Yet another underwhelming California Avenue restaurant. Even more troublesome here is the value. Sure, it's decent sushi, but it's priced like excellent sushi. Service was meh. And Steve Jobs doesn't eat here anymore. Not sure what Mr. Perfectionist was so excited about. No real desire to go back.
(3)
Cupie M.
It's more like 2.5. Very disappointing - way overpriced, very slow service and bad executions on almost all dishes. Do not order Omakase. Normally, when you're dining at an upscale Japanese restaurant (or really good sushi restaurants), Omakase is a way to do it - but not this place. We ordered their $95/person Omakase menu and was very disappointed. We also ordered some a la carte dishes as well, and nothing was outstanding. Their sushi is very small and very mediocre - sad. Sure, their dishes are nicely presented, but that's all there was to it. This probably is the chef's preferences, but seasoning were too strong and killing flavors of all the ingredients and that really bothered me. It seems like they had better reviews few years back, so maybe something changed along the way. Maybe I'm being too harsh, but with the price tags that came with all the dishes, they really need to perform better than this. With almost the same amount of money you'd have to spend here, I'd recommend going to Nami Nami in Mountain View instead - or better, Wakuriya in San Mateo (if you're lucky enough to be able to make a reservation).
(3)
Frosty D.
First off: WAY OVER-PRICED!!!! Ok - so let me explain. This place is in silcon valley, so good japanese restos abound, and there are a lot of options. in practically every good japanese place, you can get 2 (read again - two!) pieces of amply portioned nigiri sushi for between $4 to $6 depending on the fish and resto. Jin Sho charges pretty much the same price for a SINGLE piece of nigiri sushi! Is it huge? NO. in fact, remeber those doll houses with tiny furniture? well that's what their sushi and sashimi portions are like. the sashimi portions has two slices, each one slice about 3mm thick (that's like a little less than a 1/4") about 1 1/2" long and 1" wide. TINY! OK, so the portions are tiny, and certainly can't justify the huge price premium. so is Jin Sho's sushi amazingly better than anything else around? NO - its the same. OK - so that's it as far as the price angle. Net-net, this place is amazingly LOW value for money, and you can get the same stuff for less at any good sushi place in PA, MV and Sunnyvale. The rest.....well, there was two japanese guys in the kitchen, and all the rest were hispanic. didn't inspire the same confidence than you'd find in more "authentic" japanses places. the decore.....mmmm....its fine. period. the service....its fine. the other dishes (we had adegashi tofu, corn tempura, chicken teriyaki) were.....fine (although there was no tempure sauce served with the corn tempura). overall, the rest is....fine. nothing special, nothing terrible. Oh....one last beef. one thing japanese places know how to do well is serve you a nice ice cold draft beer. this place serves the beer in a regular non-chilled glass. dissappointed. :-( net-net, will not go back (ever) and will stick with other well-proven and good places like sushi tomi in sunnyvale ( yelp.com/biz/sushi-tomi-… ) or yume-ya ( yelp.com/biz/yume-ya-sun… ), hanamaru ( yelp.com/biz/hanamaru-su… ) or the really good tanto ( yelp.com/biz/tanto-japan… ), all in sunnyvale.
(2)
Angel A.
Their Omakase is absolutely delicious!!!
(5)
Eeway H.
Surprisingly, Jin Sho was not up to par on my first visit. Though service was attentive and quick, the food was mediocre at best. Our orders consisted of Pris Fix B - Yellowtail with Jalapeno - Miso Black Cod - Spicy Salmon Roll Pris Fix B - Tuna Sashimi Salad - 5 pc. sushi - Shrimp Tempura Roll Kamonann Soba Yaki Udon Kanpachi Sashimi Tai Sashimi The first dish on the scene was the yellowtail with jalapeno. Three thin slices of hamachi splayed across a large plate with a small round of jalapeno. The fish was well cut, buttery and nicely balanced with splash of yuzu soy. (4.5/5) The second was the Tuna Sashimi Salad. The portions were good, but there seemed to be an excessive amount of pepper which overpowered any flavor present in the dish. (2.5/5) Then came the Yaki Udon. The bubbling hot noodles may have been the best course. The udon was nicely crisped, yet delicately smooth. (4.5/5) The Kamonann Soba was rather ordinary. It was, however, nicely displayed. (3/5) The Miso Black Cod, the specialty of Jin Sho, was cooked quite well. The fish flaked in the right way, providing a very nice bite. The amount of miso sauce, like the pepper in the tuna salad, was a bit excessive. (4/5) The 5pcs of sushi may have been the worst choice of the night. The salmon was not very well cut. Our slice managed to have a very large bone in it. (2/5) The rolls were not wrapped very tight and were a bit messy on the display. (2/5) The sashimi was fresh. The quality and cut of the fish were surprisingly good when compared to the sushi in the Pris Fix meal. Maybe a different chef prepared the sushi? (5/5) Overall, our tab ran about 120 (including tip). The service and atmosphere were wonderful while the food was a bit lacking. On a random note, their miso was piping hot (something I enjoy quite a lot).
(3)
John H.
Good execution on all the food we had. Fish was fresh and that is a big part of eating sushi... right? The Veggi rolls had plenty of veggies, the scallop roll was tasty. I just wished we didn't get the sizzling stir fried udon. It looked and smelled impressive, but it was just okay. Over all a good experience.
(3)
Stanford M.
Good place for a date. The presentation was excellent, and the prices are exorbitant. Unfortunately, I can't say that I thought it was that delicious. However, this would be a good place for a date night, as it has a relatively fancy, upscale feel to it.
(3)
JJ L.
3.5 stars, close to 4 but not quite there. Overpriced. Trying too hard to be like Nobu NYC in its menu. Oh wait, this is what it used to be like. This place has majorly improved the dinner menu and the pricing. Good fish, good setting, consistently good. Just misses the 4 star mark for me since there isn't anything here mind blowing, but the sushi and udon here are very very solid. You won't be disappointed. I recommend this place as a nice sushi dinner date place over basically any other Palo Alto sushi place.
(3)
Liustanley L.
Sorry. Disappointing Sushi Special. Would prefer Sushi Sam's in San Mateo
(1)
Sherri C.
I met a new lunch buddy here and we both ordered the lunch deal. Of the choices, we ordered the same: tuna tartare salad and miso black cod. Okay, it was only lunch, but I still expected more from a Nobu-based establishment. Perhaps my palate is more like a grizzly bear's... preferring the raw, naked goodness of the fish, allowing for its true quality to stand out, rather than the heavy-handed sauces and flavors that seemed to mask the tuna and cod. I love miso-marinated cod, but Jin Sho's was too sweet and did not feel light on the tongue as it should have. My lunch buddy was from Hawaii, and had looked up Jin Sho on Yelp as soon as I had suggested it to her. Based on these two qualifications alone, I suspect that she knows her fish! She said she enjoyed her meal; however, it was our first time meeting and she probably would have said the same thing if we had eaten at Happi House. If I dare to have dinner here, you'll be the first to hear about it in an update.
(2)
Matt V.
This one was difficult for me to make a rating choice. My finger hovered over the mouse button, torn between four and five stars, but after much deliberation, I settled on four. There were a few parts of the experience that kept me from giving the perfect five-star review, namely that service was a bit on the slow and inattentive side and that the first course I had left a bit to be desired. Since five stars on Yelp means "Woohoo! As good as it gets!", I couldn't in good faith claim that this place was "as good as it gets." But let's stop fixating on what went wrong, and instead highlight what went right, and thankfully, there is a lot that Jin Sho does right! The restaurant itself is pretty simple; a long sushi bar lines the right hand side of the restaurant, while a very limited number of tables and booths occupy the left hand side of the restaurant. Simple wooden chairs and tables are preferred over anything ornate or fancy. No real frills, but just a simple elegance that exudes the restaurant. Service was quite friendly, although it was difficult to flag them down, and they seemed a bit forgetful. They completely forgot to bring out my miso soup, and I had to explicitly ask for it AFTER my first course in order to get it. Also after the first course, they disappeared for a very long time before finally coming back and asking me "Hey, are you ready for your next course?" uh, yeah, I've been waiting long enough for it! Then at the end, I waited quite some time before I could get the bill. So, service is rather inattentive, but there are some brilliant dishes that make up for the deficiencies in service. I ordered off of their prix fixe menu, and started with the ceviche. I just couldn't resist it as Peruvian ceviche is one of my favorite things in the world. That said, it's usually a mistake to order another country's cuisine at a restaurant that specializes in a certain nationality; ordering a Peruvian dish at this Japanese restaurant was no exception to this rule. The dish itself had a good enough flavor, although it seemed to suffer an identity crisis. There wasn't nearly as much sourness from the lime and lemon juices as there would normally be in a Peruvian ceviche, and it also wasn't nearly as well spiced as it would be in the traditional dish. I realized as I was eating it that perhaps Jin Sho was keeping the sourness and spices mild in order to highlight the freshness of their seafood (which certainly was fresh), but it seemed spiced just enough that it was covering up the fresh flavor anyway. It seemed as though Jin Sho couldn't make a decision as to whether to highlight the freshness of the seafood or to bring out the spices, so it attempted to do both, and in the end, did neither particularly well. It's unfortunate, but the dish was still good enough, and I really liked the sour flavor in it (even if it was a milder one)! Following this came my Miso soup (which came out only after I prompted them). This was perhaps the best Miso soup I've had anywhere, and it was very flavorful and put together quite well. Kudos to Jin Sho on this one! My next two selections came out together; for those, I selected the roasted duck breast and the spicy tuna roll. The spicy tuna roll is one of the better ones that I've had. Very flavorful and very tasty. The flavors came together perfectly, with a nice balance all around. Very tasty sushi! Again, my compliments to Jin Sho on this one. The roasted duck breast, however, was absolute perfection. It was served with a sesame miso sauce that really made the dish. The duck itself was very tender and very flavorful, an exceptional flavor all by itself. But then when you added the sesame miso sauce, it was just brimming in rich flavors. I cannot recommend this dish enough. Their spicy tuna roll and, especially, the roasted duck breast get my very highest marks, and they are really the reasons why I was torn for so long on whether to give Jin Sho four or five stars. For those two dishes alone, Jin Sho deserves a perfect five star review. But these two dishes alone are not enough to overcome the slow service that forgot part of my order until I prompted them, nor is it enough to overcome the ceviche that was good, though certainly not perfect. Service was the tie breaker for me, so I ended up giving four stars. I'd still definitely recommend Jin Sho, though, if you're looking for a great Japanese restaurant at a great price. The prix fixe menu I ordered from didn't even cost $20; it was all for $19.75.
(4)
Jennifer O.
Went here for the bestie's bday. The good: The broiled eggplant. Holy crap. If I could live on that stuff I would. The Kitchen Sink Roll. The favorite of everyone at the table. The Ambience: Clean, modern, small without being cramped. The Bad: Service was slow, one of our orders got messed up, and the waiter was either intimidated by the fact that we were drinking and forgot what was on the menu, or he just plain forgot what was on the menu. It was busy, and all's well that ends well, but it was still a little odd. It's expensive. 60-80 dollars/person. Granted we were drinking, but we didn't go crazy. Everything was delicious and we had a great time, but still. The portions were pretty small. I'd come back again for a special occiasion or a date. Joy is still my go-to on the peninsula.
(3)
Katherine P.
I was expecting a bit more oomph when I came here. It's probably my fault for not ordering the omakase...but I think you should have a well rounded restaurant that doesn't only shine with the omakase. I had the sashimi dinner, which came with hamachi, tuna, salmon, shrimp, scallop, maguro, red snapper, and something else. The fish was decent, but it didn't scream fresh to me. I was missing the delicate flavor that a lot of these fish are capable of. The salmon tasted totally off to me, like something wasn't quite right with it. That being said, I did enjoy the corn tempura (a novelty, I never see this at other restaurants). Crispy and sweet, with a dash of salt. Some of the tempura pieces were overly salted, though. The best things I had there, incidentally, was the tamago (lots of egg, little rice) and the complimentary bonito that the chef gave us. That last dish was amazing, and made me wish the rest of the meal was that wonderful. We finished with some green tea ice cream, always a winner. Service was available but not in your face, and the sushi chefs were nice and cheery. If this is really a Nobu type of restaurant, it makes me wonder about whether Nobu is similar or better.
(3)
Ken K.
3 visits later after the first lunch review, I'm going to have to go against the Uncool Aid, Haterade, and Bash Brigade. To me the 5 star part of Jin Sho goes no further beyond the sushi bar where the best spot is in front of owners Kaneko-san or Ichiro-san, and engaging in deep, and sometimes not so deep conversations with them alongside the meal. Some of you prefer to be aloof with your friends in a corner at a table, and that is fine. But that is what I would deem the gray and shady areas where I do have to be honest, that as of a prior visit in January, service was still something that needed much improvement on. Perhaps this has become better, we shall see. The owners not only handle sushi, jive asstastic rolls, they are also in charge of cooked food orders, appetizers, and plating (in addition to sous chefs helping out). But the reason for this 5 star update? It's because of a nasty bit! So some of you know that Jin Sho imports live anago (sea eel) from Japan yes? (Admittedly, not everyone's cup of tea) And they prep and filet the thing from scratch, steam the meat until it is a tender consistency, then serve it with yuzugosho or just the classic brushed anago sauce (nikiri). Well what right minded old schooler Asian would waste the less eaten parts of the fish? Kudos to Kaneko-san for asking me if I wanted to try anago liver. Without skipping a heartbeat (or a liver for that matter), I said yes! But I did ask how he would prepare it, in case there was some cool fusion prep involved. But no they stuck with the classics. It was either 1) Kushiyaki - rubbed with salt, grilled & skewered (supposedly goes great with sake). I suppose you could find something like this at Saizo in Sunnyvale (unagi liver skewer), but a fresh sea eel liver, as fresh as it gets? This should be worth trying! or 2) blanched till soft and done, in clear broth which is dashi (a consumme of bonito flakes and kelp). So option two it was, and it was gooooooooooooooooooooooood. There was something very simplistic and somewhat homey and low key about this that spoke to me. Better than home made spinach and pork liver soup. The liver had no funky taste whatsoever, and Jin Sho's in house dashi shiru was supreme. This was quite a combo! So yeah, skip the miso soup and get the sea eel liver clear soup instead. Other post first visit highlights from what I can remember: Organic salmon - farmed salmon that is given organic feed. This is not wild salmon. It is brined a certain way that still retains full form and flavor. Normally I skip it but it was interesting Kinmedai (alfosino) - the bestest and sweetest cuts are near the belly and with the skin on. Nuff said. They were thinking of sourcing kawahagi (filefish) last I spoke to them and also know about serving its raw liver on top :-) Hope they get it in. maguro zuke - consistently impressive. Still surpasses Kitsho and Ino. kohada - a bit on the salty side, but additional marks for presentation as they take the time to braid it ankimo - honestly have not had it, but they steam it themselves and hopefully will try it next time. fusion sashimi - they blowtorch seared a white fish sashimi, arranged the thin slices on the plate to look like flower petals, then dashed some oil, a hint of shoyu, and a bit of spices over it that somewhat resembled the taste and the texture of Cantonese seafood restaurant style steamed deep sea fish! Memorable but maybe not something I would order again.
(5)
Sabrina W.
best place to get sushi in my opinion for palo alto. Nothing beats this place
(4)
Nic B.
The service was great and the presentation was beautiful, but the portions were really small and the fish was of average quality. I got a sushi lunch platter and half of my fish was of low quality and some pieces had a "fishy" taste. I ended up paying $50 or so for two lunches and left hungry. I am a girl and not a large eater as it is so that shows you how little the portions were. The only reason why I am giving it three stars was the server was really good and nice I got really fast and good service.
(3)
Cindy C.
Last night's dinner was beautiful. But my expectations were high and prices were high and tastes didn't live up. So, 3 stars. The appetizer, "Jalapeno Dressing with Salmon - Served with mizuna green & garlic chips", was really pretty and rather tasty. But the garlic chips were too burnt and bitter and didn't add to the dish besides making it pretty. I ordered the sashimi dinner. The fish was fresh and delicious, the only negative I can think of (if you can count that a negative) was that all the fish pieces were really fatty which made it hard to finish. I would have liked more refreshing pieces mixed in, I guess. Henry got the "Angus Beef Tobanyaki - Cooked on a hot "Toban" plate with garlic sauce" was not as flavorful as it was beautiful. Overall we had a great time. Just not overwhelmed with amazement like we were when we went to Nobu.
(3)
Jon K.
I lived in Japan for 8 years and have had the opportunity to dine at some very nice places there. And I worked in 2 sushi-specialty restaurants in the past. And I must say that I have NEVER had better sushi than at JinSho. Very fresh fish - some of it straight from Japan. And quite a variety as well.
(5)
Brendan B.
I am not a yelper... I do not yelp... and until now my use of yelp has been selfish, mooching of of other people's reviews while denying them my own secret favs. This is one of my secrets, though the secret is getting out, so I might as well tell everyone... Jin Sho is hands down the best sushi you can get in Palo Alto and possibly the peninsula as a whole. That's really the entirety of my review. Founded by two former Nobu Head Chefs a few years back, and brought a combination of their own traditional style and a little Nobu fusion influence in the seasonings for their nigiri sushi and the outcome is artwork. It really is. Sit at the sushi bar in front of Ichiro and watch him meticulously craft each piece and you'll know I'm not lying. Chat it up with Noriomi, who has been doing this a long time and knows everything. I recommend just going there and ordering nigiri omakase. Tell them what you can handle in terms of sea food, and just trust the chefs to design an amazing meal tailored to your likes and you will have some of the best morsels of food you've ever had. Ignore the soy sauce for the most part, it doesn't need it. Everything is perfectly seasoned. Ask for a pairing for sake, and everything will be that much better, including your night!
(5)
nic b.
POORly TRAINED SERVICE... 3 of us dined here. Two of our meals were delivered 15 minutes before our son's who ordered a pris fix meal. The waiter responded to us that it is completely acceptable for their restaurant to deliver pri fix dinner entrees later than the rest of the party BECAUSE those meals come w the salad before the meals. HUH???? We diplomatically shared with him how we prefer receiving our dinners at the same time as it's part of the enjoyable dining experience. Annoyingly, he continued to stand by his rationale. Pathetically comical. Mind you, we would have been fine that our son's meal was coming late as long as the waiter didn't appear so ridiculously macho! As for the taste of food, it's not your authentic Japanese.
(1)
Mel S.
Jin Sho's literally 'OK'...fish quality is decent, price is on the slightly higher side perhaps due to the location. The chirashi is decent, not sure about the rest. It's not a place I would dine at unless I'm just in the neighborhood which I often am these days.
(3)
Mari M.
Granted I came in to Jin Sho with high expectations given the pedigree of the executive chefs ... but I was not impressed. I have only been here once so I may give it another chance, however, based on the sub-par chirashi (bland rice & not fresh fish), I am hesitant to step foot in again ... at least for any sashimi or sushi items. If I were to go again, I would try the Japanese "fusion" cuisine and cooked items instead. In terms of service, it was average. Unless you are stuck on California and craving Japanese, there are much better choices a short drive away.
(2)
Robert B.
This place was the best in Palo Alto when the opened a few years back and the are STILL THE BEST. The freshest fish around and damn, what a selection too! You gotta sit at the bar and interact with the sushi chef if you wanna have a shot at getting the best. It's the Japanese way if you want serious sushi, so get with the program. The guys at Jin Sho do it right. Perfectly seasoned rice, expertly sliced fish, and everything is super clean. The staff is super friendly, save for one large awkward waiter who only works a few nights a week. No customer service, no smile, and gruff personality. But no big deal, the sushi masters run the show, serve the best sushi in town, and thats all that counts. If you put in an ounce of effort and show them that you really want to have a good experience, you will be rewarded 10 fold with some awesome food. Enjoy!
(5)
Superduperpooperscooper T.
Impressed that you can get this level of sushi on our little quaint California Ave.... I particularly like the spider roll. I know, i know....dont lecture me! The miso cod is good and incredibly buttery. The toban I liked but the BF didnt. Good, fresh ceviche and rock shrimp salad. Oh, and if you ask for the panna cotta to go, they refuse to scoop it out for you. They'd rather YOU deface the product yourself. ;o) That's culinary integrity for you!
(4)
G N.
I came into town for my 4yr old niece's birthday party - and after a loong junkfood filled day, was looking forward to a much more adult meal. So after putting the pizza-and-cake-fueled kiddies to bed, my sis, bro-in-law & I snuck off to California with Bistro Elan in mind. But when we arrived we discovered that it was closing time and we were refused entry. We then peered into Jin Sho next door and they were still open, so we went inside and got seated. My sis and I both had the pris fixe meal "B" which is a good value at 24.95, and split a sake tasting. The food was melt-in-your-mouth delish! Everything was extremely fresh and thoughtfully prepared, and like the others we can't rave enough about their miso blackened cod. I turned to my sister and exclaimed "wow, this is as good as Nobu's!" before I realized, wait, the head chef dudes ARE from Nobu! You've got to try that delectable dish, you absolutely will not regret it! As for the service -- we got there when they were getting ready to shut down and go home, and we were their last service. They could have rushed us and done the minimal, but they didn't. They let us take our time reviewing the menu, ask questions, and the food was still expertly prepared and served. They were quite attentive throughout without hovering. We did not feel rushed at all. Sis-can't wait to go back on my next trip up to see you guys! :)
(5)
Kit W.
This restaurant is a VERY strong 4.5 stars. I can't quite give it 5 stars, because I just don't give out many full 5 stars. It's very good. Definitely nothing wrong. We had the $60 omakase each. The staff was extremely polite even though we came in 45 minutes before closing. The waiter was nothing but polite, and our dishes came out quickly but were never rushed. The first course was a hamachi with caviar in a wasabi sauce. Very tasty, but not incredible. The caviar was a nice touch but it didn't have a whole lot of flavor. Second course was a salmon that was absolutely fantastic, some of the best salmon I've had from the texture, to the perfect knife work, to the taste, etc. mmmm. I was really happy with this dish, even the peppery greens served with it were fantastic. Third was the langustino/Rock Shrimp tempura. These were good, definitely nothing wrong with them, and the spicy creamy sauce was great. The tempura batter was a tad too thick (which was good because it made them stay crunchy) and tempura batter to rock shrimp ratio was a bit too far in favor of the tempura batter. Rock shrimp can be ultra tender with a really nice texture, and these were just a step below that. 4th was an Alaskan Black Cod, and I'm nitpicking here, but the marinate was a little strong, Black Cod is one of my favorite cooked fish and it has a fantastic flavor in and of itself. This mustard/sweet rice wine was a little bit overpowering. The texture was very good and it was cooked ideally, with a nice crust on it. 5th was the sushi. mmmmmmmmm. Mega yum. Extremely fresh fish, perfectly cut and soooo tasty. Mackerel, then Sea bass, then more salmon and my favorite, kan pachi, and then a marinated tuna. All were awesome. Dessert was really tasty too, a strawberry topped panna cotta, and a scoop of black sesame ice cream. Both were awesome, really nice textures and subtle but palate cleansing flavors. If I went back, I'd probably stick with just sushi and a scoop of black sesame ice cream. :) Still, definitely a great introduction!
(4)
gabrielle s.
Jin Sho was disappointing. After hearing wonderful things my husband and I headed there for dinner on a recent Thursday night. The service was inconsistent and sloppy. While the fish was definitely high quality, the presentation and preparations were nothing spectacular. The pricing seemed very inconsistent with the experience. We'll give it one more try for lunch service, but have definitely lowered our expectations for jin sho.
(2)
Masaru S.
Thus far this is the best sushi bar that I've visited stateside. They serve contemporary fusion works for cooked dishes but the sushi is still prepared with great tradition. I've read some of the complaints here but most of the reasons are cost associated (everyone has their own view of cost vs quality) or they don't understand that when you go to get sushi you sit at the sushi bar and eat...yes...sushi...and you do it with some self-respect and patience. Our sushi chef for the night is known as Neko and as mentioned in other reviews he is from Nobu's in New York. The choice and maintenance of the ingredients, the cutting and handling skill, the rice quality, the ingredients, and the overall presentation was wonderful. I've not had such a good experience in the United States besides Sushi Ota in San Diego. This even rivals places I've been in East Asia for quality. I particularly enjoyed the lobster sushi (and watching the preparation of the very slightly seared lobster meat with the roe), the live eel and the anago together, the ocean trout, the uni and ika uni together, and watching the chef secretly down Kohada while preparing our own. The staff were very polite and quick which positively added to the experience. I would encourage other "epicures" to give it a try at least once. It was well worth our while because I live on the peninsula and the travel time is relatively short.
(5)
Ryota T.
I went there last night with my wife to celebrate her birthday and I have to say that I was disappointed. We ordered the "Omakase" course for $75/person, and what we got was worth much less. The food is good, no doubt, but the service and presentation is not worth premium price. I am Japanese from Japan, and I wasn't impressed with some of the food they served. Some could be easily prepared at home at fraction of the price they charge. I also ordered a Woolong Tea (I can't take alcohol), and I saw them pouring the tea from a bottle of common Woolong Tea you can get at any Japanese market at $4 (for 2 Liter bottle). Non-Japanese would probably enjoy the food, but beware, you are being ripped off.
(3)
Bob S.
Not horrible, not great. Understaffed, a bit slow. If you happen to be passing by and want Japanese food, it works. Otherwise, you can safely give it a miss.
(2)
Chloe H.
There were 6 of us &we've tried a bit of everything. Nothing spectacular. Nothing worth for me to go back again.
(3)
Greg G.
Short Review: Awesome! Go there now Long Review: I saw this place on "Hot on Yelp," and while on my way home tonight stopped in. Omg soooo good. It was empty when I first entered so I thought it was closed but I was overwhelmed with how greeted I was. I never know what to order when going to a restaurant so I usually ask the server or host. Well luckily, this place has that option on the menu already, its a little pricey but it was a really good experience. I ended up with the blackened cod in a very yummy miso sauce, and the shrimp tempura in an awesome spicy mayonaise that put it over the top. The service was great. My server was very kind and very conscious with what I liked and didn't like. I don't know how helpful I was though since it was all awesome. Garnish or not, I used everything on my plate to soak up everything on my plate. They have a special lunch menu too with what looks like really good values for your buck. I hope this place isn't just this good on first visit. I want to actually come back there again soon. Again if I didn't mention it, I loved this place.I got to convince some coworkers now to make a drive down during lunch someday.
(5)
Shinji K.
As a Japanese, I felt meals served in Jin Sho were not Japanese foods but American style Japanese foods. But, still everything I ate there was delicious. It's a bit expensive, though.
(3)
meg g.
I'd say 30% of my experience here was worth the cost. The concept is there, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. No doubt that these fellas know how to do sushi. The volcano roll was pretty yummy and the other 4 pieces of nigiri I had were tasty. The items from the kitchen were a disappointment. Not much in the way of actual taste. It really was a let down. California Ave. sure isn't NYC so I suggest they check their pricing, it's a bit out there. Oh yeah, they kept trying to clear our table before we were done with dishes. It drove me nuts! Sorry guys, I won't bother going back :(
(2)
Super S.
I was really excited about this new Japanese restaurant in Palo Alto, but this place was a little bit disappointing. I expected kind of fancy place because I saw the ads on Japanese free paper, Bayspo, which said "chef from Nobu" and seemed like nice atmosphere. So, it was suppose to be good and cool place, but.. Nice atmosphere inside, but crappy entrance, just like an office. We had a seat near the entrance, and when people came in and went out, it was cold and even windy... That place was noisy, too. The food is good, but not great. They did not have a big selection on the menu. They have more like regular dinner menu, not for drinking. Menu itself felt cheep, just a piece of laminated paper, not like heavy bound menu. It is like "teishoku-ya" in Japan. I ordered Grilled Miso Marinated Black Cod, which was good. But I had to order miso soup separately which is weird for Japanese food. My husband ordered Teriyaki chicken, which was ok (he said), but I did not like it. Actually, next table had sushi, which looked good. So, we should might have ordered sushi there. Edamame was on the house, it was good since I am edamame lover :) The staff is nice, but slow.. So, they gave us free miso soup for apology. Overall, it is just a regular Japanese restaurant. Actually, the pasta place next to Jin sho looks more attractive. We will try it next time.
(3)
Joachim D.
In brief: Go here for a delicious sushi lunch. Make a reservation if you can. I came here for dinner and liked it enough to come back and try lunch a week later (both times with 2-3 friends). The restaurant was fairly full both times. We were able to get tables quickly, but they seemed to expect people to come in with a reservation. We sat outside in back for dinner - not the best environment, but it was a warm night and a bit more privacy was nice. The tables inside (where we sat for lunch) are rather close together. The "sushi lunch" was a better deal than picking out the equivalent sushi pieces a la carte (not surprisingly). The assortment was tasty, but if you want some of the more unique sushi pieces you'll need to order them on the side. The sushi was delicious and presented well. The miso soup was fine.
(5)
Peggy R.
Just discovered this place and what a find. I ordered the chirashi and others in the party ordered the dinner pris fix and the sushi special. None of us have any complaints. Staff did a great job. For northern California, this is the best we have tried. Not a big restaurant so reservations probably a must.
(5)
Kevin C.
I heard the word that Nobu NY rocks some serious japanese awesomeness. Then I read a review that 2 chefs from Nobu came here and opened their own joint called Jin Sho And that is why I wanted to eat here. Girlfriend and I tried out the omakase deal, because I like being surprised, it makes really good food, even more spectacular. And that night, whoa. Here's what we got: 3 oysters with 3 different sauces - fresh but not memorable, but then again I'm not much of an oyster guy, Heather loved it to pieces. Kampachi with onion sauce and clover leaves? - holy goddamn this was so good, soft buttery ass fish. It's always interesting to see what ingenious chefs come up with. Tempura rock shrimp salad - ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yes Miso glazed black cod - soft, succulent, light but present flavor, eating with rice is a must Sushi plate - toro, which after 3 tries including this one, I am giving up on it, I'm just not feeling the tuna belly(or fat, or whatever), I love fat, don't get me wrong, but...just not quite clicking right. Then Trout(?) which really looked like salmon, I'm thinkin I heard wrong but who knows, freakin chefs from nobu! Then White tuna(mmmm) mirugai(clam...ehhh) and yellowtail, which was a lot more chewy than I thought it should be. not the highlight of the meal, but still pretty good. So, I love it, it's good. damn freakin good. mm mm good
(5)
Becky H.
I was excited to try Jin Sho - as I love Nobu and saw that many of my favorite dishes had made their way onto Jin's menu. Unfortunately, it wasn't so good. The edamame were mealy and luke warm, the rock shrimp were nowhere near as good as Nobu's and the sushi was just so-so. It also took a long time to get our dinner. So, the search for good sushi is still on...
(2)
V J.
The food was okay, but not very memorable and over priced for what you get. Though there are some dishes that remind me of Nobu, the dinner overall just wasn't "amazing". The server was attentive and helpful tough. I'd say that I'd rather go to Gochi versus Jin Sho again. The two dishes that I did like were the toro tartar with caviar and the yellow tail with jalapeno.
(3)
Patrick G.
Jin Sho's food is excellent. Just had takeout for Friday night dinner with the family, and it was a home run from start to finish. Let me break it down: ordered at 6pm - they told me to pick it up at 6:30pm. Food ready on time. Check. Now to the food: (1) Miso black cod: yes, this is awesome. Not exactly the same as the bowl-you-over Nobu experience, but damn good. I could eat this every day. (2) Yellow tail with jalapeno appetizer: paper thin hamachi slices with a tiny, viciously spicy pepper slice on them. great, just great. (3) Volcano sushi: never had this before, but it is a salmon roll with salmon cooked on top of it (I think?!), and it makes a totally-bored-with-salmon guy like me reconsider my fish preferences. Really, really good. (3) Corn tempura: kind of like buying state fair food at a sushi joint. What's not to like? Sure it is sweet and a wee bit oily, but it is good. (4) Shrimp tempura roll: here we step slightly down into a "this is a good shrimp tempura roll" territory. It was good, but I have had better. (5) Tamago: hey, my kids like it. (6) On top of all of that, we ordered some extra grilled peppers as a side dish. Yum. So, conclusion: excellent food, promptly prepared. No comments on the atmosphere other than eating at home is always a joy.
(5)
Kelly D.
Amazing...so fresh, so tasty I was blown away by the cleanliness of the restaurant and the freshness of the food. The House Salad was mixed greens with a light soy dressing and my sister enjoyed the Miso soup. We ordered a variety of sushi and tried the Rock Shrimp Tempura it was all Delish! The staff was very polite and attentive. We looked around at other orders coming out of the kitchen and can't wait to come back next week to try other menu items. My sister is a Sushi Connoisseur and was beyond pleased with our lunch. Actually, I think we'll go after work so we can enjoy some Saki! Whoa...almost forgot to mention for this very filling meal and assortment of Sushi we left very satisfied and the bill was under $30 bucks. Chop Sticks down this is the best Sushi I've had Peninsula and in the South Bay.
(5)
Ricky L.
Tried this place for the first time the yesterday expecting a decent upper scale type restaurant (given by their high prices). I arrived with reservations (for 2) to the restaurant (it was less than half full). I was not very impressed with the decor or atmosphere. It looks like a great mom & pop sushi bar, but not one that will charge and offer a $100 prix fixe. But I digress, after being seated at a table for two, an hour had passed by before I received my first appetizer, which happened to be sashimi. How hard is that? Cut it, put it on a plate, garnish, give it to me. It does not take a genius to accomplish this in under 1 hour. The main issue was the lack of experienced servers. There were two sections and three waiters. One waiter handled the sushi bar, the other two handled the tables (where I was seated, approx 5 tables for 2 and 1 table for a 10 person party). The two waiters served the table section together, waiter 1 explained to me that kitchen was being held up by the large party, while waiter 2 came along to ask me if I had even ordered and if so, what i had ordered. Yes, he asked me 1 hour into my dinner if i had yet to order... astonishing isn't it? When the food finally arrived, I admit that it was good, however their tactic to have me salivate for 1 hour before serving me any food earns them a craptastic 1 star. If you want great service, great food, great decor, and at half the cost of this joint, goto Gochi in Cupertino but stay the hell away from this piece of shit establishment.
(1)
Hayley S.
Terrible Service and the fish was NOT that great! I am such a lover of good sushi and I was so disappointed with Jin Sho. First of all, the service was terrible. The woman who helped us was so unfriendly and just plain miserable to be working. Then, once the fish came more disappointment. The fish was dry and the rice was sticky...like a gel was in there. I was so sad, b/c I love Fuki Sushi and Zushi Puzzle (SF) and I was hoping this would be another favorite. I had heard some great things and it was not worth my time or money.
(1)
Mandy H.
Excellent selection of fish. The lunchtime atmosphere is nice - I think they don't use artificial lights and just rely on the windows and skylights. Nice touch.
(5)
Dave N.
Hyper-expensive sushi without hyper-great quality. I may not have eaten at Nobu, but even I can tell when the salmon is just a bit "off." At Sushi-a-Go-Go or similar-- fine. At this place, for $3-4 per piece? Nah... Tempura wasn't crunchy enough, either, and the Volcano roll was... cold. Not recommended-- either go downmarket and pay ~50% less, or go eat at Kaygetsu and pay more. If I try it again, I'll be sure to sit at the bar and order directly from the chef.
(2)
Raena S.
This is my new favorite Sushi restaurant. A few friends of mine recommended Jin Sho, and I (a frequenter of Sushi restaurants) came and was not disappointed. Their sushi is really the freshest around, and their rolls are decently priced for such high quality fish. I've sat at a table and the sushi bar, and both are great experiences. Sit at the sushi bar if you go with just one friend--it's fun and they make a lot of really fun, creative dishes in front of you. If you go with two or more people, get a table. And try their spicy tuna roll!
(4)
Paul R.
Disclaimer: I've come here exclusively for lunch, so have no idea what the dinner experience is like. --- So, I'm all about a splurge now and then, and this place is definitely in that category. Let's just get it out of the way now: minus one star because I'm pretty sure you could eat supermarket sushi off a hooker's tits for less than you'll pay for just the fish at Jin Sho. Actually, minus 0.9 stars for that and minus 0.1 stars because their lunch service is a little on the slow side, even when the place isn't terribly busy. (I can't penalize them more heavily than that because they are keeping me away *from work* after all.) You do not have to spend $70 for lunch here. You certainly can, and I'm willing to bet it's fabulous -- but the $16 "sushi lunch" is a nice selection of nigiri plus a spicy tuna roll, comes with miso soup, and gets the job done just fine. However, tax and tip means it's still a twenty dollar lunch for one, and I doubt you'll make it out much cheaper even if you skimp on the ordering. Nevertheless, it's great sushi. Great enough to make me wish for an expense account so I can justify visiting more often. ("Sushi lunch" would be a lot easier to sneak past the accounting guy than "mammary gland rental fee", at least.)
(4)
Tony Z.
I saw Steve Jobs here once. I believe this was one of his favorite places for lunch. If you are a big Apple fan, you might want to pay Jin Sho a visit..
(4)
Mailee H.
Wonderful, high-end sushi restaurant! The cuts of fish were perfect and traditionally correct, and the otoro...oh, my mouth waters just thinking about their otoro! Seriously, try otoro nigiri here, because this is honestly the only place that I know of that sells it. Most places sell chutoro, which is of lesser quality, though it is also delicious and expensive. This place has the real deal! We had the $75 omakase and an order of assorted sashimi. Perfect, lovely and delicious. If you're going to come here, order an omakase. The dishes are absolutely divine, unique and still rooted in Japanese cuisine. And the berry pancotta at the end was decadent! The ambiance was pretty typical of a "fancy restaurant;" low lights and modern decor. The waitresses were okay; really not quite up to par with their food. One was very sweet, but the other was unaccommodating and borderline rude. I wanted to sit at the sushi bar, but the night we went was apparently reserved by several large parties, so we were relegated to a different table, and then switched to ANOTHER one during our meal! Kind of rude, but I guess we weren't as rich as the other customers. Oh well, the food was great! I only give this four stars because I'm terribly poor, and this place is only worth it if you're willing to spend around $50 per person. It's certainly "executive class" pricing!
(4)
K L.
We had a very nice dinner here. It's a small restaurant with nice decor & cozy place. They have nice sake flights and good choices of sakes & other alcohol drinks. I think their sake martini is the best, even better than having vodka (grey goose) martini. The dishes are smaller portion than other places but I think it makes up on quality. We decided to order sushi/sashimi rather than have their well known omakase meal. We were glad we did because sushi were so good & fresh. They also make really good sushi rice which is a must if your eating chirashi & nigiri. Believe me, bad sushi rice can ruin a great piece of fish. We started with few apps, - Rock shrimp tempera with mayo base sauce. Very good, light & crispy... Kinna teaser with having only tiny piece if your sharing. - Kitchen Sink Roll is a must order dish!! 6 pieces and so worth it. - dragon roll. Now this roll is the smallest dragon roll I ever seen... But it still tasted really good that I didn't mind the smaller size. I rather have quality food :) Main dish: - Chirashi. Very fresh and big portion for the price. - nigiri dinner special. It comes with 8 pieces nigiri & 1 roll of spicy tuna roll. The spicy tuna roll was little different but made such a big difference in taste. The tuna was not drenched with spicy sauce but perfectly spiced with diced green onion on the outside of rice. - ordered different pieces of sushi from the a la cart menu. Each order comes with ONE piece, not two. Toro, hamachi, sake, fresh unagi etc... All were fresh & delish. Our young waiter was very nice & attentive. I will be back as regular now.... :))
(4)
Zach S.
Went with a friend and tried their Shawn roll (baked scallop & shrimp with crab, avocado), and the miso soup and thought it was all pretty great. The scallops were probably a little overcooked, but overall I really enjoyed the roll and would order it again. The balance of the ingredients tasted great. The miso soup was really quite good as well - steaming hot with a very bold strong flavor. I'll be back!
(4)
Devyn P.
Came for lunch. Great Uni, you can tell alot about a place by the taste of this. It was excellent, great experience overall.
(4)
Mymy T.
Good place to dine with friends. The food is consistently good. The black cod is outstanding, and the sake selection is quite nice and extensive.
(4)
Erin J.
I would call Jin Sho okay.......I had a better experience at lunch than I had at dinner. My hubby and I came here on a rare date night out. I had made reservations in advance at the sushi counter and when we arrived promptly for our reservation, we could see there was counter seating open. However, it must have taken them a good 10-15 minutes to seat us. During this time, people who came in after us with NO reservations were being seated ahead of us. Not a good start. Once we were finally seated, our server did provide good service. Another blah was the food. The agedashi tofu we ordered was cold in the middle. This is a definite Japanese food NO-NO!!! My Japanese father says that is always the test of whether it is a good Japanese restaurant or not. Also, the sushi - while the fish they use is fresh, the rice they use is very cheap. Trust me, the quality of the rice makes a huge difference. I could tell immediately...the sushi falls apart and the rice just does not taste good. I hope the restaurant invests in using better quality rice. Disappointing since the chefs are apparently from Nobu.
(2)
Harper L.
I cannot comprehend why this place is popular and why one of the most thriving cities (Palo Alto) in America still to this day, has no decent Japanese restaurant. I also don't believe this is a Japanese operated business--far from it. ****So TDLR; it has lost its far east flavor in terms of service and quite possibly, food quality. ***** Jin Sho is a travesty. I have been here three or four times this latter part of the year and the service is to be abhorred. The servers are in dire need...I repeat-- dire need, to be trained to have sensitivity to service and an eye for professionalism. Honestly, here is a disconnect between the staff and the environment food like this should offer. Let's begin with the welcome. He nonchalantly _pointed_ at my party and the party behind us, waving his hand all the while asking if we have been helped. Then, he says something along the lines of "You all, follow me." Typically, higher end restaurants seat each party individually. It took what seemed a century to get his attention when it came time to order and even then, communication was difficult. While the sushi is mediocre, the plating was far from impressive. I ordered uni with quail egg (which was pre-popped), kanpachi, mirugai and blue fin. That is about seven pieces of sashimi and they were all crammed on a tiny dish not much bigger than one used for two sashimi. So much for presentation. My mother ordered Nabeyaki udon which was searing hot. Searing hot is not a bad thing for most dishes, but in this particular instance, it allowed the udon to be overcooked and borderline soggy. Come time for a check, my mother's credit card was promptly plopped into the waiter's shirt pocket while we had no opportunity to review our bill. Extremely rude and unprofessional service.
(2)
Surita G.
I was craving Miso Black Cod after being blown away by the dish at Kumi at Mandalay Bay and heard it was comparable here. Met a friend here for an early dinner. Service was good (didn't feel rushed, everyone was polite, courses came out when they should). We had the Yellowtail w/ Jalapeno as an appetizer and it was amazing. Fish was very fresh, the flavors were clean and vibrant. Had I not had the Miso Black Cod @ Kumi, I'd probably be thrilled with this one. It was VERY good (just not as good as that one). Sake Sampler was great- good range that allowed us to get a good feel for the different flavor notes. Didn't love that the tables were so close together. I felt like I was in the middle of the awkward bickering between the table on my left and nearly sitting in the lap of the woman on my right. I'm friendly, but I have no desire to get that intimate with random diners around me, so I'm deducting one star for feeling cramped.
(4)
V A.
The worse japanese meal ever!!! Owner and staff very rude and rough, terrible customer care and service, my son, 5years old, told the waiter not to throw the glasses to hard on the table!!! Food mediocre for a nobu chef and for sure not japanese style (I have lived in japan and I cook japanese daily at home for all of my family). worse miso soup in my whole life like they had washed some dishes in it. If you are looking for japanese hospitality and experience go somewhere else, highly overrated!!!!
(1)
Christina G.
I really didn't understand why people loved sushi so much -- until I came here. To be honest, every other sushi location I've been to has just fallen short. The quality here is superb, the people are very friendly, and the prices (although a bit on the high side) are quite reasonable for the excellent quality food. My favorites: -- salmon sashimi ^_^ -- blue fin tuna sashimi -- yellow tail jalapeño appetizer -- salmon hand roll -- rainbow roll -- dragon roll -- black cod dinner entree I'd highly recommend this place. If you plan to go on a busy night, you might want to call in for a reservation since the restaurant itself is not that big and is often full (a good sign, of course). There's a beautiful outdoor seating area in the back, but I think it's only used in the warmer months. Anyways, give it a try! This is by far the best sushi I've had.
(5)
Kristina C.
This place is the best. You have to know what to order and you have to sit at the bar. This isn't somewhere to go and order rolls although their rolls are quiet good (especially the volcano and spicy scallop). Nigiri is their specialty, sit at the bar and order omakase with the chef. Also the kitsune udon is amazing!!!
(5)
VB L.
The food is delicious, delicate and just the right amount of yummy goodness for a lunch without having to take leftovers away. I ordered from the lunch pris fix menu - Tuna Sashimi Salad and Black Cod. The salad was fresh, and the tuna was seared and seasoned nicely. The cod was lovely, cooked to absolute perfection and served with a side of pickled something or other that was quite tasty too. It came with a side of rice, miso soup and a cute little dessert cup. It was pricey, but that's Palo Alto and the food was good.
(4)
Pamela H.
Service is inattentive and slow. Server felt the need to practically stick his fingers in my food while pointlessly calling off the names of each sushi, came within an inch of touching it. That was rude! Sashimi portions are minuscule and $5 for one piece! Will not come again.
(2)
Cat H.
We came here for dinner with a group of friends on a weeknight. We didn't have reservations, but they were able to seat our group while we waited for the other members of our party. The restaurant isn't that large, so it looked pretty full during the time we were there. Seems like a popular place! We went with the prix fixe menu and a couple of rolls, the dragon roll and the rainbow roll. Both were pretty tasty and it was filling. Also got to try the miso cod, it was delicious like everybody says. Wish we could have gotten more! We also got the corn tempura, which was interesting. Not bad, but a bit too much batter for me. Service was pretty good, they came around a few times to keep our water glasses full and check in on us so no complaints about the service. Overall, a pretty good experience so I would come back.
(4)
Jesse W.
I came here based on a recommendation from "Ken" of Yelp message boards. My goal was to find a place with Japanese sushi chefs where I could enjoy some fresh cuts of sushi and sashimi. I'd say Jin Sho half delivered on that. While I was researching the restaurant, I noticed many Yelp reviewers complaining about the service at the restaurant. I decided this could be overlooked if the meal was worth it. Sure enough, we entered the restaurant, and just stood at the hostess' booth for a couple of minutes before somebody finally came to ask if we had a reservation. After we were seated, we waited at least 5-10 minutes before our waitress came to take our order. There was no introduction or small talk, just all business with "can I take your order?" I order the Sushi Dinner entree, and my wife ordered the Chirashi. We decided to start with the Oyster Bar appetizer, which arrived maybe 15-20 minutes after ordering. The oysters were pretty good, but a bit smaller than I was anticipating. It would be another 10 minutes or so before our entrees arrived. Actually mine arrived first, followed by two miso soups a few minutes later, and then the chirashi a few minutes after that. This was strange because the table next to us got their soups pretty much right after they ordered. I would say that overall, we were happy with the cuts of fish in our entrees. However, we were pretty disappointed with the quality of the sushi rice. It was a bit dry, and not really seasoned like what other high quality sushi restaurants would offer. This was kind of a deal breaker for us. -1 star for service -2 stars for poor sushi rice +1 star for good raw fish We would much rather go to our other favorite places such as Tomisushi in SJ/MV or Yuki Sushi. I was hoping that since the head chefs were Japanese, this place would have been more authentic. Not trying to be discriminatory, but upon noticing almost no Japanese or Asian customers and mostly non-Japanese staff I was pretty sure this wasn't going to meet our expectations.
(3)
Pam M.
Came with party of 4, had high expectations but was slightly dissapointed. Ordered their specialty dish, udon noodles, miso, sake, an assortment of rolls and sashimi for the table. Ended up spending near $200 for the group and while the udon noodles were good, I was not impressed with thw shushi or the other dishes. The rolls had too much rice and sesame seeds, the fish itself was okay.
(3)
Mona W.
Jin Sho had been around for a long time. If not for Steve Jobs, it probably wouldn't have gotten the attention it deserves. Jin Sho defines itself as a restaurant that serves 'executive class Japanese Cuisine'. It is a fairly accurate description. Jin Sho is a place you can get an elegant Japanese courses meal. It is, however, more than just another overpriced restaurant where you can expense your company paid dinner. The food was good. The chefs came from Nobu so the style and presentation shown some resemblance. Price is slightly expensive for everyday lunch but the omakase is a real treat. For smaller eater, the 8pc sushi special of the day would make a good healthy meal. I had never been disappointed with the quality of their fish. It is always fresh with no cheap filler items. Black Cod With Miso is one of their signature item (also Nobu Matsuhisa's) and it is a must try if you never had it before.
