The Zen Scarborough in Scarborough

3260 Lawrence Ave E, Scarborough, ON M1H 1A4, Canada

★★★★☆
(95 reviews)
Categories: Takeout restaurant

About

"The Zen Caribbean Restaurant is a unique, authentic Caribbean & Chinese restaurant in Scarborough, Ontario. Our mission is to provide our guests with an unforgettable take-out experience that celebrates the rich culture of Caribbean & Chinese cuisine. Our vision is to be the go-to destination for authentic Caribbean & Chinese restaurants in Scarborough, Ontario. We are committed to providing our guests with quality food and service that exceed their expectations."

Website
thezenrestaurant.ca
Address
3260 Lawrence Ave E, Scarborough, ON M1H 1A4, Canada
Plus Code
QQ56+2F Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Time Zone
America/Toronto

Business Hours

Monday
Closed
Tuesday
12–9 PM
Wednesday
12–9 PM
Thursday
12–9 PM
Friday
12–9 PM
Saturday
12–9 PM
Sunday
12–8 PM

Services

Service options
Kerbside pickup Delivery Takeaway Dine-in
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible car park Assistive hearing loop Wheelchair-accessible entrance Wheelchair-accessible seating Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Offerings
Small plates
Dining options
Lunch Dinner Catering Counter service
Amenities
Toilets
Atmosphere
Casual
Planning
Accepts reservations
Payments
Credit cards Debit cards NFC mobile payments Credit cards
Parking
Free of charge street parking Free parking lot Parking

Photos

Reviews

4.2
★★★★☆
95 reviews

Most Mentioned

price (12) oxtail (6) jamaican (5) chicken fried rice (5) chinese food (5) caribbean cuisine (4) jerk (4) lo mein (4) rice and peas (3) curry goat (3)
5 stars
69
4 stars
6
3 stars
3
2 stars
7
1 stars
10
★★★★★
September 4, 2024

Best fried chicken wings. Period. Tried their pepper wings, has it extra spicy. Fantastic! The right kind of flavour, garlicky, served stir fried onions and pepper. Their whole menu looks great.

★★★★★
May 26, 2024

I visited this spot for the first time and was not disappointed. The meat was fresh and flavorful, and the fried rice was delicious. The portions were generous, too. I definitely recommend it!

★★★★★
May 25, 2024

This place is a must visit. It’s Jamaican chineese fusion food. We had tons of food and they all hit the spot!! Coming back and took take out too

★★★★★
May 22, 2024

Today, I tried the cantonese noodles with shrimp. The food was hot, fresh, and ready within the estimated wait time. I would definitely buy this again.

★★★★★
May 5, 2024

Tried this new spot for the chicken wings and chicken fried rice. Very juicy, crispy, and tasty wings. The fried rice was cooked very well, very well seasoned and overall we will be back for more! Don't forget the pepper sauce for that extra kick. Good friendly service and overall a winner! Great job!

★★★★★
April 27, 2024

My original order was Guyanese chinese chicken Fried rice and Chowmein with pepper fish.While placing my order the cashier suggested that I try the jerk chicken with rice and peas. I had it with curry goat gravy and I was happy with her suggestion. JERK chicken was full of flavor and rice and peas was on point. Coleslaw was creamy and crunchy as it should be !!! Will be ordering here again very soon!!!!

★★★★★
April 18, 2024

The jamican menu is on fire. The food was amazing and very flavourful. Highly recommend. Whoever the cook is, they need a raise. The Guyanese/Chinese food is also pretty good.

★★★★★
April 16, 2023

Amazing food at a great price. Definitely great value for your money. New favourite spot for takeout. I would highly recommend checking out this new hidden gem. Excellent service as well. Food was hot, fresh and fast. Recommend trying the pepper shrimp. It was so delicious. Will definitely order it again!!! The chicken fried rice and lo mein was also really good!! Can't wait to try different menu options.

★★★★
Local Guide
October 21, 2024

Food is decent and has lunch specials . Lots of parking

★★★★★
September 21, 2024

Best Guyanese chinese spot in scarborough. Good portions for the money. Havent had a container of rice packed full in long time. Food was hot and fresh.

★★★★★
Local Guide
August 21, 2024

This is my go to for proper Caribbean food their Jamaican menu is by far the best in Scarborough

★★★★★
June 21, 2024

As a Jamaican that has been searching for Jamaican food for the past 3 years since i came to this country zen is only place that food reminds me of home

★★★
Local Guide
June 21, 2024

Wasn t impressed with the food here, the Zen on Lawrence Ave E had better flavor. There s seating here and it s it much larger.

