Zen Japanese Restaurant

What is Zen Japanese Restaurant? Set inside a commercial plaza at 7634 Woodbine Avenue in Milliken Mills, Zen Japanese Restaurant is widely regarded as an enduring benchmark for traditional Edomae-style sushi in the Greater Toronto Area. Led by veteran chef-owner Seiichi Kashiwabara, the room trades modern flash for understated wood accents, soft lighting, and an intimate dining space anchored by an L-shaped sushi counter.

Zen Japanese Restaurant Menu & What to Order The defining order is the multi-course Omakase Sushi Course, where pristine cuts of bluefin tuna, seasonal white fish, and Hokkaido uni are pressed over warm, seasoned rice piece by piece. Beyond the raw bar, cooked staples like the miso-marinated Gindara Saikyo Yaki, sliced Kamo Roast duck, and sizzling A5 Wagyu deliver incredible depth. Complement the meal with a chilled bottle from the curated artisanal sake list; note that classical preparation standards mean vegan, vegetarian, and halal options are virtually non-existent.

Know Before You Go While standard table seating is reservable online, securing a seat at the sushi counter requires booking by phone directly and well in advance. The strip plaza provides ample free surface parking off Woodbine Avenue just north of Steeles. Zen is open for lunch and dinner service from Tuesday through Saturday, remaining closed on Sundays and Mondays.