Zao

Furkan Aksungur

3.0

Among the usual Asian choices, Vietnamese cuisine is probably the least popular and familiar among Pinoys. Despite this, a few notable Vietnamese joints have persisted through the years. Zao has been around even before the popularity of pho and banh mi shops. Offering a menu replete with authentic Vietnamese fare, it remains a welcome alternative to the congested Japanese / Chinese food scene. Highs:1. Green mango salad: Carnivores need not be put-off by this surprisingly enjoyable salad dish. The green mango slices are topped off with tender angus beef strips, whose grilled flavor matches the light sourness of the mango. Perfect starter. 2. Crispy spring roll: An ubiquitous dish in any Viet/Thai shop. The roll was crisp yet not oily. Packed to the brim with pork filling, which tasted a bit gamey but was neutralized by the sweet sour vinegar dip. 3. Zao Satay Platter: A good choice if one can't make up their mind on which satay to order. The chicken was juicy and tender, as well as the beef. The shrimp was a bit small and a tad dry, but all 3 had that distinct smokey taste. Paired well with vinegar dip but should be better with the usual satay peanut sauce (which I skipped because of my current low uric acid diet restriction haha). 4. Firecracker prawns: Succulent prawns lightly stir fried in chili and lime sauce, giving a a unique twist in flavor. The prawns were average sized but retained its juices. The spice level was underwhelming though. Lows: 1. Fish in Tomato sauce: Huge fillet of fish but other than that, nothing spectacular. It was over-fried and a bit burnt on the edges. The sauce was also tamed and underwhelming. I needed to add a dash of that sweet vinegar for added taste. Actually, that sauce saved most of the low dishes. 2. Salt and pepper squid: the usual calamares given a Vietnamese touch with a dash of lime. But it failed to impress. The batter was too thick and the squid too thin. Although the squid was briny and tender, the flavor again was too tame. Compared to other Vietnamese joints, Zao's flavors admittedly is toned down. The sourness of lime and other ingredients are a bit lacking in power, as is the spices. However, that may be the reason also why they have lasted so long so far, able to cater most people who fear the spice or tanginess of this cuisine. Nevertheless, the satay platters do stand out and remain consistent (even as far back as 5 years ago, the flavor remains the same as I can remember). The rolls also remain consistently good. The seafood dishes need a bit of amped up flavor, but the meat are spot-on. Look for Zao to persevere in the Vietnamese food market.

Bengü Hakyemez

5.0

Ambience is a bit dim but overall, food tastes great. We had seafood pho, satay platter, vegetarian fresh spring rolls, catfish pot, and water spinach with tofu. I love how their food are prepared savory but not salty. Price is good too compared to serving size.

Lollette Oliva Alipe

4.0

We tried this restaurant after walking all over greenhills looking for a new place to try. Zao got our attention because we haven't tried vietnamese cuisine before. So we were seated along the veranda styled edge. We ordered Char-grilled noodle bowls-Garlic butter glazed shrimps and seafood noodles. The char-grilled noodle bowl was a definitely delicious and unique! The noodles with bean sprouts was served chilled and the sauce was very well suited. The shrimps were tasty and cooked perfectly. I really liked this cuisine,it offered a new experience for my palate.The seafood noodles was tasty and the serving was goo enough for two people. The Vietnamese coffee was served with the filter itself and you'd have to wait for about ten minutes before you can drink it. All in all we had a wonderful dining experience here because the food was really good and worth its price. Recommending this resto for those who want to try something new. Sadly I wasn't able to take any pictures.