★★★★★
June 21, 2024

I liked the Zen house Chicken. The Cashier has sweet smile. She helped me alot in customizing food.

★★★★★
June 21, 2024

Their food is amazing. I would definitely recommend. Vegetarian options: Veggie Lo Mein and broccoli Parking: A lot of parking spots at the location

★★★★★
Local Guide
June 21, 2024

First off, the food was spectacular. Went with some friends and we got 2 small jerk chicken and 1 small oxtail, oxtail gravy was spot on, perfect amount of sweetness. The jerk chicken was moist with a great texture, seasoning was great. Oxtail was tender and flavourful. The only thing I will say is that if you do tend to eat a lot, the small may not be enough. Additionally, the amount of oxtail gravy on the jerk chicken could have been SLIGHTLY more. The price point was pretty good compared to other places, great lunch special deal from 12pm-3pm (7.99 for small jerk chicken?), Oxtail was about $15 for a small which is slightly higher than Id prefer but not by much. Side Note: Theres only a very small wall table so Id recommend coming in a car and eating the food in the car or at home. All in all, HIGHLY recommend trying this place out, it could become your new spot to frequent.

★★
Local Guide
June 21, 2024

Tried this place out based on the stellar blogto review and IM NOT IMPRESSED!! Had a bit of a run around just trying to purchase the food with both locations. 1st time I went the place was busy and not taking orders due to an event and the 2nd time there was an hr wait for food. I finally lucked out on the third attempt a week after. I ordered 4 dishes which came up to a whopping $75+tax/tip. Pros: -Pepper shrimp was pretty good, however they were very skimpy on the amount they gave. Cons: - rice was a bit mushy and soft -chow main was overly dry and lacked a bit of flavor -chilly chicken was excessively salty -Pricey Edit: Recently tried again and the fried rice was delightful, however the chicken on top was dry and stale like it was from 2days ago. Seems like quality is inconsistent.

★★★★★
Local Guide
June 21, 2024

Amazing food with the friendliest staff. They have great lunch specials.

★★★★★
Local Guide
June 21, 2024

Quality food and even better service

★★★★★
June 21, 2024

I popped in for the first time today with my kids to try their Jamaican menu and I must say I wasn t disappointed. I actually met one of the chefs on my way in and he was very nice. He helped me order the two meat and rice special, I got a large and while waiting the attendant. There was very nice and chatted with my children and I as we waited for our food when I got home, I got to eating and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. The food was really good. The fried chicken was great and the barbecue chicken was really nice and the sauce was not too spicy that even my daughter could have some also I must say the rice was very fluffy and Shelly just the way I like it will definitely be back,

May 21, 2024

Why you guys press ready on uber eats app if food is not ready? I waited more than 10 mins ,thats not fair. So please make sure its ready before driver arrive. Dont waste our time please .

★★★★★
May 21, 2024

Amazing!!! Always great service and tasty!!

★★★★★
May 21, 2024

Food is good as always never disappoints & the service is great .. the lady at the front counter is amazing she gotta nice smile too ;)

★★
May 21, 2024

Great portion size, disappointed in the curry goat today. Look dark and unattractive. This is my 2nd time coming on Friday and no coleslaw. Prices are higher on Uber eats and online. Im baffled that Caribbean food restaurant but run by non-Caribbean storefront staff. Nice location. I wish the food taste was constant as well, too much pepper..The jerk chicken is very tasty.

★★
April 21, 2024

Pimento is to season not to eat. Literally Every bite had 2 pieces of pimento because it wasn t enough to put whole pimento there was crushed pimento as well. Biting into pimento seeds is not what folks like. Oxtail was very sweet, rice and peas - so so, however, jerk chicken and pepper fish were on point.

★★★★★
April 21, 2024

Best food in Scarborough!!

★★★★★
April 21, 2024

The customer service is expextionally nice and the food is delicious

★★★★★
Local Guide
April 21, 2024

Great service and great food, fresh and the spice was nice!

★★★★★
Local Guide
April 21, 2024

Yooooo! The food at zen is the best in Scarborough! Im usually hard to please when it comes to food, but yooo Im officially making this place my go to spot because the flavor and finger-licking food! The two ladies at the front are so friendly and greets you with such a warm smile, and actually welcome you like your apart of the family. I just met the owner and hes so chill and down to earth. Its hard to find restaurants that have a family vibe to it, but at Zen you get both great tasting food and a feeling of home.

★★★★★
April 21, 2024

Went in today March 27/2024 to try their Jamaican menu and boy it did not disappoint... everything was very good and tasty and FRESH.. ... people dont sleep on the Jamaican food here as much as their Guyanese chinese food is

★★★★★
April 21, 2024

Food nice! I had the oxtail and jerk chicken Kid-friendliness: Nice Food : 5/5 |

★★★★★
Local Guide
April 21, 2024

My Favorite item on the menu is BBQ FRY CHICKEN!