(4)
Cheryl E.
We've been here a handful of times but last night was our last. We were celebrating a birthday and had a reservation at 8 pm. When we arrived (a few minutes early) we were told that we would have to wait "a while." The service only got worse from there. Julia, our server and the original person who welcomed us messed up our order, was scattered and provided awful service. The chirashi bowl had very thinly sliced fish that tasted off. The sashimi was sliced paper thin - I've never had sashimi sliced this thin before and felt ripped off. We waited over 40 minutes for a dish that Julia forgot and she never checked in with us once we received our food. We're sure that other sushi restaurants in Palo Alto will welcome our business so we will never be returning to Jin Sho.
Chirashi Chronicles #18 **3.5 Stars** I've been to Jin Sho a few times, mainly for dinner, and always found it a good, albeit very pricey experience. Given it's non-downtown location and the fact that it's not in the City, I've always found the prices a bit out of line for the area. Nonetheless, the fish quality can be quite high and the food can be very creative. Perhaps in a move to capture more of the clientele around the area, they've made some changes to the menu since the last time I came and it's especially evident at lunch. There are numerous lunch specials and the prices are perhaps a better value. After finding another restaurant closed on Monday, I decided to finally stop by here and try the chirashi. I've tried the chirashi at most of the Japanese restaurants in the area and Jin Sho was perhaps one of my last missing pieces. As I waited for my order, the place quickly filled. It appears that the place has hit it's stride with the lunch crowd and it's an eclectic bunch. The seats were all soon taken in the dining room and the sushi bar. As for orders, most I'd say were ordering off the lunch specials, but some did indeed also order off the nigiri menu which is still crazily priced by the piece. My chirashi bowl soon came out and its nice that it's accompanied by a nice bowl of miso soup. The fish selecion is quite varied (I counted 8 types) and it included the typical maguro (tuna), yellowtail (hamachi), sake (salmon) and tamago (egg). Other nice additions included ikura (salmon roe), ebi, and I believe saba. Everything was quite fresh although the slices are quite thin and pretty small despite the good variety. At $21.95, the chirashi here isn't quite a bargain, but overall, not a bad choice given the much pricier choices. Jin Sho accepts credit cards, including American Express.
(3)
Karen G.
The only consistent complaint I've heard about this place is the terrible service, but they still haven't done anything about it. I've had lunch here several times but dinner for the first time recently, and the service was somehow even worse at dinner when there's less of a rush than at lunch, for this Cal Ave restaurant. We had a waiter change halfway through dinner so we had the pleasure of two surly attitudes for the price of one. The first waiter got my husband's order completely wrong, and the second waiter finally brought his dinner entree without the soup or rice that comes with it and asked if he needs the rice (as if it's a burden for her to get this essential part of his meal). He never even got his soup. I asked the first waiter about a birthday request and apparently he didn't tell the second waiter. When I asked her if the first one mentioned it, she briskly said 'I don't know anything about that.' She also took a very long time to refill our empty soy sauce, so I had to snag a bottle from the bar, and never checked up on us voluntarily. We had to flag down both her and the previous server (who never told us about the swap in servers, by the way), for a total of 4 or 5 issues over the entire dinner. This restaurant is really small so it's even more absurd to have such a lack of attention from the wait staff. Not letting us know about the change in servers was extremely unprofessional also, since we kept craning our necks looking for him when we needed our water refilled or proper orders brought to the table. The food was very good though! That's the only reason why I suggested this place, along with a belief that the wait staff at dinner might be better than the lunch staff. If you want to dine here, take these suggestions: 1. Double check your order with your waiter. Don't assume they know the menu and visually point at the item on the menu for the waiter. This still only guarantees about a 70% chance that they get it right. 2. If you need something, just flag down any waiter around you. Don't try to be polite and wait for your waiter to check on you. 3. Bring someone that looks wealthy with you. 4. Bring a Nalgene bottle of your own water if you prefer to have more than one glass of water per meal.
(2)
Kiersten M.
Love this place - the volcano roll is excellent. Can't go wrong if you want freshness
(4)
Jenn D.
I had the Chirashi. The fish was fresh, the rice was tasty, and the presentation was nice. It was a little pricey, but I would eat here again.
(3)
William C.
The sushi is average. It's ok but not great. The service can be very long sometimes.
(3)
Kristina L.
The sushi was ok, nothing spectacular. The rice used was an oddly brownish and a little tough. It made me wonder if we had ordered brown rice, but I'm pretty sure that's not an option. We had this tuna sashimi salad and a roll with spicy scallop on top and those were both yummy, but avoid the imperial roll. It's just a strange mix of flavors. The sashimi was cut extremely thin to the level of stinginess, but tasted fresh. Tempera appetizer is well prepared but is priced by the piece. 1.50 for a piece of fried broccoli? This seems ridiculous. Service and atmosphere are both very nice. Overall, I probably wouldn't go back.
(2)
Michael Y.
Not very good. Would have thought a restaurant in this location would be outstanding. The rice was wrong. The fish not very fresh. Service mediocre. Not terrible. Just not good.
(2)
Elsa C.
I give them 4 stars because of the new waiter who is not familiar with the restaurant menu yet; otherwise, this place deserves a 4.5 stars for quality of food and unique preparation of fusion Japanese dishes. The sashimi are good and fresh, and the sushi rice are seasoned with a right touch of sweetness and rice vinegar...everything look like a piece of art when they get to our dinning table.
(4)
Ellen R.
it was an okay experience. I think they use different freshness of fish when they serve different type of dish. When my friend ordered the sushi, I tasted it, I felt it was alright, some of the salmon tasted very dry. But then I ordered my yellow tail sashimi and bass sashimi, it was very fresh and good. So I guess they don't have consistant standard of quality of food they serve. Good luck! I doubt if I would go there again. But their dessert was good and worth trying.
(3)
Andrew B.
Jin Sho was evidently Steve Jobs' favorite, so I guess I'm no Steve Jobs. I've been to 4 sushi places on and around California Ave, and this rates 4 of 4. It's not bad , necessarily (although I did have one item in a recent visit that was flat out bad), it's just not that good. It's also quite expensive. I'm not sure if the place has gone downhill since Steve's notorious attention to detail departed, or if has maintained its standard, but I'll argue better places have recently moved in.
(3)
Tressym W.
Came here on a Tuesday night for the first time with co-workers. Excellent service, food was delivered timely without being intrusive. Huge selection of high quality fish. Neatly innovative in some area, such as a mackerel sashimi, Japanese Salsa Salad with a ceviche type quality to the flavor, seaweed salad with five types of seaweed, and several dishes for those who don't prefer fish like lamb and chicken. Also the saki menu was extensive compared to other local Japanese restaurants. Everyone in our party was pleased, and looks forward to having more business dinners here. Cost was on average about $50 per person with a split bottle of saki, (more for those who ordered several sashimi specials, and less for those who ordered a single dinner entree).
(5)
Victor C.
Treated friends here because this Sushi restaurant was Steve Jobs' favorite sushi place. The Pris Fix is not bad while the box is also good. Miso soup is yummy. The service is a bit slow because it's very crowded at lunch time. This is a good place for meeting friends in Palo Alto.
(4)
D B.
I want to love Jin-Sho; I really do. It's right down the street from where I live, so I'm predisposed to like it. The last time I went there, it was pretty good, mostly because it was free. This time, it wasn't so impressive. Good service, not great. Good sushi, not great, particularly for the price. My yellowtail sushi had a large bone in it; so did my yellowtail roll. This has never occurred to me before, even at hole in the wall sushi restaurants. Sushi was fresh, sake not that great. Would come here again, if someone else were picking up the tab. There are better sushi restaurants in the Bay Area at this price point (Sushi Main street, Fuki Sushi, and more).
Got Prix fix with Cod, Salmon skin, and Yellowtail. Also got live octopus. All pretty decent. Tried my friend's toro tartare
(4)
Cindy T.
My coworkers and I came here for lunch. We arrived around 11:45am and were seated right away. The place is small, so it filled up quickly after. We started off with the ceviche which was so tasty; I just wished portions were bigger! The special bento of the day was agedashi tofu and gingered pork (10 servings per day), but we all skipped on this. We all decided to go with the pre-fix menu ($16.50) which allowed us to pick two items from two groups. I ordered the jalepeno yellowtail and sashimi for my two items and they were fabulous. It was super fresh and really light. It was accompanied with rice, miso soup and dessert (strawberry panna cotta). Not bad at all. I'm not sure why Jin Sho only has 3 and half stars. I was really satisfied with the quality of the food we got and I wouldn't hesitate to come back. So much more to try!
(5)
Vinh L.
Sushi and Sashimi Fans! Jin Sho is still by far my favorites place to enjoy top quality Sushi and Sashimi! My preference is sashimi and I'll tell you this place has never let me down on each of my visit. I have been back here almost once per week, mostly Friday for lunch with co-workers and most of them gave me a thump's up on the quality of the food. I have been here so many time and from my preference of food choices, the master chef now knows me well and all I have to do is sit down and he work his magic on dishes like these...see pics. Jin Sho is a must for Sushi and Sashimi's enthusiast
(5)
M N.
I go there regularly. The food here is amazing. I think this is the best sushi place in Palo Alto. the Saki selection is also very nice. The service is mediocre. I wish they would pay more attention cleaning their tables as it is always sticky!
They've got a GREAT $11.50 sushi deal for dinner! The online menu isn't completely accurate (for example, it has some lunch dishes that they don't serve for dinner), and each sushi roll comes with 6 LARGE pieces of sushi. I've lived in Japan for 13 years and I thought that the sushi was delicious, and so did my 5 other friends. The sushi dinner gets you 12 pieces (2 different kinds of sushi) and it's surprisingly a VERY filling meal, plus miso soup. The fish in the sushi was EXCELLENT and very fresh. I'd definitely go again! The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because our service was a bit slow; one family came in after us and had eaten and left before we had even gotten our food. But it was WORTH THE WAIT!!
(4)
Jamie K.
The food is great! Fish is fresh and even kitchen items are great. I really recommend corn tempura for an appetizer. The amount you get for your money is very little. I didn't like the server- he was slow, I could not see him around and mistook our order and stated that he was right. After his mistake, he was nowhere to be found, except when he gave us the check. I felt neglected.
(3)
Amer H.
The Sushi is very good and tastes quite fresh, which is really the main thing a Sushi place needs to get right. With that said, the actual restaurant is quite small and you are typically pushed up against other customers. The Sushi is also quite pricey, especially considering the fact that the rolls are usually just 6 pieces. The service is good, and the decor is just "meh".
(4)
H C.
Food isn't bad, but the sushi / course options are not worth the price and I almost always leave hungry. The only thing worth getting is the daily bento box.
(3)
Alex M.
The food was ok, even tasty. But giving 1 star because the waiter was rude and demanded extra tip. I gave him 12% but he stopped me (!) on my way out: "here in America we require a minimum of 15%" Huh? Really?
(1)
Wesley M.
I went here for omakase, and was largely disappointed. None of the dishes were spectacular. The rock shrimp tempura is quite good, and the black cod is also decent, but the remainder was fairly mediocre. I couldn't bring myself to finish the blood orange mousse for dessert... apart from the bits of candied peel (which were very good), it just tasted like nothing. I've had omakase at a range of other places, and this was definitely the lowest value. I've spent $150pp at Yellowtail in Vegas, and it was absolutely worth it. I've spent $90pp at Tojo's in Vancouver, and again the value was there. Jin Sho is $82pp and it doesn't compare at all. Kanpai in Palo Alto on the other hand is both a bit cheaper (I think it was $60pp when I was last there) and quite a bit better. $50pp at Jin Sho would have been pushing it, and $82pp is definitely too much. I think if you pick the right dishes, you could easily come away with a 4-star rating. I'm giving 2 for the lack of value, and the general disappointment of having a medicore omakase experience.
(2)
Omar J.
Excellent local place for sushi. I'm also a fan of their non-sushi fare and their limited but excellent sake selection.
(4)
Helen W.
*last visit was 1.5 years ago* portions have steadily gotten smaller and smaller. my fave sushi chef has left. quality is lower too. ):
(3)
Katherine C.
definitely one of the best quality and legitimate sushi & japanese restaurants in the bay area. Don't order weird things like california rolls or whatever... not only will you offend the chef, but he/she probably doesn't know what that is anyways
(5)
Catherine L.
I ordered the lunch prix fixe with yellowtail jalapeno (3 slices yellowtail sashimi topped with a small slice of jalapeno and yuzu sauce) and a rainbow roll the yellowtail was awesome - so good, the fish tasted fresh and so delicious the rainbow roll was not good - very small, and consisted mostly of rice with small slivers of sashi on top kind of overpriced - the rainbow roll alone is 12.75 which was why i went for the lunch prix fixe at 16.75 - the rainbow roll is soooooo not worth 12.75 - If you come here stick with the sashimi
(3)
Christine F.
Jin Sho is really going downhill. Fish was just okay, not a great seasonal selection like other great sushi places in the Bay area. We came in at 8:30 and they basically asked us for last order, even though they close at 9:30. Before 9 they were turning off lights, and kitchen staff was even leaving and walking through the dining room with many people at their tables. Looks bad guys.
(1)
Zika R.
Sushi is good if you can get to it. So, I've been here several times. I have no issues with the quality of the food. My issue is with the service. It's very slow and almost non-existent. The last time I went was when I made the mistake of ordering takeout. I ordered in person and then left to run a few errands. They said the food would be ready in 30 minutes. I came back 40 minutes later, waited an extra 10 minutes to be recognized (this is pretty customary for them) and it was immediately clear the chef hadn't even started on the order. This was around 1:45pm. They close for lunch at 2 and the restaurant was maybe 1/3 full. That was a few months ago and I haven't been back. I would literally rather drive down the road for better sushi/service (Niji Sushi and Sura are both great) than go to this place again, which is walking distance from where I work. Also, someone else noted that Mollie Stones (grocery store down the street) has decent sushi. I agree. Jin Sho's is much better, but not worth the experience of going there.
(1)
Whitney G.
I absolutely love the lunch specials here. This place is pricey, but the black cod they serve as part of the prix fixe lunch is totally amazing. I can't afford to eat here very often, ($20 for lunch is a lot for me!) but the food here is really great.
(4)
Michelle L.
I wrote a review a couple months ago, with an "okay 3" star rating due to the extremely slow wait staff. But after coming back a couple times and only sitting at the sushi bar, I had a MUCH better experience!
(4)
Marilyn T.
I have a friend who swears by Jin Sho as his go to date place, but I've never had a chance to come. Supposedly, it was one of Steve Job's favorites before, too. It's a small space, and it was pretty packed. It's definitely higher end, and there weren't many other Asians in the restaurant. My friend chose this place mostly because they have some really good hot sake. I'm usually a cold sake person, but their hot stuff is good! They have lots of fresh fish, but I really like their dishes with sauces (rather than just sashimi).. 1. Yellow tail with japaleno: the jalapeno has a nice kick with the seeds still in it. The yellow tail is sliced thin and served in a citrusy yuzu soy. It tastes very clean 2. New style sashimi: white fish with a ginger garlic sauce, slightly more oil in the sauce, with a fresh ginger sliver on top. 3. Tuna sashimi salad: nicely seared tuna, light mixed greens, and I really like the onion soy dressing (not too heavy, lots of flavor, a great accompaniment to the tuna) 4, Corn tempura: fried guilty pleasure.. reminds me of the E+O trading company one, but their special touch is the matcha salt that you dip it in. It's pretty oily, but with the textures and unique flavor of matcha, it's definitely worth a try. 5. Miso black cod: tender, served with fried bananas and pickles on the side. Good flavor, buttery cod, not too salty 6. Tempra zaru soba: cold soba with shrimp and vegetable tempura on the side - a pretty clean dish. We were pretty stuffed by the end. The place was still pretty packed when we finished. Their prices aren't cheap, but the dishes are more unique, and it's good quality. Even though it's not the most traditional Japanese place, the food and sake were good.
(4)
Pete V.
We went to Jin Sho for my birthday dinner on a Saturday night. The restaurant is very small with a sushi bar and maybe just 8-10 tables. While I did enjoy my food, I just can't convince myself to give this restaurant more than 3 stars. In short, they need to retrain their servers, be more consistent with food quality, and not close at 9:30 pm on a Saturday night. Maybe focus on those for starters? We arrived around 6:30 pm for our reservation and were seated promptly. We ordered a bottle of sake to start and we were considering doing the Omakase for $85, but before ordering we wanted to know what to expect. The server told us it was 3 fish dishes, 2 hot dishes from the kitchen and a desert. Apparently he wasn't told what exactly these dishes entail, and could really describe anything, so we decided that was too risky and ordered both the sushi dinner set and nigiri by piece. I must say that the nigiri was very good, if not excellent in some cases. The kohada was fresh and a welcome menu item as it is relatively hard to find. The sake was excellent, fatty and a large cut. The uni was sweet and very fresh. And the tuna (hamachi and maguro) were very good. I also enjoyed the sweet shrimp, where the head was cooked perfectly. We enjoyed the salmon and uni so much that we ordered a second round. The uni was great, but they had subbed in an inferior cut of the salmon on the second order. It wasn't as fatty and didn't seem to be of the same quality as my first order (minus one star for consistency). The service was good, but I came away dissatisfied with the level of knowledge of the servers. On several occasions we asked for a description, or in the case of the sushi dinner, what the contents were and he just said, it's a good dinner and he would recommend it. C'mon! How easy is it to memorize at least a few of the types of fish in the set dinner? What really chaffed me was that before our second order, the server told us that it was last call and they were closing. I looked at my watch and it was only 9:30 pm! On a Saturday night!? That was very odd and I do acknowledge that the place was almost empty, but last I checked Saturday night was peak business hours for restaurants. I suppose the owner might not care about making money as he may have made millions off of his silicon valley software engineering startup, but closing before 10pm was a bit too much. Overall, I think there are better options for sushi in Palo Alto. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the food. If you choose to have dinner at Jin Sho, lower your service expectations, don't ask about Omakase or a description of any of the dishes for that matter, and make damn sure you go early!!!
(3)
Tarun B.
The first two times we came here it was awesome... The food was spectacular. Today however was a horrible experience. Tempura was incredibly salty (and the tried to tell us it was our fault). The chocolate molten cake came cold...not molten. The sponge cake tested stale and old. The Black Cod was over cooked. Terrible terrible place suffering from deteriorating food post success.
(2)
Sanjay M.
This is one of my favorite gems in Palo Alto. A perfect balance of fresh ingredients, healthy food and perfect portions. Small place with exceptional execution. I've never tasted anything on their menu which didn't impress.
(5)
M M.
Clean, quick service, best sushi in the peninsula! It can get crowded, but they are pretty good at squeezing people in.
(5)
J L.
An excellent restaurant and quite competitive during the lunch rush. You can walk away with only spending about 10 to 20 usd per person for lunch but feel free to dive into the variety they offer. I end up looking for their lunch menu but the change to the dinner menu is also wonderful. The key (like most places) are their specials.
(5)
Lyena S.
I had a lunch pre set menu. Good choices. Yellow Tail Jalapeño appetizer was great. Sushi was good but pricey. The tables are very close. It was a little uncomfortable to have a conversation with people so close.
(3)
Sramana M.
Best Sushi in the Palo Alto - Menlo Park area. Very cute, cozy place. Even eating at the counter is pleasant. We go there all the time.
(5)
Susan B.
I just want to share one experience that was a bit off. I like this restaurant and the food. I'm no sushi expert but I like their soups, hand rolls and bento boxes. One day a friend and I ate there and we asked for separate checks. We paid and left the restaurant. When I was outside of the restaurant the server came out to let me know that whenever someone leaves a tip less than 15% they have to ask why that is. I didn't have any complaints. I usually double the tax for a tip and don't think anything of it. I don't remember the service or food being under par, maybe I just wrote in a tip that was less than 15% and didn't realize it. It was just strange having a server come out of the restaurant after me with the check. I actually added more of a tip. I figure servers have one of the most stressful jobs around and who knows what their situation was there so I added some more money. In the moment I was like, OK, I'll just give a little more, what the heck. I wasn't intimidated by the server, just highly suprised that they came out after me. : )
(4)
Davide C.
A good quality a-la-carte sushi. The fish is prepared so tender it will just melt in the mouth. DISHES I tried my usual sushi menu: edamame, miso soup, tekka maki and a selection of tuna, salmon, octopus and shrimp nigiri. The edamame was good but a bit on the raw side and the miso soup was quite standard. The presentation of the sushi wasn't excellent, and the makis were not perfectly formed, but the fish itself was prepared incredibly well with a great tenderness, a quality indicator of sushi restaurants (and even rarer in the case of the octopus). AMBIENT AND SERVICE The overall dining room is big but not that big, so I'd avoid to go there with groups. There is a bar but we sit at a table. The overall experience is very good, and the style of the place is what you expect from a good japanese restaurant. The service was excellent, I'd say well timed (not too fast, not too slow). If you want sushi and you're in the area Jin Sho is surely a good choice.
(4)
Jim A.
Bento box was meh! But my girl loves the sushi here. In palo alto the atmosphere is great. I keep coming back only because my girl loves the place
(3)
Stef S.
The food was great. If you don't make reservations, the wait can be slow.... but the food was great and our service was very good. We ordered the eel with avocado, spicy salmon (get the 2 roll special, it saves you a little), Sharks roll (our favorite of the night!), and Spider roll (delicious but not as amazing as it was hyped up here). I think it's not the most creative sushi joint i've been to... it's got fantastic rolls and all your standard favorites. The other customers looked like high rollers. Can be on the pricey side.
(3)
Adam G.
Everyone is all like "woah, Steve Jobs used to eat here" like that means it is a super special sushi place. Spoiler alert: It's the closest sushi restaurant to where he lived. It's like a 10 minute walk from the Jobs house. I'm pretty sure that's all that was going on here. Jin Sho is a solid / slightly above average sushi place. I wouldn't trek here from our ot town or anything, but it's the best place in the immediate area. If you want sushi in Palo Alto, you might as well go here. Side note: They are super busy at lunch and are the only place you need reservations for on Cal Ave (except Baume but that doesn't really count).
(4)
Reyz A.
It was extra crowded last Friday. I know that a few patrons that night wanted to eat at one of Steve Jobs' fave sushi places (thanks to an article on Yahoo)...that's OK, people were just curious...however it did pack this tiny place at the start of the weekend. Soooo, to the sushi bar for me. As always, the sushi and nigiri here is always fresh. Ahi, anago,...sashimi...the operative word here: fresh. The inoperative word that night: crowded. Tabemono wa koko ni tsuneni yoidesu. Watashi wa sushi shefu no ichi-nin de Nippon no rensh shiyou to shita tame, sore wa kimyÅdeari, nihongo to supein-go o hanasu watashi wa owatta. Shefu no ichi-nin wa, jissai ni nyyÅku de 30-nenkan sugoshi, santiago, chiri no naganen minami ita. Watashi mo oishii o shokuji to sutekina kaiwa o motte ita. ...as always, good food. One of the chefs, who had spent many years south of Santiago Chile was kind enough to help me brush up on my Japanese and Spanish...wow, good food, plus Spanganese. What else do you want?
(4)
Cynthia C.
Glad to see JS is still thriving and good. *Good service and hot green tea *Perfectly seasoned rice on the rolls and fresh: 49er and Imperial, most of the specialty rolls have some kind of FRIED aspect, 49er was the exception *Large mixed green salads w/choice of onion soy or miso dressing, $2.50 *Should have read my review and not ordered the Toro tartare, pricey for what you get, and again, I like it in it's most pure form *Great negihama *Buttery Shima Aji *Daiginjo flights for $15, very good also, they have Nobu's label, my favorite cheap sake at $45/bottle
(4)
Leanne P.
I've been working in Palo Alto for a few days now, and a few coworkers and I decided to grab some lunch at Jin Sho. Located on S. California Ave, this is a small but beautiful spot. The decor is very nice and the layout is impressive. Unfortunately, those are the only real positives for Jin Sho. Their menu is VERY overpriced and the quality of their rolls wasn't anything to brag about. I went here with 2 other people. I ordered 1 order of sashimi (so 2 pieces of fish) and a roll (6 small pieces). One of my friends ordered 1 hand roll and 2 rolls. Our other
(2)
Joseph K.
Sushi I've had here on a few occasions has been mediocre to absolutely terrible e.g., equivalent to Safeway sushi bar. On other occasions the Omakase dinner has been good to very good but they are definitely weak when it comes to sushi quality. Service is usually good. I believe if you know management and come with Japanese regulars then food is probably better.
(2)
tae k.
I enjoyed the dinner pris fix B with the yellowtail with jalapeno, black cod, and spicy salmon options. The cod was very tasty in the miso sauce. The yellowtail was fresh and tasty and the spicy salmon was also good. The rice on the spicy salmon was dried out and too chewy. Would have been nice to have a dessert on the pris fix like even a small scoop of green tea ice cream or something. I was definitely craving some dessert.
(3)
Johnson C.
Other than famous for being the late Steve Jobs' regular sushi bar, this place is so so. I have been to many better Japanese in the Bay Area.
(2)
Babo K.
Here is not a good place for Sushi or Sashimi. They are overpriced and not fresh. But they have really good fusion foods. Especially I liked their cold appetizers such as "Soft Shell Crab Spicy Lemon" or "Yellow Tail Jalapeno". I used to be a big fan of this restaurant. After my wife got pregnant and couldn't eat raw fish, I have badly missed Jin Sho. I went to Jin Sho last week with my friend and ordered my favorite dishes. But the food was very disappointing. I am wondering what happened to this restaurant. I could see the same people working in the kitchen, and the foods look the same. But they didn't taste same. I couldn't stand their unpleasant serving this time even though it didn't change much. I don't think I will go back to this restaurant unless someone convinces me that my last visit was a bad shock. (But I think this restaurant still provides unique fusion foods in this area. It is worth to try once if you live around.)
(2)
Wendy G.
Been here a couple of times now for both lunch and dinner. I'm a fan of the pris fix options. This place is a great option if you're in the mood for fresh and authentic Japanese food. Definitely make reservation, Jin Sho seems to be busy all the time, lunch and dinner. The restaurant is pretty small and it can be a tight squeeze at times. Service has been good every time I visit, pretty attentive and efficient, although it can be slow since it gets pretty busy. For food, I'd recommend the miso cod. If you're dong the 3 course meal, the cod portion is pretty small and it always leaves me wanting more. The chirashi is also a great option, light and fresh. I've had the tuna sashimi salad, it has great flavor from the marinade they use.
(4)
Makoto K.
Despite rather low 3.5-star average review rating on Yelp, I actually had very high expectations here, and... I wasn't betrayed at all! It was my first visit here. Great atmosphere and attentive services. The $16 lunch pris fix menu was a great value. I picked Tuna Sashimi (tataki) Salad and (miso) Black Cod. I thought the black pepper was little overpowering on tuna, but otherwise the food was all excellent.
(5)
Brian K.
Many of the reviews speak to JS being overpriced, but as a vegetarian for $30 we got: -Hot tea for 2 -Fresh Edamame (hot with light salting) -Tomago (egg sushi, 4.5/5) -Inari (beautiful tofu skins with a light glisten, 4.5/5) -Vegetable roll (Spinach, avocado, asparagus, cucumber kaiware, yamagobo, shiso, kanpyo, shitake, 3/5) -Oshinko (pickled yellow raddish, 3/5) -Kanpyo (gourd strips (tastes like a sweet potato), 4/5) Food - 4/5 (fresh, good quality, good flavors) Service - 3.5/5 (good enough) Ambiance - 4/5 (very nice for a peninsula sushi restaurant) Value - 4/5 (for vegetarians at least) Overall - 4/5 Other note - GREAT for Gluten free people. They have tamari and also list out all ingredients in all sauces they use. I don't think they have a gluten free menu, but they give you the information needed to avoid gluten.
(4)
Dan B.
Wow, is this place overrated! Jin Sho had been sitting on my bookmark list for awhile, so I finally decided to check it out for lunch on a random Wednesday. It started out well, including a friendly greeting up front; I liked the slightly upscale decor. Then I was led to the sushi bar. (I was not asked if I preferred a small table instead, but this was no big deal). When I chose a spot near the unoccupied end of the sushi bar, the host said "You want to sit There?" (in a tone that hinted that I was making a bad choice). "Uhm... yes" (looking around and failing to see the problem). So I sat. I really liked the fact that Jin Sho had a prix fixe lunch menu for $16. I studied it and made my choices, closed my menu and sat; There was still no water or tea yet; So I studied the interior some more and read my newspaper. Finally the waiter took my order and then I sat some more, still waiting for that hot tea that I had been so looking forward to; Then I sat some more and continued to read. Time passed. Insects were born, lived full insect lives, made babies, and died. My tea and water arrived. And eventually (through the ever-gradual process of plate tectonics) my food arrived: -- Seaweed salad: Beautiful presentation, with 3 shades of seaweed (light green, dark green and purple). But it was not nearly as delicious as it looked, and the sauce was unusually stringy (the slime from the movie Ghostbusters comes to mind) and this was a little unappetizing, to say the least. That, and I've had much better-tasting seaweed salads. -- Miso soup: Pretty good: a little saltier and "smokier" than I'm used to. -- Yellowtail scallion roll: This was very tiny and very bland; In fact it had so little flavor that I was wondering if I had suddenly come down with a cold and lost my sense of taste -- Eel and cucumber roll: Also tiny and actually blander than the yellowtail; Even the BBQ sauce on the roll had barely any flavor. WTF? Apart from being glacial, service was also poor. My green tea and water were never refilled, though I had drained my small cup of tea about 5 minutes after I received it. (Most other places are totally on top of this). I couldn't figure out why service was so slow either, since the place was only half full and there was a waitstaff of at least 5 (not including the 4 chefs behind the bar). I began composing the two-star Yelp review in my mind. But it was when they started to piss me off that Jin Sho descended into one-star territory. First, they still failed to refill my water and tea, even after I eventually ASKED them. Second, they wouldn't let me leave. After they ignored me for another eternity, I finally just handed a random, passing waitress my credit card. (If I had had cash I would've overpayed and left by then.) In the end, I left angry, $20 poorer, and still hungry. If that isn't the definition of "Fail" I don't know what is.
(1)
Sharde H.
I was told that this place was amazing, but I ordered a sushi lunch, and it was unimpressive to say the least. I've had better sushi from mollie stones. Service was okay though. But, really, I didn't like it and it was not at all worth the 17$ or whatever it was.
(2)
Miriam O.
We've been here a few times and the food is good! But the service is quite poor. Even though the restaurant is half empty it always feels like it's chaos in there.
(3)
Alice F.
Was hyped up because they say it was Steve Job's favorite place. WTH.... I was disappointed. Their rice for the nigiri is not tasty at all. Hard side.. and no flavor.. Too pricey for the individual nigiri orders.
(2)
Annie c.
Family friendly as evidenced by the many families at dinner time. menu is a little pricey compared to other sushi places Had the prixe fixe dinner A and B with choice of salad, small dish, and sushi rolls. Liked the variety, rock shrimp tempura good Tuna sashimi salad was too peppery and overpowered the tuna, rolls were good Still hungry afterward
(3)
Amy E.
We've eaten here a lot and its ok. I guess we keep going back because its close to our house. The sushi is ok, nothing spectacular and its pretty expensive. We spent $145 for dinner for 2 adults and 1 kid. My husband ordered a beer and we ordered sushi so pretty expensive considering we didn't order very much alcohol. The service is pretty bad, it takes forever to get your food and the servers don't come back and check on you. We usually have to ask for our check and anything else we need. We need to find a new sushi restaurant to go to!
(3)
Jenny L.
Order omakase at the sushi bar. You'll be amazed at the texture and flavor of the fish as well as the wide selection of seasonal fish. The fish flavors are rich and the colors are vibrant. I've never thought the striations on fish would be so appealing and appetizing. Finish your meal with ume shiso, tamago, or red miso soup. What else could one ask for? The ambiance is hip and casual without being stuffy. The service is friendly and fast. Parking can be tough on the street.
(4)
Francis L.
Wow, my coworker recommended this place and so we went with a group during lunch hour. Walking in, the place looks respectable enough and looks to have a lot of potential. When I first had the miso soup, I already knew that something great was about to happen. All I can say about the soup is that, THAT is real miso soup.. not full of msg like most places. My Sushi Lunch came in at around $16 for lunch before tax/tip (ouch!!??! Not at all, the high quality of the meal pretty much nullifies the cash required.) Spicy tuna roll 5pcs. I cant make out all the 5 pcs of nigiri ... I know.. shame... but it is something like Really Red Tuna, Red Snapper, Albacore, Hirame, and another white fish of the blander kinds like the Hirame. All of them were top quality. When I say top, I mean cream of the crop and not four stars like those sushi restaurants that just happens to be popular because they serve big pieces or it is trendy right now but four stars like a very proper solid four star based on food quality itself. The spicy tuna was pretty spicy but not over the top. However, I would still prefer slightly less spicy anyway. Even the tea tastes better here... I think the leaves are roasted? While eating I caught a glimpse of one of the chef's knife works as he peels a cucumber the long side into a long sheet of paper. Not all chefs at other four star places do that. Having fully enjoyed every piece of my lunch it turns out by surprise that it was on the company! Score! I cant wait to come back and try some dinner here even if I have to pay.
(4)
Lori F.
Stopped in here for lunch yesterday and I would sum up my experience as ok. They have a great lunch special. $16 for a 3 course prix fix lunch menu. You can chose 2 dishes from the designated choices. You get miso soup, rice and a dessert. I chose the tempura rock shrimp as my first dish. It came as a salad, on top of lettuce and lightly dressed. This dish was pretty good. Nothing special. My husband got the salmon with jalapeno dressing. This was actually better than my dish. It was very thinly sliced pieces of salmon barely seared with an awesome dressing. The miso soup was disappointing, tasted instant to me, definitely nothing special. My second course was chicken terriyaki. I thought that was a pretty safe choice, and for the most part it was. It was a bit unusual in the fact that it was an entire small chicken breast in the terriyaki sauce. It was a good portion size for me. It was served with what I think were mashed potatoes with white pepper. The potatoes were shaped into a cylinder, and I was surprised to get potatoes with terriyaki, especially since I got a small bowl of rice. My husband chose the 2 sushi roll option, and ended up getting a spicy tuna roll and a crab/avocado roll. Both were good, and the ingredients were fresh. For dessert they just brought out a strawberry panna cotta. There was no choice in this, this was just the dessert course. I was not a fan of this at all. The strawberry liquid on top was melted, and the panna cotta didn't have any taste in my opinion. It was a nice sized little serving, I just wished it tasted better! The service was pretty sub par. To be fair, we were sitting outside on the front sidewalk, so it was not in the main dining room. But still, I feel like if servers can't accommodate this, outdoor seating shouldn't be an option. Our server was friendly enough, but we had to ask several times for water, and actually ended up getting our water from a different server. We just ordered diet coke to start, and didn't get our drinks until he brought out our first courses. Overall the food was ok, but nothing outstanding. They do have a good lunch special, and their prices are reasonable. Service however left something to be desired.
(2)
Annie D.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to give 1 or 2 stars... probably would've been 2 if I didn't keep hearing about how great this place was. After getting reservations for dinner, I was excited to experience some great sushi....ugh. First impression wasn't great, we walked in for our 7:30 reservations and was left standing there without anyone greeting us or acknowledging us to be seated. After about 5 minutes, we pointed us to a table in the corner. Got our drink order in and checked out their menu. Everything sounded good.. I had a few questions while ordering, but the waiter failed to know much, he kept saying he'll have to check with someone else, they were simple questions, like, is the ama ebi (sweet shrimp) live or frozen or what is the difference between the two ika's listed on the menu, he didn't have a clue... Toro Tar Tar with caviar on top of chopped blue fin toro,onion garlic w/wasabi soy sauce- tiny serving amount, which is fine, but the chopped toro was sitting in the little bowl of soy on the bottom, so when you dip the top part, it's good, but as you get to the bottom, it was just plain salty and way too overpowering to taste any fish anymore. It would have been better off as a dipping sauce on the side so you can control how much of the fish taste you wanted to hide. Oyster Bar- 3 pc oyster w/three kinds of special sauce- average oysters, nothing special. I decided to do sashimi, which comes with 2 pieces- hamachi- yellowtail, uni- sea urchin, sake- salmon,Yari Ika - squid- sampled some of the things i love, NONE stood out. The fish slices were extra tiny on the extra tiny plate they brought out. The fish smelled and tasted like something I buy at the Japanese Market and make myself, this was no restaurant quality fish, so disappointed. Even the ghetto joint across the street dishes out better sashimi. Rolls- Volcano- Salmon, spicy mayo Spicy tuna, crunchy Fantasy- Spicy yellow tail Spicy tuna, crunchy Both these rolls tasted pretty much the same, the crunchy was mixed in with the fish, so you had a very stubble "crunch", would have worked a little better if it was sprinkled on top? Weren't the best rolls. Overall, disappointed for the hype of great sushi. I really expected better quality sushi, maybe it was their off day? But I can't say there's an off day on a Saturday night and with all of them being bad. I guess they're known for their cooked food... so order those items instead of sushi items or anything in a raw form.
(1)
Ci H.
Ok! The only reason people can justify going to Jin Sho is to claim that they ate at Steve Job's favorite restaurant. I have been to most (if not all) of the japanese places close to and in Palo Alto. To be fair, I usually only have sushi and an appetizer, thus I cannot judge the rest of the food. However, I can safely say that it is not all that is hyped-out to be. I have eaten everywhere from Sugarfish to Nobu, and the sushi here is quite disappointing. The quality is no better than the sushi places in University Ave. and the rolls are quite expensive and small. Between Fuki Sushi and Jin Sho, I would pick Fuki Sushi any day.
(2)
Sherrie H.
This place was an area favorite of Steve Jobs, and I wasn't disappointed when I tried it myself. I'm not giving any points here for service as I have had one great experience and another that left something to be desired. I will however give kudos for the sushi and the Miso Blackened Cod just melts in your mouth.
(4)
Keiko S.
Ooooh, I'm confused about this place now. I finally succeeded in joining Marc Y and Sonny Y for chef's omakase dinner. I'd eaten at Jin Sho several times before (and was never this impressed), but this was my first time at the counter, directly in front of the amazing, humorous and witty sushi master, Neko-san. (Btw, call him "koneko-san" next time, and he might treat you better.) Okay, without being too lengthy, here were the things included in the OMAKASE. 1) 8 cooked dishes 2) 8 nigiri, including the sinfully sweet and tasty Hokkaido uni and shiro-unagi (note: they import "live" unagi) 3) 1,000 calories 4) juicy, meaty, melty wagyu steaky 5) a giant maguro head, later transformed into a roll topped with shiitake 6) another 1,000 calories 7) handmade udon mentaiko-spa imported from Japan - my *highlight* 8) dassai junmai daiginjo 9) 2 incredibly orgasmic desserts 10) TWO HOURS OF HEAVEN Remember - the menu changes daily. Basically, whatever is fresh that day, you'll get it in its best form. It'll be unique and "fusion", and it's guaranteed to blow you away. Also remember that I went with two regular patrons of Jin Sho who have by now become good friends with the chefs. I might not get the same kind of treatment if I go there on my own. Pricey? Well, yes... it's $100+ per person. Worth it? YOU BET. So, why am I confused?? Here's one thing about Jin Sho's omakase that I have noticed. The quality of EACH dish is undeniably top notch. However, each is also quite heavy. So when you're served eight of them at one go - many of them fried and/or bathed in oily sauce - it's a bit OVERWHELMING. A simple salad would've been a nice breather. So if you're looking to enjoy a lighter meal, do what I did: ask Neko-san to "go easy on the sauce" on all dishes. SUM: It's 4.5 stars...not quite 5...just so that Marc Y and Sonny Y will take me there again to prove me wrong.
(4)
Ash T.
This place is very difficult for me to review. I just went back last night for the first time in a long while. Came a couple times shortly after it opened. Back then I remember the food to be only okay. Prices were probably similar, but I had never paid for it until last night (used to work at a law firm down the street). I do remember portions being a little more substantial in prior days, however. This time around, I found the food to be excellent. The sashimi menu was extensive, the fish was very fresh and skillfully cut. Only, the portions now were laughably miniscule. Laughably. Each piece of sashimi was about 1/3 of the size you normally see at sushi places. Maybe these guys thought they could bank on their established popularity to start ripping people off, but something about it seemed very, very wrong. Also, the service was sub par. My water glass and tea cup went empty several times and would have remained empty had I not run the waitress down to ask for more. So yeah, probably a 4-5 in terms of food quality, but the value and overall experience is like at most 2.
(2)
Dalu Q.
It was okay-ish only. They have good fish, but the food feels rather uninspired.
(3)
Steph C.
The food and presentation was just ok for the price, Menlo Park area can be great or just flat our expensive with mediocre service. Unfortunately, the server that we had was not good at all. Very preoccupied on getting out of his shift than serving, lacking in attention when I came to even water and just didn't seem to want to be there. Sorry, not coming back, oh and the 'college' table sitting next to us were loud, horrible and just plain dumb for being so loud and disruptive!
(3)
Angeline K.
Even for a Japanese restaurant it is on the pricey side and the portions are small for the price you pay. However, the food is delectable! Since it was my first time here, I opted for the fixed price menu item B so I could get a good sample of things on the menu. The Yellowtail with Jalapeno was a great start. Light and slightly citrusy with a hint of spice from the jalapeno. I thought the jalapeno would be really spicy but it was very mild. Of course, I had to try the miso black cod and it did not disappoint. The fish was flaky and chock full of flavor. Slightly sweet. The spider roll was different in that it had cucumber wrapped around the outside of the roll, but it was good. Nothing too special, just your average spider roll, just smaller portions than I'm used to. Sushi is more expensive than average, not only because the pieces are smaller, but also because it's only one piece per order.
(4)
Mabelle A.
We had a good experience here. Walked in for an early dinner without a reservation. After we placed our order, we got a call that the 3rd person in our party wasn't going to be able to make it. The server asked if we wanted to reduce anything off our order and didn't insist we move to a smaller table even though there were just two of us. Maybe cause we ordered a ton :p Overall the sashimi was fresh, the other apps we ordered were tasty and the rolls were good.
(3)
Amanda G.
I have been wanting to try this place for a VERY long time, and had heard good things about it. We had dinner here on Thurs. night, and luckily i had called ahead and made a reservation as they were much busier than I had expected. One of my all time favorite dishes is miso black cod, and the chef here originated at Nobu, (where the dish was first served.) That being said, it was a must-order for me. I had also heard the fish here was incredibly fresh, so I ordered a selection of sashimi as well. While i enjoyed my sashimi, I felt the pieces were REALLY small. I liked the black cod, but found it overly sweet. It was cooked perfectly, but the sweetness was really cloying.I've definitely had better versions of it at other restaurants. I did have some awesome hot sake, and I found the service much better than other reviewers seemed to. My guy had steak, and it was VERY bland. Totally under seasoned. All in all, it was a good meal, but didn't live up to my expectations. At least for now, Akane remains my favorite Japanese restaurant in the area.
(4)
Mandy Z.
I love Jin Sho, I've been eating here for years and always bring out-of-town guests here for dinner. It's worth the $$$. They accommodate large groups if you call ahead. The ambiance is simple, elegant and charming. The service is always great, friendly and efficient staff. The food is the real draw. Jin Sho is the only restaurant in the Palo Alto area where you can find a delicious authentic Japanese meal for a reasonable price - the sushi is fantastic, super fresh fish and delicious, creative rolls. The udon, New Style Sashimi, and Black Cod are always a hit. Highly recommend this place - if you haven't been, head to Jin Sho immediately. They are often busy, reservations are likely necessary.
(5)
Doug C.
Went there for lunch , little pricey, $60-70/ for 2. w/o drinks. Small portion sizes, fish is ok. Bigger portion sizes at Fish Market, just as fresh. About 1/2 price there. Black Cod; marinated in a sweet and salty sauce. Couldn't eat it. Partner ate it. Too salty and sweet for me. Salmon teriyaki: homemade teriyaki sauce. Not as sweet. Fish was dry inside. OK. Volcano roll: mayo inside. Tasty. served hot. 2 salads, one with salmon jalapeno, similar in style to fish at Gochi. Jin Sho salmon is partially seared. Like seared ahi, first time I have seen this with salmon. Is ok, Gochi uses raw hamachi instead. This style of presentation serves much less fish than nigiri sushi. Fish is thinner and smaller in size. tea + miso. Had to leave early... didn't get to the dessert. Prices went up from last year. Seems like now that everybody knows Steve Jobs used to eat there the prices have gone up substantially. Is ok, prefer Gochi if you are going to spend the $.
(3)
Meghan S.
We came here on a Thursday night for dinner. It was pretty crowded but we were seated within 10 minutes. However, once we ordered, we waited 30-40 minutes for the meal. We ordered a duck entree and three sushi rolls. The duck was delicious; the sushi rolls not so much. They actually tasted a bit too salty. The nice thing was that the waitress was apologetic; I think it's worse when the staff don't acknowledge an unreasonable wait. Due to the long wait and mediocre sushi, I won't return.
(2)
Ted A.
The food was good but the greeter had an attitude that he was doing us a favor by giving us a table. Last night we arrived at this restaurant when it was 90% empty. After asking the greeter if we could have a table he spent a long time looking at the reservation list which was not long enough to fill the place up. Following that he placed us at a table next to a family with 3 very young and noisy children. Subsequently the server was also slow in arriving for our initial order. I think this place needs to work on customer relations. They appear to think they can behave in an indifferent of passive aggressive manner. The last straw fell when I was told I would be charged for a refill of my coke. This final point finished my evening and I will not return to this establishment!
(3)
トモ T.
Jin Sho is one of the newest Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area. At first, I suspected the place to be non-Japanese due to their name, but the place turned out to be 100 percent Japanese. However, their style did not fit to my liking. Don't get me wrong, food quality is very good and their execution is nice. I just didn't find their dishes to be interesting. As I've said in my review of Matsuhisa (L.A.), I don't find any creativity in pouring salad dressing-ish sauce over everything. I did like their flexibility in customizing Omakase course to your liking. If you don't like certain item, don't hesitate to tell them. Anyhow, I admit that I am being completely unfair to Jin Sho. I went there just after New Years, when I KNOW they cannot get anything fresh shipped from Japan. This is why most of sushi restaurants after New Years stays closed. A sample dinner for one: $60 Omakase course $10 Drink $20 Tip and taxes ---------------------------- $90 Total
(3)
Jim R.
Disclaimer, may be 4.5 or 4 stars but this is partially a reaction to the other reviews. Are you an idiot and expect a giant slab of fish when you order sashimi or nigiri? Don't come here. Did you order take-out at a sushi restaurant? There is a McDonalds right around the corner. Is the space not big enough for you? There is an Olive Garden even closer than McDonalds. Is the first thing you mention in your review the race of the people serving you? How did you manage to find the power switch on your computer? The quality of the fish is excellent, on par with the best I've had in the area. The waitstaff was all friendly despite how busy they are every time I come through. There is also an exceptional range of fish available in different seasons, and some that you would be hard pressed to find elsewhere. Is it the best sushi you will have in your life? Probably not, but you don't have to fly to Japan - which makes this a hell of a lot cheaper.
(5)
Albert T.
Great Sake Selection, wonderful food presentation. Price is at the high range but worth it.
(4)
Jennifer R.
Ambiance - Nice decor, feels very authentic Japanese. We were seated at the sushi bar to begin but they moved us to a (very wobbly) table - in hindsight I think I would have preferred to stay at the sushi bar because our table was close to the hostess stand, and with the crowds of people standing right behind my boyfriend's chair, it was a little disturbing. In nice weather, the management would be better off making everyone waiting for a table stand outside after putting in their name - it would definitely improve the atmosphere of the restaurant. Service - Very friendly, but pretty bad. Our waiter was extremely nice, but very slow - it took a while to get his attention, another little while to get our drinks, and I saw that he made mistakes with both tables on either side of us, forgetting parts of their orders. Just a lot of small gaffes which he was very apologetic for but that kind of created a chaotic experience. Additionally it took a full hour to get our entrees - which was fine for me as I had ordered the prix fix and got soup and an appetizer, but my boyfriend was pretty hungry and the pace was just way too slow. It should definitely not take an hour and 45 minutes to have a sushi dinner on a Thursday night. Seemed like the people on either side of us were getting their food much faster though, so perhaps we just sat down at the height of the rush (or our waiter forgot to put in our order...seems more likely). Food - Solid sushi but certainly not amazing. I had the jalapeno yellow tail appetizer which was tasty and fresh, miso soup which was good, and the black cod and a spicy salmon role both of which were solid. The meal was just enough for me to feel full but not stuffed. Boyfriend got a Stanford roll and an order of salmon sashimi. His roll was ok (mine was better) but the laughable part was the size of the sashimi - it was minuscule. I realize that it's not supposed to be huge chunks of fish (that is not the correct way to serve quality sashimi) but this was completely tiny. We were both laughing - I lived in NYC for 12 years so have been to my share of upscale sushi restaurants, but this beat them all in the skimpiness department - barely a bite. He had a Japanese beer which was good (a recommendation of our waiter) and I had sake, also good. Prices - High, and I'm not sure justified - our dinner came to about $85 with tax and tip and I think that for the amount of food we had and the overall experience, it was a little too expensive. We will probably come again but perhaps just for takeout or not during the dinner rush.
