This is a slightly upscale sushi restaurant in the Bowery area. Not what u would expect to find in this area. They had an AYCE omakase primo going on so when I showed up later in the evening they were out of most of the sashimi pieces. Met with who I believe is the owner and he tried to help me out by getting me some form of Chirashi. Food (3.75/5) - ended up getting a Hamachi Chirashi and it was ok. Portion size was on small side and Hamachi was decent quality. Chirashi rice was a nice balanced mix of vinegar and sweet. Service (4/5) - give the guy props for trying to figure out something for me. Atmosphere (4/5) - it has this lounge feel with the dim lighting, vibey music and ambiance. Bar in the front by the door suggests this is not just a restaurant but also a lounging destination Overall (4/5) - wish I could provide more context but will come back to try the 13 course Omakase at some point and edit my review. read more

Shinsen - Hamachi Chirashi - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Great AYCE value for $98 omakase with unli drinks included. Great service. Restaurant itself was cute & aesthetic. I wish they had more options when it came down to the AYCE rounds rather than 5 nigiri options. Loved their lychee sake martini. The Chinatown sour was definitely more on the sour end. read more

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Went there 1pm as it says that's when it's open on Saturday, they mentioned the sushi chef is coming 2pm... So it was awkward sitting there with not much effort from them to see if we need anything, had to flag down server and ordered some cooked items. There was no warm service, they look miserable which really put out negative vibes. French fries were the best, bahn mi and sashimi okay - much better places out there. Maybe it was a bad day but seaweed and edamame was not fresh, tasted off. Pretty pricey and horrible experience. I would have left but sis was running late so ended up staying. read more

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Hubby and I walked by and decided to go in for happy hour before our dinner nearby. We were surprised that it wasn't busy around 5ish on a Friday. We stayed anyway and had a couple cocktails. Service was good and the drinks were okay. read more

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Hidden gem of a spot in Chinatown. The music and ambiance were a really amazing vibe, chill and fun without feeling stuffy. The sushi was super fresh and the omakase experience was beautifully done. Drinks were great too. Everything felt thoughtful and high quality! Tony, the owner, was great to chat with and so sweet. The rest of the staff were just as welcoming. They really made the experience stand out. Definitely coming back and highly recommend. read more

Shinsen - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Food is not good and definitely not fresh. Ambience is very dark, can barely see anything. Service is ok. We ordered the sashimi platter and the fish was dark and old. The curry katsu was dry, the curry sauce tasted ok but ordinary. Drinks were ok. I had the lychee martini, even though the portion was teeny tiny for $10 happy hour, it tasted ok but not too much alcohol. read more

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Killer atmosphere, love the decor & vibe, the service was as good as it gets... Whether you want drinks or food, come check this place out!!! read more

Shinsen - Great atmosphere, decor is on point, and the service was as good as it gets. Drinks or food, come check this place out!!! - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Hey my cousin Jan knows the ower so we had to visit. We were not disppointed and I hope next time I am in NY I can go back. The rolls nigiri were great and some very specials rolls. Fish is very fresh and a great staff that really took care of us. I see a few lower reviews but for me as a sushi snob I give it 5 stars! read more

I usually don't write bad reviews.... I went here with my boyfriend and the ambiance was fantastic! Service was the worst we've ever had... there was only two other tables and us and we waited almost 15 minutes for glasses of water. When we got our food... my sashimi was frozen... not fresh. I do not recommend this spot for drinks and sushi. So many better spots in the area!! read more

Temperature of the place inside is warm like 80s .... outside 88 degrees (should put ac on) Take a while to get serve ... the place is empty and still waiting around 10-15mins can't picture when it's busy ... Bathroom is small. The seating is definitely very comfortable Food is good taste but a little pricey . Total is $88 without tip yet. read more

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I never write reviews, but I feel a sense of duty and obligation to share my experience. The soy sauce they gave me was a to go soy sauce packet. The miso soup which should take 5 minutes to grab, never came. The order - all messed up. I understand finding staff might be hard and I don't care if the sushi was mediocre but they don't seem like they care what so ever about this place. read more

