Hey guys! I’m Madison. I was raised in Flushing, Queens Village and Bayside, Queens (my neighborhood currently). My grandparents moved to NYC from Colombia and Ecuador when they were young adults, so I’m second generation here. I love drawing, singing, making films and playing video games. I am planning to double major in film and creative writing. I hope to graduate with a Masters in Fine Arts and get involved in the movie industry somehow.
So my absolute favorite storefront is Go Zen. Go Zen is an Asian vegan restaurant located in the lower west side of Manhattan. Taking a small bite into the food here is not even imaginable. Every time I go, I end up licking my plate clean along with anyone I am dining with.
I love this place as if it were my baby. And in a way, it sort of is. I first stumbled upon Go Zen three months into my new vegan lifestyle last in 2016. My friend and I had just finished class and simultaneously, our stomachs grew voracious appetites. I had known at the time hardly any vegan restaurants and I was using Yelp (and still am) to locate more of them whenever I was out. This is of course, when the name Go Zen first appeared before my eyes. It had just opened two weeks prior to our engagement and had little reviews. Regardless, the place had a mere two-dollar sign next to it and my friend and I are both suckers for Asian cuisine. So, of course, we went. Climbing down the little staircase and passed the door, we entered into a setting of low-key lighting, tranquil music, modern tables, cushioned chairs, and simplistic paintings on the walls. It had an appeal to it like that of a hidden gem. The ambience wasn’t even the best part though. My friend and I had ordered a “Golden Ball” as an appetizer, and out of the kitchen came a platter with delectable fried bread and heavenly sesame sauce. Our entre of udon noodles was every bit as flavorful. Yet, the best part was in fact, the dessert: Death by Chocolate cake. Honestly, that cake is the most mouth-watering cake I have ever had to this day. Both my friend and I left Go Zen beyond eager to return with more friends in the future.
Go Zen has grown ever since. The first time I went, there were no other customers, it had about ten dishes, the menu was plastic, and there were few employees. Now, the restaurant is packed with people, the staff size has augmented, the menu’s cover is faux leather, and there are over thirty dishes. They even do delivery now! Maybe I feel attached to Go Zen because it is the one vegan restaurant I can rely on for everyone I know to enjoy. Or maybe it’s because it’s the only restaurant where the waiters actually remember me. Or maybe it’s because their chocolate cake is literally and figuratively, as the name says, to die for. Nevertheless, it is quite heartwarming to see a business that I thought had a promising future become such a success.