(3)
Yen K.
I've been to Jinsho multiple multiple times, but somehow it's never really grown on me. The sushi is sub-par, and most people are drawn to Jinsho merely because of its ex-Nobu allure... or if they think more expensive necessarily implies higher class/ better food (something I've learned not to do!) Don't get me wrong, the sushi chefs here do know their fish and cuts very well, and the menu offers a wide range of seasonal fish (rarely the case in other sushi places!) But as mentioned earlier, I find the actual quality of the raw fish somewhat lacking (something wrong with where they source their fish probably?) In fact, I'd much rather order the miso black cod and other cooked dishes at Jinsho. Take note that the lunchtime atmosphere at Jinsho is much more casual, and carries somewhat of a quick-work-lunch vibe. As for dinnertime, if you want to impress your date with moderately high prices, then I guess coming to Jinsho would serve that purpose decently well. But if you really want fresh sashimi at non-pretentious prices, I would (once again) suggest going to Sushi Tomi in MV instead :)
(3)
Andre D.
Was looking forward to this based on reviews but have to say it came up a little short. Definitely an example of a place where higher prices do not match to better food. I think the sushi and rolls did taste OK. Sushi had very thin slices of fish. The rolls barely had any fish on them, were all loosely held together...and the end cuts were not much more than a little nori with a few grains of rice stuck to it. The spider rolls had a speck of crab in the end cut. For the price I would expect more...lesson learned. All items seemed to be at room temperature so maybe they prefer to serve it that way rather than cold. They do have a nice sake list and I enjoyed one of the samplers. Wait staff seemed a little impatient when I was asking them questions so that is why we went with samplers.
(2)
Max M.
The service and food quality declined. I had a reservation but had to sit counter area, so no place to put my bag. I put my bag next empty sheet. The servers (Indian waiter) told me "This sheet is reserved!", so I hang my bag the back of my sheet. Then, Chinese waitress constantly kicking my bag and dropped it, but she ignored. Jinsho served Sushi with big pieces of fish, but the Chirashi had tiny thin cut of fish. What happen to them? Is this management problem or Chef's selection of fish? I took my Japanese friends but it was only OK level we agreed.
(3)
Michael N.
At first it looks good. Even though it is packed, they seat us quickly on a Friday night without a reservation. The food here is actually pretty good. The service.... not so good. In my group of 4 people, two order a fixed-price meal, one orders sushi, and I choose cold soba and a single roll. My order is pretty simple. Everyone gets there food before I do. I'm given promises of 5 more minutes at least 3 times. Yet, I still don't get my food. I get to watch everyone eat their food (which includes rolls). They don't offer to bring me my roll out first. Everyone is pretty much done with their meal and they eventually bring the tempura out... without the soba. The whole point is to eat it with the soba. Seriously. This wouldn't have been so bad if the waiter would at least apologize for the wait. But no. He just gives me a bit of attitude.
(2)
Kes D.
Food ===== Edamame on the house: overcooked, but with good salt and still appreciated. Miso cod: absolutely amazing. So delicate and perfectly cooked. Oyster bar: a little too much seasoning for my taste, but it was still good and very fresh and tasty. Beef Tataki: 6 pieces for $24...that's $4 a piece. So good that it's almost worth the price. Not the -best- kobe beef compared to what I had in Japan, but darn good for what you can get in these parts. Comes with a nice (and tasty :P ) shiso/garlic/green onion garnish. Fish: fresh and tasty. Had sake (salmon), hotate (scallop), and some other fish that was on special. They were all really good. I could've eaten more, but then my wallet would've been eaten too. Rice: perfectly cooked. This makes or breaks Japanese food in my opinion. Portions: smaller, but this means you are more likely to leave pleasantly not hungry and full rather than uncomfortably stuffed. Drink ===== Great selection of sake, with several sampler options. I had the nama sampler and it was fabulous. They also have shochu. Service ===== Almost too attentive. o.O They took our order for appetizers first and let us mull over what else to get, which was nice, so the food came out at a good pace. 3 different servers cleared off our plates and made sure our waters were filled. Ambiance ========= The tables are a little crowded together in my opinion. I like that there is an open kitchen so you can see the chefs at work, even on non-sushi items! Verdict ====== I'd go back here...maybe if I could get a cute boy who makes more than I do to pay for me, because I spent the monetary equivalent of 3 hours of working here... It was worth it, just a treat, not a regularly scheduled occurrence. :)
(4)
Michael R.
This is a great place with consistently fresh sushi and a wonderful staff. One of the best places for Japanese food in Silicon Valley.
(5)
A J.
Nice, clean and tasty Sushi-ya, especially black cod with miso, sushi and yellow tail with Jalapeño, but kind of small portion. Since I don't like to over spend, do not want to make holes in my pocket, I rarely go there, though.
(4)
Alyssa P.
I went during lunch time and I didn't have to wait too long, probably only twenty minutes or so. The service wasn't amazing, but the restaurant was full and it was lunch time, so all things considered, I think they did a great job. The atmosphere is nice too, it's small and intimate, but not so crowded where you can't hear yourself speak. You can enjoy a good conversation with your friends, or even your neighbours, I made friends with the people at the table next to me. Now for the food, which is why you came, right? I had the veggie tempura, a salad with soy onion sauce, and some spinach rolls. Everything tasted pretty good, but the salad sauce was unexpectedly amazing! The price for the salad is pretty good too, I definitely recommend it. Also, the Bento Box is a good deal, as long as you arrive before 1:00, it should be there, but I didn't try it because I'm vegan.
(5)
SFoodie P.
After reading Steve Job's "Time running Short article" finance.yahoo.com/news/W… I needed to visit Jin Sho as part of my Homage to the "Great Innovator" of our time. It did not matter the food (although it was excellent). What mattered is that this is one of Steve's favorite restaurant. Thank You Jin Sho for giving Steve a little bit of heaven while he was with us.
(5)
Kristen T.
The food is definitely not worth the price of around $20+ a dish. Went here the other day and ordered a sushi roll with shrimp, eel, and some other ingredient..it cost me about 12 bucks for six measely pieces of sushi! I saw the pri fixe dish that my bf got..which consisted of a tiny bowl of seaweed salad, about 6 small pieces of chicken, PACKAGED mashed potatoes, some boiled carrots, and a couple pieces of sushi for about 20 bucks...sounds like a lot, but it definitely wasnt. the dish didnt even include rice for goodness sake!! i will def. NOT be returning here anytime soon!
(2)
Tanya B.
If you only care about the quality of the food then this place is good. the fish was very fresh, the rolls were yummy, the edamame and miso soup were some of the better i've had. However, the service is very mediocre; the waiters didn't know much about the items on the menu, took forever for the food to arrive (probably good 20-30 minutes of wait) and they forgot Tory's salad... and you don't mess with Tory; you just don't!
(3)
Shawn G.
great sushi. high quality fish. Not a lot of variety but good food.
(4)
Irene A.
Jin Sho is our second kitchen; I eat here on a at-least-once-a-week basis. IMO it's the best sushi in Palo Alto. The fish is always fresh, the presentation beautful. The menu is varied and there is something for everyone. Try the fixed price menu; the miso black cod is among the best I've had, but I love raw fish so I usually opt for the chirashi sushi dinner.
(4)
Chantel C.
I've wanted to try this place for a while. I sat at the bar, and out of everyone it seemed that I was the only one eating sushi/sashimi. Everyone else ordered rolls, and I was left wondering why sit at the bar if you're going to order rice bowls or rolls. Anyway, it was better than I expected. I was scared with the ratings, but the fish was pretty fresh and small, but that's okay because I never really liked huge pieces either. It wasn't REALLY fantastic that I'd drive to Palo Alto, but if I'm in the area and feel like sushi, I'd go here. oh, and just for kicks I tried that rock shrimp tempura and wasn't a fan, I suggest just eating sushi/sashimi.
(3)
John C.
I have no idea why this place doesn't average 4.5 stars or higher. I absolutely love this place. I've now been here ~6 times, and it's my favorite place to go for sushi/fancy japanese. The best advice I can give is to splurge and order the omakase. I've only ever had the cheaper one (~$60), but I've ordered it several times. Each time has been awesome. Be sure to tell them how many times you've ordered the omakase before, since they like to give you a new set of plates to try each time. Definitely extra points for that! I believe it's usually 4-5 courses, and each one is outstanding (and usually has a palette cleanser between plates). If you're not up for the omakase, we recently discovered that they have a great prix fixe option. Order option B: choose the yellowtail with jalapeno, miso black cod (this is a must at Jin Sho, originally from Nobu), and then your favorite roll (options include in spicy tuna, spicy yellowtail, spider, california, etc.). I always look forward to coming here, and the meal is well worth what you end up paying. Tip: make a reservation beforehand, or the host might ask you awkwardly "can you be sure to finish by ____ time?"
(5)
Jikhan J.
This place is more like fusion Japanese food. Miso Blackened Cod was awesome. Sushi was not that fresh. Waiter / Waitress is not matching with atmosphere.
(4)
Jason C.
Updated to three stars, not that anything's different or wrong with Jin Sho. Just 3 stars is more appropriate, even despite the lack of better competition in the area. About on par with Sumika and Shalala in terms of quality Japanese food in the area. Which means it is quality food. But doesn't compare with your good neighborhood place in Tokyo and there is much better at the good quality examples in NYC. But it's about the best you're gonna get in Silicon Valley.
(3)
Bryan G. W.
In a word: Overated! Also, overpriced. Sushi was fresh, that is why they got two stars....because they really deserve one. I went for lunch and got a tiny salad, which was only lettuce and overpriced. The dressing was bland. Then I got sushi....one piece per order versus the usual two pieces everywhere I go. It was SO overpriced and the tuna piece was small. In the end, lunch was $9 plus tip and I it was SO not worth it. I know good sushi......not impressed...in fact, shocked that people like this place. I just went to Masa's in Mountain View. It is not a fancy place from the outside.......but VERY good sushi, priced as it should be. Don't waste your money here.
(2)
Avocado Donbur I.
Great food but the portion may be too small for American people.
(4)
Ceci L.
Nice little gem that my husband and I found unexpectedly on a Sat evening. The sashimi and uni dishes we ordered were all fresh and nicely presented. Nice deco in the restaurant but the price was a bit on the expensive end.
(4)
April N.
This is a classic case of when you are totally turned off by the delicious food because of extremely bad service. Granted, I've gone to Jin-Sho a few times before and I noticed that the waiters are always slow and they take forever to take your order. Their food always makes up for the long wait. However, today was a different story. The waiter took longer than usual to get to our table. I signaled him a few times to let him know we were ready to order. When we finally got our orders .. it took some time to get our food (and we didn't even order any "cooked" food). Then when the food finally trickled in, one of the orders was wrong. My friend ordered a Dragon Roll and got a Volcano roll. When we said that it wasn't what we ordered, the waiter that brought our food said "oh.. okay" .. then left... about 10 minutes later, the original waiter comes up to us and asks if there was a problem. We mentioned that my friend ordered the Dragon Roll. He said.. "NO.. you ordered the Volcano roll" .. my friend said.. "no.. I ordered the Dragon Roll.." they guy then says... "No.. I HEARD you say Volcano and I wrote it down..." My friend gets upset and says... "NO.. I ordered the DRAGON roll, YOU must have heard wrong.." The waiter doesn't even apologize or says anything and takes the Volcano Roll away. 20 minutes later... the Dragon Roll is sent to our table and he doesn't even say anything. WHAT A DOUCHE!! I've totally turned around and decide to NOT RECOMMEND this restaurant until they've fired most of their waiters... scrolling through all the other reviews, I notice that most people complain about the wait staff. Hopefully the management at Jin-Sho realize that their business will slowly lose customers if they keep their current waiters. If they don't address their "waiter" situation, then that shows a complete lack of respect to their patrons.
(1)
CAScuba Y.
Rainy day/nite, not suitable for going out w/ kid dinner ... Anyhow we did it and as much as a challenge it was by itself, Jin Sho was able to accomodate us. As soon as we got to our table, Jr knock the soya sauce bottle and that's our strike 1. Anyhow Agedashi tofu and red miso soup + gohan (rice) was able to keep Jr stable for 1/2 of our duration. Meanwhile we were able to enjoy some of those fishes I had for lunch yesterday. Nice. Our conclusion was if you don't want your fish dressed with anything, (well u can tell the chef don't do it), than eat at Tomi. Otherwise, this is a very cool place to hang out. (more pic uploaded tonite) ... Don't complaint their serving is small, thin and small slice and small rice. That's actually the right bite size I They are usually just like that in Japan. Happy thanks giving ....
(5)
hunter w.
no such thing as economic slowdown at this new PA joint where you'll pay a pretty penny for your light and fresh sushi. Three omakase versions ranging from $60-95(i think).
(4)
David V.
Best Japanese restaurant experience I've had in a long time. Staff was really friendly and it was a very warm, inviting atmosphere. Rolls were great. Fish was great. The green tea was fantastic. Had a very interesting corn tempura, too. I need to go back for the seafood tobanyaki. Excellent variety of fish available.
(5)
pui-yun c.
Came here for lunch with some of my coworkers about a week ago. I was always a bit hesitant to come because the prices seemed a bit steep for a normal weekday lunch - but we were using some money from a contest so no complaints here :) The set lunch allows you to choose a salad type starter + a smaller portion of their entree menu. I ended up getting the tuna sashimi salad and the miso blackened cod. It also came with the usual miso soup plus a small portion of pana cotta for dessert. As a table we also ordered a corn tempura appetizer and a dragon roll to share. The corn tempura was really good, lightly battered corn sprinkled with some matcha salt. The matcha salt was a really nice touch :) I'd say this is a "must try" The dragon roll was pretty good as well, nothing special though, so I'd recommend you to try other rolls if they seem interesting to you. The tuna sashimi salad was good, the tuna was fresh and lightly seared, and the portion was good as well, not too small, not too big. One of my coworkers got the rock shrimp salad, which kind of reminded us of walnut shrimp that you can order at Chinese restaurants (at least in terms of the way the prepare it). I really liked the miso cod, the fish was cooked just right and the flavoring was good as well. Again, the portion was also just right. At the end they give you a small cup of panna cotta for dessert that comes in a small bamboo cup. It was a nice way to finish off the meal and cleanse the palate. One thing to note though, one of my coworkers likes her meat well done so when she ordered the beef dish she made sure to tell them to make it well done (it normally comes medium ish according to our waiter) However, when it came out it was more rare than another person that had ordered it! The waiter was nice and brought it back well done :) and it looked like they actually cooked it more vs. nuking it in a microwave. All in all, a good restaurant, however probably a place I'd go to for special occasions (birthdays etc) vs coming to regularly.
(4)
Koji K.
We had a good time! Oishikatta desu!
(5)
V D.
I'm going to bed dreaming of the jalapeno hamachi and the blackened cod. But EVERYTHING was so unbelievable -- including the service.
(5)
stephanie L.
Oh My God...This place is fantastic. It's a great new Sushi Joint on California ave. Just let the chef do what he does. Tell him what you like, and he will work it out. The sea Urchin is out of this world. I never liked sea urchin before this place. They even give you real wasabi (upon request). Go to this Place.
(5)
Peter L.
Heard the buzz about this restaurant started by two former chefs from Nobu and had to try it. Several of the items were similar to those I had when I ate at Matsuhisa in Los Angeles including black cod miso, hamachi with jalapeno and tiradito. The food quality is excellent including the freshness of the fish appetizers as well as the sushi. The sushi menu could have been more extensive but all the fish was delicious and incredibly fresh. The entrees are diverse and include a tasty, tender lamb as well as the signature black cod miso. A sedate decor off of California Avenue in Palo Alto. Pricey, but definitely worth it when you consider the quality.
(5)
Yoko S.
I've read a couple of good reviews of this restaurant and wanted to go. I've been to Nobu in Tokyo several times and expected that this place is pretty much like Nobu as I've heared that the restaurant was operated by ex Nobu chefs. However it wasn't true... Jin Sho serves more traditional and ordinary Japanese food. Of cource they have fusion plates though, I surprised that I could have very good Tara Saikyo Yaki - miso grazed black cod here. We also orderd warm vegi salada (it was so so), New Sashimi(nothing special but still good) Corn tempra ( I liked this!). Their price is still very reasonable for the quality, I did not order the course meal and the bill to our table ended up to $70 including some sake. I will be back here to try other foods. There are some restaurants like Jin Sho in the city (Kabuto sushi or Koo has same level of food) though it's something hard to find in Peninsula or South Bay.
(4)
thomas a.
Kaneko-san's creations are awesome. Have tried it 3 times and he has never disappointed. Make sure you ask him for a good appetiser and he will surprise you. A great restaurant in Palo Alto area.
(4)
KC W.
Sushi is good and prices for lunch specials are very reasonable. Service is slow.
(3)
Judy B.
The short story: Nice ambience inside. Ordinary, uninspired but tasty food that is over-priced, disappointing service, long waits. The details: I work in this area and have steered clear of this restaurant because of its high prices. But my husband wanted to try it so... We went at 5:30pm on a Friday. There were only 3 tables filled yet the greeter seemed surprised that we had "no reservation". Still, we did get seated. The edamame was $7 for a little dish. It looked fairly ordinary so we passed on it. We ordered a sahimi dinner and a dragon roll. A half hour later, they brought us a little dish of edamame- apparently complimentary as our food was taking so long. Another half hour and another dish of edamame. Then finally, ta da- the sashimi dinner. Wait! No salmon on the plate? Oh yes, there it was, hiding under the decoration! Another 15 minutes, and the dragon roll arrived. Wait! Where was the signature dragon roll head? The tail? It looked like any other roll- but, at least, it was tasty. Sorry, folks. We won't be returning to this locale. It's just not the full package yet and not worth the prices.
(3)
Zach K.
Finally a decent sushi place in Palo Alto! The fish was good quality and the the miso eggplant was well-prepared. I ordered the sushi special but I will be back to try a broader selection.
(4)
Alex H.
3.5 if i could. given the number of reviews, this place obviously fills a desperate need for a halfway decent sushi restaurant in the area that is not obscenely expensive. it half meets that need. some items are still obscenely expensive; $3 for one piece of middling nigiri fish is just a tad overpriced. on the other hand, the rolls are on the high end of normal. despite my initial negative impressions, i have to admit that the sushi itself was very good. i tried a volcano roll, a soft shell crab roll, and a basic salmon avo roll. none dissapointed - it was probably the best sushi i've had in the area in a while.
(3)
Trader H.
totally overrated and overhyped... also pricey.
(1)
Leah A.
We found this place on Yelp, trying to deviate from our normal sushi restaurants (Fuki Sushi and Kanpai.) While the atmosphere is fine and welcoming, the food and service is lacking. It's not special and it's not good. The fish didn't taste very fresh. I really wouldn't waste your money.
(2)
K. P.
A huge disappointment! Oil-stained menu, chipped plates, blaring music, glaring light and we hadn't even gotten to the food... Amateur, greasy tempura. Gummy, salty noodles. Slimy seaweed salad. We love sushi and have tired of the same trio -- Kaygetsu, Fuki Sushi, Koma, so were excited to try something new. A bummer of a Saturday night out. We'll never go back.
(1)
Paul K.
It's pretty wrong this place is only getting 3.5 stars overall, and I think mostly for the price. The food is easily good enough for the price, and a meal that costs $30-$40 here would easily cost $70-$80 at Nobu in NY, where the chef(s) came from. My sister and brother in law are regulars here, and we all ate very well for under $100. We had the black cod, yellowtail jalapeno, vegetable roll, plum roll, clam nigiri, ocean trout sashimi/nigiri, a spider roll, and corn tempura. It was all fabulous - and I've been to the best sushi joints in NYC and I've never had ocean trout -so fresh! This place easily makes me forget what I might be missing in that other city nearby.
(5)
Ben M.
Very good sushi. Enjoy the rainbow roll especially. I've tried most places in the palo alto area and this is definitely the best. Reasonable prices and good service, too.
(4)
Joanne H.
edit went here again... and oh my.... DO THE OMAKASE!!!!! trust me on this one.
(5)
Michelle T.
Wow. We came back for our 5th omakaze dinner (this time only with baby in tow) and it was delicious! Everything we had was amazing and so different from our first (and kinda pedestrian) omakaze dinner where we were only treated to the greatest hits on the menu. Tonight we ate all sorts of unusual and delicious dishes that made my tummy very happy! Our first dish was thinly sliced maguro sashimi on top of two sprigs of broiled asparagus with a ponzu-soy sauce. Each slice of maguro was topped with a thin slice of jalapeno and a tiny dollop of osetra caviar. Yummy. Next, we had giant clam sashimi with julienned ginger that was gently cooked with hot oil and topped with ikura. Then, we were presented with a steaming bowl of clams and fried black bass in a tasty mushroom broth. This was followed by my favorite dish -- a steamed white fish filet (no English translation of the name) in a black bean sauce broth topped with cilantro, ginger, and green onions. Although it seemed like it would be a retread of a Chinese steamed fish dish, it was perfectly balanced and delicious. Our nigiri selection was great - of course, I always look forward to savoring my piece of toro nigiri last! I only wish we got freshly grated wasabi instead of the pre-made stuff. Our meal ended with a scoop of roasted black sesame ice cream and a slice of matcha cheesecake. Both were tasty but we were too stuffed to finish the cheesecake. Again, the staff was very friendly and accommodating with our baby. They brought over some edamame right away along with a plastic plate and fork. Also, when I requested a small bowl of white rice they were quick on the draw. There were some long pauses in between some of our dishes but I didn't care because great food takes time! Plus, I think I only noticed it because our little baby started turning into a pumpkin. For dinner, we've only had the $75 omakaze and I think that is the way to go when you come here. Of course, that means we can't come here that often!
(5)
Sophia Y.
wow. can't believe I haven't written this place up. takeout: amazing takeout containers, beautiful. and they do it well. ordered the lunch entree and they gave me: rice, miso soup, and my beautiful entree the food heated up well at home. ordered the chicken teriyaki, the black cod entree (HUGE, as it should be for the price $18) and the nabeyaki udon (they packaged the tempura separately so it wouldn't get soggy) yummy! wonderful! and coming here for lunch - this is THE best japanese around aside from Kaygetsu (but kaygetsu makes you get a giant lunch for like $26 and no longer has udon for lunch, wah!) Love this place for lunch they give you: salad (I order the spicy chicken, which is a meal in itself) and then the black cod - yum! way too much food for me, so you can take home the cod for dinner or for lunch the next day. and a small panna cotta - perfect japanese sized dessert great service, just wished they had more than the green tea ice tea. i like the genmaichai but they don't have it here.
(4)
Julia K.
imo the best sushi you can get in pa. i liked kanpai when they first opened, and i still adore the chefs at kanpai because they're so fun... well, these two chefs first helped out at kanpai when they were still going for the high end concept, now it's more like naomi with a few high end dishes thrown in. the waitress from kanpai actually called me and asked me to check out jin sho because the sushi was really "real" (ie authentic). i checked it out in the beginning and adored it. i went through a breakup and practically stopped eating sushi because none of the guys i dated could handle it (which should probably be an immediate disqualifier for me), and so jin sho fell by the wayside. sadly i only have one girl bud who likes sushi like me and we hardly ever met for dinner during this dark, sushiless period. however, i went back last night, sat at the sushi bar (which is what you ought to do, and be prepared to drop dime) and then let the sushi chef choose the best stuff for you. this doesn't work if you're hard core into crazy rolls that are stuffed with like cream cheese or what not, or if you don't like raw fish, i'm saying if you can handle good raw fish, uni, ikura, mirugai, and the like, go for it here. (which is not to say that the rolls here aren't good. we noticed some really tasty ones being constructed). you can get some street cred by ordering something that people might generally not like first so that they feel comfortable pushing their creativity. so anyway, they come up with beautifully cut fish, perfect amount of rice, that's super fresh with unique treatments. sea trout that's been lightly marinated, anago that's just grilled and painted with a bit of sauce, fish that has a bit of black sea salt, or a shiso leaf tucked underneath, silky smooth salmon with a broiled tomato on top (really incredible actually)... it's twisting classic sushi and making it even more incredible. great sake selection. i also highly recommend their small plate, (various thinly cut raw fish with a bit of jalapeno, citrus, or other marinades. soooo good!) sit back, order some sake (don't worry, the cheapest glass, $8, is hefty, martini quantity and VERY good) and let the good times roll.
(5)
Ron G.
Too many reviewers feel the need to knock someplace just because it has some hype to it. I don't like it because it has ties to Nobu, I like it for what it is. The food is terrific and very authentic. The black cod is amazing and very Japanese. I ordered the omakase for lunch and was very impressed with my food and service (ok, the panna cotta was just ok, but who cares). If you only order a few things, make sure they include the cod and the rock shrimp tempura. But all in all you cannot go wrong here. If I have any knock, it is that the decor is a little on the bare side, but the food will have your complete attention anyway.
(4)
Thomas D.
Place is OK, but expensive (sashimi lunch $18), without anything special that would justify the price.
(3)
Dave P.
4.5 stars for the food. Everything I've ever had at Jin Sho has been very good. The New Style Sashimi is my favorite thing on the menu, sashimi drizzled with hot oil, yuzu and soy. I could eat 4 of these. The live eel is something you don't find everywhere. The sushi is always fresh and well prepared. The last few times we visited the place has been a wreck. They can't seem to figure out how many people they can seat and serve at one time. If the tables are all full the wait for food can be excruciating. I don't know what the problem is. The servers seem to be aware that there is a problem, maybe the kitchen can't keep up. The best way to experience Jin Sho is to sit at the bar. Every time I sat at the bar I had an excellent experience. Price is another issue. The sushi is very good but each time we go the nigiri seems to get smaller and smaller but the price doesn't get any smaller. All the nigiri prices on the menu are per piece and some are the same price as a 2 piece order at other decent sushi places. You can seriously blow your budget here if you're not keeping an eye on the tab. I absolutely love the food here. If it weren't for the awkward waits and the astronomic prices I would be here once a week. But as it is, if I can't get a seat at the bar I think I'm going to have to temper my enthusiasm and keep Jin Sho in light rotation.
(3)
Drei S.
Just get the omakase. During lunch its 45 bucks but it gets expensive for dinner. The deserts are good too since they have a pastry chef. LEGIT!
(5)
M C.
Great foot - the Rock Cod is a signature dish. The sushi was pretty good - but that's not what you come here for (if you want great sushi go to Sam's in San Mateo). Aps are pretty good.... great flavor and just the right size. The rolls are good - not drenched in sauce. It's a bit pricey, but not out of line when you consider the quality of the food. I will definitely go back.
(4)
Julia Y.
Being a sushi lover, I was excited to try this place because of the Nobu connection. However, I found myself underwhelmed. Maybe the omakase is the way to go? I found myself comparing the fish and prices to our neighborhood sushi place - Kanpai - and thinking next time, we'll just stick to Kanpai.
(2)
fried sampler C.
Sorry, this place is very mediocre. Overpriced food and not that great. I used to live in Japan, and despite the hype about Steve Jobs enjoying this restaurant, it's kind of meh, especially at these prices. Go to Kappo Nami Nami in Mountain View for a far superior meal if you're going to spend the money.
(2)
Caitlin F.
Mmmm! I love me some sushi! This is one of my favorite places to come. This is a case of you get what you pay for. Cheap sushi equals older, cheap cuts of fish. Expensive sushi equals yummy delicious fish! The fish here is expensive but yummy, buttery and creamy. I always get my food to go, but the servers are always nice. Easy to get to location (not too far from 101, 280 and very close to El Camino). The place is very consistent. If you are a sushi lover who can tell the quality of fish I would recommend this place. If you are not a sushi lover (ie you think Miyake is good sushi), you will probably find this place over priced and not worth it.
(5)
Emily L.
Yes, the nobu dishes are good: rock shrimp tempura, new style sashimi, tuna tartar and the grilled cod. But: 1) Service is very unprofessional, for a restaurant at this price (set dinners: $65, $80, $95) - they treat you like any other japanese fast food take-out restaurant - sometimes they ignore you, they wave and tell you to wait when you ask for something. 2) Don't order the set dinner (omakase) - it's a better deal if you order a la carte. More variety, cheaper. 3) Appetizers are good: tuna tartar, new style sashimi. 4) Main courses are ok, try the cod, and the tempura. Portions are quite large which is good because they all are around $25 - $30. 5) Please don't order chicken here. For some reason, they don't know how to cook chicken here (I think they just grill it but don't really know how to control the heat), it's always over cooked and they have to drench it with terriyaki sauce to give it moisture and flavor. Here are the dishes I have tried: Tuna tartar: great New style sashimi: good Yellow tail with jalapeno: good Chicken salad: fair Vegetable tempura: good Chicken terriyaki: fair Lamb chops: good Cod: good Rock shrimp tempura: great Overall, I don't think I will bring friends here. I've already been twice, but the service is still very questionable. The food is good, but not a good value for the price. The ingredients are not spectacular and the preparation is not worth the price.
(3)
Sooz L.
Kevin C's comments are pretty on point. I also had the omikase with my lil sis at the sushi bar. Amazing. The tables are a bit cramped but sitting at the sushi bar and watching the chef at work was cool to say the least. Each dish takes a bit to come out so give yourself time to enjoy it. I have tried Nobu NYC and wasn't very impressed. Thought it was nearer to my personal fav, Sushi of Gari in terms of quality of the fish served. I'm very picky about sushi and was quite impressed with the service and food. I also love the dessert, strawberry pannacotta which was so light, milky and just delicious. I could've had two more had I had enough room. ps. I bought the chef a glass of the best sake as appreciation.
(5)
Sean A.
I'm by no means an expert on Sushi but I have been to a fair amount of Sushi restaurants and I found Jin Sho to be decidedly below average. The atmosphere is plain and the service seemed a bit lacking, the food itself was fine but I couldn't justify the higher price range compared to other Sushi restaurants where the food is just as good and the service is much better. Overall a decent place but there are much better for cheaper.
(2)
Sai S.
Solid. High quality sushi, pretty good miso cod (although not like Nobu miso cod but also priced much cheaper too). Too bad they don't have agedashi (sp?) tofu here though. Reasonable prices from the a la carte menu, friendly staff. Better than Kanpai (3 stars), not close to Kaygetsu (5 stars) -- thus the 4 stars.
(4)
Markus J.
Truly amazing. Lunch is good value.
(5)
Evalynne L.
I won't be back. If you're going to spend the kind of money JinSho forces, drive north to Ozumo, at least there you get energetic sushi chefs, extended sake list, and an incredible ambiance. I've been dying to try this place for a year, but living in the south bay, couldnt find the time. Until last night... Decor - boring Staff - friendly Service - great (but had to ask twice to refill my tea) Food - decent Value - POOR Without prior knowledge of Chef's experience, this could have been any strip mall sushi house. Who could possibly give this place 5 stars??? Maybe its the lack of amazing sushi in the peninsula, but even Keygetsu's quality is superior. While I enjoy traditional minimalist fare, this place screams lack of imagination. I can make Nobu's miso black cod at home! rasamalaysia.com/recipe-… Next!
(2)
Mark M.
Over priced, abysmal service, waaay too much salt or MSG, you will be drinking water all night. You can do far far better elsewhere. Beware, the sushi prices are for ONE piece, not the usual tray with three or four pieces. Seaweed salad was really bad, slimed up with some awful sauce. I had high hopes. All I got was a high bill.
(2)
spiff e.
even though jin sho is relatively newish (in this environment where every new restaurant has to introduce an innovative concept for it to attract yelpers and be successful, complete with an overwhelmingly comprehensive wine list, original gourmet cocktails, luxe ingredients, sexy interior design and impressively polished staff - not to say i don't appreciate that stuff, because i totally do), i didn't go to jin sho with any ridiculous expectations other than wanting to try some "new" japanese food. there was some initial awkwardness with our server since it didn't seem like she knew much about the menu. each question we asked her, she repeated it to the chef. which led to us trying to describe what corn "on the cob" meant, including miming it. so apparently there's somewhat of a language barrier, but fun times nonetheless. in fact, the head chef's accent turned out to be quite charming throughout the night as we talked about the food and other fun restaurants in the area. and then there was the food. i ordered the corn tempura with matcha salt (fyi, corn was off the cob) and the miso cod. each were excellent, but were definitely large american-sized portions. which didn't help much since i also tried a little bit of everyone's else orders. and we each ended our meal with the popular strawberry panna cotta (made by the head chef's wife). so good i wanted more, even on a full stomach. undoubtedly satisfied my craving for "new" japanese with non-typical preparations of fresh ingredients (e.g., they buy live eels and grill them themselves).
(4)
Rebecca H.
The sushi here is REALLY good. The fish is fresh and the special rolls are unique and delicious. Will definitely be back!! We ordered the new style sashimi, fantasy roll, the 49er roll, and an assortment of sashimi (all were great). The sake cocktails were also tasty. Looking forward to trying the imperial roll next time (looked amazing). Only downsides are that it is relatively expensive for the amount of food you get and the service is just so-so. Our waitress was slow and neglected to tell us that they were out of all seasonal fish as well as one of their main dishes. May upgrade this rating to a 5 if the service is better next time!
(4)
Lisa P.
I went to Jin Sho on a Sat night with a friend. It took a little while for someone to come over and get a drink order after I sat down and before my friend arrived. Not a huge problem. My friend arrived and we looked over the sake and food menu. Intense sake menu, from all over Japan. We decided on a young sake from near Kobe. We also decided to share an appetizer of skewered chicken (forget the name) and the 10 piece sushi. She speaks fluent Japanese, I speak fluent English. We had the order covered 2 different ways. The waiter still screwed it up. He didn't seem to speak Japanese, or he didn't respond in Japanese to my friend, and he clearly didn't understand English well. After the appetizer was served he came by to confirm the order--he wasn't sure. I repeated "10 piece sushi." My friend ordered hot tea earlier, we reminded him. dinner arrived. Deluxe sushi, not 10 piece. My friend mentioned this to him. He said something about Deluxe sushi. At this point in an American restaurant I would have spoken to the manager and gotten the deluxe at the 10 piece price. I asked my friend if that was kosher to do at a Japanese restaurant, she said ordinarily yes, but we might have some culpability. I didn't fight it. She did eventually get her hot tea, towards the end of meal. The wasabi was from a tube, what you would see in pre-packed sushi in the grocery, and not grated. The sake was great, served in a beautiful glass carafe with a blue blown-glass bubble for ice. The sushi was also very good. Interior was nice. The servers were friendly, just not entirely competent or good listeners.
(3)
Jason M.
Bringing Nobu to Palo Alto! Better yet, bigger portions and better prices than New York City. Same dishes (Black Cod Miso, Yellow Tail Jalapeno, Rock Shrimp Tempura) that made Nobu famous. One of my favorite places to eat in the Peninsula! If dinner is too expensive, try the lunch menu which is the right amount of food and reasonably priced (for sushi).
(5)
Eddie S.
We'd heard from a friend that Jin Sho was started by a couple former Nobu chefs, so we had high expectations. I took my wife to here for her birthday, and we had a great meal. We both ordered the omakase ($75 for me; $90 for the birthday girl). If you can, order the $90 omakase b/c you definitely get your money's worth: lobster tempura rather than shrimp, foie gras on your black cod, higher quality sushi including chu toro and aji that rocked, amazing kanpachi sashimi rather than a good yellowtail sashimi, etc. (it seems that I tasted my wife's food a lot). Everything in the meal was light and delicious, including the strawberry panecotte dessert. The service was great (although some people near us seemed to wait a while for their food), but I only give it 4 stars because the decor/ambiance was lacking and the $75 omakase was not quite worthy of 5 stars. This place is one notch below Kaygetsu and just above Nami Nami.
(4)
Karen C.
2 Nobu chef's in New York decide to have kids and move to the burbs. In this case, the burbs happen to be yuppie Palo Alto. Where else can you still charge New York prices and still have customers knocking down your door. When I read Ken K's effusively postive review on this place, I just had to come, since I really believe he knows good sushi (and asian food in general). Paul and I came here on a Friday after work to see what the hype was. The decor is pretty minimal and basic, espcially if you are comparing to Nobu in NYC. When I saw the menu, I kinda freaked out. I mean, I'm totally use to spending money on food, espcially good food (been to Alinea, French Laundry, Gary Danko... you name it). But the decor/ambienace was lacking for these prices. Ok, not a big deal... it's all about the quality of the food for me anyways. We got the omakase menu at $70 a person, which included 2 dishes from the sushi chef, 2 dishes from the kitchen, plate of sushi, miso soup, and dessert. This was a LOT of food and I really do eat a lot for my runty size. I was stuffed, but happily. The food is really delicious, though I was not as crazy about the cooked items as I am about the raw items. I mean the sushi was super high quality and fresh. The one item of note was the hamachi belly, which tasted like pure yummy fish fat, more rich than some toro I have had. YUMMIE! On top of that, we tried 3 different types of sake, all of which were really nice. I think they make sure to pick sakes they only like which is awesome (not cheap either!). On top of that, the sushi chef (we sat at the counter) was very attentive and friendly and seemed very open to likes and dislikes. Dinner for 2 was a whopping $250 after tax and tip (includes our boozing though)! So, overall delicious, but not an every day meal for the price. I would definitely come here on an expense account though! But perhaps next time we will just order ala carte.
(4)
Dominique T.
Best sushi on the mid Peninsula, where there are very few if any good ones, despite some high price ones. I had sushi in Tokyo, New York and elewhere. Jin Sho is in the very good league and I am not easy to please.
(4)
Dennis J.
Dining out with Marc Y. can be quite the culinary experience, though I've learned to be sure to hit the ATM first, because I never know if the meal is going to break my wallet or not. He invited me to join him and a couple of other friends for dinner at Jin Sho. "It's a new Japanese fusion restaurant," he said. We all decided to order the $90 omakase dinner and a bottle of sake. Between my poor short-term memory and the sake, I can remember the seared beltfish, the organic salmon sashimi, the unagi wrapped in harumaki, and an assortment of sushi, all of which were delicious. At some point during the meal, we were served an incredible seafood "soup" with shrimp, clams, lobster, and vegetables in a clam and lobster broth. What I didn't expect to be served in a Japanese restaurant were three perfect little lamb chops, with a dollop of mashed potatoes. Oh, my god. I haven't wanted to cry over food so good since the first time I had the prime rib at Alexander's Steakhouse in Cupertino. The dessert was the delicious strawberry panna cotta mentioned by other reviewers. The restaurant was nearly empty that Saturday night, and we got to chat with the chefs while we dined at the bar. The wait staff was attentive and polite. With the glowing reviews Jin Sho has been getting, I'd wonder if we would get such a personal experience for long, but I'm definitely looking forward to going back for another visit.
(5)
Douglas S.
Came here with a colleague for lunch today. Seems a bit yuppy for my taste. Although I'm not really sure what my taste is. Anyhow, lopsided pricing when comparing the volume and quality of their sushi. My sashimi was room temperature and the miso soup was too salty (indication of spoiled miso)! This is the only place that serves a Dragon Roll with half shrimp tempura and the other half unagi. For a $60 lunch, it would have been better spent on 4 people across the street.
(1)
Marina N.
Pricey, but the quality of the fish is high. I ordered the lunch prix fixe and had the delicious salmon with jalapeno sauce and good black cod in miso glaze. Also came with a delicious flan-like dessert. Plenty of food for me. Hopefully the prices will go down but I'll be returning in any case.
(4)
Sarah T.
This was a really good place. I particularly liked their toro tartare topped with caviar in wasabi soy sauce. We came here for our anniversary and did the Omakase. The only thing I didn't like was their hot kitchen food with is part of the omakase. Both of the dishes were deep fried and one had creamy sauce on top (which is my pet peeve). These two dishes are really filling. Otherwise, I'd recommend this place. The sashimi was well cut and the fish very fresh and high quality. It's worth the money, just don't eat before hand if you plan to have the omakase, I believe it was about 6 dishes or 7 :)
(4)
Piggy S.
We went for lunch and had a number of rolls and nigiri and the grilled miso marinated cod. The sushi was fresh and delicious. The miso had a great flavor. I didn't pick up the check, but it didn't seem like the prices high for the level of quality you got. Great service too.
(4)
Shirley H.
I hadn't read ANY yelp reviews before I first visited this place, so imagine my shock when I opened the menu: it's different, to say the least, than the other sushi places around here. If you're looking for a conventional sushi experience, this is probably not where you want to go. Also, everything on the menu is a *tad* overpriced, especially since portions are extra small. But for such high prices and a rather unique menu (excuse me for being poorly versed on traditional japanese cuisine), i'd have to say that i wasn't exactly blown away by the food. we ordered the miso cod (which turns out to be their signature dish? i'm amazing at ordering), which was tender and flavorful, true, but it came with flavorless sides. The sushi we had was fine, but it was nothing special. I was expecting.. I don't know, exquisiteness, or something. In short, I don't think the food here is worth the price you pay, though it's not bad. I doubt I'd come back.
(3)
Peter L.
heard this was a knock off of nobu; same menu; still good stuff; been there twice will go back
(4)
Margie L.
Went back today for lunch and have upped this to 5 stars. Sure, it's a bit more pricey than other lunch places. The sushi lunch is $18 vs. $10 or so at other places. But this lunch came with a substantial portion of fish. Really generous cuts of nigiri (but not overly thick. think long instead). And a 6 pieces spicy tuna crunch roll. And soup. For this quality I'm more than willing to pay more. Definitely recommended and my new fave sushi lunch spot. Will need to go back again to try more, but here's a review of the omakase. Continuing my trend of giving new sushi places a try and trusting in them the first time, we did our standard let's do omakase the first time and order off the menu the next time (which we really need to remember to do!) We opted for the $75 omakase (slightly higher quality was the description). The description was: - 2 courses from sushi bar, 2 courses from kitchen, sushi, soup, dessert hmm. did that mean 2 course from sushi bar AND sushi? who knows (well, I do now) we got: - tuna carpaccio kind thingy. it was tuna toro sorta mushed and put in a cylindrical shape, served with caviar and a cool berry on the side. It was good, the berry was really intersting. - wild yellowtail served with an onion sauce and cabbage sprouts. Really good. fresh fish, interesting sauce. - rock shrimp tempura . this was really good but what they neglected to tell us when they serve it (or I didn't hear) was that it was rock shrimp and LOBSTER tempura. A hearty portion and the tempura was almost donut like in its flavor and consistency. I enjoyed this a lot. - miso black cod. I think this dish was made famous by Nobu and the two chefs here worked at Nobu NY, so it wasn't surprising that this was a fantastic rendition. and again, a very hearty portion - sushi. yup, also included sushi. I'm not sure I remember them -- seared toro, something else, trout, something that came braided and was interested and live eel. All the sushi was very good and beautifully presented. - soup at this point we were told it was the last course before dessert and asked if we wanted anything else. I thought this was a nice gesture (and the tuna nigiri we asked for was comp'd) - dessert was a very light berry creamy thing. Not a great description, I know, but it was really nice. Anyway, the service was great and attentive. The food was expertly prepared. I look forward to going back and exploring the menu on my own.
(5)
Kenn E.
Well, I must say that they are too pricy for the quality. I'm not saying the food quality is low, but not that high either. As a Japanese person who wants really great Japanese food, they're trying to be too fancy to my taste. On the same direction, Nobu NY was much better. Oh, and I think they should fix the interior - that's terribly designed.
(3)
Justin M.
The sushi was generally good--the salmon was outstanding, although the tuna was flavorless. But the service was terrible. My partner received his chicken teriyaki 25 minutes after ordering, and I got my chirashi a full 20 minutes later.
(2)
hary n.
ok - 4 1/2 stars for food - but have to take away some for size of portions and value. It's so damn good but very expensive and smallest portions i think i've ever had for sushi. everything was good (yellowtail with jalapeno, sushi chef's choice, fixed price meal) so really 3.5 stars. I'll be back if convenient but can't make it a regular rotation d/t the high price.
(3)
Tommy L.
Freshest fish I've had in the bay area. Better than my a la carte experience in Kaygetsu. Toro tartar w/ caviar was delicious, as was the kanpachi sashimi, and all the sushi. The toro, snapper, and trout really stood out. The kobe beef tataki was pretty good. It was real japanese waygu, so it was about 70%-80% fat and 20% protein. Again, I'm not as big of a fan of japanese waygu as the American waygu/angus hybrids, but it was still delicious. I recommend getting the omakase, but go w/ at least the $75 for the better quality fish. The black cod was pretty good, but I thought it was a little too sweet and needed some rice, which was not provided. Mine came with a small sliver of seared foie gras, which was surprisingly not very good. I just don't know if it went with the fish very well, and needed a few grains of salt to cut down the the slight bitterness. Overall, if you're looking for some really good sushi in the area, definitely come here. Also, sit at the sushi bar if you want a good show (we saw a whole lobster being deconstructed for our lobster roll, which was also really good).
(4)
Carlie N.
Came back on a Saturday night, and the service was MUCH improved. We didn't have a reservation, but were seated right away. Still zero complaints about the food - the New Style Sashimi and Carpaccio appetizers were absolutely fabulous, as were the Dragon and Rainbow rolls.
(5)
Lynn W.
I tried this restaurant for the first time tonight. I love sushi and have eaten it everywhere, including Japan. The sushi bar here recommended the pike, sardines, Oh Toro and the W fish with lemon suace. Everything was very fresh and more upscale than a regular sushi bar. They have some different items than what you normally see (for example, the seaweed salad is made up of four different kinds of seaweed) such as pepper seared Kobi Beef served with mixed greens in the center and a wonderful sauce. A bit pricey, but interesting enough to return. The service was also very attentive. A nice addition to California Street in Palo Alto.
(4)
R S.
A true taste of modern Tokyo in Palo Alto!! I real treasure. The decor and seats are uncomfortable, and the service very uneven. But the food is genuine, japanese and delicious.
(4)
charlie m.
The sushi is top notch, but i hate leaving a place after spending 250 for dinner with my wife( mind you she is 95lbs.) and still feel hungry. i would give this place a 5 star if the bill was on someone else :\
(3)
Veronica F.
Sorry but I'm going to have to yelp this place way, way down. I came here for Valentines Day for the first time to try it out and I had the weirdest experience ever. We had reservations at 7, got seated at around 7:10 to a spare table with no tablecloth, nothing. We get our order taken and then wait...until 8:05 to receive our first dish. I'm not kidding. We complained twice by calling the waitress over upon which they'd say, "Yes? Are you ready to order?" Umm I ALREADY ordered lady, that's why I'm looking pissed and asking you over. Once we got our first dish we'd then get questions from the staff like, "Umm....sooo....did you order anything else??" Didn't you guys take our order down? Why are you asking us this? Of course we ordered other things, that's why my table is empty and I'm chewing on my chopstick!! This was also the experience of the table next to us. They also would mix up dishes all the time, I ended up eating somebody else's dish while somebody else ate my cooked fish which I saw was described as "new style sashimi." OK. The food was pretty good. I would recommend the Udon and the Cod, not so much the lamb chops or the fish appetizers in general. Corn tempura was okay. I wanted to try the strawberry panna cotta and was really looking forward to it but was told they were out. Umm. All they had to offer was "chocolate cake" which at a Japanese restaurant was not really appetizing sounding, plus I was terrified that ordering another dish would overtax the kitchen and I'd be waiting there for another hour. SO I am a bitter nelly and am giving Jin Sho one star. For $100 a person I don't see the value or the service here. The restaurant wasn' even 100% full so I can't see the kitchen being overly busy, there was a large party at the end of the restaurant who they kept saying they "had to serve," but I can't see how one large party ends up in the kind of confusion and mess that they displayed for Valentine's Day. It's just bad business in my opinion because V-Day tends to attract people to eat who have never been to the restaurant before, so there should be an effort made to make the experience a good one- Jin Sho did nothing of the kind. A friend of mine happened to be eating on the same night and she had a very similar experience as well. Overall VERY disappointed with Jin Sho, for the price I'd head over to Kaygetsu in Menlo Park or save some money and eat at Gochi in Cupertino.