★★★★★
Local Guide
April 21, 2024

Dyam, Dyam, Dyam!!! Where do I start? Excellent hospitality the moment we walked in! Very friendly Co owner and cashier! Had the pepper shrimp which was wow! nice size shrimp, great flavour. Also had the Tik Tok special... Oxtail and curry goat on rice and peas. Mouth watering! Both meats tender and fall off the bone! Perfectly seasoned! Amazing portion sizes! Cant wait to try more off the menu! Highly recommend trying! Sorry didnt take time for pictures.. Dived right in!!!

★★★★★
April 21, 2024

Great customer service and food. Give them a try and you ll love it.

★★★★★
April 21, 2024

Food is amazing, service is warm and pleasant. Love this family owned business keep cheffin it up in the kitchen and I ll keep coming back every time I have to work in Scarborough!!

★★★★★
April 21, 2024

I would absolutely recommend Zen to anyone because the food was delicious and fresh! I had the pepper shrimp, oxtail, jerk chicken, and coleslaw definitely a 10/10. Not only was the food good but the customer service was A+ and I had the pleasure of meeting the owner. I will definitely be coming back to try other food items. Thanks again

★★★★★
March 21, 2024

Ordered takeout based on reviews. Food was awesome! The beef short ribs with bbq jerk and zen special lo mein. I was surprised how awesome and affordable this was! Cost $50 to feed 4 of us.

★★★★★
March 21, 2024

Been going since they opened. Never had a complaint. Went today to try the new Jamaican menu. It was on point. Will definately be coming back. The lady who works at the counter is very friendly.

★★★★★
March 21, 2024

Best food in the city, fresh and delicious! Customer service is excellent everyone is friendly! This was my first time and I will definitely be back

★★★★★
March 21, 2024

The owner & his sister are amazing people! Great hospitality! & food OMG! The oxtail niceee & the GOAT! Real curry! Real tender! & don t forget the pepper shrimp! The chef knows what he is doing back there! Amazing lunch & chat today! Check them out!

February 21, 2024

They are closed for 2 weeks and didnt change their hours

Local Guide
February 21, 2024

Drove from Richmond Hill to check out the food but found the place closed at 5pm (door says they close at 9pm Saturday). No explanation on website or door. Kinda disappointed. Do they close at random times?!

February 21, 2024

The food was very tasty, but the portions were very small for the price we spent. I would have given the restaurant a 5-star if the portions were more. Please work on this so you attract more business. Also, you need to work on renovating the parking area in front of the restaurant, as the restaurant looks closed due to the construction being done.

★★★★★
Local Guide
January 21, 2024

Couldnt decide what to grab for dinner today and stop by Zen. Ordered a Zen special fried rice was 17.80 and boy do they load up that box with food and the taste and freshness was on point for Guyanese style Chinese food....dont sleep Scarborough...and all the other places around need to step up ...Watch out for Zen ...only downside is no dine in. Great job Zen crew...

★★★
January 21, 2024

Food was ok very bland but portion sizes are good for the price

★★
Local Guide
January 21, 2024

The food tastes good but it was ruined because they got the wrong order. I even showed them a picture of the food I wanted because I didn t know what the name of it was in the menu, it would do them justice to show pictures of the food. After showing both the lady at the counter and the chef the food I wanted, they got it incorrect still, they made a whole different dish. It ruined my meal when i found out it was incorrect. Food tastes good though, and pretty generous with their portions.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 21, 2023

The food is still the same location might take a little time. Glad it is closer. Friendly staff.

★★★★★
December 21, 2023

10/10 would recommend. Newest bomb place in town . Huge portions. Amazing flavour . Fast service great people

★★★★★
December 21, 2023

Great serving sizes for the price. Staff is friendly. Food is really good. You gotta try the beef short rib, lo mein. Pepper shrimp is fire!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 21, 2023

Great food, great customer service Recommend 10/10

★★★★★
December 21, 2023

Customer Service 10/10 The food was amazing, got my monies worth. Will highly recommend The Zen Caribbean Cuisine. Food : 5/5

★★★★★
December 21, 2023

The best in town, their food taste really great. I never regret it. Will highly recommend The Zen Caribbean Cuisine. Customer service were on point 10/10. Food

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 21, 2023

Yesss sir! this place is so good! I should just hand over my pay cheque. the food is amazing, the lil trini gyal at the counter is so nice and holds her composure when people demand a refund. Food : 5/5

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 21, 2023

Since they open, this place has had amazing food, Chilli chicken is amazing here

December 21, 2023

I tried calling and the phone kept going to voicemail. We were not told the wait time. Someone came after me and got through before me. The person was told 40-45 minutes after they paid and they wanted a refund. The cashier decided to speed their order up which resulted into them their order before I got mine after I was already waiting for 45 minutes. I asked why the customer got their order before I got mine and the cashier told me that she ordered pepper shrimp and it was sitting while I ordered the same item but was still waiting. No professionalism at all or customer service! Despite the service the food was good, best fried rice in a while.

