Zen Chinese Restaurant 彩蝶軒

Very authentic experience! Best Yun’Nan local Chinese cuisine. Lots of the dishes here need you to order one day ahead so they can gather the fresh ingredients and slow cook for you.
Highly recommended the “Steamed chicken soup”, “Mushroom pot”, “Cold fish salad”, “Pineapple rice”, “Barbecue platter”. Presentable and zesty.
Not too expensive for group. People can share and try as diverse as they can.

Totally authentic Chinese food!
Michelle outstanding help in choices.
The CUISINE from the Yunnan province has a serious spicy base.

We were the only Aussies in the place!

Highly recommended!

Thank to all the staff and the owner.

Cheers

Jim

The taste is amazing but you have to order at least one day earlier; otherwise, it has no chance to get one table for you. Many friends love this restaurant.

Not delicious, too bad
1. The rice noodles are too oily and greasy. I will have diarrhea when I get home and they are not tasty. It is better to eat dry rice noodles.
2. The service attitude is not good. I asked if you can recommend some cuisines. The service staff said that you can look at the menu and everything on the menu is good. But I have never tried it and I don’t know the taste. You can at least ask the customer whether he likes spicy food, light or heavy, but you have nothing. Q: If I knew which dish was delicious, would I ask you?
3. The dry pot cauliflower is delicious, but I have never tasted oil-soaked bean sprouts in the dry pot cauliflower. It is not authentic. There are too many delicious restaurants at home and abroad. Since you advertise yourself as Yunnan cuisine and buy it like crazy in xhs and get good reviews, please take it. Put 100% effort into researching the dishes and suggest the boss to study and ask Cai Yunnan in Melbourne and you will know what is authentic.

Come at 7: 30, and at 8: 30 there are still two dishes that have not been served. There are only six tables of guests in total. I don’t know what you are busy with. Hot dishes are not served, and cold dishes are not served? The ghost guy next door came later than us. He finished his meal and left. We didn't even get all the dishes. What are the ingredients? Are you aggrieved because you are a compatriot? Rubbish restaurant. Pooh

Unfortunately one of the the slowest service we’ve ever experienced.
The dish in picture was the only 1 out of 7 dishes we ordered to come for 50+minutes
Restaurant is perhaps severely understaffed.

The dishes themselves were excellent

Best Chinese restaurant in town. The hotpot chicken soup is delicious and the BBQ meats are cooked to perfection. The owner, who is also the chef, takes great care in the preparation of the dishes. The staff are friendly and the service is excellent. Next time, I will definitely bring my family along.

Honestly, the quality of the food was decent, but our dining experience was truly terrible overall. We wasted a significant amount of time waiting for our food, and to make matters worse, there was not a single apology when we had to leave before all of our dishes were served due to the such long wait time.

We observed a pattern where the dishes were served in pairs. It appeared that the kitchen would only start preparing a dish if there were two or more orders of the same item from different tables.

To be honest, I understand if the kitchen is understaffed. It was the waitresses whom seemed like they hated working at the restaurant and generally couldn’t care less. Their attitude truly soured the entire experience and took it to a whole new level of awfulness.

Drove half hour and walked in the restaurant at 7.15pm without booking, half of the restaurant was empty, but told us could not accommodate us as it was fully booked? Never again.

The food wasn’t the problem. However we came in for dinner with 5 of us and within an hour only 3 of us had our mains. The owners family were in and took the main attention. We watched a total of 8 people walk out due to not getting food or service. After the 3 dishes being finished 20 mins later our 4th dish and 5th dish arrived. 3 of us sat waiting for others to start while we were finished. Entrees were 15 mins apart. We understand there was one chef but when you’re watching a whole table being served constantly there was no share between customers and the owners “guest”. But sadly a very selfish feel as others sat waiting for an hour plus, people leaving, there was no customer care. The chef an amazing cook, the two young servers amazing running around very well done.but sadly the owner allowing so many people to walk out we will not return to support local business. Customer care factor is important but unfortunately wasn’t seen tonight. Very disappointing as the food was amazing and servers were great. The wait time was not acceptable as not an acknowledgement as the owner sat watching people leave.

Appalling experience. Made a booking. Struggled to find someone to escort us to our table. Took half an hour to get our drinks after repeated requests. Waited an hour after ordering meals and no food turned up and no explanation provided for the delay. Other tables where diners arrived after us received 2 courses. We left without eating, covering our drinks costs, without an apology. We noticed another group also leaving and another table the diners said they were experiencing similar delays.

Zen,
Whilst I appreciate your response, it doesn’t explain seeing staff standing around on their mobile phones, staff not apologising on behalf of the owner or accepting bookings that the number of staff/chefs cannot service.

The food is really really good but the portion size has recently decreased by quite a lot. In the past 1 special fried rice has adequately bit enough for a main serve but yesterday when I got dinner, I've got half a container of rice left and no more main meal. The main has halved in size since Christmas.

Very nice authentic Chinese food and highly popular, the wait is worth it. If you like Chinese food and are going past the place, give it a try.

Highly recommended for ADELAIDE’s ONE & ONLY YUNNAN CHINESE AUTHENTIC FOODS.
Big Thumbs Up to their Head Chef JAMES & All Kitchen Staffs

0/5 stars.
They left the phone off the hook so you can't call in an order ahead so I drove down to make an order and stood there being ignored by everyone for 10 minutes to order takeout (even though the woman at the front told me someone would be with me soon so they knew I was there waiting - the restaurant was NOT busy) then I finally got to order (asked for 4 mains, no rice or changes) and just before I went to pay I was told it would be an hour and a half wait at least.
Don't know if the food is good or not but it wouldn't really matter, no food is worth dealing with that.

A great taste of Yunnan cuisine at Zen Chinese Restaurant on Magill road.

Most of the dishes are off-menu specials selected by the chef and pre-ordered.

Unprofessional, excessive wait times and unreal promises of food preparation time. Don't make the mistake of ordering food online here

Spent the night throwing up. DO NOT ORDER FROM HERE - ESPECIALLY NOT THE CHICKEN. It certainly didn’t do me much good after I’d chucked it all back up again.

A shadow of it's former self. The food was bland and key staple Chinese dishes weren't available.

This restaurant is very nastalgic to my heart, have been here many many times when I was little with my parents. Must say back then was a pretty good Chinese restaurant in Adelaide. Have not been for many yrs but always drive by and see not alot of customer! After I think maybe 5+ yrs not dinning here, we decided to revisit with our children. Unfortunately food and service both can not compare to the memories! Food taste all very simular and service was very slow! Some dish we order was not available eg! Crispy chicken on bone and beef belly hot pot! Disappointing. Sometimes good memories really shou old just keep it as a memory! Don't think we will ever return again!