(1)
Kim P.
I went here after reading all of the good reviews on Yelp and was extremely disappointed. My boyfriend and I got the lunch special and another roll and couldn't force ourselves to eat it all. The fish did not taste fresh and the sauce they put on the roll was terrible. Don't waste your time and money.
(1)
Jan M.
Service was very slow (although we were warned). The servers were unable to make recommendations and they were a bit forgetful. There was a server shift-change while the first server was taking our order! The food was very good--no criticism there. However, the internal decoration/feeling of the place was a bit off for an "executive-class" sushi bar.
(3)
Rob C.
maybe I have to do the Ken K course, and I'll like it more just came for lunch, ordered chirashi and kohada piece guess i had all the boring pieces and thus was not impressed with the fish, also thin slices (e.g. why do that to salmon)...but the nigiri selection was extensive which was great the presentation was nice it looked like they made their own miso soup what i was most impressed with were the business clientele lunches happening around me as i was reading my kindle to the right, i had the banker pitching his financial services to a wealthy appearing couple...deflation this, leveraging that., etc to the left i had the prototypical dot com-er with his ebay t-shirt pitching his web services came for dinner, tried the chirashi didn't like the rice, too dry. fish pieces were good overall tried the rock shrimp tempura. like it better elsewhere but ok nice thing is the list of special fish and which months they are in season. gave it another shot with the sushi deluxe dinner $29, good fish selection and freshness, small pieces. rice ok. nice miso soup. little pricey place, but growing on me for the area. however don't come here hungry. back again, restaurant been stagnating. nothing changing on the menu and stays pricey. miso cod and rock shrimp tempura can only get you so far. tried shawn and shark rolls which were ok. miso a bit overly sweet and flavored and yet feel thirsty later.
(3)
Danny T.
Just had dinner last Friday night for the first time here. I thought the sushi was probably the best I have had in the South Bay. I always judge a sushi restaurant by the Tuna and thought it was fantastic. I will definitely be back. The decor is minimalist so don't expect too much. Very clean though. The location is on California street so much slower vibe than University avenue.
(4)
Jackie M.
the group i went with ordered family style, and sampled some appetizers, small plates, and entrees. we ate tapas style with drinks, of course. i had pretty high expectations, since i read that one of the chefs was from nobu. plus, i had tried to make reservations a couple of times, but got rejected, once because they were full, the other time because they are closed on sundays. after having to wait what seemed a torturous length of time for what i dreamed would have been tantalizing, insanely delicious food, i was very much dismayed. the food was just ok, and was WAY overpriced! what a bummer :(
(2)
Jason C.
Wonderful food and service. I would recommend the nebeyaki udon.
(4)
Michelle J.
Quality of the sushi is the best that I've had in South Bay. I always get the 8 piece sushi special, which is basically chef's choice on the pieces provided. It's a bit expensive, especially since the portion size is on the smaller side, but totally worth it. They are super busy on the weekend. If you don't have a reservation, it's best to show up a few minutes before they open to get a walk-in table. The tables are also a bit cramped but small sacrifice to make for amazing sushi.
(5)
Dan S.
My wife and I love going here! The raw and cooked food are both great. Favorites include the Yellow Tail with Jalapeno, Black Cod with Miso, and Yaki Udon. Even their green tea is great (when it's freshly brewed). They have no problem creating custom rolls at your request (unlike some other sushi restaurants). They are rather pricey - dinner for 2 usually costs us about $70, including tip.
(5)
Sarah T.
dinner set was a nice deal the tuna sashimi salad was nice and also the spider roll + the black cod with miso glazed my friends also got the shrimp rock tuna which was also nice :D hands down the bestjapanese restaurant in palo alto
(4)
Nguyen P.
I used to go to Jin Sho for quick dinners because it was close to my work, otherwise I probably wouldn't go for a dinner date. First, sushi here is only 3 stars. The fish doesn't seem fresh and is definitely not worth the high prices. (Tip: Head north to Amami Sushi for $30 10-piece omakase with fresh, huge portions of fish!) No, don't come here for sushi - my 4 star rating is solely for the miso black cod. The accompanying rice, fried banana, and miso soup are also all solid and make for a satisfying, real dinner. I've tried the same dish at many restaurants and Jin Sho's is the best. For around $22, it's a great deal.
(4)
Att A.
Ah Jinsho how I love thee. Actually, I am thinking if I didn't have friends who go here so often and know the chef, I am willing to bet my dining experience here would totally be different. As it were, I have been lucky enough to always sit at the sushi counter in front of either Neko-san or ?Ichiro-san (sorry I forgot the sou-chef's name) each time I have been there. I have *always* ordered the omakase meal which typically consists of 2 starters (salads, carpaccio etc), 1-2 cooked meals (nimono, noodles etc) followed by a set or sets of sushi depending on how hungry I am that day. I really through appreciate Neko-san inventiveness when it comes to making uber yummy dishes and sauces on the fly. His style is definitely NOT light in flavor. He brilliantly experiments with ingredients like yuzu kosho, chili oil, roasted goma, sesame oil, chili flakes and combinations of. He also remembers dishes, meats that the party doesn't like. Never served us pork or tamagoyaki (both of which I have 0 interest in). I also like the way he cuts his fish and prepares his shari (sushi rice) - always small and in sizes that is easy for me to eat whole. I had the fortune of tasting one of his saba battera the other day. Apparently it needs to be custom ordered as he marinates his saba for a minimum of 24 hours. Anyway, this is my go to place to take my special someone since its the only place that I can convince the SO to enjoy good food at. The SO prefer simpler dining experience but always says yes to Jinsho. And oh, I noticed they recently did up their back patio, now you have the option of dining outside if you like.
(4)
Amado P.
We've come here several times and have always enjoyed the sushi. We especially like sitting at the sushi bar and watching the sushi chefs do their magic. Our favorite sushi chef is Hugo. My wife loves the Black Cod with Miso and we highly recommend that this be included in your meal. Everything else we've had at Jin Sho has been good. The down side of the Restuarant is that the seating is very tightly packed and on a busy night which is often the place can be intolerably noisy. Also the service can be slow.
(4)
Minoru M.
Sushi and sake were good. Miso-nasu was too salty and heavy as an appetizer.
(4)
Lauren O.
I've been to Jin Sho several times and had good experiences. It is quite expensive, but that's what you get in Palo Alto. The fish is fresh, servers are attentive and seem quite knowledgeable about the menu. Parking on California Ave can be tricky at dinner time, but there is a large parking garage a block away. I really like the Shrimp Tempura roll, and their house salad dressing is amazing. Last time I tried the fried corn, which is a great appetizer.
(4)
Doris L.
Solid Omakase- mix of sushi and entree plates. My sister and I split the Omakase and then ordered rolls on the side. Plenty of food for the both of us. Miso Black Cod is a must try as well as that chocolate layered dessert thing...it has crispy pieces in it which gives a great texture compared to your traditional chocolate mousse.
(4)
Crystal C.
We had a disappointing experience here. The food was generally good (although I'll echo another reviewer about the very weird, slimy, seaweed salad -- we're convinced there was raw egg on it, but the server said not -- who knows), but the service was beyond awful. There were two servers the night we went, and they appeared not to coordinate at all. One came and took our order, and 10-15 minutes later the other one came to try to take our order. We ordered a variety of appetizers: miso, seaweed salad (weird and slimy), the yellowtail with jalapeno, the new style sashimi and the corn tempura. And then also ordered a variety of nigiri, sashimi and rolls. The appetizers came one at a time over the course of about 90 minutes, and most of the sushi arrived a little awhile later. The sashimi was fine, but not consistently well cut. The appetizers were good (not Nobu-quality), and the corn tempura was excellent and unusual. One of our rolls never arrived, and after sitting with a table with empty dishes for over 30 minutes, we finally got a server to come over. I don't know if they lost the roll order or if it sat on the pickup counter for the 30 minutes (if it wasn't ours, someone else must have had the same problem, since a roll definitely sat there ignored for that long). And the space is small, so there's no excuse for being ignored by the two servers. They didn't appear to care at all about our experience. Cannot recommend this restaurant; we'll go back to Fuki and make sure to try Kaygetsu soon.
(1)
Monte M.
Just happened to try this place. Didn't know anything about it, but decided to stop in and sample the food. The sushi was top-notch, but a little on the pricey side, I think (plus they were a little small). Overall, very traditional authentic Japanese food. I love a Japanese restaurant when they use the best white rice (that's how I measure the quality of me Japanese restaurants :)
(4)
Arisa A.
Great place for lunch! Good solid Japanese food with a slight modern twist. I usually have their lunch special ($16) which allows you to select one appetizer item and one small entree item. You also get rice (good quality Japanese white rice), miso soup, and a little tiny dessert! Not a bad deal. For the appetizer, I prefer the salmon or tuna sashimi salad. For the entree, try the Grilled Miso Marinated Black Cod or Angus Beef Tobanyaki. Both are pretty tasty. I hope to try the Omakase (prefix) sometime soon for dinner.
(4)
Yvonne G.
$3 for ONE PIECE of yellow tail. It was fresh, but the price is just a bit unjustified for the portion. The nabeyaki udon was awesome, $12, and they provide the Japanese spices for me to make it super spicy. Still, a bit more than I would ever want to drop on a bowl of noodles I can make at home for $2. Service was great, I even managed to forget my credit card and had to go back for it the next day, and the maitre'd was very together, knew right away who I was and why I was there. If prices were more reasonable, at least for the lunch menu, I'd be happy to give Jin Sho more stars.
(3)
Annalynn C.
Like Noboo K, I, too, am speechless. Speechless, that so many peoople gave Jin Sho 4 to 5 stars. I'm a little suspect. 5 of us decided to try their food a week or 2 after their "grand opening" and we were absolutely terrified. My meal alone cost me $40, which I consider to be an expensive meal, especially for lunch. Food is overpriced for what it is. It was so terrible that I spat my hamachi out. Yes, you read that right; I spat the food out. That's not something I do often, but when I am displeased with the taste, I cannot justify ingesting the food. The uni was also not so fresh and the unagi followed suit. Was it an off day when we went? Service was also horrible. We weren't served our beverage until we asked for water and the wait was insane. Our dishes didn't arrive on time; 2 people had their meals but waited for the rest of us to get our food before they started eating. By the time our food arrived, their meals were cold. I don't know what happened, but after this experience, I'm not sure I'd go back. It's not worth it to pay $3 to pay for one piece of mediocre to poor hamachi, when you can get nigiri (2 pieces) elsewhere for about 4 bucks and it will probably taste a lot better, too. I was highly disappointed. I was hopeful that CA Ave. would finally have some decent Nihon ryoori. (9_9)
(1)
Blair K.
Yummy Yummy! I could eat this sushi forever! Just went for lunch today. We had really good miso soup, White Tuna Sashimi that melts in you mouth, salmon sashimi, spicy tuna roll could have been spicier, and the lobster rolls. It is wrapped in cucumber... and tasted super fresh. If I were to go back tomorrow I would get more White Tuna and another round of the lobster rolls. The sushi was fresh and the service was really good. It is a bit expensive for lunch.
(4)
peter l.
Decent food, decent service, but I question the honesty (of at least one of their staff). I had a good meal there, but when I balance my credit card receipt in Quicken, I noticed that the charge slip was $69.18 but the credit card bill shows $70. I know some may say $0.82 is just "round off" error, but I think the "round off" is my decision, not theirs. What if they decided to round off from $69.18 to $100 and hope that I don't balance my credit card bills? It's the principle! I will not be going back.
(1)
Yu T.
Basically, we now have a Nobu (albeit without the scene) in Palo Alto! Finally this day has come. I read about Jin Sho on various Japanese food blogs and saw the fantastic review on yelp. Me and fellow yelper Emily decided to give it a try. We ordered a la carte and had the suzuki carpaccio, rock shrimp tempura, and deluxe sushi x2. We sat in front of the chef, Kaneko-san. Kaneko-san is from NY and was at Nobu for 12 years. His style is distinctly Nobu style. Authentic Japanese food with a slight Latin American twist. His use of spices is just right. Things such as Unagi sushi with yuzu pepper and zuke-maguro I will always come back for. The thing to improve on is service... the gentleman who was serving us kept calling me "Lady"... like, "Lady can I take your tea?"... Aren't you supposed to say "Ma'am"??? Also, the green tea was not hot, but lukewarm. I am sure all these things, given that it is run by Japanese guys, will improve over time. Oh.. and the dessert... Kaneko-san's wife (who is a French chef herself) makes the best strawberry pannacottas I have ever had. Perfectly creamy and delicious. Our meal (with a small bottle of sake included) came to $55 per person. Some people may say that is expensive. But come on, you are getting a Nobu experience with a more personal touch, AND you are eating great fish shipped from Japan. I am going to try the Omakase course next time... can't wait!
(4)
Lauren Y.
came here for my parents anniversary. the place didn't look fancy, but the food was most delicious and most fancy. i love it... LOVE IT when restaurants actually put thought into their food. we ordered the Omakase $75 and was stuffed. I usually don't order omakase because I'm allergic to fish and eel. I'm super sensitive too. I can't even use the same spoon that scooped up fish to get something else. So the very very polite and helpful waiter asked me what I could eat and I listed everything on the menu besides fish and eel. 1st flight: Tuna Tartar (I got Seafood Ceviche) - SUPER FRESH 2nd flight: Hamachi with Sesame Miso dressing (Lobster with Sesame Miso dressing) - SUPER FRESH AGAIN! My mom said the fish was really really smooth and my lobster was perfect. Huge portions too. I think it a tail and a claw.. for a SALAD?! 3rd flight: Rock Shrimp Tempura (Canadian Duck) - My duck was so tender and the sauce was sweet and just the right amount of tartness. My family wasn't very impressed with the tempura. It reminded them of mayonnaise shrimp with walnuts you find at any 2 star Chinese restaurant but they said you can tell the batter was very very good. 4th flight: Cod (Angus Steak) .. by this time we were all pretty full but still delicious! 5th flight: Assorted Nigiri (Super Spider Roll) - SUper Fresh again! The spider roll wasn't mondo filled with rice like you'd find at other Japanese restaurants. You can tell the chefs have are most talented because my huge rolls did not fall apart. There was also a thin slice of cucumber wrapped around the outside. 6th and final flight: strawberry panna cotta - perfect light and refreshing to end the meal. total with sake .... $400. Yea, a bit pricey for the location, atmosphere and decor, but the portions are pretty hefty and I liked it. Will come back most def, but will probably try a la carte. thumbs up: FRESHNESS, friendly, thought into the food, service, cleanliness, taste thumbs down: cheap paper menu and lack of signs. invest in the menu and signs please!!
(5)
Sonny Y.
Jin Sho is quickly making its way into my list of favorite Japanese restaurants in the south bay. My experience at Jin Sho echos what several other reviewers (Dan V, Marc Y, Dennis J) have already posted, so I'll attempt to provide a slightly different perspective; the cuisine served up by chefs Ichiro-san and Kaneko (Neko-san) is just mouth-wateringly delicious and creative. I went there twice in the space of a week, and both times I sat at the counter and ordered the same set omakase dinner. We received no repeat dishes at all, and the breadth of the dishes the chefs are able to serve up is impressive! So far the range has spanned subtly flavored toro tartare to Angus steak on a hot-plate, to a delicious seafood broth, to well-cut sushi (see the pics I uploaded up top). On my second visit to Jin Sho, we specifically requested that one of the courses be duck only for one of the diners in our party, as she loved duck, and I remembered how good the duck had been on my first visit. That was the only request we made, and it was then that Chef Neko-san allowed this little tidbit of information: the creative dishes that he prepares are not based on a set of standard recipes that aims for 100% consistency, but rather reflects his mood at the time. So in essence the dishes are all a bit unique each time. True enough, when the duck was presented, it was a different preparation than the first time I had it, but nevertheless, just as good. Another strong point I found was that the sauces that were used in the dishes were as much a part of the dish's character as the main ingredient. Oftentimes, the sauce is more of an afterthought, and by themselves not memorable at all. Not so at Jin Sho. Case in point, the ginger-soy sauce that followed the shima-aji with kaiware sprouts, and the olive oil-vinegar-jalapeno sauce drizzled on the organic salmon. Mind-blowingly good! Service, as others have mentioned, was polite, and kept up with the pace of our eating. Parking is a non-issue as well - plenty of street parking, and there's a parking garage just on the back side of the block. Overall I am thrilled to have Jin Sho in the south bay and can't wait to go back for another visit.
(5)
Naresh R.
Since the below review, I went there a few times, and service has become better. Granted, I went much earlier and beat the rush. Go at 11:30 and the meal will not be frustrating. The food is fabulous! I really wanted to give this place a great review, but after two lunchtime visits, I can't because the service was incredibly slow and frankly, inattentive. They let dishes sit at the cooks' drop off counter for a long time before serving them. The worst part is that the drop off point is in plain view of the whole restaurant. The waitress didn't bother to see if our water glasses were full, etc. and the meal just took forever to arrive. This happened twice. The food, however, is great. The fish is very very fresh, and the sushi is artfully prepared. I have no gripes about the food, but the service really needs help. Waiters and waitresses should serve food that is piled up whether it is their tables' orders or not. They should all keep an eye out for water glasses that need refilling. Otherwise, this place is great, the food is awesome and the decor is very pleasing. I'm really sorry that I have to give it such a bad rating.
(4)
Chris D.
Good lunch specials and great miso soup. Super friendly staff and a great vibe.
(5)
Nichole L.
A large group of us from work went to Jin Sho for sushi the other day. The service was great and the food was good. It was very busy, but we didn't wait long. Our server smelled really great too :)
(4)
Zoe Z.
Some reviews mention it's Steve Jobs' favorite sushi place..Quite an eye-catching line, but food has to speak for themselves. Sashimi plates are fresh indeed. And you won't be able to walk into any sushi place in the neighborhood that offers toro tartare as such. Most likely, you feel a single entree with small delicate pieces isn't enough to feed you haha...I added a coupe desserts. They look as lovely as in pictures but tastes pretty mediocre. Fresh and well prepared sushi is not supposed to be cheap, so leave no complaints about the bill ;)
(4)
Monique S.
My friend and I went here for the pris fix dinner. We went on a Saturday evening and were promptly seated. The waitress suggested the Jin Sho sake platter, which was delicious. The sakes ranged from dry to semi sweet. My favorite was the Ika Na Onna. It was very dry and refreshing. The ceviche was delicious with the perfect amount of citrus. It had shrimp but I didn't notice any fish. The sushi came, and I thought it was a mistake. It looked like spicy salmon. I checked with the waitress, and it wasn't. It was just regular salmon ground up. I've never had that before. Was it fillers? I expected a chunk of salmon. It tastes okay, whatever it was, but it didn't meet my expectations. My friend had the black cod and loved it. had the ceviche, rock shrimp, and salmon avocado roll.
(3)
Marco H.
The staff is fairly rude -might be a cultural thing? In either case, I've sat outside 3 times now and they seem to forget about people in outside seating. Food is good, but not worth waiting an hour for a roll after ordering.
(1)
Nora G.
Fresh fish. Pricey, but still surprisingly crowded on a Saturday night. Tables are incredibly close to each other, but they don't seem to care as long as a single other body can possibly fit. Service is consistently spotty. I'll still be back.
(4)
Judy L.
Came here for lunch. Maybe I had too high an expectation -- the food wasn't bad, but just didn't measure up. The miso glazed black cod was a tad overly sweet. The angus beef toban yaki was not bad but nothing to write home about. Agedashi tofu was pretty standard. They had interesting flavors for mochi ice cream. Servers were friendly but service was slow.
(2)
Benjamin L.
I think this is my new favorite Sushi joint in the area. The quality of fish is quite good and the prices are reasonable. The last time I went here was for my wife's birthday. She ordered menu B and I had the sushi plate. Both were quite good. Service was nice and they even brought out a green tea cheesecake with candle for her and sang the song. It did get busy during peak times so I would make a reservation. Other than that, I think if I want quality sushi nearby, then I will come here.
(4)
K R.
Not sure why there are so many random negative reviews... because this place is great. I have never been disappointed and I feel that you get the taste of Nobu without a Nobu price tag. I have since moved away but if I lived closer, I would frequent this place once a week if I could!
(5)
Sabin C.
I went here based on a recommendation from a friend who frequents it. I was really surprised by the inventive dishes and the lunch menu. I tried the ceviche, soft shell crab and live eel along with some sashimi. Everything was super fresh as can be expected at most California Japanese places. The lunch crowd was a bit noisy since it's a very casual place. You eat quickly and your out, back to you desk. I image the dinner vibe is totally different. I will surely return to it during my next trip.
(4)
Jeff H.
Good sushi, but not worth it at this price. You pay for the ambience and a more upscale atmosphere, but it isn't worth it in the end. My recommendation? Try Homma's, or even Odori, which are both nearby. What do I mean by good sushi? The fish is high quality. We ordered the Chirashi dinner ($23.65) and there was a good variety of high quality cuts. The red tuna, the salmon, and the mackerel were especially good. We also ordered the sushi dinner ($19.75), but you get better bang for your buck with the Chirashi. For an upscale place, their service was hit-or-miss. At times it was over-intrusive, interrupting us mid-conversation, and at others it was non-existant, as my tea went empty for most of the meal. I'm not normally one to complain over service since people can have bad days, but considering you're paying a premium for the service, you'd think they would have mastered this basic task of knowing when and how often to check up on you. It's not "bad" service at Jin Sho per say, just service out of line with the expectations created by the menu. Overall, it is a place that you might want to take a business client. Go if you really need the nicer atmosphere, but not if you want to get good sushi for a reasonable price. I don't give out 2-star ratings too often, but in this case there is just as high quality sushi nearby and at much lower price.
(2)
Elaine N.
The Good: 1) No wait on weeknight evening. 2) Parking is right in front of the resto. 3) Steve Jobs' favorite sushi... The Bad: 1) Mediocre nigiri. 2) Slow service. 3) Many open tables, why do you try to put us next to another group?!?! Told the staff right away that I would like some S-P-A-C-E!!! Overall, a decent place to go if you are in the area, otherwise I would not drive out of my way to come here.
(3)
JS H.
The male servers are rude. so fake and arrogant. Too loud. BUT, the hamachi carpaccio is the best among other sushi places.
(2)
Robin M.
My husband and I chose Jin Sho as a lunch spot for two reasons: we were hungry, and it was the first Japanese restaurant we saw. Not the best reasons... We arrived right before noon. It wasn't too busy, so we were seated promptly. Very tight quarters. It wasn't too impactful at first, but it got busier and by the time our food arrived the restaurant was full. VERY noisy--the sound really bounced off the walls. We opened the menus and looked for a bento box option. Turns out they only produce ten boxes per day (?), and the chef chooses the options. I didn't care for the bento-box-of-the-day choices, so we decided on the pris fixe. My husband ordered jalapeno yellowtail and chicken teriyaki; I selected grilled chicken with miso and four pieces of sashimi. The good: Food arrived promptly, and plates were cleared rapidly. My chicken was tasty, albeit a bit dry. Husband's yellowtail was tasty. My sushi was very fresh. Iced green tea was strong and refreshing. Strawberry custard that came at the end of the meal was quite lovely. The not so good: Did I mention the din? Owing to unique acoustics, I had to ask my husband to repeat himself if he was speaking to me, but I could hear the conversation of the diners sitting next to us quite well. My husband's yellowtail arrived on a large plate that dwarfed the portion--three (3) THIN slices of fish, each crowned with a shaving of jalapeno. He never got the promised salad. My sushi was also very thin, and each piece was cut in two--perhaps to make it appear like a larger portion? When we left, I had to basically lap dance the folks seated next to us because the tables are so jammed together. Sorry about that, folks...
(2)
Jasmine X.
Came here for lunch with work colleagues. We arrived around 1pm and I was actually pretty surprised to see how packed it was. We were seated pretty immediately. I got the lunch prix fixe--you get to choose one item from two lists. I went with the ceviche (I know, why would one get ceviche at a Japanese restaurant) and the chicken teriyaki. Ceviche was actually not bad, but it was basically just pourly cut sides of fish in ponzu sauce. The fish pieces literally seemed like they had been accidentally sliced off sashimi pieces, or like residual fish chunks from sashimi pieces. Tasted eh. Chicken teriyaki was equally interesting--chicken was definitely on the dry bland side and there was very limited sauce. It came with a side of mashed potatoes, a piece of broccoli, a few slices of carrots, and a fried banana. Just the oddest pairing I've ever experienced. Most redeeming part was the fried banana but it looked like a fried onion when I put it in my mouth so I was very unclear as to what I was eating. All in all, expensive and not that good... you can get much, much higher quality Japanese food at Fuki Sushi which is literally five minutes down El Camino. I also hate when I step out of restaurants smelling like oil and restaurants, which was very much the case in this situation. Waiters were very attentive though-great with tea refills. That was nice. tldr; meh Japanese food. so many better options for around the same price range close by
(3)
Niso H.
Got the soba here, pretty good. Only complaint, was served by a Pakistani guy. What's the deal!? I came for an authentic Japanese experience. Love the ambiance, food and service. You guys are awesome. Keep doing what you do.
(4)
Ros S.
Long overdue review! Absolutely love this place! Recommend you make reservations for dinner or lunch and ask to sit at the sushi bar. Sometimes they get busy so I just call up and make reservations. Service is always friendly and helpful. If there's something you want off the menu, I would suggest you ask. I love the Soft-Shell Crab salad and Yellowtail Jalapeño (it's not hot)! OMG..so good! Sadly, I didn't take a picture (devoured it before I realized I should've take a pic:)). You can order it during dinner. If you like Unagi, you will love the Live Eel (disclosure: it's cooked). So much better than regular Unagi. The sashimi dinner is awesome!!! Jin Sho is great for lunch or dinner. If you go for lunch, order the prix fixe menu. I really liked the ceviche. Pana cotta dessert was so good! Only for lunch though during the week. You can tell I love this place:)
(5)
D.wight L.
Given the locale and who spearheaded this resto, I was expecting it to be more foo-foo. But in actuality, it reminded me of just a typical mom/pop, lively Japanese joint. No etched glass, no super statues of anything, actually nothing big city-like at all, cept for maybe the somewhat loud modern jazz on the sound system. And you know what, I was all good with it! The food here transcends the ambiance. Especially if you get anything raw from the sushi line. First things first, even though it is Japanese owned/ran, it is not traditional. The influences from having worked with Nobu shows. Sauces adorn plates along with raw or seared seafood. May be too strong or overkill for some purist, but I think they pull off a nice balancing act. For example a Tuna Sashimi Salad I got with my pre-fixe were simply nice slices of seared peppercorned tuna on top a super nice ginger dressing. A little spring mix and this was an outstanding starter in my opinion. yelp.com/biz_photos/jin-… Saki flights are also to be had here and are super conducive with their food. I like this route as it imparts an educational bend to the experience. yelp.com/biz_photos/jin-… Lamb Chops were tasty and juicy but they don't ask for requested temperature. Though juicy, I don't mind a little more pink in my quality lamb. The accompanying pesto sauce, however was not needed in this case. A lighter sauce, maybe Asian inspired may have been a better fit, IMHO again. yelp.com/biz_photos/jin-… Salmon Skin rolls were chosen as part of the pre-fixe and were not bad, especially with a look I've never seen, nice skills. yelp.com/biz_photos/jin-… Added extra nigiris to our outing and proved worthy. Saba is textbook, I would get this every time I come in. Wild King Salmon, though expensive at $14/pair was quite meaty and not as fatty as expected. Alphonsino was something I've never had, but I loved the texture with the attached skin. They also stealthily dot the flesh with citrus zest for a surprise bang. yelp.com/biz_photos/jin-… Oh and I cannot forget the sushi rice. This is some of best, well executed sushi rice I've ever had. Every grain stays separate and every grain is shiny like a pearl, I was a fan. Knife skills and assembly of all sushi are also to be commended. So to have food this good and sushi elevated from my usual outing and just paying barely more than what I'm accustomed to, is just spectacular in my book. I will easily be back and it will most definitely be at the bar. Can we say OMAKASE, for the next outing?!
(4)
Cherylynn N.
It's been over 2 months since I've been to Jin Sho but a couple of things immediately come to mind about my dinner there: 1) It was expensive. 2) It was mediocre (this was the late Steve Job's fav sushi restaurant?!?!) 3) I wished I had a sugar daddy (just kidding). Actually, when I think about it even more, I start remembering more about our disappointing dinner at Jin Sho like the Toro Tartare ($22): bit.ly/1e93XfP that was sitting in a pool of soy that entirely masked and ruined the taste of this expensive cut.... How the overhyped Rock Shrimp Tempura ($14.75): bit.ly/1epHo1q reminded me of Chinese Walnut Shrimp from my neighborhood hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant but 50% more expensive... Then, there was the $5 a piece Omakase Nigiri that made plain Jane seem like the sultry Madison Ivy (read: run of the mill selection): bit.ly/Q2a2zJ . Out of 18 pieces, only one stood out and when we asked for another order, the sushi chef mumbled, "we're sold out". WTF, at 6 pm (they open at 5:30 pm) and while most of the customers around us were ordering Spicy Tuna and Dragon rolls?!?! Not even going to waste my finger strength detailing the Safewayesque Strawberry Shortcake ($6.75): bit.ly/1oKDAS4 . The most memorable part of dinner? The $300 bill for two. That and Mr. Amex is giving me the one finger salute at the end of the month.
(2)
Chelsea H.
The food and service here are unique and 5 star. You will get more than you ask for.They blew me away with a veggie roll containing about 5 vegetable varieties and tempura with fried shredded vegetables. Very unique. I love this restaurant. They also let me use my own containers for take out. For the fish eaters, God I almost fell for it. You won't be disappointed.
(5)
Aakash G.
That this place exists is such a travesty. It's such awful bang for the buck. And places this expensive should have at least edible food. The food is awful. Our experience was terrible. The server literally forgot a sushi roll, and it seems like he whipped it himself when he came back with it! It was supposed to have fish on top, and had little specks of skin! It was disgusting to get six small pieces for how much we paid for the roll. Furthermore, the other items outside of that were not impressive. The sushi and fish we did get was very subpar, one of the worst sushi experiences I have ever had. Like the first percentile. And, the lamb chops were a joke! They were some of the smallest lamb chops we each had ever seen. Overall, this place seems more like a scam than anything close to a fine dining establishment that charges prices that warrant three $$$ signs on Yelp.
(1)
Marianna K.
One of those places where 1 star is too much! First of all, what's up with service??? Should have left right after hello! But I decided to give it a shot. I sat at the bar and was trying to place an order. I noticed that sushi chefs look a little tired. Looks like their ticketing system is a little 'off'. One of the orders was not done right and I observed the most weird sushi making technique ever! He took the roll off the plate, put it back together into a string, put something that looked like tuna on top, used the bamboo mat to glue it back... Cut it again into pieces. Put it on the plate... I should have left then, but didn't... I ordered... fantasy roll and a few pieces. The sushi was ok, but the roll was not great at all... Sad experience when miso soup is the best thing served!
(1)
Samantha C.
Jin Sho is a tiny little tucked-away restaurant and the decor isn't anything fancy, but don't let that fool you, the sushi here is amazing! I came with a couple friends a few weeks ago and was totally blown away. I ordered the chirashi (assorted sashimi with rice) and it came with a generous spread of 6 kinds of fish (2-3 pieces each), shrimp, baked salmon, and tomago. Plus it was beautiful! see photo. We also ordered the rainbow roll, the spider roll, and the spicy scallop. The spider roll came wrapped in cucumber which was really creative. The spicy scallop was AMAZING in its freshness. We ate until we couldn't eat anymore. A truly delightful experience. I will certainly be back.
(4)
SunDo K.
Today, I ate the same Sushi Steve Jobs ate made by Chef Takahashi. Humble and awesome guy who knew Steve Jobs in person. I grew up in Japan eating "Real Sushi" and today I was very satisfied. Ordered Omakase. I was informed first two visit Omakase is more of set menu and Third Omakase is more catered to the customer. Wish I can come here every single day. I have posted the photos of my Omakase course for you to see. #sundogram
(5)
Lea I.
My mom and I came here after a recommendation from a friend. It was around 8:30pm on a Monday when we went in. There was maybe two tables being used so we got seated right away. It was a really tightly furnished restaurant, really hard to walk through. We sat down and looked at the menu. They had a menu describing all the different sauces which was interesting, but nothing on the menu really popped out at us. But we decided on agedashi tofu and a few sushi rolls. I got a avocado&salmon roll and a negihama roll and my mom ordered a spicy tuna hand roll and one other roll (I can't quite remember what it was called, it has salmon and unagi on top) We couldn't wait to get our food because we were so hungry. We got our agedashi tofu. It was decent, same as any Japanese restaurant. But boy were we disappointed when the sushi came. The presentation was HORRIBLE. I mean is there a head chef checking the food before it goes out? I mean I've worked at a few sushi places and never have I had to or would have served the sushi looking like that. (I'll upload pictures) BUT thank goodness the food wasn't that bad. It wasn't spectacular, but it was good. My mom decided to order another spicy hand roll since she was still hungry, but this second one that they sent over was SIGNIFICANTLY smaller than the first. It was like half it's size! And they charged the same price for it! And while we were eating they started to clean and even turned off some of the lights. I think there was still a customer at the sushi bar and they turned off the sushi bar lights. Taste wise, it's ok. Presentation wise, a huuuge improvement is needed. I heard this place was Steve Job's go to sushi spot. I guess you only get full and perfect service if you're Steve Jobs (May he rest easy). I don't think I will be coming here if I'm in the area, I'd rather go elsewhere.
(2)
Christina N.
Came here for lunch with my coworkers and ordered the lunch prix fix for $16.50. We were lucky that there was no wait since this restaurant was apparently very popular. Service here is pretty good, but at that price point, I'd expect decent service. The food too, was pretty fresh and decent and well worth the price. Miso soup - good Tuna sashimi salad - I was a little surprised by this as I expected it to be more tartare style but this came served more like a tuna carpaccio with a side of vegetables. The dressing went very well with the tuna, but was a tad too sour for the salad. Miso cod - So good I wished they gave a bigger slice of fish! Strawberry Panna Cotta - The panna cotta itself was very smooth. I did find the flavor a little too light, even with the berry sauce. Dragon roll - Ok. Generous serving. A tad on the expensive side for lunch. Not sure if I'd come back here again for lunch since I've had better in other Japanese restaurants with higher food quality to price ratio. Might come back for dinner to try!
(3)
Christine K.
One of our favorite places for sushi! Not only delicious food but very friendly staff and nice atmosphere. We love the Rock Shrimp Tempura appetizer, Shawn roll, and fantasy roll!
(5)
Jason S.
I, personally, don't get the whole sushi/sashimi thing. Paying the big bucks for some uncooked, very subtly flavored food. As an art form, it goes way over my head. I just don't understand all the subtleties. At Jin Sho, I watched the sushi chefs focusing on performing their craft, and despite their apparent efforts, the finished products still looked... not equivalent to the mastery required and history behind quality sushi/sashimi. That aside, what I DO enjoy is exploring cuisine. Jin Sho has a good selection of seasonal fishies and other water dwelling edibles. Much better than what one can pick up at the local grocery store. (The majority of them still taste 'mostly' the same to me, but I enjoy the variety. Even if it tastes the same, at least I am aware that the names are different) The prices are higher than other sushi places, but for me, sushi is already an expensive meal. If I'm gonna be paying a lot regardless, I might as well pay a bit more for better quality/variety.
(4)
Alfred K.
We came with a reservation and were seated promptly. We were quite early so it was on the quieter side when we arrived. Service was friendly but a bit sporadic. I appreciate having our water and tea refilled promptly, but they were almost on the overly aggressive side of repeated refills. I'm not complaining, just it was slightly intrusive while in conversation. I ordered the "oyster bar" and the "chirashi don" and the black sesame ice cream Miso Soup: I really appreciate when miso soup does not come from a packet or pre made powder. Soup tasted of fragrant dash with an adequate about of miso. Chirashi don: Presentation was beautiful and I love that there was both ikura and masago (can never have enough eggs!) Tamago was fresh and fluffy, and all the fish was super fresh with the right texture. Lovely! Exactly what I would expect from a top notch Japanese restaurant. Oyster Bar: Described on the menu as three oysters with three kinds of special sauce, this did disappoint in two ways. Someone else from the table ordered the same, and our first complaint here was that the oysters came after the meal, after everything and everyone else was served. The oysters had potential, as they were perfectly shucked and sized, but were overpowered by the sauces that were placed on it. Definitely not oysters for oyster lovers, maybe oysters for sauce lovers but I'm an oyster lover who typically just gives a squirt of lemon at most. Black sesame ice cream - Creamy and delicious ice cream with a light flavor of black sesame. No coloring used so no scary deep and artificial black color that you get at some places. All in all this place is worth it, and I'll just avoid the oysters next time.
(4)
Tom H.
I have eaten at Jin Sho over a dozen times and never been disappointed. Highlights are the sashimi, rolls, artisan seaweed salad, tuna sashimi salad, house salad (amazing dressing), and soups... Lunch prix fix is a solid value for the high quality food received. Staff are friendly. Love it!!!
(5)
Patrick M.
Got the "Sushi Delax" (yes, that is how the menu had it spelled) and a piece of Uni. The Sushi Delax was $28 and the single piece of Uni was $5.75. The Uni was delicious, but the Sushi Delax was nothing special. It was a variety of "special" sushi, but two of the pieces were just tuna. I felt underwhelmed from the meal, and was slightly disappointing. I was told that this use to be Steve Jobs favorite sushi place in the area. I'm not sure if that is just a rumor, or if it is true. Regardless, I can say that this is not Patrick M's favorite place. If in the area, go the the cuban place across the way. It is much better!
(3)
Desmond T.
I came with a party of 3 and we went straight for the nigiri. This is one of the few places that has such a large variety of fish that we've never heard/tried that just had to order them all - at least attempt to. The nice thing is that they tell you what months these fish are available throughout the year. Unfortunately, nearly 50% of the fish we wanted to try that were supposedly available based on the information provided, was not. This was a huge disappointment. Service was not the best; we asked a couple of questions and every time our waitress had to go back to the kitchen to get verification. Toro is not worth it here. I generally love toro, but it is really small, not very memorable, and too expensive for the portion they give. Hamachi was on point. Saba was solid. Blue Fin Tuna was AMAZING. A definite must have. Overall, just okay, but I would still like to come back to try the sashimi I couldn't get.
(3)
Corey K.
I've been to Jinsho about half a dozen times now and I feel like it is a solid 4 stars. Let me go over the pros. First off, I love that they have a "prie fix" meal where you can pick two smaller sized meals with rice, miso soup and a small dessert. The sashimi salad is excellent along with the yellowtail jalapeño. However I LOVE the black cod with miso. It's so buttery and has that miso tang that makes me oh so happy :) I've also tried the corn tempura with matcha salt which is a nice way to start the meal. Chef kaneko is quiet but he is a master chef behind the counter and definitely has some good quality fish he presents every night. Now based on my review so far, you might be thinking...well it should be five stars right? Well, I don't want to be a debbie downer but it is expensive for the portions. I know I shouldn't expect huge portions in a Japanese restaurant (unless it's super low quality) but I wouldn't come here if I was starving. It does get quite busy so I would recommend getting there early or putting in a reservation. Anyway like I said this place is definitely a strong four star restaurant and I will be coming back soon :)
(4)
Inseong J.
This review is only for their sushi and not for anything else. I came here for sushi and that was definitely a mistake. I see that the reviews are decent here so I am guessing that most people who are giving good reviews either did not eat sushi or have never had a proper sushi. I ordered Sushi Dinner Delax (not sure what delax means...). It was horrible. Fish was obviously not very fresh and someone definitely did not know how to make rice for sushi. I only order sushi when I go to Japanese restaurants so I am not sure what food is like at Fuki Sushi but I can guarantee you that their Fuki Mori (11 piece sushi plate $30) is much much better than Jin Sho's Sushi Dinner Delax ($28). The sushi here is without exaggeration, worse than one you could get from Safeway. Don't come here for sushi. Come here for other things on the menu. If you want sushi, go to Fuki Sushi. They serve good sushi.
(1)
Erica S.
Talk about unimpressive! This place is like the PF Chang's of Japanese food. I'm surprised that this was SJ's favorite sushi place! We came on a weeknight for dinner and it took a few minutes before the host came to seat us. We also had to wait so they can clean the tables. The place is super loud so I wouldn't recommend going for an intimate dinner. Our server was slow and was not very good at his job. He would throw our plates on the table and I constantly had to ask for water refills. We started off with some tempura. You can order by individual pieces so we ordered a few. I had the carrot, kabocha, and broccoli. It's cool that you can order individually, but nothing special tasting about it. Then we waited over 30 minutes to get our sushi. Of course, it had to be the day that I was super hungry and feeling impatient. Not sure if our server forgot to place our order as customers next to us got theirs pretty quickly. My husband had the deluxe sushi and I had the chirashi. The chirashi came in a white modern bowl and had thin slices of sashimi spread out on top of the rice. No presentation skills whatsoever. The sashimi was so thin that 2-3 slices equaled a typical slice at other restaurants. Also, all the sashimi was typical stuff: tuna, salmon, snapper, hamachi, ikura. Nothing fancy. Definitely wasn't worth $23 for it. Rice was not good either, but because I was hungry, I pretty much finished it all. I left pretty disappointed and unimpressed that I don't think I would ever bring my mom here.
(2)
Ann L.
I've read a bunch of reviews on Jin Sho and the Mercury Newspaper had a great article on them so I had to go. The chefs are from Nobu Restaurant in NY so they have Skills! Opened since Dec. 2007, they still have a Grand Opening sign outside. We were the first ones at 5:30pm on Wed. We sat at the bar which seats 10. Nice dining room, very modern. Open kitchen right in front too. FREE Edamame (soy beans) given. I should have gotten the prized dish of raw yellowtail w/ jalapeno & yuzu $15, but I didn't. I also wanted to try the lamb chops & Salmon avo roll. Next time. Instead we got: seaweed salad $8 - I thought it was slimy and not very good, hubby liked it. white tuna nigiri $3 (2pcs) - it was ok, not special. Grilled Miso marinated Alaska black cod $18 - another famous dish, it's 2 big slabs of cod w/ side of rice. Also some fried banana (didn't eat), okra (didn't try), pickled eggplants - liked that, also our chef's favorite. Recommended if you like cod. Yellow tail roll (6 pcs) - we asked for spicy, but he must have forgotten cuz it wasn't spicy. 2-pc scallop nigiri - ok 2 pc ikura nigiri - ok 2pc saba nigiri - ok We could have ordered more, but we were getting full & knew the bill was adding up so we stopped. Total before tax $58 + $4.79 tax = $62.79 Before tip. Separate bathrooms in the back. Women's one toilet/sink w/ nice soap + even more like anti-bacterial too. Next to Bistro Elan on Calif. Ave. Credit cards taken. Mercury Newspaper article here: mercurynews.com/restaura…
(3)
Connie C.
For $90/person, I would have expected a lot more from my meal at Jin Sho. Of course, the company alone was worth it, but I had pretty high expectations for the food and service, and neither lived up to the hype. Our group was split in two and our table of 8 decided to go family style by ordering four $75 omakase dinners and an appetizer or entree per person so we could have a full sampling of the menu (check out my posted pics). This was WAY too much food in the end. We could have ordered half of that and been fine. We also had a few bottles of sake and wine, so $90/person would seem reasonable... IF we were having dinner at, say... Nobu? If I hadn't known the chefs had come from Nobu, perhaps my expectations wouldn't have been so high. There were a few highlights of our dinner, which if I were to go back again, I'd order a la carte. First of all, it seemed that our server should've known what dishes would be in the omakase, and let us know not to order something a la carte because it was included in the omakase, but he didn't. This happened with the miso black cod. Although it was one of my favorite dishes, we really had too many orders of it. It could have been avoided if our server made us aware of it and suggested that we select something else. I really enjoyed the Kobe beef tataki, which was nicely seared and flavored. The tiradito white fish and yellowtail with jalepeno appetizers were also very good. The mixed sushi included a variety of fresh fish, although Euge and I noticed a few messy cuts. Overall, pretty good, but I was not blown away. The panna cotta dessert was sweet and silky, but apparently not satisfying for everyone because the majority of the group went for "Korean" frozen yogurt in Mt. View after our 3.5 hour long dinner. I will probably go back in a smaller group (for better service) and on an empty stomach, which I'd suggest you'd do the same.
(3)
Emmy L.
The first time we went it was a great experience, rolls were tasty and sushi were fresh. Somehow this second time was not impressive at all. The consensus of our table- Jin Sho was just an ordinary sushi restaurant. Maybe I will change my mind again but there is no incentive for me to go there.
(3)
Lyn Y.
Came here once in 2009 for my bf's birthday - it was ok, not that memorable as we never went back. The fish was above average freshness, but nothing stood out. The decor was ok, service was good, cleanliness was fine - everything was fine but on the typical side. It sort of fit into my general impression of Palo Alto restaurants - nice ambience, but average food.
(3)
Janice C.
Been here a few times & love the food! The sushi is always fresh and well prepared. I always forgot to make a reservation but that's probably a good idea - they're always packed especially on the weekends.
(4)
Gzel B.
BAD SERVICE TINY SERVINGS TOO SMALL AND CRAMPED I don't think I'm going back to Jin Sho anytime soon! Bad service - I came in through the back door because I parked in the back parking garage, no one acknowledged me, usually they greet you at a Japanese restaurant, here everyone was looking away....... Got a table, the waitress took my order, she recommended a roll and brought out some rice and miso soup. OK good start. But she brought out an order of "appetizer" yellow tail sashimi that was small enough pieces to feed to my minnows in my fish tank!!! I'm so used to ample servings, even with appetizers, when I go to Japanese restaurants, this was MINIATURE serving. and at $8 - a total rip-off. I can't even taste the fish, it was so tiny! The waitress forgot to bring out the roll that she recommended, I waited and waited and waited, finally I called the tea server and asked for my roll, the waitress came back and asked if I wanted to order more food, I said no, I want my roll. she said to me matter-of-factly "you didn't order any roll" and she proceeded to flip through her order book, and there it was, I ordered a roll that she recommended. She ran to the sushi chef to order my roll. She then sits a bunch of lawyer type bunch next to me, whose orders came in no time while I sit there waiting for my roll. In the end, I asked for the check, as she was bringing out the roll, I stood up and said "I don't want it anymore, may I have my check." paid my check and didn't tip her. I love, love Japanese food but I don't recommend this restaurant for the 3 issues I mentioned above.
(1)
Evan J.
Been going to this place since it opened and I really like the owners. They are always friendly and pour us sake when we sit at the bar. The miso cod is awesome and they have great and unusual fish that you can't find at other places. A little pricey, but this is my go-to place when I want a nice sushi dinner.
(5)
Jessica C.
Sticker shock! Haha. I get there and look at the lunch menu today and it was like I was looking at the dinner menu. Ack. Am I sure I want to eat here? And yet it's one of the most bookmarked places on Yelp in the SJ area, so you know again. I have been brainwashed by the masses. From the outside this place looks... actually... kind of ghetto. The windows are all covered up, and then the paper sign saying grand opening. I think my friend and I almost decided to eat somewhere else. But once you get in the decorum is nice. I wish that they had green tea however. I just really like green tea in Japanese places. But it was some variety of black. I had the chirashi and my friend had the udon with egg, and one slice of the yellowtail. One slice that cost 3 dollars. Not even a pair! Ack tres cher! Nevertheless it was good. I would come back, but not necessarily for the fish, while it was super fresh, it was kind of on the thin side, and not the value for sure.
(4)
Amy K.
It took a long time to get a table. Other than that, average of the mill sushi joint. Fish was fresh, service was good. Not really memorable.
(4)
Veronica S.
