3.5 stars. This place is trendy, upscale and a fun twist on the traditional sushi restaurant. I normally avoid Japanese fusion, but my friend suggested this place and I went in kind of blindly. The decor and ambiance is very aesthetic and modern. We ordered the lovers roll which was really fresh and delicious. It came with salmon, jalapeno, cucumber, spinach (i think). I normally just order any roll with salmon that isn't deep fried or have some crazy indulgent sauce. We also got the albacore tuna, salmon, uni and unagi nigiri. The salmon was nothing special, tuna was quite fresh, unagi was lean/tasty and uni was very good. Out of the four, the uni was the best. It was buttery and not overwhelmingly salty. In addition to the sushi, we got the pork buns. No complaints here other than I prefer to eat these in a more casual environment. It's a funny feeling eating them in a fancy restaurant. The menu was quite extensive and had a variety of "Thai" influenced dishes like Thai rice. The dessert menu,however, was very disappointing. They had things like banana parfaits and chocolate cake spring rolls. Personally, it didn't sound that appetizing. Maybe at a Texas-style restaurant, but not a Japanese place. I would have liked to see some matcha or seasonal fruits as a refreshing end to the dinner. Bottom line - the service was great, but menu needs some work. Fish selection was normal and some of high quality, but all should have been for the price. read more

Shinsei - lovers roll, albacore tuna, unagi, salmon and uni - Asian Fusion Near Me - Dallas, Texas

I don't know how I've never posted a review on Shinsei, but it is easily the best sushi I have ever had. It is a constant staple restaurant with my family. Their esping roll is my favorite roll I've ever had. Tammy, one of the waitress', is WONDERFUL. The staff is so friendly, and so attentive. It feels so welcoming when we go. The restaurant itself is gorgeous on the inside, and has a darker, more date night feel. Would definitely recommend going!! read more

Shinsei - Esping roll, Dragon lady, Thai Fried Rice - Asian Fusion Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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Went on a "spur of the moment" thing. Open Table said not available, but called and they were able to confirm a Counter (which we prefer in a sushi place anyway) reservation for 45 mins from the call. I don't normally comment on the valet service but let me tell you, the young men working were friendly, welcoming, working urgently, smiling. Kudos to them. We were seated quickly at the counter, provided paper menus (thank you), and Joseph was our server, and we'd ask for him again. He was attentive and informative sharing nuggets about our choices, including a couple of things that were off menu. We had a prawn appetizer with a yummy "salad" in the middle. Wife had Dragon Lady Press and I had Tracey's Special Roll. Fresh, flavorful, and a "would do again in a minute" dishes. We've already made a reservation for later in the month for our anniversary. read more

Perfect dinner with family, service was superb thanks to Abel for even creating our own roll with his signature ingredients. All the rolls including nigiri were fresh and delicious starting with the Amanda and finishing with white chocolate bread pudding will eat here again and again. read more

To start off the service here is always phenomenal. And I mean every single person goes out of their way to ensure you are treated like royalty. Tammy, is everything you could want in a server. She is kind, incredibly knowledgeable, and just an all around joy. The restaurant feels intimate and sophisticated without being pretentious. And then there is the food...everything we've tried is delicious. The crispy tuna appetizer is mind blowing. And believe it or not they have a wonderful filet which is really nice for those that may not be into sushi. I personally love the scallop dish, the flavor is outstanding. And last but not least - the desserts. Oh my gosh they are PHENOMENAL! The dessert egg rolls (not sure what they're actually called) are one of the best things I've ever had. They're served with fried banana and two sauces. It's such a unique dessert. I can't say enough good things about Shinsei! read more

I dont think theres enough words in my vocabulary to truly Express how wonderful this place is. I can boast about the fabulous upscale dishes and refreshing drinks all day. If you want an exciting atmosphere this place has it. Dress to impress because this establishment draws lots of pretty people that know what's good in life. Just get there and worry about what comes next, later. I promise, you will return. read more

