First time there as a visitor I was greeted and seated promptly. The waiter came and brought us water. We ordered and appetizer called the Jinsei that's probably the best ten things I've ever put into my mouth - warm, sweet, refreshing, chewy, crunchy, salty flavors and textures all blended perfectly (see my picture) with an appetizing look and feel. 10/10 I personally had their Spiro and it was very very good. read more

Jinsei Sushi - Jinsei - quite possible my favorite thing to put in my mouth ever! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Wonderful service. Cool place to grab good sushi. Also had interesting specials. Loved the watermelon and tomato salad.

Imagine my excitement when I realized my absolute favorite restaurant from Oxford, MS was here in BHM. In college I thrived on Wing Wednesday with their unbeatable wing deal and the assortment of appetizers that make it impossible to choose just one. Unfortunately the Birmingham plant of my favorite restaurant did not bring me the same joys. They do not offer my beloved wing deal, or any deal for that matter. They don't even have the. wing. sauce!! which honestly takes the wings to another level. Unfortunately the portion sizes leave something to be desired. You will definitely need to order at least an appetizer and an entree. The ambiance of this location is much more casual and does not attract the same attention of the bustling Jinsei I know and love in Oxford. Still a solid choice for apps with friends! read more

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Jinsei was delicious! The Jari Jari roll was my favorite, the other 2 we got were good as well. We also had the rock shrimp appetizer as well as the green bean tempura appetizer. Both were very good. The restaurant was clean and I loved the vibe! Great service. We enjoyed it & will be back! read more

I came one night to a table of doctors being extremely rough, cussing frequently (in front of other customers who had kids) and just being total jerks to other customers. The owners allowed it and didn't care about my complaints because "they come in all the time" really shows whose dollars they value.. not mine. read more

Just a quick dinner and I was trying to be somewhat healthy. I think I did that here at Jinsei. I started with the Chilli miso soup. This was strange. Not bad, just very different from any sort of expectation I might have had. Sure it was spicy but it had all sorts of stuff in it. Almost like a vegetable soup with a miso base. Different and creative rolls, I don't recall the name of the one that I chose, but I think it was tuna and salmon and avocado and maybe a tempura asparagus with a crunch on top. It was good. Decent size, but two of these would be needed to ensure of fully tummy. This was a fancy place. Quite high end. If you're looking to impress a date, I think you'd be hard challenged to do better than Jinsei. Because maybe not everyone likes raw fish and for those folks, there are quite a few cooked options. read more

Jinsei Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Don't miss the flounder! I have to order it whenever I'm in town. Everything we've tried has been delicious.

There aren't many sushi places close to my area, so I was pretty excited when I found Jinsei was just past Vulcan in Homewood. My first visit was on a Sunday evening, so it was pretty packed! Most of Homewood closes before dark on Sunday's, so there was no surprise when we had a good 30 minute wait. The place itself is rather small so it was really standing room only till seats opened up. Luckily, they did take drink orders soon as you walked in. I ordered a saki that was pretty good. As for the menu, it can be a tad confusing if you don't eat sushi often. I personally love raw sushi, but the menu doesn't specify which rolls are cooked vs. raw. I can see that being of concern to many people I know who refuse to touch something raw. My favorite roll would be the bubblegum roll. We ordered two more besides that one that I don't quite remember, and I would say three rolls shared between two people was just right portion wise. Attire is the last thing I will comment on. There were people dressed in suits and also people in workout attire. I wouldn't say go in your best clothes cause many of their seats are low couches, and you may not be that comfortable! Something nice, but not too formal does the trick! read more

Classy, upscale, and very hip sushi restaurant in Birmingham! We were visiting Birmingham for the weekend and were told that we could not miss Jinsei! In fact, we were told to go to Jinsei and to order the Kadoma Tuna. It seemed like the kind of place that would get really crowded, so we had a very early dinner at Jinsei. We showed up around 5:30, and there were still quite a few tables taken! We decided to share several dishes between us. We started with the Kadoma Tuna, which I liked, but I have to say that the tempura rice cake was quite chewy and sticky. Not my favorite texture. And I think the eel sauce was a bit too sweet. We also had the black cod miso - marinated black cod broiled in sweet miso. The texture of the cod was amazing. We also tried a couple of rolls: the Jinsei special, the New Style with white fish, and the Bangkok. All the food was good - the cod got the closest to blowing my mind, but didn't quite make it. There were several other items on the menu I'd love to try, so I would definitely go back if I visit Birmingham again! (Biggest con? The sushi wasn't AS GREAT as I thought it would be, but it was just as expensive as I thought it would be.) read more

