Shima Japanese Restaurant — Restaurant in Stanwood

This restaurant is a Stanwood gem. This was our first time here and the dining area was well decorated and packed with guests. Our waitress Ellie was so kind, attentive, and professional. The sake was chilled and delicious; we got the "nothingness" one. We got a California roll as an appetizer. We could taste the freshness of the ingredients and the premium soy sauce was a perfect addition. Our miso soup was hot and tasty. I got a combination plate of chicken Teriyaki and chicken katsu. It came with salad, rice, and gyoza. The Teriyaki sauce reminded me more of a tangy / vinegar Korean Barbecue sauce. I did not like it that much, but eating it with rice helped a lot. The katsu had a wonderful crispy crunch. Both chickens were very juicy and tender as well. The gyoza were so light, yet crispy and dense. Probably the best gyoza I've ever had in my life. My wife got the chicken yakisoba and loved it. The noodles were thick yet chewey, the chicken was sliced and moist, and the vegetables were cooked perfectly: not soggy, not too tough and the flavors blended perfectly. Overall, it was a great time and meal, though the tab was given to us before we could ask for dessert, so I'm not sure if they are serving any currently. Maybe next time we will be more courageous to ask...

I have eaten sushi weekly for decades. Grew up in this area and was stationed in Japan. Then I became a chef. Very exicted to have a local sushi place. This by far in my 30 years of sushi eating was top 3 in disgusting and non-edible sushi. If you like sushi such as rolls or sets stay away from here. Thick unflavored rice with old...yes very old sushi possibly frozen as well. Fishy taste from old fish and poor sanitation. I have been here 3 times. 1st time I let it slide. 2nd time I was poisoned with bleach from thier squid from in my experience is the sushi prep chef that wiped the counters with beach and didn't let it dry or clean with water. Didn't go to the ER but was sick. 3rd time went with a group of 4. 4 rolls, udon and yaki. We could not finish our food. Not only could we not eat the rolls but the noodles were just as bad. I don't like to discredit restaurants but locally we have no where to go to have good sushi. Everett is the best bet South and north well there is nothing but chain places. Also very very expensive. 2 rolls, Udon and a small beer. $47.00 wow!! Thats without tip!! Good luck to you and if You love sushi this place will make you dislike...

Excellent food, great service, nice atmosphere. We are fortunate to have a top quality restaurant like this in Stanwood.

As a followup to my original review, we recently re-visited Shima after the pandemic subsided and were not as pleased as we had been previously. Shima no longer offers lunch specials, which is disappointing, so we went at the beginning of dinner. While the food was still very good, there was a noticeable change in the atmosphere of the restaurant. One of the nice features of the original environment was the nice, more mellow music and the calm atmosphere. Upon our last visit the music was "top 40", nondescript and loud enough in an empty restaurant to have to shout to carry on a conversation at your table. The vibe behind the county was also loud and rowdy. This is all fine if one is looking for a party/bar atmosphere, but not conducive to a calm, relaxed meal.

There are plenty of restaurants where a meal can be had in a loud environment with TV screens in every corner, if that's what is desired, but I find it sad to lose one of the few places where a more relaxed, less intense...