Zen Toro Japanese Bistro — Restaurant in Davis

I used to love this place. We used to have group dinners of our lab here before the pandemic, and if anybody new in town asked me about Japanese food, Zen Toro would be my top recommendation. We’ve heard rumors lately about degrading of food quality in this place, but that didn’t really affect our preferences at all. HOWEVER, what happens today totally reverted our view, and I will never ever have food or recommend this place to anybody again.

So here’s the story. It’s Valentine’s Day-me and my husband planned to have a nice dinner. For two people still cautious about covid, we decided to order sushi takeouts from Zen Toro. Now comes maybe the biggest mistake I made today-making the order on a Chinese takeout platform called Xiaocun. We use this platform quite often to order from Chinese restaurants like Chengdu Style and Tasty Kitchen, so thought it would work as well for Zen Toro. The food we ordered is in Pic.2 just to show it is possible to place the order on Xiaocun.

And then we wait. Pic. 1 is a timeline of our waiting from placing the order till the order was cancelled by Xiaocun’s stuff. That cancellation is after our call with Xiaocun, and the stuff said Zen Toro has already called us because they couldn’t make it. The truth is, me and my husband literally stared at our phones during the whole two hours of waiting, and we swear there wasn’t a single second Zen Toro ever called or messaged. Instead, without any notification, we stared at the dynamic map of the driver delivering food all around Davis, faking to be waiting for our food.

My heart sinked as our Valentine’s Day plan got ruined. But at the same time I have so many questions in my mind for Zen Toro (for Xiaocun too, but it’s the business between Zen Toro and Xiaocun). What exactly was the reason you couldn’t make the order? Why you said you called but never called (don’t say you didn’t have our number cause it’s on the address) ? Was it because we used a Chinese platform? Was it because you felt we might not able to understand your calls so “why bother”? If you are too arrogant to make orders from Chinese platforms like Xiaocun, why do you let them keep your entry available？

It’s 10pm on Valentine’s Day, and we are still busy in the kitchen trying to make up the dinner. You can blame it on the platform, Zen Toro, but it’s still your fault if you cannot manage your business...

I’m honestly so bummed to have to leave this review, but Zen Toro has in one way or another betrayed my trust. I have eaten ramen there before and had been informed that they had a broth option that didn’t have msg. Since I didn’t get migraines afterward I assumed that they told me the truth, and perhaps they did. But restaurants often change and it’s been a long time since I visited and forgot which broth was msg-free. So I called in advance to check and while I very much appreciate (and expect) their honesty, I was super bummed to learn that they no longer have any options without msg (or perhaps they never did and the msg before wasn’t enough to trigger a migraine). There’s no way of knowing but in any case, they have betrayed my trust as a customer. I held them up for a long time as one of my VERY FEW Davis restaurants that I would recommend to friends, but I can’t support a business that doesn’t respect their own product or their the health of their customers. I tried every other ramen shop in town and all use msg and I really thought at least Zen Toro would be different. I just checked other reviews and it looks like they in fact changed ownership recently and the restaurant has really gone south. It so sad when a family builds a legacy of quality only to have it destroyed by people who only care about profit and liquidate the asset for short term gain. The old Zen Toro did serve msg, which I didn’t like or respect but they still had clear options without and other great dishes and great service. Now there isn’t even an option for msg-free ramen in Davis which is super lame. Sad to see you sell out Zen Toro. You’re better than that. Or at least you...

Fantastic Experience with Delicious and Healthy Options

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I recently dined at this establishment for the first time and had a remarkable experience. The service was prompt, and the food exceeded my expectations in terms of both taste and healthiness.

I opted for the albacore sashimi, which I requested to be torched, and the salmon skin hand roll. The freshness of the accompanying salad was notable, and adding Chilli oil and soy sauce enhanced the flavors. The salmon skin hand roll was generously filled with thick chunks of satisfyingly fresh salmon skin. It's evident that the ingredients used were of high quality.

One noteworthy aspect that elevated my dining experience was the attention to detail. I requested lemon slices for my tap water, and it made a significant difference. The staff's willingness to accommodate such requests reflects a commitment to customer satisfaction.

I was joined with my wife, Tracie, who had been here before. Her familiarity with the menu showcased the restaurant's consistency in delivering a delightful dining experience. We both thoroughly enjoyed our meals.

Overall, the combination of prompt service, delicious and healthy food options, and reasonable prices make this establishment stand out. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a satisfying and enjoyable dining experience. God Bless!...