Review Cafe Zen - Vancouver

Daniel Silver

Good place for brunch. Although a bit snug it has a nice vibe. Staff were nice although maybe a little inattentive. I tried the Kits Club Sandwich and was impressed with the flavours. If you like breakfasts Cafe Zen is worth trying out.

Jay Kamal

Cute little place near Kits beach. Delicious breakfasts and the server was friendly and attentive. Good portions, hearty like a diner, and the hash browns are amazing. Will definitely come back.

Cindy Fleming

We had a great breakfast here, all our food are sooo good and our kids enjoyed their cereal infused drink. The lady that served us is very nice and pleasant.

Alina Akhmet

Literally the worst brunch place I’ve ever been. We’ve waited for our food 45 minutes and they messed up my order and didn’t even apologize. Waitress was super rude towards us. I ordered classics eggs on the side with waffles, but they brought me a plate of waffles with eggs on the side. Like who even does that? And for the record, scrambled eggs looked like this. Disappointed.

Mina

Let’s start with the remarkable thing that the orang juice was freshly squeezed! It really tasted like home squeezed ones. The waffle was so lovely and the Kits club was delicious. The staff are super friendly and the environment is so lovely. There were two things that I prefer being improved: while I asked for “not runny” eggs, I felt a bit sad to receive eggs with completely runny yolks. I ended up leaving them on my plate. Also, the hot chocolate was not hot at all. It was just warm which in less than 5 minutes became room temperature. Aside from these two, the rest of our experience was lovely and we will definitely be back for more lovely brunches.

Serena Cooper

We visited this cafe when we were visiting Vancouver from Ontario. Their breakfast was delicious with good size portions. Our server was lovely and had great suggestions. My hubby had the prawn Benny and said it was incredible. I really enjoyed their French Toast as a side to a classic eggs and hash brown breakfast. Highly recommend if you’re in the area!

mygamertag2010X

Extremely good service, location, and food. All of us thoroughly enjoyed our meals and drinks, and the wait time was very quick. One of our party spilled their drink very soon after receiving it, and the server was immediately on scene to clean it up completely; also providing a replacement drink free of charge. Wonderful in all regards.

Yosef Yitzchok Voronski

The service is awesome, the staffs are great and knows they’re menu. The food is great and we can see a change in the plating and fresh of the produce and the attention and love they put into it! I strongly recommend Cafe Zen on Yew to anyone who is loony for a good coffee and breakfast or lunch from Monday to Sunday! F.Y. I. On the weekend, request the patio and it is better to reserve, due to the line up!

Withmylittleeye

My friend and I visited Cafe Zen on a Wednesday early afternoon (today). I arrived earlier and then my friend arrived. I knew I wasn't hungry because I'd had a late lunch but my friend was undecided when she arrived. She ended up also deciding not to have any food at the end and we ordered a Mocha and a Latte. There was literally only one other table that was occupied so the place was far from being busy and there was no good reason for the waitress' attitude. We weren't occupying a coveted table or anything. Regardless, being a "good" Canadian, I apologized and going on with our reasons for not ordering food as I realized the waitress had the most unwelcoming stare and she wasn't even listening. Then she turned her back with no comment whatsoever. My friend and I were both shocked at the rudeness. I will definitely NOT go back. The Kits area is full of servers (maybe she was the owner, I don't know) who are more than happy to provide good friendly service. Your loss, Cafe Zen.

Ravinder

You get the feel that you're entering someone's dining room when you get here. Something very homely about the place. The food is good. Tried the pancakes, full breakfast, Mexican style eggs.

