3 friends and I were looking for somewhere to eat on Friday night. We were looking for somewhere reasonably priced and with decent food. Simple, eh? No, not really. Chelmsford is not good for eating out- the city centre is awash with mediocre chains and really poor quality independents.
Zen Noodle Bar on Duke Street is on of the only decent eateries in Chelmsford. As you'd expect, it specialises in noodle and rice dishes, drawing on many different Asian cuisines. It would be good choice for vegetarians or those with gluten intolerance are there are many options. I doubt any of the dishes could be found on the streets of an Asian country, but who cares? The food is good!
It was quite interesting that our ex-pat guest found the service a little lacking. He now lives in America and is used to having the waiting staff fawning over him to get a good tip. I find the American-style of service insincere and rather overbearing-give me a minimal service any day! I like Zen's system of having a simple menu and pre-printed order forms, reminiscent of hospital menus. It is efficient and you can dither your meal choices without a waitress breathing down your neck. Oh, and once the meal is ordered, it is cooked very quickly and it served immediately. This is a particular bonus to those who visit Zen during lunch time and don't have time to faff around.
On this occasion I had the duck spring rolls and the pad thai. Sadly, I am addicted to the pad thai and I have had it many times. I have had many other things off the menu and they have all been good, but I keep coming back to the pad thai. I wish I could be a bit more adventurous, but the pad thai wins every time. My partner is much the same with the a belly pork dish or the duck with barbecue sauce.
I really must go more often to explore the menu more...
