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    Shinsen Evanston

    4.5 (279 reviews)
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    SHINSEN EVANSTON ATMOSPHERE

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    Recommended Reviews - Shinsen Evanston

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    Kit C.

    Absolutely loved everything we tried here! We got a few nigiris: chu toro, hamachi, scallop, and ikura. Every piece was fresh and sweet. The rice was perfect. We also tried the skewers and they were cooked perfectly. The staff are very friendly and attentive. The restaurant itself has a good vibe with Christmas decorations. We enjoyed our experience here so much and would love to return.

    Steak skewer
    Ashley F.

    It's rare that I do a walk-by, back up a few steps and then walk in; but this was the case with Shinzen and I was not sorry. I was on my way somewhere else when the smells and purple lights caught my eye. Shinzen was such a delicious surprise. There were a few options for the gluten free pescetarian and next time I'll do the stone bowl for sure. I settled on a salmon skewer, miso soup and rice since I wasn't too hungry. My daughter had a steak skewer and the stone bowl dish. Everything was very good! The service was awesome and the ambiance made the experience very special. I do recommend!

    Tamarind Noodle
    Sarah A.

    Just a heads up that the, parking situation can rough with limited street spots even on a weeknight. If you can walk you should! Otherwise, this is a great place for a weeknight meal or a busy day at work. I was craving sushi so we decided to try it out. It's laid back and casual. Service is quick and efficient. We really enjoyed the food! The presentation was some of the most artistic I've seen. Loved the spicy tuna rolls and chicken robata--super fresh and flavorful. I thought the tamarind noodles were lacking in flavor though and wish I had tried a different dish. I'd try it again

    Waygu fried rice
    Dot M.

    Y'all. My kids and I briefly lost our minds, bought Metallica tickets and drove up to Chicago "really quick" for 36 hours of sightseeing before the concert. We aimed for Evanston first so I could visit a store I follow online and as it was lunch time we stopped our stroll here at Shinsen. We were definitely dressed for summertime car travel, but the staff was so friendly and seated us right away. It wasn't super busy so I felt less bad about our casual attire. We all ordered something different and it was ALL spectacular - from the presentation to the taste. I was surprised and so happy we had gone a bit overboard with our lunch choice...beyond a basic sandwich or fast food options. The boys were impressed as heck with the beautiful interior and cleared every last bite of their meals. Two thumbs up from this crew!

    Red Curry Mussels
    Ritti T.

    My husband and I felt so welcomed from the moment we walked in. The service is exceptional, they always checked in on us even though it was semi packed inside. We started with the green team which was 10/10! It brought our entire meal together. It also came with almond cookies which was not that sweet. For food we got: Octopus maki - 4/5, it was nothing special. The octopus was super chewy Red curry mussels - 3/5, the red curry was really salty, the star of this dish was the chimichurri bao buns. SO GOOD Skirt steak robata - 5/5, my husbands favorite part of the meal. The steak was perfectly cooked Pad see eiw - 4/5, absolutely delicious. There was bits that tasted burned but this was the most flavorful dish we got and was my absolute favorite There's donburi here that we didn't get on this trip but will definitely come back to try! They also have outside seating as the weather gets warmer!!

    Karyn M.

    So one of our dining companions was holding up their phone and saying "Bad Service," and we laughed, because we thought the waiter would think we were complaining about them, and not the phone connection. It wasn't so funny when some of our dishes came out right away and the remainder arrived about 15 minutes later. The waiter apologized, saying that there was only one sushi chef on duty. We couldn't complain about the food, as most of us enjoyed our dishes: the Pad See Eiw (demolished), the Shallot Fried Rice (sizzling and fragrant), the Shrimp Avocado Maki and the Shrimp Tempura Maki (chef's kiss), the Chirashi (fresh and delish). I ordered the Shoyu Ramen but found it a little bland, and I didn't like the texture of the chicken. I should have ordered the Tantanmen Ramen (spicy chicken broth, sesame paste, ground pork, gai lan, bean sprout, scallion) but when they told me it was 2 stars out of 3 on a spice spectrum, I got a little scared. The Crispy Spicy Salmon Maki was delicious (not spicy though) but very attractively presented. The ambience is pleasant and the tables are well spaced. Service, although short-staffed, was friendly and pleasant. (We had so many questions and took a while to order, so they were very good natured.) They brought out a cream puff with a candle on a decorated plate for the birthday guest, although only 1 out of 4 who tried it liked it, but the thought was appreciated. Minor quibbles aside, I definitely would come back for the sushi and some of the rice dishes.