Willow Yang

This is a small diner/cafe located not far from Kits beach serving up a small menu of breakfast/brunch and lunch items. In addition to their regular menu, they do also have daily specials that are written on a board. During my visit, I had their California Club Sandwich and Chorizo Bennie. Both of the dishes were tasty (surprisingly, my favourite part was probably their fries) and reasonably priced. The staff I encountered was friendly and fairly attentive. This is certainly worth checking out. California Club Sandwich ($14.25): 4/5 This consisted of two layers filled with grilled chicken breast, cheese, tomato, lettuce, and your choice of either avocado or bacon (I went went bacon), and is served with French fries. The bread was nicely toasted. There was a generous amount of filling, which was very flavourful and tasty. The standout for me however, were the fries, which were were hot, cripsy and well seasoned. Chorizo Bennie ($12.49): 3.5/5 This consisted of large chunks of chorizo on toasted English muffin with poached eggs and hollandaise, and is served with hashbrowns. There was a good amount of chorizo, which is juicy, flavourful with a nice amount of spice. I asked for my eggs to be overmedium and they were more overhard, but I didn't mind (I actually enjoy firmer yolks). The hollandaise, while thick and creamy, was a bit on the bland side for me. I also found the muffin to be a bit gummy and hard to cut through. I did quite enjoy the hashbrowns, which were crispy and well seasoned. Summary: Food: 4/5 Price: 4/5 Service: 3.5/5 Overall: 4/5 Recommendations: California Club Sandwich

B & E

Cafe Zen is a charming little brunch spot. The place is kinda small and can be hard to miss. There are lots of different varieties on the menu and they let you try half of two different ones if you cannot decide. Their omelettes were pretty average - nothing special. Overall, it is your standard brunch fair at decent prices. Definitely a worthwhile stop if you ate looking for a quick breakfast/brunch.

Vanfoodie

I love the atmosphere of this place! The servers are super friendly and the food comes quick. I always end up getting the Benjamine (bacon and eggs Benedict) the eggs are poached to perfection and the bacon is nice and crispy. Highly recommend!

Ninja

Had the eggs benny- the hollandaise sauce is super good! the potatoes are your regular potatoes, nothing outstanding. I thought service could have been a little better. Overall a cute and good place for brunch, would like to go back and try the waffles.

Zack & Eliza's Food Adventures

Cafe Zen is a must try. Well reviewed with many recommendations. I decided to give it a go. First time I mix and matched benny's. Hollandaise was great, eggs were cooked well, and hash browns were golden and crisp. Second time around hollandaise was separating, soggy muffin, and undercooked hash browns. Food consistency is somewhat hit or miss. Service is good. Atmosphere of a casual diner. Will try again and update.

DanoRama

This place does Benny's right. I had the Benji and Florentine Greek. The hollandaise sauce is amazing. Service was very fast and friendly. Make sure you mix and match your Benny's!

Danielle

I seem to remember it being better. Has ownership changed? Factory food not fresh or homemade looking. Frozen hash browns, too perfect looking eggs.

Shemomedjamo.yvr

I came here for a friends birthday brunch, it is located just up the street from the water (would be great to go on a little walk when it's nice out). I ordered the baked egg and it was decent, maybe it just wasn't for me but everyone else's food looked delicious. The eggs Benedict was particularly appealing, might try this for next time!

Drunken Noms

Everyone always worries about putting weight on over the holidays. I know I sure do. So many parties, dinners, and get togethers inevitably mean that I pack on a few pounds. But this year I vowed to watch what I ate, and by new year’s day I had lost ten pounds. Now anyone who knows me in real life might be confused by this, since they probably saw me stuffing my face and drinking like a sailor at every Christmas party I visited. This is true. Fortunately every single member of my family got norovirus on boxing day. BAM! Instant weight loss. Also instant weakness and cancellation of all plans between Christmas and New Year’s. I highly recommend (note – I’m being facetious).

Sara_rad

Man was this place packed! We came here for a brunch in our last day in Vancouver after some local friends recommended it. I wish we had been here before! The bennies were delicious. Our BC benedict was huge, not to mention tasty. The sauce was amazing and the poached eggs as well. Would return!

