Jinzen Fusion Cuisine showcases several Asian countries in Clayton

Clayton newcomer Jinzen Fusion Cuisine puts you at ease even before you’re seated, with an attractive, calming interior. The design reflects the restaurant’s Japanese, Korean and Chinese influences, with wooden furnishings, earth tones, sudare blinds and assorted plants (artificial, but we’re not complaining), and the menu celebrates that trio of cuisines with similar style.

Naengmyeon (buckwheat noodles served in a chilled sour-sweet broth, with julienned cucumbers, slices of beef and a hard-boiled egg) is rarely found in St. Louis restaurants, but Jinzen’s rendition stands on its own merit. Inspired by the way co-owner Lynn Li’s father cooked fried rice at home in China’s Guizhou province, the volcano fried rice blends the addictive flavors of kung pao chicken and fried rice with a dash of theatrical flair, as beaten eggs are poured onto a sizzling plate to encircle the mound of rice.

There are crowd-pleasers like the bibimbap, black pepper garlic steak bites and squid karaage, as well as various ramen options. Mix and match the cuisines however you please, but don’t miss out on the luscious, creamy matcha pudding.

8113 Maryland Ave., Clayton, 314.354.8086, jinzenstl.com