2 days Ago
Azia 19, situated within the confines of a remodeled apartment on Aza Street, has finally done what no other restaurant in town has dared to. Instead of bringing Japan to Jerusalem, it has brought Jerusalem to Japan. Azia 19 – a double entendre on the restaurant’s address and its Asian style – is the antithesis of everything that is wrong with .
The laziness and lack of appreciation for the ingredients, the dumbed-down flavors to assuage the Israeli palate, the confusing cohesion-less concepts. None are to be seen here. And it’s kosher! “We’re bringing something different, an experience.
We don’t disparage the audience, which is something a lot of [Asian] restaurants do, usually due to a lack of knowledge,” says owner Bar Yadid, whose family is deep in the Jerusalem food scene, already owning Station 9 and Focaccia Bar. They decided to go for a preserved building on vibrant , home to mostly non-kosher eateries right next to “From Gaza to Berlin.” WARM SATURATED colors, wooden interiors, a parade float decor, Japanese calligraphy (or shodo) scrolls and a poppy ambient soundscape create the neat, contemporary atmosphere of an Asian/Japanese joint.
The nearly-flawless selection spans about 20 unique dishes on a menu that changes daily. Usually one side of the menu is Izakaya-inspired tapas, and the other is dedicated to sushi. It is the brainchild of Yadid along with her partners and chefs, Tomer and Muha, who previously worked for powerhouses Satya and Chakr.
