Press

Zen Yai Owner to Open Williamsburg Location After Sunnyside Fire, Vows to Return to Neighborhood

Feb. 15, 2019, Nathaly Pesantez, Sunnysidepost

Zen Yai, the Vietnamese noodle and coffee shop that was among several Queens Boulevard businesses destroyed in a fire late last year, will soon reemerge in Williamsburg, according to the owner, who said he remains committed to one day returning to Sunnyside.

A Delicate Pho in the East Village

May 17, 2018, Robert Sietsema, Eater NYC

Nowadays, when you hear “pho” and “East Village” in the same sentence, you expect invented cocktails, a sumptuous build-out, and bistro prices. Not so at newcomer Zen Yai Pho Shop, a narrow storefront on East 6th Street spawned by another small Vietnamese restaurant in Sunnyside, Queens. A raised table with stools and a counter provide seating, which looks into a busy kitchen that constitutes most of the square footage. The menu concentrates on pho, but also offers bun, banh mi, and snacks that include spring rolls, curry puffs, steamed dumplings, and fried fish balls.

Here Are All The Best New Places Serving Up Rice Noodles In The East Village

May 7, 2018, Scott Lynch, Gothamist

The East Village gets a taste of Sunnyside with this tiny, plant-filled offshoot of the Queens pho favorite. Zen Yai's $14 signature bowl is packed with the shop's notably wide noodles and an generous array of tender, pleasantly funky, sometimes quite gelatinous meat (eye round, shank, tendon, ox tail, "beef balls"). It's more than enough for a meal, but make sure you also get an order of loaded-up fries, which instantly qualify as some of the best—and maybe even the absolute best—spuds in the neighborhood.