Britt B.
Yelp
I went to Zest for lunch with 3 of my girlfriends and couldn't have asked for a better experience, all around!
It's nestled in adorable downtown Cary, so it was definitely hard to find parking on a buzzing Saturday afternoon, but we got lucky and found a spot right next door.
We made a reservation for 1:30, and their kitchen closes at 2:30; they open again at 5:00. We were seated right away. The ambiance is a clean, relaxing and chic one. Our server brought waters and offered drinks; he was incredible. He shared with us how the menu and delivery of dishes work. Basically, when it's done, you receive it, to maintain freshness. It worked perfect for us, it being a small places spot. Thank you, Brian for being so amazing!
They have an extensive drink and food menu, which was lovely.
Excited to get to the food, so I'll start with everything we shared: Shrimp Cocktail, Oysters Rockefeller, Vegetable Spring Rolls, Crab Rangoons, Beef Steak Skewers, Polynesian Pork Belly, Real Cali Roll, Hidden Dragon Roll, and the Ponzu Philly Roll. We even got a special dessert from wonderful Brian! I was SO impressed with the food, we all were!
The Shrimp Cocktail was fresh and the size was perfect for sharing. The Pork Belly was sweet and savory; perfectly tender. The Crab Rangoons were the best I've ever had, hot and served with real crab meat and a delicious dipping sauce. I loved the Oysters, as I typically do, but the best part about them were that the actual oysters were a great size, not just overly stuffed with breading and cheese as they often are. So delicious. The sushi rolls were amazing too. Lastly, the BEEF STEAK SKEWERS! These were so good, so perfectly seasoned and tender. This was probably my favorite dish. Brian was so kind and brought us two desserts to try: flourless chocolate torte and Ube Cheesecake. The torte was like a yummy piece of fudge, and that cheesecake I would hands down order again, even not being a "dessert" person!
We had an amazing experience at Zest, and I can't wait to go back. I may or may not have already made another reservation.