Zen Sushi in the Bishop Arts — Restaurant in Dallas

Literally my worst experience in Bishop Arts to date. The server was very sweet, sat us promptly, ordered our sushi, the experience was going great. Until the sushi was set down our table. We ordered 3 rolls, although none of the rolls were described to have cucumber, each roll did. (Even the ice water has cucumber, maybe Zen Sushi has a love for cucumber. I'm not sure what the fascination is.) I had no problems with it, I love all things food, but my sister despises the taste and crunch of the poor vegetable. Once we discussed the issue, our server preceded to say it would be no issue to make the change. I continue to eat my rolls, as another server reaches over our plate and picks up the roll that was created wrong; explaining they must salvage the fish...I've never had such an experience. I feel disrespected. I've worked in the service industry for a long time, I understand the process, if that was necessary, take the entire plate to the back, re-plate and re-serve. I spoke to the owner, she stated she would speak to the server and remove the roll from the bill, at that point, I lost my appetite. We paid for our meal and left the rolls for them to salvage for another table. We won't be back and I'll be sure to tell other people of color about my wonderful experience. Y’all we’re not...

My friend Gregory recommended this restaurant to me. He said that the food is incredible, that the restaurant operates at significant reduced capacity due to COVID-19, and that the owner (Michelle) has worked to avoid staff lay-offs in the midst of the pandemic. So he and I agreed to meet there yesterday at 7PM after he secured the reservation.

The staff were friendly and the service was courteous. The real standout was the food quality.

We started with the Chicken Lettuce Wraps. The chicken was perfectly cooked and well-flavored. The appetizer was a great size for two people to share.

Based on reviews on-line, I ordered the California Sun (which everyone raves about). It did not disappoint. It was well-prepared and had a perfect spice level -- almost too hot, but actually just right.

My friend had the Sake Maki (salmon roll) and Scallop Roll. I sampled one of the two and really enjoyed it. Having had sushi in Japan, I was impressed with the quality here.

For dessert we each had the Ginger Creme Brulee. It was perfectly prepared and had a great light ginger taste. The owner, Michelle, also came by our table and chatted with us briefly.

Zen is a value for what they charge, given the very high food quality.

I...

So I wanted to give a bishop arts sushi shop a try bc it's bishop and pretty much everything is good... unfortunately, that couldn't have been further from the truth with Zen Sushi.

In sum: Substantially overpriced aged fish with bland taste and far from anything special or unique.

Disclaimer: I only had sushi, sashimi, egg rolls (burnt), & Gyoza.

First things first, our server Alicia was great. Nothing other than positive things to say about her other than saying everything was good when, after eating, I disagree. Ever, great service and incredibly attentive. She deserves praise.

The food: not one of the better locations I've had sushi at, unfortunately. The fish was seemingly dated, coloration was off and noticeable. Wasabi/ginger was generic (pink ginger & very pasty wasabi). Most the sushi/sashimi taste the same for some reason. Genuinely wish it was better since the area would benefit from a great spot.

The drinks: had the Texas mule which was good.

One other downfall was that they say they're open until 10:30 but they close their kitchen at 9:45-10 which should be stated on the page ahead of time.

All in all, I won't be back but if you're hungry hungry and only craving sushi then it's good enough...