Old School: Jazz-Ya Brings Japanese Food In a Jazzy Point

In this new column, the Beijinger looks at bars and restaurants that have been in the same location for at least a decade. To kick it off, we begin with Sanlitun stalwart Jazz-Ya.

A venerable “elder statesman” of Beijing’s food and drink scene, this Sanlitun spot has been serving Japanese-style pub grub (everything from sushi and soba noodles to sizzling steak plates and pizza) and killer cocktails (long island ice teas, saketinis) for well over a decade. Expect the look and feel of a Japanese diner, with the clientele and music (J-Pop and jazz) to boot.

Back when Jazz-Ya (a “ya” means a room or a space, not Jazz-woohoo!) opened in 1995, local scenesters thought the spot might become a haven for live music. However, except for rare performances, actual live jazz has never been a leading feature for the place. Its Japanese styling was a hit both with Japanese expatriates and non-Japanese alike, and while the tunes weren’t live, there was still plenty of good jazz to be heard as a background to an eclectic menu.

Jazz-Ya was an early entrant into Beijing’s pizza world, featuring not the usual variations on dough and cheese, but more offbeat Japanese ingredients, like squid ink. They also served a pizza with thin fish flakes on top that moved eerily, as if the fish spirits were going for one last swim atop the crust.

The Nali Mall next door built up next to it in about 2004, but, except for a significant renovation around the same time, the place hasn’t changed much. The Long Island Iced Teas, one of their signature drinks, are as potent as ever. The menu, and the menus, seem like they’ve been around since the place opened, although it offers very passable varieties of sushi and sashimi, along with Japanese dishes such as curry pork cutlet with rice and salmon rice bowls. And there’s still lots of pizza. While there is far better pie in walking distance, they know what they’re doing.

For an oldie but goodie, the crowd is mostly Chinese, fairly young, white-collar, and well-heeled. One attraction for both the new and old customer is the kitchen’s hours: Jazz-Ya’s full menu is available until 1.30am. With its central Sanlitun location, solid food, and late kitchen, Jazz-Ya will likely remain a favorite for many more years to come.

More stories by this author here.

Email: stevenschwankert@thebeijinger.com
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Photos: Joey Guo