I'm so mad that I didn't visit this establishment earlier and had gone elsewhere in Palo Alto first. I was misled by the overall Yelp review rating, but when reading into it further and reviewing pictures I felt I needed to give this place a chance. The whole place is run primarily by folks who are actually Japanese, and speak Japanese. That's almost rare considering how many sushi places I visited where they are actually Korean or Chinese. The service staff are friendly and attentive, the seating is cozy and neat, and the chefs are friendly. Ordered the chirashi bowl and it came out exactly as expected, wonderfully presented and deliciously high quality. Will be back and hope to see this place flourish. read more

Jin Sho - Chirashi Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Jin Sho is not trendy, it's elegant and traditional. If you want fusion food or edgy rolls, this is not the place for you. If you like a simple, quiet restaurant with fresh and delicious dish, this place is perfect. I've never had a bad dish here. read more

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Pretty decent sushi, the fish here is very fresh. I usually get the chirashi bowl and yellowtail jalapeño. Service is pretty good, food comes out very fast. I do like sitting outside when it's not that cold, since it's more spacious. read more

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First our reservation was somehow given to someone else. Then, waited about 20min just to submit our order in a half empty restaurant. Ordered Sake just to numb the experience. Fish was fine but it's the Bay Area, a lot of places the fish is decent. Not having this experience again. read more

We ordered a large takeout order and the server was really nice. The only issue was that the chicken teriyaki dinner was missing the rice. Other than that, the food was fine. read more

My fiancé and I have eaten here several times and love it here. The sushi is delicious, and Jin Sho truly cares about the quality of food sent to each table. Would highly recommend and the employees are great read more

The wagyu and chu toro were both kind of tough. But the salmon toro, o toro, and inari were delish!!! Soooo soft and buttery. I get emotional over any good nigiri and this was one of those times read more

Jin Sho - Nigiri - Japanese Near Me - Palo Alto, California

They offer exceptional Asian food and high-quality drinks to their customers. You would love their food, ambiance, and drinks. I went there with my friends. All of us enjoyed our visit very much. read more

There aren't many sushi bars/restaurants with Japanese sushi chefs left in the Bay Area. Jin Sho is one of the remaining few. Yes it's expensive but this is as authentic as it gets. Many people comment on the good/bad of the fish but I want to focus the attention on the sushi rice. Their sushi rice is the best I've ever had. read more

The service is not good enough for an authentic Japanese restaurant. It seems like they don't like to refill the tea even though they charge money for the green tea. read more

I visited Jin Sho for the first time yesterday for dinner. It definitely did not disappoint. I had the Corn Tempura appetizer and the Sushi and Roll entree. The tempura was perfectly salty and had a great crunch, and the sushi looked so carefully presented and tasted extremely fresh. I thought the price was very reasonable considering the quality of the food and the fact that they ship ingredients straight from Japan (as told by my waitress). The restaurant is cozy yet sleek with warm lighting and modern decor. Would definitely bring a loved one here for a birthday or anniversary. read more

Jin Sho was one of hubby and I'd favorite place to go out to eat pre pandemic. Then the pandemic happened and yadayadayada we are out of the bat cave now and can get out once in awhile for a night out without our kids. So when hubby suggested a date night, I booked reservations here. Unfortunately, the food has definitely changed in quality and it is also way more overpriced. However the service is excellent and it made the experience enjoyable. We ordered our go-to dishes: seaweed salad, popcorn shrimp, the cod plate, sashimis and a few small rolls. I'd say my favorite was the yellowtail and salmon sashimi. The popcorn shrimp used to be our absolute favorite dish but sadly they changed it and it does have that wow-factor dish anymore that it used to have. Still tasty but not what we remembered. The cod is delicious but it is pricy for the portion. We thought we would be able to share it but it was more for one person. I do have to point out that the service is excellent. The waitress was super sweet, checked in on us and gave us room to talk after our meal instead of rushing to give us the bill. I appreciated that. They seem to really care about their clientele. So all in all I would still recommend this place but I wouldn't go out of my way to come here, especially if it was only one of their dishes that stood out. If you are in the area and you're in the mood for sushi, you'll have a great time just be weary that it is pricy and the portions are on the smaller side. Not sure if they changed owners in the past few years, but sadly the quality is not what it used to be. Hopefully they can bring back that mouth watering popcorn shrimp again!! Until then, Jin Sho and I are going to go on a break and I'll be on the hunt for a new sushi place. read more