Alex brought me here after all the rave (see below me) he heard about it being the new place in Palo Alto with the two "Nobu guys". The outside doesn't really have a sign yet, (or they do but it's within the window, very hard to see!). The inside is a bit on the trendier side for a sushi place, (Hey, after Nobu, how can these guys cut back on the ambiance aspect now?) but still simple, yet clean and has neutral colours. The bar is long, and I like how the seats don't make you feel claustrophobic. Alex told me I had to try the live eel, and please let me clarify however, Their "live eel" is eel transported from Japan that they skin daily in the morning. It is VERY very good, especially because you don't taste a piece of eel nigiri splashed in sauce. I loved it! Also one thing to note, the prices on the menu are per piece. So for instance, one piece of nigiri will run $2.5-$5, or otherwise $5-10 per pair...eeps! A bit higher than your normal place but, the quality shows through so really, it's not much higher. OH, if you want a good bang for the buck, go with the Sushi Dinner. It includes the home-made miso soup, 8 pieces of nigiri, and 6 pieces of spicy tuna roll (all for $20.) The sashimi dinner is $26, or deluxe sashimi dinner (higher quality pieces, supposedly at least) for $28. Omakase prices, $60, $75 (same amt as the $60, but higher quality sushi,) and $90. 1.) Food taste - 5 stars Super high quality fish. Rice is pretty good. Tea (green) is super. Miso soup made from scratch. 2.) Cleanliness, freshness - 4 stars Clean interior, counter. Standard.. 3.) Presentation - 4.5 stars Pretty, I like. 4.) Location/price - 5 stars Decent prices (if you get the combination plates). Easy parking. 5.) Service - 5 stars Attentive staff Recommendations: Kobe Beef Tataki, "Live" Eel, Oh Toro
(5)
Vanessa W.
Food is delish here! The sashimi, hamachi jalapeno carpaccio, soft shell crab roll are all really good. The friend shrimp used to be good, it's gotten to be a gloop of fried batter recently. Service is not good. It's unfortunate because it's probably one of the 'better' japanese restaurants in the area. We had a reservation one time along with another couple. The host staff happened to seat the walk in group that came in after us first! The audacity of the host people. I've been back - solely, for the food. The food does come out quickly and is super fresh.
(4)
Leon K.
I'll be brief. I like sushi. This is a given. I like all sorts of sushi, I like tasty sushi, and I particularly like fresh sushi. I've had Sushi in Japan, I've had sushi In Hong Kong, I've had sushi all over the US. Basically, I've eaten a lot of sushi. Jin Sho... had average sushi, of average tastiness, and average freshness. The sushi took a long time to come, there was very little ginger on the plates, the waitress would forget to refill our tea, and in the end, 12 pieces of this, decidedly average sushi ended up costing me $53 dollars. Would not come again.
(2)
Rachel S.
Mmmhhhmmm the peninsulas' best. Non-pretentious and epic quality, I can see i'll be a repeat offender here. Amazing cuts of salmon sashimi in bright pink slabs, a seaweed salad not overdressed & ever-so-fresh, the salmon/ahi/avocado salsa is stellar... Service attentive, free edamame start you off.
(5)
Kevin H.
I would give this place one star on the food alone.... But ambiance and service bumps this up to a 2 i suppose. If your idea of japanese food is "delicious" rolls drenched in sauces and soy sauce then this is your kind of place. However, I am never coming back. The amazing cuts of sashimi that other yelpers may have experienced were MIA during my visit. disappointing.
(2)
Anabelle O.
The spider roll was delicious and so pretty! It's nice that its not on University so it feels less like a student eatery than some others.
(5)
Justin H.
Fantastic dishes - great food quality, decent service. Amazing cuts of fish, super fresh, and carefully prepared. Slightly on the pricey side, but you get what you pay for. I've been back a few times.
(5)
E L.
Best sushi spot in the Bay area, by far - and we've been looking for four years. We moved here from LA, where we were regularly spoiled at Sasabune, Katsuya, and Nobu. I'm told that the chef here studied with Nobu, and it SHOWS. The guys here CARE about quality, aesthetic presentation, fresh ingredients, and creative flavors - it has been a long time since I've seen this much craftsmanship in a sushi restaurant. We ordered the prix fixe lunches, which I thought was a GREAT deal - soup, entree, dessert - reasonable enough for me to eat here every day if I had the time! Given the diverse menu, we also had to try some sashimi and rolls. We started off with a phenomenal "new style sashimi" - white fish doused with a yuzu-soy-sesame dressing - seriously, if the meal had stopped here, I would have been beyond satisfied. But the next act was just as good: the miso black cod was melt-in-your-mouth heaven; the soft shell crab had a gorgeous color and crunch with a faint citrus tang that really sets off the senses. The rock shrimp tempura had a beautifully-balanced sweet-sour dressing that I can't stop thinking about.The spider roll is the best I've had - crisply textured, light, elegant. The cucumber was hand-peeled so finely that at first sight, I thought it was soy paper. The ikura was sublimely fresh, smelling and tasting like the sea, its delicate orbs bursting with flavor. We tried the "Stanford" roll - spicy tuna, unagi, avocado - the tuna was chopped so finely it was almost like a puree (in a GOOD way) with just enough heat so as not to overpower and a velvety rich mouth-feel. I can think of at least 100 of my friends who would LOVE this roll. We concluded with a grande and fitting finale - a dome of chocolate mousse cake, and creamy panna cotta topped with candied pansy. Candied pansy, people! That's the kind of detail and whimsy that makes this place truly stand out. All this for a party of TWO females, mind you. But yes, it was THAT good.
(5)
Raanan K.
A taste of the great Nobu repertoire right here in the bay area.
(5)
Neil K.
I had a bad experience, gave them a second chance, and had another equally bad experience. I really enjoy sushi and will concede that they have good fish, but that's where any positivity ends. The service is terrible, and I mean TERRIBLE. The waiters are ALL incompetent. I've never seen such a poorly functioning wait staff with less knowledge of their product. I've also gotten take out from them and they've messed up the order BOTH times, even charging me for things then not including them when I picked them up. There aren't a ton of great sushi places in Palo Alto, but I would definitely recommend driving the extra couple miles north on El Camino to Akasaka in Menlo Park. This place is WAY TOO EXPENSIVE for having such ABYSMAL SERVICE. MULTIPLE CHANCES, REPEATED LET DOWNS - AVOID THIS PLACE FOR YOUR WALLET AND SANITY'S SAKE!
(1)
Stephanie L.
3.5 stars. Ate at the sushi bar and ordered 13 different nigiri pieces. All were fresh and good -- pieces were about the right size, but the rice felt just a tad bit too big and not quite enough vinegar for my taste.
(3)
kelly n.
Ahh...it is not easy to find myself a restaurant that I would always go again, but this little gem on California Ave does it. I saw mix review about it, but I have been there probably ten times or so, mostly lunch. I can say that it is one of the best Japanese restaurants in the area. First of all, they take 'effort' to make the food, it is always well prepared, don't feel like 'mass production' at all. Second, the ambiance is good - modern and clean. But the service can be a bit off sometimes.. Try their lunch, don't get shocked by their $16 lunch selection, it worth every penny. Must try - the miso cod - so yummy! p.s. To those who wants to know if this place is similar to Nobu, I have tried them both, and I can say that this is BETTER than Nobu. Nobu is so OVERRATED! & PRICEY!!! NY has so many choices, forget Nobu!
(4)
Kim N.
Taking over the old Salsa restaurant (which moved over next to Mediterranean Wraps) and the adjoining space, Jin Sho is a great new addition to the Japanese restaurant scene in Palo Alto. The layout of the restaurant is very simple and modern. The sushi bar sits to the right of the restaurant while a row of tables line the left. Simple wood furniture, elegant bar area and large picture windows showcase the space from the outside. The menu is mix of both traditional Japanese sushi/sashimi mixed with some noveau entrees. After giving a hearty look at the menu while waiting for the last person in the party, we couldn't figure out what we wanted because everything looked so good. So we opted for two of the three Omakase options ($60 & $75 respectively, I tried the latter; there's also a $90 choice) and two appetizers. The spread included: Appetizers: - Rock Shrimp Tempura w Spicy Mayo and Yuzu Lemon - Corn Tempura with Maccha Salt Omakase 1: - Oysters Plate with Three Sauces - Tuna Sashimi Salad - Rock Shrimp Tempura - Grilled Miso Marinated Black Cod - Assorted sushi 5 pieces - Miso Soup - Mochi Ice Cream Omakase 2: - Toro Tartare with Caviar in Wasabi soy - Salmon with Jalapeno Dressing with Mizuna Greens and Garlic Sauce - Grilled Miso Marinated Black Cod - Angus Beef Tobanyaki with Garlic Sauce - Sushi Plate: Kohada, Hirame, Kanpachi, Hotate, Chu Toro - Miso Soup - Mochi Ice Cream Everything was fantastic. The standouts for us were the Toro Tartar, oysters, black cod and rock shrimp tempura. Even with the selection of food we had, the menu had so many more things we wanted to try. There are thirty selections for sushi/sashimi and about the same for salads, appetizers, and soup/noodles. Finally, there are ten entrees and 18 rolls. That's a lot of different combinations. They also have a nice selection of various sakes but since it was a school night we refrained. Since the place is brand new and we were there on a weeknight we almost had the place to ourselves. The staff was focused but super friendly and they all came and greeted us at one point. The chef came out and asked our opinions and we got to speak with him a bit too. Great debut and I'm looking forward to many future visits.
(5)
Julia J.
I just discovered this place a couple of months ago and I'm glad I did! All of the food here is fantastic. I agree with previous reviewers that it can be pricey...however if you order with this in mind, you can find a way to have a great meal for $20. For instance, they just came out with the pris fixe (sp?) menu and it is wonderful - a really good way to attract all of the poor grad students in this community (such as myself!) For $20 you can get a soup, ceviche (amazing!), rock shrimp tempura (the best I've had in my whole life!), and a sushi roll. Does it get any better? Most of the price complaints seem to be about sashimi which I don't usually order. Some favorite rolls include: Sharks roll (trust me - try it!), spicy tuna, and 49ers roll Since discovering this little gem, my boyfriend and I frequent it about once a week. I definitely recommend trying it if you're in the mood for some really delicious sushi (try the spicy tuna roll and dragon roll - yum!)
(5)
Murat S.
a bit pricy for what you get but pretty decent food. I tried their fixed dinner menu and bento box lunch on two occasions and the food was pretty good.
(4)
Frank S.
I went there during lunch for take out, and the East Indian waiter who took my order must have been racist (I am Asian-American) because when he took my order, he looked quite reluctant and definitely was unfriendly and unsmiling. Then immediately after taking my order, without turning my order in, he took the order from a Caucasian family and was all smiles. Maybe he isn't racist, maybe he just doesn't like customers who order take out. I will definitely never go back to this place.
(1)
Christopher C.
3 stars for food, 2 stars for the wait staff. Been here for lunch a few times since it is close to work. Last time we went, someone in our party asked if they could order a roll with hamachi instead of spicy hamachi (which was the default for the roll). The menu explicitly states that they can customize the rolls to people's desires, but the waitress refused. On top of that, she forgot to put in our appetizer order. The food itself was good, but not anything special. Quality of sashimi was in line with the price; yaki udon is excellent (it is not a soup, but rather it is pan fried and served on a cast iron plate)
(3)
Alexander H.
Honestly, does this really have to be that expensive? I understand it's in Palo Alto, but a sushi dinner that cost $20 and can barely feed a high school kid is embarrassing. My friend ordered the black cod (which was delicious), but none of us understood the concept of having fried bananas, fried jalapenos and pickled cucumbers on the side. Also my order was completely a rip off! A rainbow roll that looked like miniature chicken nuggets was not what I envisioned. It's no wonder why the restaurant was relatively empty at night. I may give it a second chance to redeem itself, but unless some miraculous change happens, I will walk away like many yelpers have. =(
(2)
Korn D.
Slightly pricier and slightly different than your average Japanese restaurant, but if you're looking for little change. Portions were a little small. I don't know my sake, but they had a big selection, with tasting flights. Ordered the prefix menu, tasted great with a hint of western presentation. Attentive service.
(4)
Judy C.
This was our first visit. We came here for a large dinner party on a Friday night, Reservations were very easy to make. We weren't given any trouble about having to all be present to be seated or whether we could bring a cake/wine. We brought the cake 2 hours before our reservations because the bakery was closing and we didn't want to haul it around. They nicely held it for us. We were seated immediately. Our glasses and tea cups were refilled regularly and without disturbance to our meal. The Omakase dining was excellent, with each dish being a surprise to us. We ordered Level 1 and received 4 courses (not including soup and dessert). Beautiful dishes with amazing flavors: what I would assume would be a chef's best work. They served me the best black cod I have ever had. Yum... Overall, excellent food and excellent dining experience. The service was attentive without being too eager and very accommodating to our loud, rambunctious party. I am looking forward to returning for Level 2 of Omakase.
(5)
ClosetDork ..
It's always tough branching out and embarking on your own venture after being under the umbrella of a marquee name. So you gotta give the two ex-Nobu chefs credit, for setting up Jin Sho. The location on Palo Alto's California Ave, always viewed as the poor brother to the more upscale and posh University Ave, is also a bit odd. Nonetheless, we were excited to give this place a try, having been to two Nobu locations and perpetually wishing that Nobu Matsuhisa suddenly has an epiphany and decides to open up in San Francisco. So we went ahead and ordered the tried-and-true Nobu-esque dishes of miso black cod and lamb chop with garlic wasabi sauce. We then threw in a couple of extra dishes - yellow tail jalapeno and volcano rolls. First off, service was slow. It wasn't busy (to be fair - California Ave isn't exactly hopping on Thursday evenings anyway), so there was really no excuse for the pace (or lack thereof) at which the order was taken and the time taken for the first dish to make its way to the table. The food wasn't so bad, but it certainly lacks the creativity and oomph that Nobu has, so it certainly was decent but unforgettable. The bill came down to $70, which is considered surprisingly pricy given we didn't have anything but ocha (warm green tea) to drink. Nobu price tag with less-than Nobu service and food quality... hell naw. They should've known when they advertise themselves as ex-Nobu chef that comparisons such as this would be inevitable.
(3)
A C.
Torn between 3.5-4 stars here. Jin Sho is pricey (probably because they can afford to be with all the law firms around here). However, the sashimi and sushi taste really fresh and of high quality; I do wish the pieces were bigger, though. The price fixed menus are a good way to go. The black cod is always a hit. The service is good. This place fills up quickly, so make reservations if you can! They take reservations on the day/night of, which is nice.
(4)
Mike S.
Went for a date night with my wife, on a friend's recommendation. Both had the high-end omakase, her the "1st time" and me the 2nd time. Everything was quite good, but the black cod my wife got was incredible; the foie gras on top paled in comparison. Nit pick: tempura was a little greasy for both of our agedashi courses. Sake flights provided a way to spread our bets, given near-total ignorance of the drink. Our underage waiter was not much help in selecting, unfortunately. Good sushi is shooting fish in a barrel in the bay area, but I think we'll return to this barrel.
(4)
Tim T.
We went specifically to try the omakase menu. While the food was good, the service was so poor it ruined the experience. With omakase, you leave yourself in the chef's hands -- every course is a surprise. So, with no written description from a menu, you rely on the staff to help make the meal "come alive". Unfortunately our waitress had no clue what she was bringing to our table. We'd ask and get a response like "tuna" when, in fact, that course seemed to be seared katsuo with a smoky/sweet bonito sauce and daikon sprouts. It's amazing how poor service can almost change the taste of food. I might go back for basic sushi and rolls, but the chef's artistry is lost when it can't be conveyed by the waitstaff.
(2)
Andrea R.
Nothing special. I've had better elsewhere. Happy to have the variety on cal ave. Not bad but didn't thrill me.
(2)
Joe L.
Food is good. I don't disagree. I give a low rating because it is really really not good value. Think double the price and half the portion, that kind of poor value. They offer a $11 bento at limited supply. Only the first 10 customers can order that. The 11th customer must spend more. Order their $16 lunch and you will come out hungry. After tax and tips and your hunger costs even more. Double whammy means one quarter of the usual value. I know Palo Alto has a lot of rich people so they may be setting the price for those VCs on Sandhill Road. I don't mind their pricey menu if the portions can at least match a regular restaurant. Good food, just expect to spend more if you need to fill your tummy.
(3)
Sandy P.
I am giving this rating based on their $16 3-course lunch specials. It is just pure goodness, and I fee like the portions are large enough to satisfy the avg guy. And since I'm an avg sized girl, I literally have to force myself to stuff down the last bite (well, b/c it's just so darn good!). Sometimes I even skip the rice that come with the entree so I wouldn't have to deal with the heavy food coma later. Anyway, as others have mentioned, the blackened miso cod is heavenly, as is the panna cotta, which is just so fresh and light. I do remember having sushi rolls here and not finding them out of this world. They were good, but not great. I've never had sashimi here either, but I am looking to go back in a month or so, so I will follow up then. :)
(4)
Jaime O.
The price is HIGH. $21 for chirashi at lunch. My lunch mate had tempura. I am not sure how much it was (she grabbed the check- thank you very much - you rock!) The portion seemed small to me. She said she was full, but.... It was just a plate of tempura - no salad, no noodles, no rice. Hrrm. My chirashi was good and I was happy but $21 is ALOT. Came with Miso soup (too weak and lacking in flavor). Can't reccomend this place unless you like to spend ALOT for food.
(3)
Max R.
Good fish. Reasonable prices. Nice atmosphere. Marginal everything-but-the-fish, excluding the plain white rice, which was, oddly enough "perfect". For some odd reason most Sushi places can not make plain white rice properly. Strange, but true. Just to expand: - Edamame: meh. - Sushi rice: meh. - Miso soup: meh. - Some other appetizer I tried, the name of which i fail to recall: meh.
(4)
Miss H.
$$$$?!! OMG. I wish I knew this BEFORE I stepped foot inside, haha. We were starving and it was too hot to eat anything "hot", so we thought sushi rolls would be perfect for dinner. There's a new Japanese restaurant across Jin Sho, but it was empty so we decided to go to Jin Sho instead, since the hustle & bustle indicated better business = better food. Service started out on the bad side... there was clearly an open table and we came in with no reservation. We waited a good 5 minutes before a lady seated us there. Go figure. But she did apologize profusely throughout the meal and gave us edamame on the house, which was $7 on the menu. Which brings me to my next point... The prices = RIDICULOUS. Especially for what it is. Maybe we didn't order the more expensive items which might have been worth it? Who knows. We got the angus beef tobanyaki and organic salmon teriyaki. It's not like your typical Japanese restaurant where you get your main dish, with a bunch of sides like miso & salad. It's basically just your main dish, but maybe a little larger than normal. It was good, but for the price, not worth it. I'd go somewhere else for standard Japanese food and if you want to shell out $$$$ for Japanese food, there are definitely other places where you'll be getting your money's worth.
(2)
Susyn D.
I don't understand some of the other reviews. This place is amazing. I ate at the sushi bar and was well taken care of by sushi chef, waiter, etc. True, I spent over $150. But it was well, WELL, worth it. It is a small place so if you want a table, call for reservations. It was the best sushi I've had outside a place in Maui that I was at. And I had the smoothest Sake I have ever had. BRAVO!!
(5)
Bobby B.
i felt a bit of steve jobs sitting and eating here....RIP
(5)
Jonathan T.
I just got back from having lunch here and this place was not what I was expecting. When I heard that two sushi chefs from Nobu worked here, I thought "wow, this place has to be pretty amazing!" It wasn't. I ordered the corn tempura. It was 'eh.' Next I ordered the blackened cod...way too sweet. It was either overmarinated to the point where the fish was no longer white, but a dark translucent color or it had been sitting there for a while. Furthermore, it didn't come out hot. We also ordered various rolls and nigiri, which only comes out with one piece. Nothing blew my mind here, but the uni was quite fresh. I finished lunch 20min after they closed and the workers all came out and started eating next to us, so come early! I will not come back here unless someone else is paying.
(3)
Gregory C.
And return I did. Really not much to say other than another wonderful dining experience. I love the service staff and chef crew. Most importantly the food is phenomenal. Other than ordering the "New Style Sashimi" again (see first review), a pleasure I could not pass up, here are a few other selections from tonight's dinner. - Japanese Eel: Flown in from Japan daily, have to say it was smooth like budda/butter. So fresh, sooooooooo good. - Corn Tempura: Fresh corn tempura-ized in a square rice-crispy like treat. Plated with maccha salt on the side. Dip your corn tempura in the salt and swallow this wonderful tempura treat. - Kohada Sashimi: Sooooooooooooo good. Try it and you will understand. Apparently kohada, or gizzard shad, is a highly prized serving at Edo style sushi restaurants. The kohada is filleted and marinated in salt and vinegar. The key is the marinating time, which must be well controlled. Too long and the flavor of the fish will be overpowered by the vinegar, and the fish's texture ruined. Due to the many factors involved in creating kohada sushi, it is a selection by which the skill of a sushi chef is tested. So I'm told. I'd say they passed with flying colors. - Yellowtail roll: Excellent !!! - Uni: Fresh. Very good !!! - Seaweed Salad: Three types of seaweed. Refreshing with a nice texture. Best I've ever had. Thank you Jin Sho, and thanks to my friend for picking up the tab.
(5)
Mike L.
Love their lunch bento box. But if you don't show up before 12pm for lunch, then you will have to wait a bit to be seated.
(5)
Florence W.
It is not easy to rate this place. I really like the food here, they tasted awesome!! Recent visit was a little dissapointing though, the sushi portion has shrunk to half the normal size!!! The service, seating, timing of food to the table, are all problematic! I have seen customers leaving their table from waiting too long (after being seated), to customers being turned down at the front desk. It's too bad and too sad what is happening here. They either need to hire more help or have better management. But with more hire, means higher price on the menu. This place is very pricey as it is. Each nigiri is price per piece (instead of the usual 2 pieces) and the nigiri is now half the size of a normal 2 bite size. So I think the next time I go to Jin Sho, I need to have lots of time to wait for a table, and have lots of moolah, or not be too hungry, but how not to be hungry after the long wait? Beats me.
(3)
Tommy Y.
Lets be honest, half the good reviews for this restaurant are because people read that the chefs are from Nobu, so they just assume that its goin to be spectacular. The truth is, this restaurant lacks a lot of the creativity that makes Nobu what it is. The sushi is actually quite good. I ordered the kanpachi, hamachi, and a couple others and found it quite good, The cooked dishes were not very creative and can be found at numerous other restaurants around the Bay that don't have the pedigree of "Nobu" chefs, but are just as good. The primary two reasons for the low marks are the service and the pricing. Let me explain both. From the time I sat down, it was a good 10 minutes before we even were asked about tea or water, then the waiter finally came and asked what we would like to drink. After we said tea and water, it was another 10 minutes before anything came. The food took over 25 minutes to get here, which isn't horrible, but this is lunch and the restaurant was only half full at this point. At the end of the meal, for some reason I remmeber the price of one of the nigirils. The price they had charged us and the menu price was different. We were charged 50 cents more per fish. I know it may have been an honest mistake, and overall it was maybe only a 6 dollar difference, but there is a principal involved with this, and they have to be more on top of these things. Yet again, I feel like many of the reviews are people who are making an assumption about the quality of everything because of the chefs pedigree, but have not necessarily been impressed with the restaurant itself.....
(2)
Katie M.
The fish at Jin Sho is great (especially if you order sashimi and stay away from rolls, etc.), but we always think twice before heading here for dinner because the service can be so frustrating. More than once we have been told it will be a 15-minute wait for a table, but we've given up after 45 minutes. The food is reliably good, but definitely don't head here without a reservation if you are super hungry...
(3)
M K.
My husband and I wandered down to Cal Ave one spring evening, not wanting to deal with the parking and downtown scene. It was between Jin Sho and Bistro Elan (right next to each other). I had read some good reviews for Jin Sho and with the executive chef from Nobu, it would be pretty good. Yeah, no. The sushi was forgettable - no really, I can't even recall what I ate. The edamame was overcooked and mushy. My husband's chicken teriyaki was boring. Very un-hip. And the service was terrible. The infrequent interaction was almost welcome as our waiter made it seem like we were imposing on him. There are so many other better sushi places that I wouldn't even bother checking this place out. Too bad we passed up Bistro Elan for this. *yawn*
(2)
Vanessa L.
I've been wanting to try this place for awhile but finally got my chance last week. I'm not sure if I was expecting a fancier place or better food based on the reviews...but I wasn't that impressed. The sushi was good but not great...it felt like any other sushi place...nothing extraordinary. Like other reviewers, I found the seaweed salad a bit to slimy for me. It did feel like there was a raw egg in it, it was a bit too gooey for me. My friend and I weren't that impressed and probably wouldn't come back...but have to mention, if you do get the sushi sampler they do give you a variety of fish and not your typical maguro, sake, hamachi...definitely worth getting if you were to go.
(3)
Szilvia H.
Wow, this place has 3.5 stars on average. How is it possible? I read some of the 3 star reviews and it turned out that some people had too high expectation. Hey, this is not Nobu! Never wanted to be. Not the same style, not the same prices, so don't expect the same food, either. Palo Alto is not NYC but a small town where Jin Sho offers probably the best sushi around. The fish here is as fresh as it can get. They have some inventive, nouvelle cuisine-like dishes that are all excellent, but their sushi and sashimi is the real jewel. The service is great, the atmosphere is pleasant, the prices match with the quality. I definitively recommend to anyone who likes real Japanese sushi, rather then all kinds of Americanized rolls.
(5)
Yitao Z.
Really over-priced and over-rated...I tried Steve Jobs' favorite dish, the cod with miso sauce. Well, it is OK, but lacks the "WoW"... The Eel+Avocado is not bad, but again, not good enough. At this price level, I am looking for something special and unique and I couldn't find it here.
(3)
Jeff Y.
I got the price fixed menu with yellow tail and jalapeno, spider rolls, and black cod. The food was good, but I thought it was a little pricey for the quality and amount. The severs were super friendly and the food came out quickly. I'd give them about 3.5 stars, but I'll round them up to 4.
(4)
Meg C.
Ordered takeout. The sushi was delicious. A little overpriced. I liked the Stanford roll!
(4)
Lanee J.
Sushi is great and the lunch special is a great deal ($16 for Miso soup, 1 starter, 2 reg. rolls and dessert). Service is not great - I've gotten the wrong roll more than once and servers are generally inconsistent/inattentive. Highly recommend the seaweed salad, spider roll, and eel and avocado.
(4)
Meghan W.
Picked up 2 rolls, 4 pieces yellowtail sushi and 2 pieces of tuna at 6:45pm. We sat down at home to eat at 7. As I was about to take a bite of the yellowtail I thought it smelled odd but chewed and then spit it out. Tried the tuna and it was chewy & tough so I spit that out as well. My husband abhors wasting food so he ate his portion. It's now 11:30pm, he has been feeling sick for about an hour and just had it all come back up. Awesome, nothing like getting food poisoning when you were super excited for a relaxing night of fresh healthy eating. Will not be going back to this place. Zero stars.
(1)
Lis A.
A NOBU CONNECTION I was looking for a good sushi place for a team lunch and found that former Nobu chefs had opened Jin Sho in Palo Alto. We came here for a lunch and tried the omakase. Everything was nicely presented just like Nobu. The miso black cod was amazing and I also loved the sesame ice cream. I can have that every day! Service was very attentive.
(4)
Monica S.
Expensive and not so great. The Shawn was my fav but still it was not that great.. I spend $39 on 2 rolls and an ap.. Expensive!
(2)
Jonathan R.
I had lunch here a couple of years ago. And it was really very good. For dinner last night I took a friend from out of town to Jin Sho. And we were both amazed by the quality of the food. I ordered the A combo. Ceviche, duck, and eel sushi. My friend had the 8 piece sushi special. And we ended with black sesame ice cream and green tea cheesecake. This place is a true gem. Very decent food for the 20 USD price range. If this was in SF they could easily charge more.
(5)
Archie R.
You know how at the airport all the items are like 3x more expensive because they have you somewhat captive? Well, apparently, someone at Jin Sho thinks along the same lines. The yellowtail and jalapeno appetizer (recommended) came out pretty quick. That turned out to be the best part. Then, her udon dish came out while I waited for my food. Then we waited. And waited. Twenty five minutes later my food came out. The funny part? Her's was cooked. Mine wasn't. The next crap part was that my entire plate smelled pretty heavily of fish. While I am no sushi master, I do whore myself out to all things Food Network so I know that a "fishy" smell is not an entirely good thing. As I have stated NUMEROUS times in the past, I really don't give a second thought to the cost of food when it's deserved but... We got lunch, an appetizer, and sodas and the total cost, including tip, was over $80. I am thinking someone at Jin Sho was heavily invested in AIG and WaMu and they need to recoup some of that cost. It's good, but it's not THAT good. There are WAY WAY WAY too many other places out there. They take AMEX so at least I can get some points out of this overpriced fishy smelling long taking over hyped relatively mediocre lunch. Profit.
(2)
Jen C.
Got the 5 course omakase, which was tasty but somewhat expensive for what you get. I would go back, but for the price, I'd rather have a meal at the Village Pub or equivalent restaurant. The ambiance is somewhat lacking, though service was attentive, if not the best.
(3)
Kari T.
This is OK. Food is good, not outstanding, but certainly not 'average'. The sushi is the best - main offerings are a little heavy on the sauce.) My biggest complaint is on the service. On this last visit, after 30 min of sitting with no water, silverware or acknowledgment, I got up and started serving these things myself. That's when we finally got some attention and were able to place our order. Another 15 minutes went by, however, before placed drinks arrived. AGain, I got up to get them myself and this is when things moved along, So, what do you look for in a night on the town. Service? keep looking. Decent enough food? This will do.
(4)
David C.
Food by far was the smallest portions I've had for Japanese... Co-workers ordered lunch specials while I played it safe and got the dragon roll. Taste of the rolls was below average and the size of whole thing looked like it could fit in the palm of my hand. I know this is Palo Alto and everything is a bit more expensive than the south bay, but either the taste or the portions should made up for the extra $$...+2 stars for the somewhat cozy/clean/modern ambiance and friendly service... Seriously, the waitress must've filled my water glass like 5 times... with a smile...
(2)
Danielle B.
Ick. The sushi here is SO salty :P
(2)
C H.
First, I don't consider Jin Sho to be "expensive" - $$$$ - as I haven't come close to spending $60 per person for dinner ordered a la carte. The special Omasake menus are in that $60+ range, but one can easily have a satisfying meal in the upper-moderate range. And in reading some of the negative reviews, it seems some diners may have looked at Jin Sho to be a Special Occasion Restaurant, while I see it as a casual place to savor an intimate meal with foodie friends. Just so you know where I'm coming from... The atmosphere at Jin Sho is low-key and has a neighborhood feeling. I've found the food to be consistently fresh, tasty, and creative without overstatement. It's quite good - just don't expect a lot of fancy knifework or garnishes. The corn tempura sounds completely boring but is a wonderful surprise - innovative but not edgy. The freshness of the corn juxtaposed with sea salt and batter is delicious and unusual. (Be sure to devour these puppies while they're piping hot, or else you'll be nibbling on corn hockey pucks and have wondering what this review was talking about.) I've ordered the cod fillets and eggplant more than once - they're delish but (like the corn fritters) quite filling. Sushi here is fresh, straightforward, and reasonably priced; they do offer a few "fancy" rolls (rainbow, dragon, and volcano), too. The ceviche is tasty and complex - and probably one of the more adventurous dishes on the menu. Jin Sho is not Nobu. Or even Keygetsu, where I often feel compelled to indulge in their fab kaiseki meal. Nor does Jin Sho try to be anything it's not. Service is warm and attentive. I'll come here any day for simple, fresh, and authentic food that's a cut above other casual Japanese places in the same price range. --- Edit: Lower the rating from five to four stars. Had a few mediocre visits. So YMMV, as mine has...
(4)
Tyler H.
Awesome sushi on California Ave in Palo Alto. Jin Sho is easily on the list for top 3 sushi restaurants in Palo Alto. (The others are Kanpai downtown on Lytton, and Fuki Sushi in S. Palo Alto).
(4)
Perci N.
1. Completely overpriced. I've had better spicy tuna from the $1.99 Chinese sushi boat place on Clement. I don't care if your spicy tuna is ohtoro with caviar. The tuna smells and tastes rancid. 2. It's kind of telling when no one in the place is Japanese, and the waiter has never even heard of shouchuu. 3. The best dishes on the omakase set menu were the duck and the sea bass, both prepared Chinese-style... Jin Sho is the PF Chang's of "Japanese" food. End of story.
(2)
Marc Y.
OK, 13th time now... -beltfish(tachiuo) aburi topped with caviar, spicy oil sauce -aji sashimi two ways (plain, shisogoma) + aji hone -meso (young anago)/mushroom/shiso/onion+carrot tempura -mango miso-sauce duck with asparagus -sushi of torigai, mirugai, copper river king salmon, tai w/yuzugosho, magurozuke, shimaaji, ootoro, uni, kohada -strawberry panna cotta & goma ice cream I told Neko-san to put the duck dish on the menu. Let's hope he does!
(5)
Bill M.
Had dinner at this place with my wife, sister, brother-in-law and mother. This place is expensive. I single piece of Uni of $6!! I will admit the freshly prepared eel was awesome, but in the end the food just did not win me over for the price. If I want really good sushi. I'll go to Kitsho. If I want Isakaya style food I'll go to En.
(3)
James K.
I have a love/hate relationship with sushi. I love the stuff, and I hate the fact that I love the stuff. I blame sushi for preventing me from buying my dream watch (well, the one that's not 6 figures). I blame sushi for putting the Kid's college fund on hold. I blame sushi for turning me into a hamachi whore. And as it goes with my relationship with sushi, so it goes with my feelings for Jin Sho. The love/hate thing goes like this: On the one hand, Jin Sho has an impeccable selection of very fresh and very hard to find fish. On the other hand, on the night my friend and I were there, some of those listed items were unavailable. The chutoro nigiri sushi was exquisite, soft, buttery, melt-in-your mouth silkiness. But the actual slices of fish were minuscule and cut very thin. Where's the fish? Hamachi with jalapeno appetizer was competent, but how many times have variations on this fusion dish been served in other restaurants? I think Nobu Matsuhisa made this dish popular when he opened Matsuhisa in LA eons ago (I think he used hot oil instead of jalapeno pepper slices). I think we need to push the retirement button on that dish. Black Cod Miso, again, very good, but unique? Beef Tataki, competent....a bit on the gamey side. Definite plus with no reservations: One of the better selections of fine sake I've seen. Although Jin Sho doesn't have thousands of different types of sake, the ones they do have are more than top-notch. We must have finished off two full bottles and 1 demi-bottle....needless to say, we closed the place down. So why the fussiness? Why the haterade? It's not that I don't like the place, it's just that I can't justify the cost, and it can get very expensive here. I really wanted to like this place, but I think there's a little bit too much of the high-brow going on, as if the owners wanted to turn it into Nobu, Palo Alto. But it actually feels out of place on California Avenue in Palo Alto. In addition, they haven't been able to pay off on some of the details that make places like Nobu in NYC an institution, details like waitstaff that know what is and what is not available that particular day and who know the dishes by heart, pieces of fish that are cut to more "appropriate" sizes, dishes that inspire with originality or a witty twist rather than something that has basically been done before. Jin Sho is young, so there is time for it to grow. On the other hand, I hope the place is a lot busier than it was the day we went. Granted, it was a middle-of-the-week, but from around 6:00 PM to the time we closed the place down, there was a grand total of 4 sets of diners that day, the largest group being 4 people. I'm hoping business is a bit more consistent (ummm, marketing suggestion, a website and a much larger and noticeable sign wouldn't hurt). I hate that I don't love Jin Sho. It's almost there, but not quite there. As my friend would say: "I almost look like Brad Pitt, minus the good looks, plus 30 lbs, minus the money and the fame, plus I'm Asian." Uh, right.
(3)
Rain D.
went here for my b-day a few days ago, and had omakase again. It seems every time you tell them what time it is and you get something different. the third time, was pretty good! about half the items was soo yummy, the other half of the items were good but not as good as some of the other stuff we had before. if that makes any sense... can't wait for what the 4th time will bring. ^_^
(5)
Shweta V.
Sushi is always fresh. Two great appetizers - jin Sho salsa and yellow tail w/ jalapeno. Relatively standard rolls selection. I took away a star for the inconsistent quality of service.
(3)
A V.
The best Japanese restaurant in Palo Alto. I've eaten at Jin Sho many times for lunch. My favorite at Jin Sho is the miso black cod. The lunch entree order comes with two big pieces of cod, rice and miso soup. The spicy tuna rolls here are also the best in the area. The prices are normal for Palo Alto.
(4)
jon y.
This review is solely based on the lunch experience. If I were rating this place only on the food, I'd probably give it 3 stars. The service, however, is just toooo slow. Come on, it's lunch time! They gave us enough time with the menus for my mom and I to each change our mind 3 times over. The wait staff kept disappearing into the back. What, are they also the chefs?! Their food was alright. I got the ceviche & beef toban pre fixe menu. The ceviche was...not citrus-y enough for me, but good. The beef toban was quasi-tender, but I was definitely still hungry after. I also had some (read: quite a bit) of my mom's sashimi. the pieces were extra small and broke down like this: tuna = a little too mushy, salmon = nice and buttery, mackerel = pungent in a good way haha. their strawberry panna cotta was a pleasant little surprise, but again came only after I flagged someone down to get the check, by which time my mom had already left to go to the bakery down the street to get pastries (because she knew she would be hungry soon). Soooo she missed out on the best part of the whole experience. Wah wah. In conclusion don't come here for lunch unless you've got an extra long lunch break.
(2)
Prista C.
This place has the potential to be something pretty awesome but it's still undergoing some growing pains. The food was very good but maybe for this price range, I expected more. Presentation was simple and beautiful. Sushi was good but not exceptional. It might also be that I have a secret (and totally awesome) sushi place I go to in SF and nothing on the peninsula really compares. The food alone would garner 4 stars but I had issues with the service. First of, when you're paying $$$-$$$$ for a meal, once settled, I don't expect to be re-seated just to accommodate a later walk-in party. Pacing of entrees was slow, it took ~20 minutes for the simple appetizers to come out. Parts of the meal were forgotten and required reminder of the wait staff. Overall, good potential and a nice addition to the PA dining scene. I might check this place out again in the distant future to see how things have evolved, and I hope it is for the better.
(3)
Bryan K.
I really wanted to like this place. It came with such high expectations as I kept hearing that the chefs came from Nobu's in NY. Sadly I was a bit underwhelmed. A bunch of us split a few omakase and other appetizer dishes. BTW one omakase is enough for at least 2 people. It included nigiri and maki sushi, cooked dishes, and dessert. I was surprised to see that it included spicy tuna roll. WTH? I thought you make spicy tuna roll just to get rid of yesterday's stinky fish! I could make spicy roll from my nephew's dead goldfish and it'd be damn tasty. The black cod was perfectly cooked. One of the sashimi dishes had an overpowering citrus taste to it. The toro tartare was kinda stinky like, well... two day old mackeral as a famous Japanese food yelper would say. But overall I'd say the ingredients were fresh but the dishes didn't wow me. I wasn't impressed. P.S. Aaron dude I'm sorry... I must confess that I was kidding when I told you to order the Ozeki sake. No fancy pants Japanese fusion joint would carry Ozeki. I'm a bastard I admit it. 3.5 stars.
(4)
Stanley C.
Other than Fuki Sushi this is the only other place in Palo Alto I go for good sushi. I've eaten here many times for lunch and the sushi is always consistently fresh and delicious. The owners who are behind the sushi bar are true masters at their craft. the service here is always friendly and nice. It's too bad I do not work around there anymore otherwise I always go at least once a week if I could. Highly recommended.
(4)
David C.
I have been to Jin Sho twice for both lunch and dinner... The dinner shushi was very fresh and good but the lunch I had today was somewhat below average especially as they "mass produce and pre-cut" sashimi/sushi, I can certainly taste "fishness" rather than the jet fresh at KanPai or Fuki-Sushi. I had Omakase Sushi during lunch (same price as dinner) but the fish slices they used were "lunch" quality.... Their Daiginjo Sake sampler was good but I think KanPai sake sampler is much better and personal. Also order the corn tempura which is always good. I will certainly go back for dinner next time but not for lunch unless I have Americanized Maki for lunch as Jin Sho has been too "localized" to cater for maki customers.....
(3)
M T.
Wow, this place is amazing! I ate here for lunch and had the black cod. It was fantastic. It was cooked perfectly, with the most amazing miso-based citrus sauce. I couldn't believe how delicious it was. The service was good, the decor was nice and simple, and the size of the restaurant wasn't as big as I expected. The prices were more than reasonable for the quality gourmet food and unique flavor. Expect to spend around $16-30 (not including tip/tax/drink, and it depends on what you get) for lunch, if you just get one entree or prefix. Honestly, the food quality matched that of Japan's, and that is quite a rare feat. I will definitely be back and highly recommend this place, if you are looking for authentic-Japanese-based fusion gourmet food.
(5)
Feng T.
Does Jin Sho mean "hairy sushi"? I ordered sashimi, waited 20 minutes, but got instead sushi--with hair.
(1)
Eva D.
Ahhh, finally great sushi on the peninsula. I am a fan of really good, fresh sushi. I lived in Japan for three years and got accustomed to fresh, simple sushi. Although I've been to some amazing sushi restaurants in the City, I'm usually at a loss where to go on the Peninsula. Jin Sho is now my favorite sushi south of SF. Yes, it is more expensive than other places in the area, but worth it for excellent, well-textured fish.
(5)
David L.
Best sushi in Palo Alto. Sushi chef trained at Nobu.
(5)
Anh Thu V.
Having missed Jin Sho in its first year of operation, a friend and I went there to rectify our error. We started with several orders of sushi. Ichiro, the co-owner and chef, began with beautiful cuts of aji, shiro maguro, o-toro, uni, hotate, and some tiny fishes. Each serving of fish was amazingly fresh, melting almost immediately in my mouth. The uni lobes were smaller, well formed, and of a deep gold yellow in color, a bit different from the larger, grainier, pale yellow lobes that I have had in the past. Honestly, I was a bit concerned at first until I bit into my serving. It was meltingly tender, butterily rich, slightly briny, and completely free of ammonia! The same quality was inherent in the rest of our sushi order. Each piece was expertly cut and prepared. Few sushi restaurants served aji with just the right mix of freshly minced ginger bits and minced scallion. And the hotate was sweet and slightly crunchy, indicative of very fresh scallops. And the tataki-style maguro was seared on the outside then marinaded in soy sauce. The slices were deep red in color and tasted of rich beef. Its counterpart, the shiro maguro, was translucent and melted in my mouth. Absolutely amazing! Most sushi lovers judged a sushi bar by its rice and Ichiro's rice preparation was right up there: Slightly vinegary, slightly sweet, and a bit crumbly, completely unlike the gummy rice torpedoes served elsewhere. Since we were pretty hungry, we ordered the seaweed salad and three other main dishes to follow our sushi, including the Salmon with Jalapeno Sauce, Miso Grilled Black Cod, and Beef Toban. The seaweed salad was composed of three, maybe four different kinds of seaweed: Wakame, Kombu (?), Ogo (?) and a fourth gelatinous seaweed with just a hint of vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame seeds. I could practically feel the nourishment being absorbed by my body. :-) The salad was followed by the Grilled Salmon with Jalapeno Sauce. Served thinly sliced, slightly toasted on one side, the salmon carpaccio napped in a vibrant green jalapeno jus seasoned with just a touch of vinegar and a hint of sweetness, beautifully offset its peppery zing. Topped with slivers of garlic chips and mixed greens, it was one of the freshest, healthiest dishes I have had in a while. Totally inspiring! By the time the Beef Toban and Miso Grilled Black Cod showed up, I was feeling full. But they were so beautifully prepared that I couldn't resist sampling some...and some more...and some more. I have always been a fan of Miso Grilled (Chilean) Sea Bass when I first had it at Sushi Groove in the city, before the Chilean sea bass was placed on the endangered species list. Ever since, I rarely ordered similar dishes at other restaurants, preferring to keep my conscience clean and my memory of those smoky, umami-filled fish morsels pristine. ;-) The Black Cod fillets were flaky, moist, lightly basted with white miso, and perfectly grilled. Accompanying the fillets were slices of banana or plaintain fritters and some tsukemono. All in all it was a well-executed version of a classic dish, originally offered by Nobu himself. The Beef Toban arrived sizzingly hot in its covered ceramic dish. By then I was getting too full to do it proper justice. Bummer! Plus the Spider Roll, ordered somewhat impulsively by my friend - I mean, we were getting full, had arrived. I judiciously decided to devote myself to sampling it instead of the beef dish. The roll was classically executed, IMHO, down to its cucumber wraps. Most restaurants skipped this step, leaving out the crunchy element provided by the cucumber peel. Each slice was full of deep fried soft-shell crab, avocado, bitter greens, sweet rice, and crunchy cucumber, a symphony of tastes and textures! Of course we had to counter such healthy eating with some sake. My friend, having just returned from Japan on the previous Monday, ordered three different kinds of sake: Yuki, x, and y. Ichiro countered with a fourth sake. I am sorry but after a full flight of white burgundies and four sake, it was very hard to remember the individual sake served. Needless to say, they were great sake (that much I remembered). One was nutty, one was slightly sweet, one was clean yet possessed light-yet-haunting fragrance (wow, am I waxing poetics or what?), and the last one a blur! ;-) As a bonus dessert, one of the other chefs offered us the light-as-a-souffle Panna Cotta topped with freshly minced strawberries in its own juice. Fluffily light, slightly tart, slightly sweet, and completely unlike the sweeter, syrupier panna cotta catered to the American palate! All in all, it was a great dining experience. So much so that I am planning to go back soon to sample the Omakase Menu. And we invited Ichiro to go drinking with us tomorrow night in the city. Beretta, you guys better be ready!
(5)
mui chu C.
Love their sushi~~ Love beef tataki~~ Love their sake choices~~ Love their Tai~~ too bad they sold out Aji... will go back for omakase~~
(4)
J. B.
Had a nice lunch here yesterday. The place was packed so we waited about 10 minutes and got a seat at the sushi bar. Had some very nice sashimi, a roll and one cooked dish. The sashimi was fresh and the variety was great (including abelone). The place is definately on the pricey side but let them know you are a true sushi fan and let them take care of you. They know what they are doing and the fish is great.
(4)
Irene S.
Once in awhile, so bereft of sleep, my body relents to hibernation; thirty-six hours of don't-call-me-I'll-call-you, like Dead.To.The.World., I might as well be anesthetized. It's amazing, really, to wake up in the shadows and glows of street lamps peeking through the blinds with not a clue as to what year or time of day it is and certainly not a single worry or question except for the most important one, of course, which is, what to feed this hollow belly: Breakfast or dinner? Bellini or pinot noir? Bacon or bacon? Come Friday, I had seen the sun rise once too many times this week. A literal pain was crying out to play the social Flake card and book some time with said dormancy. Tempted to take a rain check yet again, I decided better of it and met a friend for dinner at Jin Sho. Good call, because this is possibly my new favorite sushi joint. Kiss Seafood and other more traditional Japanese restaurants are run by, arguably, traditional and frigid chefs - their frown lines deep and settled in, marked by how despotically they take their codes and craft. But the head chefs are so mild and good-natured that I'm won over by how they manage to move orders in the open kitchen without sacrificing their plating skills or abandoning their counter patrons. Observe how soft and limber Ichiro-san keeps his wrists when knifing, like a beauty queen waving in a street parade. We chose the mid-range omakase, and due to fact that it was our first visit, the chefs presented us with dishes (but nothing fried at my request) off the menu as a general sampling: wild toro tartare topped with caviar and a very sweet yamamomo served on a bed of shaved ice; wild seared sake with kaiware and a delicious onion-miso sauce; grilled marinated miso black cod; angus beef tobanyaki (sadly, came out too well-done for my taste); assorted sushi, including maguro zuke; miso soup; strawberry panna cotta; mango mochi ice cream The servers were top notch and attentive, refilling my tea cup just before I thought to motion. In fact, one of my guys left Sumika Los Altos to join the team at Jin Sho and as always, he was so nice to present us with a bottle of nigori sake off the menu. I recommend the hou hou shu sparking sake as a delectable complement to dessert. Unless you have a particular aversion to raw foods, my opinion is that the omakase (namely, the entrees) isn't necessary, but a great way to familiarize yourself with the real strengths of the menu. My next visit shall no doubt include a lot more sushi bar and sashimi selections, a special request for uni and a certain spider roll wrapped with a sheet of cucumber. As other people have described, if you're looking for a bit of pizazz and sexiness, the peninsula's version of a Jewel Bako NY has yet to make an appearance (*sigh*), but what Jin Sho does do right is serve wonderful quality fish and that makes it a jem it it of itself.
(4)
Andy C.
This place is delicious, been multiple times and have sampled sushi, appetizers and other items... All top quality. Giving 5 stars because they deserve a better rating on Yelp!
(5)
Jasmine L.
