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Zen Box Izakaya

4.1 (754 reviews)

Zen Box Izakaya Photos

Business Info

ZEN BOX IZAKAYA ATMOSPHERE

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

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Recommended Reviews - Zen Box Izakaya

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Reviews With Photos

Tonkatsu
Jon H.

Stopped by Zen Box for their happy hour yesterday. Ended up arriving around 5:45PM, seated shortly after, and server arrived at table at 5:55PM. I asked about the happy hour specials as we weren't given a HH menu and the server shared it ended at 6PM. After reading other Yelp reviews, it appears other customers have had concerns regarding the transparency around the Happy Hour. I ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen and it was good and especially loved the egg. The other people in the party felt the server was dismissive of their questions about substitutions due to a medical condition- willing to give the restaurant another try and do a follow-up review if the experience is drastically different.

Food menu
Tatiana A.

Soooo sad this wonderful place is closing. They had a great run though! We said goodbye with a final meal here this week, and it did not disappoint. We once again marveled at the decor that made us feel like we were on vacation and no longer in Minneapolis (which, by the way is almost all for sale). I first got addicted to her vegetarian gyoza many years ago when I worked downtown and they were located in the skyway. I would get the vegetarian gyoza twice a week or more, it came with that fabulous sticky rice and the kamikaze sauce, such a great, comforting meal. Even after I stopped working downtown, I would stop in just to get the gyozas. We got to have it again this week, and it was even better than I remembered (they deep fry them at the restaurant!). We also had the tofu teriyaki bowl and a plate of brussels sprouts and a plate of Shishito peppers. Amazing as always. We scarfed it down so fast, I barely got any photos! Best of all, the owner remembered me from way back in those skyway days. She even hugged me goodbye! I told her I hope she bottles that kamikaze gyoza dipping sauce so we can continue to enjoy her magic! You can follow them on Insta to keep up with their next ventures.

Seaweed Salad
Raj D.

A Near Perfect Place? Surprisingly, they did everything right. Server was awesome and paid attention to our needs. Was willing to work with our dietary issues. The dinner tonight was with my lady friend who is Vegetarian... You know the one. We ordered a host of items and every one was either was solid. Gyoza (veggie) to the main courses... Solid.

Katherine G.

Zen Box is our go-to place when we crave umami. Amazing service, friendly atmosphere and great food and drinks. This time we got a Ramen and pan fried noodles, we also tried a truly fantastic Japanese beer brewed with sea salt and bonito flakes. Great culinary experience, long live Zen Box!

Happy hour
Karisa L.

Small restaurant but a good spot for dinner with friends. Make a reservation to make sure you can get in. They have happy hour on Saturday from 5-6 pm. Food was good! We had chicken dumplings, pork noodles and ramen all good flavor. I wouldn't say the ramen flavor was anything special but a solid broth. This is worth a dinner stop.

Chicken gyoza
Marlys J.

Zen Box had tons of people on a Tuesday night. I was able to sit at the bar. It was a fun, loud, modern vibe inside the restaurant. The servers and bartender were really friendly, great service. The food was good overall. The gyoza is deep fried which resulted in a hot and crunchy appetizer. The dipping sauce was delicious as well. The ramen tasted good overall, but I've had better ramen so I rated overall 4/5 stars. The broth was extremely salty, the pork was tender and cooked perfect, the eggs were the best part! Delicious food and good drinks! I'd recommend stopping by Zen Box if you're in town.

Tori Tantanmen
Melissa C.

My husband and I have been here a handful of times and every time is always a great experience. The place is small but cozy and the staff is always super friendly and welcoming. We love the ramen but our favorite is the Blistered Shishsito Peppers They are a must try!

Vi G.

First time here. Was greeted and sat immediately. Staff are friendly. Food came out quick! I got the tonkatsu ramen and the broth was very mid but the noodles and pork were good! Unfortunately, I asked about happy hour after I got the tab after overhearing and did come in during it. Apparently, there was a happy hour menu and I didn't receive it. But, they apologized and tried to ask if I still wanted the food item I was conflicted about while I was ordering earlier that happens to be on the happy hour menu after I had already dined and paid haha.

restaurant
Imran S.

before going to Minneapolis we had read a lot of positive reviews about this place so decided to check it out. we originally tried to go for lunch on Saturday but they only had a special menu so we ended up going for dinner to try their entire menu. overall good food but horrible service. we got the brussels sprouts to start and then we got the veggie ramen with tofu and the bento box with beef ribs. the brussels sprouts were good, flavor was more at the bottom but a large portion and decent flavor. the ramen was also a good size portion and also had good flavor but needed to be mixed to have the flavors combine well. the bento box was also good in size and had edamame, salad, rice, as well as the main - the beef ribs were good but we've had better elsewhere. we also got a side of kimchi but it was average, also had better elsewhere overall decent flavored food and good portion size but horrible service

Interior
Adina S.

