New Neighbor: Zap Urban Eatery Puts the Personal in Dining

After a late winter name-change from Zest Urban, the new project Zap Urban Eatery by SALT's Jennifer Eden opened its doors last Wednesday. Zap is tucked on Xingfu Sancun Sixiang, the small street off of Xindong Lu which runs east past Luga's before spitting you out between Sanlitun Village North and Sanlitun Houjie.

It's the kind of location which might be hard to find on purpose, but which you always seem to accidentally pass by when walking through the neighborhood. This fits perfectly with Eden's concept for the eatery – a neighborhood spot with chairs out front where you can kick back with friends over a coffee or bottle of wine.

The space has a black and grey aesthetic with highlights of red; Eden painted it herself over Spring Festival. The long front room is dotted with tiny cacti and a communal bench runs its length. There are two smaller rooms in the back. One serves as a combined lounge and children's play area and the other as a workspace for freelancers or other coffee shop frequenters.

A handcrafted, personalized energy runs throughout all aspects of the store. The tall table in the workspace is fashioned out of a repurposed door which Eden sourced herself. The tea selection (RMB 25) comes from Australian brand Madame Flavour, which she learned of through her parents. Packaged in biodegradable mesh, the teas are extremely aromatic and each flavor has its own touch – the jasmine green has extra notes of pear and the tisane is a fragrant blend mint and lavender. Juices are from IF Juice (RMB 30), though the packaging has been upgraded from plastic to slightly larger (and reusable) glass bottles. Sweets, ranging from brownies and snickers cookies to slices of carrot cake, are from Sweet Tooth.

It's the intimacy of the whole venture and the relationships that pull the space together. A quick cell phone call from Eden to Sweet Tooth late on Sunday evening confirmed for a customer with allergies that there were no nuts in the brownies. The chocolate chip cookies (delicious, by the way) are displayed as "Ray's Special Cookies."

"So, who's Ray?" we asked and it turns out he's a friend of Eden's with a knack for baking. The bread for toast (RMB 20 for two pieces) and toasties (RMB 35) comes from a local Chinese baker who delivers by sanlunche; Comptoirs de France provides the bread for SALT's signature Crispy Bacon and Waldorf Panini (RMB 40). SALT steak and vegetable pies (RMB 25) and cheese bread (RMB 5) are also available.

When I first heard the name "urban eatery," it seemed terribly vague. "People come in and expect this is a cafe where they can get dinner," Eden told me. But Zap inhabits a different space. Just as she was explaining how she wants Zap to become part of the neighborhood fabric, an older Chinese man with a cane wandered in and began poking around the shop. I expected him to leave after satisfying his curiosity, but instead he sat himself down on the long bench. He ordered two brownies to stay, pounded a Tsingtao and promptly ordered another. We had to leave for dinner but when we returned for carrot cake, we found two friends lingering with a bottle of wine (bottles are offered at retail price) winding down after a long champagne brunch.

If their business on Day 5 is any indication, it looks like Eden's vision of Zap as the place for the whole neighborhood to stop in for coffee, cake and a conversation is already quickly becoming true.

Zap Urban Eatery
Daily 10am-10pm. 5-1-103 Xingfu Sancun Sixiang (near the East Avenue Jenny Lou's), Chaoyang District. 朝阳区幸福三村四巷5-1-103 (婕妮璐逸盛阁店旁边)

Photos: Cat Nelson