Ocean Zen Steaks, Sushi and Seafood — Restaurant in Springfield

I always loved Ocean Zen. Due to situations in my life I haven’t been there for a very long time, but I went there today. Sydney took care of us and she did it extraordinarily…. she was delightful,, attentive, and the food was delicious! I had the Ocean Zen roll, and the new shrimp pasta on their lunch menu. Anyway, she was great! I don’t know who her boss is, but she deserves a raise!

Just got off the phone with Justin the general manager. I told him that the service was horrible and the food was horrific. I am that kind of girl. I quickly recant it and let him know that the opposite was true and he was absolutely wonderful. I’m telling you that the food and the service here are top notch and the minute that I can get my little body back into that restaurant I will be there ! (when I can afford it. I have expensive taste, lol)

Well, my husband, my daughter and I went to Ocean Zen for the Easter buffet. BTW, happy Easter, everyone!

So, I didn’t take photos, but the food was absolutely wonderful. Our server, Matt, actually worked with my daughter, Karayah when Cantina Laredo was still in existence. All I can say is, WOW!!! Consider the fact that I am old Ish when I say that he is very handsome, and his smile lights up the room! I say that to make sure that nothing is misunderstood because like I said I just turned 65 years old and he is a very young man. I am just a bit of a freak, which at this point in my life, I embrace.

The bigger point is that he was an incredible server. He was very attentive to our needs, extremely personable, and was very willing to accommodate anything that I needed as a person with a disability.

I don’t know who his boss is. Perhaps Justin, who also came around to check on us. apparently he is the general manager.

And then there was Cher (apparently her full name is Cherlynn)…. She was in the buffet area, and let’s just say that she went above and beyond! What a rockstar! I wear dentures, and I cannot chew meat if it is not extremely tender. There was only one dish that my daughter warned me was very chewy, but had an amazing mushroom gravy. So, what I did was as per my daughter’s recommendations, was to get the prime rib, which was absolutely melt in your mouth tender, but to get it with the mushroom gravy. The only problem was, there was a slotted spoon.

Cher went back to get me some gravy and brought it to my table. She did several other things as well. What a beautiful woman and she provided extraordinary customer service.

I always say that server being that both my daughters were in that industry, can make the experience worse, they can just kind of be there and it can be a neutral experience OR they can enhance the experience!

It’s Ocean Zen. If you have been here or there, you know that it’s an excellent restaurant and the food is delicious and today was absolutely no exception. My only regret is I absolutely love the mashed potatoes but because of my dentures and how slow I eat, they kept getting cold . I will say that from past experience, I know that they are absolutely delicious. Anyway, to make a long story longer, and even more boring, I will absolutely a test that in addition to the wonderful food, Matt and Cher completely enhanced our experience!

I hope they have a Mother’s Day brunch! I have always been the woman that does not go out on holidays because of the crowds, especially with my disability because it’s very painful. Today was not an exception. I will say, though, I will be going if they have one!

Hello? I don’t know who is Matt and Cher’s bus, but give them a raise! They are absolutely EXTRAORDINARY!!!!

Sorry that I forgot to...

I found a new way to get the Zen flowing that we all need sometimes. I hit up Ocean Zen on the Southside of Springfield, Missouri, and boy am I glad we did. I met up with Chef/Owner Johnson Tan, who is the Executive Chef and creative designer of the menu.

Chef Tan builds his philosophy by letting Eat meet West in bold culinary ways. Let’s dive into the menu items we enjoyed last week.

Stop Drop & Roll - Spicy Tuna, Shrimp Tempura topped with Walu Butterfish, Shrimp, Sriracha, & Furikake $21

They light this roll on fire and in my opinion, it is one of the best Sushi Rolls in the 417. I love butterfish, and that is an item you can’t find in the area often.

Crispy Hong Kong Style Salt & Pepper Jalapeno Soft Shell Crab w Garlic, Butter, Jalapenos & Spicy Mayo $20

This dish was one of my favorites and a lot of the film crew had never had soft shell crab so that was cool to share that experience with them.

Sesame Nori Crusted Seared Rare Ahi Tuna which was Tobiko Caviar, Enoki Mushrooms, Teriyaki Soy Mustard Lobster Sauce $20

This dish was so fresh and flavorful like a tuna umami explosion in your mouth, highly recommend this dish!

Ocean Zen’s Signature Appetizer Sampler - Crispy Shrimp Rolls, Crab Wontons, Mongolian Ribs, Potstickers $20 (serves 2)

You can never go wrong with this, they use real crab in the wontons, and the ribs were on point. The film crew devoured this dish after the shoot, A++

Blueberry Teriyaki Glazed Salmon - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Asian Veggies, Crispy Shrimp Roll, Blueberry Butter Sauce $34

What a fun spin on salmon. The blueberry sauce was different and eclectic, with a great flavor combination.

Ocean Zen Signature Seafood Pasta - Butter Garlic Roasted Half Lobster Tail, Jumbo Bacon Wrapped Scallops, Seared Shrimp Stix, Rigatoni Pasta, Pesto Cream Sauce $35

The lobster was perfectly cooked and I loved the Bacon Wrapped Scallop. This was a masterpiece of a dish.

Mongolian Glazed Grilled 16oz Angus Ribeye - Bacon Cheddar Mashed Potatoes, X.O. Style Green Beans, Brandy Dijon Cream Sauce $45

The ribeye melted in your mouth and I am a huge fan of the Brandy Dijon Cream Sauce. The green beans were fried and super tender and juicy.

Chef Tan also brought us out the special that was South African Tail Lobster with a Garlic Butter Sauce. South African Tail is so sweet and one of my favorite seafoods.

I am so thankful for a restaurant like this in our area where you can leave all your troubles of the world behind when you walk into the doors of this establishment. From the divine NA Cocktails to the service, the ambiance and the flavors, this restaurant is on point!

Come check them out and tell them “The Chefs View” sent ya, I am also curious what is your favorite dish???

#thechefsview #oceanzen #springfieldmissouri #springfieldmo #asianfood #sushi #steak #lobster...

What an absolutely wonderful dining establishment. Ocean Zen has just about everything you would want on a menu. A perfect place to come on a date night, family night out, or a celebratory occasion of any kind. We had the pleasure of dining as a family with our kids around 7:30pm on a Friday. Jean was our server and she was also training a new server Jillian. They were both just exceptional from start to finish. They were so professional and welcoming at the same time, which is rare to find. I can't wait to return and ask for them specifically by name. Not only were they extremely knowledgeable of the menu and specials, but we're so polite and courteous to our entire family. We felt like VIP guests and that's a testimate to their impeccable attention to detail. They even suggested kid friendly places for us to visit after finding out we were from out of town, and just made us feel so special, even though the only thing we were celebrating was finding an amazing sushi restaurant with an elegant flare in Springfield! The entire meal from the cocktails, appetizers, and sashimi platter was sublime! The best part, again, had to be the service though, I can't stress enough, from someone who dines at many fine dining restaurants, Ocean Zen is a 10 out of 5 stars. The ambiance is welcoming and their food, staff, and affordable price points are just spot on. This is a great place for the whole family. I highly recommend you make a reservation and treat yourself or a loved one out to an incredible dining experience. Thank you again to Jean and Jillian, as well as the entire Ocean staff for being one of the best parts of our visit to Springfield. We will most certainly be planning a return visit the next time...