Always the best! Tommy the owner is the nicest guy. People in the Cleveland Federal building walk there routinely for his food.

Visited Zen Cuisine for the first time in several years. I'm happy that this establishment has survived the pandemic and I'm happy to be able to eat here once again. Everything is good about this place, including the friendly, efficient service and the delicious food. I will be a regular here once again. On this occasion, I requested the szechwan with mushrooms. The dish was ready in about two minutes, was hot, and delicious. I'll be back for more soon! read more

Zen Cuisine - Chicken noodle soup - Asian Fusion Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Hands down the BEST "fast Asian cuisine" in Cleveland! The owner is incredibly nice; I can tell he takes pride in his dishes. You cannot beat the price and its shockingly fresh and portions are generous. read more

So glad we visited Zen Cuisine to satisfy our craving for Chinese. The owner is so friendly and accommodating, and the prices are the lowest I've seen in years! The food is fresh and delicious! They are located on the lower floor of the Arcade Mall, which is a beautiful structure and a sight to see in and of itself! read more

Zen Cuisine - Arcade Mall - Asian Fusion Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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Great food. The prices are cheap and the portions are huge. Fresh and tasty. The service was fantastic! Highly recommend!

Very very good. The portions are massive, and the owners are amazing. They are always so friendly and the food is very quick/fresh! The prices are unbelievable, especially for the amount of food you get. I love all of the different options. I get the pepper chicken over rice noodles! Also a great spot to sit and eat upstairs. read more

First off, the man working the register is extremely nice! He alone made me love this place. Then the food was really fresh, and tasty! If I'm ever in Cleveland on another layover I will come back! read more

Zen Cuisine - a takeout container with a salad in it - Asian Fusion Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

After almost 4 years since working downtown due to COVID, I'm forced to go back into the office. One of the first places I wanted to check to see if they were still around was Zen Cuisine. To my amazement and delight, he was. The food quality, price and quantity has remained the same. The friendliness, politeness and niceness of the proprietor has too. Amazing that he can remain in business with this "out of the way" location, but I attribute it to his loyal customers. Fresh and hot and made to order, the food never disappoints. And such a large selection from such a small window/kitchen. I hate being back downtown but glad one of my favorite lunch spots remains ! read more

Zen Cuisine - Chicken and Broccoli - fresh, hot, plentiful - Asian Fusion Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

After reading some of the reviews posted here, in I decided to give Zen Cuisine a visit and I was not disappointed. The meal was good, but the service was outstanding! The gentleman behind the country who waited on me couldn't be more kind and cordial. The food was worth the visit, but the sheer kindness picked me to for the rest of the day! read more

It is located at the lower level, to the right of the stairs of the Euclid entrance in the Arcade. Service is friendly, food is of good quality. Portion is relative small. Plenty of seats available nearby. read more

Zen Cuisine - Asian Fusion Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Zen Cuisine to me was a run of the mill Chinese restaurant nestled in a surprisingly great food court. The quality of food is high for the price and the servings were large but there was nothing very special or memorable about the meal that I had. I tried the sesame chicken and general tso's this time in and the biggest question to me was other than the sesame seeds was there a difference between these two proteins cause I couldn't spot one. Additionally, this order became a major mess when I got home to find the sweet and sour sauce they gave me did not have a secure lid and spilled all over the bag. read more

Trying them for the first time today. Loved the Singapore Noodles! Had them made with beef. Very fresh and tasty. Prompt service too!

This place is open again!! With a revamped menu! Same super nice guy! Had pad thai, the noodles were delish, fresh veggies ( seriously, they are fresh!) with a bit of a char on them that makes the whole dish that more delicious. read more

I can't say enough about this place. I've been coming here for months and every meal is perfection. I finally found my favorite dish...the Kung Pao chicken! read more

Awesome resturant! The food is alaways amazing and the price is cheap near $6 (they only take cash). Would I go back? Just a matter of when, not if read more

I haven't been to this place since before Covid, but they always had amazing, fresh food, so I thought I would try it again to see if it was still good. It did not disappoint! The owner is still there at the front counter and still very focused on great customer service and great food. Everything is made to order, comes out fast, and it super tasty! If you haven't been there, please check it out. I'm sure they are struggling right now and this is the kind of place I would hate to see go out of business. I'll be back again next week! read more

Best teriyaki chicken ever!! The owner at the counter was so friendly and helpful. It is cash only. Very fast service, very cheap prices. They definitely do not charge enough for how delicious their food is. It's kind of hidden underneath the Arcade stairs, but I am so grateful we found this place because now it's our favorite! I will be back many more times to try everything. read more

This is the best place to get lunch in Cleveland! They will customize a plate of any kind of chinese stir fry you could want and he only charges $6!!! Very cheap, extremely tasty, and it only takes a few minutes for them to make it for you! read more

