Zou Zou's

Located near the Vessel and Hudson Yards, Zou Zou’s was on my partner’s list for quite some time. They simply love Mediterranean small plates and dips. We actually had to make a reservation a few weeks out to nab our reservation at 5 PM on a Sunday night. The restaurant lies in this little courtyard where it leads into one of the Peloton offices. When we arrived, we were able to check in a few minutes early. The hosts asked us to wait at the bar, and when they were ready for dinner service, they will come get you and bring you to your table.

Ambiance & Service

The decor is very chic. It reminds me of a modern, heavy wood accent, atmosphere. The kitchen is open, so you can basically see it from anywhere you sit. We were seated towards the back side where there are a number of 2 to 4 person tables. I was able to view directly the Peloton offices.

The noise is tolerable and not too loud. You can have conversations easily, but if you sit at these small tables, you will be close to other parties and may potentially eavesdrop at times. Regardless, it’s nothing really out of the ordinary for NYC dining.

The service was fast and effective. They kept our waters filled, and they were attentive and provided great recommendations.

Food

The Road to Jericho ($17 - right) came with Grey Goose vodka, pomegranate, fig, and orange blossom.

The glass of Pinot Noir ($17 - left) came from Benton Lane, Willamette Valley, Oregon 2020. It’s a medium body, dry red wine, and it was a delight to drink with the foods.

This is the bottle of the wine. It’s slightly acidic, more light than bold, more smooth than tannic, and much more dry than sweet.

The three dips (3 for $25, 5 for $35) came with fresh, hot bazlama bread and the following:

• Green Tahini with aquafaba and cilantro (top). There is this weird foam on top with green mush underneath it. The green mush has very strong aromas of cilantro, so it had a very strong leafy and herbal presence. It was my least favorite of the 3, but it was good.
• Kabocha squash with brown butter and toasted almonds (middle). This was more sweet and reminded me a bit of a yam puree. This was my second favorite of the 3.
• Chickpea with black garlic oil (bottom). This was my favorite of the night. The chickpea was very smooth, and I really like the black garlic after taste.

The Little Gems salad ($19) came with Za’atar crumbs and roasted grapes. This was dressed with a light vinaigrette that was acidic but also very pleasant. The waiter described it as simply a caesar salad. The lettuce was fresh and crispy. I didn’t care much for the roasted grapes.

The Smoked Cherry Baby Lamb Chops ($51) came with 4 lamb chops. The lamb chops were cooked perfectly and had a nice char. The sauce was noticeably sweet due to the cherries, but it was quite delicious and complementary to the smokiness of the cook on the lamb chops. This was probably not the best value ($12.75 per chop), but it was very tasty.

The Crystal Valley Chicken ($35) came with red onion and green buttermilk. This was probably the hidden star of the night. The chicken was a little dry, but if you dip it into the green buttermilk within the red onion cups, it was so good. The half chicken was butterflied and very easy to eat. It had some smoke flavors, and there were some parts of the skin and fat left on. Those parts were beautifully and deliciously crispy and delectable. The green buttermilk resembled like a wet yogurt-ish dressing that provided a nice counter balance to the smoke flavors.

Final Verdict

Zou Zou’s was a delicious venue for a New American spin on Mediterranean foods. Everything we had today tasted great, and it would probably be even more ideal if we had a larger party so we can share more. If you’re near the Hudson Yards area and looking for some great foods, especially in the Mediterranean domain, check out this restaurant. You won’t be disappointed. The other restaurant that came to mind of recent for comparison was Zaytinya. We feel the food here was much better overall, and we would not hesitate to bring our friends in the future.

Yelp Jabs

Love the food and ambiance here, but it’s soooo pricey. ~$125 after tax and tip, for two without any drinks

Yeah, this restaurant probably is borderline expensive, especially for parties of 2, but comparably it’s about normal for us. On average, we normally budget about $80-100 per person when we go out to these restaurants, and this was no exception.

Again, you can’t call yourself a Mediterranean restaurant if you can’t have Z’hug (green or red) available

According to this Elitist, that sounds like most Mediterranean restaurants aren’t Mediterranean.

Way too expensive!!! The prices are designed for expense accounts. If you care anything about money I do not recommend.

This Yelper failed to realize where this restaurant is and didn’t look at the menu prices online on their website. It’s in a somewhat posh hotel and in a very new, posh, area. Based on at the minimum these data points, it sounds like this Yelper was simply naive in expectations.

Revisions

1. Feb 26, 2023 - Initial revision.