Hidden gem in Evanston! Had such a great meal & great time (loved the ambiance). They really put the extra effort into the presentation & everything looks just as good as it tastes! Our favorite "must get" item was the robata skirt steak! The sushi was high quality, fresh, and the selection was good (ended up ordering more of the o toro nigiri) Highly recommend trying the Thai iced tea and the miso soup! My date ordered the Tamarind noodles & he said it was also good! Make sure to save room for dessert- everything is made in their kitchen (my favorite was the mochi flight) No reservations needed as there was plenty of tables available, outdoor seating as well. This is a BYOB restaurant & they dont charge a cork fee.

Very well done! High quality, tasty, and great service! Great tea options!

Second time eating here and Shinsen is 2/2 on a great dinner. Highly recommend getting the fried rice. It’s delicious and served in a hot bowl that cooks to a perfect crispiness. The Black Widow specialty roll was tasty and nice spin with the black ink rice. No alcohol, but you can BYOB for a cork fee.

Absolutely delicious. Shallot rice, nigi taro, and crispy salmon were amazing. The service was kind and the ambiance of the place is really nice, a calm and relaxed atmosphere. Definitely won't regret it.

Gotta be honest. The setting and platting along with customer service were nice. However the blend fusion Japanese and Thai takes more to master. Papaya salad minus the traditional shrimp but with duck confit, had to look hard for it. Fish sauce overkill and not much else. Karrage chicken was bone in large and fried til bones turned black. The batter is light enough but THAT’S not karrage. Fried chicken pieces. Tiger Cry….made me want to cry. The pink center soft beef lined with scallion on top of fish sauce again. Black widow was alright. The house wasabi is good. Nigiri 🍣 was fresh Tamarind noodle so sweet and salty . Given price point we expect much better quality and a little bit more than French cuisine platting. Sea Ranch is better choice and a whole lot of food.

Really cute place, decorated nicely and lighting was good (not too bright or dim) Wasn’t very crowded when we went so I felt the server should have been a little big more attentive edamame was good but hard to mess that up, sweet potato tempura was very very good and the garlic sauce went well with it The sushi rolls were average the refreshing maki had too much cucumber (prob around 95%) overall, not worth the money considering other local spots

We visited this place on a rainy Sunday. And it was an amazing experience dining out there. We ordered Darjeeling tea, shallot fired rice and ramen noodles. All of the items were delicious specially the shallot fried rice is really tasty, crispy with a rich aroma. If you are a new Japanese cuisine explorer, this place is a mush visit. The ambience of this restaurant is very aesthetic with little cute props everywhere. The polite and welcoming behavior of the staffs is another plus point. Highly satisfied with the quality and quantity of the food.

Interesting Thai touches. Tea was great. Cuts of sashimi were thin and not the freshest. But start to finish, food was solid, not special. My wife loved the Black Widow roll which we heard was the most popular, wasn’t my favorite.

Cozy environment, great food and good service. We had a fulfilling lunch which included Tamarind noodles (chicken), chicken robata, salmon rolls, Yakitori Don with Jasmine tea on the side. Food was tasty and the portion size was appropriate. We will go back there again. I don’t believe they serve alcohol but that is fine. Great gluten free options. This is a gem of a place. You will not be disappointed.

Get atmosphere. The calamari and spring rolls were fresh and tasty. Mussels has a very odd odor and was returned. They were kind and removed it from the bill. The tuna avacado roll, tuna nigiri and salmon nigiri were delicious! The black widow roll was mediocre for its price.

Fantastic Japanese with a Thai twist. The spicy ramen hit the spot and everything else did so too. The owner is 100% on the ball on execution. Highly recommend! See pics!

The fried rice was excellent, gyoza, and sushi and sashimi all good. The place could do with a good cleaning though!

Enjoyed the experience immensely! Came with a friend after a show down the street and needed a quick bite. The staff was warm and the food was delicious. Highly recommend!