Recommended dishes: General TSO's Chicken, Fried Rice, Chicken Wings
Shane L.
There are a couple of things to say about this establishment. The food is on point and the service is even better. I have ordered all three of the types of dinner here at this place, take-out, delivery and eat-in and not one single time was I disappointed. They are always super friendly and they food is always timely and fresh no matter how busy they may be. The prices are a little high but that is what I have come to expect for restaurants and establishments in downtown Portland. But, I will say that this is one of the places that I really don't mind paying more for because of the quality that I have experienced here with this place. If you are looking for delicious Asian fare, let this be one of the places that you try. I am super impressed and will be back multiple times again. Items to call out for massive deliciousness: Beef and green beans and the wings and their salad is a good one to add to it for some healthy fare as well.
Jonathan T.
Stopped in for takeout so, of course, had to have a cocktail while waiting. Had a mojito, which was probably the the best I've had. For food...sesame chicken, shrimp Lo mein, fried and steamed rice, egg rolls , happy family. Everything was on point and delicious. It was a first time there and the restaurant looked pretty nice. Will plan to dine in next time. Thanks to the staff for a wonderful dinner!
Connie T.
Great customer service! Very clean and great seating areas. Had one of the signatures drinks, and it was amazing! Grabbed some food for takeaway, and everything was tasty.
Ashley P.
I love this restaurant truly. The only reason I deducted a star is price. This isn't a quick, spur of the moment drop in restaurant. You need to be prepared to spend a little dough, but if you do, I promise it is worth it. I'd recommend the Crispy Rice & Chicken Soup for 2, the Udon noodles with chicken, the kung pao chicken, and the chicken with Chinese bok choy. There are still definitely many menu items I want to try but haven't had a chance yet. This would definitely be a perfect date night restaurant.
Ali R.
During our visit to Portland, we decided to satisfy our craving for Chinese food at Zen Chinese Bistro. Our order included the Crispy Rice & Chicken Soup, Orange Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, both served with white rice, and a side of egg rolls to go. The Crispy Rice & Chicken Soup was delightful, and the Kung Pao Chicken was decent. However, the Orange Chicken left much to be desired - it was hard, dry, and the sauce didn't live up to our expectations. Overall, our dining experience was average. The ambiance of the restaurant felt a little lackluster, and the cleanliness was subpar, which detracted from the overall dining atmosphere. While our visit didn't meet all of our expectations, it's worth noting that the soup and Kung Pao chicken were highlights of the meal. It's possible that others may have different experiences, and we hope that the restaurant can address the issues we encountered. In conclusion, if you decide to dine at Zen Chinese Bistro, I recommend trying the soup and the Kung Pao chicken, but you might want to be cautious when ordering the Orange Chicken.
Mike N.
Don't be fooled by the new age moniker. It's old school bad. Ordered a scallion ginger dish and mapo-tofu. Neither tasted like they should have, both used the same sickly sweet brown sauce. Not a whiff of to-ban chili in the mapo-tofu nor fresh ginger in the pork scallion. Not sure why they charge a premium, it's worse than some of the cheaper "chop suey" joints in town. I rarely crit restos on Yelp, but was compelled by the negative experience.
Joe Christopher
Best classic Chinese food in Portland. Great for takeout as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chuck W.
The best. Friendly staff. Great food. Atmosphere was on point. Awesome mixed drinks. I could go on and on. A plus service. A must try.
BETTY Rodriguez
First time having dinner at Zen Chinese Bistro and we loved our meals!! Delicious flavors, excellent portions and wonderful customer service. Great selection of cocktails and beers. The restaurant is beautiful and elegant on the inside. We highly recommend and will be one of our go to Chinese restaurants in Portland!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken with Garlic Sauce, Lo Mein with Pork Chicken Beef or Veggies
Best Chinese style food we had in years! We highly recommend it. Four of us went for dinner. All the entrees and appetizers were judged to be delicious: meat, seafood and vegetarian. Gluten free is clearly marked on the menus and very welcoming. Free parking after 5:00, call ahead to check for seating vs take out. We'll be back.Vegetarian options: Great vegetarian options clearly marked.Dietary restrictions: Gluten free friendly.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
R S
Went on a night where they normally do not have dine in but they graciously served us at a table! The food here is the bomb! NO MSG, lots of Gluten Free snd vegetarian options! The portions are excellent! We go here often and I always forget to post a review because I’m so involved with my food. LOL!Dietary restrictions: Gluten free, vegetarian optionsParking: Street parking, free after certain hours
Week of 9/26, I decided to try this new restaurant. Placed a take out order. Couldn't believe they charged $9 for an eggroll and expected something exceptional. It was greasy and tasteless. Ordered vegetable broth and mushrooms. Mushroom were not cooked. Main dish had noodles that were stuck together that could not be separated. Expected exceptional food for the price, but it wasn't. I paid $36 for one person and three items.
Ron Weiss
We stopped after a long day of site seeing & got 2 orders of lo mein with jumbo shrimp to go and it was the absolute best Chinese food I’ve had in the U.S. we drove for 40-45 min back to our campsite & it was still hot and we did not need to warm it up.
Dennis Fellner
Service was fast, courteous and efficient.Food was reasonably priced, plentiful and delicious. The menu was huge. Bar cocktails are delicious. Definitely worth another trip there.
