Even a very enthusiastic wait staff can't make up for mediocre food and a discombobulated kitchen. Zen tries to hard to specialize in too many different cuisines and excels at none of them. Thai soups are bland, pad thai while plentiful lacks authentic taste. Chicken wings ... wait -- what the hell are fried chicken wings doing in a Pan Asian craft cocktail bar. Sushi was nothing special and definitely overpriced. In fact, everything was very overpriced for what you get. While Zen could appease multiple palates if no one in your party can agree on what to eat for dinner, the fact that nothing is overwhelmingly exceptional dominates over everything else. If you want Thai, there are great Thai places in N. Scottsdale - one right across the parking lot from Zen. If you want great sushi, there are plenty of options close by. If you want steak and fish, the same holds true. If you want chicken wings and burgers, there are several sports bars close by. If Zen is going to survive in the very competitive restaurant market in N. Scottsdale, particularly at their price point, they will need to do a major menu overhaul and limit themselves to one or two genres which they really master. If they don't, keep an eye out for a sale of restaurant furniture and fixtures in the place that Zen Culinary used to be.