Café Zen On Yew

Although the name and Asian motif is misleading, the American-​style breakfast was pretty good. You can mix and match your bennies which is great, and the rest of the menu is pretty straightforward diner-​style.
The crab & avocado Benny was the best of the three types we ordered.

I really feel like the food is poor for the price. I had some Bennies with ham, and the hollandaise sause tasted like mayonnaise straihgt up.
The poached eggs where too rounded, so my guess is that they’re not tradicionally boiled.
The pancakes where good.

I ordered the BC Salmon Benny, was so good, loved it. Coffee was fresh. Service was very fast. Cute place. Service was not good. Our waitress was very indifferent, rude and had a ‘not care at all attitude’. Food was great, but when the person brings your food like she just spat on it ruins the whole experience. Maybe she was having a bad day… either way diners shouldn’t see or feel it. Minus 2 stars for service.

My favourite brunch in Kits! Service is always friendly amazing. The selection of bennys is the best part. I like the Chorizo Benedict. Always leave this place happy and full!

My fiancé and I have been checking out quite a few brunch spots the past year and we decided to check this one out.
We came on a Monday and I liked that we were seated right away and given coffee as soon as we sat down. We both ordered benedict’s, mine was crab and his was chorizo. They told us that we could mix and match the benny’s which I thought was quite cool because it allows you to try two different ones, however we just stuck with what we ordered.
The bennies came with breakfast potatoes, which I found a little dry and not too flavourful. The bennies were cooked well but the hollandaise sauce wasn’t that great. The crab also did not taste fresh and I felt a little sick to my stomach afterwards.
Good location, no lineup on a Monday but the hype wasn’t all that was thought out to be.

My boyfriend and I went to Café Zen this past Saturday for brunch. The place was packed! However, we didn’t have to wait for a table at all. They quickly seated us. The service was fantastic! Very quick and friendly. They turned tables over very quickly without making us feeling rushed.
I had the waffles and my boyfriend ordered eggs benedict. He added chorizo to his and the $ 3 charge was reasonable. They forgot it initially, but 2 minutes later (without us bringing it up) they rushed it to our table. We were very impressed.
My waffles were decent, however they were pretty pricey for what I got. The fruit would have been $ 4+ and when the waffles are already $ 10, it didn’t seem worth it. However, my boyfriend’s eggs benedict was incredible. They aren’t lying on the menu when they say the hollondaise sauce is amazing! Next time I will definitely be getting them.
Delicious!

I used to go for breakfast at Zen all the time when i lived in Kits. Zen was not so Zenilicous today. This morning my girlfriend and I had a craving so we made the trek across town for our beloved eggs benedict. There wasn’t as much of a wait as we originally had thought however our seating arrangement was less then to be desired. Depending on where you are seated at Zen it may feel like sitting economy class on a west jet flight. At 6 foot tall It would be appreciated if the servers took that into account when seating people in there cozy corner in the far back. The hollandaise sauce was not as good as I remembered it to be and even though our meals came quickly they weren’t very warm when they did. I also expected to be asked how i wanted my eggs benny (soft, runny, hard etc). Service was friendly but brief.
I’ve had a better experience in the past. I hope things improve before my next visit. I won’t be traveling across town for this experience. That is all.

My husband and I got the worst food poisoning from this place on Sunday Jan 10 from a crape the mushroom bacon to be exact, just a heads up people

There are few things I find more annoying than bad overrated over-​hyped breakfast joints that make you wait 40 mins for a table because there is a puzzling line up out the door (i am looking at you sophie’s cosmic café).
This place was a welcome change! We showed up at 12pm on a sunday and although the place was full, i didnt have to wait for a table.
I had the half california bennie and half mushroom and spinach. The cali was better (avocado and spinach) but both did the bennie poetic justice. Served with hashbrowns and a smile, i left full and wanting to come back soon: D

This brunch spot is my go to place almost every weekend! The food is delicious — its a classic and casual breakfast joint without the snobby attitude. However, the service is not the best. It really depends on your server and for a place I visit often — the warm welcoming feeling is just not there.

