Zoe Pan-asian Cafe (Reported Closed)

Doesn't Recommend

specialstl

Joined 6 years ago

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

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emily_23

Joined 6 years ago

Interesting menu. 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.

Doesn't Recommend

schlanger816

Joined 7 years ago

Rude/Mean Staff. 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.

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angevin

Joined 7 years ago

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

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kpunkgrl

Joined 7 years ago

Wonderful thai food!. 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.

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stlatl

Joined 7 years ago

Change isn't always good.. I'm a big fan of Zoe's and I'm glad that they are trying to keep the restaurant fresh. However, the new décor is oppressively dark. I'm sure that they'll come up with a creative way to make the new, minimalist design more interesting and brighter, but I hope they do it quickly because the visual appeal of their food is lost in the darkness. Don't miss the sweet potatoes! Fun bar menu. Can we have blue cheese stuffed olives please, and a "Zoe worthy" new Martini to go with them?

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eat_right

Joined 8 years ago

great date spot. the food is good, the seating is intimte and the decorations are contemporary and cool. they also have a great drink menu lots of exotic martinies. i had this great barbq salmon that was really good and i love the salads and appetizers. plus the location couldnt be better your right in the cwe with all the great shopping and lots of people.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Hip food and a chic scene.. The Scene
Zoe Pan-Asian's spare and graceful dining room, peppered with color, is usually bustling with the sort of attractive professionals most restaurants would love to attract. Without a reservation you'll be in for a wait, but the bar is comfortable, and the company is sure to be interesting. Once at a table, chopsticks are de rigueur, but silverware is on hand for those with less than perfect fine-motor skills.

The Food
Pan-Asian cuisine, a cosmopolitan cooking style that fuses Thai, Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese influences, is the latest food trend to reach St. Louis. Try the vegetarian version of the staple noodle dish pad thai, served with wok-seared Asian vegetables, chopped cilantro and ground peanuts. A capricious twist on the common garlic mashed potato side is daikon mashed potatoes, made with the pale, radish-like Asian root vegetable.

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jverdera

Joined 11 years ago

Zoe is good to have dinner after work. I went to Zoe on a Tuesday evening and I enjoyed the ambience and the extraordinary food

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asujosh1

Joined 11 years ago

Great Dessert. The food is great, the ambience is great, but it is a bit noisy inside. I highly recommend the patio on a nice evening. I fyou go home without dessert, then you have missed out!