ZenCha Tea Salon

ZenCha Tea Salon has two locations with different menus; this review focuses on the Bexley site, which opened in the spring and features more ambitious dinner offerings than its Short North sibling.

When you are seated in the pleasant and calming restaurant, you’ll get a small free sample of a tea of their choice. ZenCha is well equipped for an education in tea and food. There were 91 varieties of tea available, grouped geographically. Their selections from places where tea is taken most seriously—China, Taiwan and Japan—were excellently chosen for the most noteworthy varieties. Each sort of tea was served in a way appropriate to its origin, such as small iron teapots for Sencha from Japan and rounded cups with an insert holding loose tea from China.

I learned I liked teas I never would have ordered, including caramel latte, which was mild and tasty with milky and caramel flavors balancing the gentle tea flavor. Owner I-Chen Huang can wax enthusiastic about tea as a beverage as interesting as wine and as well suited to pairing with food. In fact, the matching of tea and food can be quite interesting, not to mention enjoyable. You may think at first that $5 is a lot to pay for tea. If it were a tea bag in a cup of lukewarm water, you might be right. But for a first-rate tea properly served to go with food, it’s a bargain. You’d pay that and more for a glass of wine, right?

And as impressive as the tea offerings were, the food also was good. I liked everything I tried.

ZenCha’s edamame were cooked just right and sprinkled generously with sea salt, the only dish on the menu with a salty taste. Chicken satay was nicely cooked, but a little bland without the great peanut sauce. Tempura vegetables were lovely: cut thin and beautifully and austerely battered. Smoked salmon crostini came with a fragrant salmon on excellent crostini dressed with fancy mayo, dried cherry (or was that cranberry?) compote and a single strand of chive. The ginger beef salad had pretty slices of nearly rare beef on vegetables, napa and red cabbage with a savory ginger dressing.

Entrees did not disappoint, either. My two favorites were the lovely ginger-glazed salmon, accompanied by the tiniest baby bok choy I’ve run across. The dish was beautifully flavored with peanuts, garlic, cilantro and red onions. Just as good was cardamom orange duck, served with braised cabbage and mashed sweet potatoes. And was that tea-flavored hollandaise?

The medium-rare beef in Russian caravan medallions was a little bland due to a lack of salt (no shaker in sight). The mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables that came with the dish, however, were perfect.

I’m sure the menu will evolve since it has fewer items than it might. But, again, that’s also a way of keeping quality high, so I’m not complaining. Heck, I’m looking forward to continuing the education of my tea palate.

—John Champlin

ZenCha Tea Salon

2396 E. Main St., Bexley

237-9690

zen-cha.com

Atmosphere: Understated, tasteful, pleasingly calm.

Recommended dishes: Edamame, sencha tempura veggies, smoked salmon crostini, ginger seared salmon, cardamom orange duck.

Price range: Appetizers $3.95-$8.95; soups and salads $5.50-$11.95; entrees $9.50-$18.95; desserts $2.50-$8.95.

Hours: Monday through Friday 11 am to 9 pm; Saturday 10 am to 9 pm; Sunday 10 am to 6 pm.

Service: Friendly and good, but sometimes slow (perhaps because the tea and food were being freshly prepared).

Reservations: Accepted.

  Rating: *** 1⁄2