Shinsei - Upstairs decor - Asian Fusion Near Me - Dallas, Texas

I booked a reservation at Shinsei to celebrate my birthday because of the great reviews. Unfortunately, the experience and food were not up to par. It was a table of six and we ordered the Lynae's roll, California roll, Shinsei sashimi, dragon lady pressed sushi, shishito peppers, chicken lettuce wraps, short rib potstickers, pan seared jumbo scallops, and the slow braised short ribs. The rolls were made with really mushy rice. My friend ordered the California roll, and she said it was the worst California roll she ever had. California rolls are one of the most basic rolls so it's shocking that they couldn't do it right. The chicken lettuce wraps were also a bust. The combination of flavors did not work well together, and it was overall too sweet. I was super excited for the pan seared jumbo scallops but they turned out to be super salty. However, the Shinsei sashimi was solid and the short rib potstickers were good! But two items out of everything we ordered is not a good outcome. Moving on to service, our waitress was nice but towards the end of the meal she didn't realize we were done with our food until the workers took away all our plates. We had been waiting for a while. She proceeded to hand me the dessert menu which was small, meaning we didn't take long to decide on what we wanted. But she did not come back to take our dessert order until 20 minutes later. My party just had to sit there awkwardly and wait for her to come back just to get our dessert order. I understand being slammed, but it's ridiculous to make a party wait 20 minutes for a dessert order. Overall, our experience was disappointing and not worth the money at all. read more

The space is gorgeous and we had a wonderful server, but most of the portions are rather small relative to the prices and compared to other upscale sushi restaurants in the Dallas area. This was particularly true of the maki. Sharing sushi tends to be an awkward enough proposition to begin with, and this made it even worse. Nonetheless, everything we tasted was absolutely delicious. There's also a beautiful and lively bar area. We were glad to be fully vaccinated, as it was packed completely shoulder-to-shoulder full. We paid around $90 a person including tip, which isn't bad if you leave full. However, we immediately drove to Whataburger. I'd go again, but probably only if someone else is footing the bill on an expense account. read more

It is a really pretty restaurant. It's definitely quite pricey for the value. For example, the miso soup was $7 vs a normal cost of about $3. I had the Hawaiian sashimi based on Yelp recommendations. The quality of the fish was great but I was underwhelmed ultimately. I think they put dried banana chips on top? Not my fav sushi spot in the Dallas area read more

Shinsei - Hawaiian Sashimi - Asian Fusion Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Loved everything about this restaurant. The ambiance, the staff, the food, everything was amazing. We went for a friends birthday and they came out and immediately went to the birthday girl for her drink and made her night really special. The food was so fresh and delicious. We will definitely be back! read more

Shinsei - Katinas Crispy Rice - Asian Fusion Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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THE worst sushi I had in my life, tasteless and unprofessionally wrapped! The roll breaks the moment you touch it, the portion of cucumber and fish is not correct, the rice quality is horrible! The edamame I got supposed to be spicy, but they put spicy only on top and 2/3 of it was regular! I have reviewed so many restaurants but this was the worst one! read more

Honestly not worth the hype. I come here because it's in the neighborhood and every time I leave disappointed. To be fair - every sushi dish is extremely fresh and well prepared especially the pressed sushi. However, all of the rolls are very uninspired and nothing truly life changing - almost everything made with tuna/salmon and avocado. Much better off going elsewhere if you want unique rolls (think riceless). Good array of hot/cold dishes. The tempura cauliflower and shrimp are good starters along with the potstickers and hot rock. Steer clear of the scallop dish - seriously not good. Also stay away from the lobster crab avocado special - competing flavors and tough to enjoy. It's really a loud, COLD restaurant that's a "see and be seen" place not worth the hype as mentioned. Better luck at KU or Oishii or uchi. read more

This is a trendy fine dining restaurant. I had volcano roll and braised short ribs and they all came out really good. Especially the short ribs, it was so tender and with good flavor. The only peeve I had is the service tonight was not good. The wait staff kept messing up our orders, and my friend and I ordered the same food, the ribs, they brought out mine after my friend already finished his. They really need to work on their service. Other than that, the food didn't disappoint and I'd go back again. read more

Shinsei - Braised short ribs - Asian Fusion Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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The service, atmosphere, and food were amazing. Very busy but staff were very attentive and efficient.

Got fried shrimp, tempura green beans, some roll that had salmon and avocado on top (Alfred's roll maybe), pork belly buns and the dragon pressed sushi. Dragon pressed sushi and Alfred roll were by far the best things we got. Worth it for those alone. Didn't need all the appetizers and they weren't anything special: the pork's buns or the green beans was the best. They have an awesome $20 lunch bento box deal that was intriguing. Service was a bit slow during lunch on a Friday but overall great sushi. read more

I've been visiting Shinsei for years, well pretty much since it opened. Never a disappointment whether I get take out or dine in. Everything is so fresh, great staff and lively atmosphere!! read more

Great food as I usually get pickup orders there is a special love for this place. The food is amazing and warm every time I order.