Mediocre food. Exceptional service.
I ordered a spinach, cheese and mushroom crêpe with potatoes. It was ehh … didn’t have much taste to it. The chai latte was okay as well… it was very cinnamonie.
My husband had the salmon and chorizo Benedict. I like my poached eggs runny and the eggs he had were a little too done. The hollandaise sauce was not bad but it wasn’t shining either.
I left breakfast wanting something with more taste. Something more savory.

Best. Bennies. I. Have. Ever. Had.
If that doesn’t bring you in the door, then I hope you find something you like!
It was super quiet when we stopped here for a bite to eat after biking around Vancouver. Coffee was hot and tasty, and the eggs benny looked scrumptious so we dug right in. How can they be that good?! It’s beyond me, but doesn’t matter.
Café Zen is eclectic, the décor is whimsical, but the food. I could sit on the sidewalk, and the food would still blow my mind.
Now I want eggs benny. It’ll be hard to find a place that is up to par with Café Zen.

The food is often good, sometimes not. I always have different bennies. Most are good, but last time it was on the cold side and the bun was quite difficult to cut — just seemed a bit low quality or old. But for the most part bennies are pretty good here. It’s a lively place to spend brunch at on the weekend. My favourite is Sunset Grill around the corner.
The service is ok on average.

I wish I was giving this place a higher rating! We came here for our final Vancouver weekend trip meal and it was also the morning of our friend’s birthday– but Café Zen really didn’t deliver. Food was very average, think dishes that you can easily make at home. I ordered the crab benedict thinking it’d live up to the price, but it was pretty lackluster in presentation and flavor. A measly amount of crab meat and two sad, overcooked eggs (that looked like they were poached in a mold of some sort) What really disappointed us was the service: We had to flag staff down several times to get any attention, and when they sent out an incorrect dish no apology of any sort was exchanged. Honestly, the only thing that stood out to me was its proximity to Kitsilano Beach. Interior was nice too… some of the decors are a little corny.

The meal was just ok and the service was ok too.
The price is on the high side for what it is.
I ordered eggs benedict with smoked salmon.
It was salty.
Potatoes were salty too, and I did not really care for them.
Meter parking only.

Solid breakfast with a lot of bacon. I recommend the farmer’s crêpe or French toast soaked in syrup. One star off for spotty service.

Super tasty! We had no problem getting a table, but we went at a weird time inbetween breakfast and lunch on a weekday as well. They had a metric ton of food. The husband got the Benjamine Bennie and loved it. I wanted something light and I got pretty much a bucket of yogurt and fruit salad with granola. It was HUGE.
So, you won’t leave hungry, that’s for sure. Great service as well.

I was eager to try this place because of its nearby location and all the positive Unilocal reviews, but I was so disappointed by my Café Zen breakfast. The burning question on my mind, «do people who patronize this joint just have loads of dollars to waste, are they perhaps incredibly lazy, or both?»
Since eggs bennies seemed to be their specialty, I had a split order of the benji-​mushroom and the flo-​benedict. The skimpy hollandaise was bland and while not as bad as the gelatinous gloop you get at some really crappy dives, it didn’t have the rich, creamy body and lemony zing of a proper hollandaise. It made me wish I just made breakfast for my friend and myself at home o. O
While I generally prefer to support independent businesses, and your wholesome mom and pop shops, you could get better quality brunch and value at a chain like Milestones… trust me, that’s not something I can admit to easily.
What a shame.

This place was my first stip today as I explored the Kitsilano area. This is a small little breakfast and brunch place. I ordered one of the Flo Benedict. It was very good! The hollandise sauce was done very well, a nice taste. The poached eggs were cooked just right. Thr portion is generous too. Pricing is average to other brunch places. Overall, my experience was good. This is a good breakfast place to go to.

