Shinju II Review
Saturday, November 8, 2008
As the Gowanus Lounge reported in October, the new sushi place Shinju II has opened in the space formerly occupied by Inaka sushi. Inaka was never my favorite place, but there all-you-can-eat sushi deal was a fun way to sample different types of sushi.
Shinju has completely renovated the interior, choosing a design style very similar to the new Oshima. The service was polite and speedy, although almost devoid of personality. My favorite feature was the non-disposable chopsticks included in the table setting, which I really enjoyed using.
Despite those positive features, the food was quite a let down. Each normal sushi roll consisted of only 6 pieces, which is a bit skimpy in my opinion. My Philadelphia roll contained only the slightest sliver of smoked salmon, and the fish covering the top of my rainbow roll was paper thin. The edamame was slightly overdone and the miso soup was a little bland.
As I was sitting down at the table, the couple next to us was finishing their meal. When asked if everything was ok by the waitress they commented that the tuna "didn't taste right," which is why they left some pieces behind. This was disconcerting, and although I didn't realize it right away the Spicy Tuna roll I had ordered came to my plate as a Spicy Salmon roll. Freshness of the fish is paramount for a sushi restaurant, so I hope this was a misunderstanding or a freak occurrence.
While probably an improvement over Inaka, I was not impressed by Shinju II. With so many other great sushi restaurants in the neighborhood I don't think they will get my business again.
Labels: businesses, opening, photos, restarant review
11/08/2008 11:31:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)