I don’t even know how to begin my posts whenever I intend to review things related to Japan or Japanese culture. I mean if it isn’t obvious yet, I’m obsessed with anything Japanese most especially food. And today, I’ll be introducing yet another discovery which turned out to be a new addition to our favorites! We all know Japanese food can get really pricey. If you’ve been to Little Tokyo, an array of fresh raw fish can go up to a thousand bucks. And I love, love, love Sashimi so sometimes I can’t help but splurge when I’m craving. I’m always on the lookout for a budget-friendly alternative before I crave for sushi and sashimi on a daily basis, lol.

Anyway, my new discovery is Shinsen Sushi Bar and Restaurant! My targeted ads on Facebook are mostly Japanese restaurants and skin care products so it’s not difficult for me to discover new restaurants, lol. If you ever get tired of all the things Japanese I’ve been posting, you can skip this one ‘cause all I’ll be doing is raving about raw fish, hehe. 

The Food

Okay, so where do I start? I practically loved everything. You’ll see that we had a ton of food from their menu because they claim to be ~authentic~. Did they deliver? DEFINITELY. I’m not giving a rundown of everything we ordered but I’ll be naming my favorites! First, the Uni Tempura. I’ve only had my Uni raw. I was a bit reluctant to taste a deep-fried version but holy hell, when I had my first bite the umami just exploded right into my mouth. If you haven’t had Uni Tempura, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you go ahead and try it right now! Another favorite was the Sashimi platter which had Salmon, Tuna, Uni, Maya-Maya, Octopus, Ebi and Crab. They have imported and local raw fish in their selection, both of which tasted fantastic. One thing that’s noteworthy is their Octopus. I usually have it but never really like it ‘cause I always thought it’s chewy and doesn’t really have any flavor. But Shinsen’s version was tender and almost melted into my mouth; it also had the taste of the ocean which was wonderful down to my last devouring. Huh, and I thought Octopus was boring!

Some of my other favorites were the Ginadara Teriyaki, Unagi Maki, Salmon Cheese Maki and Spicy Salmon Maki. Lol, sorry not sorry for being obsessed with Salmon. I rarely order Gindara because it’s expensive and it’s almost always never available. Lucky us, it was when we had our visit and all I can say is, can I cry? It melts in your mouth like butter but it also has that unwavering savory fish taste. The Unagi Maki on the otherhand was perfectly glazed and didn’t have any fishy smell or taste to it. It’s quite common for Unagi or Eel to have that fishy smell when it’s not fresh, but we didn’t have any of that bullshit when we had our serving. The Salmon Cheese Maki and Spicy Salmon Maki were also both winners because of the main ingredient—Salmon. You can see from all those white streaking that you’re up for some high-grade Salmon Sashimi. It was fatty, it was buttery, it was tender—it was PERFECT. I don’t think I’ve ever been this passionate when describing food. I can still recall the taste in my mouth. 

Would we come back? I think the answer is pretty obvious. Price-wise, it’s not the cheapest one you can find, but it’s also not expensive. Given the quality and authenticity of what they have to offer, I assure you every penny is f*cking worth it. I don’t think I even talked about service? Well, that’s just icing on the cake. Being treated like royalty once you step in, from pulling up your chair to pouring your tea, I’m not complaining! I highly recommend you visit the place so you get to see what I’m talking about. This may be a sponsored post, but I guarantee you, I haven’t talk so highly about any restaurant until Shinsen. Hope they extend the same amazing treatment to everyone and not just me and not just because I'm reviewing the place. 😜