Zen Mondo — Restaurant in London

I was not happy with the service or the quality of food during my visit. My girlfriend and I went here for a pre-cinema meal, allowing ourselves over an hour and fifteen minutes to order and eat a very simple order. Edamame and our drink order arrived after 30 minutes, dumplings and handrolls arrived after 50 minutes. We didn't have enough time to eat the remaining two dishes, as we were going to miss our film, so we paid for what we ate and left.

The food we did receive was below standard. Handrolls (at £4 per piece) had a pittance of fish (think half a small carrot stick) and a very large piece of romaine lettuce (which does not belong in a traditional handroll) which I am assuming is to fool the customer. The food itself looked hastily assembled, as if rushed. One woman serving us had a handwritten training sticker which was peeling off her blouse and she didn't seem to know or understand our frustrations with the poor service and quality of food.

Upon paying my bill I saw one poor sushi chef trying to fulfill orders for a restaurant of about 30 patrons. The rest of the cooking staff (in the back) were dedicated to fulfilling takeaway orders, which I imagine is the cause of the poor quality of food and the wait we had. So long as this restaurant prioritises it's takeaway customers over in-house guests, I think the dining-in reviews will remain below standard.

Owners need to stop being cheap and improve their portions as well as their in-house staff for food output or this place will continue to have disappointed customers...

We had a deliveroo order. The 1 star is because the chicken gyoza was raw, which is a big no-no. Not just undercooked, but raw (see photos). We did eat the rest. The rolls (shrimp tempura roll and soft shell crab roll and yellowtail roll) were ok, but not especially notable. Chirashi bowl is ok as well, but I feel somewhat uninspired, with 1 strip each of 6 types of seafood. I suspect the deliveroo presentation may not be fully representative of the fine-dining experience but I'm not that interested in returning to find out. Going for a balanced review here and unfortunately negatively skewed to the raw chicken.

After posting the raw chicken photos, Google reviews has censored and removed the photos. Why is unclear to me but note that they've done so.

EDIT 06/06/2024

In response to the owner’s reply 4 YEARS LATER where they are suggesting that my review is incorrect, please see attached photo of my Deliveroo order from zen mondo on the date of the original posting.

Whatever the gyoza was, it was RAW. By the way even the google maps review options (which I can’t create myself) under “Which dishes do you recommend?” lists “chicken gyoza” - see another photo attached.

I’d really rather you just addressed the problem or offered a consolation rather than suggest it’s my error 4 YEARS LATER… I want to be fair but I’m afraid this latest exchange after 4 years...

A true gem, good value authentic Japanese restaurant run by Japanese staff, serving delicious food with a menu offering a nice variety of Japanese dishes in addition to sushi and sashimi. Very attentive and friendly service, and accommodating towards special diets (e.g. several gluten free options, including salmon teriyaki). Special praise for not using single-use chopsticks! I had the mackerel for lunch and was impressed by the quality of the food and - while rare in Japanese restaurants in the UK - the distinctively Japanese attention to detail and beauty also in the presentation. The plate was an aesthetic pleasure in addition to being a culinary pleasure. In addition I was impressed by how accommodating they were on my dietary requirements, offering to make my dish gluten free even though it wasn't marked as such on the menu.

A special mention for offering real chopsticks instead of single-use ones - much more pleasant and elegant, and also the only right option for the environment.

I will be going back and would most wholeheartedly recommend this place to anyone who loves good and authentic...