Andre the manager on duty after (I believe) "Becca" left, came over to our table once we received the check. Becca (I believe was her name) before she left (with a small sized backpack on her back-curly hair) mentioned she'd take an appetizer off our ticket given the hassle we endured tonight: (waited forever on a table & food & then my bf ordered tenderloin medium rare (comes out long time after my plate medium well), had to ask for water when we sat down, no server was assigned to our table (according to staff given servers were being switched around), insane night. After she left Andre basically said we were lying about the app being taken care of & made my bf give another run down of why she was going to take app off. ARE YOU SERIOUS?! A $15-17 app-REALLY? Why would we lie about that? Better question: WHY would a MANAGER operate like this to regular customers? Andre began to say "I don't think that's how it went down" when we told him what was said to us. From there, he calls Becca on the phone to confirm what she'd said to us. Becca was so kind & tried to communicate with us on the phone when Andre GRABS the phone out of my hand, pinching my hand & fingers AGGRESSIVELY. My bf & I were in SHOCK. So was everyone else at the restaurant. INSANE behavior and out of control. He escorted us to the door and said "You're not welcome back here," your bf "Marco" is cool, but your lying & do this all the time. WHAT?! Insane. Both of us in shock & disgusted & confused. Would love to hear from Becca. This is not the way to run a high end restaurant in Dallas. Basically they want you to conform or GET OUT & that's what we did tonight. read more

Shinsei - Andre holding out bill while simultaneously calling Becca to confirm what she'd told us before she left. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Superb. Great food and service. Visit if you are in Park Cities area.

The servers here made me wait 45 minutes for a customer order. Delivery drivers stay away..

Mediocre sushi. Good ambiance and service, but you can do so much better on sushi. The fish itself was fresh, but the flavor and execution were mediocre. read more

Authentic JAPANESE and PAN-ASIAN FUSION in a hip and happening ambiance at 'SHINSEI' in Dallas! Check it out! KENT RATHBUN, a four-time Beard Award nominated American chef and restaurateur, is arguably the best known Celebrity Chef in Dallas. His restaurants included Abacus (he is no longer with Abacus), in Dallas, Texas, (an upscale restaurant chosen as most popular in Dallas by the 2007 edition of the Zagat Survey) Jasper's, in the Texas cities of Plano, The Woodlands, and Austin and Hickory, his upscale burger and bbq concept in Plano. In February 2008 he and his brother, fellow chef Kevin Rathbun, appeared as contestants on Iron Chef America. They beat the legendary BOBBY FLAY on the "elk" episode. The scene where Chef Kent carries the elk appeared on Iron Chef's Greatest Moments. RATHBUN is married to fellow restaurateur TRACY RATHBUN, who founded SHINSEI restaurant with LYNNE FEARING. SHINSEI (pronounced shin-say) means "rebirth" or "new beginning" which is actually what owners Tracy Rathbun and Lynae Fearing had in mind when they joined forces to become a culinary force to reckon with, in the DFW Metroplex. The two ladies had a vision of opening a restaurant that was completely different from any other concept in Dallas. Catering to their local neighborhood was very important; equally important was wanting their restaurant to be a place where people could relax and enjoy delicious Asian cuisine. So think of 'SHINSEI' as a new age American-Japanese Izakaya serving primarily Japanese staples like SUSHI-SASHIMI-SAKE coupled with Seafood and hors-d'oeuvres embellished with flavors from Japan, China, Thailand and Korea, in a very hip and happening ambiance, complemented with compelling customer service from their friendly servers who aim to please! We loved their COCONUT CHICKEN JALAPENO PEPPERS, their PRESSED SUSHI (called "DRAGON LADY" on the menu!), their TEMPURA FISH & VEGGIES, their HALIBUT and SALMON adroitly concocted with Pan-Asian flavors, as well as their signature SUSHI and SASHIMI that they are renowned for - see photos with captions below. SHINSEI is relatively expensive, hence a great choice for special occasions or, if you want to make a positive first impression with a very special person on a date night out....KANPAI! read more

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Beyond thrilled we found this restaurant on yelp! Although the restaurant is always extremely busy, the sushi is extremely fresh and it's worth the wait. But the BEST item on the menu is the fried rice. When a waitress told me this was very popular, I was hesitant to order it. But so glad I listened to the recommendation! Fun tip: if you love the chopstick holders, they have them in the back for customers to purchase!! (Pictured) read more

