“ Shinsen is a cute, romantic restaurant with great food options and kind staff. I came with a group of 12 and everyone enjoyed their food and drinks. Notably, there are few vegan options. Only giving it 4 stars because the items are expensive. ”

“ What a fun experience! Located in downtown Evanston Shinsen is a must try. When you walk in you're greeted with their friendly staff and seated in a cozy restaurant. We had a number of different dishes is the beef that you cook over a hot stone! It sears right before you and you get to cook it to the temperature that you love. We also enjoyed the pork chops, and a number of sushi rolls. They take tea service to the next level and use high quality tea with cookies, and different sugars for you to enjoy it with. Also, if you're a Thai tea lover, make sure not to skip out on it! All in all, we had a great experience and can't wait to come back soon! ”

“ Just a heads up that the, parking situation can rough with limited street spots even on a weeknight. If you can walk you should! Otherwise, this is a great place for a weeknight meal or a busy day at work. I was craving sushi so we decided to try it out. It's laid back and casual. Service is quick and efficient. We really enjoyed the food! The presentation was some of the most artistic I've seen. Loved the spicy tuna rolls and chicken robata--super fresh and flavorful. I thought the tamarind noodles were lacking in flavor though and wish I had tried a different dish. I'd try it again ”

“ Y'all. My kids and I briefly lost our minds, bought Metallica tickets and drove up to Chicago "really quick" for 36 hours of sightseeing before the concert. We aimed for Evanston first so I could visit a store I follow online and as it was lunch time we stopped our stroll here at Shinsen. We were definitely dressed for summertime car travel, but the staff was so friendly and seated us right away. It wasn't super busy so I felt less bad about our casual attire. We all ordered something different and it was ALL spectacular - from the presentation to the taste. I was surprised and so happy we had gone a bit overboard with our lunch choice...beyond a basic sandwich or fast food options. The boys were impressed as heck with the beautiful interior and cleared every last bite of their meals. Two thumbs up from this crew! ”

“ What a delicious mother daughter date night dining in at Shinsen! Shinsen is a fun, vibrant and modern Pan Asian cuisine restaurant. Good for small get togethers and date nights. Highly recommend the Sweet & Sour Calamari ( Lightly battered calamari sauteed with sweet and sour sauce, wasabi aioli, sesame seed, mango salad) as an appetizer! They almost look like tteokbokki at first. Very fresh and delicious. The mango salad complements the calamari very well! The Pad See Eiw is definitely a must try! The grilled pork in the dish is tender and juicy. We also got Spider Maki and Salmon Avocado Maki. Lastly, don't forget to save room for dessert! We ordered Crème Brûlée (Thai Tea Creme Brûlée, with lychee ice cream, Valrhona chocolate crumble)to end our night. Food service is on the slower side so do give yourself extra time when dining in at the restaurant. ”

“ Our go to neighborhood spot for food. The tantanmen is seriously incredible, but really all the food is incredible. Family friendly. BYOB. ”

“ My husband and I felt so welcomed from the moment we walked in. The service is exceptional, they always checked in on us even though it was semi packed inside. We started with the green team which was 10/10! It brought our entire meal together. It also came with almond cookies which was not that sweet. For food we got: Octopus maki - 4/5, it was nothing special. The octopus was super chewy Red curry mussels - 3/5, the red curry was really salty, the star of this dish was the chimichurri bao buns. SO GOOD Skirt steak robata - 5/5, my husbands favorite part of the meal. The steak was perfectly cooked Pad see eiw - 4/5, absolutely delicious. There was bits that tasted burned but this was the most flavorful dish we got and was my absolute favorite There's donburi here that we didn't get on this trip but will definitely come back to try! They also have outside seating as the weather gets warmer!! ”

“ So one of our dining companions was holding up their phone and saying "Bad Service," and we laughed, because we thought the waiter would think we were complaining about them, and not the phone connection. It wasn't so funny when some of our dishes came out right away and the remainder arrived about 15 minutes later. The waiter apologized, saying that there was only one sushi chef on duty. We couldn't complain about the food, as most of us enjoyed our dishes: the Pad See Eiw (demolished), the Shallot Fried Rice (sizzling and fragrant), the Shrimp Avocado Maki and the Shrimp Tempura Maki (chef's kiss), the Chirashi (fresh and delish). I ordered the Shoyu Ramen but found it a little bland, and I didn't like the texture of the chicken. I should have ordered the Tantanmen Ramen (spicy chicken broth, sesame paste, ground pork, gai lan, bean sprout, scallion) but when they told me it was 2 stars out of 3 on a spice spectrum, I got a little scared. The Crispy Spicy Salmon Maki was delicious (not spicy though) but very attractively presented. The ambience is pleasant and the tables are well spaced. Service, although short-staffed, was friendly and pleasant. (We had so many questions and took a while to order, so they were very good natured.) They brought out a cream puff with a candle on a decorated plate for the birthday guest, although only 1 out of 4 who tried it liked it, but the thought was appreciated. Minor quibbles aside, I definitely would come back for the sushi and some of the rice dishes. ”