YYCFoodie

I told my BF I have never had brunch in Vancouver so he took me here by surprise. I didn't know what to expect and came out extremely satisfied. As you walk into this small cafe, there's a sign that says "please seat yourself." As soon as we were sat, a very nice waitress (the only one running the floor) came and welcomed us. I ordered the mushroom and bacon Benny and was very happy with it! The bacon was fresh and the egg was poached perfectly medium. It wasn't doused in hollandaise sauce but had the perfect amount. They also have a great coffee! My BF has a the traditional breakfast with waffles and he said the waffles were a bit dry. I didn't personally try them but they did look good. Overall, I really liked this place! (Street Parking in the area is expensive, approx $0.25 for 6-7 mins).

Robin MacEwan

I moved away from Vancouver a few years ago, an was delighted to see Cafe Zen is still here. The food is simple and delish, service is great. Don't change a thing!

Marv Wang

Went here on a weekday brunch when i don't have any classes, and my friend decided to go for a brunch, so went there, and sat down, not much people because we came late like around 1ish, but i have seen this place super packed at some other times. I'm not a big brunch person because most of the brunch menu are quite similar just slightly different in terms of taste, and for taste it's also just a bit. So it comes down if the food is okay or not. Ordered a few items, Overall I'll say the food is relatively good, I still don't get for my friends who is really up for brunch, but again everyone have different preference as I've mine as well. but the potatoes, egg bennie, and bread was good. the ham was a nice touch too. overall I'll say that I do like it in terms of taste, but for price wise hmmm it's about right i'll say for brunch, and that's the reason i also don't like brunch. would i recommend the place? yes for early morning breakfast/brunch would I come back? no, I'm not a brunch person unless someone drags me there.

Steve R

We were in town on vacation and were recomended this place for breakfast. Good healthy and delicious food. A good Eat indeed and will make sure to visit again when if we come back.

Iamfunnylooking

Cafe Zen was super busy as it was New Years Day. We got our table after 30 min wait which was pretty good. It was fast for people who are in twos. Ordered huevos rancheros, half order French toast, and crab/avocado benedict. The service was lightening fast. Our food arrived 5 mins after we ordered! Didn't like the huevos rancheros, it was almost tasteless. It was also the same price as the crab/avocado benedict. The crab/avocado benedict and the french toast were good, thick cut of bread, just the way we like it.

Andreadolan05

Breakfast delight. I’ve had breakfast here and have enjoyed every second spent at Café Zen. Both the food and service were very good, and the value for the meal was great. I think the breakfast that they offer is the best part of the menu, and it’s also the best time to arrive as there are less people the earlier you get there, which means better service and less waiting time. During lunch time, it can get pretty crowded, but I would say it’s still worth the wait.

Smilekaren

First and last time here. My experience here was from far from zen. First off, it was unclear whether you need to put your name on the wait list when you get there or not. And since the guy in front of me said people were just lining up in queue, I ended up having to wait a couple more tables then I should have before I got a spot. And worst was the guy behind me lied to the server saying he arrived before me and got a table ahead of me, this whole scenario just made the staff look like total amateurs because they can't handle a little more volume. Next, we were a table of two and we shared a smoked salmon benny and the Lumberjack breakfast. The poached eggs were hard and obviously cooked way ahead of time which I don't blame them, most of these brunch places poach hundreds of eggs so they can keep up with the orders, the egg whites tasted like rubber and overcooked, although the egg yolks were runny, that's the least I'd expect from a brunch place. The english muffins were black and burnt. I could hardly chew it. The hollandaise sauce tasted bland and powdery. The supposedly two scrambled eggs must've been mini eggs because it looked like one egg to me, and was sadly done wrong too because it was all dry and shrivelled up. The high percentage Zen got on Urbanspoon was not reflected in their quality. I wouldn't come back even if there was no lineup, let alone waiting 20 mins plus people budging in front of you.

Sarawr

Decent breakfast food. I ordered the salmon benedict with avocado added. I thought the food was okay - it wasn't bad, but it wasn't amazing either. Prices were reasonable and for that price and not wanting to cook, I would go back. We were a large party and the food came out pretty fast. Service was good. Really, nothing amazing to say about this place, but nothing bad either. Although, I would definitely choose to go here for breakfast over lining up at Sophie's

VanCityFoodie88

Blueberry pancakes!. Always amazing service. The blueberry pancakes are out of this world! Many different variations on the bennys.

