Shiso Noodle and Sushi Bar — Restaurant in Philadelphia

What a splendid and delicious evening out. This elegant but casual place is great for a date, or small group gathering. (There was a 25th birthday party going on in one spacious corner but interfered with our conversation not at all.)

My sister was on a rare visit here from Florida so we wanted someplace special where we could chat and catch up and share great food. Shiso was the perfect choice. In the space of former restaurant Serpico, Shiso Noodle is far more creative and elegant than the name would lead you to expect. Everything on the menu sounded appealing but we settled on sharing two small plates -- the crispy rice with tuna tartar atop drizzle of spicy mayo -- cravably good! and the Toro tuna roll -- which had a lot of tuna and a thin veneer of rice. So delicious. My sister ordered a pho dish which she loved. It was beautiful but, since I have a shellfish allergy which ruled out their pho broth, the waiter suggested I try a Ramen, which had a different broth. I ordered the Vegetarian Yasai Ramen. (Though I could also have had the pork or beef ones). It was amazingly delicious. They hand make their own noodles and the taste and texture is perfect. We also shared a 1/2 carafe of cold sake which was served in a beautiful, clever blue and clear glass vessel. We were definitely too full to order dessert but the three offerings looked interesting. The menu changes somewhat now and then but I can only add I'd like to try anything they make. Everything was crafted so carefully and you can always taste that level of care. It's the added special ingredient between good and great.

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This place is pretty new and they aren’t getting the attention they deserve yet - which means it’s a great time to do a chef’s omakase. Came in last week for a special occasion - great meal and a great experience. Sushi chef Yonten was a perfect host - talked us through each preparation as he rolled them out, but not overly chatty either, just personable and generous with the food and the information. Menu progressed nicely from the light, fruity, bright-tasting fish like striped jack to the fattier knockouts like tuna belly and a seared wagyu nigiri. Towards the end we could've gone w/ more sushi but swerved to try their ramen, which turned out to be a highlight. Incredibly rich 30-hour-simmered pork ramen. Springy, toothsome noodles, perfectly cooked meats and veg. So much flavor. Waitstaff was great, host was great, other sushi chefs were very friendly and checked in here and there. The place started to warm up as we sat, and everyone that did find their way there looked like they were having a great night. Posting a review to do my bit to help them find their audience, but I also loved being there when there was no wait and no crowd. I'd recommend...

I really wanted to like Shiso Noodle and Sushi Bar, and maybe they were having a bad night, but unfortunately, it fell short of expectations. While the staff was mostly friendly, the service was incredibly slow—we waited over 35 minutes just to get our first dish, which was simply salmon sashimi. Then, after another 10-minute gap, our two rolls arrived, and finally, much later, the ramen. They appeared to be understaffed for how busy they were, especially on a Saturday night.

The sushi rolls were just okay, nothing special. But the real letdown was the ramen. Easily one of the worst I’ve ever had. The egg looked like it had been dropped in raw and never properly cooked, which made it really unappetizing. The broth was weird and did NOT taste like Japanese Ramen and while I'm all for fusion, the dish as a whole felt like an afterthought.

For the high prices, I expected much better quality. That said, the ambiance was quite nice, with a cozy and inviting atmosphere. It’s a shame the food and service didn’t match the setting.

⭐ 2/5 – Decent ambiance, but slow service and disappointing food make it hard...