Jinzen — Restaurant in Clayton

First of all, the Atmosphere and food presentation are the strong points. It really was what drew my wife and I to visit here. Beautifully decorated with cherry blossoms and wooden booths.

Food - surprisingly not that good... Seeing the pictures online got us excited but we were super disappointed in the quality of the food.

We ordered the Steak Bites and Pork Donkatsu as an appetizer. It turns out the fire for the steak bites is just for show... They lit it after they put it on our table and it lasted for about 5 minutes. It didn't even really make the meat hot. and for 20 bucks, it wasn't that much steak.

Steak Bites - it has to be coated with baking soda or a chemical tenderizer. The steak was so tender it actually tasted like a meatball. Just imagine that for a second... you take a bite of steak, but the texure is like a meatball... super weird. Flavor was garlicky, but definitely reminded my wife and I both of spaghetti and meatballs.

Pork Donkatsu - At first, I was surprised on how crunchy the outside was and how SUPER tender the inside was. And then... I realized that they probably used baking soda or chemical tenderizer because it was TOO tender. So I was a bit grossed out again. But if we were to pick a favorite, this was probably the best thing we tried.

Volcano Fried Rice - This was the WORST choice. We were told it was super popular, and we weren't sure if we wanted to order, but since our waiter recommended it, we thought, "What the heck, we're here to try this new restaurant, so we'll get it!" BAD CHOICE. It literally tasted like KETCHUP with rice. It was so bad, we took two bites and could not eat it. There were about 7 or 8 chunks of chicken, and AGAIN, they were SUPER tender... tasted more like chicken meatballs. Weird. We told our waiter that it really didn't taste like Kung Pao chicken and was super sweet so it wasn't what we expected (trying to imply we wanted a refund...) but she just said sorry and offered to make it more spicy. But can you make ketchup rice taste better? I don't think so... I really don't like Panda Express, but would eat their fried rice over this terrible dish.

Tonkatsu Ramen - My wife ordered this and the texture of the ramen was great, but the soup was nothing special. There was actually barely any broth so we actually requested more after it came out, which our waiter was happy to give. It tasted similar to home-made package ramen pack. The soft boiled egg was very salty and the meat tasted like it was frozen. We have had much better ramen at other restaurants like G-San in the Loop.

Service - The waitress was super kind, but didn't offer a different plate when we said we didn't like the Volcano Fried Rice. We did not eat it and left it there. We also complained to the hostess/(manager?) but she just told us to tell them next time to make it more spicy for us. We wanted to escalate because we were so disappointed and couldn't even eat the Volcano Fried Rice... but alas.. we just wanted to get out of there...

If you want good Asian food (coming from a Korean native and Korean American who are foodies and have traveled across many countries in SE Asia), this is not the place to go.

Go to Tai Ke (Taiwanese), G-San (Japanese Ramen), Corner17 (handpulled noodles), Mai Le (Vietnamese), Wonton King (Chinese/Dim Sum), ChiliSpot (Szechuan Spicy), Thai Sawadee, and Cafe Ganadara (Korean and Korean...

To be honest, I tried a lot of asian restaurants and this by far has to be one of the worsts. I am somewhat qualified considering I’m asian myself and the people I was with were also asian. I think that STL food bloggers need to not lie in their reviews because this was extremely disappointing. Before anyone says anything, I just want to let everyone know why that is. For starters, our waitress was very nice BUT HER THUMB WAS IN OUR FOOD AND touching all on the inner of the plates. She placed down our tempura and some of the food fell onto the table. She also gave us someone else’s appetizer by accident. Secondly, we ordered 3 appetizers, the steak bites, mustard cucumber, and the regular tempura. The steak bites were the only good thing at that restaurant, but you could probably get the same thing from Panda Express. The mustard cucumber when you bite into it and eat it, it’s like the worst feeling in the world, it’s like consuming a spoonful of wasabi and usually mustard cucumber isn’t like that but it was awful and the cucumbers were extremely old and poorly cut. The tempura was cold and soggy; it felt as if it’s been sitting there all day and not made fresh. Tempura also had ZERO FLAVOR. We also ordered 2 Tonkutsu ramen and a spicy miso. Our order did not come out hot, it was warm. This made no sense especially the restaurant was not busy when we went at 5pm. If you ever had the frozen tonkutsu ramen at Costco, this is exactly what the ramen tasted like. Flavor was a 4/10 considering all I tasted was salt. The noodles were hard and under cooked, the entire experience eating it was terrible. Considering it was $17, you’re mostly better off going to Nami Ramen or Menya Rui. The spicy miso was not spicy and the noodles were also undercooked and the broth was lukewarm. The egg, the nori, the meat, the toppings were all so underwhelming and the vegetables in the ramen were clearly about to go bad and were not fresh. On top of this the white napkin that was at my seat was dirty and had random stains on it. Overall, I would not go back to this place because of this terrible experience. I don’t even want to try their other foods because there’s no appeal. For the price of the foods, you would think it would actually be good. Panda Express would’ve...

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - “Good”

Service 🙋‍♂️

Our dining experience at Jinzen was elevated by the exceptional service provided by our server, Anna. She was attentive and considerate from the moment we arrived. Dining with my brother, his wife, and their 5-year-old daughter, we were immediately impressed by the thoughtful touch of having a cup of water with a lid ready for the little one. When the niece had a meltdown over sesame seeds in her rice, Anna swiftly brought a new bowl of plain white rice without a hint of frustration. Her patience and kindness ensured that even our picky eater had a smooth and enjoyable experience. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Decor 🎨

Jinzen boasts a beautiful light wood theme that creates a warm and inviting atmosphere. The individual booths offer a sense of privacy without feeling completely secluded, striking a perfect balance between communal and intimate dining. The adorable mini pandas used as chopstick rests were a delightful touch, adding a whimsical element to the decor. The open-concept bar, adorned with a stunning floral arrangement, serves as a lovely focal point. The overall simplicity and elegance of the decor made for a visually pleasing and comfortable dining environment. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Food 🍽️

The food at Jinzen was a mixed experience. While the dishes were satisfactory, they didn’t quite leave a lasting impression. I ordered the bibimbap, which was enjoyable but didn’t stand out as extraordinary. My brother’s Naengmyeon and my sister-in-law’s vegetarian Morchella Ramen were similarly well-prepared but didn’t elicit any excitement. All in all, the food was fine—pleasant and filling, but not particularly memorable. 🌟🌟🌟

In Retrospect 🤔

Reflecting on our visit, Jinzen provided a good dining experience with stellar service and charming decor. While the food was decent, it lacked the wow factor that would elevate it to a great culinary experience. However, the attentive service and pleasant atmosphere make it worth a visit, especially for those who value a warm and inviting setting.

Final Verdict: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 - “Good” Catchy One-Liner: “Jinzen charms with exceptional service and elegant decor, offering a good but not great...