Jinsei Sushi - Black cod miso - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Very well put together establishment with high quality sushi! The drinks were 4 stars as the mixed drinks were a little light on the pours. The price is slightly higher than value but won't stop me from giving it a second try. I honestly can say everything I tried I would recommend and our group was large and had almost everything! This is not a quick in and out so be prepared to spend some time and enjoy! read more

I went with my sister and the service was great, the atmosphere in the early afternoon was very calm and inviting, and our food was AMAZING. I'm already making plans to go again. read more

It's more expensive than some sushi places but it's pretty frickin good so Imma say it's worth it if you're in a splurging mood.

I'm honestly sad it's taken me this long to find this little gem. My friend and I came on a quiet Monday night and were first impressed by the seating. They had five options: patio, bar, lounge, sushi bar, and classic tables. It's a very intimate space, perfect for a date and had very friendly and attentive staff. They have two options for a menu which our server, Devin, pointed out (QR code and classic paper). They have a pretty good wine selection for a sushi bar and their cocktails looked amazing (next time I'll definitely try one). We started with the Pork Wontons which were pretty yummy the. We moved onto main courses. Only complaint I had was that there wasn't a sampler option for sushi but I bit the bullet and tried two different rolls: Lobster and Yoshiko which were both INSANELY good. My friend tried a salmon dish that I can't remember the name of and she said it was absolutely delightful. We ended on dessert which were little cake bites. Those I'll give a 4/5 but I'm biased since I'm not a fan of them in the first place and since they outsource them from pastry arts down the road (aren't in-house desserts). The back server they had also did a good job helping Devin maintain our table and keep our waters refilled through out the experience and it's awesome to see a clearly present and attentive manager on the floor, especially coming from someone in the industry myself. All in all, will definitely be back! read more

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Can I give this TEN STARS??? From a Houston-based family, I have to say this is the BEST sushi we've ever had. We literally eat sushi weekly at our favorite spots in Texas - and this is better than that! The "tower" is better than anything I've ever tried, and the sushi was creative, fresh, and beyond fabulous!! wish we lived closer. When we are in town, this will be our first stop, I can assure you! Don't walk - RUN -40 Jinsei Sushi!! read more

Jinsei Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Yummmmm! This is a great place to go if you love sushi. If you don't, your options will be pretty limited but still very good! It is a little overpriced and is almost always crowded as the space they are in is very small. The staff is excellent and always friendly. read more

Everything about Jinsei was absolutely amazing. I travel a good bit for my job and have eaten at many sushi restaurants, and was incredibly surprised to find this outstanding gem of a restaurant in a cool area of Birmingham, Alabama. Everything was amazing from the miso soup to the spicy kimchi miso soup-as well as grilled edamame. Their sushi was incredibly well done and you can tell was made with high-end fresh ingredients. I will definitely be back when I am back in Birmingham - Homewood, Alabama. read more

This is a nice little spot in the Birmingham suburbs. Friendly and attentive service. The food was OK. This seems like more of a Japanese gastropub compared to a sushi place. Everything is kind of expensive. $15 for most rolls. The rolls are just OK it's really nothing to brag about but they had lots of small and large plates that seemed interesting. Is it bad? Not at all. Just don't come here expecting great sushi or to dine on a budget. read more

Hands down best sushi in the city of Birmingham. I eat here at least once a month and they never disappoint. The food is always fresh and the service is always amazing! Some of my favorite menu items are the Suteki Roll, Jari Jari Roll, Spicy Hotate Roll, and Tempura Green Beans! read more

Jinsei Sushi - Jari Jari Roll, Spicy Hotate Roll, Suteki Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

