Brown and owner Danny Lee opened the bistro in the former Romi’s restaurant next door to BJ’s brewery. It is a wonderful addition to the Antelope Valley Mall’s Restaurant Row.
“I’ve been cooking since I was 16 years old. I have always loved to cook,” Brown said. “I was always in the kitchen helping my mom.”
Brown studied at the University of Antelope Valley Culinary Arts School and was one of its first graduates. He was trained in Italian cuisine, but his first love was the Korean dishes he learned from his mother.
After 12 years in the business, Brown went back to his roots. He has been a sushi chef for four years and is now also cooking the Asian cuisine he loves so much.
Lee is very experienced in the business. He has another successful restaurant in Costa Mesa.
When Lee opened the Palmdale restaurant, he decided to keep the elegant interior, decor and breathtaking chandelier. His staff is one of the friendliest in the Valley. And the food prepared by Brown and his assistant chefs is truly unique Asian cuisine.
The former bar located near the front of the restaurant is now a sushi bar lead by Brown himself. They also offer some good old American food including tacos, burgers and pizza – with their own little twist.
Lee says he wants to make the bistro a family friendly place for Valley residents. Because the restaurant is large, there will be an area where diners can watch sports on large screen televisions without the sound bothering others.
On the day of my visit, they had completed reprogramming the music so that there is more of a variety.
“The music they had was terrible,” Lee said, shaking his head.
Lee is working with the city through a program that offers a loan to businesses that open in the city and provide jobs for Valley residents. Lee says he plans on having a staff of at least 20 people.
When you visit Sushi Zen Bistro, bring a big appetite. The restaurant offers a 20-page menu of food, appetizers, deserts and drinks. They also offer daily specials for $7 on some days, 50% off Sushi, and all you can eat Sushi and rolls on others.
There is a Happy Hour and a Late Night Happy Hour, which features $3, $4 and $5 menus. Appetizers range from $2.75 to $11.95 and dinners from $7.95 (Kids Meal), and adults from $14.95 to $28.95.
On my visit, Brown prepared a variety of dishes for me to taste. He started with a dish of Fire Crunch Rolls of crab, cucumber, shrimp tempura, avocado, spicy tuna, chef’s jalapeno sauce and crunch served with Teriyaki sauce.
Next he appeared bearing a dish of Kimchi Tacos - containing Kimchi, chicken, lettuce, tomato, Teriyaki sauce, Japanese salsa and Wasabi guacamole.
According to Brown, Kimchi is fermented cabbage and is considered a very healthy food.
“It keeps you looking and feeling young,” Brown said.
Ladies, please note the above statement and in addition, I must tell you that it also is very delicious.
And finally there was the Kobe Dinner consisting of Sesame Chicken, Beef Teriyaki, House salad with Ginger dressing.
Our waitress Robyn Hagemeier treated all the customers as if they were royalty – ready to serve and assist in any way possible. She was genuinely friendly.
Everything was delicious - much better than the usual fare at most Asian restaurants.
We won’t reveal everything. We will leave that to our “Unknown Food Critic” who will be visiting the restaurant shortly.
“Bring him on,” Brown joked. “I’m ready for him.”
Lee and Brown are planning a big grand opening soon.
“I want to make sure everything is perfect first,” Lee said.
In the meantime, stop by for lunch or dinner and enjoy the ambience, the friendly staff and most of all the delicious food served by the friendliest people. It’s a dining treat you don’t want to miss.
