Zao Jun New Asian & Sushi 6608 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301

"Our Valentine's Day dinner at Zao Jun was, unfortunately, far from romantic. While the restaurant buzzed with a lively atmosphere, the food and service left us feeling deflated and forgotten. Firstly, the **food lacked any spark**. We opted for various dishes, hoping for a flavorful adventure, but each bite fell flat. Blandness reigned supreme, leaving our taste buds yearning for something exciting. It felt like the kitchen forgot the seasoning, and the magic was missing. Secondly, the **service was practically nonexistent**. We waited an age for silverware, a small detail that shouldn't have been an issue on a special occasion. Our server, like a phantom, rarely graced our table with their presence, leaving us feeling abandoned and unimportant. This inattentiveness, especially on Valentine's Day, was a major turn-off. Lastly, the restaurant seemed **overbooked and chaotic**. The bustling atmosphere, while initially appealing, quickly turned overwhelming. With tables crammed together and service stretched thin, the romantic ambiance we were hoping for evaporated. Overall, our Valentine's Day dinner at Zao Jun was a missed opportunity. Bland food, absent service, and an overcrowded atmosphere dampened the mood considerably. While we appreciate the lively vibe, it couldn't salvage a lackluster dining experience. For these reasons, I can only award Zao Jun 2 stars"

"Loved the vegetarian sushi, very flavorful and fresh. The curry we ordered was bland though. Very nice ambience and prompt service!"

"From appetizers to main entrees, the first time food experience quickly went from five stars down to about two stars. The edamame, dim sum (supposedly house made), and sushi were worth the price and had great taste. Serving ikura in a cucumber shell as a substitute for rice and seaweed is a huge no. What a horrible experience eating that watery mess. As a final plate, I decided to order the chicken and shrimp Chinese special plate (whatever it's called) with vegetable fried rice; completely lacks flavor and probably the worst fried rice I've ever had. I won't be returning here unless it's for dumplings. I also ordered a flight of sake, and that was underwhelming, to say the least..."

"Ordered the lettuce wraps and the lettuce was inedible. Chicken was good but way too much soy sauce and salt for my liking. They agreed to refund my purchase so 5 stars for service."

"I have been wanting to try this restaurant for a while now and finally got the chance to check it out, and I wasn't disappointed! Firstly, as far as first impressions go, this place definitely achieved 5 stars. It's very stylish and chic. The atmosphere and ambiance are top tier! We went around 2 pm on a Sunday, so it wasn't quite crowded yet, which was great because it gave me a great opportunity to really check the place out. The lighting, the decor, the setup, and the seating are all wonderful. I would like to go back in the evening to really be able to appreciate the atmosphere I can tell they are going for. I can tell the lighting and vibes are amazing once the sun goes down. They have a section with a bar, and they have a patio that is able to be converted to a closed patio in the winter. The staff were all wonderful and pleasant as well, and when we told them it was our first time, they made sure we understood the menu and that we were comfortable. As far as food goes, I would say this is an Asian fusion style restaurant. There is a little something from different regions/countries in Asia with a small twist to how they are prepared or in the ingredients. You will find things like papaya salad and Mongolian beef, sushi and bao buns, spring rolls, and nigri; just to name a few. We didn't want a full meal, and we'd just had sushi not too long ago, so we settled for appetizers and dim sum. We ordered the spring rolls, chicken potstickers, chicken bao buns, braised short rib bao buns, and broccoli fries. Rating each dish in order of best to it was good, but didn't knock my socks off; I would say the broccoli fries were the best. They definitely have ruined fried zucchini for me forever. Broccoli fries will now be the go-to! The fried spring rolls were absolutely amazing as well. They were stuffed with lots of good veggies and mushrooms. The next best would be the short rib bao buns followed by the chicken bao buns. The bun itself was soooo good! It was like eating a fluffy cloud stuffed with a savory short rib or fried chicken and picked veggies and slaw. The potstickers would be last. They were good as far as potstickers go, but nothing really special there. It's just a good chicken dumpling. One thing I appreciate, though, is that all buns, rolls, and dumplings are made in-house every day and never frozen. You can definitely tell the difference in the quality and taste. As I said, we went light this time around with what we ordered, but I definitely plan on going back for more! I love papaya salad and Mongolian beef, so I am excited to try Zao Jun's versions of those dishes. In all, we had a great time and experience and will definitely be back for more!"