Absolutely addicted to the various dishes available. Favorite is the Kung Pow Chicken. The others are just as good. It's made fresh to order. Simple dishes and tasty. I prefer to bring my business to this mom/pop place to support them. I hope they are around for a long time to come. read more

I love it here. It is not gourmet, but everything I have had is delicious. I always get the vegetable noodle soup bowl with tofu because it is only $5, big portion and its healthy. The guy running the place is always kind, patient and moves the busy lunch line quickly. Just remember to bring cash read more

Zen Cuisine - This is my favorite, the vegetable noodle soup bowl with tofu, only $5! - Asian Fusion Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Okay I liked this place way more than I thought I would. Healthy Cantonese cuisine? ....but why she asks? In fact this place doesn't self-proclaim to be healthy, but you can see from all their offerings that they are a notch above what you'd expect from a food court Chinese stand. Whole wheat noodles, brown rice, fresh vegetables.... it's everything your friendly neighborhood Chinese takeout restaurant isn't, and in a very good way. Their menu is very simple, basically just a rice option and a noodle soup option, along with their daily specials. I have to give a shoutout to the gentleman working the front at this place, I think Jennifer W. describes him well; he's humble, patient and kind. I wouldn't describe him as overly friendly, but he offers the best kind of customer service in my opinion. Once you see him you'll know exactly what I mean. As for the food, it's not overly flavorful. It isn't really truly Cantonese for this reason, but I love that the meals here are filling without being overly greasy or heavy.... and for FIVE DOLLARS. How could you possibly beat that? I actually didn't even think there was a place in the city where you could get a tasty, filling and nutritious meal for that cheap. I ordered the noodle soup with chicken and it was perfect. The broth was quite mild, nothing too flavorful, but also not overloaded with MSG. The best part were the oh-so-crunchy vegetables... snap peas, green onions, even julienned cucumber along with tender pieces of white meat chicken. I truly think you can't go wrong here. I only wish that they weren't cash only, but really it's hard to complain when almost all their lunch specials are $4.99. read more

Vegetarians beware! Prior to today I would have had nothing but positive things to say about this place. Very inexpensive and very good tasting food. Can't be beat. The guy normally at the counter wasn't there so I placed my order with one of the ladies in the kitchen. I specified (as I always do) that I wanted tofu. Now I am not bashing this place because she got the order wrong and made it with chicken instead. None of us are perfect and that is an acceptable mistake. What made me upset is that when they finally gave me my meal they had obviously just picked out the chicken and stirred in some tofu. They did a poor job of it too as there were at least five pieces of chicken still in it. I am not a vegetarian but I used to be so I understand that as a vegetarian you DO NOT WANT CHICKEN served with your tofu. Honestly if I had to wait five more minutes for them to just remake it properly I would have still given them a five star review. When a place takes a shortcut like this I simply cannot spend my money there anymore. read more

Wow, can't believe for as long as I've worked downtown, I've never visited Zen Cuisine! I visited today for the first time and I will absolutely return. I ordered the Teriyaki Chicken, which was cooked to order, with nice crunchy bean sprouts, and other veggies with white rice. The portion was very generous, and tasty, especially for $4.59! I learned while waiting for my order that they also offer brown rice and wheat udon noodles, I'll remember that next time. The gentleman taking orders was SUPER nice. I'll be back!! read more

Fresh and delicious! You need to have cash though, so be prepared. This is one of my favorite lunch spots. Cheap in price but excellent quality - food made to order, food made to order...I had to say it twice. The man at the counter (need to ask what his name is next time) who takes the orders is very nice. There are daily specials that you may order any day - a bonus in my opinion especially if this is your first visit. I wish I lived closer, I would visit more often. The place is located downstairs in the old Arcade, so the seating is cafeteria style if you choose to eat there. read more

It's in the arcade under the stairs. I went here twice while visiting CLE and both times it was decent. The prices are great, and the food was fresh and tasty. They have daily specials for $4.99. They were also very friendly =) read more

Zen Cuisine - Chicken Noodle soup - Asian Fusion Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Zen Cuisine was in the Arcade building where I was staying. I read the reviews and decided to give it a try. It didn't disappoint. The menu was not large but the simple list of options made it easy to choose and just shows that the food that is available is made with an expert touch. Also, the kitchen is accommodating with substitution other options with one another. The food came out quickly, but it tasted as though everything was freshly chopped and cooked. I would recommend it to anyone in the area or who wants a good lunch. Don't let an Uber or lyft ride keep you away from this. read more

Excellent food and excellent service! This place is an absolute treasure and I will be back. They offer brown and white rice- I got the teriyaki shrimp. The sauce was light and sweet- very good and the vegetables were fresh and retained some crispness- not at all over cooked like a lot of places. I enjoyed my meal and the proprietor said of you want something not on the menu just ask! They may have it anyway or can make it. Best lunch I've had in a while :-) read more