Their temporary, hideous red "Grand Opening" sign still hangs on the front door and is unappealing. The glass doors look like they've been installed there for years. You enter the restaurant and it feels a little more welcoming, but the dark furniture and bamboo benches and chairs gave me that bare feeling that they wanted to go minimalist on the interior decoration.... maybe zen, but I didn't feel that way. I went for their fixed lunch menu, which was a seared tuna salad and two sushi rolls for $16. My friend ordered the rainbow roll and an unagi nigiri. The sake probably made it a sweeter experience for him. The presentation of the seared tuna salad was nice, but the sushi failed to impress me with the over-seasoned rice and fish that didn't taste like the high-quality sea-sweetness you would get from a GOOD Japanese restaurant. Even though we weren't feeling too full or satisfied, we decided the food didn't warrant ordering more. A little disappointed, for sure. I was excited to try this place but it failed to impress.
(3)
daniel j.
Went here for dinner last night. It was pretty empty, but then again, it was a Monday which are typically slower nights. Since this was my first time here, I had the sashimi dinner that came with a good assortment. The quality was definitely there as well as exceptional cutting skills. However, I thought the $26 was a little pricey for the quantity as a sashimi dinner alone will not suffice a hungry stomach. The interior was nice and the service was good, but then again it was a slow night. I definitely want to try this restaurant again and explore there menu. I'll follow up on this one.
(3)
Nobu K.
1, I am speechless with the dish. 2, I am speechless with the 2 chefs. ( both from Nobu N.Y) 3, I am speechless with the wait staff. 4, I am speechless with the *real-live-Unagi. 5, I am speechless with the real- Miso soup made from scratch. 6, I am speechless with the great tea. 7, I am speechless with the nice clean counter & interior. 8, I am speechless with the Petaluma Chicken. 9, I am speechless with the Sushi-Neta( fish) and Shari( sushi-rice). 10, I am speechless with the service. 10 star, period. * importing live eel from Japan! This place doesn't use frozen Unagi. I have never had the Unagi the way prepared like this place. In the menu, there is a Sushi-dinner, 28 bucks with 10 Nigiri with 1 Tekka maki with miso-soup. Coincidentally, the chef was making it when I was looking the menu. The 10-Nigiri + 1 Tekka for 28, about 2.20 each? ( 1 Tekka is 6 bucks) That's a bargain! With the great fresh fish in there! When I said that to the chef, he was glad to hear that 28 is seems high for a sushi dinner but 2.20 each is cheap. He said that the fish he choose are very pricy. I can tell the pricy fish by just looking at the Nigiri. There are plenty of Sushi-Nazi-chefs out there and said, " I make Traditional Sushi in Authentic Japanese way. So you must appreciate the Sushi I make!", kind of attitude. And they go on to say, " I don't make ANY Jive Ass Rolls because That's not Authentic Sushi, period!". Man, they are such a dickhead. They are all themselves, such a self centered and living in their own kitchen and they think they know everything about Sushi in their own small mind. And, I agreed with them, but now I am sorry. Yes, I am sorry. I said it out loud! This is my 300th review and I am sorry that I was such a hard ass MXXXXX FXXXXX. But not anymore because these 2 great authentic sushi chefs from Japan have the rolls in the menu and told me that, " if it's good, it's good. we are open for any thing new and we are not afraid to try it." There are 3 different level of Omakase-dinner. $60, $75 and $90. We had Omakase-dinner $75 per person. I'm not go into the details but we got way over our limit. Satisfied with Full stomach and No Regret! It was a great fun educational dinner. There is open kitchen you can see it from the counter. In the kitchen, there were 3 Latino guys working very hard. I think the 3 guys are going to learn the real thing. I do wish them good luck because they are the next generation if they can keep up, and that's the only way to be a good sushi chef. P.S., Please see the other reviews especially Ken K, Dan V and KQN for good detail information. P.S., they have pre-fixed lunch, $16. And NO BENTO-BOX! The chef said," I don't want to do "Bento" because Bento is originally take-out thing in Japan so it should not serving inside of restaurant because it's all cold food." Yes, he is right, Bento means take-out. I'm just tired eating Bento inside of restaurant anyway.
(5)
Paul W.
Quick version: Not cheap and not bad. If you have a vendor taking you out for lunch of dinner, this is a pretty good call. We got the $70 omakase menu which was the middle priced one I believe. It was a pretty good amount of food. All of the food was very good, but when we go back we will focus on the sushi. Decent selection of sake to go with the fish. And the hamachi belly really was to die for on this particular night at least. The decor was not on par with the prices and food quality in my opinion. Service was great for us but it was pretty new and nearly empty, so we got a lot of personal attention from both owners at the sushi bar. We will go back.
(4)
Mami T.
The complimentary edamame, which tasted horrible and old, was already a bad sign....in retrospect. Four of us went here tonight, and three of us did Omakase. OMG. Spend that money somewhere else. Kaygetsu and NamiNami are not that far from here. One of us did a la carte, and I think that was a smarter way to go. Basically, I don't get the hype. The food was good, but not THAT special to hint any affiliation to Nobu. Certainly I would have never guessed that their chefs were from there. There are many Japanese restaurants that offer decent fusion, and Jin Sho does not shine out from them. (a private note) P.S. Thank you, Spice S.
(3)
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Address :454 S California Ave
Palo Alto, CA, 94306
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Chris J.
Yet another underwhelming California Avenue restaurant. Even more troublesome here is the value. Sure, it's decent sushi, but it's priced like excellent sushi. Service was meh. And Steve Jobs doesn't eat here anymore. Not sure what Mr. Perfectionist was so excited about. No real desire to go back.
(3)Cupie M.
It's more like 2.5. Very disappointing - way overpriced, very slow service and bad executions on almost all dishes. Do not order Omakase. Normally, when you're dining at an upscale Japanese restaurant (or really good sushi restaurants), Omakase is a way to do it - but not this place. We ordered their $95/person Omakase menu and was very disappointed. We also ordered some a la carte dishes as well, and nothing was outstanding. Their sushi is very small and very mediocre - sad. Sure, their dishes are nicely presented, but that's all there was to it. This probably is the chef's preferences, but seasoning were too strong and killing flavors of all the ingredients and that really bothered me. It seems like they had better reviews few years back, so maybe something changed along the way. Maybe I'm being too harsh, but with the price tags that came with all the dishes, they really need to perform better than this. With almost the same amount of money you'd have to spend here, I'd recommend going to Nami Nami in Mountain View instead - or better, Wakuriya in San Mateo (if you're lucky enough to be able to make a reservation).
(3)Frosty D.
First off: WAY OVER-PRICED!!!! Ok - so let me explain. This place is in silcon valley, so good japanese restos abound, and there are a lot of options. in practically every good japanese place, you can get 2 (read again - two!) pieces of amply portioned nigiri sushi for between $4 to $6 depending on the fish and resto. Jin Sho charges pretty much the same price for a SINGLE piece of nigiri sushi! Is it huge? NO. in fact, remeber those doll houses with tiny furniture? well that's what their sushi and sashimi portions are like. the sashimi portions has two slices, each one slice about 3mm thick (that's like a little less than a 1/4") about 1 1/2" long and 1" wide. TINY! OK, so the portions are tiny, and certainly can't justify the huge price premium. so is Jin Sho's sushi amazingly better than anything else around? NO - its the same. OK - so that's it as far as the price angle. Net-net, this place is amazingly LOW value for money, and you can get the same stuff for less at any good sushi place in PA, MV and Sunnyvale. The rest.....well, there was two japanese guys in the kitchen, and all the rest were hispanic. didn't inspire the same confidence than you'd find in more "authentic" japanses places. the decore.....mmmm....its fine. period. the service....its fine. the other dishes (we had adegashi tofu, corn tempura, chicken teriyaki) were.....fine (although there was no tempure sauce served with the corn tempura). overall, the rest is....fine. nothing special, nothing terrible. Oh....one last beef. one thing japanese places know how to do well is serve you a nice ice cold draft beer. this place serves the beer in a regular non-chilled glass. dissappointed. :-( net-net, will not go back (ever) and will stick with other well-proven and good places like sushi tomi in sunnyvale ( yelp.com/biz/sushi-tomi-… ) or yume-ya ( yelp.com/biz/yume-ya-sun… ), hanamaru ( yelp.com/biz/hanamaru-su… ) or the really good tanto ( yelp.com/biz/tanto-japan… ), all in sunnyvale.
(2)Angel A.
Their Omakase is absolutely delicious!!!
(5)Eeway H.
Surprisingly, Jin Sho was not up to par on my first visit. Though service was attentive and quick, the food was mediocre at best. Our orders consisted of Pris Fix B - Yellowtail with Jalapeno - Miso Black Cod - Spicy Salmon Roll Pris Fix B - Tuna Sashimi Salad - 5 pc. sushi - Shrimp Tempura Roll Kamonann Soba Yaki Udon Kanpachi Sashimi Tai Sashimi The first dish on the scene was the yellowtail with jalapeno. Three thin slices of hamachi splayed across a large plate with a small round of jalapeno. The fish was well cut, buttery and nicely balanced with splash of yuzu soy. (4.5/5) The second was the Tuna Sashimi Salad. The portions were good, but there seemed to be an excessive amount of pepper which overpowered any flavor present in the dish. (2.5/5) Then came the Yaki Udon. The bubbling hot noodles may have been the best course. The udon was nicely crisped, yet delicately smooth. (4.5/5) The Kamonann Soba was rather ordinary. It was, however, nicely displayed. (3/5) The Miso Black Cod, the specialty of Jin Sho, was cooked quite well. The fish flaked in the right way, providing a very nice bite. The amount of miso sauce, like the pepper in the tuna salad, was a bit excessive. (4/5) The 5pcs of sushi may have been the worst choice of the night. The salmon was not very well cut. Our slice managed to have a very large bone in it. (2/5) The rolls were not wrapped very tight and were a bit messy on the display. (2/5) The sashimi was fresh. The quality and cut of the fish were surprisingly good when compared to the sushi in the Pris Fix meal. Maybe a different chef prepared the sushi? (5/5) Overall, our tab ran about 120 (including tip). The service and atmosphere were wonderful while the food was a bit lacking. On a random note, their miso was piping hot (something I enjoy quite a lot).
(3)John H.
Good execution on all the food we had. Fish was fresh and that is a big part of eating sushi... right? The Veggi rolls had plenty of veggies, the scallop roll was tasty. I just wished we didn't get the sizzling stir fried udon. It looked and smelled impressive, but it was just okay. Over all a good experience.
(3)Stanford M.
Good place for a date. The presentation was excellent, and the prices are exorbitant. Unfortunately, I can't say that I thought it was that delicious. However, this would be a good place for a date night, as it has a relatively fancy, upscale feel to it.
(3)JJ L.
3.5 stars, close to 4 but not quite there. Overpriced. Trying too hard to be like Nobu NYC in its menu. Oh wait, this is what it used to be like. This place has majorly improved the dinner menu and the pricing. Good fish, good setting, consistently good. Just misses the 4 star mark for me since there isn't anything here mind blowing, but the sushi and udon here are very very solid. You won't be disappointed. I recommend this place as a nice sushi dinner date place over basically any other Palo Alto sushi place.
(3)Liustanley L.
Sorry. Disappointing Sushi Special. Would prefer Sushi Sam's in San Mateo
(1)Sherri C.
I met a new lunch buddy here and we both ordered the lunch deal. Of the choices, we ordered the same: tuna tartare salad and miso black cod. Okay, it was only lunch, but I still expected more from a Nobu-based establishment. Perhaps my palate is more like a grizzly bear's... preferring the raw, naked goodness of the fish, allowing for its true quality to stand out, rather than the heavy-handed sauces and flavors that seemed to mask the tuna and cod. I love miso-marinated cod, but Jin Sho's was too sweet and did not feel light on the tongue as it should have. My lunch buddy was from Hawaii, and had looked up Jin Sho on Yelp as soon as I had suggested it to her. Based on these two qualifications alone, I suspect that she knows her fish! She said she enjoyed her meal; however, it was our first time meeting and she probably would have said the same thing if we had eaten at Happi House. If I dare to have dinner here, you'll be the first to hear about it in an update.
(2)Matt V.
This one was difficult for me to make a rating choice. My finger hovered over the mouse button, torn between four and five stars, but after much deliberation, I settled on four. There were a few parts of the experience that kept me from giving the perfect five-star review, namely that service was a bit on the slow and inattentive side and that the first course I had left a bit to be desired. Since five stars on Yelp means "Woohoo! As good as it gets!", I couldn't in good faith claim that this place was "as good as it gets." But let's stop fixating on what went wrong, and instead highlight what went right, and thankfully, there is a lot that Jin Sho does right! The restaurant itself is pretty simple; a long sushi bar lines the right hand side of the restaurant, while a very limited number of tables and booths occupy the left hand side of the restaurant. Simple wooden chairs and tables are preferred over anything ornate or fancy. No real frills, but just a simple elegance that exudes the restaurant. Service was quite friendly, although it was difficult to flag them down, and they seemed a bit forgetful. They completely forgot to bring out my miso soup, and I had to explicitly ask for it AFTER my first course in order to get it. Also after the first course, they disappeared for a very long time before finally coming back and asking me "Hey, are you ready for your next course?" uh, yeah, I've been waiting long enough for it! Then at the end, I waited quite some time before I could get the bill. So, service is rather inattentive, but there are some brilliant dishes that make up for the deficiencies in service. I ordered off of their prix fixe menu, and started with the ceviche. I just couldn't resist it as Peruvian ceviche is one of my favorite things in the world. That said, it's usually a mistake to order another country's cuisine at a restaurant that specializes in a certain nationality; ordering a Peruvian dish at this Japanese restaurant was no exception to this rule. The dish itself had a good enough flavor, although it seemed to suffer an identity crisis. There wasn't nearly as much sourness from the lime and lemon juices as there would normally be in a Peruvian ceviche, and it also wasn't nearly as well spiced as it would be in the traditional dish. I realized as I was eating it that perhaps Jin Sho was keeping the sourness and spices mild in order to highlight the freshness of their seafood (which certainly was fresh), but it seemed spiced just enough that it was covering up the fresh flavor anyway. It seemed as though Jin Sho couldn't make a decision as to whether to highlight the freshness of the seafood or to bring out the spices, so it attempted to do both, and in the end, did neither particularly well. It's unfortunate, but the dish was still good enough, and I really liked the sour flavor in it (even if it was a milder one)! Following this came my Miso soup (which came out only after I prompted them). This was perhaps the best Miso soup I've had anywhere, and it was very flavorful and put together quite well. Kudos to Jin Sho on this one! My next two selections came out together; for those, I selected the roasted duck breast and the spicy tuna roll. The spicy tuna roll is one of the better ones that I've had. Very flavorful and very tasty. The flavors came together perfectly, with a nice balance all around. Very tasty sushi! Again, my compliments to Jin Sho on this one. The roasted duck breast, however, was absolute perfection. It was served with a sesame miso sauce that really made the dish. The duck itself was very tender and very flavorful, an exceptional flavor all by itself. But then when you added the sesame miso sauce, it was just brimming in rich flavors. I cannot recommend this dish enough. Their spicy tuna roll and, especially, the roasted duck breast get my very highest marks, and they are really the reasons why I was torn for so long on whether to give Jin Sho four or five stars. For those two dishes alone, Jin Sho deserves a perfect five star review. But these two dishes alone are not enough to overcome the slow service that forgot part of my order until I prompted them, nor is it enough to overcome the ceviche that was good, though certainly not perfect. Service was the tie breaker for me, so I ended up giving four stars. I'd still definitely recommend Jin Sho, though, if you're looking for a great Japanese restaurant at a great price. The prix fixe menu I ordered from didn't even cost $20; it was all for $19.75.
(4)Jennifer O.
Went here for the bestie's bday. The good: The broiled eggplant. Holy crap. If I could live on that stuff I would. The Kitchen Sink Roll. The favorite of everyone at the table. The Ambience: Clean, modern, small without being cramped. The Bad: Service was slow, one of our orders got messed up, and the waiter was either intimidated by the fact that we were drinking and forgot what was on the menu, or he just plain forgot what was on the menu. It was busy, and all's well that ends well, but it was still a little odd. It's expensive. 60-80 dollars/person. Granted we were drinking, but we didn't go crazy. Everything was delicious and we had a great time, but still. The portions were pretty small. I'd come back again for a special occiasion or a date. Joy is still my go-to on the peninsula.
(3)Katherine P.
I was expecting a bit more oomph when I came here. It's probably my fault for not ordering the omakase...but I think you should have a well rounded restaurant that doesn't only shine with the omakase. I had the sashimi dinner, which came with hamachi, tuna, salmon, shrimp, scallop, maguro, red snapper, and something else. The fish was decent, but it didn't scream fresh to me. I was missing the delicate flavor that a lot of these fish are capable of. The salmon tasted totally off to me, like something wasn't quite right with it. That being said, I did enjoy the corn tempura (a novelty, I never see this at other restaurants). Crispy and sweet, with a dash of salt. Some of the tempura pieces were overly salted, though. The best things I had there, incidentally, was the tamago (lots of egg, little rice) and the complimentary bonito that the chef gave us. That last dish was amazing, and made me wish the rest of the meal was that wonderful. We finished with some green tea ice cream, always a winner. Service was available but not in your face, and the sushi chefs were nice and cheery. If this is really a Nobu type of restaurant, it makes me wonder about whether Nobu is similar or better.
(3)Ken K.
3 visits later after the first lunch review, I'm going to have to go against the Uncool Aid, Haterade, and Bash Brigade. To me the 5 star part of Jin Sho goes no further beyond the sushi bar where the best spot is in front of owners Kaneko-san or Ichiro-san, and engaging in deep, and sometimes not so deep conversations with them alongside the meal. Some of you prefer to be aloof with your friends in a corner at a table, and that is fine. But that is what I would deem the gray and shady areas where I do have to be honest, that as of a prior visit in January, service was still something that needed much improvement on. Perhaps this has become better, we shall see. The owners not only handle sushi, jive asstastic rolls, they are also in charge of cooked food orders, appetizers, and plating (in addition to sous chefs helping out). But the reason for this 5 star update? It's because of a nasty bit! So some of you know that Jin Sho imports live anago (sea eel) from Japan yes? (Admittedly, not everyone's cup of tea) And they prep and filet the thing from scratch, steam the meat until it is a tender consistency, then serve it with yuzugosho or just the classic brushed anago sauce (nikiri). Well what right minded old schooler Asian would waste the less eaten parts of the fish? Kudos to Kaneko-san for asking me if I wanted to try anago liver. Without skipping a heartbeat (or a liver for that matter), I said yes! But I did ask how he would prepare it, in case there was some cool fusion prep involved. But no they stuck with the classics. It was either 1) Kushiyaki - rubbed with salt, grilled & skewered (supposedly goes great with sake). I suppose you could find something like this at Saizo in Sunnyvale (unagi liver skewer), but a fresh sea eel liver, as fresh as it gets? This should be worth trying! or 2) blanched till soft and done, in clear broth which is dashi (a consumme of bonito flakes and kelp). So option two it was, and it was gooooooooooooooooooooooood. There was something very simplistic and somewhat homey and low key about this that spoke to me. Better than home made spinach and pork liver soup. The liver had no funky taste whatsoever, and Jin Sho's in house dashi shiru was supreme. This was quite a combo! So yeah, skip the miso soup and get the sea eel liver clear soup instead. Other post first visit highlights from what I can remember: Organic salmon - farmed salmon that is given organic feed. This is not wild salmon. It is brined a certain way that still retains full form and flavor. Normally I skip it but it was interesting Kinmedai (alfosino) - the bestest and sweetest cuts are near the belly and with the skin on. Nuff said. They were thinking of sourcing kawahagi (filefish) last I spoke to them and also know about serving its raw liver on top :-) Hope they get it in. maguro zuke - consistently impressive. Still surpasses Kitsho and Ino. kohada - a bit on the salty side, but additional marks for presentation as they take the time to braid it ankimo - honestly have not had it, but they steam it themselves and hopefully will try it next time. fusion sashimi - they blowtorch seared a white fish sashimi, arranged the thin slices on the plate to look like flower petals, then dashed some oil, a hint of shoyu, and a bit of spices over it that somewhat resembled the taste and the texture of Cantonese seafood restaurant style steamed deep sea fish! Memorable but maybe not something I would order again.
(5)Sabrina W.
best place to get sushi in my opinion for palo alto. Nothing beats this place
(4)Nic B.
The service was great and the presentation was beautiful, but the portions were really small and the fish was of average quality. I got a sushi lunch platter and half of my fish was of low quality and some pieces had a "fishy" taste. I ended up paying $50 or so for two lunches and left hungry. I am a girl and not a large eater as it is so that shows you how little the portions were. The only reason why I am giving it three stars was the server was really good and nice I got really fast and good service.
(3)Cindy C.
Last night's dinner was beautiful. But my expectations were high and prices were high and tastes didn't live up. So, 3 stars. The appetizer, "Jalapeno Dressing with Salmon - Served with mizuna green & garlic chips", was really pretty and rather tasty. But the garlic chips were too burnt and bitter and didn't add to the dish besides making it pretty. I ordered the sashimi dinner. The fish was fresh and delicious, the only negative I can think of (if you can count that a negative) was that all the fish pieces were really fatty which made it hard to finish. I would have liked more refreshing pieces mixed in, I guess. Henry got the "Angus Beef Tobanyaki - Cooked on a hot "Toban" plate with garlic sauce" was not as flavorful as it was beautiful. Overall we had a great time. Just not overwhelmed with amazement like we were when we went to Nobu.
(3)Jon K.
I lived in Japan for 8 years and have had the opportunity to dine at some very nice places there. And I worked in 2 sushi-specialty restaurants in the past. And I must say that I have NEVER had better sushi than at JinSho. Very fresh fish - some of it straight from Japan. And quite a variety as well.
(5)Brendan B.
I am not a yelper... I do not yelp... and until now my use of yelp has been selfish, mooching of of other people's reviews while denying them my own secret favs. This is one of my secrets, though the secret is getting out, so I might as well tell everyone... Jin Sho is hands down the best sushi you can get in Palo Alto and possibly the peninsula as a whole. That's really the entirety of my review. Founded by two former Nobu Head Chefs a few years back, and brought a combination of their own traditional style and a little Nobu fusion influence in the seasonings for their nigiri sushi and the outcome is artwork. It really is. Sit at the sushi bar in front of Ichiro and watch him meticulously craft each piece and you'll know I'm not lying. Chat it up with Noriomi, who has been doing this a long time and knows everything. I recommend just going there and ordering nigiri omakase. Tell them what you can handle in terms of sea food, and just trust the chefs to design an amazing meal tailored to your likes and you will have some of the best morsels of food you've ever had. Ignore the soy sauce for the most part, it doesn't need it. Everything is perfectly seasoned. Ask for a pairing for sake, and everything will be that much better, including your night!
(5)nic b.
POORly TRAINED SERVICE... 3 of us dined here. Two of our meals were delivered 15 minutes before our son's who ordered a pris fix meal. The waiter responded to us that it is completely acceptable for their restaurant to deliver pri fix dinner entrees later than the rest of the party BECAUSE those meals come w the salad before the meals. HUH???? We diplomatically shared with him how we prefer receiving our dinners at the same time as it's part of the enjoyable dining experience. Annoyingly, he continued to stand by his rationale. Pathetically comical. Mind you, we would have been fine that our son's meal was coming late as long as the waiter didn't appear so ridiculously macho! As for the taste of food, it's not your authentic Japanese.
(1)Mel S.
Jin Sho's literally 'OK'...fish quality is decent, price is on the slightly higher side perhaps due to the location. The chirashi is decent, not sure about the rest. It's not a place I would dine at unless I'm just in the neighborhood which I often am these days.
(3)Mari M.
Granted I came in to Jin Sho with high expectations given the pedigree of the executive chefs ... but I was not impressed. I have only been here once so I may give it another chance, however, based on the sub-par chirashi (bland rice & not fresh fish), I am hesitant to step foot in again ... at least for any sashimi or sushi items. If I were to go again, I would try the Japanese "fusion" cuisine and cooked items instead. In terms of service, it was average. Unless you are stuck on California and craving Japanese, there are much better choices a short drive away.
(2)Robert B.
This place was the best in Palo Alto when the opened a few years back and the are STILL THE BEST. The freshest fish around and damn, what a selection too! You gotta sit at the bar and interact with the sushi chef if you wanna have a shot at getting the best. It's the Japanese way if you want serious sushi, so get with the program. The guys at Jin Sho do it right. Perfectly seasoned rice, expertly sliced fish, and everything is super clean. The staff is super friendly, save for one large awkward waiter who only works a few nights a week. No customer service, no smile, and gruff personality. But no big deal, the sushi masters run the show, serve the best sushi in town, and thats all that counts. If you put in an ounce of effort and show them that you really want to have a good experience, you will be rewarded 10 fold with some awesome food. Enjoy!
(5)Superduperpooperscooper T.
Impressed that you can get this level of sushi on our little quaint California Ave.... I particularly like the spider roll. I know, i know....dont lecture me! The miso cod is good and incredibly buttery. The toban I liked but the BF didnt. Good, fresh ceviche and rock shrimp salad. Oh, and if you ask for the panna cotta to go, they refuse to scoop it out for you. They'd rather YOU deface the product yourself. ;o) That's culinary integrity for you!
(4)G N.
I came into town for my 4yr old niece's birthday party - and after a loong junkfood filled day, was looking forward to a much more adult meal. So after putting the pizza-and-cake-fueled kiddies to bed, my sis, bro-in-law & I snuck off to California with Bistro Elan in mind. But when we arrived we discovered that it was closing time and we were refused entry. We then peered into Jin Sho next door and they were still open, so we went inside and got seated. My sis and I both had the pris fixe meal "B" which is a good value at 24.95, and split a sake tasting. The food was melt-in-your-mouth delish! Everything was extremely fresh and thoughtfully prepared, and like the others we can't rave enough about their miso blackened cod. I turned to my sister and exclaimed "wow, this is as good as Nobu's!" before I realized, wait, the head chef dudes ARE from Nobu! You've got to try that delectable dish, you absolutely will not regret it! As for the service -- we got there when they were getting ready to shut down and go home, and we were their last service. They could have rushed us and done the minimal, but they didn't. They let us take our time reviewing the menu, ask questions, and the food was still expertly prepared and served. They were quite attentive throughout without hovering. We did not feel rushed at all. Sis-can't wait to go back on my next trip up to see you guys! :)
(5)Kit W.
This restaurant is a VERY strong 4.5 stars. I can't quite give it 5 stars, because I just don't give out many full 5 stars. It's very good. Definitely nothing wrong. We had the $60 omakase each. The staff was extremely polite even though we came in 45 minutes before closing. The waiter was nothing but polite, and our dishes came out quickly but were never rushed. The first course was a hamachi with caviar in a wasabi sauce. Very tasty, but not incredible. The caviar was a nice touch but it didn't have a whole lot of flavor. Second course was a salmon that was absolutely fantastic, some of the best salmon I've had from the texture, to the perfect knife work, to the taste, etc. mmmm. I was really happy with this dish, even the peppery greens served with it were fantastic. Third was the langustino/Rock Shrimp tempura. These were good, definitely nothing wrong with them, and the spicy creamy sauce was great. The tempura batter was a tad too thick (which was good because it made them stay crunchy) and tempura batter to rock shrimp ratio was a bit too far in favor of the tempura batter. Rock shrimp can be ultra tender with a really nice texture, and these were just a step below that. 4th was an Alaskan Black Cod, and I'm nitpicking here, but the marinate was a little strong, Black Cod is one of my favorite cooked fish and it has a fantastic flavor in and of itself. This mustard/sweet rice wine was a little bit overpowering. The texture was very good and it was cooked ideally, with a nice crust on it. 5th was the sushi. mmmmmmmmm. Mega yum. Extremely fresh fish, perfectly cut and soooo tasty. Mackerel, then Sea bass, then more salmon and my favorite, kan pachi, and then a marinated tuna. All were awesome. Dessert was really tasty too, a strawberry topped panna cotta, and a scoop of black sesame ice cream. Both were awesome, really nice textures and subtle but palate cleansing flavors. If I went back, I'd probably stick with just sushi and a scoop of black sesame ice cream. :) Still, definitely a great introduction!
(4)gabrielle s.
Jin Sho was disappointing. After hearing wonderful things my husband and I headed there for dinner on a recent Thursday night. The service was inconsistent and sloppy. While the fish was definitely high quality, the presentation and preparations were nothing spectacular. The pricing seemed very inconsistent with the experience. We'll give it one more try for lunch service, but have definitely lowered our expectations for jin sho.
(2)Masaru S.
Thus far this is the best sushi bar that I've visited stateside. They serve contemporary fusion works for cooked dishes but the sushi is still prepared with great tradition. I've read some of the complaints here but most of the reasons are cost associated (everyone has their own view of cost vs quality) or they don't understand that when you go to get sushi you sit at the sushi bar and eat...yes...sushi...and you do it with some self-respect and patience. Our sushi chef for the night is known as Neko and as mentioned in other reviews he is from Nobu's in New York. The choice and maintenance of the ingredients, the cutting and handling skill, the rice quality, the ingredients, and the overall presentation was wonderful. I've not had such a good experience in the United States besides Sushi Ota in San Diego. This even rivals places I've been in East Asia for quality. I particularly enjoyed the lobster sushi (and watching the preparation of the very slightly seared lobster meat with the roe), the live eel and the anago together, the ocean trout, the uni and ika uni together, and watching the chef secretly down Kohada while preparing our own. The staff were very polite and quick which positively added to the experience. I would encourage other "epicures" to give it a try at least once. It was well worth our while because I live on the peninsula and the travel time is relatively short.
(5)Ryota T.
I went there last night with my wife to celebrate her birthday and I have to say that I was disappointed. We ordered the "Omakase" course for $75/person, and what we got was worth much less. The food is good, no doubt, but the service and presentation is not worth premium price. I am Japanese from Japan, and I wasn't impressed with some of the food they served. Some could be easily prepared at home at fraction of the price they charge. I also ordered a Woolong Tea (I can't take alcohol), and I saw them pouring the tea from a bottle of common Woolong Tea you can get at any Japanese market at $4 (for 2 Liter bottle). Non-Japanese would probably enjoy the food, but beware, you are being ripped off.
(3)Bob S.
Not horrible, not great. Understaffed, a bit slow. If you happen to be passing by and want Japanese food, it works. Otherwise, you can safely give it a miss.
(2)Chloe H.
There were 6 of us &we've tried a bit of everything. Nothing spectacular. Nothing worth for me to go back again.
(3)Greg G.
Short Review: Awesome! Go there now Long Review: I saw this place on "Hot on Yelp," and while on my way home tonight stopped in. Omg soooo good. It was empty when I first entered so I thought it was closed but I was overwhelmed with how greeted I was. I never know what to order when going to a restaurant so I usually ask the server or host. Well luckily, this place has that option on the menu already, its a little pricey but it was a really good experience. I ended up with the blackened cod in a very yummy miso sauce, and the shrimp tempura in an awesome spicy mayonaise that put it over the top. The service was great. My server was very kind and very conscious with what I liked and didn't like. I don't know how helpful I was though since it was all awesome. Garnish or not, I used everything on my plate to soak up everything on my plate. They have a special lunch menu too with what looks like really good values for your buck. I hope this place isn't just this good on first visit. I want to actually come back there again soon. Again if I didn't mention it, I loved this place.I got to convince some coworkers now to make a drive down during lunch someday.
(5)Shinji K.
As a Japanese, I felt meals served in Jin Sho were not Japanese foods but American style Japanese foods. But, still everything I ate there was delicious. It's a bit expensive, though.
(3)meg g.
I'd say 30% of my experience here was worth the cost. The concept is there, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. No doubt that these fellas know how to do sushi. The volcano roll was pretty yummy and the other 4 pieces of nigiri I had were tasty. The items from the kitchen were a disappointment. Not much in the way of actual taste. It really was a let down. California Ave. sure isn't NYC so I suggest they check their pricing, it's a bit out there. Oh yeah, they kept trying to clear our table before we were done with dishes. It drove me nuts! Sorry guys, I won't bother going back :(
(2)Super S.
I was really excited about this new Japanese restaurant in Palo Alto, but this place was a little bit disappointing. I expected kind of fancy place because I saw the ads on Japanese free paper, Bayspo, which said "chef from Nobu" and seemed like nice atmosphere. So, it was suppose to be good and cool place, but.. Nice atmosphere inside, but crappy entrance, just like an office. We had a seat near the entrance, and when people came in and went out, it was cold and even windy... That place was noisy, too. The food is good, but not great. They did not have a big selection on the menu. They have more like regular dinner menu, not for drinking. Menu itself felt cheep, just a piece of laminated paper, not like heavy bound menu. It is like "teishoku-ya" in Japan. I ordered Grilled Miso Marinated Black Cod, which was good. But I had to order miso soup separately which is weird for Japanese food. My husband ordered Teriyaki chicken, which was ok (he said), but I did not like it. Actually, next table had sushi, which looked good. So, we should might have ordered sushi there. Edamame was on the house, it was good since I am edamame lover :) The staff is nice, but slow.. So, they gave us free miso soup for apology. Overall, it is just a regular Japanese restaurant. Actually, the pasta place next to Jin sho looks more attractive. We will try it next time.
(3)Joachim D.
In brief: Go here for a delicious sushi lunch. Make a reservation if you can. I came here for dinner and liked it enough to come back and try lunch a week later (both times with 2-3 friends). The restaurant was fairly full both times. We were able to get tables quickly, but they seemed to expect people to come in with a reservation. We sat outside in back for dinner - not the best environment, but it was a warm night and a bit more privacy was nice. The tables inside (where we sat for lunch) are rather close together. The "sushi lunch" was a better deal than picking out the equivalent sushi pieces a la carte (not surprisingly). The assortment was tasty, but if you want some of the more unique sushi pieces you'll need to order them on the side. The sushi was delicious and presented well. The miso soup was fine.
(5)Peggy R.
Just discovered this place and what a find. I ordered the chirashi and others in the party ordered the dinner pris fix and the sushi special. None of us have any complaints. Staff did a great job. For northern California, this is the best we have tried. Not a big restaurant so reservations probably a must.
(5)Kevin C.
I heard the word that Nobu NY rocks some serious japanese awesomeness. Then I read a review that 2 chefs from Nobu came here and opened their own joint called Jin Sho And that is why I wanted to eat here. Girlfriend and I tried out the omakase deal, because I like being surprised, it makes really good food, even more spectacular. And that night, whoa. Here's what we got: 3 oysters with 3 different sauces - fresh but not memorable, but then again I'm not much of an oyster guy, Heather loved it to pieces. Kampachi with onion sauce and clover leaves? - holy goddamn this was so good, soft buttery ass fish. It's always interesting to see what ingenious chefs come up with. Tempura rock shrimp salad - ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yes Miso glazed black cod - soft, succulent, light but present flavor, eating with rice is a must Sushi plate - toro, which after 3 tries including this one, I am giving up on it, I'm just not feeling the tuna belly(or fat, or whatever), I love fat, don't get me wrong, but...just not quite clicking right. Then Trout(?) which really looked like salmon, I'm thinkin I heard wrong but who knows, freakin chefs from nobu! Then White tuna(mmmm) mirugai(clam...ehhh) and yellowtail, which was a lot more chewy than I thought it should be. not the highlight of the meal, but still pretty good. So, I love it, it's good. damn freakin good. mm mm good
(5)Becky H.
I was excited to try Jin Sho - as I love Nobu and saw that many of my favorite dishes had made their way onto Jin's menu. Unfortunately, it wasn't so good. The edamame were mealy and luke warm, the rock shrimp were nowhere near as good as Nobu's and the sushi was just so-so. It also took a long time to get our dinner. So, the search for good sushi is still on...
(2)V J.
The food was okay, but not very memorable and over priced for what you get. Though there are some dishes that remind me of Nobu, the dinner overall just wasn't "amazing". The server was attentive and helpful tough. I'd say that I'd rather go to Gochi versus Jin Sho again. The two dishes that I did like were the toro tartar with caviar and the yellow tail with jalapeno.
(3)Patrick G.
Jin Sho's food is excellent. Just had takeout for Friday night dinner with the family, and it was a home run from start to finish. Let me break it down: ordered at 6pm - they told me to pick it up at 6:30pm. Food ready on time. Check. Now to the food: (1) Miso black cod: yes, this is awesome. Not exactly the same as the bowl-you-over Nobu experience, but damn good. I could eat this every day. (2) Yellow tail with jalapeno appetizer: paper thin hamachi slices with a tiny, viciously spicy pepper slice on them. great, just great. (3) Volcano sushi: never had this before, but it is a salmon roll with salmon cooked on top of it (I think?!), and it makes a totally-bored-with-salmon guy like me reconsider my fish preferences. Really, really good. (3) Corn tempura: kind of like buying state fair food at a sushi joint. What's not to like? Sure it is sweet and a wee bit oily, but it is good. (4) Shrimp tempura roll: here we step slightly down into a "this is a good shrimp tempura roll" territory. It was good, but I have had better. (5) Tamago: hey, my kids like it. (6) On top of all of that, we ordered some extra grilled peppers as a side dish. Yum. So, conclusion: excellent food, promptly prepared. No comments on the atmosphere other than eating at home is always a joy.
(5)Kelly D.
Amazing...so fresh, so tasty I was blown away by the cleanliness of the restaurant and the freshness of the food. The House Salad was mixed greens with a light soy dressing and my sister enjoyed the Miso soup. We ordered a variety of sushi and tried the Rock Shrimp Tempura it was all Delish! The staff was very polite and attentive. We looked around at other orders coming out of the kitchen and can't wait to come back next week to try other menu items. My sister is a Sushi Connoisseur and was beyond pleased with our lunch. Actually, I think we'll go after work so we can enjoy some Saki! Whoa...almost forgot to mention for this very filling meal and assortment of Sushi we left very satisfied and the bill was under $30 bucks. Chop Sticks down this is the best Sushi I've had Peninsula and in the South Bay.
(5)Ricky L.
Tried this place for the first time the yesterday expecting a decent upper scale type restaurant (given by their high prices). I arrived with reservations (for 2) to the restaurant (it was less than half full). I was not very impressed with the decor or atmosphere. It looks like a great mom & pop sushi bar, but not one that will charge and offer a $100 prix fixe. But I digress, after being seated at a table for two, an hour had passed by before I received my first appetizer, which happened to be sashimi. How hard is that? Cut it, put it on a plate, garnish, give it to me. It does not take a genius to accomplish this in under 1 hour. The main issue was the lack of experienced servers. There were two sections and three waiters. One waiter handled the sushi bar, the other two handled the tables (where I was seated, approx 5 tables for 2 and 1 table for a 10 person party). The two waiters served the table section together, waiter 1 explained to me that kitchen was being held up by the large party, while waiter 2 came along to ask me if I had even ordered and if so, what i had ordered. Yes, he asked me 1 hour into my dinner if i had yet to order... astonishing isn't it? When the food finally arrived, I admit that it was good, however their tactic to have me salivate for 1 hour before serving me any food earns them a craptastic 1 star. If you want great service, great food, great decor, and at half the cost of this joint, goto Gochi in Cupertino but stay the hell away from this piece of shit establishment.
(1)Hayley S.
Terrible Service and the fish was NOT that great! I am such a lover of good sushi and I was so disappointed with Jin Sho. First of all, the service was terrible. The woman who helped us was so unfriendly and just plain miserable to be working. Then, once the fish came more disappointment. The fish was dry and the rice was sticky...like a gel was in there. I was so sad, b/c I love Fuki Sushi and Zushi Puzzle (SF) and I was hoping this would be another favorite. I had heard some great things and it was not worth my time or money.
(1)Mandy H.
Excellent selection of fish. The lunchtime atmosphere is nice - I think they don't use artificial lights and just rely on the windows and skylights. Nice touch.
(5)Dave N.
Hyper-expensive sushi without hyper-great quality. I may not have eaten at Nobu, but even I can tell when the salmon is just a bit "off." At Sushi-a-Go-Go or similar-- fine. At this place, for $3-4 per piece? Nah... Tempura wasn't crunchy enough, either, and the Volcano roll was... cold. Not recommended-- either go downmarket and pay ~50% less, or go eat at Kaygetsu and pay more. If I try it again, I'll be sure to sit at the bar and order directly from the chef.
(2)Raena S.
This is my new favorite Sushi restaurant. A few friends of mine recommended Jin Sho, and I (a frequenter of Sushi restaurants) came and was not disappointed. Their sushi is really the freshest around, and their rolls are decently priced for such high quality fish. I've sat at a table and the sushi bar, and both are great experiences. Sit at the sushi bar if you go with just one friend--it's fun and they make a lot of really fun, creative dishes in front of you. If you go with two or more people, get a table. And try their spicy tuna roll!
(4)Paul R.
Disclaimer: I've come here exclusively for lunch, so have no idea what the dinner experience is like. --- So, I'm all about a splurge now and then, and this place is definitely in that category. Let's just get it out of the way now: minus one star because I'm pretty sure you could eat supermarket sushi off a hooker's tits for less than you'll pay for just the fish at Jin Sho. Actually, minus 0.9 stars for that and minus 0.1 stars because their lunch service is a little on the slow side, even when the place isn't terribly busy. (I can't penalize them more heavily than that because they are keeping me away *from work* after all.) You do not have to spend $70 for lunch here. You certainly can, and I'm willing to bet it's fabulous -- but the $16 "sushi lunch" is a nice selection of nigiri plus a spicy tuna roll, comes with miso soup, and gets the job done just fine. However, tax and tip means it's still a twenty dollar lunch for one, and I doubt you'll make it out much cheaper even if you skimp on the ordering. Nevertheless, it's great sushi. Great enough to make me wish for an expense account so I can justify visiting more often. ("Sushi lunch" would be a lot easier to sneak past the accounting guy than "mammary gland rental fee", at least.)
(4)Tony Z.
I saw Steve Jobs here once. I believe this was one of his favorite places for lunch. If you are a big Apple fan, you might want to pay Jin Sho a visit..
(4)Mailee H.
Wonderful, high-end sushi restaurant! The cuts of fish were perfect and traditionally correct, and the otoro...oh, my mouth waters just thinking about their otoro! Seriously, try otoro nigiri here, because this is honestly the only place that I know of that sells it. Most places sell chutoro, which is of lesser quality, though it is also delicious and expensive. This place has the real deal! We had the $75 omakase and an order of assorted sashimi. Perfect, lovely and delicious. If you're going to come here, order an omakase. The dishes are absolutely divine, unique and still rooted in Japanese cuisine. And the berry pancotta at the end was decadent! The ambiance was pretty typical of a "fancy restaurant;" low lights and modern decor. The waitresses were okay; really not quite up to par with their food. One was very sweet, but the other was unaccommodating and borderline rude. I wanted to sit at the sushi bar, but the night we went was apparently reserved by several large parties, so we were relegated to a different table, and then switched to ANOTHER one during our meal! Kind of rude, but I guess we weren't as rich as the other customers. Oh well, the food was great! I only give this four stars because I'm terribly poor, and this place is only worth it if you're willing to spend around $50 per person. It's certainly "executive class" pricing!
(4)K L.
We had a very nice dinner here. It's a small restaurant with nice decor & cozy place. They have nice sake flights and good choices of sakes & other alcohol drinks. I think their sake martini is the best, even better than having vodka (grey goose) martini. The dishes are smaller portion than other places but I think it makes up on quality. We decided to order sushi/sashimi rather than have their well known omakase meal. We were glad we did because sushi were so good & fresh. They also make really good sushi rice which is a must if your eating chirashi & nigiri. Believe me, bad sushi rice can ruin a great piece of fish. We started with few apps, - Rock shrimp tempera with mayo base sauce. Very good, light & crispy... Kinna teaser with having only tiny piece if your sharing. - Kitchen Sink Roll is a must order dish!! 6 pieces and so worth it. - dragon roll. Now this roll is the smallest dragon roll I ever seen... But it still tasted really good that I didn't mind the smaller size. I rather have quality food :) Main dish: - Chirashi. Very fresh and big portion for the price. - nigiri dinner special. It comes with 8 pieces nigiri & 1 roll of spicy tuna roll. The spicy tuna roll was little different but made such a big difference in taste. The tuna was not drenched with spicy sauce but perfectly spiced with diced green onion on the outside of rice. - ordered different pieces of sushi from the a la cart menu. Each order comes with ONE piece, not two. Toro, hamachi, sake, fresh unagi etc... All were fresh & delish. Our young waiter was very nice & attentive. I will be back as regular now.... :))
(4)Zach S.
Went with a friend and tried their Shawn roll (baked scallop & shrimp with crab, avocado), and the miso soup and thought it was all pretty great. The scallops were probably a little overcooked, but overall I really enjoyed the roll and would order it again. The balance of the ingredients tasted great. The miso soup was really quite good as well - steaming hot with a very bold strong flavor. I'll be back!
(4)Devyn P.
Came for lunch. Great Uni, you can tell alot about a place by the taste of this. It was excellent, great experience overall.
(4)Mymy T.
Good place to dine with friends. The food is consistently good. The black cod is outstanding, and the sake selection is quite nice and extensive.
(4)Erin J.
I would call Jin Sho okay.......I had a better experience at lunch than I had at dinner. My hubby and I came here on a rare date night out. I had made reservations in advance at the sushi counter and when we arrived promptly for our reservation, we could see there was counter seating open. However, it must have taken them a good 10-15 minutes to seat us. During this time, people who came in after us with NO reservations were being seated ahead of us. Not a good start. Once we were finally seated, our server did provide good service. Another blah was the food. The agedashi tofu we ordered was cold in the middle. This is a definite Japanese food NO-NO!!! My Japanese father says that is always the test of whether it is a good Japanese restaurant or not. Also, the sushi - while the fish they use is fresh, the rice they use is very cheap. Trust me, the quality of the rice makes a huge difference. I could tell immediately...the sushi falls apart and the rice just does not taste good. I hope the restaurant invests in using better quality rice. Disappointing since the chefs are apparently from Nobu.
(2)Harper L.
I cannot comprehend why this place is popular and why one of the most thriving cities (Palo Alto) in America still to this day, has no decent Japanese restaurant. I also don't believe this is a Japanese operated business--far from it. ****So TDLR; it has lost its far east flavor in terms of service and quite possibly, food quality. ***** Jin Sho is a travesty. I have been here three or four times this latter part of the year and the service is to be abhorred. The servers are in dire need...I repeat-- dire need, to be trained to have sensitivity to service and an eye for professionalism. Honestly, here is a disconnect between the staff and the environment food like this should offer. Let's begin with the welcome. He nonchalantly _pointed_ at my party and the party behind us, waving his hand all the while asking if we have been helped. Then, he says something along the lines of "You all, follow me." Typically, higher end restaurants seat each party individually. It took what seemed a century to get his attention when it came time to order and even then, communication was difficult. While the sushi is mediocre, the plating was far from impressive. I ordered uni with quail egg (which was pre-popped), kanpachi, mirugai and blue fin. That is about seven pieces of sashimi and they were all crammed on a tiny dish not much bigger than one used for two sashimi. So much for presentation. My mother ordered Nabeyaki udon which was searing hot. Searing hot is not a bad thing for most dishes, but in this particular instance, it allowed the udon to be overcooked and borderline soggy. Come time for a check, my mother's credit card was promptly plopped into the waiter's shirt pocket while we had no opportunity to review our bill. Extremely rude and unprofessional service.
(2)Surita G.
I was craving Miso Black Cod after being blown away by the dish at Kumi at Mandalay Bay and heard it was comparable here. Met a friend here for an early dinner. Service was good (didn't feel rushed, everyone was polite, courses came out when they should). We had the Yellowtail w/ Jalapeno as an appetizer and it was amazing. Fish was very fresh, the flavors were clean and vibrant. Had I not had the Miso Black Cod @ Kumi, I'd probably be thrilled with this one. It was VERY good (just not as good as that one). Sake Sampler was great- good range that allowed us to get a good feel for the different flavor notes. Didn't love that the tables were so close together. I felt like I was in the middle of the awkward bickering between the table on my left and nearly sitting in the lap of the woman on my right. I'm friendly, but I have no desire to get that intimate with random diners around me, so I'm deducting one star for feeling cramped.
(4)V A.
The worse japanese meal ever!!! Owner and staff very rude and rough, terrible customer care and service, my son, 5years old, told the waiter not to throw the glasses to hard on the table!!! Food mediocre for a nobu chef and for sure not japanese style (I have lived in japan and I cook japanese daily at home for all of my family). worse miso soup in my whole life like they had washed some dishes in it. If you are looking for japanese hospitality and experience go somewhere else, highly overrated!!!!
(1)Christina G.
