Beautiful Evanston restaurant with fun vibe. There is indoor and outdoor seating depending on the weather. Although we started to sit outside, servers were super accommodating when we asked to move inside. We opted for a few simple rolls which we elegantly plated! Also, had to try the salmon teriyaki skewer which was AMAZING!!! Fresh sushi and other options... we will be back! read more

Based on the reviews, we decided to try Shinsen for the first time and order takeout. We ordered 8 items totaling over $130 with tip. The food was absolutely awful. The shallot rice with vegetables had no vegetables at all and tasted as if it was premade and warmed up again in the microwave. The shallot rice with beef was the same and contained tiny bits of burned beef. The sushi was not fresh and the crispy spring rolls were akin to dog treat sticks. The food is expensive and some of the worse food I've ever had. While I appreciate the business owners detailed response, there are contradictions. When ordering the shallot fried rice from the restaurants website on July 2, vegetables were included as an option. Today vegetables have been replaced with herbs. Nevertheless we chose the available vegetable option therefore vegetables were requested. The restaurant received our vegetables request as indicated on the pictured receipt and packaging. We received herbs and rice but no vegetables. We did not order through a third party delivery service. We placed the order through the restaurant website and I arrived early to pick up the food. I hope that the owner is able to receive my feedback constructively and take accountability for the issues my family encountered with the restaurant. read more

Shinsen Evanston - Sushi Bars Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Wanted to try a new spot close to home with my boyfriend. The ambiance was really nice, and all of the servers were friendly and welcoming. We ordered an Espresso Martini, Diet Coke, Shoyu ramen, and the Black Dragon roll to share. Unfortunately, the food and drinks didn't quite live up to the atmosphere. The espresso martini was pretty bland and lacked that bold coffee flavor you'd expect. The shoyu ramen was extremely salty--my boyfriend usually enjoys saltier dishes, but even he couldn't get through it. It almost tasted like a heavily seasoned braised pork broth that had been diluted into a ramen base. The Black Dragon roll also felt a bit overwhelming, with too many competing flavors, and it came across more sour than balanced. Overall, great service and ambiance, but the food could use some improvement. read more

Returned again and introduced a friend who loved the food like we do. Wife had the way beef fried rice which we loved. Especially the crunch bits at the bottom. Yum. Not sure what the 1 star reviews had but ours was a killer. It did need some soy sauce like almost every fried rice I've had in a restaurant. Friend had the appetizer ebb tempura. I couldn't believe the size and I think there were 6 pieces. I had the Karage and the crispy egg rolls. The Karage was really good and crispy. Parts were a little dried out though. Huge portion size. The egg rolls were okay. They are thin and crunchy. Probably won't have them again. read more

Found this place by researching best fried rice in or near Chicago & nothing could be further from the truth. There was absolutely no flavor to this rice at all. Wagyu seems to be as imitated as much as truffle these days & to anyone who hasn't had the real McCoy I beg of you not to settle. This rice albeit being served piping hot simply needs some seasoning. I paid $40 for a rice dish that can be flanked by throwing a stone at any establishment in Chinatown. read more

Shinsen Evanston - Wagyu fried rice - Sushi Bars Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Incredible food, a wonderful staff, and a nice quiet place to eat. Shinsen was really great, and we'll be back. We took the short train ride up because we'd driven by it so many times, and it was incredible. The sausage robata was so flavorful and just a hint of spicy, the beef fried rice was the best I'd ever tasted, and the shoyu ramen was fantastic. The staff were all very attentive and helped when I mentioned my allergies. We'll definitely be back' read more

Shinsen Evanston - Shoyu ramen - Sushi Bars Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Simply amazing food that these your stomach, both full and wanting another bite. Every single discovery on the menu takes you down a mouthful of a journey into another unexpected delicious turn. Service so expeditious and speedy that there were no questions to ask. Such an environment and setting that it's a great date night location or spot for a quick bite to eat. Master Chef O & Chef Ice will leave your mouth watering. Don't take my word for it. Walk on in and flip through the menu and you'll see how much longer you end up staying than initially planned. read more

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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. read more

Shinsen Evanston - Sushi Bars Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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! read more

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Everything was amazing, here on vacation and was not disappointed, actually amazed with food presentation and service! I went there yesterday and would go again today. Thank you read more

Shinsen Evanston - Sushi Bars Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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The food is very delicious. Fusion-style Japanese cuisine. Blending Japanese and Thai elements together. read more