Stacyboczulak

Good but not great. Overall, Breakfast was pretty good. I loved the bacon and chorizo! The hollandaise was a bit "powdery" however, and the knives were REALLY dull. Seriously, my fingers hurt after trying to cut that english muffin.

Anatole Aesthete

Mediocrity on wheels. The famous bennies: eggs like hockey pucks and hollandaise resembling glue. Go, Vancouver, go! When so many people can like muck like this, you know this is an easy audience without standards. Yum, yum eat it up. Probably the same people who just love Sophie's Cosmic Cafe love this place. All well, food for all tastes and pockets.

Megs.j.king

It's just ok. Cafe Zen isn't really that Zen like, the food is just ok, however the most striking thing that I notice every time is how exceptionally unhappy the staff are. There are better places to have brunch in the area.

No Dessert Im Full

Unfortunately this place did not live up to its reputation for me... The meal was riddled with issues that i was not expecting from this popular busy spot, but ill try and be as nice and understanding as possible. I had the bacon benny and added baby shrimp to it. The server couldnt tell me how much it was to add the baby shrimp but it ended up costing 4 bucks... The english muffin was at least 3 or 4 days old as i could barely cut through it, i had to request a steak knife. The bacon was requested soft but came out rubbery. THE EGGS WERE NOT POACHED, THE YOLK WAS COMPLETELY COOKED. What the heck kitchen?? Honestly what the hell are you doing serving me a benny with completely cooked through yolks?????? And then to top it all off the server had the iq of a bag of bricks, screwed up the totals on the bill and tried to charge me $17 for that abortion of a benedict. It took him about 4 minutes to adjust the bill, i was just shy of asking him if he could handle it. I cannot recommend this place, too expensive, and no attention to detail on my meal, heck the meal was barely acceptable. Get your act together Cafe Zen, HARDLY THE BEST CASUAL BREAKFAST IN VANCOUVER, LIES!!!!

Comlou

HORRIBLE. This place is the furthest thing from Zen ever! The owners are European. They treat their staff like filth! the staff are not allowed to even say a short hello to each other. All work and no play. The worst thing is....they will not allow the staff to keep their own tips....and at the end of the day, only give them back a small percentage.....pocketing the rest. BEASTS!

Originalbunsen

Terrible service. Worst service i have recieved at a restaurant in recent memory. you shouldnt be in the hospitality industry if you dont like people. i grew up in vancouver and my experience in your restaurant makes me glad i left. Disingenuos, plastic people have taken over my old neighbourhood(and this restaurant) who are more concerned about how they look in their yoga pants than being productive, contributing members of society. ps they food was mediocre

Mr B

Enjoyable. Great choice of eggs benny. Prices are reasonable and serves are of a good size. Nice hollandaise sauce, however I found it a little rich.

Amy Nicole Enns

Thumbs UP. The place had great food and the staff were extremely friendly! The vibe was perfect with great tunes and a casual atmosphere.

Sam

Bennies!!. Best bennies in Vancouver! And such a cute little place. I bring my family here every time they come to visit. We all love it!

Darren S.

Great breakfast. Crazy busy on weekends.. The breadth of their breakfast menu is impressive. Prices are good and portions are good. I have particularly enjoyed their vegetarian bennies and omelettes. It's really busy on weekends, so service can be hit and miss. It's good enough that I'll actually line up (for a while) to get in. Nice neighbourhood to walk around after filling your belly. Steps to Kits Beach.

RM86

I've been coming here for years. Food is consistently good, fast, and the service is great. Zen is a simple breakfast place with great food, and it's not trying to be something that it's not. Love it here!

