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    Zen

    3.8 (20 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 2:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
    Updated a few days ago

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    Mentai Cream udon
    Raul B.

    First time coming to the newly opened restaurant Zen where they do Handcrafted Udon! I was very excited to try out their new dishes! I've been a Long time customer when they were Ramen Seas! It seems like they have the same owners, kitchen and serving staff so that's a good thing! Their price range per food was about 17$ - 35$. I tried their Kawaebi shio appetizer. They're small crispy salted shrimp. I enjoyed the crunch and shrimpy umami flavor. I also ordered a Sapporo beer which paired well with the fried shrimp. For my main entree, I ordered the Mentai Cream Udon! And my goodness I was in love! The rich creamy texture of udon soaked with cream and spicy cod roe gave such an explosion of Umami goodness! It was like a Japanese version of an Italian creamy pasta. I'm definitely coming back to order this again. Service was great and attentive as well. 10/10

    Sarah C.

    We are super disappointed that Ramen Seas closed. We've been dedicated customers for the last 4+ years. We came here with our newborn, then infant, and now toddler. We love coming here as a family - our toddler usually eats very well. The ramen /broth along with the chicken karaage. The Yaki -onigri was our favorite. We decided to come here to give it a chance. Unfortunately, they don't sell any of our favorite appetizers anymore. The udon was really doughy - our daughter didn't eat much and then was hungry again that night. Not too much toppings in all 3 off the dishes we ordered. We won't be returning.

    counter area, drinks
    Hildeliza O.

    Was finally able to come try out Zen after hearing so much about the newly opened udon restaurant in Sunnyvale, and it did not disappoint! Finding parking is not difficult, as there are many free parking spots around the area. I tried their Tempura Udon, and I have to say, the noodles have to be some of the best in the bay area. The chewiness and texture was perfect, and paired perfectly with the broth. The soup itself carries a deep dashi flavor with tons of umami. I personally like to sprinkle some chili powder, which they do offer if you ask. The tempura was perfectly crispy, and paired really well with the soup. The only downside to my trip was coming solo. The counter showed a great selection of drinks, beer, and sake. I will definitely come back with friends to give more items and drinks a try . The interior of the restaurant is really calm, not too loud, clean, and has simple decour. I felt really at peace while eating here. Service was great as well. Friendly, attentive, and gave really good recommendations.

    Menu
    John D.

    Udon It Newly opened Japanese restaurant replacing the former Ramen Seas** here in Downtown Sunnyvale. They specialize in Tempura sets and Udon Noodle soups, with the latter featuring their traditionally made four-ingredient Udon Noodles that take a full day to make, along with rich umami-filled broths that are done sans MSG. The Good: * Free street parking as well as a parking lot * Service was friendly and efficient. * Housemade noodles were nice and thick and had a great chew and mouthfeel. * Small curated menu * Sake and a the standard Asahi & Sapporo beers. * Mentai Cream Udon was simply superb and was ordered upon the recommendation of the waiter. Savory, salty, smoky, and an umami bomb on top of it. Reminded me of a carbonara of sorts, but with the nice thiccc noods instead of spaghetti. * Ebi Shumai was a nice, hearty rendition of this classic dumpling and came packed with shrimp in these fat little satials. The concomitant dipping sauce was another umami bomb and definitely had kombu in it. The Meh: * No outdoor dining The Ugly: * The Tonkotsu Udon was not our favorite. While the noodles were terrific and the broth was good, the rest of it needed some work. Firstly, the egg that came with it was so severely underdone that once Carissa went to open it, the whole thing just disintegrated into the broth, egg whites and all. Secondly, the "pork" (and I use that term loosely) that came with it was, to put it mildly, not good. It was gristly, tough, and had no seasoning whatsoever. I'm not sure if this is their intention, because if it is, then it's back to the drawing board. Conclusion: Overall, probably 3.5*, but I would definitely come back for the Mentai Cream Udon--and more of those noodles! **I'm not sure if it's a re-brand or new owners. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    Clarisse T.

    came here on friday night after rumble. i do like a good cold udon bc usually the texture is better and not soggy! i do like Zen's udon texture and loved the chewiness! however my friends' warm nami udon was soggy and the cold nami udon has inconsistent textures! some were chewy and some were a bit overcooked! we do like the flavor but wish that there were more variety of udon flavors. i wish they could have mentaiko udon but COLD and would be amazing with some nagaimo mashed and ponzu!

