Zen Modern Asian Bistro Is Opening at the Sky Deck at Del Mar Highlands Roster | Eater San Diego

"Set to open by the end of the year, a second location of Zen Modern Asian Bistro will land at the Sky Deck at Del Mar Highlands Town Center, replacing two restaurants that departed the Carmel Valley food hall. Founded in 2016 in the Sabre Springs neighborhood by father-son team Henry and Ethan Yang, the Sky Deck menu will feature Chinese specialties such as Peking duck, sautéed lobster with garlic, congee varieties, and made-to-order dim sum in addition to shareable dishes like fried rice, wok-fried noodles, and dumplings; other items—from beef noodle soup to scallion pancakes—draw from their Taiwanese heritage, and Ethan is considering modern fusion dishes like lobster rolls with an Asian twist. They plan to knock down a wall between the former J’s and Ziziki’s to create a larger dining area and a 30-seat bar, and Henry—now approaching 70 and formerly the head chef at Mr. Charlie’s Fortune Cookie—calls this “the last hurrah”; after the Sky Deck opening they intend to scout a third Zen location, possibly beyond North County." - Helen I. Hwang