Foodielover

Highly recommend!. Finally went here for brunch today and was very impressed! We ordered the Greek Eggs Benny, French Toast, and Hauveros Rancheros. Everything was cooked well, tasted delicious, and a big serving size! I enjoyed the free fruit cup to start as well. Will definitely be going back to try the other bennys!

Samantha

Great Breakfast!. Love living in the area and grabbing a table before 10 and getting cheap breakfast (not that its too expensive in the first place). Food is always great, love to mix and match the bennys!!

Latenightsnacks

Yum!. Cafe Zen is awesome! The benedicts are amazing.. so many choices and you can mix and match! The service has always been great... Great brunch spot!

FoodinYVR

I liked it..homemade breakfast..very fluffy pancakes buy my spinach crepe was a bit bland. I could tell they were frozen spinach..I didn't have high hopes and big portion too. my friend found it overpriced thou

Noah Stewart

Just had brunch at cafe zen. Food was middling at best and the coffee was comparably bad. The service was even worse. Despite asking twice, my toast came at the end of the meal and cold. I will not be back.

T.m. Twilley

Really good food, pleasant atmoshpere, definitely worth it :-)

GoMunch

One of the best places for benedict, they have over 10 varieties to choose from. Weekends are always packed! To early for a table.

Vwxynot

Raw chicken? No thanks!. I'd been to this place once before with some friends who live locally and said it was a great place to take their kids. It was nothing special, but cheap and cheerful and decent and undeniably a good place to go if you're with little ones - they have lots of high chairs etc. So when I was in the area with another friend and her two-year-old, I suggested we try it. The waitress was friendly and service was prompt... too prompt... I took one bite of my chicken club sandwich and realised something was wrong. I looked at the piece of chicken, and realised it was completely raw in the middle. Not just pink - RAW. I'd given a piece of my sandwich to my friend's kid but luckily we managed to take it off her before she ate any of the meat. I wasn't so lucky - I'd already swallowed that first bite. The waitress was genuinely apologetic but it was just so gross. They brought me a second sandwich that was actually cooked, but I'd lost my appetite by then and didn't eat much of it at all. They discounted my meal substantially, but this just shouldn't happen, even when it is the Saturday lunchtime rush. I haven't got sick... yet (it can take up to six days for some kinds of poultry-borne food poisoning to manifest itself)... but I will not be back.

GypsyOnTheGo

Wholesome brunch with a wholesome crowd. Try the yogurt and granola with fresh fruit....won't disappoint.

Skydogs

Skydogs. Had brunch there yesterday and was somewhat disappointed with my avacado/feta omlette, the feta was non existent. Sprinkle the feta the lenght of the omlette and you have a great dish. Service was good so I may come again

Dan

Was great =/. Amazing food/price....before the price/menu change.. Now it seems they have new chef's that don't make it as good, and their lumberjack meal has shrunken by at least a quarter and they raised the price on it. Sadly I'm still on the hunt for a new breakfast spot =(

Denman On Dining

Brunchtime Crawl in Kits. One breezy Sunday morning after a lovely morning walk around Kits beach with a pal we decided to try this modest little place Cafe Zen located on Yew Street. To my happy surprise their menu choices were vast and I love a solid menu. They offer every kind of Eggs Bennie, though they use packaged Hollandaise. they have Fruit salad, home made waffles and half orders too, which I had on their eggs Florentine, yum. Their service is a tad chaotic and the plates could use some glam-a-fying but they do offer is good honest grub served in a place you feel immediately comfortable in. Great people watching too. I give it a B.

Amrit

The waitress knew we were super hungry, and she promised us the food would come out in five minutes and it did ! It was sooooo good and good portions. Good quality, trust what's recommended, I did and I had the best eggs benedict ever

Pretend Chef

Yum!. One of the better brunch spots in Kits! It's a comfortable & relaxed room (with personal travel pictures on he walls) where singles and families won't feel out of place, service is quick & friendly, the food is tasty, and prices are very reasonable. The bennys are great (no skimping on the toppings here), and there are a whole lot of them to choose from (which is why their half & half Bennys are such a great idea). The hash browns are out of a bag, yes, but this is the spot to go for breakfast or brunch when you want good, reliable diner food in a place you could bring just about anyone to on your way to or from the beach.