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Really small inside so make reservations. I like that they had Americanized rolls. I docked a point because the flavor was just missing a little bit more seasoning. With inflation happening everywhere I think the price is pretty standard. Parking is in a garage nearby. Overall really enjoyed it. read more

Jin Sho - Dragon roll and spicy tuna roll - Japanese Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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(4.5 stars) Google says this place is $50-100, but I think it's sliiightly less than the others listed in this price range. A+ service, staff was a good amount of attentive. Came here twice, enjoyed this place both times. The place is on the smaller side with more compact tables. 4.5/5 stars because the food is solid, but not mindblowing. Good for value. read more

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Fantastic food and great service. The food is made with full respect of the Japanese tradition, finest pieces of fish, great taste of rice. Thank you! read more

Located in the heart of downtown Palo Alto, this spot is good for dinner. Thankfully we didn't have to make reservations because there was plenty of room outside on a Thursday night. The inside was full, but there were heat lamps outside so we chose a table outside. Our server was so sweet-although I didn't catch her name. She was attentive and so polite. We ordered a warm sake to start. For appetizer, we chose the mixed seaweed salad and edamame. For our entree, we shared a chirashi (fish on top of a bed of rice). The warm sake was wonderful on a cold evening! The mixed seaweed salad wasn't bad, but the picture made it seem like it was 4 different types of seaweed. Rather, we got 1 type (that was just three different colors), and 1 other different type of seaweed. *shrug* The edamame is exactly what you would expect it to be. Nothing to write home about. The chirashi had a good variety of fish on it with some roe, caviar, and unagi. I think it was a good amount to share. I also ordered a tekka roll (handroll style) which was very good. All in all, good food, good service, but nothing absolutely extraordinary to write home about. It's fairly priced all things considered-location, portion, quality, etc. read more

Jin Sho - Mix Seaweed Salad - Japanese Near Me - Palo Alto, California

The best chirashi I've ever had--ultra-fresh fish, perfect rice, and stunning presentation.

3.5 rounding up to 4 for service and fun outdoor patio vibes - unagi shioyaki $7 YAY: steamed and broiled eel, with yuzu sauce not sweet. Pretty unique and enjoyed the rice - kani $5, ok: fresh tasting crab but ruined by mayo IMO - tamago $3.5 ok: liked the little rice ratio, fresh tamago but nothing to write home about - ebi $4 each, MEH: would pass. Didn't enjoy the texture Family enjoyed omakase. Service was friendly and fast. Outdoor patio has heater lamps and is doggo friendly. A bit pricey but there aren't many sushi joints with this kind of outdoor patio /closed street combo read more

Jin Sho - Shrimp $4 each, Unagi shioyaki $7 each, tamago $3.5 each, kani mix $5 each - Japanese Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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Every dish tasted incredibly fresh. I also discovered a new favorite alcohol, Kamoizumi "Umeshu," which added a delightful and unexpected highlight to the evening. read more

Honestly their rolls are nothing to write home about, with the exception of the spicy scallop roll which is my favorite! Their spicy rolls are unique because they add tempura pieces inside. The chicken karage was good but I wish it came with kewpie Mayo or some type of sauce. Their prices are pretty standard for Palo Alto. Their prices may vary from online versus their actual menu. read more

Jin Sho - Spicy scallop roll and spider roll - Japanese Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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Portions are great. High quality sushi made with creativity. Accommodative: They gave me torched salmon belly even though it wasn't on the menu. Owners are very nice :) read more

I truly enjoyed my dinner here- the fish was so fresh, the omakase was AMAZING, and the rainbow roll was literally so great. I never imagined a rainbow roll could be that great. Such a nice, cozy, unpretentious restaurant. I'm going to come back often! read more

Jin Sho - Japanese Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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The food was beyond phenomenal. Amazing flavors at a very fair price. My server Mei was extremely kind and efficient. Everything came out fast and we were all happy with what we received. This is a nice place to have a date, overall I'm happy for such an amazing experience. read more

This place was decent. It's a bit on the pricey side but I guess that's to be expected because it's Palo Alto. I was going to get more food later so I ordered kind of light: a small bowl of plain udon and an ikura piece. $7 for one piece of ikura was pretty outrageous. Most places do two pieces.... I also though the Ikura wasn't that fresh. I did think the bowl of udon I had was quite tasty and not too terrible for $9. It's smaller than a typical bowl of udon but great if you want something lighter. The soup was very clean but tasty with not much in it which I like. Noddles were thick and chewy. read more