    Tonkatsu udon with side beef bowl

    Ive passed by this place a couple of times since it changed from Ramen Seas. It's a little more expensive than it used to be when it was Ramen Seas, but the broth was really tasty, the noodles were great, and the meat was excellent. My favorite thing was actually the beef bowl on the side, I'll probably order it as a full dish next time. Definitely worth checking out.

    Hershey C.

    I love udon, first off the service was good, the seating was comfortable. I really wanted to love this place, but the udon was a bit starchy? And the broth was fishy? Not sure but I barely ate the noodles and broth, the vege tempura was good but a bit light in portions, it's a 1 star but will make it 3 star to support a local business

    Zen Handcrafted Udon has taken over the space once occupied by Ramen Seas, and fans of the former restaurant will immediately recognize the familiar decor. The dining room feels largely unchanged, but the menu has shifted its focus from ramen to handmade udon. On this visit, I tried the Mentai Cream Udon. The handmade noodles had a wonderful chewy texture, serving as the perfect canvas for the rich, creamy mentaiko sauce. The spicy cod roe brought plenty of umami, while the shiso and nori added freshness and balance. It's a dish that feels more like Japanese-style mentaiko pasta than a traditional bowl of udon, but it works surprisingly well. If you're curious about the new direction of the restaurant, this is a good place to start. The familiar setting may remind you of Ramen Seas, but the handmade udon is carving out its own identity.

    This is supposed to be beef curry udon. As you can see, extremely watered down and the noodles aren't udon.

    Service was fine. Food was terrible: 1. Noodles aren't udon. They remind me of Korean knife cut noodles. Definitely not udon even though their website shows food pictures with udon noodles. 2. I ordered the curry beef udon. This was the most watered down curry udon I have ever had and it was $20 3. Got the deluxe tempura ($30). Pieces were small and the squash and sweet potato were super thin. Like eating a potato chip. Learn from my $50 mistake. If you want udon, go elsewhere for now

    Extremely thin piece of vegetable tempura

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    27 days ago

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    Akari I.

    Helpful 1
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    25 days ago

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    Akari I.

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    29 days ago

    Helpful 2
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    25 days ago

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    Akari I.

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    8 days ago

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    Akari I.

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    28 days ago

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    Akari I.

    Helpful 4
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    1 month ago

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    Akari I.

    Helpful 36
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    3 days ago

    Helpful 1
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    9 days ago

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    Akari I.

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    27 days ago

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    Akari I.

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    1 month ago

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    Akari I.

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    26 days ago

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    Akari I.

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    29 days ago

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    26 days ago

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    Akari I.

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    12 days ago

    The food is really terrible! It doesn't even like they have a real chef to cook. Feel like a car washer shop's manager becomes a chef now.

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    Akari I.

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    22 days ago

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    Akari I.

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    28 days ago

    The food was delicious. I'll definitely, come back and tell my friends about it. Friendly service, and really welcoming space!

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    Review Highlights - Zen

    Ive passed by this place a couple of times since it changed from Ramen Seas.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

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    Mian Sichuan Noodles

    Mian Sichuan Noodles

    4.3
    (235 reviews)
    3.4 mi
    $$

    This review is from my visit earlier last year. I'm just catching up on all my reviews now…read more We went when it was dinner time, and the place was packed. We waited for probably 15-20 minutes which wasn't too bad. The place is pretty big and fits a good amount of people. The food was great. Every single dish that we got was so good and packed with comfort and flavor. The veggies were well cooked, my favorite was the beef rolls. I would recommend checking this place out.

    This review is from March 2025, it just takes me awhile to write reviews…read more I have heard that they have since had a kitchen fire but are going to re-open some time this year. They have also opened a location in Cupertino that is more convenient for me. Adding Mian to this plaza definitely livened it up, it was so difficult finding parking and then there was an hour wait when we joined the waitlist. We wandered around Grocery Outlet and Savers to pass the time. I came with a group of 6 people. We ordered the sichuan spicy fries and fried chicken cutlet to share. The fries were the spiciest item I had that day, wow! I ordered the Sichuan chicken cold noodles, extra spicy. They were not spicy at all. I left everyone at the table try them and they all agreed it was not spicy. Kind of disappointing, I expected them to be spicier than the fries at least. My partner had the chengdu zajiang noodles, mild spicy. They were good, the signature dish of the restaurant. I would return, but their spice levels are very inconsistent.

