo Chicken Ramen was pretty unsavory. The chicken thighs inside were very bland, the soft boiled egg had more flavor than the entire bowl, and the wheat noodles they used did not balance well with any of the flavors. Subsequently, I could not continue to eat the bowl of ramen. (I did not have breakfast that morning or dinner the night before, so it wasn't a lack of appetite..) The waitress gave me a discount due to my dissatisfaction but I don't think I will be dining here in the near future. I guess there name holds true. *deep sigh*

    Staying in the area and found this spot on Yelp..another gem of a find!…read more We ordered take out to bring to the hotel, and it was great! I loved that the noodles were separate from the broth until we were ready to eat. We both got the momo chicken, and the broth was deep and flavorful, chicken cooked perfect, but my favorite was the mushrooms. Roasted, almost charred, they were delicious. We also got two cans of sake (the clear one) and it complimented the ramen nicely. The server at pickup was super friendly and made sure we had everything we need. If I'm ever back in the area, I would certainly come here.

    Photos
    Bad Luck Ramen Bar - Merchandise section.

    Merchandise section.

    Bad Luck Ramen Bar - Sushi

    Sushi

    Bad Luck Ramen Bar - To Go Ramen Noodle Side

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    To Go Ramen Noodle Side

    Black Cow Chophouse - Cowboy Ribeye

    Black Cow Chophouse

    4.5(136 reviews)
    0.3 mi

    Well, I wish I had pictures for the awesome and delicious meal I had but it was too good to take…read morepictures of. The food was amazing. In case you have never been they offer steaks that are cooked in a brick fire oven. AMAZING I ordered the VA sirloin which was cooked to perfection (medium rare) with creamed spinach and potatoes. The creamed spinach and the potatoes were very delicious and flavorful. I also ordered the fried oysters which were great. Not overly fried and still maintained the texture and flavor of a typical oyster. The service was impeccable. Our waitress was very entertaining and helpful. She was very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. She ensured that wanted for nothing. The ambiance was great. I loved the cow theme as well as the signage that stated "no well done steaks". It was a great touch. Overall, I had a great experience. If I am in Charlottesville again I will definitely visit.

    One of the best happy hours in Charlottesville: get the steak frites! However, it is busy so you…read morewill either need a reservation, or to arrive well before they open to snag a seat at the bar (no reservations at the bar). The burger is also a delicious and cost effective option, but I'm also partial to the salmon. Add on some delicious sides (like the Brussels) and a drink (the cosmo is my cocktail of choice), and you have a fantastic date night or girls night spot. It's a pretty good sized restaurant with a great patio. Staff is always friendly and efficient.

    Photos
    Black Cow Chophouse
    Black Cow Chophouse - Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette

    Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette

    Black Cow Chophouse - Vanilla Bourbon Creme Brûlée

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    Mashumen - The Spicy Mala Tantanmen with extra soft boiled egg

    Mashumen

    4.1(152 reviews)
    1.9 mi

    I was traveling south on I64 and searched for a Ramen place near an exit and with good reviews…read more This was absolutely the best Ramen I have ever had. The portion was huge and had enough left for 2 more meals when I got home. They had lots of options for extra toppings too. More than I've seen at other ramen restaurants. The hostess was very nice. The restaurant was nice and clean. When I go that way again, I will be stopping there for more Ramen. I had Tonkatsu ramen with several added vegetables. I had eaten at 2 different Ramen restaurants the prior week and they were good but did not compare to Mashumen.

    We stopped in late evening, on our way to the Amherst area…read more Both my husband and I thought ramen would hit the spot. I'm a vegetarian and the language barrier was definitely a slight issue, since I didn't know how to express my likes and dislikes. It wound up being a bit of an issue for my husband too, since spicy foods aggravate his respiratory system. It was a circus show. Luckily we ordered fried tofu and that was absolutely amazingly delicious! They gave me some wasabi and I was in heaven. (I like heat...) The ramen broth was not very flavorful, but the noodles and veggies were nicely cooked. Servers were kind, even with the huge birthday party in the side room. Parking was a little sketchy. No lighting along the side of the building. Restaurant was clean, as were the loos. I think I'd try them again, if only for the tofu. Did I tell you how amazing the fried tofu was?!?!

    Photos
    Mashumen - Spacious seating

    Spacious seating

    Mashumen - Shogun roll

    Shogun roll

    Mashumen - Mashumen roll

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    Mashumen roll

    Now and Zen - japanese - Updated May 2026

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