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James Scott, verified:

Overall:

• Quality:

  4/5

• Vibe:

  4/5

• Service:

  5/5

• Value:

  3/5

Went to Shinsei last Saturday. Since they don't take reservations for parties < 8, I was prepared for a lengthy wait (got there @ 7:00). Sure enough, it was going to be 45 minutes -1 hour to get a table - which I didn't mind, since I expected as much.

Luckily, there was a cozy bar upstairs to wait in (and when I say cozy, I mean - if it weren't so crowded, it would have been a nice loungy place to sit and wait, but with it being quite busy, cozy meant packed almost shoulder-to-shoulder). This sardine-effect didn't last too long for a couple of reasons: 1)Lots of people must have gotten there right before us, because the place started thinning out (either people getting tired of the wait, or getting a table) and, 2)(perhaps most important) the bar had some stellar drinks to hold our interest until our table was ready - the Saki-tini and (...somesuch name)Limeade hit the spot.

As far as the food goes, I must put an asterisk on this review by saying we are vegetarian, so meat & fish were off the table. So, we generally judge a restaurant's cuisine based on most of the sides and some starters. In this case, all were absolutely wonderful and unique. The chili edemame was a twist to the usual we found to be just spicy enough, without being overbearing. The vegetable tempura was perfectly battered and fried - not at all greasy - plus, some veggies you wouldn't normally get (sweet potatoes and large avocado slices were particularly great). One last veggie surprise was our side-order of brussel-sprouts. I love them, but my partner hates them - but these were marinated and cooked in such a way that I thought they were the best thing I ate all night, and my partner liked them. Any place that can get her to eat and like those things is doing something right.

The cucumber & avocado rolls off the menu were very well prepared, and "Elvis", the sushi chef, was very generous in preparing a special roll off the menu for us after learning we were vegetarian. Hopefully you can take this review coupled with someone that actually tried the fish and get a better idea of the overall quality of the food.

At last, our dessert we sampled was another off-the-menu item - the "carrot donuts" - which again isn't something a little off the beaten path. They were basically little donut-holes filled with a carrot filling (almost tasting like carrot-cake), dusted with powdered sugar and served in a little to-go box with a spiced milk-shake on the side. Yum.

The waitstaff was very friendly and accommodating, and even with the wait, we never felt like things were taking too long. All in all, we enjoyed ourselves throughout our visit and look forward to going back.

Geoff Keah, verified:

Overall:

• Quality:

  4/5

• Vibe:

  4/5

• Service:

  4/5

• Value:

  4/5

Like the other review stated, the upstairs bar/waiting area is reaaally small. Somehow we managed to land one of the tables, which made the usual hour wait somewhat more tolerable. I remember starting off with one of their concoctions, but I couldn't tell you which one. They also have a pretty good selection of reasonably priced cold sake. For being a sushi place, they also have a fairly good selection of wines, whether you want by the bottle or glass.

I've never had a huge palate for sushi, but my sushi loving friends really liked it and have since been back. I opted for the Chargrilled Beef Tenderloin and I definitely wasn't disappointed. Unfortunately the joy of the visit was somewhat interrupted due to one of our female counterparts becoming completely obliterated by her inordinate amount of consumption of the sake we had. But I digress...

Good service, good food, and I look forward to trying it out again!