Completely disappointed on my first visit. I ordered sashimi and chicken, but the fish didn't taste very fresh and the chicken was completely flavorless. I only managed a few pieces of sashimi and a single bite of chicken. When I raised my concern with the waitress, she didn't take any action. read more

The sushi here is actually outstanding! The weird thing about Palo alto sushi is that when you put in an order, it is only one piece of sushi per order, instead of two. I think it's a Palo Alto thing, honestly. The price point for sushi here is pretty much outrageous, but reasonable when you consider the quality of the sushi that you're eating. They have outdoor seating and heat lamps, and the entirety of California Avenue is closed down, which makes it very walking friendly. Jin Sho is next to our favorite Italian restaurant, Terun. Two outstanding restaurants right next to each other- how can you beat that? Our waitress was friendly, even though we showed up half an hour before they were going to close, and she provided good recommendations! I will definitely be back, but it will be for a special occasion, such as a birthday or anniversary, as the price is very "Palo Alto". read more

Too pricey No flavor ..4 rolls tasted the same..black cod okay Felt rushed Nice ambiance read more

It's been a while since I dined at Jinsho last time, but the sushi is as good as ever!　The 8pcs omakase sushi is reasonably priced ($39) and I think the level is exceptional in the Bay Area.Toro piece melted in my mouth.The Hojicha latte, a new item on the menu, tasted like chocolate.Both are highly recommended! read more

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Most of the nigiris are fresh and tasty, except the uni nigiri, it is nearly spoiled. Sashimi omakase is mediocre. read more

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This review is written during pandemic. We did a takeout on weekdays, thinking that I was craving for chirasi and would be in Palo Alto area on that day. I've been wanting to try Jinsho for quite some time but somehow the time never worked out. Ordering was never difficult. You order directly via web, paid, and they will send you confirmation via email and text. What we ordered: - Chirashi bento $29. Everything was so fresh, the chef put basically all my favorite fish on a bed of sushi rice. There's fresh salmon, tuna, uni, toro, salmon roe, tamago, shrimp. It may varies depending on what they have on that day. It was delicious! We finished the sushi in a heartbeat! - Wagyu Yakiniku Bento $29. Overall, they use premium beef marinated with special sauce, and make it a bento along with fresh salad. We love it. Although the sauce can be too salty for us. However it didn't stop us from getting more! Love this menu, we will probably re-order this dish again in the future. - Customer service was excellent, I made a call before I pick up and she provided me with accurate time when to pick up along with some recommended where to park since the main road was closed for outdoor dining. Tips: put the address to Pop Tea Bar or Chicago Pizza and it will directly take you to private parking lot behind the restaurant. You would have to walk across the building to get to Jinsho. Can't wait to be back! read more

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The best sushi in Bay Area. Yes. They still hold the crown for me. The best of the best. 50+ order never a single issue. I have tried everything on the menu and they continue to hold the best in the are and some of best I ever had! Just wish they were open Sunday's so I can start my week off with something good. Keep it up! read more

It was time to go back to Jin Sho and we had a great meal. We started with the Jalapeño Yellowtail appetizer. We always order this as it is so good! My husband ordered the sushi omakase and wasn't planning on sharing :). My son and I ordered the Tekka, California, Salmon Cucumber rolls and 1 unagi sashimi. The unagi he saved for last to relish the taste. Everything we ate was excellent fish. We did finish with dessert of Green Tea Matcha Tiramisu and Matcha Cheesecake. The cheesecake was very good but the tiramisu stole the show! Another great meal at Jin Sho! read more

Their omakase was absolutely amazing! Super fresh fish and perfect rice. Everything including uni I added on the side was reasonably priced. Friendly sushi chefs and great service. read more

Jin Sho - Omakase - Japanese Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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Have been eating at Jin Sho for years. One of my favorite spots for Sushi. The signature dish, Black Cod, is a delight. Spicy tuna roll is extremely good. Different than others I've had. A larger role with more substance to the tuna and nice level of heat. Perfect with sake. Have enjoyed the Yaki Udon many times. It's very consistently good. Usually get the Sushi & Roll entree. With summer here, it's particularly nice to sit outside on Cal Ave. Enjoy! read more