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Just returned from dinner at Shinsen and felt obligated to share our experience. My wife and I have been coming to shinsen for over 5 years now and have always been treated to a great experience. Today's visit unfortunately left us feeling like we will not return any time soon. We started our meal ordering our usually starters; Sastumaimo to share, a miso soup for my wife and a piece of nigiri for me. We were informed the piece of fish I ordered was out. No problem, I asked for a miso soup instead. When the starters came out it was just the satsumaimo and one soup. Again, this was not a huge issue. I assumed there was some confusion when I subbed the soup for the fish. I missed the soup, but ultimately, not a big deal. The next issue was the satsumaimo, it was cooked but arrived cold to the table. At this point we were noting the abnormal inconsistencies in our usually consistent experience. However, nothing the main course couldn't correct! My wife ordered the chochee tofu and this came out timely and well made - Definitely the highlight of the meal. This unfortunately highlighted the biggest blunder which was the pad see ew. I ordered this Thai hot with the hopes of it matching a previous visit. Unfortunately my order arrived almost 10 minutes after my wife had finished eating, not spicy at all... The noodles were fine enough but it was overloaded with whatever stalky greens they include. They weren't bad, bud definitely took up most of the plate. The lowlight was the pork on top. Because the order was not fired on time, you can tell it was rushed. The pork was burnt on the outside and undercooked on the inside which was hard to believe with strips that thin. It did not taste good... In the end the check was delivered and I noticed there was a charge for 2 soups. Again, not the end of the world, but another unnecessary mistake and also confirmation that they did hear my order... This is all topped off by pretty poor service from our waitress who was generally inattentive and unapologetic for all the errors. The gentleman at the check in counter however, was very kind and even offered us a complimentary miso to take home, although we declined. I hope this is not the new standard for shinsen as this place used to be a gem. read more

We couldn't get a rez at Union Pizza on Valentines Day, so we tried Shinsen for the first time instead. We're glad we did! VIBE: Cute, cozy bordering on crowded. Dimly lit, but with helpful LED lights on each table. Attractive décor. Unobtrusive music. Moderately noisy, probably due to crowding. Casually hip. SERVICE: Staff were welcoming. Our server, Philip, was cordial, helpful, and attentive. Food came out quickly. FOOD: We enjoyed everything. Spring rolls were crunchy and tasty. Various skewers (shishito, beef, shrimp, salmon) were all delicious, nicely cooked and seasoned. Gyoza were crunchy and flavorful. Chianti Classico was delicious, Cote du Rhone was OK. The room was a little dimmer and more crowded that I prefer, but the food and service were very good. We'll look forward to returning... read more

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 read more

Shinsen Evanston - Tamarind Noodle - Sushi Bars Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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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! read more

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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!! read more

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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. read more

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What a fun experience! Located in downtown Evanston Shinsen is a must try. When you walk in you're greeted with their friendly staff and seated in a cozy restaurant. We had a number of different dishes is the beef that you cook over a hot stone! It sears right before you and you get to cook it to the temperature that you love. We also enjoyed the pork chops, and a number of sushi rolls. They take tea service to the next level and use high quality tea with cookies, and different sugars for you to enjoy it with. Also, if you're a Thai tea lover, make sure not to skip out on it! All in all, we had a great experience and can't wait to come back soon! read more

My friends and I were here a couple months ago and were REALLY impressed by the quality of the sushi and the cozy atmosphere. Charming little sushi spot but outstanding sushi and creative selections. That's what I appreciated about this spot. Also the first place I tried sushi made with black rice and now I am a believer. My friends still talk about it to this day!! read more

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 read more

Shinsen Evanston - Love the presentation Black Dragon Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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We had just dropped off our kid at Northwestern for the NHSI Cherubs Theatre program and were looking for a light bite before heading to the airport. Seeing the very positive Yelp reviews, we decided on Shinsen, and were not disappointed. We arrived a little past 1:00 on a Sunday afternoon, and there were just a few diners and we were seated right away. The waitress brought us menus and a flask of water and returned shortly thereafter to take our order. We didn't order much - just enough to get us through the afternoon - so this review is based on a limited sampling. Negihama maki - this is pretty much the metric that I use to judge a sushi restaurant, because I order this everywhere I go. In some cases the makes are small with measly amounts of yellowtail, but that wasn't the case here. There was a generous amount of fish in the roll, and there wasn't any of that tougher and sometimes fishier red edge that is sometimes found on yellowtail. Salmon avocado roll - this also came with a nice chunk of salmon, but the highlight was actually the avocado, which was soft in texture and buttery in flavor. Nicely done. Skirt steak robata - two skewers of tender beef cooked to some between medium and medium-rare. Light sear on the meat, excellent flavor especially with the provided dipping sauce. The restaurant had an overall pleasant atmosphere. The large windows allowed for plenty of natural light on the sunny afternoon that we visited. The ambiance is overall very nice and the decor is modern and tasteful. Service was attentive and friendly. Prices are a little higher than what I usually see back home in California, but not usurious either. read more

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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! read more

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Came for a quick bite and we were not disappointed! Food was Devine! From the flavors to presentation, I was on cloud 9. The service was impeccable, most polite staff! Thank you Shinsen- we will be back again! read more

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Recently went to Shinsen for our anniversary. Wow, really impressed with the food. Ordered the Pad See Ew and Beef fried rice (in clay pot) as well as steak skewers. Top notch!! Highly recommend!! read more

Our go to neighborhood spot for food. The tantanmen is seriously incredible, but really all the food is incredible. Family friendly. BYOB. read more