Shinsei - Asian Fusion Near Me - Dallas, Texas

4 Star atmosphere, service, drinks and apps, but 3 Star sushi. We heard about this place from multiple people so we were going in with prettt high expectations. The restaurant itself is very nice and we had reservations for 8pm and were promptly seated which was nice. We started off with some sake and spicy edamame and a hot rock with wagyu beef. Those were awesome. The meat was juicy and flavorful and the edamame was really good with great flavor. What was interesting was the rock actually needed to be traded out because it didn't stay hot enough for all the meat, but that wasn't a big deal because they promptly changed it out. We started off with 2 rolls - spider and crawfish. They were both pretty underwhelming. Lacked flavor and just didn't taste very fresh. What saved the entrees was the lava roll which was very good. We really enjoyed that one. Overall we had a very good experience but for sushi we've definitely had better. But the ambience and other entrees and apps definitely lived up to the hype. read more

Shinsei - Asian Fusion Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Had my birthday dinner here in the private room and the staff was absolutely amazing. 10/10 recommend. read more

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This place is over rated. We came here for my daughters birthday because someone close to us spoke so highly of it. Unfortunately it wasn't what we expected. When you walk in, it stench of cigars. There were also small flying bugs everywhere. My husband and I killed 6 while there for an hour. Our food wasnt very flavorful. We ordered $200 worth of sushi, none of which we liked. Their spicy ahi didn't have any sauce on it. The Shrimp tempura was too chewy. The thinly sliced sashimi was slimy. Being a sushi lover, I had my hopes up to finally find a place close to our home to like but we were very disappointed. Esp with the sushi and the price. We ended up trashing half of it.. DO NOT RECOMMEND. read more

The best! Love this place! Their staff is always friendly and knowledgeable. We often come here for girls early night outs, prior to always finding ourself a elsewhere! HA Their appetizers are fresh and delicious. I would recommend the Brussel sprouts. Always a crowd favorite. Even if you don't necessarily like Brussels, you have to try these! Everything on the menu is great! We try new things every time we come, so I don't have a favorite. Staff is very knowledgeable so ask them what they recommend and you are bound to love it! read more

Good ambiance, good energy, lots of great rolls and non-sushi options. Lynae's roll is my fav.

Amazing. Would come back here every night if I could. Really cute asian-fusion restaurant in a cool area of Dallas. The service was awesome and the food was even better. We ordered lots of sushi and sashimi and I ordered the Soy-Glazed Chicken which was absolutely incredible. Will definitely come back next time I am in Dallas read more

Shinsei - Asian Fusion Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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I love this place. The food is fantastic and the service is always on point. Great experience every time. Definitely a good idea to make a reservation. read more

Unique and dimly lit interior in the evening. Fresh sushi - everyone loved their food! Shara was amazing and she absolutely took care of our daughter- who is a very picky eater. Shara also surprised my mother-in-law with a free dessert for her birthday. We will be back again and if possible, we will request Shara! read more

I'm not usually one to rave about sushi but Shinsei stole my sushi heart. It can be a bit loud so I wouldn't recommend coming here on a first date. Since I'm a sashimi vs rolls type of gal, we ordered a collection of the usual plus flounder, sea urchin (yum), mackerel and kampachi as a means to add to our usual palate. All were all so good and fresh. Next, we'll have to try the special rolls. Service was execellent! read more

Great fresh sushi. Had the pressed sushi as an appetizer upon recommendation when we asked for a tuna tower. Okay but not worth the price. Probably some of the freshest sushi I've ever had but beware that it's pricey. Two rolls and 3 sushi orders plus the appetizer cost $100 for a lunch for two. read more

If you're in the mood for sushi, this is the place to go! It is extremely fresh and absolutely delicious. The service is spectacular. The staff is super friendly. With regard to their ambience .. it has fresh, clean lines. read more

QUICK HIT (Must Go vs. Consider Checking It Out vs. Pass/Don't Bother): Consider Checking It Out Asian Fusion Restaurant on Lovers - Yes, it is on Lovers, I Promise. *As other Yelpers have alluded to, yes, the place can be difficult to locate at night. My advice is to look for the valet stand on the weekends when turning from Inwood onto Lovers...the restaurant is right in front of that. Atmosphere: Downstairs - social ambience, tables are close together, can be loud. I prefer to dine upstairs where it is more intimate, and seemingly quieter/easier to converse with others (with more space between tables). Food/Drinks: -I enjoyed the cocktails...may favorite was the sangria which had several different types of fruit including my favorite, lychee. Delicious. -We sampled several dinner items last night. My absolute favorite was the Halibut that was cooked perfectly and very flavorful. I found the beef check equally appetizing. Unfortunately, I wasn't terribly impressed with the sushi. No single roll was terribly memorable or unique. Disappointing, especially since we allowed our waiter to choose his three favorite rolls. The desserts were rich and made for an overall solid meal. Service: The waitstaff was friendly and prompt. Much appreciated. Overall, Shinsei was a good dining experience, but I am not compelled to make a second visit. read more

