The résumés in the kitchen are the headline: executive chef Marvin Lopez spent six years leading menu development for Nobu after cooking at HaiSous under Thai Dang and in the Alinea Group under Grant Achatz, and executive sushi chef ChoongKi Kim trained under a former Nobu chef, ran the sushi counter at Kamehachi in Northbrook and was most recently sous chef at the Michelin-starred Omakase Yume. The menu is built for a table to share. Start with spicy pork-and-shrimp 'ghost' dumplings, crispy duck spring rolls, karaage chicken and blistered shishitos; move to robata-grilled kushiyaki skewers, oshizushi pressed crispy-rice bites (snow crab with yuzu kosho butter, wagyu with truffle) and sizzling rice; and don't skip the spicy tantan noodles with sesame pork and fried peanuts, which regulars mention first. The sushi side runs from bluefin and Ora King salmon nigiri to specialty rolls, and the big plates include a whole red snapper and miso black cod.
For a group, the shoji-screened Tatami Room hosts a chef-driven, multi-course kaiseki dinner. Zenzi Den is open nightly from 4:30pm (until 9:30pm Sunday through Thursday, 10:30pm Friday and Saturday), takes reservations and offers complimentary valet. No happy hour or standing deal is advertised.
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