Went here with friends for Sunday brunch. It was packed! We waited a while to get a seat, but we were asked for our drink orders as soon as we sat down. I asked for a water, but when the server came back to take our food orders, I ordered a coffee (along with the B.C. Bennies). As we waited for our food, I realized I still hadn’t gotten my coffee. We let the server know and she brought it right away — it was pretty busy so she probably forgot.
The food was good and quite filling. Other than forgetting the coffee, the service was prompt and there were no other issues.
All in all a decent place. Probably wouldn’t eat here again though, unless friends suggested it. You can find cheaper brunch options elsewhere.

Decent food. Nice staff. cute café.
Not my fav, won’t make an effort to go back but wouldn’t say no if friends wanted to go.

This is one of the few places that open at 7am. Showed up at 7am and were the first person there. Love how they have the beverages choice on the wall. It just made things so easy especially in the morning when i am so sleepy. Had the Chai Latte and I loved it. One of the best Chai, I had so far.
As well ordered the BC Benedict and the only issue I had was the salmon was a bit too salty. I have to say the portion size was pretty big. I couldn’t finish it.
The décor is nice. It had a diner feel to it. As well, it’s interesting how the owner has all his family picture up on the wall.
Deal: if you come before 10am, they have an early bird breakfast deal.
I find it quite interesting here how it is like a whole new neighbourhood. Definitely coming back.

Clearly the go-​to spot for weekend brunch.
Half of the entire menu is eggs benedict («bennies») and Café Zen comes through with the most ingenious of ideas– you can freely mix and match different bennies! No more locking yourself in to just bacon or spinach.
YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL.
They also have unbelievably good orange juice. You’d think the room for improvement in the field of juicing fruit would be limited, but then you have a sip here and it shatters all those preconceptions.
It’s tight and packed on weekends, but they move like lightning. We went at 11am and even with a full house, only waited about 3 minutes for a table.

Zen is the place I wish I liked better. Nice location. Easy parking. Fine room. Friendly attentive service. Where it fails is the food.
Wide variety of bennies are offered with one common denominator — rock hard muffin. I’ve experimented with other options and remain underwhelmed. Coffee is substandard compared to most places.
Zen is not a bad restaurant. It’s just not a great one.

I’ve been here before years ago and I remember loving it. But when we went this morning for Sunday brunch, I was less than impressed.
We arrived and gave our names — there was a line, which we expected. The wait was short and we were seated promptly. Our drinks came out quickly and our server was friendly.
But here’s where it goes downhill:
I ordered the greek scramble, with a fruit cup as my side (instead of hashbrowns).
The fruit cup arrived immediately. No other food. Just the fruit cup. So we both ended up nibbling on it while waiting for the rest of the meal.
A different server arrives with something that isn’t our order — she’s gotten her tables confused. No biggie.
Another server arrives with my scramble, and a fruit cup on the plate. When she sees I have a fruit cup she takes the one off the plate and hands me a plate that is completely empty except for a scramble. There should be toast — it isn’t there.
We wait.
Another server arrives with something that isn’t our order either. More confusion.
Then my fiancé’s dish arrives. Finally we can start eating.
I ask a server about the toast that is meant to come with the scramble. She says she’ll get right on it, and scurries away.
I try and eat slowly so I can enjoy some of the scramble with the toast — but it still doesn’t arrive.
Our original server who took our drink order arrives and I ask again about the toast — she asks if I didn’t get any, apologizes, and goes to get it.
By the time the toast actually arrived I had two bites of scramble left.
The food was alright — but I’ve had much better, from places with their act together. I was pretty surprised that such a well known brunch place seemed totally scatterbrained. We ended up coming into contact with 5 different servers (granted, two were dropping off orders at the wrong table), and they seemed to not even remember what goes with an order. I don’t think I should have to remind you to bring something that is stated as being part of the dish and I don’t think I should have to let my meal go cold while I wait for you to serve my dining partner either.
I don’t remember it being this mediocre before, but alas. I’ll stick to my brunch favourites.