Connie

Best in Kits. There are some better known places along 4th ave but I gotta say that this is the best in the neighbourhood. Has half and half order of bennies straight on the menu. Always seems to be busy on the weekend. Only problem is that it's only suitable for smaller parties unless you're willing to wait a while.

Cdtraveller

Best breakfast in the hood and worth lining up for.

Holycow

A real cafe. This is a true breakfast place. fast, simple service, nobody trying to be anything fancy. the flo benny is sooooo good, piles of spinach with back bacon and hollondaise! yum. the french toast is great too. coffee needs work as do the cheques - i dont like being charged for something i can't read - invest in a computer system.

Ditto Tando

Excellent breakfast, excellent value, large portions, great quality. I recommend the lumberjack with french toast, big slices of french toast. Will definitely return.

Lethologica

Wow. Seriously the best breakfast ever. Lovely location just steps from the beach. Fast and efficient service and AMAZING eggs Benedict. I had the crab and avocado Benny and I was absolutely speechless the entire meal because of how damn delicious it was! Very reasonable prices as well. Check this place out!

Nel I

Half and half eggs benny is a no brained, I wish more places offered this! Cafe zen is delicious breakfast and they have some very affordable deals considering the location.

L1ghtdark

Sunny brunch in kits. We got there just in time before the line up and brunch rush started. Cafe Zen is a cute little brunch place in kits. They are most famous for their bennys and there's no question why. They are delicious! The hollandaise sauce is perfect and they give quite big portions in terms of their filling. The crepes are perfection. A tad crispy on the edges but soft in the middle. Very fast service and table turnover.

Brooke

Friendly service at a busy Kits hotspot. Very quick in the kitchen!!! Will definetly be returning to this place for breakfast!

Sinja

Excellent. I love brunch at Cafe Zen. Best eggs benny I ever had. Walk along Kits Beach afterwards. Prepare to line up between 11:30 am and 1:30 pm.

Dawn

THE breakfast spot in Kits. This is the place to go. Great breakfasts and blocks away from the beach. What more can you want.

Bethany Ho, Bites Of Vancouver

I decided to re-visit today, and decided to finally try a new menu item! I’ve always ordered eggs benedict, but today I decided to try the Mexicano Baked Eggs. Runny poached eggs over avocados, tomatoes, refried beans and rice, covered in cheese and then baked. I ended up liking them more than their eggs benedict, so my lesson of the day is try new things.

Cathy Chao

Date of visit: March 8, 2014 It's been a long time since my last visit to Cafe Zen . I used to come here often, and then I became obsessed with Paul's Omelettery and stopped coming here. I stopped going to Paul's now because of the long lineup, the rate increase and food has gone downhill. Because of the visit to Thyme to Indulge did not satisfy my craving for eggs benedict, we came here to have some REAL eggs benedict because I know Cafe Zen will not disappoint me. Cafe Zen offers a bunch of eggs benedicts choices, as well as other breakfast choices. I sort of wanted to order the french toast as their french toast is so fluffy; it's probably the best french toast that I have had in Vancouver. In the end I decided to go with just eggs benedict and ordered half crab and half shrimp. I remembered there was one time that I ordered the shrimp, but didn't taste too well. Fortunately, I didn't have this problem today. And no, they did not adjust their price like Paul did. I really love how

Diana

The atmosphere just feels like home and people who works here were very friendly. All of us ordered Egg Bennies. Mine was Avocado and Tomato Egg Bennies with Hashbrowns .Perfectly cooked eggs on English Muffins and the hollandaise was really delicious. The hasbrowns were very crispy and not too oily. Over all the service and food were pretty good, You can bring your friends and family to experience their yummy breakfast menu.

J At Vanbrosia.com

... ripe avocado and fresh crab meat; English muffin was on the thin side, dense and chewy; egg yolk was not runny at all, closer to a soft boiled egg (good for me as I could easily pick out the yolk)...