The server was down but managed to dine here. The service was great! Liked the cozy ambiance. The food is fresh and has a good selection. I love the fact they have natto and the chicken karage is so succulent and huge! read more

Jin Sho - uni Tamago Ikura akami Tuna Blue Fin unagi - Japanese Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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We used to frequent Jin Sho, but my family and I dined here recently for the first time in a while and were unfortunately quite disappointed. Even though the service was great, I feel like the quality of this place sadly has gone down. For a party of 7, we ordered: Chicken teriyaki: quite bland and dry. Wouldn't recommend getting this. Black cod: tender and worth ordering! The flavor was also complex. Vegetable tempura: no complaints. Sashimi deluxe: 20 pieces of sashimi for $64. The fish was tender, but I'm not sure if the quantity warranted its price (the portion felt pretty small). Yellowtail scallion roll ($9): my favorite roll out of the ones we ordered! 49er roll, El Camino roll, Stanford roll: I know these are specialty rolls, but each roll was around $20, and I feel like you can definitely find cheaper and tastier alternatives in the area. They also contained partially brown rice, which I'm not sure we fully enjoyed. Overall, I'm not sure if I'll come back in the near future--and if I do, I'd probably just order the cod and yellowtail scallion roll. Hopefully it'll redeem itself the next time around! read more

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Service is definitely on the slower side here but I think because they are short staffed. Anyways, you get like a sheet to mark what you want to order, the omakase is 8 pieces and the portion size is pretty generous. Each piece was delicious and everything is ready made to eat, you don't need to add more soy sauce or wasabi. Also the rolls that we ordered were dragon, salmon avocado and an unagi roll, they were already soy sauced so you don't need to add anymore. Overall, I would come here again for the food! The total was around ~$130 with tip for 2 people which isn't bad at all! read more

Such great menu items and they are always so nice! I love the corn tempura, toro scallion roll and the deluxe omakase! read more

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Came to Jin Sho after hearing that it was founded by two former Nobu executive chefs. Overall, the food we had was good but not otherworldly. We began with the rock shrimp tempura which is coated in spicy mayo and sits stop a few leaves of spring mix. Despite being fried quite nicely, it was honestly too similar to Cantonese walnut prawns but for double the price. Next came the otoro tartare. Now, this was rather memorable despite Jin Sho not having caviar to top the dish. I enjoyed the texture of the minced otoro and the suspension of green onions throughout. It added a really nice burst of freshness in my opinion! For mains, my friends and I shared the miso black cod and the sushi deluxe dinner. The miso black cod was awesome! It was flaky and had the right balance of sweet and savory. The miso drizzle added an amazing extra bit of umami to the dish! The side garnishes or tempura zucchini, grilled shishito, and pickled plums were also the perfect accompaniments. For the sushi deluxe dinner, we were presented with a basic tuna roll and an assortment of 10 nigiri pieces. While most of the fish looked good quality it was really odd that more than half the plate was composed of some kind of red tuna. I was a little let down by the lack of variety...I mean, not even unagi? To try a roll, we opted for the lobster tempura roll which was very average and not very memorable. For drinks, we opted for a flask of sake. I unfortunately forgot to record the name, but it was $39, not too dry, fruity, and fairly easy to drink. For dessert, it was funny that most of the menu leaned Italian. Having said that, we opted for the salted caramel souffle cake. It was definitely one of the better molten cakes I've had. All in all, Jin Sho is quite the splurgy choice but does offer some unique dishes. The ambiance is also upscale and very enjoyable for a nice dinner. read more

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Bottom line- delicious food and great service at reasonable (for sushi in Palo Alto) prices. Food: had the sashimi regular which was really great- high quality fresh fish and high quality fresh wasabi. Also had the spider and Shawn rolls both of which were tasty. My kids ate all the salmon sashimi in about 2 minutes so I can't attest to how good it was but they seemed to love it. Nabeyaki udon was tasty and soft shell crab salad was also good. Service: very attentive, kind, refilled out tea and checked in on us multiple times. Admittedly, I'm a bit of a restaurant snob and typically we try to go to 4+ star restaurants, we came here because our Japanese friends said it is one of their favorites. We eat at lots of the great Japanese restaurants around the peninsula and thought the quality of the food and service were certainly up there - definitely better than the current overall rating of 3.5 stars on yelp. Lastly, the staff all seemed to speak Japanese which tends to be a good sign. read more