I really didn't understand why people loved sushi so much -- until I came here. To be honest, every other sushi location I've been to has just fallen short. The quality here is superb, the people are very friendly, and the prices (although a bit on the high side) are quite reasonable for the excellent quality food. My favorites: -- salmon sashimi ^_^ -- blue fin tuna sashimi -- yellow tail jalapeño appetizer -- salmon hand roll -- rainbow roll -- dragon roll -- black cod dinner entree I'd highly recommend this place. If you plan to go on a busy night, you might want to call in for a reservation since the restaurant itself is not that big and is often full (a good sign, of course). There's a beautiful outdoor seating area in the back, but I think it's only used in the warmer months. Anyways, give it a try! This is by far the best sushi I've had.
(5)Kristina C.
This place is the best. You have to know what to order and you have to sit at the bar. This isn't somewhere to go and order rolls although their rolls are quiet good (especially the volcano and spicy scallop). Nigiri is their specialty, sit at the bar and order omakase with the chef. Also the kitsune udon is amazing!!!
(5)VB L.
The food is delicious, delicate and just the right amount of yummy goodness for a lunch without having to take leftovers away. I ordered from the lunch pris fix menu - Tuna Sashimi Salad and Black Cod. The salad was fresh, and the tuna was seared and seasoned nicely. The cod was lovely, cooked to absolute perfection and served with a side of pickled something or other that was quite tasty too. It came with a side of rice, miso soup and a cute little dessert cup. It was pricey, but that's Palo Alto and the food was good.
(4)Pamela H.
Service is inattentive and slow. Server felt the need to practically stick his fingers in my food while pointlessly calling off the names of each sushi, came within an inch of touching it. That was rude! Sashimi portions are minuscule and $5 for one piece! Will not come again.
(2)Cat H.
We came here for dinner with a group of friends on a weeknight. We didn't have reservations, but they were able to seat our group while we waited for the other members of our party. The restaurant isn't that large, so it looked pretty full during the time we were there. Seems like a popular place! We went with the prix fixe menu and a couple of rolls, the dragon roll and the rainbow roll. Both were pretty tasty and it was filling. Also got to try the miso cod, it was delicious like everybody says. Wish we could have gotten more! We also got the corn tempura, which was interesting. Not bad, but a bit too much batter for me. Service was pretty good, they came around a few times to keep our water glasses full and check in on us so no complaints about the service. Overall, a pretty good experience so I would come back.
(4)Jesse W.
I came here based on a recommendation from "Ken" of Yelp message boards. My goal was to find a place with Japanese sushi chefs where I could enjoy some fresh cuts of sushi and sashimi. I'd say Jin Sho half delivered on that. While I was researching the restaurant, I noticed many Yelp reviewers complaining about the service at the restaurant. I decided this could be overlooked if the meal was worth it. Sure enough, we entered the restaurant, and just stood at the hostess' booth for a couple of minutes before somebody finally came to ask if we had a reservation. After we were seated, we waited at least 5-10 minutes before our waitress came to take our order. There was no introduction or small talk, just all business with "can I take your order?" I order the Sushi Dinner entree, and my wife ordered the Chirashi. We decided to start with the Oyster Bar appetizer, which arrived maybe 15-20 minutes after ordering. The oysters were pretty good, but a bit smaller than I was anticipating. It would be another 10 minutes or so before our entrees arrived. Actually mine arrived first, followed by two miso soups a few minutes later, and then the chirashi a few minutes after that. This was strange because the table next to us got their soups pretty much right after they ordered. I would say that overall, we were happy with the cuts of fish in our entrees. However, we were pretty disappointed with the quality of the sushi rice. It was a bit dry, and not really seasoned like what other high quality sushi restaurants would offer. This was kind of a deal breaker for us. -1 star for service -2 stars for poor sushi rice +1 star for good raw fish We would much rather go to our other favorite places such as Tomisushi in SJ/MV or Yuki Sushi. I was hoping that since the head chefs were Japanese, this place would have been more authentic. Not trying to be discriminatory, but upon noticing almost no Japanese or Asian customers and mostly non-Japanese staff I was pretty sure this wasn't going to meet our expectations.
(3)Pam M.
Came with party of 4, had high expectations but was slightly dissapointed. Ordered their specialty dish, udon noodles, miso, sake, an assortment of rolls and sashimi for the table. Ended up spending near $200 for the group and while the udon noodles were good, I was not impressed with thw shushi or the other dishes. The rolls had too much rice and sesame seeds, the fish itself was okay.
(3)Mona W.
Jin Sho had been around for a long time. If not for Steve Jobs, it probably wouldn't have gotten the attention it deserves. Jin Sho defines itself as a restaurant that serves 'executive class Japanese Cuisine'. It is a fairly accurate description. Jin Sho is a place you can get an elegant Japanese courses meal. It is, however, more than just another overpriced restaurant where you can expense your company paid dinner. The food was good. The chefs came from Nobu so the style and presentation shown some resemblance. Price is slightly expensive for everyday lunch but the omakase is a real treat. For smaller eater, the 8pc sushi special of the day would make a good healthy meal. I had never been disappointed with the quality of their fish. It is always fresh with no cheap filler items. Black Cod With Miso is one of their signature item (also Nobu Matsuhisa's) and it is a must try if you never had it before.
(4)Cheryl E.
We've been here a handful of times but last night was our last. We were celebrating a birthday and had a reservation at 8 pm. When we arrived (a few minutes early) we were told that we would have to wait "a while." The service only got worse from there. Julia, our server and the original person who welcomed us messed up our order, was scattered and provided awful service. The chirashi bowl had very thinly sliced fish that tasted off. The sashimi was sliced paper thin - I've never had sashimi sliced this thin before and felt ripped off. We waited over 40 minutes for a dish that Julia forgot and she never checked in with us once we received our food. We're sure that other sushi restaurants in Palo Alto will welcome our business so we will never be returning to Jin Sho.
(1)Pierre B.
3.5/5. -Sushi and apps were okay. -Sashimi was cut far too thin; it was like mini sushi -Rock shrimp tempura were decent, although I've had much better at Kiraku in Berkeley. ---The Black Cod was flavorful and on par with Kirala's, although much pricier. At this price point, I prefer the entrée at Sushi Ran in Sausalito. -New Style Sashimi felt a bit small. Not much flavor since slices were so thin. -Dining companion was not a big fan of salad; said it was drenched in dressing. -Roll was good, but we expected a bit more for a $12+ roll. I believe we ordered the Volcano roll. -Sushi rice could have been a bit better; it was a bit dry when I went. Jin Sho is conveniently situated on California Avenue. Service was good and most of our dishes were beautifully presented. If you're looking for Nobu-style sushi and dishes, you don't have much other choice in the area, so I find myself coming here from time to time. However, I wish they were a bit more generous with some of their portions.
(3)Randy F.
Chirashi Chronicles #18 **3.5 Stars** I've been to Jin Sho a few times, mainly for dinner, and always found it a good, albeit very pricey experience. Given it's non-downtown location and the fact that it's not in the City, I've always found the prices a bit out of line for the area. Nonetheless, the fish quality can be quite high and the food can be very creative. Perhaps in a move to capture more of the clientele around the area, they've made some changes to the menu since the last time I came and it's especially evident at lunch. There are numerous lunch specials and the prices are perhaps a better value. After finding another restaurant closed on Monday, I decided to finally stop by here and try the chirashi. I've tried the chirashi at most of the Japanese restaurants in the area and Jin Sho was perhaps one of my last missing pieces. As I waited for my order, the place quickly filled. It appears that the place has hit it's stride with the lunch crowd and it's an eclectic bunch. The seats were all soon taken in the dining room and the sushi bar. As for orders, most I'd say were ordering off the lunch specials, but some did indeed also order off the nigiri menu which is still crazily priced by the piece. My chirashi bowl soon came out and its nice that it's accompanied by a nice bowl of miso soup. The fish selecion is quite varied (I counted 8 types) and it included the typical maguro (tuna), yellowtail (hamachi), sake (salmon) and tamago (egg). Other nice additions included ikura (salmon roe), ebi, and I believe saba. Everything was quite fresh although the slices are quite thin and pretty small despite the good variety. At $21.95, the chirashi here isn't quite a bargain, but overall, not a bad choice given the much pricier choices. Jin Sho accepts credit cards, including American Express.
(3)Karen G.
The only consistent complaint I've heard about this place is the terrible service, but they still haven't done anything about it. I've had lunch here several times but dinner for the first time recently, and the service was somehow even worse at dinner when there's less of a rush than at lunch, for this Cal Ave restaurant. We had a waiter change halfway through dinner so we had the pleasure of two surly attitudes for the price of one. The first waiter got my husband's order completely wrong, and the second waiter finally brought his dinner entree without the soup or rice that comes with it and asked if he needs the rice (as if it's a burden for her to get this essential part of his meal). He never even got his soup. I asked the first waiter about a birthday request and apparently he didn't tell the second waiter. When I asked her if the first one mentioned it, she briskly said 'I don't know anything about that.' She also took a very long time to refill our empty soy sauce, so I had to snag a bottle from the bar, and never checked up on us voluntarily. We had to flag down both her and the previous server (who never told us about the swap in servers, by the way), for a total of 4 or 5 issues over the entire dinner. This restaurant is really small so it's even more absurd to have such a lack of attention from the wait staff. Not letting us know about the change in servers was extremely unprofessional also, since we kept craning our necks looking for him when we needed our water refilled or proper orders brought to the table. The food was very good though! That's the only reason why I suggested this place, along with a belief that the wait staff at dinner might be better than the lunch staff. If you want to dine here, take these suggestions: 1. Double check your order with your waiter. Don't assume they know the menu and visually point at the item on the menu for the waiter. This still only guarantees about a 70% chance that they get it right. 2. If you need something, just flag down any waiter around you. Don't try to be polite and wait for your waiter to check on you. 3. Bring someone that looks wealthy with you. 4. Bring a Nalgene bottle of your own water if you prefer to have more than one glass of water per meal.
(2)Kiersten M.
Love this place - the volcano roll is excellent. Can't go wrong if you want freshness
(4)Jenn D.
I had the Chirashi. The fish was fresh, the rice was tasty, and the presentation was nice. It was a little pricey, but I would eat here again.
(3)William C.
The sushi is average. It's ok but not great. The service can be very long sometimes.
(3)Kristina L.
The sushi was ok, nothing spectacular. The rice used was an oddly brownish and a little tough. It made me wonder if we had ordered brown rice, but I'm pretty sure that's not an option. We had this tuna sashimi salad and a roll with spicy scallop on top and those were both yummy, but avoid the imperial roll. It's just a strange mix of flavors. The sashimi was cut extremely thin to the level of stinginess, but tasted fresh. Tempera appetizer is well prepared but is priced by the piece. 1.50 for a piece of fried broccoli? This seems ridiculous. Service and atmosphere are both very nice. Overall, I probably wouldn't go back.
(2)Michael Y.
Not very good. Would have thought a restaurant in this location would be outstanding. The rice was wrong. The fish not very fresh. Service mediocre. Not terrible. Just not good.
(2)Elsa C.
I give them 4 stars because of the new waiter who is not familiar with the restaurant menu yet; otherwise, this place deserves a 4.5 stars for quality of food and unique preparation of fusion Japanese dishes. The sashimi are good and fresh, and the sushi rice are seasoned with a right touch of sweetness and rice vinegar...everything look like a piece of art when they get to our dinning table.
(4)Ellen R.
it was an okay experience. I think they use different freshness of fish when they serve different type of dish. When my friend ordered the sushi, I tasted it, I felt it was alright, some of the salmon tasted very dry. But then I ordered my yellow tail sashimi and bass sashimi, it was very fresh and good. So I guess they don't have consistant standard of quality of food they serve. Good luck! I doubt if I would go there again. But their dessert was good and worth trying.
(3)Andrew B.
Jin Sho was evidently Steve Jobs' favorite, so I guess I'm no Steve Jobs. I've been to 4 sushi places on and around California Ave, and this rates 4 of 4. It's not bad , necessarily (although I did have one item in a recent visit that was flat out bad), it's just not that good. It's also quite expensive. I'm not sure if the place has gone downhill since Steve's notorious attention to detail departed, or if has maintained its standard, but I'll argue better places have recently moved in.
(3)Tressym W.
Came here on a Tuesday night for the first time with co-workers. Excellent service, food was delivered timely without being intrusive. Huge selection of high quality fish. Neatly innovative in some area, such as a mackerel sashimi, Japanese Salsa Salad with a ceviche type quality to the flavor, seaweed salad with five types of seaweed, and several dishes for those who don't prefer fish like lamb and chicken. Also the saki menu was extensive compared to other local Japanese restaurants. Everyone in our party was pleased, and looks forward to having more business dinners here. Cost was on average about $50 per person with a split bottle of saki, (more for those who ordered several sashimi specials, and less for those who ordered a single dinner entree).
(5)Victor C.
Treated friends here because this Sushi restaurant was Steve Jobs' favorite sushi place. The Pris Fix is not bad while the box is also good. Miso soup is yummy. The service is a bit slow because it's very crowded at lunch time. This is a good place for meeting friends in Palo Alto.
(4)D B.
I want to love Jin-Sho; I really do. It's right down the street from where I live, so I'm predisposed to like it. The last time I went there, it was pretty good, mostly because it was free. This time, it wasn't so impressive. Good service, not great. Good sushi, not great, particularly for the price. My yellowtail sushi had a large bone in it; so did my yellowtail roll. This has never occurred to me before, even at hole in the wall sushi restaurants. Sushi was fresh, sake not that great. Would come here again, if someone else were picking up the tab. There are better sushi restaurants in the Bay Area at this price point (Sushi Main street, Fuki Sushi, and more).
(2)M. B.
Our experience in short: strange service but solid food. When my fiancé and I entered the restaurant for dinner on a Saturday, it took ages for us to get seated, even though there was no line. The host stand was empty, and after someone finally did come and assure us we would be seated right away, it took another several minutes for them to do so. Our waiter at first was very abrupt, but over the course of the meal he opened up, smiled warmly, and was timely - so I have to give him credit for that. The food was solid. We both chose the prix fix menu: among our dishes - spider roll, spicy tuna roll, tuna sashimi salad (yum!), black cod, ceviche (also yum!). The miso soup was also good. The rolls were good but not special, next time I would try nigri/sashimi or other dishes/salads. I would return for the food but not the service ... so as I live close-by I would probably go back :-)
(3)Michael W.
Got Prix fix with Cod, Salmon skin, and Yellowtail. Also got live octopus. All pretty decent. Tried my friend's toro tartare
(4)Cindy T.
My coworkers and I came here for lunch. We arrived around 11:45am and were seated right away. The place is small, so it filled up quickly after. We started off with the ceviche which was so tasty; I just wished portions were bigger! The special bento of the day was agedashi tofu and gingered pork (10 servings per day), but we all skipped on this. We all decided to go with the pre-fix menu ($16.50) which allowed us to pick two items from two groups. I ordered the jalepeno yellowtail and sashimi for my two items and they were fabulous. It was super fresh and really light. It was accompanied with rice, miso soup and dessert (strawberry panna cotta). Not bad at all. I'm not sure why Jin Sho only has 3 and half stars. I was really satisfied with the quality of the food we got and I wouldn't hesitate to come back. So much more to try!
(5)Vinh L.
Sushi and Sashimi Fans! Jin Sho is still by far my favorites place to enjoy top quality Sushi and Sashimi! My preference is sashimi and I'll tell you this place has never let me down on each of my visit. I have been back here almost once per week, mostly Friday for lunch with co-workers and most of them gave me a thump's up on the quality of the food. I have been here so many time and from my preference of food choices, the master chef now knows me well and all I have to do is sit down and he work his magic on dishes like these...see pics. Jin Sho is a must for Sushi and Sashimi's enthusiast
(5)M N.
I go there regularly. The food here is amazing. I think this is the best sushi place in Palo Alto. the Saki selection is also very nice. The service is mediocre. I wish they would pay more attention cleaning their tables as it is always sticky!
(4)Mark C.
Don't just take my word for it -- the entire Smule office loves Jin Sho! When we vote Jin Sho for dinner, it seems everyone suddenly becomes more inclined to stick around and work late! The rolls here cover a wide gamut from quirky and fried to more traditional rolls. While their traditional rolls are great, I'm a sucker for their more unique rolls. The Volcano Roll is a spicy tuna roll covered with salmon and spicy mayo, baked to perfection. The Sharks Roll is a spicy deep-fried roll that reminds me of my favorite comfort sushi restaurant: Cha Cha Sushi in San Jose. The Imperial Roll is a tangy fried roll with a bread crumb nori wrap. The Stanford Roll (you might've heard of this university) is an eel/avocado roll covered with spicy tuna. There is never much room left after I go through all of my favorite rolls, but coworkers who order entrées -- like the black cod -- always sing its high praises. My girlfriend, Alyce, who is a lot better than me at discerning freshness always looks forward to their uni and sashimi. The chefs and staff are both extremely friendly. I got to know them well since I came in often to grab Smule's large dinner orders. At some point, I crossed "that threshold" and the chefs began offering me these unique, off-the-menu, complimentary hand rolls whenever I rolled in. When word of these legendary hand rolls spread, I got a lot more offers to help pick up the sushi!
(4)Kelsey H.
They've got a GREAT $11.50 sushi deal for dinner! The online menu isn't completely accurate (for example, it has some lunch dishes that they don't serve for dinner), and each sushi roll comes with 6 LARGE pieces of sushi. I've lived in Japan for 13 years and I thought that the sushi was delicious, and so did my 5 other friends. The sushi dinner gets you 12 pieces (2 different kinds of sushi) and it's surprisingly a VERY filling meal, plus miso soup. The fish in the sushi was EXCELLENT and very fresh. I'd definitely go again! The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because our service was a bit slow; one family came in after us and had eaten and left before we had even gotten our food. But it was WORTH THE WAIT!!
(4)Jamie K.
The food is great! Fish is fresh and even kitchen items are great. I really recommend corn tempura for an appetizer. The amount you get for your money is very little. I didn't like the server- he was slow, I could not see him around and mistook our order and stated that he was right. After his mistake, he was nowhere to be found, except when he gave us the check. I felt neglected.
(3)Amer H.
The Sushi is very good and tastes quite fresh, which is really the main thing a Sushi place needs to get right. With that said, the actual restaurant is quite small and you are typically pushed up against other customers. The Sushi is also quite pricey, especially considering the fact that the rolls are usually just 6 pieces. The service is good, and the decor is just "meh".
(4)H C.
Food isn't bad, but the sushi / course options are not worth the price and I almost always leave hungry. The only thing worth getting is the daily bento box.
(3)Alex M.
The food was ok, even tasty. But giving 1 star because the waiter was rude and demanded extra tip. I gave him 12% but he stopped me (!) on my way out: "here in America we require a minimum of 15%" Huh? Really?
(1)Wesley M.
I went here for omakase, and was largely disappointed. None of the dishes were spectacular. The rock shrimp tempura is quite good, and the black cod is also decent, but the remainder was fairly mediocre. I couldn't bring myself to finish the blood orange mousse for dessert... apart from the bits of candied peel (which were very good), it just tasted like nothing. I've had omakase at a range of other places, and this was definitely the lowest value. I've spent $150pp at Yellowtail in Vegas, and it was absolutely worth it. I've spent $90pp at Tojo's in Vancouver, and again the value was there. Jin Sho is $82pp and it doesn't compare at all. Kanpai in Palo Alto on the other hand is both a bit cheaper (I think it was $60pp when I was last there) and quite a bit better. $50pp at Jin Sho would have been pushing it, and $82pp is definitely too much. I think if you pick the right dishes, you could easily come away with a 4-star rating. I'm giving 2 for the lack of value, and the general disappointment of having a medicore omakase experience.
(2)Omar J.
Excellent local place for sushi. I'm also a fan of their non-sushi fare and their limited but excellent sake selection.
(4)Helen W.
*last visit was 1.5 years ago* portions have steadily gotten smaller and smaller. my fave sushi chef has left. quality is lower too. ):
(3)Katherine C.
definitely one of the best quality and legitimate sushi & japanese restaurants in the bay area. Don't order weird things like california rolls or whatever... not only will you offend the chef, but he/she probably doesn't know what that is anyways
(5)Catherine L.
I ordered the lunch prix fixe with yellowtail jalapeno (3 slices yellowtail sashimi topped with a small slice of jalapeno and yuzu sauce) and a rainbow roll the yellowtail was awesome - so good, the fish tasted fresh and so delicious the rainbow roll was not good - very small, and consisted mostly of rice with small slivers of sashi on top kind of overpriced - the rainbow roll alone is 12.75 which was why i went for the lunch prix fixe at 16.75 - the rainbow roll is soooooo not worth 12.75 - If you come here stick with the sashimi
(3)Christine F.
Jin Sho is really going downhill. Fish was just okay, not a great seasonal selection like other great sushi places in the Bay area. We came in at 8:30 and they basically asked us for last order, even though they close at 9:30. Before 9 they were turning off lights, and kitchen staff was even leaving and walking through the dining room with many people at their tables. Looks bad guys.
(1)Zika R.
Sushi is good if you can get to it. So, I've been here several times. I have no issues with the quality of the food. My issue is with the service. It's very slow and almost non-existent. The last time I went was when I made the mistake of ordering takeout. I ordered in person and then left to run a few errands. They said the food would be ready in 30 minutes. I came back 40 minutes later, waited an extra 10 minutes to be recognized (this is pretty customary for them) and it was immediately clear the chef hadn't even started on the order. This was around 1:45pm. They close for lunch at 2 and the restaurant was maybe 1/3 full. That was a few months ago and I haven't been back. I would literally rather drive down the road for better sushi/service (Niji Sushi and Sura are both great) than go to this place again, which is walking distance from where I work. Also, someone else noted that Mollie Stones (grocery store down the street) has decent sushi. I agree. Jin Sho's is much better, but not worth the experience of going there.
(1)Whitney G.
I absolutely love the lunch specials here. This place is pricey, but the black cod they serve as part of the prix fixe lunch is totally amazing. I can't afford to eat here very often, ($20 for lunch is a lot for me!) but the food here is really great.
(4)Michelle L.
I wrote a review a couple months ago, with an "okay 3" star rating due to the extremely slow wait staff. But after coming back a couple times and only sitting at the sushi bar, I had a MUCH better experience!
(4)Marilyn T.
I have a friend who swears by Jin Sho as his go to date place, but I've never had a chance to come. Supposedly, it was one of Steve Job's favorites before, too. It's a small space, and it was pretty packed. It's definitely higher end, and there weren't many other Asians in the restaurant. My friend chose this place mostly because they have some really good hot sake. I'm usually a cold sake person, but their hot stuff is good! They have lots of fresh fish, but I really like their dishes with sauces (rather than just sashimi).. 1. Yellow tail with japaleno: the jalapeno has a nice kick with the seeds still in it. The yellow tail is sliced thin and served in a citrusy yuzu soy. It tastes very clean 2. New style sashimi: white fish with a ginger garlic sauce, slightly more oil in the sauce, with a fresh ginger sliver on top. 3. Tuna sashimi salad: nicely seared tuna, light mixed greens, and I really like the onion soy dressing (not too heavy, lots of flavor, a great accompaniment to the tuna) 4, Corn tempura: fried guilty pleasure.. reminds me of the E+O trading company one, but their special touch is the matcha salt that you dip it in. It's pretty oily, but with the textures and unique flavor of matcha, it's definitely worth a try. 5. Miso black cod: tender, served with fried bananas and pickles on the side. Good flavor, buttery cod, not too salty 6. Tempra zaru soba: cold soba with shrimp and vegetable tempura on the side - a pretty clean dish. We were pretty stuffed by the end. The place was still pretty packed when we finished. Their prices aren't cheap, but the dishes are more unique, and it's good quality. Even though it's not the most traditional Japanese place, the food and sake were good.
(4)Pete V.
We went to Jin Sho for my birthday dinner on a Saturday night. The restaurant is very small with a sushi bar and maybe just 8-10 tables. While I did enjoy my food, I just can't convince myself to give this restaurant more than 3 stars. In short, they need to retrain their servers, be more consistent with food quality, and not close at 9:30 pm on a Saturday night. Maybe focus on those for starters? We arrived around 6:30 pm for our reservation and were seated promptly. We ordered a bottle of sake to start and we were considering doing the Omakase for $85, but before ordering we wanted to know what to expect. The server told us it was 3 fish dishes, 2 hot dishes from the kitchen and a desert. Apparently he wasn't told what exactly these dishes entail, and could really describe anything, so we decided that was too risky and ordered both the sushi dinner set and nigiri by piece. I must say that the nigiri was very good, if not excellent in some cases. The kohada was fresh and a welcome menu item as it is relatively hard to find. The sake was excellent, fatty and a large cut. The uni was sweet and very fresh. And the tuna (hamachi and maguro) were very good. I also enjoyed the sweet shrimp, where the head was cooked perfectly. We enjoyed the salmon and uni so much that we ordered a second round. The uni was great, but they had subbed in an inferior cut of the salmon on the second order. It wasn't as fatty and didn't seem to be of the same quality as my first order (minus one star for consistency). The service was good, but I came away dissatisfied with the level of knowledge of the servers. On several occasions we asked for a description, or in the case of the sushi dinner, what the contents were and he just said, it's a good dinner and he would recommend it. C'mon! How easy is it to memorize at least a few of the types of fish in the set dinner? What really chaffed me was that before our second order, the server told us that it was last call and they were closing. I looked at my watch and it was only 9:30 pm! On a Saturday night!? That was very odd and I do acknowledge that the place was almost empty, but last I checked Saturday night was peak business hours for restaurants. I suppose the owner might not care about making money as he may have made millions off of his silicon valley software engineering startup, but closing before 10pm was a bit too much. Overall, I think there are better options for sushi in Palo Alto. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the food. If you choose to have dinner at Jin Sho, lower your service expectations, don't ask about Omakase or a description of any of the dishes for that matter, and make damn sure you go early!!!
(3)Tarun B.
The first two times we came here it was awesome... The food was spectacular. Today however was a horrible experience. Tempura was incredibly salty (and the tried to tell us it was our fault). The chocolate molten cake came cold...not molten. The sponge cake tested stale and old. The Black Cod was over cooked. Terrible terrible place suffering from deteriorating food post success.
(2)Sanjay M.
This is one of my favorite gems in Palo Alto. A perfect balance of fresh ingredients, healthy food and perfect portions. Small place with exceptional execution. I've never tasted anything on their menu which didn't impress.
(5)M M.
Clean, quick service, best sushi in the peninsula! It can get crowded, but they are pretty good at squeezing people in.
(5)J L.
An excellent restaurant and quite competitive during the lunch rush. You can walk away with only spending about 10 to 20 usd per person for lunch but feel free to dive into the variety they offer. I end up looking for their lunch menu but the change to the dinner menu is also wonderful. The key (like most places) are their specials.
(5)Lyena S.
I had a lunch pre set menu. Good choices. Yellow Tail Jalapeño appetizer was great. Sushi was good but pricey. The tables are very close. It was a little uncomfortable to have a conversation with people so close.
(3)Sramana M.
Best Sushi in the Palo Alto - Menlo Park area. Very cute, cozy place. Even eating at the counter is pleasant. We go there all the time.
(5)Susan B.
I just want to share one experience that was a bit off. I like this restaurant and the food. I'm no sushi expert but I like their soups, hand rolls and bento boxes. One day a friend and I ate there and we asked for separate checks. We paid and left the restaurant. When I was outside of the restaurant the server came out to let me know that whenever someone leaves a tip less than 15% they have to ask why that is. I didn't have any complaints. I usually double the tax for a tip and don't think anything of it. I don't remember the service or food being under par, maybe I just wrote in a tip that was less than 15% and didn't realize it. It was just strange having a server come out of the restaurant after me with the check. I actually added more of a tip. I figure servers have one of the most stressful jobs around and who knows what their situation was there so I added some more money. In the moment I was like, OK, I'll just give a little more, what the heck. I wasn't intimidated by the server, just highly suprised that they came out after me. : )
(4)Davide C.
A good quality a-la-carte sushi. The fish is prepared so tender it will just melt in the mouth. DISHES I tried my usual sushi menu: edamame, miso soup, tekka maki and a selection of tuna, salmon, octopus and shrimp nigiri. The edamame was good but a bit on the raw side and the miso soup was quite standard. The presentation of the sushi wasn't excellent, and the makis were not perfectly formed, but the fish itself was prepared incredibly well with a great tenderness, a quality indicator of sushi restaurants (and even rarer in the case of the octopus). AMBIENT AND SERVICE The overall dining room is big but not that big, so I'd avoid to go there with groups. There is a bar but we sit at a table. The overall experience is very good, and the style of the place is what you expect from a good japanese restaurant. The service was excellent, I'd say well timed (not too fast, not too slow). If you want sushi and you're in the area Jin Sho is surely a good choice.
(4)Jim A.
Bento box was meh! But my girl loves the sushi here. In palo alto the atmosphere is great. I keep coming back only because my girl loves the place
(3)Stef S.
The food was great. If you don't make reservations, the wait can be slow.... but the food was great and our service was very good. We ordered the eel with avocado, spicy salmon (get the 2 roll special, it saves you a little), Sharks roll (our favorite of the night!), and Spider roll (delicious but not as amazing as it was hyped up here). I think it's not the most creative sushi joint i've been to... it's got fantastic rolls and all your standard favorites. The other customers looked like high rollers. Can be on the pricey side.
(3)Adam G.
Everyone is all like "woah, Steve Jobs used to eat here" like that means it is a super special sushi place. Spoiler alert: It's the closest sushi restaurant to where he lived. It's like a 10 minute walk from the Jobs house. I'm pretty sure that's all that was going on here. Jin Sho is a solid / slightly above average sushi place. I wouldn't trek here from our ot town or anything, but it's the best place in the immediate area. If you want sushi in Palo Alto, you might as well go here. Side note: They are super busy at lunch and are the only place you need reservations for on Cal Ave (except Baume but that doesn't really count).
(4)Reyz A.
It was extra crowded last Friday. I know that a few patrons that night wanted to eat at one of Steve Jobs' fave sushi places (thanks to an article on Yahoo)...that's OK, people were just curious...however it did pack this tiny place at the start of the weekend. Soooo, to the sushi bar for me. As always, the sushi and nigiri here is always fresh. Ahi, anago,...sashimi...the operative word here: fresh. The inoperative word that night: crowded. Tabemono wa koko ni tsuneni yoidesu. Watashi wa sushi shefu no ichi-nin de Nippon no rensh shiyou to shita tame, sore wa kimyÅdeari, nihongo to supein-go o hanasu watashi wa owatta. Shefu no ichi-nin wa, jissai ni nyyÅku de 30-nenkan sugoshi, santiago, chiri no naganen minami ita. Watashi mo oishii o shokuji to sutekina kaiwa o motte ita. ...as always, good food. One of the chefs, who had spent many years south of Santiago Chile was kind enough to help me brush up on my Japanese and Spanish...wow, good food, plus Spanganese. What else do you want?
(4)Cynthia C.
Glad to see JS is still thriving and good. *Good service and hot green tea *Perfectly seasoned rice on the rolls and fresh: 49er and Imperial, most of the specialty rolls have some kind of FRIED aspect, 49er was the exception *Large mixed green salads w/choice of onion soy or miso dressing, $2.50 *Should have read my review and not ordered the Toro tartare, pricey for what you get, and again, I like it in it's most pure form *Great negihama *Buttery Shima Aji *Daiginjo flights for $15, very good also, they have Nobu's label, my favorite cheap sake at $45/bottle
(4)Leanne P.
I've been working in Palo Alto for a few days now, and a few coworkers and I decided to grab some lunch at Jin Sho. Located on S. California Ave, this is a small but beautiful spot. The decor is very nice and the layout is impressive. Unfortunately, those are the only real positives for Jin Sho. Their menu is VERY overpriced and the quality of their rolls wasn't anything to brag about. I went here with 2 other people. I ordered 1 order of sashimi (so 2 pieces of fish) and a roll (6 small pieces). One of my friends ordered 1 hand roll and 2 rolls. Our other
(2)Joseph K.
Sushi I've had here on a few occasions has been mediocre to absolutely terrible e.g., equivalent to Safeway sushi bar. On other occasions the Omakase dinner has been good to very good but they are definitely weak when it comes to sushi quality. Service is usually good. I believe if you know management and come with Japanese regulars then food is probably better.
(2)tae k.
I enjoyed the dinner pris fix B with the yellowtail with jalapeno, black cod, and spicy salmon options. The cod was very tasty in the miso sauce. The yellowtail was fresh and tasty and the spicy salmon was also good. The rice on the spicy salmon was dried out and too chewy. Would have been nice to have a dessert on the pris fix like even a small scoop of green tea ice cream or something. I was definitely craving some dessert.
(3)Johnson C.
Other than famous for being the late Steve Jobs' regular sushi bar, this place is so so. I have been to many better Japanese in the Bay Area.
(2)Babo K.
Here is not a good place for Sushi or Sashimi. They are overpriced and not fresh. But they have really good fusion foods. Especially I liked their cold appetizers such as "Soft Shell Crab Spicy Lemon" or "Yellow Tail Jalapeno". I used to be a big fan of this restaurant. After my wife got pregnant and couldn't eat raw fish, I have badly missed Jin Sho. I went to Jin Sho last week with my friend and ordered my favorite dishes. But the food was very disappointing. I am wondering what happened to this restaurant. I could see the same people working in the kitchen, and the foods look the same. But they didn't taste same. I couldn't stand their unpleasant serving this time even though it didn't change much. I don't think I will go back to this restaurant unless someone convinces me that my last visit was a bad shock. (But I think this restaurant still provides unique fusion foods in this area. It is worth to try once if you live around.)
(2)Wendy G.
Been here a couple of times now for both lunch and dinner. I'm a fan of the pris fix options. This place is a great option if you're in the mood for fresh and authentic Japanese food. Definitely make reservation, Jin Sho seems to be busy all the time, lunch and dinner. The restaurant is pretty small and it can be a tight squeeze at times. Service has been good every time I visit, pretty attentive and efficient, although it can be slow since it gets pretty busy. For food, I'd recommend the miso cod. If you're dong the 3 course meal, the cod portion is pretty small and it always leaves me wanting more. The chirashi is also a great option, light and fresh. I've had the tuna sashimi salad, it has great flavor from the marinade they use.
(4)Makoto K.
Despite rather low 3.5-star average review rating on Yelp, I actually had very high expectations here, and... I wasn't betrayed at all! It was my first visit here. Great atmosphere and attentive services. The $16 lunch pris fix menu was a great value. I picked Tuna Sashimi (tataki) Salad and (miso) Black Cod. I thought the black pepper was little overpowering on tuna, but otherwise the food was all excellent.
(5)Brian K.
Many of the reviews speak to JS being overpriced, but as a vegetarian for $30 we got: -Hot tea for 2 -Fresh Edamame (hot with light salting) -Tomago (egg sushi, 4.5/5) -Inari (beautiful tofu skins with a light glisten, 4.5/5) -Vegetable roll (Spinach, avocado, asparagus, cucumber kaiware, yamagobo, shiso, kanpyo, shitake, 3/5) -Oshinko (pickled yellow raddish, 3/5) -Kanpyo (gourd strips (tastes like a sweet potato), 4/5) Food - 4/5 (fresh, good quality, good flavors) Service - 3.5/5 (good enough) Ambiance - 4/5 (very nice for a peninsula sushi restaurant) Value - 4/5 (for vegetarians at least) Overall - 4/5 Other note - GREAT for Gluten free people. They have tamari and also list out all ingredients in all sauces they use. I don't think they have a gluten free menu, but they give you the information needed to avoid gluten.
(4)Dan B.
Wow, is this place overrated! Jin Sho had been sitting on my bookmark list for awhile, so I finally decided to check it out for lunch on a random Wednesday. It started out well, including a friendly greeting up front; I liked the slightly upscale decor. Then I was led to the sushi bar. (I was not asked if I preferred a small table instead, but this was no big deal). When I chose a spot near the unoccupied end of the sushi bar, the host said "You want to sit There?" (in a tone that hinted that I was making a bad choice). "Uhm... yes" (looking around and failing to see the problem). So I sat. I really liked the fact that Jin Sho had a prix fixe lunch menu for $16. I studied it and made my choices, closed my menu and sat; There was still no water or tea yet; So I studied the interior some more and read my newspaper. Finally the waiter took my order and then I sat some more, still waiting for that hot tea that I had been so looking forward to; Then I sat some more and continued to read. Time passed. Insects were born, lived full insect lives, made babies, and died. My tea and water arrived. And eventually (through the ever-gradual process of plate tectonics) my food arrived: -- Seaweed salad: Beautiful presentation, with 3 shades of seaweed (light green, dark green and purple). But it was not nearly as delicious as it looked, and the sauce was unusually stringy (the slime from the movie Ghostbusters comes to mind) and this was a little unappetizing, to say the least. That, and I've had much better-tasting seaweed salads. -- Miso soup: Pretty good: a little saltier and "smokier" than I'm used to. -- Yellowtail scallion roll: This was very tiny and very bland; In fact it had so little flavor that I was wondering if I had suddenly come down with a cold and lost my sense of taste -- Eel and cucumber roll: Also tiny and actually blander than the yellowtail; Even the BBQ sauce on the roll had barely any flavor. WTF? Apart from being glacial, service was also poor. My green tea and water were never refilled, though I had drained my small cup of tea about 5 minutes after I received it. (Most other places are totally on top of this). I couldn't figure out why service was so slow either, since the place was only half full and there was a waitstaff of at least 5 (not including the 4 chefs behind the bar). I began composing the two-star Yelp review in my mind. But it was when they started to piss me off that Jin Sho descended into one-star territory. First, they still failed to refill my water and tea, even after I eventually ASKED them. Second, they wouldn't let me leave. After they ignored me for another eternity, I finally just handed a random, passing waitress my credit card. (If I had had cash I would've overpayed and left by then.) In the end, I left angry, $20 poorer, and still hungry. If that isn't the definition of "Fail" I don't know what is.
(1)Sharde H.
I was told that this place was amazing, but I ordered a sushi lunch, and it was unimpressive to say the least. I've had better sushi from mollie stones. Service was okay though. But, really, I didn't like it and it was not at all worth the 17$ or whatever it was.
(2)Miriam O.
We've been here a few times and the food is good! But the service is quite poor. Even though the restaurant is half empty it always feels like it's chaos in there.
(3)Alice F.
Was hyped up because they say it was Steve Job's favorite place. WTH.... I was disappointed. Their rice for the nigiri is not tasty at all. Hard side.. and no flavor.. Too pricey for the individual nigiri orders.
(2)Annie c.
Family friendly as evidenced by the many families at dinner time. menu is a little pricey compared to other sushi places Had the prixe fixe dinner A and B with choice of salad, small dish, and sushi rolls. Liked the variety, rock shrimp tempura good Tuna sashimi salad was too peppery and overpowered the tuna, rolls were good Still hungry afterward
(3)Amy E.
We've eaten here a lot and its ok. I guess we keep going back because its close to our house. The sushi is ok, nothing spectacular and its pretty expensive. We spent $145 for dinner for 2 adults and 1 kid. My husband ordered a beer and we ordered sushi so pretty expensive considering we didn't order very much alcohol. The service is pretty bad, it takes forever to get your food and the servers don't come back and check on you. We usually have to ask for our check and anything else we need. We need to find a new sushi restaurant to go to!
(3)Jenny L.
Order omakase at the sushi bar. You'll be amazed at the texture and flavor of the fish as well as the wide selection of seasonal fish. The fish flavors are rich and the colors are vibrant. I've never thought the striations on fish would be so appealing and appetizing. Finish your meal with ume shiso, tamago, or red miso soup. What else could one ask for? The ambiance is hip and casual without being stuffy. The service is friendly and fast. Parking can be tough on the street.
(4)Francis L.
Wow, my coworker recommended this place and so we went with a group during lunch hour. Walking in, the place looks respectable enough and looks to have a lot of potential. When I first had the miso soup, I already knew that something great was about to happen. All I can say about the soup is that, THAT is real miso soup.. not full of msg like most places. My Sushi Lunch came in at around $16 for lunch before tax/tip (ouch!!??! Not at all, the high quality of the meal pretty much nullifies the cash required.) Spicy tuna roll 5pcs. I cant make out all the 5 pcs of nigiri ... I know.. shame... but it is something like Really Red Tuna, Red Snapper, Albacore, Hirame, and another white fish of the blander kinds like the Hirame. All of them were top quality. When I say top, I mean cream of the crop and not four stars like those sushi restaurants that just happens to be popular because they serve big pieces or it is trendy right now but four stars like a very proper solid four star based on food quality itself. The spicy tuna was pretty spicy but not over the top. However, I would still prefer slightly less spicy anyway. Even the tea tastes better here... I think the leaves are roasted? While eating I caught a glimpse of one of the chef's knife works as he peels a cucumber the long side into a long sheet of paper. Not all chefs at other four star places do that. Having fully enjoyed every piece of my lunch it turns out by surprise that it was on the company! Score! I cant wait to come back and try some dinner here even if I have to pay.
(4)Lori F.
Stopped in here for lunch yesterday and I would sum up my experience as ok. They have a great lunch special. $16 for a 3 course prix fix lunch menu. You can chose 2 dishes from the designated choices. You get miso soup, rice and a dessert. I chose the tempura rock shrimp as my first dish. It came as a salad, on top of lettuce and lightly dressed. This dish was pretty good. Nothing special. My husband got the salmon with jalapeno dressing. This was actually better than my dish. It was very thinly sliced pieces of salmon barely seared with an awesome dressing. The miso soup was disappointing, tasted instant to me, definitely nothing special. My second course was chicken terriyaki. I thought that was a pretty safe choice, and for the most part it was. It was a bit unusual in the fact that it was an entire small chicken breast in the terriyaki sauce. It was a good portion size for me. It was served with what I think were mashed potatoes with white pepper. The potatoes were shaped into a cylinder, and I was surprised to get potatoes with terriyaki, especially since I got a small bowl of rice. My husband chose the 2 sushi roll option, and ended up getting a spicy tuna roll and a crab/avocado roll. Both were good, and the ingredients were fresh. For dessert they just brought out a strawberry panna cotta. There was no choice in this, this was just the dessert course. I was not a fan of this at all. The strawberry liquid on top was melted, and the panna cotta didn't have any taste in my opinion. It was a nice sized little serving, I just wished it tasted better! The service was pretty sub par. To be fair, we were sitting outside on the front sidewalk, so it was not in the main dining room. But still, I feel like if servers can't accommodate this, outdoor seating shouldn't be an option. Our server was friendly enough, but we had to ask several times for water, and actually ended up getting our water from a different server. We just ordered diet coke to start, and didn't get our drinks until he brought out our first courses. Overall the food was ok, but nothing outstanding. They do have a good lunch special, and their prices are reasonable. Service however left something to be desired.
(2)Annie D.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to give 1 or 2 stars... probably would've been 2 if I didn't keep hearing about how great this place was. After getting reservations for dinner, I was excited to experience some great sushi....ugh. First impression wasn't great, we walked in for our 7:30 reservations and was left standing there without anyone greeting us or acknowledging us to be seated. After about 5 minutes, we pointed us to a table in the corner. Got our drink order in and checked out their menu. Everything sounded good.. I had a few questions while ordering, but the waiter failed to know much, he kept saying he'll have to check with someone else, they were simple questions, like, is the ama ebi (sweet shrimp) live or frozen or what is the difference between the two ika's listed on the menu, he didn't have a clue... Toro Tar Tar with caviar on top of chopped blue fin toro,onion garlic w/wasabi soy sauce- tiny serving amount, which is fine, but the chopped toro was sitting in the little bowl of soy on the bottom, so when you dip the top part, it's good, but as you get to the bottom, it was just plain salty and way too overpowering to taste any fish anymore. It would have been better off as a dipping sauce on the side so you can control how much of the fish taste you wanted to hide. Oyster Bar- 3 pc oyster w/three kinds of special sauce- average oysters, nothing special. I decided to do sashimi, which comes with 2 pieces- hamachi- yellowtail, uni- sea urchin, sake- salmon,Yari Ika - squid- sampled some of the things i love, NONE stood out. The fish slices were extra tiny on the extra tiny plate they brought out. The fish smelled and tasted like something I buy at the Japanese Market and make myself, this was no restaurant quality fish, so disappointed. Even the ghetto joint across the street dishes out better sashimi. Rolls- Volcano- Salmon, spicy mayo Spicy tuna, crunchy Fantasy- Spicy yellow tail Spicy tuna, crunchy Both these rolls tasted pretty much the same, the crunchy was mixed in with the fish, so you had a very stubble "crunch", would have worked a little better if it was sprinkled on top? Weren't the best rolls. Overall, disappointed for the hype of great sushi. I really expected better quality sushi, maybe it was their off day? But I can't say there's an off day on a Saturday night and with all of them being bad. I guess they're known for their cooked food... so order those items instead of sushi items or anything in a raw form.
(1)Ci H.
Ok! The only reason people can justify going to Jin Sho is to claim that they ate at Steve Job's favorite restaurant. I have been to most (if not all) of the japanese places close to and in Palo Alto. To be fair, I usually only have sushi and an appetizer, thus I cannot judge the rest of the food. However, I can safely say that it is not all that is hyped-out to be. I have eaten everywhere from Sugarfish to Nobu, and the sushi here is quite disappointing. The quality is no better than the sushi places in University Ave. and the rolls are quite expensive and small. Between Fuki Sushi and Jin Sho, I would pick Fuki Sushi any day.
(2)Sherrie H.
This place was an area favorite of Steve Jobs, and I wasn't disappointed when I tried it myself. I'm not giving any points here for service as I have had one great experience and another that left something to be desired. I will however give kudos for the sushi and the Miso Blackened Cod just melts in your mouth.
(4)Keiko S.
Ooooh, I'm confused about this place now. I finally succeeded in joining Marc Y and Sonny Y for chef's omakase dinner. I'd eaten at Jin Sho several times before (and was never this impressed), but this was my first time at the counter, directly in front of the amazing, humorous and witty sushi master, Neko-san. (Btw, call him "koneko-san" next time, and he might treat you better.) Okay, without being too lengthy, here were the things included in the OMAKASE. 1) 8 cooked dishes 2) 8 nigiri, including the sinfully sweet and tasty Hokkaido uni and shiro-unagi (note: they import "live" unagi) 3) 1,000 calories 4) juicy, meaty, melty wagyu steaky 5) a giant maguro head, later transformed into a roll topped with shiitake 6) another 1,000 calories 7) handmade udon mentaiko-spa imported from Japan - my *highlight* 8) dassai junmai daiginjo 9) 2 incredibly orgasmic desserts 10) TWO HOURS OF HEAVEN Remember - the menu changes daily. Basically, whatever is fresh that day, you'll get it in its best form. It'll be unique and "fusion", and it's guaranteed to blow you away. Also remember that I went with two regular patrons of Jin Sho who have by now become good friends with the chefs. I might not get the same kind of treatment if I go there on my own. Pricey? Well, yes... it's $100+ per person. Worth it? YOU BET. So, why am I confused?? Here's one thing about Jin Sho's omakase that I have noticed. The quality of EACH dish is undeniably top notch. However, each is also quite heavy. So when you're served eight of them at one go - many of them fried and/or bathed in oily sauce - it's a bit OVERWHELMING. A simple salad would've been a nice breather. So if you're looking to enjoy a lighter meal, do what I did: ask Neko-san to "go easy on the sauce" on all dishes. SUM: It's 4.5 stars...not quite 5...just so that Marc Y and Sonny Y will take me there again to prove me wrong.
(4)Ash T.
This place is very difficult for me to review. I just went back last night for the first time in a long while. Came a couple times shortly after it opened. Back then I remember the food to be only okay. Prices were probably similar, but I had never paid for it until last night (used to work at a law firm down the street). I do remember portions being a little more substantial in prior days, however. This time around, I found the food to be excellent. The sashimi menu was extensive, the fish was very fresh and skillfully cut. Only, the portions now were laughably miniscule. Laughably. Each piece of sashimi was about 1/3 of the size you normally see at sushi places. Maybe these guys thought they could bank on their established popularity to start ripping people off, but something about it seemed very, very wrong. Also, the service was sub par. My water glass and tea cup went empty several times and would have remained empty had I not run the waitress down to ask for more. So yeah, probably a 4-5 in terms of food quality, but the value and overall experience is like at most 2.
(2)Dalu Q.
It was okay-ish only. They have good fish, but the food feels rather uninspired.
(3)Steph C.
The food and presentation was just ok for the price, Menlo Park area can be great or just flat our expensive with mediocre service. Unfortunately, the server that we had was not good at all. Very preoccupied on getting out of his shift than serving, lacking in attention when I came to even water and just didn't seem to want to be there. Sorry, not coming back, oh and the 'college' table sitting next to us were loud, horrible and just plain dumb for being so loud and disruptive!