Angel Liu

4/5 Cute cafe! I got a veggie bagel which was yummy. I think it was made on a hamburger bun instead of a bagel though? The bagel did not have much chew on it. Nevertheless, it was delicious and I would definitely get it again. Tons of avocado and tomatoes. The coffee was pretty good. Yummmmm. Hashbrowns were ace. A photo posted by Angel (@angellovesmj) on Dec 12, 2014 at 11:40am PST xx Angel

JsLeigh14

...this past Sunday, my friend got me to wake up bright and early (at 9am!) so that we could have brunch at Cafe Zen in Kitslano. She insisted that we should go early since line ups usually get very long closer to noon. We arrived around 10am and were fortunate enough to get seated right away. Outside of Cafe Zen The interior of this restaurant is very homely with its picture frames, wooden chairs, and picnic table cloths. Their menu is jam packed with a lot of my favourite breakfast options, so it was a little hard for me to decide on what to get. Inside of Cafe Zen Breakfast Menu To start off, me and my friend shared half an order of French Toast . I really enjoyed these toasts, as they were thick and not-too-sweet. Half Order of French Toast ($6.99) Because eggs are my favourite, I had a BC Omelette with Hash Browns as my main meal. This omelette had lo

Foodictionary.net

I felt satisfied having brunch there, but I felt that Café Zen was kinda overrated. Not saying that the food was not good, but it was just okay. Do try yourself and drop some comments here!

Beth L

So I saw the giant line up and wonder what is the hype all about. Searched it on Urbanspoon and everyone seems to be giving it a pretty good review. We were early so the line up wasn’t too giant. We waited for a bit. As we got seated, I noticed how small and cramp the place is. Our seats had no settings on them. We waited a bit before we got our menus.

Jim Higgins

An Egg’s Benedict of this proportion is really a treat in-and-of itself.

Tastyvancity

Their benedicts are to die for!! I also hear that the pancakes are delicious too so I might try that on my next visit!

Ieate

It’s easy to spot this place since there is a yellow canopy outside with a big Chinese word – 禪 out there. Inside it’s not as Zen as I thought. It’s more like a bright European style diner. It was Monday at 2pm, it was not as hectic as weekend. I am not a big FAN of Benedict or Omelette. Therefore I just ordered a classic breakfast with sausages. Mr. A ordered the B L T E C H, as he asked me what it was. I guess it meant Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Egg, Cheese, Ham/Hamburger? Well, I don’t know what “H” stands for even now. What could I say about the most memorable thing in the dish? Crispy potato harsh. PS I suspect they got really good Benedict/ Omelette because they occupied half of the menu. Oh, and “H” stands for harsh brown.

Penny And Rusty

The place is seat-yourself and has a homey feel… right down to the checkerboard tablecloths. While the sun was thankfully shining outside, the weather was still a bit nippy so I opted for a Hot Chocolate with Whipped Cream ($3.99). Okay, let’s be honest… even if the weather was warm outside, I’d probably order a hot chocolate with whipped cream.

Missy

I wasn’t able to finish my benny this time, I don’t know what happened, I think it was a benny overload. Om!

The Hungry Nomad

...confidently say that I did not like it. They are known best for their Eggs Benedict- well to my horror I saw that the eggs were all pre-made sitting in the kitchen. Therefore, it doesn't matter how you order them since they all come out the same. The hash browns were ready made (assuming from Costco) and the hollandaise sauce was off and tasted too strong and salty. I for one will not go back. The food was average and the service less than average. However, if you are looking for an average breakfast for reasonable prices in this area then I'm sure you will like it- as it seems most people do.