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Service was ok and the restaurant was fine. As far as the food, it was plated well. But the fried chicken I had didn't have much flavor. The sashimi and Blackwidow roll were good. And I would like to come back to try the ramen. read more

We were in Evanston for the afternoon and came for lunch based on the great reviews. The place itself is cute and inviting and has lovely, super clean bathrooms. Unfortunately, we weren't as impressed by the food. We had the karaage, shrimp tempura maki, black dragon maki, salmon sashimi, as well as some wine. The food was promising, but overall underwhelming. The karaage was very crispy and the chicken itself moist, but it was too salty and otherwise didn't have much flavor. The shrimp in the shrimp tempura maki was perfectly fried and light, which was nice, but otherwise, lacked flavor, and the size of the pieces was small in comparison to other sushi places. My husband had the black dragon maki, which he liked a lot. He also had the salmon sashimi, which tasted fine, but the portion was half as much as he would normally get at other sushi places. Also, they don't leave soy sauce on the table, so he had to get the attention of our server on three separate occasions to ask for her to pour more soy into the little dishes. I've never been to a sushi place that doesn't just leave it on the table. The wine selection was small, but nice. However, the pour was the worst I've ever had anywhere - they serve wine in the tiniest wine glasses I've ever seen. If I had known ahead of time that the pour would be so small, I would have skipped the wine. I felt a little ripped off. With so many other options in the area, we wouldn't come back. read more

Gluten free items are clearly marked, staff is knowledgeable and provide suggestions. Everything was sooo good, I had to come back a second time and try more items! I would've kept coming back if I had a longer stay in Evanston. Loved every bite! Tiger cry, karaage, soft shell crab are rare for gluten free and good golly miss molly it was superb! You gotta try it! read more

I recently needed to get order out food for nine family members in Evanston. We love Japanese food and looked on Yelp and found Shinsen with this excellent Yelp reviews. I went to the restaurant and the person there was very helpful in choosing our food for the take out. All nine of us were super impressed with freshness and excellent flavor of all the dishes we got. Five stars, I would give ten if I could! read more

Service was great. Our waiter answered all questions and made great suggestions. The place is cute and intimate. Nice for acute sushi date. My friend is still raving over and craving the Thai ice tea and the best part is that you get to keep the cute elephant cup. The creamy Tom yum ramen was the best and beat the traditional Tantanmen Ramen Noodle, but that was still good too. The noodles were perfect in the ramen I must say! I love Ama Ebi so I loved eating that and the presentation was beautiful. They also have Mexican Coke! The spicy octopus sushi was bomb! The sushi in general tastes very fresh (which is impressive) and very good here. So I recommend it as a great sushi spot and it's not to far from Northwestern University's campus. read more

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

Amazing food, service, and decor. My friend and I got sushi and another friend got a noodle dish. This is a must try if you have not been. I am so glad we had this for our monthly dinner club. Everything was amazing! read more

Shinsen Evanston - Sushi Bars Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

My husband and I love Shinsen. They have amazing food and great service. We've ordered just about everything on the menu in the ten times we've been and you can't go wrong with any of it! read more

Another Evanston gem that's easy to pass by but there's plenty of reasons not to. Special occasions call for stellar eats & this place did not disappoint. I do recommend making reservations, though. Arrived on a weeknight for a birthday dinner with a friend shortly after they opened so it was seemingly empty... but this quickly changed as the evening progressed. The service was wonderful. Dishes were explained & it's worth mentioning, we were told it may take some time for food to arrive - absolutely fine with this as neither of us were in a rush. Apps, sushi, & a main were ordered. Everything was amazing & to die for. Sashimi pieces were large, black rice was a new spin on our roll, & the pad see eiw was the best I've had. The grilled pork on this dish was the star. If you don't mind a wait for your food & want something far better than your average Japanese & or Thai cuisine, I can't recommend Shinsen enough. I think my next visit (of course there will be one), I'll be trying more of their other offerings but the pad see eiw is a definite yes, please! Thanks again Shinsen! read more

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Great vibes! Easy to get to, with plenty of street side street parking. The lighting, was moody and warm, and the service and wait time was nice. The food was delicious and the beverage list was good. I was pleasantly surprised to be able to drink a German beer at this type of restaurant so I appreciated that. I came in the winter so the cute little outside patio was already closed but looks like a great spot to eat something good over the summer. As you walk in to the right hand side, is there a bar area with a couple of little tables and then you moved to the left and that's their main dining space a good amount of seating either for a small group of friends, a single customer or a couple. I'll definitely be going back. read more

Shinsen Evanston - Sushi Bars Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I had the unagi don. It was a little pricey and the portion was on the small side. The presentation was nice and it tasted pretty good. The service was good, too. I wouldn't go back, but I think it's a good choice if you want a nice, intimate dinner. I think it's a good ambiance for that. read more

This place is not bad if you're looking for sushi and a variety of Japanese food in Evanston. The restaurant is comfortable in a homey way, but I noticed there was no music playing in the background which could've added to the ambiance. Overall not too memorable of a dine-in experience in terms of food and atmosphere, but the servers were very kind and attentive the whole time. read more

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