It is impossible not to compare Zén with Frantzén in Stockholm. Just like in Sweden, Zén is set inside a cosy shophouse, mirroring Frantzén’s townhouse in Stockholm. Both hold three Michelin stars.
When we arrived, we thought our Grab driver had dropped us off at the wrong location. It was dark, and the street was quiet. We looked around, confused, until a man appeared from the shadows.
“Zén?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He pointed his flashlight toward a door. A small sign, a doorbell, and nothing more. That was the entrance.
Once inside, we stepped into a small hall with a staircase. But the meal started in the room to the right. We settled down by the window, overlooking the narrow space with the open kitchen at the far end.
For Swedes, the interior felt instantly familiar. I had not read much beforehand, but my wife had. It did not take long to realise this was a blueprint of Frantzén.
The Stockholm team decides Zén’s menu, with some flexibility in ingredients. Even the music is dictated by Björn Frantzén and his wife, according to staff.
At first, this felt reassuring. We already knew what kind of food to expect, what the structure of the evening would be. After Candlenut and Labyrinth, restaurants that challenge you, this felt predictable.
Chawanmushi – King Crab – Ikura – Saffron
We started with a glass of Champagne. The menu is fixed. Then the wine list was presented, and three minutes later, the sommelier was hovering.
“Have you decided on a bottle yet?”
Why? Was the red wine in the freezer and needed thawing?
We hate being rushed to choose a wine, especially when the list is both extensive and expensive. Forget taking your time. Unless you can read at Formula 1 speed, you are already behind.
The snacks arrived, and at the end of the snack service, it was time for the ritual trip to the kitchen to see the ingredients on ice before heading up to the dining area. A Frantzén hallmark, almost a trademark at this point.
Zén – Singapore
Frantzén – Stockholm
The menu at Zén is divided into three distinct parts:
The Kitchen – Five snacks
The Dining Room – Nine dishes
The Living Room – Eight small desserts
A tip is to ask for a menu in the dining room so you can follow along with the dishes. It helps keep track of what is being served.
Grilled Scallop – Hot Sauce – XO – Spruce – Chrysanthemum
The dining room was far from full, but the sound level was loud and only got louder as the night went on.
The music blasted from the speakers to the point where we struggled to have a conversation. We do not mind that Björn Frantzén controls the playlist, but we do mind the volume creeping up, notch by notch.
It was hard to tell if we were in a fine dining restaurant or at a Hard Rock Café. Or maybe just a Swedish student club with a better wine list.
One thing was certain, the music distracted from the food. It should be the other way around. But it was hard to focus when Jefferson Airplane’s Somebody to Love was shaking the walls.
Extra Dish
It is undeniable that Zén uses the best ingredients available, with some twists like Danish liquorice. The precision in crafting the dishes is exceptional, and the chefs are clearly talented.
Looking back, though, there was not a clear standout. The first snack, a cracker with aged cheese and whisky, was nice. The extra dish, not listed on the menu, a truffle toast packed with umami, was also enjoyable.
The chawanmushi with king crab? Yes, nice again. Flavour-wise, it was very well balanced. Some dishes had oomph, and yes, they were tasty and perfectly executed.
The dishes were good, but not memorable. Not like the chawanmushi we had at Frantzén, which still holds a place in our Hall of Fame dishes.
A4 Yukimuro Wagyu – Oxtail Jus – Wasabi – Kabu
When dinner was over, we headed up one more flight of stairs to the lounge for the final part of the meal. A few guests were already there, wrapped in blankets.
Zén, it seems, is not just serving Nordic cuisine, it is simulating Nordic survival training.
The moment we sat down, we could feel ice-cold air breathing down our necks. We immediately asked to switch tables. The staff looked puzzled.
“I just did not want to get a cold,” I explained.
They hesitated, but in the end, we got a new table.
The final small courses were served. The fruit was incredible, bursting with flavour, making you crave more. And of course, the night ended with the classic madeleine cakes, here with cardamom and miso.
Salted Carrot Ice Cream – Jin Xuan Oolong – Vin de Paille
If you have never been to a Frantzén restaurant, Zén is a great introduction, but it is not as good as Frantzén in Stockholm. And if you are not a hardcore foodie willing to jump on a 12-hour flight to Sweden, Zén is a solid alternative. But do not forget to bring your down jacket to the Nordic living room.
Frantzén is a celebrity chef, and his restaurants worldwide follow a clear concept. The level of detail at Zén is exceptional, from glassware and plates to tables, ingredients, and probably even down to the toilet paper.
This is fine dining at an extreme level of precision, except perhaps for the missing manual on the stereo volume and a few lapses in service.
Zén will always be the little brother.
It was fun to try, like Studio Frantzén in London. But one visit was more than enough.
End of December 2024
Dinner
No, instead, we have our minds set on the big brother in Stockholm.
The experience was too expensive and did not bring us anything new to the table.
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