Zen Asian Fusion Lounge

Great spot in downtown Schenectady for drinks and food. Stop by and enjoy a mojito. Sushi menu is awesome and they can cater to those who have gluten allergies. Food was delicious, wait staff courteous, and establishment very clean. Is definitely visit here again.

I'm not really sure where to really classify this modern store-front restaurant in the middle of downtown Schenectady. Despite claims on their website, I am a little confused. I am pretty sure they are really stretching what "fusion" means: big plastic menus for the food-drink selections alongside cloth napkins / packaged waribashi with forks / BOGO mojitos with sake cocktails / and multiple brands of gluten-free soy sauces. But some of the "Sunday Funday!" crowd that those choices encourage were just beginning to make themselves known over at the regular alcohol bar, as I finished an early dinner in the nearly empty restaurant area. As I walked in, the quick and efficient host/server greeted and escorted me to a seat at the cramped 8-seat sushi bar. Not surprising for this "fusion" atmosphere, I was able to select only one type of hot tea, but ten types of mojitos were available, from whatever part of Zen Asia that rum and limes come from. I was presented (gratis) with a simple soup and tea, most likely because of the number of relative expensive selections I had already made. I watched the two chefs quickly prepare my main, with only one chef a tiny bit distracted by the March Madness on the muted television behind him. Apparently they were not distracted at all, as they presented a simple elegant plating, although unadorned, of two rolls and a handful of nigiri. The maki were the weaker of the selections, with a spicy salmon that was dry, bland and not spicy at all. The eel cucumber should probably be renamed cucumber eel, with so little eel that it was bordering upon becoming a vegetarian roll. The nigiri were much better, although the rice itself was only very lightly seasoned, a bit less than I prefer. The suzuki and hamachi were both excellent, with firm fresh taste - very good, even if the firm texture indicated a lower fat content, that I had initially hoped, apparently from a non-belly cut. The unagi was thankfully not drowned in sauce. The ikura had that tiny little "pop" you expect from fresh roe, and I believe even the chilled tamago tasted as if it was cooked this morning. My only demerit would be because of a lack of wasabi beneath each piece of fish atop the rice - but that is a step very few Capital Region restaurants provide. I most likely will return soon, but I think I'll do my best to try to avoid the crowded bar hours. 2019 03 24.