For years, a group of longtime friends that happens to include several seasoned restaurateurs has bonded over a shared passion for exploring each other’s culinary traditions. Now, this group has teamed up to share these cuisines—Chinese, Korean, and Japanese fare—with the rest of St. Louis. Their new restaurant, Jinzen (8113 Maryland), opened December 18 in the former Craft Beer Cellar space in downtown Clayton.
“Behind this restaurant is our passion for good food, but there is also a cultural component,” says co-owner Lynn Li. “This is definitely about cultural integration—Japanese, Korean and Chinese cultures have historically had a lot in common, especially when it comes to food. That is what’s behind the concept. We want to bring the best that we have to the table for the local community.”
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The Atmosphere
As Li explains, design played an important role in the restaurant’s development, with the partners coalescing around the idea of creating a relaxing atmosphere. To bring this vision to life, the partners worked with a Chinese design firm that crafted a stunning dining room outfitted in blonde wood, from the booths to the exposed ceiling joists to carved wall coverings. Wicker light fixtures and glass pendant lights cast a warm glow throughout the space, while taupe upholstery adds to the soothing vibe. Gauzy fabric hangs from the ceiling, and significant portions of the walls are adorned with Chinese and Japanese artwork, as well as vibrant cherry blossom–covered branches.
“I told [the design firm] to make sure the place was soothing, relaxing, and warm,” Li says. “Where we are in the Clayton area, there are a lot of office buildings; I hold a corporate job for a day job, which is a bit stressful, so during lunchtime I like to head out somewhere soothing. It allows me to get away for a moment.”
The Menu
Because of the partners’ different culinary traditions—one couple hails from China, another from Japan, and another from Korea—the menu consists of dishes from each country. Appetizers include shrimp and vegetable tempura, squid karaage (fried squid), Chinese vegetable salad, and pickled cucumbers.
For main courses, Jinzen offers Korean bibimbap and bulgogi, as well as several varieties of ramen. “Our Japanese partners own three ramen restaurants in Miami, and their ramen is so good because they boil the broth for more than 20 hours to bring out that umami and sweet flavor and creamy texture,” says Li. “We inherited that high standard of what they bring to the table and do things that way here.”
In addition to ramen, Li is excited about two Chinese dishes that harken back to her childhood. The volcano fried rice is cooked to order table-side and based on one of her favorite food memories, when her father would take leftover kung pao chicken and fried rice from the previous night’s dinner, fry it up with an egg, and serve them all together. “Kung pao chicken is from the area in China where I am from,” “Li recalls. “We’d have it for dinner, but I always liked it better the next day. The rice soaks up the juicy sauce, so it’s even better the next day. When we talked about opening the restaurant, I wanted to re-create that experience.”
Li is also excited about a dish inspired by one of her boyfriend’s favorite dishes: Black pepper garlic steak bites. “It’s a traditional Chinese dish that brings back a lot of memories for him,” Li says. “We are using prime New York strip steak for our version, so it’s very tender and juicy. I think we’ve improved upon the original.”
Although Jinzen doesn’t yet have its liquor license, Li notes that it is in the works. The restaurant plans to offer beer, wine, soju, and sake, as well as soju- and sake-based cocktails.
The Backstory
Aside from Li, who works full-time as a compliance analyst, all of Jinzen’s partners have extensive experience in the restaurant industry. Her boyfriend, Lei Qian, grew up in the restaurant industry; after immigrating to the U.S. from China in the 1990s, his parents owned and operated several Chinese restaurants, a background that gave him the industry chops to launch his own concept, the former Tasti-Tea, in the Delmar Loop. The Miami-based contingent (who still reside in Florida and wish to remain anonymous) visit St. Louis to consult and is well-versed in Japanese cuisine through its three ramen restaurants.
Haiyan Wu and Chunli Tang, are members of the Chinese Korean National Minority and also boast a history in the business. In addition to owning restaurants in China, the husband-and-wife pair have developed a following in the St. Louis area for private dinner parties they would host in their homes with friends and social media connections. People flocked to their gatherings for traditional Chinese and North Korean food, especially naengmyeon, a cold Korean noodle soup that’s otherwise hard to find nearby. The dish, which can be ordered with or without meat, will be a staple on Jinzen’s menu.
“We definitely think that each and every one of us brings something unique to the table,” Li says. “We’re super grateful that we get to do this together and want to make sure we do something special for the St. Louis community.”