Truthfully I blame myself because I should've looked at the reviews of this place before visiting. They market an unlimited/ all you can eat omakase experience and my cousin and I really wanted to try it out. Sadly the sushi was lackluster. Not fresh. Not memorable. Too much soy sauce on the rice. The wagyu for the sushi was so chewy, it seems cheap. The only highlight is the "unlimited" sake which was nice and will get the job done. The other drinks or cocktails weren't nice. The lychee itself wasn't even nice. Not sure if it's just cheap fish they are ordering or what but they should reconsider what they are serving to the public. As an avid omakase enjoyer, this was disappointing and expensive on top of it. Wouldn't recommend sorry. read more

Customer service is 10/10. Perfect spot for a 1st time omikase. Lots of diversity & it's a great deal. Will definitely be back.

Came in for drinks on a Wednesday, early evening. The bar offered a 30% happy hour on our drinks. Drinks were fruity and to the point. No big frills. Price was reasonable. We stayed until around 7 but no one came in for dinner. I haven't tried the food but the location is good, the restaurant is clean and spacious. I'd come back and try their rolls! read more

Shinsen - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

I wasn't a fan of the dim pinkish lighting throughout the restaurant. Nor was I a fan of the blue/green lighting in their gender neutral bathrooms. On a Friday night, seats were easy to come by. Food arrived relatively quick. I enjoyed the Arnold Palmer drink and the Canal bowl. The seaweed salad was all right. Definitely in the pricier range. Would probably go somewhere more affordable next time. read more

Shinsen - Arnold Palmer, Seaweed Salad, Canal Bowl - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

10/10 Curry and Udon was hella bomb. Food was amazing Atmosphere was perfect service from Tony himself couldn't ask for more man. Most Def coming back. read more

Shinsen - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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As soon as you walk in the door you're greeted with lovely lighting, similar to other high end Asian restaurants. The omaxkase is a must try when going to shinsen. A 13 course meal that leaves you extra full and eager to come back for more. The service is welcoming and considerate. read more

This was my first time at Shinsen and I went for their Omaxkase experience, everything was delicious - great variety in terms of nigiri and very quick service, also enjoyed the unlimited beer and sake (will absolutely be back)! read more

Don't get me wrong. The food is not bad here. I got the ahi tower, a sashimi and sushi deluxe, and the umi kasai roll. The food tastes fine and the fish is fresh but I cannot justify the price of this restaurant. These three orders cost almost $100 for 2 people after tip and tax and the portions are pretty small. I could very well go to a buffet for this price and get my money worth. The tea they offer here is $3.50 and it basically just tasted like water. I did not taste any green tea flavor. If I knew their tea cost money I wouldn't have gotten it. The second I looked into the shop and saw that it was completely empty, I should've just turned around. It seems that the only people who eat here are people waiting for Joe's Shanghai and didn't want to wait any longer. The price point is so high for the area that it is located in. You can literally eat anywhere else. Sure if you have a lot of money lying around then you can go ahead and eat here and won't be disappointed read more

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Updated review. Ordered takeout & got higher marks for consistency in freshness!!!!! Should've ordered more. Really hit the spot....ROCK ON!!!! Place is packed tonight & we finally got to see why. Really enjoyed the atmosphere while awaiting our orders but once the food arrived I completely forgot where I was at. Try anything & expect absolute freshest quality of ingredients. Hit up this spot for fresh exotic delights & great ambiance of beautiful ppl all around.... read more

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The food was very good and service was swift. I was throughly impressed. After seeing the Ahi Tuna on every other Yelp page I had to get it. It was remarkable!! It didn't disappoint. Full of fat and umi! I love it! I had the Umi Kasai which was the scorching roll which was also really good. Only underwhelming part was the size of the cocktails and the rolls were above market rate in my opinion. read more