    Photos
    Super cute interior!
    Super cute interior!
    Beef Roll Pancake/牛肉卷饼 ($9)
    Beef Roll Pancake/牛肉卷饼 ($9)
    Diet Coke® ($2.50)

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    Diet Coke® ($2.50)
    Pho Lovers

    Pho Lovers

    3.9
    (864 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    Ordered: Lovers…read moreSampler Plate - the only item that stood out on this plate was the fried chicken, everything else was ehh and just an afterthought. Lovers Special Noodle Soup - I enjoyed the variety of different meats in this dish. It had sliced steak, beef balls, and oxtail which were all tender. However, the broth kind of lacked flavor. Shaken Beef Garlic Noodles - definitely a top favorite! They don't skimp out on the beef pieces which is a plus. The shaken beef is nice and tender and nicely seasoned along with the noodles and veggies. They even have extra sauce on the side to add if you like your noods extra saucy. Grilled Pork, Grilled Shrimp, Egg Rolls & Salad with Vermicilli - very fulfilling and I enjoyed the ratio of meats to noodles. The pork is tender and they gave a good mix of lean/fatty pieces which I enjoyed. Service is great and I have no complaints. There are a ton of tables/booths to sit at. I'll definitely be a returning customer.

    02-05-2026 Came here for lunch. This is the second time here and I do believe I liked it the first…read moretime because I came back. Pros; Customer service was very good. Plenty of seating. interior very clean and inviting. The food is eatable. Had the Lovers Sample Plate. Everything on the sampler was good. Cons; Location is in a poor spot. Parking limited and shared with other businesses in the strip mall. The restaurant is next to a medium size grocery store and across the street from a school. I had a large #17 Pho with sliced steak, brisket, flank, tendon, tripe, and noodles. The broth was lacking flavor. The sriracha was so watered down that it ruined the soup when I used it. The garnishment plate came with very little. needed more basil, bean sprouts, I felt there was enough jalapenos and lemon wedges. I had to share this with another adult. probably won't come back. unless I remember to bring my own sriracha

    Photos
    Pho Lovers
    Shaken Beef Garlic Noodles
    Shaken Beef Garlic Noodles
    Pho Lovers

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    QQ Noodle

    QQ Noodle

    4.0
    (963 reviews)
    4.6 mi
    $$

    Food was so yummy and flavorful. hand pulled noodles spot. Good portion size…read more Cash only. We were seated immediately on a Sat afternoon. Quick service.

    My friend Sarah was craving beef noodle soup and I remembered that this place had good Chinese…read morenoodles so figured it wouldn't disappoint. This was probably my third visit. We were looking to catch up in person on a Saturday afternoon for lunch. All tables were full and there were a couple of other parties waiting inside when we walked in, but the wait for a table was not bad at all. It is on the noisier side since the clientele is primarily Asian, and service tends to be short since that's what would be considered authentic. I got the beef noodle soup with the wide noodles since it was a chilly day and I wanted something warm. In the past I've gotten the tomato and eggs sauce noodles, which was very tasty and not a bad option for a hot day as the noodles themselves come out cold. Make sure to bring some floss if you get the beef noodle soup, some of the meat gets stuck in my teeth every time. Service does tend to be short so don't expect anyone to wait around for you to order or extra pleasantries. But this isn't surprising given the type of restaurant so it didn't detract from the meal. The check comes to you when you're about done so there is no need to flag anyone down after finishing. I would definitely revisit if I have cash on hand and am in the area. I would recommend this spot to anyone interested in authentic Chinese noodles, hot or cold.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Tomato Egg Noodles (#4)
    Tomato Egg Noodles (#4)
    24. Garlic Sauce w/ Pork Noodle

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    24. Garlic Sauce w/ Pork Noodle

    Zen - noodles - Updated June 2026

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