I can't believe I have only put in one review for Jinsei and it was forever ago. I should have more like 500+ by now, but I'm making up for it at this moment. If you're looking for a premium sushi place with amazing food, delicious drinks, top notch management and an attentive wait staff... look no further! Eating my weight in food here is easy because everything is simply delicious and the quality of their food is *chef's kiss*. Chili miso soup, tempura green beans and edamame tend to be my go to starters. You can't go wrong with the kadoma tuna or spicy hotate. They both are classic favs and a great introduction to the restaurant in my opinion. If the flounder is available, get it! Don't even think twice. I've had 95% of the menu and I've never had a complaint for one single item. Grab your favorite coworker, your special somebody, a friend or just yourself and go experience all of the greatness that is Jinsei. You won't be disappointed! read more

Once again this was my first time trying a new spot so I checked out Jinsei Sushi. I heard about it through a local radio station, V94.9. I went on a Tuesday and on their patio, they had a live Dj and with live mixing, it got packed really quick. When I got there, I found out that they have a happy hour menu, but it's only from 5 pm to 6 pm. It would be nice if they extended the happy hour menu, but nevertheless I was able to catch their house red wine for $5 and their Tebasaki wings which were $1 a piece. And that quick before you know it, happy hour was over. But I must say, the wine which was the 16' Domaine Perraud Mâcon-Villages, France was good and refreshing and those wings were super delicious too! They were crispy and juicy and the sauce that came on it was like a mix between teriyaki and soy sauce. Yummy! They were so good, I had to order more! Then I decided to try the Tempura fried green beans which was also a great starter, thru just needed a little salt. I also tried the Jarijari sushi and omg it was delicious as well. Our waiter recommended it and I'm glad he did. The ingredients were fresh and the presentation was lovely. All in all this place is great! The owner even came by and was helping out since it got a little busy but that's a great thing. Shows that he really cares and will get his hands dirty. I definitely recommend this place and will definitely visit soon!! read more

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Finally got to try this place out with some friends - I've heard some people say they really like this place but personally if I'm going to pay these prices, I'd rather go to bamboo on 2nd. The miso soup was bland and super salty and my roll was pretty bland too. The yellowtail Serrano was very good though! The place itself was cool though. I liked how they had the little bar that connected the outside front patio to inside from a window you could sit at. The place was packed so it might have just been our personal preference - I recommend everyone try a restaurant at least once to form your own opinion! read more

Jinsei Sushi - Top left corner is part of the Kadoma Tuna - good and spicy! Top right: yellowtail Serrano - very good! Roll: bubblegum - bland - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Brussel sprouts and fried green beans are everything! Service and food are always exceptional! parking can be iffy, but it's worth the small inconvenience. read more

Jensei, "Life", is a perfect name for this culinary, earth-toned gem. They have taken the same old boring sushi and breathed new life into it. A bit cramped, like Japan itself, but surprisingly not uncomfortable. Skip the tables and just sit in the lounge area. You'll get the same full service in a comfy setting. The warm earth tones of brown, orange and green are what make it so comfy. Attention to details make this place special. A sliding glass wall with willow branches pressed in the middle, modern Japanese fixtures in the bathroom, a bamboo ceiling light, back lit artifacts.... it just goes on and on. Interesting lighting choices make for soft light... perfect for one of those first few dates when they aren't yet sure of your beauty!!! To get a 5 star from me you have to be innovative and just like life itself innovative they are! You'll find their prices more than fair if you are into good sushi, if you're more into McDonald's you'll find it pricey. Rolls are from $6-$15 each and yield about 8 pieces each. Start off with Kadoma tuna from their cold dish section. I doubt you've ever seen or tasted anything like it! Crispy, creamy, spicy, fresh... Fried green tomato katsu? From southern Japan no doubt... It may sound strange but they've made a southern staple into a Japanese delicacy. Be sure to try the Katsu sauce (Japanese BarBQue sauce) slight worsteshire, then tangy then a fruity, floral note... Give it a few tries before you decide. Need something delicate, crunchy and delicious? Get the mixed tempura platter. This is tempura like no other. Pumpkin... delicate, creamy and velvety. Sweet potato (southern Japan again?) shitake, scallop.... ask for zucchini and they'll do it just for you! Another stand out is their Nikko. Now, I know, you just aren't sure about a sushi roll that is also tempura... but it's sushi one step better. How often do you get sushi with a crunch, nutty with creamy, fresh with green? A full bar with educated bar tenders dolling out premium sake sample sizes lets you learn about sakes. Pleasant, knowledgeable wait staff make this a great place for those new to sushi and those wanting to learn more. Breath some new life into your night out! Go relax and explore at Jinsei. read more