Shinsen - Ahi Tower - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

We had reservations via Seated at 7pm on a weekday - we were immediately seated and there were only 1 or 2 other tables at the time. We ordered a karaage chicken to share, and a Canal Bowl and Gyudon for me and my friend, respectively. Karaage chicken looked tasty at first sight, but unfortunately tasted like they were mass-produced and had been frozen - I felt like I could have gotten the same popcorn chicken at a local fast food restaurant. The one redeeming factor was the sauce - like a spicy mayonnaise - which I did enjoy. My Canal Bowl was quite disappointing - it was a chirashi dish with salmon, tuna, hamachi, shrimp, and tamago. The fish didn't seem to be fresh and left a bad aftertaste in my mouth. Tamago was rather tasty with a nice sweetness but didn't make up for the other subpar sashimi. Definitely not worth the high price. I had a bite of my friend's gyudon as well, and found it to be quite mediocre - beef had an OK flavor but was dry and overcooked, and the rice felt soggy with an overly heavy "meaty" flavor. I also found service to be quite lacking too - our waitress (in fact, the only waitress at the time) was often nowhere to be found, and even when she did show herself, it consistently took us at least a few minutes to get her attention, despite being one of only two tables dining at the time. Overall, the meal was rather unsatisfying to me and definitely much, much pricier than it was worth. Considering the alternative sushi options in this neighborhood for around the same price point, I don't think I will be returning here. read more

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Very underwhelming experience. Was meeting up with my siblings for lunch and we wanted sushi so chose this place since it was nearby. With the heatwave going on, they had only 1-AC on when they had 3 throughout the place. You can barely feel it. Staff was very friendly and seated us at a table closer to the AC that was on. The food... not that it tasted bad or horrible, but it's not good. We were hungry so we ordered a lot of food. The kara age (fried chicken) app was very battered where you don't taste or have much of the chicken. The way is it was seasoned didn't taste right or authentic either (also looked really orange-y in appearance). Gyozas was a bit burnt. Salmon skin salad was ok. The gyudon (beef and onions over rice bowl) was pretty "mehhh" as well. The beef was too thickly sliced and overcooked (not soft and tender as it should be). The sweet soy sauce that it's supposed to be simmered in tastes watered down so it lacked a bit of flavor. Yoshinoya, the fast food chain, makes better gyudon. The sushi! I stopped eating after having a couple of bites of the sushi we ordered. It was rice heavy on the rice-to-filling ratio, and the rice isn't done correctly. Sushi rice should be seasoned a bit with rice vinegar and salt and then cooled down a bit before used to roll sushi. The rice tasted unseasoned and too hot to roll sushi with (it needed to be cooled down first) against the raw fish. My siblings and I were all quite unsatisfied from this lunch. And after spending over $250 on it... we could've/should've gotten something way better for the price we paid. read more

I've had Shinsen's Uni Ikura Bowl on my food wishlist for a while, but was disappointed to be presented with a bowl that fell short of the photos I saw. - Uni Ikura Bowl ($48): I've dreamed about this bowl for a few months now and expected to shell out for it but I was disappointed that there were only 4 pieces of uni. The color of the uni was not particularly appealing but taste was still good (not the best). Hard to go wrong with uni and ikura but definitely felt like it was too expensive for the amount I got. My friend got the Mulberry Bowl ($44) and felt similarly about the value. Overall, the ambience was fine (and the karaoke-ers in the back room were amusing) and the food was fine, but the search continues for a more satisfying donburi bowl. Tip: Bring cash! There's a 4% surcharge if you pay by card. read more

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Food was delish! Service was great. Really sweet attentive waiters. Good, calm vibes. Great music at perfect volume, dim lighting. A great place. read more

A rare find in Chinatown - a premium sushi spot that offers the Omakase experience or table service. Not your run of the mill sushi spot. This place has a nightclub feel walking in with the bar counter right at the entrance and the neon lights. Lends to the vibe which leads to a cooler, dimmer lit dining room area. The menu offers great snack and appetizer choices if you're a light eater or just want a variety especially while knocking back a few drinks. The rice bowls, sushi plates, whether pre-set, a la carte or custom - so many great choices. The drink menu definitely doesn't disappoint! The food I did get: - Appetizer Takoyaki, so good when it's hot and fresh from the kitchen. Had a good bounce to them. - I thorougly enjoyed my uni and scallop bowl with the chefs choice sashimi. Uni and sashimi selections were excellent but the baby scallops were meh. They lacked the sweetness of a traditional scallop. I could've done without or prefer a roe instead. - Scallop sashimi we ordered a la carte, lovely and sweet. - wagyu sushi was good but not as flavorful as I hoped. - Salmon skin salad was good - just needed to mix the soy sauce based dressing more with the greens. When I got to the bottom, it was very noticeable. So mix it, okay? Drinks are half the reason you're here so give the lychee martini a try. read more

