Tale of the Tape: Zama

Chef Hiroyuki “Zama” Tanaka has opened Zama, an authentic Japanese restaurant just steps from Rittenhouse Square.

The Chef

• Hiroyuk Tanaka
  • Experience at:
    • POD
    • Morimoto
    • Genji
    • Ritz Carlton

The Space

• Design by Jun Aizaki of Creme Design Collective
• Creme Design Collective has also designed Amada and Distrito
• 80 seats
• Slats! Lots and lots of light-colored maple wooden slats frame the walls
• 8-person sushi bar
• paper mâché fish shaped light fixture
  

The Food

• Minimalistic menu with rotating seasonal ingredients
• Seasonal seafood entrees
• More than 30 a la carte sashimi
• Maki rolls
• Vegetable offerings
• Sushi offerings will range form $2 to $45 for the Toro sampler
• Specialty Roll Highlights:
  • Lob-Temp, tempura lobster with uni sauce and teriyaki-truffle
  • Hama-peno Mango, yellowtail with jalapeno and chili-mango
  • Bullish!!!, seared Kobe beef on top of sesame-soy wrapped sushi rice with spicy ponzu
  • Sizzled White Fish, striped bass with citrus-soy and finished with hot sesame oil
• Menu Highlights
  • Akadashi Soup with tofu and scallion
  • Salmon Skin Salad with mixed greens, kawarie sprouts and sesame onion dressing
  • Genmai Vegetable Spring rolls with spinach, wood ear mushroom and pickled vegetable wrapped with brown rice paper
  • Zama House Tofu, cooked tableside with choice of two sauces
  • Kirin Ichiban Braised Short Ribs served with sautéed udon noodles
  • Yuzu Pepper Chicken, oven roasted free-range chicken with grilled maitake and Tokyo scallions
  • Black Cod Misoyaki with pickled root vegetables
• Menu items range in price from $5 to $28

The Drink

• Extensive sake selection
• Exclusive Coedo beer:
  • Dark
  • Wheat
  • Sweet Potato
• Calpis, a Japanese soft drink described by Meal Ticket as “sweet, mineralistic milk.”
• Sake Punch, Nigori, black cherry vodka, raspberry puree, mango juice, lime juice and garnished with dragon fruit

Zama
128 S 19th St, Philadelphia, PA
215-568-1027

Read More On Zama

Veg Out: Zama [Living on the Vedge]
Blasted from the Past [Daily Candy]
What to Eat at Zama [Grub Street]
Zama in Pictures [Meal Ticket]