Foodology.ca

If you’ve been following my blog, you will know I’m on the hunt for some good eggs benny in town. A fellow reader – Joey sent in a recommendation and told me to check out Cafe Zen on Yew. Cafe Zen has been around for over 25 years and is best know for their breakfast. Especially eggs benny. Coffee ($2.59) is required in the morning and I can’t function without it. Whats great about Cafe Zen is that you can mix and match bennies. They just take the higher one of the price. Peameal Benny ($10.49) on the left and Flo – Benedict on the right. It comes with hashbrowns on the side. It was pretty good. Bennies can also be ordered singularly so if you only want one, you can get one rather than two. Their poached eggs are uniformly shaped and I ordered mine soft and it came out perfectly soft. Bacon ($3.29) I added a side order of bacon since I really craved it with my eggs benny. The strips are quite big and there are many strips. It’s definitely worth it. Here’s another picture of eggs b

Anabel L

what’s in a name :Kitsilano: Did you read my thoughts on La Brasserie ? If not, please do, so you can meet Leroy . He is why this post exists. Kits. I remember loving this place. Funny how 15 years later, I still do. And there, just a few blocks from the beach is a cute café, Cafe Zen on Yew to be exact. It was busy, but we beat the line. They have a long list of eggs bennies, but I haven’t even gotten to the best part. You can MIX and MATCH them. Variety is SO the spice of my life. My sister and I shared one Benjamine (bacon) and one Flo (spinach and ham). Flo Both delicious and the hollandaise – creamy with the right amount of tang and the perfect consistency. I wouldn’t want my eggs smothered any other way. The homefries were surprisingly not greasy – always a bonus when you’re brunching. We also shared the blueberry pancakes which I wasn’t a fan of. Too much flat, not enough fluff. And most definitely didn’t hold a candle to my favourite . I can’t help but compar

MePlusFood

Last week I was looking for a breakfast place, and I went to Cafe Zen on Yew . This place already showed a lot of promise when I first got there because the place was packed and people just kept coming in. For my breakfast I chose a half order of Pancakes with fresh fruit. A half order of pancakes came with 2 big fluffy buttermilk pancakes (buckwheat is the other option). The pancakes were really really good. They were really fluffy, moist, and just airy enough. The buttermilk pancakes smelled really nice, and had good amount of thickness. I absolutely loved them. I also really liked the fresh fruits. The little bowl of fresh fruits had watermelon, kiwi, grapes, orange and cantaloupes. They all really sweet and fresh. Kid ordered the BC Scramble with fries. The scramble had generous amount of smoked salmon and dill. It was really tasty and everything also tasted super fresh. The fries wasn't oily, they had nice crispy outer crust and moist potato

Eating In Vancouver

Cafe Zen, as you would expect, is located on Yew Street (and 1st Ave. right near Kits Beach - look for the yellow awning) in Kitsilano. It has a perfect location and offers an excellent variety of breakfast items. The must try benedicts include..

Gigi

One sunny weekend after slogging through the Grouse Grind, Jenkins and I met up with John and Victoria at Zen Cafe for brunch. I had heard a lot about the great brunch at Zen, especially its Eggs Benedict. Since Eggs Benny are arguably one of my favourite

Vanessa Choot

An unexpected find this Sunday in Kitsilano was a cozy little brunch spot called Café Zen. This restaurant is almost hidden on the street - so much so that you might walk past a few times before realizing its there but when you finally do discover it, you get that feeling that you've found a true "local" spot. When you first walk in your greeted by tables that fit the restaurant wall to wall. As a true believer that the more tables that are filled in a restaurant the better it is, I was sold on giving it a shot. The jam-packed restaurant at 10:30AM on a Sunday was actually comforting, giving the feel of a neighborhood cafe rather than a pretensions, spacious breakfast spot. For weekend brunch my rule is to detour from my healthy eating to indulge in some of my favorite guilty pleasures. For me, this means eggs benedict, with lots of hollandaise sauce, side fries and ketchup. Before stumbling upon Café Zen, I had never been to a breakfast p

Kitsilano.ca

So you want to hang out in Kits but you're considering packing a picnic because you've heard that Kits has pricey upscale restaurants that will hit you hard in the wallet. Here are a few cheap eats that will take care of your hunger and leave you plenty o