Zoe Pan-asian Cafe

11/20/07

I'd rather eat cold leftovers from a shopping mall food court.

by specialstl

Zoe's is now Saffire: I hear the chef bought the place (or something like that). The menu has changed somewhat, but some things have not. Translation: the food is as bad as it ever was.

We returned last week after the name change, in hopes that our previous abysmal experience here was an anomaly. It was not. DO NOT be fooled by the St. Louis reviewers who rave about this place. They know not of what they speak. Better yet, they know not what they eat.

The appetizers were passable -- we had the spring rolls (fresh) and the summer rolls (fried), and both were edible but nothing like what they could be. The sauces were, in St. Louis fashion, heavy handed and not at all unique. But had we known what the entrees would be like, we would have filled up on these instead.

The crispy tilapia was NOT crispy, unless you count a small part of one edge. The majority of it was soggy and disgusting. Someone in the kitchen needs to learn a bit about deep frying -- either that or get the fryer fixed if its broken.

The short ribs --recommended by our server -- were lukewarm at best. I understand the intent -- to impart a bit of five-spice flavoring. But the overwhelming sensation was COLD and sickly sweet. And the side noodle/asparagus dish had sauce that was overpoweringly one-dimensionally sweet.

Both of these entrees left bad tastes in our mouths. They were most akin to leftovers poorly reheated.

There was NOTHING redeeming about this dinner, unless you count the new paint job that the place has had. I would personally be ashamed to serve this kind of food even from my amateur kitchen at home.

• Pros: New paint job!
• Cons: Disgusting food

02/04/07

Interesting menu

by emily_23

When I ate here, and the waiter was helpful, also he recommended a dish for me. I also asked if we could make it spicier, he did it no problem. The dessert was amazing. Overall it was a good experience.

• Pros: In the Central West End
• Cons: Parking, very noisy

11/29/06

Rude/Mean Staff

by schlanger816

The staff at Zoe ruined my family's evening and sent my wife home in tears. I have lived in the Central West End for years and I have never been to a restaurant with such rude staff and impersonal ambiance. The owner was especially unkind and embarrassingly unprofessional. It really is too bad that such a nice neighborhood has such an establishment.

10/31/06

Fresh . . . incredible . . . definitely something to anticipate

by angevin

Zoe's was quite the fortuitous find for us. Wow. My husband and I would have liked to have ordered a sample of everything, but inevitably, we had to pick from their extensive and thoroughly interesting menu. I don't think you can go wrong in whatever you pick. As they were whisked by to other tables, the dishes I observed were all beautifully presented and quite appetizing. The complexity of our own dishes - the tuna sashimi salad and my husband had some taco type concoction (sorry, I don't recall exactly what it was!) were both incredible . Our waiter was so friendly and helpful - I smile at the recollection of him. It all made for a very enjoyable outing.

• Pros: Excellent food, friendly and helpful staff
• Cons: minimalist decor -- but that isn't necessarily a con . . .

06/08/06

Wonderful thai food!

by kpunkgrl

In St Louis on vacation, went here for lunch. Ordered spring summer rolls with hot and spicy peanut sauce as an appetizer, and the spicy wok seared salmon, spinach, red pepper and fresh basil with vermicelli noodles as my entree. It was amazing, made with fresh ingredients. Went at about 1:30 on a tuesday. They seemed to be a little understaffed, but the food more than made up for it. It's hard to get good thai food in kansas city where im from so this was a treat. The atmosphere was a little bit too minimalist and stark for my taste, I guess they want the color and focus to remain on the food. But overall Im going back next time I'm in town.

• Pros: Wonderful appetizers and hot tea! Outside seating!
• Cons: Nothing