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I love the vibe of this place and I love how they always have some sort of events happening in the weekends considering everything closes early in the area. Definitely will stop by next time;) read more

Found this by accident when looking for sushi near me while I was on an 24 NYC layover. Stopped in for an early evening (5pm first) dinner. Service was good, food was great, and it had a cool atmosphere. I would visit again. read more

This is my FAVORITE sushi spot, hands down. Shinsen is unassuming but cute and unpretentious. They have a window with cocktails to go, and a lot of people grab one and keep going. BUT THE SUSHI! I've been here a few times and have loved everything I've tried. The simple sushi rolls (salmon, salmon avocado, yellowtail scallion, spicy tuna) all have great flavor and aren't overloaded with rice, but have a great amount of fish. The uni is out of this world amazing. I've had the uni cucumber roll and the uni appetizer and it is heavenly. Fresh and sweet. They have a special roll called the umi kasai that comes out on a flaming plate. Delicious, highly recommend. Their sushi is also fantastic. Salmon, salmon belly, scallop, tobiko, ikura-- everything is so fresh and the cuts are high quality. Great sake selection as well as cocktails and beer, and the service is always super friendly. I'd be here every day if I could. read more

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So a couple things went wrong with this restaurant, the food took an hour just to get and it was cold inside but I was starving at that point so I didn't care. The waygu beef was pretty good I'm not going to lie but for an hour I would have passed this place up. To make it even worse the food portions were small so I didn't even get full lol. I definitely won't come back here again but thanks for the experience read more

Shinsen - Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Small portion, taste terrible and not fresh. Will not recommend and will not buy again. Expensive too, not worth it. read more

We met at Shinsen for a reunion among friends. So, I can testify to the fact that it works well as a spot to have a meal among a group of 6+ people. The service is prompt, and there isn't much to complain on that end. The food on the other hand was disappointing. We have had better spicy salmon rolls. It seemed to be put together somewhat clumsily, and didn't taste all that great either. The beef Udon, which I shouldn't have ordered on such a hot day, was underwhelming. It is, however, a sizeable dish and should take care of your hunger. The chicken Katsu was probably the best of the lot. It is always a safe choice, an appetizing dish. Be aware that the final charge already includes a 20% tip but also includes a 4% credit card charge, unless you decide to pay in cash. read more

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The vibe of the place is 5 stars!! The lighting and music makes it feel like you just walked through a time machine back into the 80s. Amazing!! I ordered the double smoked Negroni and it was delicious. My girlfriend and I ordered a couple of small plates, sushi, and entrees. The food was tasty, but did not blow me away. The menu is a little on the pricey side. My favorite thing I ate was the spicy tuna roll. read more

Like another reviewer mentioned, Seated brought me here and I thought I'd give it a shot since it was rated pretty highly on Yelp. I really try not to write awful reviews especially since restaurants are having difficulties during the pandemic, though I feel guilty not warning others about how bad the food was. The service was really great though, so we tipped well. It's not the server's fault that the food was horrible. I'm not sure what other people were ordering to give so many 5 star reviews. I should have followed the advice of other reviewers but I still ordered the karage fried chicken app. It was probably the lowest quality nameless branded frozen popcorn chicken you could buy from the freezer section of the discount grocery store. It wasn't cold or raw in the middle like other reviewers mentioned, instead the chicken was so over cooked it was inedible (so maybe feedback is being considered). The raw fish was not fresh and was served to us warm. The cooked salmon appetizer we ordered was burnt. There were flies all over the restaurant and we were one of two tables during peak dinner time on a Saturday night. Hoping that management can improve the food because the interior and ambiance is really nice. There's a lot of potential. TLDR: bad food, expensive prices, but good service read more

Shinsen - Ahi Tower - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Food was good but a bit pricey. The staff recommended ahi tower and salmon osaka. Both taste good but especially liked the latter. Also ordered orchard roll, which is fun. I do feel the sauce used for all my three dishes were similar though, making them somewhat similar. Staffs were friendly but the service was kind of slow. There weren't many ppl (3-4 groups only) but took quite long for them to prepare the food. read more

