Shinpi Omakase — Restaurant in New York

I have mixed feelings about my experience dining here. The food was not bad, and the staff were friendly and attentive. However, several factors prevented the overall experience from feeling elevated, starting with the exterior. First, I would not recommend this place if you do not speak Chinese. I have visited 10+ omakase spots in New York, including some run by Chinese owners, but I have never encountered a situation where the staff spoke almost exclusively in Chinese to their customers. Although they tried greeting us in Korean, we still felt alienated. It was also noticeable that the English explanations of the menu were much shorter than those given in Chinese. If you are specifically looking for a Chinese-speaking omakase experience, this may be the right spot for you. Additionally, a printed course list at the counter would have been helpful. I like to keep track of what I have eaten, which is especially useful if I miss part of the chef’s explanation. My friend and I were unsure whether we had 16 or 17 courses or if certain items, such as an appetizer with two pieces or the complimentary sake, were counted separately. This confusion was compounded by the delayed serving of our chawanmushi. While other guests received theirs early, we were served sushi first. When I asked the chef about it, he simply told us to wait. After three sushi courses, I inquired with the server, who then admitted that there was an issue with our order and that it would be served soon. What frustrated me the most was the way the situation was handled. Since the courses were meant to be served simultaneously to all guests, if there was an issue with certain portions, it would have been more appropriate to explain the situation to the Chinese-speaking customers and ask for their understanding. Meanwhile, for those who did not speak the language, like us, it would have been better to simply serve the dish without creating unnecessary confusion. Given that we were already feeling out of place, it did not seem wise to withhold our dish without any explanation while others received theirs as expected. This approach easily led to misunderstandings, including concerns about discrimination, even if unintentional. As for the food, the sashimi was fresh enough and the dishes were creative, but in my opinion, the quality did not justify the price even with the BOGO 50% off deal. I was further disappointed by the snow crab and uni, which were served with what appeared to be a thin membrane attached to the crab meat. I expected a tender, soft texture, but instead, I found myself chewing on a rubbery, plastic-like substance that was extremely unpleasant. I had to spit it out, and the chef simply watched me do so without addressing the issue. At that point, I lost the will to voice any further concerns and waited for the meal to conclude. This is not the experience I expect when paying $100+ for a quality dining experience. Although the portions were not small, my friend and I left feeling unsatisfied. I appreciate the good intentions behind this business, but the execution raises concerns. Unfortunately, I will not be returning, and I hope these issues are addressed...

I found out about Shinpi Omakase online as I was looking for places to eat around NoMad/Koreatown.

As I walked towards the entrance, I was greeted by their storefront sign and the neon display mounted on their glass walls, which offered a view inside the bar-seating only restaurant. The sushi bar was cozy with 9 counter seats, which meant the chef would be able to pay attention to each patron.

True to its name, the restaurant only offers two courses - a 15 piece omakase ($139), and an 18 piece omakase ($169) There were some great sake, beer and beverage options on their drink menu. Since I’m a big eater, I went for the 18 piece omakase.

After I was led to my seat, I was served some delicious miso soup, and then a starter plate consisting of marinated salmon roe and caviar over an oyster and slices of amberjack. The textures of the salmon roe and the caviar together with the oyster created a wonderful experience. The amberjack sashimi was a fantastic motivation to my palate for what’s to come.

Next came the chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) with abalone, salmon roe, and mushrooms, Wow, this was quite something, as each spoonful was a storm of sweet, savory, creamy, and all these delicious adjectives coming in at once.

Then began the main courses, starting with their summer special, a cucumber and shrimp roll in a creamy sauce. Then, I had fluke, golden-eyed snapper, king salmon, akami, otoro, chutoro, delicious Hokkaido Ogawa Uni over A5 Wagyu and more. White truffles, Osetra caviar, Ogawa Uni, and gold flakes were used very often, which I thought was pretty damn cool.

The restaurant did not spare expenses on the ingredients and the service was fantastic as well. I really enjoyed the experience., If you’re in the NoMad/Koreatown area, feel...

Service was friendly with one chef being more social and fun, which helped create a warm and welcoming atmosphere that definitely helped elevate the dining experience! Seats were spaced appropriately so it had a nice and comfortable arrangement!

Now let's talk about the Omakase selection: We unfortunately did not think that the quality matched its price tag. We opted for the most expensive selection and the total bill was 430 after tips for two people without any drinks. The appetizer selection was subpar unfortunately, especially the ones that incorporated the sea urchin. I love uni and have had many different types and differing freshness. However, the uni that accompanied the appetizer was not fresh since it left a bitter and not sweet aftertaste. The individual selection of fishes were mostly fresh, but nothing that left a "WOW" factor. Although the special grade uni was delicious, it was only available for two pieces with the rest of them just mediocre.

The whole experience was fun and the gold glitter spray was definitely entertaining, gimmicky, and Instagram worthy; the chefs were sweet and the birthday celebrations were exciting and enhanced the dining experience as well, which was great! However, I do have high hopes for Shinpi Omakase because I know with some minor modifications, they can definitely elevate the quality of their selection to better match the price point they are aiming for. Overall the highlight was just the two special uni pieces and one wagyu piece out of the total 17-18 that stood out. I really hope nothing but the best for Shinpi and I hope for a chance to come back to see them become as phenomenal as I know they can be!

Thank you for reading and...