Jinsei Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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This was just laughably bad. My boyfriend ordered a beer that came in a bottle but was served to him in a stemless wine glass. When he ordered a second beer the waitress took the glass with one sip of beer left and poured it into the new glass. So gross. Following that our entrees arrived. I got the endive poke bowl which was not good. It was lettuce cups with tuna. When the plate was put down a bug crawled out of the lettuce cup. We were approached by another staff member (clearly intoxicated abd being super loud and acting goofy) who asked what was going on and he said "Aw well you usually only get 4 lettuce cups not 5". I guess he saw the look on my face and he took back the big infested lettuce cup to be remade. Once I had my new lettuce cup we ate. It was so meh. Definitely not worthy of the hype. 15 minutes into eating the drink staff member came back and asked if I wanted more flies "on the house, extra protein". It was wild. Never ever going back. Disappointed that we aid $90 for such a crappy meal. Skip the disappointment. read more

This place is a $plurge. Even with their promotions, you won't be spending less than $40. It adds up somewhere somehow. Get the outdoor seating because it's just lovely. The service here is fantastic and the waiters here take great care of you. The tuna kadoma is an appetizer you have to get. The ingredients sound unremarkable. with avacado and jalapeno peppers on top of some tuna on top of a rice cake. This combination sounds disgusting but it's not. The sushi is fantastic. It's about the same price as a lot of other sushi places so anything is a safe pick. read more

Jinsei Sushi - Tuna kodoma - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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The pricing is insulting. The sushi's not great, the entire restaurant reeks of atrocious BO, and most of the rolls were covered in mayo, cream cheese, and other white people BS. 50$ for a chirashi bowl?!?!?!Service was slow and barely passable. If not for having worked service jobs before, I would not have tipped. This place would be blown out of the water by a D tier sushi spot in SD. read more

The food is alright, not authentic. Miso soup was very bland and the enoki mushroom doesn't go with the soup. There's videos on how to make a good miso soup perhaps that would help. Service was 4/5. read more

Overall- the food was good. I split a couple appetizers with friends. We got the shishito peppers and green beans. Those were both good. I also got the jinsei special and ginger albacore. Both were also good. The part of this experience that really made the rating go down was the service. It was very slow for not a super busy night. What was supposed to be a quick dinner turned into an almost 2 hour night. read more

I tried this place on a whim. This is definitely the cool spot, so I am a fish without water. The music is very loud and so are the prices. This is putting a damper on the ease dropping. Anyway, loud music dulls my senses and it becomes an effort to enjoy living. I actually boxed dinner and set myself free. However, the menu selection is very interesting. Ginger albacore roll - maguro, hamachi, japaleno, cilantro, topped with avocado and ginger albacore, scallions and other stuff. I am also trying the kiiro (key-row) and a veg roll. All the rolls are tasty The hot sake is higher end which means it is slightly sweet. The service is very good with a smile. Ordering hot sake brings many problems and they got it hot and I got it fast. read more

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The brunch and ambience is fantastic. Great service and the drinks are great too. Would recommend.

