the mommy avenger

Our jobs entail travel which leads us to eat out a lot at a variety of different restaurants. Most of the time we hope for things to taste good, but we do not expect to be wowed with heretofore untried flavor combinations. Yet, when CZEN Modern Caribbean Asian Fusion invited us to their Englewood location, my hopes began to rise for something unique.

CZEN (pronounced see-zen) has survived in Brooklyn, and chose to expand to a second location in Englewood’s restaurant district. We went to see if the combination of Japanese, Thai, and Caribbean flavors matched well enough to survive in this competitive area. 

The restaurant is divided into two rooms. The main room is the bar restaurant. We opted for the back room and were glad we did. A bright centerpiece glass-rock chandelier illuminated the bright and festive room with both Jamaican and Chinese influences. 

Our attentive and personable waitress, Amaya, helped us navigate the most popular items on menu. She brought out house chips. These seasoned wontons and plantains have just a sprinkling of finely-cut fresh parsley and secret spices. They are served with a jerk duck sauce. The chips’ light flavoring started almost sweet, but transformed as the sauce swept in with a spicy kick at the end of each bite. It was so good we ordered another round.

We chose two specialty drinks. The CZEN Zinger reminded me of many of the speciality drinks I enjoyed on cruises. It was good if you want to enhance your ginger beer, yet the Lavender Refresher completely lived up to its name. The edible flower rounded off the thirst-quenching flavors of orange and grapefruit mixed in the drink. 

Our first appetizer was the Oxtail Dumplings served in a steam basket on a bed of spinach and sprinkled with micro-greens. My past experiences with oxtail have been very mixed, most of the time they are a tough meat. CZEN’s chefs managed to cook them in a manner that left me thinking I was eating slow cooked brisket in a dumpling. Absolutely the best oxtail I have enjoyed. Try this appetizer. Our waitress pointed out afterward—since we liked that—when we come back an oxtail main course that should not be missed.

Next came the Berry Jerk Short Ribs Bao Bun. While it was a good portion for an appetizer, I will order the main course version of this for the larger portion size. The flavors are subtle, nuanced, and original. 

For our main course, we ordered the Salmon and the Thai Curry Red Snapper. The latter plate came with the full fish in tact. Definitely for the adventurous eater. They cooked it in a manner where the meat fell off the bones and did not take any work to enjoy. At first, we just tried the fish, which was fine, but tasted like many other fish dishes. Then I spritzed the lemon on, and mixed the fish with the red curry sauce. The immediate change elevated this dish from fine to fantastic. The flavors of this dish beg to be combined. 

The salmon was the right choice on the menu for more mild palates. While flavorful and cooked just right, it did not need to be tamed or enhanced. Like the previous dish, the fresh lemon brought out the Caribbean seasonings. 

Dessert consisted of a rich carrot cake and mango fried ice cream. Both were fitting final courses that rounded out our experience leaving us completely satisfied with our experience. I appreciated that the fried ice cream was not just the cornflake style crusted flash fry mess some restaurants serve, but an ice cream encased in a fried dough. The crispy scone exterior had the exact amount of crunch I love. Ask for mango habanero sauce if you love very spicy desserts. I tried it and promptly mixed it with the rest of the dish. 

The restaurant leans more Caribbean than Asian in its flavor, and that is the special sauce that makes CZEN enticing. When you want to treat your tastebuds, book your reservations and head over to 36 North Van Brunt Street, Englewood, New Jersey. 

^{*we were invited to facilitate a feature, all opinions are our own*}