I really wanted to like this place more than I actually did. I came on a Tuesday night and the restaurant was fairly busy, both inside and outside. The ambiance was pretty cool, with lots of fun decorations all over the place and overall good vibes. I'm a big ramen fan and I was excited to try the Tonkatsu Ramen. Unfortunately, I was a bit underwhelmed. When it came out, the soup wasn't actually very hot. I even contemplated asking the waitress if the ramen could be microwaved, no joke. The broth didn't have the rich umami taste I was hoping for and it was very salty. The actual toppings in the ramen were tasty, though, and I enjoyed the chewy consistency of the noodles. Given the place was so busy, I'm hoping most of their other menu items are a bit better!

Luke G.

This has been on my list for a long time. Honestly, it felt a little overrated. The fried dumplings were the best thing we ate. The fried chicken bites weren't cooked the best (but the sauce was very good). The ramen was OK, but expensive for what you get.

Tonkotsu Ramen
Hannah W.

Always love coming here for their Kimchi ramen! This time we tried the Aburi Salmon, Chicken Karaage, and Takoyaki for the first time. The Aburi Salmon was super refreshing with a little bit of smokiness from being torched. My partner, who loves trying every restaurant's chicken karaage, really like the one here. It has just the right amount of crunch and comes with a delicious dipping sauce that I learned you can actually buy a pint of lol. My sister ended up getting the Takoyaki and she loved it. They came out piping hot so be careful on first bite! We also tried the Lychee Soda and Matcha Lemonade and those were also delicious and refreshing and not too sweet! Definitely recommend making a reservation if possible ahead of time. The space is kind of limited so you'll have a better chance at getting a seat especially on busier nights. As for parking, you'll have to do street parking but it's not too expensive. We parked behind the building and only paid $1.25 for one hour. They also use Toast Tab here which is super nice since each person can open their own tab and you can keep ordering until you're ready to close the tab. It was nice for today since half of our party was a few minutes late so we were able to time to apps and drinks so they'd come out as soon as the rest of our party got to the restaurant. Then once everyone was present we could all order our entrées together at the same time and then afterwards everyone is able to pay for their own items individually.

Chicken, miso and Japanese potato salad

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Zen Box Izakaya Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Zen Box Izakaya

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Kyatchi - Kinoko Curry

Kyatchi

4.1(320 reviews)
3.2 miSouthwest
$$

This place is absolutely fantastic! I've actually been coming here for a few years with my friends…read morefor happy hour. Recently, I started coming for the food dinner and realized I was missing a lot. Their menu is very thoughtful in each dish has a nice variety of textures and flavors. I will say that their Ramen is one of the best in town. I think really what sets it apart is the broth being super in depth and they grill the pork belly which makes it really smoky and tender. This time I branched out and got the grilled squid as well and it was exceptional. The soy ginger glaze on it was incredible. The only few downsides I think I've noticed is service can be a little bit hit or miss which is surprising how small the places. Even when sitting at the bar, it took a little bit to get their attention. Also, I've tried a few of the cocktails and for the main part they just taste like alcohol with a soda. They sound extremely creative on the menu, but the balance isn't there. Either way I've typically gotten sake as they have a nice little selection. Overall, I love the whole vibe of this place. I always enjoy being able to see people make sushi. It's very open yet. Doesn't get overwhelmingly loud. Definitely my top three Japanese spots in Minneapolis.

I am SO torn on this review. Here's the breakdown:…read more Menu: Their menu options are so awesome. Authentic Japanese food, tons of options, and lots of fun stuff. Drinks: The Last Samurai cocktail & the Imposter Among Us mocktail were both delightful. Love the unique drink options, and the two we had were executed beautifully. Sushi: Unfortunately, the sushi was a bit disappointing. We had the hotate yuzu, Suzuki oshizushi, tamago nigiri, and the futomaki. The rice was unfortunately undercooked, and also too lightly seasoned. The tamago was alright, the futomaki was very good though. Dessert: The yuzu custard - one of my favorite desserts I've eaten in a long time. Definitely the best thing we had and I would absolutely get it again. Service: Our service was pretty good. I did watch one of the other servers grab soup spoons by the part you eat from and then bring them to a table which was concerning. Note: For anyone with dietary specifications: they offered gluten free soy sauce, and the custard was a vegan dessert and it was delightful.

Photos
Kyatchi
Kyatchi - Interior of vegetarian kara-age ($8.75), vegan w/o mayo. Excellent texture and taste.

Interior of vegetarian kara-age ($8.75), vegan w/o mayo. Excellent texture and taste.

Kyatchi - Interior of veg caterpillar ($18.50), vegan by default. Tasty but expensive & not amazing.

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Interior of veg caterpillar ($18.50), vegan by default. Tasty but expensive & not amazing.

Zen Box Izakaya - ramen - Updated May 2026

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