Zen Metro Review
If you follow me on my social media, you'll know that in July I attended the launch of Zen Metro bar and restaurant in Birmingham's Snow Hill area. Some of you may remember the venue as good old 'Metro Bar' but it is now a snazzy Thai restaurant and bar run by the good people of Ashas. I had such an amazing time at Zen Metro's launch and had been meaning to give it a visit for lunch or dinner so when I was invited to come and try out some dishes from their menu I obviously jumped at the chance.
We visited Zen Metro on a Friday evening at about 5:30pm and as we walked through the big glass doors we noticed that the stylish bar area was already getting busy. I was happy to see a good mix of people from the suited and booted types who had clearly just got off work to couples and groups of friends who were just out casually enjoying an evening drink. We made our way through to the dinning area in the back and as we walked through we noticed that the bar area had ample seating for guests with a mix of poser tables, booths and additional seating around the bar. I assumed this seating area, particularly the booths were where guests would be sat during the venues lunch time service.
When we finally got to the dining area in the back the main focal point was the gorgeous life size Cherry Blossom tree surrounded by colour changing lights. I just loved this unexpected touch in the midst of a clean and modern restaurant with paintings of Bhuddist monks on the wall. The manager of the venue gave us a very warm welcome and sat us down at a table right beneath the tree. It was definitely the perfect spot for a romantic meal for two. Around this table there was also a number of mixed tables and even a private dinning area in the back seperated form the rest of the restaurant by glass. So whether you're dining as a couple, in a large group or maybe you're looking for something more private; Zen Metro have got you covered.
After admiring the decor and lovely environment, we took a few minutes to glance over the drinks menu and ordered some drinks. I'm a Long Island iced tea girl at heart but I was feeling a little adventurous and wanted to go for something different. I decided to go with the Tom Yum Siam cocktail which had lemongrass infused vodka, malibu, lychee and kaffir lime leaves. It was definitely an eye-catching drink that came garnished with a big red chilli on the glass rim. It was a bit too sweet for my taste I must say but I enjoyed the little kick it had from the chillies that were in the actual drink. M went for the jungle bird cocktail which had dark rum, campri, lime juice and pineapple juice. His drink was actually more to my taste because I felt like the balance of sweet and sour was bang on.
We also enjoyed some prawn crackers and a selection of sauces with our drinks. The prawn crackers had a nice spicy taste to them and I also enjoyed the texture. I like that they were not greasy as can be the case sometimes. The sauces that accompanied the crackers were garlic infused soy sauce, sweet chilli and my favourite; sriracha. This was a nice little accompaniment to go with our drinks and to line the stomach before we got our starters.
For starters M ordered the chargrilled jumbo prawns with fried noodles that came with a garlic and chilli dressing. I went for the slow cooked spare ribs with barbecue sauce and fresh herbs. We both thoroughly enjoyed our starters which were not only well seasoned and balanced in flavour but were also very well cooked. The pork was so tender and melted off the bones and it was just the right balance of sweet and sour. I'd go as far as saying that they were some of the best ribs I've ever had. They were gorgeous! M said the prawns were equally amazing and tasted fresh with a great taste and texture. The fried noodles also added a different texture to the dish and brought a different element to the dish as a whole.
For our mains we ordered a selection to share between us. We ordered a lamb massaman curry, a Thai red curry with beef and vegetables and we went for mushroom rice and stir fried vegetable rice as our sides. I must say the lamb massaman curry was definitely the highlight of the night for both of us. It was so tasty and nutty and was filled with great flavours. The lamb itself was wonderfully tender and melted in the mouth.
The red curry didn't disappoint either. It was well seasoned and full of flavour and it also had a little kick for all my spicy food lovers out there. The beef again was really well cooked and the vegetables in the curry were el dente and not mushy at all. The rice sides also went down well with the mains and I particularly enjoyed the mushroom rice which was new to me. It had a nice earthy flavour to it which went well with the meaty mains.
After our mains and a short intermission we ordered some desserts to end the night. I went for the white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake that came with a wild berry compot while M went for the decadent Italian chocolate fondant with vanilla ice cream. Despite having very little room to tuck our desserts away we definitely tried our damndest and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves doing so. The cheesecake was so yummy and creamy and the sharp berry compote balanced out the sweetness of the cake. I also had a taste of M's chocolate fondant which was so rich with gooey melted chocolate. It was a bit too rich for me and could have done with something to balance the sweetness but it tasted yummy nonetheless.
We both enjoyed our evening at Zen Metro and were treated to great food, great service and an inviting and welcoming ambiance. I'll definitely be returning to try out a few more things that I saw on the menu like the roasted fillet of salmon and the Tom Yum Spicy soup. The food and drinks are also very well priced in my opinion for the portions that you get and they have an amazing and extensive selection of food and drinks to suit everyone's taste.
I definitely suggest visiting Zen Metro if you're on the hunt for a great Thai restaurant in the Birmingham area. It's is just a stones throw away from Birmingham's Snow Hill station and a walking distance from the bullring and mailbox. You definitely won't be disappointed by the food or service. I certainly can't wait to go back! Have any of you guys visited Zen Metro for food or drinks? What were your thoughts? Talk soon xx