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3/5 for the food, the service was very good and the waiter was very attentive. Ahi Tuna - 5/5 very delicious Chicken Katsu Curry - 3/5 - Chicken wasn't as crispy, they put seaweed on top which overpowers the curry taste by quite a bit. Not a fan of the seaweed at all Gyu Don - 3/5 - Beef was not cut thin enough or simmered for the right amount. This resulted in some pretty overcooked beef. Again there was seaweed on it, overpowering, which is not a positive thing for me I think that there's a lot of potential for this restaurant here, especially showing that they can do rather well with the Ahi Tuna. If they tighten up on the non sushi dishes, I think I wouldn't mind returning. read more

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I do not know why I got my hopes up thinking this would be a nice authentic sushi place in Chinatown. Of course it was operated by Chinese people. What was I thinking? To be honest, it wasn't that bad. Ambiance and decor is very nice but I feel like I was paying for that more than for the food itself. Now onto the food reviews. The price was a bit high for the portion provided (for everything). The fish I had was pretty fresh, cannot complain but I've had better. Rice was nothing special. The kani salad was unexpectedly spicy and as I have already mentioned, small. It also had a hint of (I believe) lime. Was not a fan. Fried squid legs, not very crunchy. Given the price AND quality, I would just go to Sugarfish. As for the fried squid legs, I would go to chicken v. Unfortunately the one in Chinatown is still closed though. Would I go back? Sorry but no. read more

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I would love nothing than to support chinatown businesses, however, this place falls short of everything. Food quality, service and vibe. A sushi place that serves "white tuna" immediately is a red flag. Refused to turn on the A/C on a hot and humid day. Food took forever considering we were 1 of 3 parties on a Monday night. Takoyaki reinstated from frozen balls. Switching to real crab meat was an additional $10 per roll, keep in mind, menu prices were high teens per dish. Really wanted to give at least 3 stars, but just cant. read more

Great little sushi spot in Chinatown. Everything we ordered was great, especially the yellowtail. It was very light and refreshing. We ordered the 16 piece for two which comes with a variety of sushi based on the special for the day and spicy tuna hand roll. I'd highly recommend as everything tasted really good. The drinks were a bit overpriced and not as strong as indicated. I ordered the ghost drink which tasted like another rendition of the Moscow mule but with less sugar. Probably better to opt for just a sake. read more

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Dined here three times with a different person each time. The first time this place was amazing! The second time it was awful; we came on a weekend right after lunch hour was over but not yet into happy hour. Staff was new and not well-trained. We asked for wet towels, she left and came back 45 mins later saying they don't have any. Third time it was good again. I guess it's best to come during happy hours maybe? ... not all because of the happy hour's deal but because the food and service are better after 5pm. Recommended: - Flying Tiger Lychee $12 (50% off during happy hour) - Ikura wrapped in salmon sashimi *drools* (this one is not on the menu, ask for it) - Sake Sampler: Oka-Okuden-Yamahai $15 (50% off during happy hour) - Otoro with Uni $24 (Uni was from Maine that day but the kind chef gave me Uni from Japan *in-loved emoji here* - Salmon Osaka 3 Piece $19 (Unbelievably delicious!) - Uni ikura bowl $42 (Assorted Uni; Maine, Cali, & Japan all in one bowl) - Uni sushi $12 - Orchard Roll $18 (Mouth-wateringly delicious) - Kobe Beef and Uni Handroll $18 (A+++) Not Recommended: - Seared Pepper Tuna Appetizer $16 (tuna wasn't good, and I love tuna) - Set A 8 piece sushi & Handroll - $29 (lunch time. the sushi was horrible. Fish fell off sushi and the fish smelled) Overall, it's a clean and comfortable setting. Two out of three times I was here, waiting for the food to come was loooong. And it's never packed. Great for friends to hang out or for first dates/dates. I would recommend Shinsen to friends! I would also recommend it as a spot for uni. P.S. Good for parties. You can reserve the bar in the back and it'll be your private party place! read more

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