Zen Peninsula

For hungry shoppers and commuters on El Camino Real the glowing green sign of Zen Peninsula can be a beacon of refuge. They should be warned though; if it is a casual low-cost meal they’re after, they’ll need to read the menu carefully.

Lobster and crab filled aquariums and plush red carpet welcome diners into the restaurant. The room is filled with ambient sound but no music. Large flat screen televisions playing muted sports games hang on opposite walls. The dinning area is a large open room with about 25 tables. 

Last Monday night I arrived with my friend and before eating we met Tom and Sara Mann of Willits, Calif., who often travel to Millbrae on business.

“It was good and it was reasonable,” Tom Mann said of the last time he came to the restaurant.

They had eggplant and mushrooms over Chinese greens. The Shitaki mushroom over greens dish is $12 and the eggplant with mushroom e-fu noodles is $9.

“Love the Chinese greens. I’m going to grow them at home this year,” he said.

And Sarah Mann thought it was the best Chinese food she’s had in a long time.

After a good introduction to Zen Peninsula from the Mann’s, my friend and I sat down to a bowl of shelled peanuts, a pot of green tea and menus printed in both Chinese characters and English. 

The opening page introduces the restaurant. “Zen Peninsula warmly welcomes ours guests to an odyssey of culinary excellence and dining pleasure,” one of the lines read.

Our server Philip, who wore a big white name tag, provided prompt and friendly service.

We skipped the appetizers even though they sounded tasty. Some of the selections were shark fin soup for four, $58, all the way down to marinated chicken feet, $6.

Much of the menu is seafood, but we stuck to the staples. I ordered the black pepper steak, $12, and my friend ordered the Kung poa chicken, $11. Now, here’s the trick. When the waiter says “rice,” he actually means “rice?” It’s a question not a statement, because the rice isn’t included. 

When you inevitably say you would like some, you will be presented with an option – steamed or fried? You might be thinking...steamed rice is boring, better go for the fried. Okay, that’s true, but what you are not considering is the price difference. Steamed rice is $1 extra, but the fried rice, which comes with BBQ pork, chicken, beef or mixed vegetables, is an extra $10. We went with the mixed vegetables and my friend added on a glass of the house cabernet-sauvignon, $5.50.

The generous portions arrived in less than 10 minutes. If you are like me and find it charming to have those red and white Chinese take-out boxes in your refrigerator, you can order a plate per person and have plenty to take home. A single plate with rice could probably serve two people. 

The Kung pao chicken came with vegetables and was topped with peanuts, and the peppered steak was served with bell peppers and caramelized onions.

The textures of the meats suggested they had been prepared earlier in the day. The vegetables were crisp though and nothing was spiced too heavily. 

We ate about half of each plate and asked for the rest to go when we noticed the servers were cleaning up the dining room about an hour before closing, 10 p.m. 

When the bill came I felt like Tom Mann may have lead me astray when he said, “it was reasonable.” Before tax and tip the bill came out to $38.50 and landed us at an even $50 for the meal. I’m not saying I wouldn’t do it again, just that I would do it differently next time. On the plus side, I still have Chinese food in the refrigerator.

If you would like, you can check out their online menu before you go.