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Oh goodness, where do I begin? My boyfriend took me here for a birthday dinner with our friends thinking that Shinsei would be a great option for a special occasion; however, this was not the case. We both walked away in disbelief. We could not understand how the reviews are so high based on our experience! Immediately after our dinner, we sifted through the reviews again to discover that the former chef that everyone is raving about is no longer here, which explains a lot. However, let's move onto the reasons why this place deserves two stars - 1. Website Not Updated According to my boyfriend, he chose Shinsei because of their happy hour option listed on the site, which looks amazing by the way. However, he found out that the happy hour is no longer available. You'd expect an upscale restaurant to pay more attention to its digital presence to ensure all information is updated accordingly. While the site isn't updated, it is beautifully designed. Don't be fooled like my boyfriend though! You can't always trust what you see on the internet. 2. Customer Service After having dined at similar upscale restaurants and being a server myself, I know what good customer service entails -- friendliness, attentiveness and professionalism. However, the service is subpar given its price range. I was expecting the type of professionalism I've received at other restaurants like Uchi and Lucia. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't outstanding. Note: This service wasn't outstandingly terrible, it was just 'meh'. It is only in combination with everything else that lowered Shinsei's rating. 3. Food This is probably the most *important* part of any dining experience, and Shinsei did not deliver. We got the volcano roll, sea urchin roll and crab cake roll (I forget what it's called). The volcano roll has a lot of scallops on it, which is great...BUT they were overcooked and lacked flavor! I've never had sea urchin before so I can't comment on this one. The crab cake roll tastes as if the crab was previously frozen. Everything was lackluster and simply 'meh.' As bad as this sounds, I prefer the teriyaki sushi rolls from Kroger over any of the ones I tried. All in all, Shinsei is a beautifully decorated restaurant that showcases its 'upscale-ness'. However, in other areas such as food, service and overall value, Shinsei greatly falls short compared to other upscale Japanese restaurants. read more

Shinsei - Sea urchin - Asian Fusion Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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I was looking forward to good sushi based off of the reviews, unfortunately I wasn't entirely impressed. The atmosphere is certainly nice and clean and the service was also good, depending on who your server is. I took notice of other servers that all seemed to appear charismatic and friendly, but our server was very"matter-of-fact" and looked like she was ready to move on to who other tables. We order the Thai spicy edamame was good and had the kick I anticipated. Note: none of the sushi comes with any cream cheese. The sushi was okay, but I've had equivalent at Kroger or better at other sushi restaurants. The only sushi I truly liked was the Ashbey rolls. The lobster tacos were small in portion, but delicious. I do plan to come back for their Tuesday family special. read more

Shinsei - Lobster tacos - Asian Fusion Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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Best sushi in Dallas, by far. Best vibes, best drinks, best food. Come for the environment and live for the food. Madison is the best server I've ever had. read more

In Dallas just for the evening catching a flight in the morning. In the mood for sushi so I find this place on Yelp and WOW! Place was packed on a Thursday night with people waiting for tables. Flying solo and they had 1 seat left in the center of th sushi bar. I had Casey as a waiter and told him " have the head chef "Elvis" throw a bunch of sashimi together and I will let him know when he can stop. Every dish was more amazing then the first and was so fresh. The couples sitting on both sides of me kept asking what is that almost after every plate. After having 7-10 dishes I was ready for somthing spicy and crunchy. Want comes out- small crispy rice about the size of a large dice with spicy tuna , jallepeno and a shot of surachi to top it off. DOUBLE WOW. Then Casey asks if I want dessert and I was tempted to pass but I figured everything else was so good why not---for a sushi joint let alone a Michelin joint it was an amazing carrot cake soufflé with great sauce and ice cream. What a way to end a great meal. "" Elvis"" was a great host and I will make sure that I have a layover in Dallas just to eat here. read more

Shinsei - Asian Fusion Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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This is a great establishment, they really know how to curate an ambiance. The have a nice interior courtyard, and the bar is pretty inviting. Worth the price by all standards, great service, quality of food, options for beverages both alcoholic and non. I love trying new sushi places, and this is definitely at the top of the list. read more