★★★★★
December 21, 2023

Britt M s review is pure lies and isn t true. Her review is coming from a sense of entitlement and misunderstanding. I was a customer when she was waiting and everything she stated is an exaggeration. Waiting in line for the rest of the food that has been requested BEFORE you to be prepared just simply comes with the process. If you want fast food go to MCD. The phone line has been reported to get fixed; but that has nothing to do with them on a performance or professional level.

December 21, 2023

Would not recommend this place. Food was garbage. Looked appetizing online through social media but it tasted so utterly bad. Everything was burnt you could actually see pieces of charred food mixed in with the dish and lacked flavour. On top of that the pepper shrimp made me sick. Never again!

★★★
Local Guide
December 21, 2023

So ok on friday June 30th I ordered food for pick up and once I got home and started to eat the food I was very disappointed based on the video reviews on IG the fried rice full of egg which made it taste fresh not in a good way not even my toddler wanted it the fried chicken over the fried rice was stale like it was cooked the day before and warmed up the following day for customers. Restaurants only get one chance with Once I get a bad taste its a rap the food was not worth $47 dollars

★★★★★
December 21, 2023

Food Very Good Customer Service On Point Highly Recommend The Shrimp Chowmein, Shrimp Lo Mein and Pepper Shrimp Off Course

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 21, 2023

Great food, excellent size portions, fair prices! Take out only but definitely worth it!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 21, 2023

Their spicy fried shrimp was delicious , although the price was a bit steep for only protein, the amount of shrimp they gave was well worth. That hot sauce they include is no joke, this is the good stuff. I highly recommend the salt and pepper shrimp. I will definitely come here again with an empty stomach.I look forward to the many more creations to come.

Local Guide
December 21, 2023

The customer service is extremely poor. I called for a pick up order and first they hung up and then next time they picked up and told me to hold and I could hear them giggling and chit chatting and kept me on hold for more than 10 minutes and then their phone number was not reachable. Terrible service. Someone could be hungry and need food and you choose to make then wait and go chit chat and giggle around. Poor! Will never recommend such staff or service to anyone

December 21, 2023

Pepper shrimp literally made me and my whole fam sick, felt like they fried it in old expired oil. We all had nausea after eating it. $16 for a box of garbage. The restaurant hasn t even been open for that long for the food to be this disgusting. Wouldn t recommend.

★★★★★
December 21, 2023

If you ve never tried it, you need to!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 21, 2023

Tried for the first time lets just say will definitely be back!!@ excellent

★★
Local Guide
December 21, 2023

service poor, this girl server took the order wrong despite explicitly telling her what was required several times. food isnt that great either

December 21, 2023

Rice is stale, and the pepper shrimp is very soggy

★★★★★
December 21, 2023

I liked chicken fried rice extra spicy and i love pepper shrimp its very tasty and good chef who makes the food very delicious

★★
December 21, 2023

Ordered takeout for the work office. Wasted my money.Fried Rice had no taste May as well of been boiled rice. Ordered spring rolls couldnt get a plum sauce yet alone a soy sauce for the rice. Chilli chicken tasted decent but again neither the veggie rice nor the zen special fried rice both had no seasoning whatsoever. This is not the zen quality food Im used to. Maybe there is a practicing chef in the kitchen these days its a shame.eveething was bland. You guys need back your original chef

★★★★★
December 21, 2023

They seem to be under renovations or something but still open. There pepper shrimp is 5 in my book Food

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 21, 2023

I was served by Deepu she took my order and was friendly very patient. She helped me while I was reading the menu and answered all my questions. The food here is fresh and chicken fried rice is 10/10 Will definitely come back!

★★★★★
December 21, 2023

We ordered food from The Zen Scarborough, to cater a Celebration of Life. The food arrived hot, fresh and on time. I couldnt ask for better service or quality. Our guests were raving about the food. Everyone was asking where we got the food from. Thank you so much, to the staff at The Zen Scarborough for taking such a huge weight off of our shoulders. We will definitely be back in the future. Jessica and Family