Drinks @ Zengo

It’s funny how you can work in the same area for years yet still manage to discover new places in the neighborhood.  My friend S recently suggested we go to Zengo for happy hour and, as it turns out, it’s only 2 blocks from my office! 

Zengo, a Latin American/Asian Fusion restaurant, is a stylish space with high ceilings and trendy feel.  They main seating area is spacious and there is a bar both on the main level and upstairs on the second level. 

Zengo Entrace

Inside main dining room area (through the lens of my fuzzy blackberry...)



We headed to the upstairs bar area where there were more seating options and selected a table overlooking the main dining area (tables are first come first serve upstairs during happy hour).  Hoping to make the night as cost effective as possible, S and I decided to take advantage of the full happy hour menu (available weekdays 5-7pm at both the downstairs and upstairs bar area).

Full happy hour menu

With food priced at just $5 per dish, we put in orders for a couple snacks along with our drink orders (margarita for me and a caipirnha for S).  The drinks were tasty - perfect blend of tasty and strong - and here are my thoughts on the food:


Yellowfin Tuna Flatbread and Braised Short Rib Flatbread


Flatbreads: We ordered the Yellowfin Tuna Flatbread and the Braised Short Rib Flatbread.  The flatbread part was crispy and tasty, but that was about the only part that I liked.  The short rib was not fresh (probably leftover meat from previous days) as there was a bit of “meaty” taste.  Yellowfin Tuna was ok but nothing life-changing.  Also, the small portions = cranky Piggy KK. 

Salmon Roll



Yellowfin Tuna Roll


Sushi rolls:  We got the Chipotle Yellowfin Tuna Roll and the Salmon Roll.  Both were good!  The rolls look petite but you get 8 pieces and it was a good balance of not too much rice and a good amount of fish inside.  Salmon roll was actually cooked salmon but it was my favorite!


Shrimp-Vegetable Potstickers

 Shrimp-Vegetable Potstickers: These were great!  Warm and crispy on the outside, flavorful on the inside.  Can with a standard dipping sauce but it really brought out the flavor of the potsticker!  This was a winner. 

S and I enjoyed the Salmon Roll and Potstickers so much that we placed an extra order of each with our second round of drinks.  Sadly, while the drinks were good and most food items were tasty, the bill somehow got ugly.  Our happy hour menu plan turned into an $80 bill (that’s $40 each on happy hour wowsa!).  It’s amazing how these small plates can add up, but not necessarily fill you up.  For an extra $10, I'd rather order an entrée with a great cocktail and walk out feeling like I had a full meal.  Given my sticker shock, it’s unlikely I’ll return for happy hour.  But since the food was intriguing and the space was fun, I’m looking forward to giving dinner service a try!  I’ll post after I return…

Piggy says eh…(for now!)

Thanks for reading – Piggy KK