By DENISE MOE
Dining With Denise
Over the last several years, I have really become an avid home cook and foodie. We are lucky that Hamilton County is now home to many different restaurant concepts and types of cuisines. I would be delighted if you would join me at local establishments for “Dining with Denise.” Cheers!
You must try this new, local, family-owned restaurant located at the crossroads of Carmel and Noblesville. Zen Ramen and Sushi has been open for about eight months, and they feature Asian, Japanese, Ramen and Sushi cuisine. You enjoy only the freshest and highest-quality ingredients, and everything is chef-prepared and “cooked” at order, on the spot. Located at 14741 Hazel Dell Crossing, Suite 500, Noblesville, on the northeast corner of Hazel Dell and 146th, Zen Ramen and Sushi offers dine-in, carry out and online ordering. Visit or call (317) 669-2269 to order or go to zenramenandsushi.com.
Zen is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. They have a full list of appetizers, with egg rolls, edamame, chicken, and several salads. They also feature quite a few vegetarian and vegan selections and even have nuggets, fried rice, and fries on their “kitchen” menu for the children or unadventurous.
My date and I split the Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen Bowl. Pork bone broth, chao-shu, two boiled eggs, red ginger, wood ear mushroom, corn, bamboo shoots, scallions, spicy paste and two slices of pork. As you can see by the picture, it is a work of art. So fresh, flavorful and the broth so full of depth and taste, I was literally blown away. Even though it was billed as “spicy” I did not find it overwhelming, and it was definitely just perfect for my date’s palate.
Next, we partook in the Zen Special Roll made with Shrimp Tempura, spicy tuna, cream cheese and topped with avocado and fried onion and sweet mayo. Yum, yum, yum is all I can say. The fried onion gave a great little crunch to the delicious and savory roll, and everything had perfect flavor, texture, and visual appeal.
Then we REALLY got cooking and heated things up! A foil package came to our table and the owner lit it ON fire in front of us. It cooked, smoked, and burned out right in front of us. The smoke smelled delicious and lent the dish a terrific, never-before-tasted-by-me smoky flavor. The Flaming (literally) Hot Roll: Cream cheese, asparagus, shrimp tempura, topped with avocado, cooked shrimp, Japanese mayo, smoked over fire. This one is a must-have and I believe very unique to this restaurant. This will wow the table, your date, and your taste buds!
Last on our list (and where my date taught me how to properly use chopsticks) was the Zen Sashimi Lover Platter with 15 Pieces Sashimi (salmon, yellowtail, white tuna, tuna, and shrimp) and some Dragon Rolls. Just look at those colors and freshness! And my favorite part … the lemon made into a snail! How cute! Everything is served with fresh ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce.
Zen Sushi and Ramen is owned by Hamilton County resident Hendry and his family, which includes his wife and newborn baby girl. Heng has 12 years of experience as a sushi chef and 16 years of experience in the restaurant industry. He started as a busboy and worked his way up to restaurant manager and chef! He says Hamilton County is the BEST place he has lived so far, and he is happy to be raising his family here. He says that he is super thankful for all the people here supporting local businesses, especially with him opening his new restaurant in a pandemic year. He is also thankful for his wife, who is his biggest supporter and keeps pushing him past his limits and always believes in him. Quality is the most important thing at Zen; they believe that quality does not lie.
They also serve soft drinks and sake, wine, and beer. The perfect place for a family meal, mom and dad can get ramen or sushi and the kids can order off the “kitchen” menu or pull out two pairs of chopsticks and have yourselves a fun, tasty adventure of a date night with carry out at home or a casual but chic atmosphere out.
I highly recommend sharing and trying as many different things as you can! Visit Zen Ramen and Sushi on Facebook at facebook.com/Zenramensushi.
Reporter photos by Denise Moe