House of Zen
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As an Asian Cuisine enthusiast, I had high expectations from the Fat Buddha in Sunderland having tried the other Fat Buddhas in the region. However it was unfortunate that the place did not meet my expectation. We went to the restaurant for lunch on a Sunday. The starter (spring roles) is one of the simplest dishes you can order - it was nicely presented yet poorly made with what it seemed like only cabbage as the stuffing. The main course my partner had (Thai green curry) was watery - yet my partner didn't mind it as it tasted okay. My main course (Malysian chicken curry) - was very dry and tasted bland. And when i prompted the waiter, she kindly took the dish back, only to return with some curry poured on top of it. Oolong Chinese tea was server as a tea bag in a cup with a separate small pot of boiled water and many know thats not how such a tea is servered... My partner did enjoy the cocktail she had though which shows that they do have a great bar. It was also to my surprise that the place tried in desperate ways to charge money by charging for the prawn crackers that you would normally get as complimentary in most Chinese restaurants.. The Verdict: With the good service, prime location and great decor, I think the place is let down by its kitchen/poor food ingredients for some reason. That may explain their low prices. For a place like that, I would expect and be happy to pay 25% more for how they price their menu and to get a better quality - thus allowing the restaurant to up their game without having to worry about the bottom line. However at the moment and from what I've experienced, the kitchen is no different from a low value Westernised Chinese take away/buffet unfortunately.. This was for the lunch menu that costed roughly 9 pound for two courses per person(starter + main course). I hope to return in a couple of months giving the place another chance and I do hope for a better experience during my next visit as it would be a shame such a great place would go to waste because of its food.
M ElsaidM Elsaid
00
Visited today, we had a good time. We were very pleased that we were given a window seat, as we'd requested on our online booking. The atmosphere was nice, the music uplifting but relaxing too, and was wonderful having our meal with a view of Seaburn beach! We had strawberry daquiris, they were delicious! Worth going there just for drinks alone! I ordered the Pork 'Kakuni' (belly pork) which was absolutely divine! It literally melts in your mouth just like it says in the description, and the Asian Pak choi complimented the food nicely, but didn't notice any sweet potatoes on the dish which were supposed to be included. I didn't mind as the pork belly was more than enough on its own anyway. My partner had a 2 course meal for £15; the starter (pan fried dumplings) was very tasty, but the main (chilli honey crispy chicken with Yaki Ramen) wasn't great. The chicken was dry, not crispy at all, and it tasted like a chicken nuggets, and the Yaki Ramen was dry too. Overall, would recommend, but the food is overpriced. Worth the views though.
SophiaSophia
00
Nearby Attractions Of House of Zen
Roker Cliff Park
Seaburn Beach
Liking
Seaburn Park
Seaburn Recreation Ground

Roker Cliff Park
4.4
(706)Click for details

Seaburn Beach
4.6
(463)Click for details

Liking
4.4
(95)Click for details

Seaburn Park
4.4
(57)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of House of Zen
STACK Seaburn
Latimers Seafood
The Salt House Kitchen
Goa Exemplary
Toney Minchella @ whitburn
Prego Bar & Eatery
Gabriele's
The Mad Hatter Restaurant
The Seaburn Bay
Santinos

STACK Seaburn
4.5
(1.1K)$$
Click for details

Latimers Seafood
4.4
(652)Click for details

The Salt House Kitchen
4.5
(469)Click for details

Goa Exemplary
4.6
(277)Click for details
Basic Info
Address
Whitburn Rd, Seaburn, Sunderland SR6 8AA, United Kingdom
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Phone
+44 191 529 2907
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Website
houseofzenseaburn.com
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Reviews
Overview
4
(613 reviews)$$
Ratings & Description
attractions: Roker Cliff Park, Seaburn Beach, Liking, Seaburn Park, Seaburn Recreation Ground, restaurants: STACK Seaburn, Latimers Seafood, The Salt House Kitchen, Goa Exemplary, Toney Minchella @ whitburn, Prego Bar & Eatery, Gabriele's, The Mad Hatter Restaurant, The Seaburn Bay, Santinos

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