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I really enjoyed the ceviche which had a nice spicy-citrus combination. The seafood tasted fresh and was not rubbery. I also liked the crunch of the heart of palm which I don't see enough of at most places.

I preferred the previous ceviche to this. Although this was still tasted fine, I thought there was too much cucumber and the fish needed some flavoring.

I really enjoyed this dish which included a generous serving of tender shredded duck, sweet plantains, caramelized onions and topped with a runny egg yolk. This dish was hearty and was the perfect hangover food.

This was a pretty ordinary potsticker but I was pleased to find that the dumpling skin wasn't too thick. There was also a generous filling of shrimp and veggies. Asian Eastsiders may balk at the dumpling and compare it to the ones you can find in Alhambra, but I think it's good enough for someone that's just craving a dumpling and doesn't want to drive 30 miles east.

For a gyoza, I thought these should have been pan fried a bit more. It was missing that crispy skin. But overall, still tasty.

The meatballs were dense but surprisingly quite tender. Zengo does a great job of meshing Latin and Asian ingredients. The aromatic kaffir lime and cilantro foam was an interesting combination but worked really well.

The empanadas came out pipping hot, with a buttery and flaky pastry. The shredded chicken was juicy and well seasoned. Flavorful chicken juice ozzed out of the empanada as you bit into it. This was one of my favorite dishes.

This was similar to a pulled pork slider with a sweet marinade. There was also some sort of a Vietnamese cured ham or perhaps headcheese. The meats were topped with pickled vegetables that was tangy and crunchy. I was quite impressed with the bun which was fresh and soft.

I preferred the previous slider to this. The meat was charred and I hoped it had been a bit juicer. The perfectly poached egg was a nice touch, which added some moisture to the meat.

I really enjoyed this version of a lettuce wrap which traditionally is served with only pork. The ground pork was seasoned well, and the shrimps were battered and fried. Included in the mix were spiced nuts and sweet mango mint chutney. The flavors were very unique and bold.

This is a good dish if you are craving sushi but it wasn't as unique as the other dishes on the menu. But Zengo does a good job of offering something for everyone, so this would do well with sushi lovers.

I actually really enjoyed the yucca fries although some of my friends found the texture odd. The yucca was soft in the center and had a sweet taste. The breading was very crispy and not oily.

The salmon was grilled with a char but I thought it was a bit overcooked. The mushrooms added a heavy, earthy flavor. I liked the use of ponzu sauce, which worked well with the salmon and gave a tart flavor to the fish.

We ended the meal with their only sweet dessert item. The Pan dulce was toasted and airy, and drizzled with a sweet orange agave syrup. I enjoyed the light and spicy cinnamon whipped cream.
I thought an all-you-can-eat meal would result in poor quality and mediocre-tasting food but in fact, the dishes at Zengo were anything but. Some dishes were what you could find at many places (dumplings, fried rice) but they were still tasty. There were other dishes that combined Latin and Asian flavors perfectly, and were quite unique. Apart from the good food, the service was excellent. Our waitress came by often to take our drink orders. She was also friendly and gave us good recommendations. If you love trying different dishes and like to drink, Zengo is definitely a great place for brunch.
Hits: great deal, location/view, service, octopus ceviche, empanadas, duck hash
Misses: -
Rating: ***1/2
Zengo
395 Santa Monica Place.,
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 899-1000
www.richardsandoval.com/zengosm
1 comment:
I went here for happy hour and although it wasn't a steal of a deal, I was pleasantly surprised and liked the food. $35 is more than I would spend on a normal brunch, but maybe for a special occasion!
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