Certainly Sunday evening place to be!! Several large parties and several having date night! Perfectly packed place!! The sushi is spot on. BUT few people order their best dish!!! Whole Fish. Daily the best fish selection is made to have a whole fish entree. Perfect!!! Again the sushi is a must have but make sure you try the whole fish next visit. read more

Jinsei Sushi - Whole Fish-try it!! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Slightly overpriced, but not overrated. I've been here quite a few times and I've tried multiple items on the menu... nonetheless, everything I've had thus far has been delightful. The Bangkok roll is something different that they added to the menu in which I tried this time. Super yummy. They also added a lychee drink (alcoholic) to the menu that literally tasted like lychee! I wish they had a bigger space because it can get quite noisy if you sit where the tables are in the back. You're way too close to others. I like the intimate environment concept towards the front of the restaurant. read more

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I am in town for work for several weeks. The aLoft told me about this place and they were right; it's AMAZING!!! During this Coronavirus situation they are open for take out only, but the food and service is amazing. I had the steak wrapped asparagus and chicken weeks two nights. Tonight I changed it up and got the Kobe burger, grilled edamame and chicken wings. Everything was so damn good. Thanks guys for staying open. read more

We got the fried green beans- delicious. Spicy Hotate roll- unbeatable. Red dragon roll- amazing. Also got a ginger something roll but it wasn't very good or memorable. Great outdoor seating area and good service and drinks. read more

Sushi rolls are very small, make sure you order multiple rolls if you want to feel full. Staff was nice but no one was smiling so the vibes felt a little weird. read more

Sleek place in a nice shopping part of town. I really wish the shops around this restaurant didn't close at 5 p.m. (although a couple do stay open till 7 p.m.). This is a really cute area that I would direct all out of towners to. This is your modern, sleek, Japanese restaurant. All dark colors and simple lines. I sat at the sushi bar. There was a nice size crowd on a Tuesday night, not too empty that you wonder what is wrong with the place, but not too crowded that you don't get a seat. I got the Shag Roll and the Lobster Roll. Both were solid choices. I would suggest trying either. Overall, this is a sushi place that will not disappoint. read more

Great little option for sushi in Homewood. My friend and I were staying at the Aloft hotel down the street and decided to dine here. Unfortunately, it was super packed for a Friday night and about a 30-40 minute wait. It was super chilly outside but we decided to brave it and dine outside under one of the heated lamps. I was skeptical because I have always had the experience of being forgotten when dining outside. But at Jinsei, I can say that they seemed to go out of their way to check on us. I didn't get a chance to really peek inside but it looks very cozy and swanky. Definitely looks like a place where the young local college crowd goes to when they want to get dressed up! We ended up ordering several "Hot dish" appetizers to start. I had the rock shrimp tempura which comes out on this big boat platter and was way more than I anticipated. It was more citrusy in taste than I expected even though on the menu it states that it comes with a "spicy aioli". My friend ordered the river rock kobe which is cool to order on a chilly night. They bring out a hot black rock and you can sear cuts of flank steak to your liking. It comes with a ponzu dipping sauce. As for sushi, I ordered the Red Dragon which had a combination of spicy tuna, seared tuna, cucumber and spicy dressing. It comes out on a long white plate and was plated beautifully. And it was really good. I'm so glad I didn't order more as I was full at that point. There were so many creative rolls on the menu and if I was in the area again, I would venture back to. The service was very attentive and our glasses were always full. There is really nothing to criticize - it was a pleasant dinner. read more

Jinsei Sushi - Rock shrimp tempura while Flank steak is being seared - Sushi Bars Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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I picked up my food to go so can't comment on the service but it was very dark inside and "cosy". The staff were friendly and my order was ready. My appetiser of the tuna on a rice cake was fantastic! Can't remember the name but it's their best seller I believe. My roll had avocado and tuna and was a tad mushy but it may have not appeared to be as appealing after the fandabydoziness of the app! Overall, it was pricey. $31 for 2 items not including tip. Homewood is fancy! read more

This place is hands down one of the best Sushi places I have been. The miso was hearty and tasty. The soft shell crab and hot and perfectly seasoned. And all 3 of our rolls were made fresh and were great. I apologize for not posting pictures, the presentation distracted me from grabbing the phone. I reordered more soft shell crab just to at least post one picture. read more

Jinsei is a date night staple for my husband and me. We are restaurant owners, so food is life for us, and we can't say enough good things about Jinsei. We believe it's the best sushi in town. You can taste the quality in the fish. Service has always been good, and the food keeps us coming back. Do yourself a favor and get the kadoma tuna read more