Jinzen is one of the hottest and most unique spots in Clayton (2024)

AtJinzenin Clayton, guests will find a one-of-a-kind fusion menu that includes Chinese, Korean and Japanese cuisine, all in a serene Asian-inspired setting filled with blonde wood furnishings and cherry blossom decorations. Signature dishes include kung pao chicken fried rice, naengmyeon (cold noodles in chilled broth) and ramen, among a plethora of other options, all prepared with the expertise of an ownership team from a diverse set of backgrounds.

The concept debuted last December and comes from Lynn Li, who hails from Guizhou, and Lei Qian from Tianjin, China, respectively; Haiyan Wu and Chunli Tang, who are Korean Chinese; and two silent partners with a Japanese culinary background. Together, the team has many collective years of experience in the industry. Qian previously ownedTasti-Teain the Delmar Loop, while Wu and Tang once ran Korean restaurants in Tianjin. The two silent partners also own and operate three ramen restaurants in Miami, Florida.

"We wanted to offer the right balance of creativity and authenticity," says Li, who rounds out the team's talents with a background in marketing and finance. To demonstrate this philosophy behind the concept, the Volcano Fried Rice is a must-try dish from the menu inspired by one of Li's favorite childhood dishes that her father would make with leftover kung pao chicken. At Jinzen, the homestyle entree features plump Japanese rice to soak up the spicy sauce, served on a hot iron pan with egg that is scrambled and mixed in tableside.

The menu also features a variety of appetizers, including crispy wasabi mayo prawns, popcorn chicken and a dish that originated in Qian's native Tianjin, a harbor city in China that historically developed a Western flavor palate: black pepper garlic steak bites. "The fusion already happened hundreds of years ago. It was just a matter of time before we could bring it here for people to enjoy," Li says. Jinzen's version is made with Prime New York steak stir-fried with buttery black pepper sauce and garlic, served on a hot stone.

The Naengmyeon, or traditional Korean cold noodle soup, is another mainstay of the menu, featuring a cool combination of iced soba noodles, braised beef slices, hard-boiled egg and cucumber. "The soup is sweet and sour with an almost fruity kind of flavor, with apple or pear in it. It's definitely very refreshing," Li says. The house tonkotsu ramen also stands out with a deeply flavored broth that takes three days to prepare from fresh ingredients, served with housemade pork belly chashu.

An equal amount of care went into setting the scene. A designer from China transformed the formerly industrial space into an elegant, warmly lit environment. The 2,000-square-foot space, which previously housed Craft Beer Cellar, has a capacity of 77 seats inside and 20 on a front patio. "I want this to be a nice, quiet, chill place," Li says. "I have a corporate job myself and know that can be stressful, so I want people from business professions from the offices nearby to be able to come in for lunch and have a nice getaway."

A relaxing getaway wouldn't be complete without a refreshing drink, and Jinzen offers many. Qian brings his experience with his bubble tea shop to the table with four tea options canned in house: boba tea, Thai tea, kumquat-lemon fruit tea and mango-orange fruit tea. From the alcoholic offerings, choose from a variety of Chinese, Korean and Japanese beers, sakes, soju and co*cktails.

"We're offering cultural uniqueness, beautiful decor not commonly seen here and a wide variety of drinks," Li says. "We're focusing on the full experience, including food, service and ambiance to create an experience that's the whole package. I hope people will come give it a try."

Jinzen is open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Jinzen, 8113 Maryland Ave., Clayton, St. Louis, Missouri, 314-354-8086, jinzenstl.com