    Love the presentation  Black Dragon Roll
    Mike H.

    If you're looking for great sushi look no further the attention to detail is flawless The Taste is extraordinary the atmosphere is relaxing if you're looking for recommendations try the wagyu fried rice and any roll and you will not be disappointed

    Yakitori Don
    Jocelyn H.

    Shinsen is a cute, romantic restaurant with great food options and kind staff. I came with a group of 12 and everyone enjoyed their food and drinks. Notably, there are few vegan options. Only giving it 4 stars because the items are expensive.

    ALice A.

    What a delicious mother daughter date night dining in at Shinsen! Shinsen is a fun, vibrant and modern Pan Asian cuisine restaurant. Good for small get togethers and date nights. Highly recommend the Sweet & Sour Calamari ( Lightly battered calamari sauteed with sweet and sour sauce, wasabi aioli, sesame seed, mango salad) as an appetizer! They almost look like tteokbokki at first. Very fresh and delicious. The mango salad complements the calamari very well! The Pad See Eiw is definitely a must try! The grilled pork in the dish is tender and juicy. We also got Spider Maki and Salmon Avocado Maki. Lastly, don't forget to save room for dessert! We ordered Crème Brûlée (Thai Tea Creme Brûlée, with lychee ice cream, Valrhona chocolate crumble)to end our night. Food service is on the slower side so do give yourself extra time when dining in at the restaurant.

    Black Dragon Roll
    Victoria W.

    Wow this was one of the best dinners that I've had in the Chicagoland area in a long time! We ordered the following dishes: Pad See Eiw: 5/5. Flavor was delicious, the roasted pork on top was very well done. The noodles are medium thickness noodles and not as wide as the traditional pad see eiw noodles are, but I did not mind this as it was still delicious. Shallot Fried Rice with Shrimp: 5/5, delicious, not too garlicky, the shrimp was a perfect protein choice to complement the rice. Crispy Spicy Salmon Maki: 4/5. This had a good flavor, and you would enjoy this if you like crunchy sushi rolls. This was deep fried on the outside so it was very crispy. I couldn't taste too much of the salmon as the predominant flavor was the crunchy outer layer. Skirt Steak Skewer: 5/5. This was super tender and perfectly cooked. Multiple people at my table voted this as their favorite item on the table. Chicken Thigh Skewer: 5/5. Also perfectly cooked and a crowd favorite at the table. The skewers were surprisingly a stand out item from the dinner. Black Dragon Maki: 4/5. The presentation was amazing and the taste was good. The predominant flavor of roll however was the shrimp tempura as the cut of eel on the top of the roll was pretty thin. Red Curry Mussels: 5/5. Very nicely done and served with 5 small fluffy green scallion buns. There's a lot of delicious curry left at the end so we paid for two extra bowls of white rice to scoop up the curry. Overall the food was amazing and I would definitely come back in the future. Honestly the quality of the food was so good that it felt like we were eating from a tasting menu at a Michelin star restaurant. If I could give any suggestions for improvement, I would say that the service was a little on the slow side and customers had to wave down the waiters at times for drinks, orders, the check, etc. So I would say, don't come here if you're in a rush but definitely set aside 1.5-2 hours to enjoy a nice, leisurely, and very delicious meal here.

    Inside
    Munsanje M.

    This place was super cute! The ambiance was great with such great service, everyone was so helpful and so sweet. The nigiri wasn't fresh, the rice was pretty hard and the fish wasn't the best except for the white fish. The spicy tuna roll and black dragon roll were pretty good though! The shallot fried rice with chicken was the best thing we ordered, it came out on a skillet with an egg yolk and will definitely come back for that. Would definitely return to try the other foods, just would skip out on the sushi next time!

    Skirt steak robata

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    10 months ago

    Amazing little sushi restaurant with a very warming ambience, great service and great food. Very filling, very fresh, very pretty.

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    2 years ago

    I love this place!! My favorite is the creamy tum yum ramen! All of their food is super flavorful and you have to try the Thai iced tea!

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    1 year ago

    Beautiful space, attentive service. The tan tan ramen was delicious. I will definitely return.

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    2 years ago

    The food here is incredible! Highly recommend. Simple, authentic dishes and friendly delivery

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    Ask the Community - Shinsen Evanston

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