Great
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: General TSO's Chicken, Fried Rice, Chicken Wings
There are a couple of things to say about this establishment. The food is on point and the service is even better. I have ordered all three of the types of dinner here at this place, take-out, delivery and eat-in and not one single time was I disappointed. They are always super friendly and they food is always timely and fresh no matter how busy they may be. The prices are a little high but that is what I have come to expect for restaurants and establishments in downtown Portland. But, I will say that this is one of the places that I really don't mind paying more for because of the quality that I have experienced here with this place. If you are looking for delicious Asian fare, let this be one of the places that you try. I am super impressed and will be back multiple times again. Items to call out for massive deliciousness: Beef and green beans and the wings and their salad is a good one to add to it for some healthy fare as well.
Stopped in for takeout so, of course, had to have a cocktail while waiting. Had a mojito, which was probably the the best I've had. For food...sesame chicken, shrimp Lo mein, fried and steamed rice, egg rolls , happy family. Everything was on point and delicious. It was a first time there and the restaurant looked pretty nice. Will plan to dine in next time. Thanks to the staff for a wonderful dinner!
Great customer service! Very clean and great seating areas. Had one of the signatures drinks, and it was amazing! Grabbed some food for takeaway, and everything was tasty.
I love this restaurant truly. The only reason I deducted a star is price. This isn't a quick, spur of the moment drop in restaurant. You need to be prepared to spend a little dough, but if you do, I promise it is worth it. I'd recommend the Crispy Rice & Chicken Soup for 2, the Udon noodles with chicken, the kung pao chicken, and the chicken with Chinese bok choy. There are still definitely many menu items I want to try but haven't had a chance yet. This would definitely be a perfect date night restaurant.
During our visit to Portland, we decided to satisfy our craving for Chinese food at Zen Chinese Bistro. Our order included the Crispy Rice & Chicken Soup, Orange Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, both served with white rice, and a side of egg rolls to go. The Crispy Rice & Chicken Soup was delightful, and the Kung Pao Chicken was decent. However, the Orange Chicken left much to be desired - it was hard, dry, and the sauce didn't live up to our expectations. Overall, our dining experience was average. The ambiance of the restaurant felt a little lackluster, and the cleanliness was subpar, which detracted from the overall dining atmosphere. While our visit didn't meet all of our expectations, it's worth noting that the soup and Kung Pao chicken were highlights of the meal. It's possible that others may have different experiences, and we hope that the restaurant can address the issues we encountered. In conclusion, if you decide to dine at Zen Chinese Bistro, I recommend trying the soup and the Kung Pao chicken, but you might want to be cautious when ordering the Orange Chicken.
Don't be fooled by the new age moniker. It's old school bad. Ordered a scallion ginger dish and mapo-tofu. Neither tasted like they should have, both used the same sickly sweet brown sauce. Not a whiff of to-ban chili in the mapo-tofu nor fresh ginger in the pork scallion. Not sure why they charge a premium, it's worse than some of the cheaper "chop suey" joints in town. I rarely crit restos on Yelp, but was compelled by the negative experience.
Best classic Chinese food in Portland. Great for takeout as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The best. Friendly staff. Great food. Atmosphere was on point. Awesome mixed drinks. I could go on and on. A plus service. A must try.
First time having dinner at Zen Chinese Bistro and we loved our meals!! Delicious flavors, excellent portions and wonderful customer service. Great selection of cocktails and beers. The restaurant is beautiful and elegant on the inside. We highly recommend and will be one of our go to Chinese restaurants in Portland!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken with Garlic Sauce, Lo Mein with Pork Chicken Beef or Veggies
Restaurantji Recommends
Best Chinese style food we had in years! We highly recommend it. Four of us went for dinner. All the entrees and appetizers were judged to be delicious: meat, seafood and vegetarian. Gluten free is clearly marked on the menus and very welcoming. Free parking after 5:00, call ahead to check for seating vs take out. We'll be back.Vegetarian options: Great vegetarian options clearly marked.Dietary restrictions: Gluten free friendly.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Went on a night where they normally do not have dine in but they graciously served us at a table! The food here is the bomb! NO MSG, lots of Gluten Free snd vegetarian options! The portions are excellent! We go here often and I always forget to post a review because I’m so involved with my food. LOL!Dietary restrictions: Gluten free, vegetarian optionsParking: Street parking, free after certain hours
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crab Rangoon, Pork Dumplings, Fried Rice, Sesame Chicken
Week of 9/26, I decided to try this new restaurant. Placed a take out order. Couldn't believe they charged $9 for an eggroll and expected something exceptional. It was greasy and tasteless. Ordered vegetable broth and mushrooms. Mushroom were not cooked. Main dish had noodles that were stuck together that could not be separated. Expected exceptional food for the price, but it wasn't. I paid $36 for one person and three items.
We stopped after a long day of site seeing & got 2 orders of lo mein with jumbo shrimp to go and it was the absolute best Chinese food I’ve had in the U.S. we drove for 40-45 min back to our campsite & it was still hot and we did not need to warm it up.
Service was fast, courteous and efficient.Food was reasonably priced, plentiful and delicious. The menu was huge. Bar cocktails are delicious. Definitely worth another trip there.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5