SHIN - True Japan Flavours & Matcha — Restaurant in Rotterdam

Shin (シン) boasts a distinctive and rare Japanese culinary style not commonly found in the Netherlands, exuding an authentic essence of Japanese cuisine.

Each dish is expertly crafted by the skilled kitchen. The chicken karage is one of the juiciest chicken you will eat, that completed with unique flavour profiles such as shichimi yuzu really elevates the dish to a great dish you will look forward to every time you visit.

Alongsides this there's a great carpaccio tuna dish that really mixes the flavours put on it perfectly you have a bit of sweet mixed with spicy and tangy, a very much umami flavour.

Then there's the Unagi don, a speciality dish you will have to order in advance, which is then cooked to perfection with a divine sauce on top. The fish achieves a remarkable tenderness, resembling more of a high-quality beef texture than traditional fish.

Speaking of high-quality beef the Wagyu, which is sourced from Kagoshima Japan, is also expertly cooked perfectly red/pink in the middle, and the precise amount of salt and pepper enhances its exquisite flavor.

Then to finish of your great meal there's the Strawberry Shortcake which unlike most dessert is a very light and airy dessert with a great amount of flavour, it is not overbearing like some other desserts.

Shin also prides itself on their matcha which is very tasty, there's a big variety of matcha based food and drink all of which provide you with a delightful matcha experience.

Overall I would say this place is a hidden gem in Rotterdam, and I would highly recommend to take the plunge and experience a little bit of...

We had high expectations when we saw all the overwhelmingly positive reviews on Google, but we walked out with feeling disappointmented. Food and drinks were great, but everything was so overpriced and the food portions were very small. That's probably why they branded it as "Japanese tapas".

We sat down and the waiter asked if we'd like some water and turns out that bottle of water was very expensive. This felt like being tricked. When someone comes in and you immediately offer water and then put a bottle down, opened it straight away and charge a lot for it, that doesn't feel nice. I understand this is a business that wants to sell its products, but there is something to be said about how you go about this.

Later we were forgotten by the waiter. We waited for an hour for our last dish while other customers who came in later already had several dishes. Both the waiter and the owner didn't understand where the problem lies. We will not go...

Went with a friend a few weeks ago, the place was quite busy and most of the tables were reserved, but luckily we managed to get a table. We were placed at a very low table where even we, two tiny people, found it a bit awkward to sit and eat from. My friend and I made a comment about feeling like sitting in a kindergarten, but as we did not reserve ahead, we figured it's fair.

Our server and all the employees working were very kind, but the service was very slow. Our drinks, iced tea and iced matcha, took a long time to arrive, and so were the fries. The fries and drinks were good, and we also ordered a parfait to share (not pictured), which was nice as well as beautiful. That being said, they are not cheap -- the iced tea cost 6 euros and the parfait was 11 euros.

Whilst I enjoyed the visit and the food was good, I'm not sure it's worth the price. If you want to visit, I recommend reserving ahead of time to avoid the awkward...