Shinsen Sushi Bar and Restaurant - HGA — Restaurant in Pasig

Typical of non-authentic casual Japanese restaurants, the menu is a hit and miss.

If you know how to navigate these restaurants however, the dishes that do hit are more than excellent. Some favorites include their salmon skin karaage and tori kuwayaki, which were definitely cooked with a more Filipino than Japanese style but are full of crispy umami flavor regardless. They also make above average ebi tempura - arguably better than what you'd find in Little Tokyo but a step below specialty tempura restaurants. Prices overall have good value for money, but may come off as overpriced any step higher.

Service tends to be inconsistent especially among the front of house and wait staff. Some staff members glaringly have insufficient training and the way they set dishes and tableware may at times come off as crude with very little etiquette. Dishes are not always released at a logical order, and even sauces and accompaniments may come much later than the dish. Water service is also slow and at times requires calling for the attention of their staff. On some occasions, we have also have had to wait for over 15 minutes just to get the bill.

The atmosphere is definitely inspired by Japanese izakayas, however remains decorated by some of the gaudier ends of the mind of someone who probably avoided hiring an...

We chose the restaurant because the ones on the first floor were full. There was quite a selection of Japanese food based on their menu. We ordered maki for starters and our main meals.

Our order arrived within 20-30 minutes. In terms of flavor, the food was satisfactory. The lava maki is aesthetically pleasing, but we would try something else next time. We paid P2K+ for a group of 3. This includes two starters, 2 main dishes, and 1 drink. They offer free hot tea and service water. They also accept credit card and cash payments.

We raised a concern regarding the computation of the service charge. We understand that the unit price listed in the menu did not include the 12% VAT yet. However, we wondered for the reason as to why the service charge (SC) was computed from the price with VAT included. The manager explained to me that since SC was taxed, which was why they computed the SC based on the price after the VAT. Most restaurants compute the SC based on the unit price listed in the menu without the VAT. For this reason, we did not agree with management rules, which probably would affect our decision to return or choose this restaurant over the other restaurants in the area. We discussed the issue amicably with the...

Above excellent service! You will be welcomed with cheerful servers. They are very attentive to your needs and wants. The selction of food in their menu is authentic Japanese. I celebrated my birthday here and i was not dissappointed with the food that we ate and the service they gave. The price on their food speaks out for the quality of their dishes. The place is very clean and neat. I also appreciate how grateful they were to serve us. We when left all the stafs from the kitchen and waiters and even the guard thanked us for having their customer. They are enjoying what they do and it can reflect from the food that we eat. Again, if you want to have a memorable dinner this is a place...