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Zen is a hidden gem in Cleveland. It is a small, family-run establishment and they could not be any more welcoming or service-forward. The charming owner, Tommy takes orders while wife Elaine and Mother run back of house. The food is so inexpensive and most dishes, which are heaping portions, are around $5! The ingredients are simple and of good quality. They ARE cash only, as they are such a small business, but once you go...you will make sure to always have cash on hand. My go-to is the Chicken Curry over noodle. It is a completely guilt-free lunch experience and I can't stop going back for more and supporting this local business! read more

Open again. September 2018. So, Zen Cuisine was legit not open for a span of time. Tommy was out doing cool stuff. If he isn't busy, ask him about it. He seems to like sharing about his vacation. (Hopefully, next time he'll leave a note or something.) Regardless, you get a great, fresh Asian flavored lunch at a nearly unbelievable price. Still cash only-- so worth the small inconvenience. read more

Great food, and the price is right! All of their food is from local farms, and they have a variety of options. They have daily specials, but you can order them any day of the week (they don't mind!) Everything is made to order and tastes incredibly fresh. Warning - Cash only! read more

Don't drag your feet on trying Zen Cuisine like I did! This place is the definition of a hidden gem- tucked away on the ground floor of the Grand Arcade. We ordered the sauteed shrimp stir fry and chicken curry- both phenomenal. Affordable prices and doting customer service from the owner were the cherries on top. read more

This small, unassuming stand on the bottom floor of The Arcade (and hidden around the stairs in the food court area) uses some of the best and freshest ingredients you will find among restaurants in its class. The dishes are made-to-order and generally leave you feeling much better than your usual (oily) mall Chinese fare. On top of that, the gentleman behind the counter taking orders is extremely nice and is definitely focused on giving his customers a positive experience. The food is fairly inexpensive: The brown rice with chicken and a can of Diet Pepsi (along with a free styrofoam cup of ice) will run you $7.07. More often than not, he pulls the extra 7-cents out of his own tip jar (I told you he was nice), so be sure to return the favor at some point with your own generosity. The menu is pretty basic: Your typical meat and rice (or noodle) combinations and also some noodle soups. Also, all of the daily specials shown on the signs behind the counter are available every day. As for downsides, if you can't get a table along the main walkway, the drab back area of The Arcade isn't exactly an inspiring area to eat lunch, but there is plenty of space available. As others have mentioned, Zen Cuisine is cash only. Finally, while the ingredients are remarkably fresh, I think the overall taste (and particularly with the teriyaki chicken) lags behind my current downtown Chinese lunch favorite, Master Wok in Tower City. read more

Before my company moved to the Flats, this place had been my favorite lunch spot for about 2 years. It's cheap, fast and delicious for the price you pay. Doubling the meat for 99c is a steal. read more

I just ate Zen for the second time and they just keep it consistent. The food is very good, very fresh and comes very fast. And excellent lunch choice for the downtown crowd Monday thru Friday. And the prices are very good. You can lunch for under $5 if you just get a water. The service at the counter is very good, very polite and friendly. I would recommend Zen for anyone looking for a real good lunch in the downtown area. They are in the Arcade almost under the stairs. Be prepared, it is cafeteria style seating shared with other resturants so don't expect linen tables cloth. As was stated in other review CASH ONLY! read more

One of my favorite lunch spots downtown. Their noodle soups are inexpensive ($4.99 for my chicken), tasty, and healthy, and the portion sizes are generous. Also offered are rice dishes and "daily specials" (everything is available every day at the same price, so I they're not really specials). Service is fast and friendly. They also use locally raised chicken, a nice touch. If you work or are visiting downtown, I recommend it. It's in the lower level of the Old Arcade, so it takes some poking around to find, but the food and getting to ogle the Arcade while you're eating are worth it. read more

This is one of the best food counters downtown. The portions are generous with vegetables, and the price is right, at $5 per dish. Try the "curry" which is actually a Singapore noodle dish. read more

Amazing, fresh, and consistently delicious food. We have a shop in The Arcace so we eat here a lot. The owner is incredibly kind and the prices are great. The vegetables are always vibrant and perfectly cooked, never over done. The dishes always have the perfect ratio of protein to vegetables to noodles or rice. Great choice when you're looking for a fast and affordable meal! Cash only!! read more

This is one of the top five things I miss about working downtown, along with the main library, Teahouse Noodles, Vincenza's and walking to do errands. I will confess that the special brown rice with chicken is my favorite. Brown rice, chicken, peanuts, veggies and a really tasty sauce add up to a fantastic lunch. The owner is quite kind and affable and has a strong emphasis on customer service. You can get a really great lunch here for about $6. read more

I go here once a week. I dream about it...the food is so delicious. Also, what a bargain for $5. Kind, accurate service, fresh everything. No aftertaste. I feel so good for the rest of the day after eating here. Best kept secret downtown! read more

I went here for the first time last week with some coworkers. The food was fresh and really good. I liked the variety of available options, from rice dishes to noodle dishes. The prices are very reasonable. I will return! read more