(3)Angeline K.
Even for a Japanese restaurant it is on the pricey side and the portions are small for the price you pay. However, the food is delectable! Since it was my first time here, I opted for the fixed price menu item B so I could get a good sample of things on the menu. The Yellowtail with Jalapeno was a great start. Light and slightly citrusy with a hint of spice from the jalapeno. I thought the jalapeno would be really spicy but it was very mild. Of course, I had to try the miso black cod and it did not disappoint. The fish was flaky and chock full of flavor. Slightly sweet. The spider roll was different in that it had cucumber wrapped around the outside of the roll, but it was good. Nothing too special, just your average spider roll, just smaller portions than I'm used to. Sushi is more expensive than average, not only because the pieces are smaller, but also because it's only one piece per order.
(4)Mabelle A.
We had a good experience here. Walked in for an early dinner without a reservation. After we placed our order, we got a call that the 3rd person in our party wasn't going to be able to make it. The server asked if we wanted to reduce anything off our order and didn't insist we move to a smaller table even though there were just two of us. Maybe cause we ordered a ton :p Overall the sashimi was fresh, the other apps we ordered were tasty and the rolls were good.
(3)Amanda G.
I have been wanting to try this place for a VERY long time, and had heard good things about it. We had dinner here on Thurs. night, and luckily i had called ahead and made a reservation as they were much busier than I had expected. One of my all time favorite dishes is miso black cod, and the chef here originated at Nobu, (where the dish was first served.) That being said, it was a must-order for me. I had also heard the fish here was incredibly fresh, so I ordered a selection of sashimi as well. While i enjoyed my sashimi, I felt the pieces were REALLY small. I liked the black cod, but found it overly sweet. It was cooked perfectly, but the sweetness was really cloying.I've definitely had better versions of it at other restaurants. I did have some awesome hot sake, and I found the service much better than other reviewers seemed to. My guy had steak, and it was VERY bland. Totally under seasoned. All in all, it was a good meal, but didn't live up to my expectations. At least for now, Akane remains my favorite Japanese restaurant in the area.
(4)Mandy Z.
I love Jin Sho, I've been eating here for years and always bring out-of-town guests here for dinner. It's worth the $$$. They accommodate large groups if you call ahead. The ambiance is simple, elegant and charming. The service is always great, friendly and efficient staff. The food is the real draw. Jin Sho is the only restaurant in the Palo Alto area where you can find a delicious authentic Japanese meal for a reasonable price - the sushi is fantastic, super fresh fish and delicious, creative rolls. The udon, New Style Sashimi, and Black Cod are always a hit. Highly recommend this place - if you haven't been, head to Jin Sho immediately. They are often busy, reservations are likely necessary.
(5)Doug C.
Went there for lunch , little pricey, $60-70/ for 2. w/o drinks. Small portion sizes, fish is ok. Bigger portion sizes at Fish Market, just as fresh. About 1/2 price there. Black Cod; marinated in a sweet and salty sauce. Couldn't eat it. Partner ate it. Too salty and sweet for me. Salmon teriyaki: homemade teriyaki sauce. Not as sweet. Fish was dry inside. OK. Volcano roll: mayo inside. Tasty. served hot. 2 salads, one with salmon jalapeno, similar in style to fish at Gochi. Jin Sho salmon is partially seared. Like seared ahi, first time I have seen this with salmon. Is ok, Gochi uses raw hamachi instead. This style of presentation serves much less fish than nigiri sushi. Fish is thinner and smaller in size. tea + miso. Had to leave early... didn't get to the dessert. Prices went up from last year. Seems like now that everybody knows Steve Jobs used to eat there the prices have gone up substantially. Is ok, prefer Gochi if you are going to spend the $.
(3)Meghan S.
We came here on a Thursday night for dinner. It was pretty crowded but we were seated within 10 minutes. However, once we ordered, we waited 30-40 minutes for the meal. We ordered a duck entree and three sushi rolls. The duck was delicious; the sushi rolls not so much. They actually tasted a bit too salty. The nice thing was that the waitress was apologetic; I think it's worse when the staff don't acknowledge an unreasonable wait. Due to the long wait and mediocre sushi, I won't return.
(2)Ted A.
The food was good but the greeter had an attitude that he was doing us a favor by giving us a table. Last night we arrived at this restaurant when it was 90% empty. After asking the greeter if we could have a table he spent a long time looking at the reservation list which was not long enough to fill the place up. Following that he placed us at a table next to a family with 3 very young and noisy children. Subsequently the server was also slow in arriving for our initial order. I think this place needs to work on customer relations. They appear to think they can behave in an indifferent of passive aggressive manner. The last straw fell when I was told I would be charged for a refill of my coke. This final point finished my evening and I will not return to this establishment!
(3)トモ T.
Jin Sho is one of the newest Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area. At first, I suspected the place to be non-Japanese due to their name, but the place turned out to be 100 percent Japanese. However, their style did not fit to my liking. Don't get me wrong, food quality is very good and their execution is nice. I just didn't find their dishes to be interesting. As I've said in my review of Matsuhisa (L.A.), I don't find any creativity in pouring salad dressing-ish sauce over everything. I did like their flexibility in customizing Omakase course to your liking. If you don't like certain item, don't hesitate to tell them. Anyhow, I admit that I am being completely unfair to Jin Sho. I went there just after New Years, when I KNOW they cannot get anything fresh shipped from Japan. This is why most of sushi restaurants after New Years stays closed. A sample dinner for one: $60 Omakase course $10 Drink $20 Tip and taxes ---------------------------- $90 Total
(3)Jim R.
Disclaimer, may be 4.5 or 4 stars but this is partially a reaction to the other reviews. Are you an idiot and expect a giant slab of fish when you order sashimi or nigiri? Don't come here. Did you order take-out at a sushi restaurant? There is a McDonalds right around the corner. Is the space not big enough for you? There is an Olive Garden even closer than McDonalds. Is the first thing you mention in your review the race of the people serving you? How did you manage to find the power switch on your computer? The quality of the fish is excellent, on par with the best I've had in the area. The waitstaff was all friendly despite how busy they are every time I come through. There is also an exceptional range of fish available in different seasons, and some that you would be hard pressed to find elsewhere. Is it the best sushi you will have in your life? Probably not, but you don't have to fly to Japan - which makes this a hell of a lot cheaper.
(5)Albert T.
Great Sake Selection, wonderful food presentation. Price is at the high range but worth it.
(4)Jennifer R.
Ambiance - Nice decor, feels very authentic Japanese. We were seated at the sushi bar to begin but they moved us to a (very wobbly) table - in hindsight I think I would have preferred to stay at the sushi bar because our table was close to the hostess stand, and with the crowds of people standing right behind my boyfriend's chair, it was a little disturbing. In nice weather, the management would be better off making everyone waiting for a table stand outside after putting in their name - it would definitely improve the atmosphere of the restaurant. Service - Very friendly, but pretty bad. Our waiter was extremely nice, but very slow - it took a while to get his attention, another little while to get our drinks, and I saw that he made mistakes with both tables on either side of us, forgetting parts of their orders. Just a lot of small gaffes which he was very apologetic for but that kind of created a chaotic experience. Additionally it took a full hour to get our entrees - which was fine for me as I had ordered the prix fix and got soup and an appetizer, but my boyfriend was pretty hungry and the pace was just way too slow. It should definitely not take an hour and 45 minutes to have a sushi dinner on a Thursday night. Seemed like the people on either side of us were getting their food much faster though, so perhaps we just sat down at the height of the rush (or our waiter forgot to put in our order...seems more likely). Food - Solid sushi but certainly not amazing. I had the jalapeno yellow tail appetizer which was tasty and fresh, miso soup which was good, and the black cod and a spicy salmon role both of which were solid. The meal was just enough for me to feel full but not stuffed. Boyfriend got a Stanford roll and an order of salmon sashimi. His roll was ok (mine was better) but the laughable part was the size of the sashimi - it was minuscule. I realize that it's not supposed to be huge chunks of fish (that is not the correct way to serve quality sashimi) but this was completely tiny. We were both laughing - I lived in NYC for 12 years so have been to my share of upscale sushi restaurants, but this beat them all in the skimpiness department - barely a bite. He had a Japanese beer which was good (a recommendation of our waiter) and I had sake, also good. Prices - High, and I'm not sure justified - our dinner came to about $85 with tax and tip and I think that for the amount of food we had and the overall experience, it was a little too expensive. We will probably come again but perhaps just for takeout or not during the dinner rush.
(3)Yen K.
I've been to Jinsho multiple multiple times, but somehow it's never really grown on me. The sushi is sub-par, and most people are drawn to Jinsho merely because of its ex-Nobu allure... or if they think more expensive necessarily implies higher class/ better food (something I've learned not to do!) Don't get me wrong, the sushi chefs here do know their fish and cuts very well, and the menu offers a wide range of seasonal fish (rarely the case in other sushi places!) But as mentioned earlier, I find the actual quality of the raw fish somewhat lacking (something wrong with where they source their fish probably?) In fact, I'd much rather order the miso black cod and other cooked dishes at Jinsho. Take note that the lunchtime atmosphere at Jinsho is much more casual, and carries somewhat of a quick-work-lunch vibe. As for dinnertime, if you want to impress your date with moderately high prices, then I guess coming to Jinsho would serve that purpose decently well. But if you really want fresh sashimi at non-pretentious prices, I would (once again) suggest going to Sushi Tomi in MV instead :)
(3)Andre D.
Was looking forward to this based on reviews but have to say it came up a little short. Definitely an example of a place where higher prices do not match to better food. I think the sushi and rolls did taste OK. Sushi had very thin slices of fish. The rolls barely had any fish on them, were all loosely held together...and the end cuts were not much more than a little nori with a few grains of rice stuck to it. The spider rolls had a speck of crab in the end cut. For the price I would expect more...lesson learned. All items seemed to be at room temperature so maybe they prefer to serve it that way rather than cold. They do have a nice sake list and I enjoyed one of the samplers. Wait staff seemed a little impatient when I was asking them questions so that is why we went with samplers.
(2)Max M.
The service and food quality declined. I had a reservation but had to sit counter area, so no place to put my bag. I put my bag next empty sheet. The servers (Indian waiter) told me "This sheet is reserved!", so I hang my bag the back of my sheet. Then, Chinese waitress constantly kicking my bag and dropped it, but she ignored. Jinsho served Sushi with big pieces of fish, but the Chirashi had tiny thin cut of fish. What happen to them? Is this management problem or Chef's selection of fish? I took my Japanese friends but it was only OK level we agreed.
(3)Michael N.
At first it looks good. Even though it is packed, they seat us quickly on a Friday night without a reservation. The food here is actually pretty good. The service.... not so good. In my group of 4 people, two order a fixed-price meal, one orders sushi, and I choose cold soba and a single roll. My order is pretty simple. Everyone gets there food before I do. I'm given promises of 5 more minutes at least 3 times. Yet, I still don't get my food. I get to watch everyone eat their food (which includes rolls). They don't offer to bring me my roll out first. Everyone is pretty much done with their meal and they eventually bring the tempura out... without the soba. The whole point is to eat it with the soba. Seriously. This wouldn't have been so bad if the waiter would at least apologize for the wait. But no. He just gives me a bit of attitude.
(2)Kes D.
Food ===== Edamame on the house: overcooked, but with good salt and still appreciated. Miso cod: absolutely amazing. So delicate and perfectly cooked. Oyster bar: a little too much seasoning for my taste, but it was still good and very fresh and tasty. Beef Tataki: 6 pieces for $24...that's $4 a piece. So good that it's almost worth the price. Not the -best- kobe beef compared to what I had in Japan, but darn good for what you can get in these parts. Comes with a nice (and tasty :P ) shiso/garlic/green onion garnish. Fish: fresh and tasty. Had sake (salmon), hotate (scallop), and some other fish that was on special. They were all really good. I could've eaten more, but then my wallet would've been eaten too. Rice: perfectly cooked. This makes or breaks Japanese food in my opinion. Portions: smaller, but this means you are more likely to leave pleasantly not hungry and full rather than uncomfortably stuffed. Drink ===== Great selection of sake, with several sampler options. I had the nama sampler and it was fabulous. They also have shochu. Service ===== Almost too attentive. o.O They took our order for appetizers first and let us mull over what else to get, which was nice, so the food came out at a good pace. 3 different servers cleared off our plates and made sure our waters were filled. Ambiance ========= The tables are a little crowded together in my opinion. I like that there is an open kitchen so you can see the chefs at work, even on non-sushi items! Verdict ====== I'd go back here...maybe if I could get a cute boy who makes more than I do to pay for me, because I spent the monetary equivalent of 3 hours of working here... It was worth it, just a treat, not a regularly scheduled occurrence. :)
(4)Michael R.
This is a great place with consistently fresh sushi and a wonderful staff. One of the best places for Japanese food in Silicon Valley.
(5)A J.
Nice, clean and tasty Sushi-ya, especially black cod with miso, sushi and yellow tail with Jalapeño, but kind of small portion. Since I don't like to over spend, do not want to make holes in my pocket, I rarely go there, though.
(4)Alyssa P.
I went during lunch time and I didn't have to wait too long, probably only twenty minutes or so. The service wasn't amazing, but the restaurant was full and it was lunch time, so all things considered, I think they did a great job. The atmosphere is nice too, it's small and intimate, but not so crowded where you can't hear yourself speak. You can enjoy a good conversation with your friends, or even your neighbours, I made friends with the people at the table next to me. Now for the food, which is why you came, right? I had the veggie tempura, a salad with soy onion sauce, and some spinach rolls. Everything tasted pretty good, but the salad sauce was unexpectedly amazing! The price for the salad is pretty good too, I definitely recommend it. Also, the Bento Box is a good deal, as long as you arrive before 1:00, it should be there, but I didn't try it because I'm vegan.
(5)SFoodie P.
After reading Steve Job's "Time running Short article" finance.yahoo.com/news/W… I needed to visit Jin Sho as part of my Homage to the "Great Innovator" of our time. It did not matter the food (although it was excellent). What mattered is that this is one of Steve's favorite restaurant. Thank You Jin Sho for giving Steve a little bit of heaven while he was with us.
(5)Kristen T.
The food is definitely not worth the price of around $20+ a dish. Went here the other day and ordered a sushi roll with shrimp, eel, and some other ingredient..it cost me about 12 bucks for six measely pieces of sushi! I saw the pri fixe dish that my bf got..which consisted of a tiny bowl of seaweed salad, about 6 small pieces of chicken, PACKAGED mashed potatoes, some boiled carrots, and a couple pieces of sushi for about 20 bucks...sounds like a lot, but it definitely wasnt. the dish didnt even include rice for goodness sake!! i will def. NOT be returning here anytime soon!
(2)Tanya B.
If you only care about the quality of the food then this place is good. the fish was very fresh, the rolls were yummy, the edamame and miso soup were some of the better i've had. However, the service is very mediocre; the waiters didn't know much about the items on the menu, took forever for the food to arrive (probably good 20-30 minutes of wait) and they forgot Tory's salad... and you don't mess with Tory; you just don't!
(3)Shawn G.
great sushi. high quality fish. Not a lot of variety but good food.
(4)Irene A.
Jin Sho is our second kitchen; I eat here on a at-least-once-a-week basis. IMO it's the best sushi in Palo Alto. The fish is always fresh, the presentation beautful. The menu is varied and there is something for everyone. Try the fixed price menu; the miso black cod is among the best I've had, but I love raw fish so I usually opt for the chirashi sushi dinner.
(4)Chantel C.
I've wanted to try this place for a while. I sat at the bar, and out of everyone it seemed that I was the only one eating sushi/sashimi. Everyone else ordered rolls, and I was left wondering why sit at the bar if you're going to order rice bowls or rolls. Anyway, it was better than I expected. I was scared with the ratings, but the fish was pretty fresh and small, but that's okay because I never really liked huge pieces either. It wasn't REALLY fantastic that I'd drive to Palo Alto, but if I'm in the area and feel like sushi, I'd go here. oh, and just for kicks I tried that rock shrimp tempura and wasn't a fan, I suggest just eating sushi/sashimi.
(3)John C.
I have no idea why this place doesn't average 4.5 stars or higher. I absolutely love this place. I've now been here ~6 times, and it's my favorite place to go for sushi/fancy japanese. The best advice I can give is to splurge and order the omakase. I've only ever had the cheaper one (~$60), but I've ordered it several times. Each time has been awesome. Be sure to tell them how many times you've ordered the omakase before, since they like to give you a new set of plates to try each time. Definitely extra points for that! I believe it's usually 4-5 courses, and each one is outstanding (and usually has a palette cleanser between plates). If you're not up for the omakase, we recently discovered that they have a great prix fixe option. Order option B: choose the yellowtail with jalapeno, miso black cod (this is a must at Jin Sho, originally from Nobu), and then your favorite roll (options include in spicy tuna, spicy yellowtail, spider, california, etc.). I always look forward to coming here, and the meal is well worth what you end up paying. Tip: make a reservation beforehand, or the host might ask you awkwardly "can you be sure to finish by ____ time?"
(5)Jikhan J.
This place is more like fusion Japanese food. Miso Blackened Cod was awesome. Sushi was not that fresh. Waiter / Waitress is not matching with atmosphere.
(4)Jason C.
Updated to three stars, not that anything's different or wrong with Jin Sho. Just 3 stars is more appropriate, even despite the lack of better competition in the area. About on par with Sumika and Shalala in terms of quality Japanese food in the area. Which means it is quality food. But doesn't compare with your good neighborhood place in Tokyo and there is much better at the good quality examples in NYC. But it's about the best you're gonna get in Silicon Valley.
(3)Bryan G. W.
In a word: Overated! Also, overpriced. Sushi was fresh, that is why they got two stars....because they really deserve one. I went for lunch and got a tiny salad, which was only lettuce and overpriced. The dressing was bland. Then I got sushi....one piece per order versus the usual two pieces everywhere I go. It was SO overpriced and the tuna piece was small. In the end, lunch was $9 plus tip and I it was SO not worth it. I know good sushi......not impressed...in fact, shocked that people like this place. I just went to Masa's in Mountain View. It is not a fancy place from the outside.......but VERY good sushi, priced as it should be. Don't waste your money here.
(2)Avocado Donbur I.
Great food but the portion may be too small for American people.
(4)Ceci L.
Nice little gem that my husband and I found unexpectedly on a Sat evening. The sashimi and uni dishes we ordered were all fresh and nicely presented. Nice deco in the restaurant but the price was a bit on the expensive end.
(4)April N.
This is a classic case of when you are totally turned off by the delicious food because of extremely bad service. Granted, I've gone to Jin-Sho a few times before and I noticed that the waiters are always slow and they take forever to take your order. Their food always makes up for the long wait. However, today was a different story. The waiter took longer than usual to get to our table. I signaled him a few times to let him know we were ready to order. When we finally got our orders .. it took some time to get our food (and we didn't even order any "cooked" food). Then when the food finally trickled in, one of the orders was wrong. My friend ordered a Dragon Roll and got a Volcano roll. When we said that it wasn't what we ordered, the waiter that brought our food said "oh.. okay" .. then left... about 10 minutes later, the original waiter comes up to us and asks if there was a problem. We mentioned that my friend ordered the Dragon Roll. He said.. "NO.. you ordered the Volcano roll" .. my friend said.. "no.. I ordered the Dragon Roll.." they guy then says... "No.. I HEARD you say Volcano and I wrote it down..." My friend gets upset and says... "NO.. I ordered the DRAGON roll, YOU must have heard wrong.." The waiter doesn't even apologize or says anything and takes the Volcano Roll away. 20 minutes later... the Dragon Roll is sent to our table and he doesn't even say anything. WHAT A DOUCHE!! I've totally turned around and decide to NOT RECOMMEND this restaurant until they've fired most of their waiters... scrolling through all the other reviews, I notice that most people complain about the wait staff. Hopefully the management at Jin-Sho realize that their business will slowly lose customers if they keep their current waiters. If they don't address their "waiter" situation, then that shows a complete lack of respect to their patrons.
(1)CAScuba Y.
Rainy day/nite, not suitable for going out w/ kid dinner ... Anyhow we did it and as much as a challenge it was by itself, Jin Sho was able to accomodate us. As soon as we got to our table, Jr knock the soya sauce bottle and that's our strike 1. Anyhow Agedashi tofu and red miso soup + gohan (rice) was able to keep Jr stable for 1/2 of our duration. Meanwhile we were able to enjoy some of those fishes I had for lunch yesterday. Nice. Our conclusion was if you don't want your fish dressed with anything, (well u can tell the chef don't do it), than eat at Tomi. Otherwise, this is a very cool place to hang out. (more pic uploaded tonite) ... Don't complaint their serving is small, thin and small slice and small rice. That's actually the right bite size I They are usually just like that in Japan. Happy thanks giving ....
(5)hunter w.
no such thing as economic slowdown at this new PA joint where you'll pay a pretty penny for your light and fresh sushi. Three omakase versions ranging from $60-95(i think).
(4)David V.
Best Japanese restaurant experience I've had in a long time. Staff was really friendly and it was a very warm, inviting atmosphere. Rolls were great. Fish was great. The green tea was fantastic. Had a very interesting corn tempura, too. I need to go back for the seafood tobanyaki. Excellent variety of fish available.
(5)pui-yun c.
Came here for lunch with some of my coworkers about a week ago. I was always a bit hesitant to come because the prices seemed a bit steep for a normal weekday lunch - but we were using some money from a contest so no complaints here :) The set lunch allows you to choose a salad type starter + a smaller portion of their entree menu. I ended up getting the tuna sashimi salad and the miso blackened cod. It also came with the usual miso soup plus a small portion of pana cotta for dessert. As a table we also ordered a corn tempura appetizer and a dragon roll to share. The corn tempura was really good, lightly battered corn sprinkled with some matcha salt. The matcha salt was a really nice touch :) I'd say this is a "must try" The dragon roll was pretty good as well, nothing special though, so I'd recommend you to try other rolls if they seem interesting to you. The tuna sashimi salad was good, the tuna was fresh and lightly seared, and the portion was good as well, not too small, not too big. One of my coworkers got the rock shrimp salad, which kind of reminded us of walnut shrimp that you can order at Chinese restaurants (at least in terms of the way the prepare it). I really liked the miso cod, the fish was cooked just right and the flavoring was good as well. Again, the portion was also just right. At the end they give you a small cup of panna cotta for dessert that comes in a small bamboo cup. It was a nice way to finish off the meal and cleanse the palate. One thing to note though, one of my coworkers likes her meat well done so when she ordered the beef dish she made sure to tell them to make it well done (it normally comes medium ish according to our waiter) However, when it came out it was more rare than another person that had ordered it! The waiter was nice and brought it back well done :) and it looked like they actually cooked it more vs. nuking it in a microwave. All in all, a good restaurant, however probably a place I'd go to for special occasions (birthdays etc) vs coming to regularly.
(4)Koji K.
We had a good time! Oishikatta desu!
(5)V D.
I'm going to bed dreaming of the jalapeno hamachi and the blackened cod. But EVERYTHING was so unbelievable -- including the service.
(5)stephanie L.
Oh My God...This place is fantastic. It's a great new Sushi Joint on California ave. Just let the chef do what he does. Tell him what you like, and he will work it out. The sea Urchin is out of this world. I never liked sea urchin before this place. They even give you real wasabi (upon request). Go to this Place.
(5)Peter L.
Heard the buzz about this restaurant started by two former chefs from Nobu and had to try it. Several of the items were similar to those I had when I ate at Matsuhisa in Los Angeles including black cod miso, hamachi with jalapeno and tiradito. The food quality is excellent including the freshness of the fish appetizers as well as the sushi. The sushi menu could have been more extensive but all the fish was delicious and incredibly fresh. The entrees are diverse and include a tasty, tender lamb as well as the signature black cod miso. A sedate decor off of California Avenue in Palo Alto. Pricey, but definitely worth it when you consider the quality.
(5)Yoko S.
I've read a couple of good reviews of this restaurant and wanted to go. I've been to Nobu in Tokyo several times and expected that this place is pretty much like Nobu as I've heared that the restaurant was operated by ex Nobu chefs. However it wasn't true... Jin Sho serves more traditional and ordinary Japanese food. Of cource they have fusion plates though, I surprised that I could have very good Tara Saikyo Yaki - miso grazed black cod here. We also orderd warm vegi salada (it was so so), New Sashimi(nothing special but still good) Corn tempra ( I liked this!). Their price is still very reasonable for the quality, I did not order the course meal and the bill to our table ended up to $70 including some sake. I will be back here to try other foods. There are some restaurants like Jin Sho in the city (Kabuto sushi or Koo has same level of food) though it's something hard to find in Peninsula or South Bay.
(4)thomas a.
Kaneko-san's creations are awesome. Have tried it 3 times and he has never disappointed. Make sure you ask him for a good appetiser and he will surprise you. A great restaurant in Palo Alto area.
(4)KC W.
Sushi is good and prices for lunch specials are very reasonable. Service is slow.
(3)Judy B.
The short story: Nice ambience inside. Ordinary, uninspired but tasty food that is over-priced, disappointing service, long waits. The details: I work in this area and have steered clear of this restaurant because of its high prices. But my husband wanted to try it so... We went at 5:30pm on a Friday. There were only 3 tables filled yet the greeter seemed surprised that we had "no reservation". Still, we did get seated. The edamame was $7 for a little dish. It looked fairly ordinary so we passed on it. We ordered a sahimi dinner and a dragon roll. A half hour later, they brought us a little dish of edamame- apparently complimentary as our food was taking so long. Another half hour and another dish of edamame. Then finally, ta da- the sashimi dinner. Wait! No salmon on the plate? Oh yes, there it was, hiding under the decoration! Another 15 minutes, and the dragon roll arrived. Wait! Where was the signature dragon roll head? The tail? It looked like any other roll- but, at least, it was tasty. Sorry, folks. We won't be returning to this locale. It's just not the full package yet and not worth the prices.
(3)Zach K.
Finally a decent sushi place in Palo Alto! The fish was good quality and the the miso eggplant was well-prepared. I ordered the sushi special but I will be back to try a broader selection.
(4)Alex H.
3.5 if i could. given the number of reviews, this place obviously fills a desperate need for a halfway decent sushi restaurant in the area that is not obscenely expensive. it half meets that need. some items are still obscenely expensive; $3 for one piece of middling nigiri fish is just a tad overpriced. on the other hand, the rolls are on the high end of normal. despite my initial negative impressions, i have to admit that the sushi itself was very good. i tried a volcano roll, a soft shell crab roll, and a basic salmon avo roll. none dissapointed - it was probably the best sushi i've had in the area in a while.
(3)Trader H.
totally overrated and overhyped... also pricey.
(1)Leah A.
We found this place on Yelp, trying to deviate from our normal sushi restaurants (Fuki Sushi and Kanpai.) While the atmosphere is fine and welcoming, the food and service is lacking. It's not special and it's not good. The fish didn't taste very fresh. I really wouldn't waste your money.
(2)K. P.
A huge disappointment! Oil-stained menu, chipped plates, blaring music, glaring light and we hadn't even gotten to the food... Amateur, greasy tempura. Gummy, salty noodles. Slimy seaweed salad. We love sushi and have tired of the same trio -- Kaygetsu, Fuki Sushi, Koma, so were excited to try something new. A bummer of a Saturday night out. We'll never go back.
(1)Paul K.
It's pretty wrong this place is only getting 3.5 stars overall, and I think mostly for the price. The food is easily good enough for the price, and a meal that costs $30-$40 here would easily cost $70-$80 at Nobu in NY, where the chef(s) came from. My sister and brother in law are regulars here, and we all ate very well for under $100. We had the black cod, yellowtail jalapeno, vegetable roll, plum roll, clam nigiri, ocean trout sashimi/nigiri, a spider roll, and corn tempura. It was all fabulous - and I've been to the best sushi joints in NYC and I've never had ocean trout -so fresh! This place easily makes me forget what I might be missing in that other city nearby.
(5)Ben M.
Very good sushi. Enjoy the rainbow roll especially. I've tried most places in the palo alto area and this is definitely the best. Reasonable prices and good service, too.
(4)Joanne H.
edit went here again... and oh my.... DO THE OMAKASE!!!!! trust me on this one.
(5)Michelle T.
Wow. We came back for our 5th omakaze dinner (this time only with baby in tow) and it was delicious! Everything we had was amazing and so different from our first (and kinda pedestrian) omakaze dinner where we were only treated to the greatest hits on the menu. Tonight we ate all sorts of unusual and delicious dishes that made my tummy very happy! Our first dish was thinly sliced maguro sashimi on top of two sprigs of broiled asparagus with a ponzu-soy sauce. Each slice of maguro was topped with a thin slice of jalapeno and a tiny dollop of osetra caviar. Yummy. Next, we had giant clam sashimi with julienned ginger that was gently cooked with hot oil and topped with ikura. Then, we were presented with a steaming bowl of clams and fried black bass in a tasty mushroom broth. This was followed by my favorite dish -- a steamed white fish filet (no English translation of the name) in a black bean sauce broth topped with cilantro, ginger, and green onions. Although it seemed like it would be a retread of a Chinese steamed fish dish, it was perfectly balanced and delicious. Our nigiri selection was great - of course, I always look forward to savoring my piece of toro nigiri last! I only wish we got freshly grated wasabi instead of the pre-made stuff. Our meal ended with a scoop of roasted black sesame ice cream and a slice of matcha cheesecake. Both were tasty but we were too stuffed to finish the cheesecake. Again, the staff was very friendly and accommodating with our baby. They brought over some edamame right away along with a plastic plate and fork. Also, when I requested a small bowl of white rice they were quick on the draw. There were some long pauses in between some of our dishes but I didn't care because great food takes time! Plus, I think I only noticed it because our little baby started turning into a pumpkin. For dinner, we've only had the $75 omakaze and I think that is the way to go when you come here. Of course, that means we can't come here that often!
(5)Sophia Y.
wow. can't believe I haven't written this place up. takeout: amazing takeout containers, beautiful. and they do it well. ordered the lunch entree and they gave me: rice, miso soup, and my beautiful entree the food heated up well at home. ordered the chicken teriyaki, the black cod entree (HUGE, as it should be for the price $18) and the nabeyaki udon (they packaged the tempura separately so it wouldn't get soggy) yummy! wonderful! and coming here for lunch - this is THE best japanese around aside from Kaygetsu (but kaygetsu makes you get a giant lunch for like $26 and no longer has udon for lunch, wah!) Love this place for lunch they give you: salad (I order the spicy chicken, which is a meal in itself) and then the black cod - yum! way too much food for me, so you can take home the cod for dinner or for lunch the next day. and a small panna cotta - perfect japanese sized dessert great service, just wished they had more than the green tea ice tea. i like the genmaichai but they don't have it here.
(4)Julia K.
imo the best sushi you can get in pa. i liked kanpai when they first opened, and i still adore the chefs at kanpai because they're so fun... well, these two chefs first helped out at kanpai when they were still going for the high end concept, now it's more like naomi with a few high end dishes thrown in. the waitress from kanpai actually called me and asked me to check out jin sho because the sushi was really "real" (ie authentic). i checked it out in the beginning and adored it. i went through a breakup and practically stopped eating sushi because none of the guys i dated could handle it (which should probably be an immediate disqualifier for me), and so jin sho fell by the wayside. sadly i only have one girl bud who likes sushi like me and we hardly ever met for dinner during this dark, sushiless period. however, i went back last night, sat at the sushi bar (which is what you ought to do, and be prepared to drop dime) and then let the sushi chef choose the best stuff for you. this doesn't work if you're hard core into crazy rolls that are stuffed with like cream cheese or what not, or if you don't like raw fish, i'm saying if you can handle good raw fish, uni, ikura, mirugai, and the like, go for it here. (which is not to say that the rolls here aren't good. we noticed some really tasty ones being constructed). you can get some street cred by ordering something that people might generally not like first so that they feel comfortable pushing their creativity. so anyway, they come up with beautifully cut fish, perfect amount of rice, that's super fresh with unique treatments. sea trout that's been lightly marinated, anago that's just grilled and painted with a bit of sauce, fish that has a bit of black sea salt, or a shiso leaf tucked underneath, silky smooth salmon with a broiled tomato on top (really incredible actually)... it's twisting classic sushi and making it even more incredible. great sake selection. i also highly recommend their small plate, (various thinly cut raw fish with a bit of jalapeno, citrus, or other marinades. soooo good!) sit back, order some sake (don't worry, the cheapest glass, $8, is hefty, martini quantity and VERY good) and let the good times roll.
(5)Ron G.
Too many reviewers feel the need to knock someplace just because it has some hype to it. I don't like it because it has ties to Nobu, I like it for what it is. The food is terrific and very authentic. The black cod is amazing and very Japanese. I ordered the omakase for lunch and was very impressed with my food and service (ok, the panna cotta was just ok, but who cares). If you only order a few things, make sure they include the cod and the rock shrimp tempura. But all in all you cannot go wrong here. If I have any knock, it is that the decor is a little on the bare side, but the food will have your complete attention anyway.
(4)Thomas D.
Place is OK, but expensive (sashimi lunch $18), without anything special that would justify the price.
(3)Dave P.
4.5 stars for the food. Everything I've ever had at Jin Sho has been very good. The New Style Sashimi is my favorite thing on the menu, sashimi drizzled with hot oil, yuzu and soy. I could eat 4 of these. The live eel is something you don't find everywhere. The sushi is always fresh and well prepared. The last few times we visited the place has been a wreck. They can't seem to figure out how many people they can seat and serve at one time. If the tables are all full the wait for food can be excruciating. I don't know what the problem is. The servers seem to be aware that there is a problem, maybe the kitchen can't keep up. The best way to experience Jin Sho is to sit at the bar. Every time I sat at the bar I had an excellent experience. Price is another issue. The sushi is very good but each time we go the nigiri seems to get smaller and smaller but the price doesn't get any smaller. All the nigiri prices on the menu are per piece and some are the same price as a 2 piece order at other decent sushi places. You can seriously blow your budget here if you're not keeping an eye on the tab. I absolutely love the food here. If it weren't for the awkward waits and the astronomic prices I would be here once a week. But as it is, if I can't get a seat at the bar I think I'm going to have to temper my enthusiasm and keep Jin Sho in light rotation.
(3)Drei S.
Just get the omakase. During lunch its 45 bucks but it gets expensive for dinner. The deserts are good too since they have a pastry chef. LEGIT!
(5)M C.
Great foot - the Rock Cod is a signature dish. The sushi was pretty good - but that's not what you come here for (if you want great sushi go to Sam's in San Mateo). Aps are pretty good.... great flavor and just the right size. The rolls are good - not drenched in sauce. It's a bit pricey, but not out of line when you consider the quality of the food. I will definitely go back.
(4)Julia Y.
Being a sushi lover, I was excited to try this place because of the Nobu connection. However, I found myself underwhelmed. Maybe the omakase is the way to go? I found myself comparing the fish and prices to our neighborhood sushi place - Kanpai - and thinking next time, we'll just stick to Kanpai.
(2)fried sampler C.
Sorry, this place is very mediocre. Overpriced food and not that great. I used to live in Japan, and despite the hype about Steve Jobs enjoying this restaurant, it's kind of meh, especially at these prices. Go to Kappo Nami Nami in Mountain View for a far superior meal if you're going to spend the money.
(2)Caitlin F.
Mmmm! I love me some sushi! This is one of my favorite places to come. This is a case of you get what you pay for. Cheap sushi equals older, cheap cuts of fish. Expensive sushi equals yummy delicious fish! The fish here is expensive but yummy, buttery and creamy. I always get my food to go, but the servers are always nice. Easy to get to location (not too far from 101, 280 and very close to El Camino). The place is very consistent. If you are a sushi lover who can tell the quality of fish I would recommend this place. If you are not a sushi lover (ie you think Miyake is good sushi), you will probably find this place over priced and not worth it.
(5)Emily L.
Yes, the nobu dishes are good: rock shrimp tempura, new style sashimi, tuna tartar and the grilled cod. But: 1) Service is very unprofessional, for a restaurant at this price (set dinners: $65, $80, $95) - they treat you like any other japanese fast food take-out restaurant - sometimes they ignore you, they wave and tell you to wait when you ask for something. 2) Don't order the set dinner (omakase) - it's a better deal if you order a la carte. More variety, cheaper. 3) Appetizers are good: tuna tartar, new style sashimi. 4) Main courses are ok, try the cod, and the tempura. Portions are quite large which is good because they all are around $25 - $30. 5) Please don't order chicken here. For some reason, they don't know how to cook chicken here (I think they just grill it but don't really know how to control the heat), it's always over cooked and they have to drench it with terriyaki sauce to give it moisture and flavor. Here are the dishes I have tried: Tuna tartar: great New style sashimi: good Yellow tail with jalapeno: good Chicken salad: fair Vegetable tempura: good Chicken terriyaki: fair Lamb chops: good Cod: good Rock shrimp tempura: great Overall, I don't think I will bring friends here. I've already been twice, but the service is still very questionable. The food is good, but not a good value for the price. The ingredients are not spectacular and the preparation is not worth the price.
(3)Sooz L.
Kevin C's comments are pretty on point. I also had the omikase with my lil sis at the sushi bar. Amazing. The tables are a bit cramped but sitting at the sushi bar and watching the chef at work was cool to say the least. Each dish takes a bit to come out so give yourself time to enjoy it. I have tried Nobu NYC and wasn't very impressed. Thought it was nearer to my personal fav, Sushi of Gari in terms of quality of the fish served. I'm very picky about sushi and was quite impressed with the service and food. I also love the dessert, strawberry pannacotta which was so light, milky and just delicious. I could've had two more had I had enough room. ps. I bought the chef a glass of the best sake as appreciation.
(5)Sean A.
I'm by no means an expert on Sushi but I have been to a fair amount of Sushi restaurants and I found Jin Sho to be decidedly below average. The atmosphere is plain and the service seemed a bit lacking, the food itself was fine but I couldn't justify the higher price range compared to other Sushi restaurants where the food is just as good and the service is much better. Overall a decent place but there are much better for cheaper.
(2)Sai S.
Solid. High quality sushi, pretty good miso cod (although not like Nobu miso cod but also priced much cheaper too). Too bad they don't have agedashi (sp?) tofu here though. Reasonable prices from the a la carte menu, friendly staff. Better than Kanpai (3 stars), not close to Kaygetsu (5 stars) -- thus the 4 stars.
(4)Markus J.
Truly amazing. Lunch is good value.
(5)Evalynne L.
I won't be back. If you're going to spend the kind of money JinSho forces, drive north to Ozumo, at least there you get energetic sushi chefs, extended sake list, and an incredible ambiance. I've been dying to try this place for a year, but living in the south bay, couldnt find the time. Until last night... Decor - boring Staff - friendly Service - great (but had to ask twice to refill my tea) Food - decent Value - POOR Without prior knowledge of Chef's experience, this could have been any strip mall sushi house. Who could possibly give this place 5 stars??? Maybe its the lack of amazing sushi in the peninsula, but even Keygetsu's quality is superior. While I enjoy traditional minimalist fare, this place screams lack of imagination. I can make Nobu's miso black cod at home! rasamalaysia.com/recipe-… Next!
(2)Mark M.
Over priced, abysmal service, waaay too much salt or MSG, you will be drinking water all night. You can do far far better elsewhere. Beware, the sushi prices are for ONE piece, not the usual tray with three or four pieces. Seaweed salad was really bad, slimed up with some awful sauce. I had high hopes. All I got was a high bill.
(2)spiff e.
even though jin sho is relatively newish (in this environment where every new restaurant has to introduce an innovative concept for it to attract yelpers and be successful, complete with an overwhelmingly comprehensive wine list, original gourmet cocktails, luxe ingredients, sexy interior design and impressively polished staff - not to say i don't appreciate that stuff, because i totally do), i didn't go to jin sho with any ridiculous expectations other than wanting to try some "new" japanese food. there was some initial awkwardness with our server since it didn't seem like she knew much about the menu. each question we asked her, she repeated it to the chef. which led to us trying to describe what corn "on the cob" meant, including miming it. so apparently there's somewhat of a language barrier, but fun times nonetheless. in fact, the head chef's accent turned out to be quite charming throughout the night as we talked about the food and other fun restaurants in the area. and then there was the food. i ordered the corn tempura with matcha salt (fyi, corn was off the cob) and the miso cod. each were excellent, but were definitely large american-sized portions. which didn't help much since i also tried a little bit of everyone's else orders. and we each ended our meal with the popular strawberry panna cotta (made by the head chef's wife). so good i wanted more, even on a full stomach. undoubtedly satisfied my craving for "new" japanese with non-typical preparations of fresh ingredients (e.g., they buy live eels and grill them themselves).
(4)Rebecca H.
The sushi here is REALLY good. The fish is fresh and the special rolls are unique and delicious. Will definitely be back!! We ordered the new style sashimi, fantasy roll, the 49er roll, and an assortment of sashimi (all were great). The sake cocktails were also tasty. Looking forward to trying the imperial roll next time (looked amazing). Only downsides are that it is relatively expensive for the amount of food you get and the service is just so-so. Our waitress was slow and neglected to tell us that they were out of all seasonal fish as well as one of their main dishes. May upgrade this rating to a 5 if the service is better next time!
(4)Lisa P.
I went to Jin Sho on a Sat night with a friend. It took a little while for someone to come over and get a drink order after I sat down and before my friend arrived. Not a huge problem. My friend arrived and we looked over the sake and food menu. Intense sake menu, from all over Japan. We decided on a young sake from near Kobe. We also decided to share an appetizer of skewered chicken (forget the name) and the 10 piece sushi. She speaks fluent Japanese, I speak fluent English. We had the order covered 2 different ways. The waiter still screwed it up. He didn't seem to speak Japanese, or he didn't respond in Japanese to my friend, and he clearly didn't understand English well. After the appetizer was served he came by to confirm the order--he wasn't sure. I repeated "10 piece sushi." My friend ordered hot tea earlier, we reminded him. dinner arrived. Deluxe sushi, not 10 piece. My friend mentioned this to him. He said something about Deluxe sushi. At this point in an American restaurant I would have spoken to the manager and gotten the deluxe at the 10 piece price. I asked my friend if that was kosher to do at a Japanese restaurant, she said ordinarily yes, but we might have some culpability. I didn't fight it. She did eventually get her hot tea, towards the end of meal. The wasabi was from a tube, what you would see in pre-packed sushi in the grocery, and not grated. The sake was great, served in a beautiful glass carafe with a blue blown-glass bubble for ice. The sushi was also very good. Interior was nice. The servers were friendly, just not entirely competent or good listeners.
(3)Jason M.
Bringing Nobu to Palo Alto! Better yet, bigger portions and better prices than New York City. Same dishes (Black Cod Miso, Yellow Tail Jalapeno, Rock Shrimp Tempura) that made Nobu famous. One of my favorite places to eat in the Peninsula! If dinner is too expensive, try the lunch menu which is the right amount of food and reasonably priced (for sushi).
(5)Eddie S.
We'd heard from a friend that Jin Sho was started by a couple former Nobu chefs, so we had high expectations. I took my wife to here for her birthday, and we had a great meal. We both ordered the omakase ($75 for me; $90 for the birthday girl). If you can, order the $90 omakase b/c you definitely get your money's worth: lobster tempura rather than shrimp, foie gras on your black cod, higher quality sushi including chu toro and aji that rocked, amazing kanpachi sashimi rather than a good yellowtail sashimi, etc. (it seems that I tasted my wife's food a lot). Everything in the meal was light and delicious, including the strawberry panecotte dessert. The service was great (although some people near us seemed to wait a while for their food), but I only give it 4 stars because the decor/ambiance was lacking and the $75 omakase was not quite worthy of 5 stars. This place is one notch below Kaygetsu and just above Nami Nami.
(4)Karen C.
2 Nobu chef's in New York decide to have kids and move to the burbs. In this case, the burbs happen to be yuppie Palo Alto. Where else can you still charge New York prices and still have customers knocking down your door. When I read Ken K's effusively postive review on this place, I just had to come, since I really believe he knows good sushi (and asian food in general). Paul and I came here on a Friday after work to see what the hype was. The decor is pretty minimal and basic, espcially if you are comparing to Nobu in NYC. When I saw the menu, I kinda freaked out. I mean, I'm totally use to spending money on food, espcially good food (been to Alinea, French Laundry, Gary Danko... you name it). But the decor/ambienace was lacking for these prices. Ok, not a big deal... it's all about the quality of the food for me anyways. We got the omakase menu at $70 a person, which included 2 dishes from the sushi chef, 2 dishes from the kitchen, plate of sushi, miso soup, and dessert. This was a LOT of food and I really do eat a lot for my runty size. I was stuffed, but happily. The food is really delicious, though I was not as crazy about the cooked items as I am about the raw items. I mean the sushi was super high quality and fresh. The one item of note was the hamachi belly, which tasted like pure yummy fish fat, more rich than some toro I have had. YUMMIE! On top of that, we tried 3 different types of sake, all of which were really nice. I think they make sure to pick sakes they only like which is awesome (not cheap either!). On top of that, the sushi chef (we sat at the counter) was very attentive and friendly and seemed very open to likes and dislikes. Dinner for 2 was a whopping $250 after tax and tip (includes our boozing though)! So, overall delicious, but not an every day meal for the price. I would definitely come here on an expense account though! But perhaps next time we will just order ala carte.
(4)Dominique T.
Best sushi on the mid Peninsula, where there are very few if any good ones, despite some high price ones. I had sushi in Tokyo, New York and elewhere. Jin Sho is in the very good league and I am not easy to please.
(4)Dennis J.
Dining out with Marc Y. can be quite the culinary experience, though I've learned to be sure to hit the ATM first, because I never know if the meal is going to break my wallet or not. He invited me to join him and a couple of other friends for dinner at Jin Sho. "It's a new Japanese fusion restaurant," he said. We all decided to order the $90 omakase dinner and a bottle of sake. Between my poor short-term memory and the sake, I can remember the seared beltfish, the organic salmon sashimi, the unagi wrapped in harumaki, and an assortment of sushi, all of which were delicious. At some point during the meal, we were served an incredible seafood "soup" with shrimp, clams, lobster, and vegetables in a clam and lobster broth. What I didn't expect to be served in a Japanese restaurant were three perfect little lamb chops, with a dollop of mashed potatoes. Oh, my god. I haven't wanted to cry over food so good since the first time I had the prime rib at Alexander's Steakhouse in Cupertino. The dessert was the delicious strawberry panna cotta mentioned by other reviewers. The restaurant was nearly empty that Saturday night, and we got to chat with the chefs while we dined at the bar. The wait staff was attentive and polite. With the glowing reviews Jin Sho has been getting, I'd wonder if we would get such a personal experience for long, but I'm definitely looking forward to going back for another visit.
(5)Douglas S.
Came here with a colleague for lunch today. Seems a bit yuppy for my taste. Although I'm not really sure what my taste is. Anyhow, lopsided pricing when comparing the volume and quality of their sushi. My sashimi was room temperature and the miso soup was too salty (indication of spoiled miso)! This is the only place that serves a Dragon Roll with half shrimp tempura and the other half unagi. For a $60 lunch, it would have been better spent on 4 people across the street.
(1)Marina N.
Pricey, but the quality of the fish is high. I ordered the lunch prix fixe and had the delicious salmon with jalapeno sauce and good black cod in miso glaze. Also came with a delicious flan-like dessert. Plenty of food for me. Hopefully the prices will go down but I'll be returning in any case.
(4)Sarah T.
This was a really good place. I particularly liked their toro tartare topped with caviar in wasabi soy sauce. We came here for our anniversary and did the Omakase. The only thing I didn't like was their hot kitchen food with is part of the omakase. Both of the dishes were deep fried and one had creamy sauce on top (which is my pet peeve). These two dishes are really filling. Otherwise, I'd recommend this place. The sashimi was well cut and the fish very fresh and high quality. It's worth the money, just don't eat before hand if you plan to have the omakase, I believe it was about 6 dishes or 7 :)
(4)Piggy S.
We went for lunch and had a number of rolls and nigiri and the grilled miso marinated cod. The sushi was fresh and delicious. The miso had a great flavor. I didn't pick up the check, but it didn't seem like the prices high for the level of quality you got. Great service too.
(4)Shirley H.
I hadn't read ANY yelp reviews before I first visited this place, so imagine my shock when I opened the menu: it's different, to say the least, than the other sushi places around here. If you're looking for a conventional sushi experience, this is probably not where you want to go. Also, everything on the menu is a *tad* overpriced, especially since portions are extra small. But for such high prices and a rather unique menu (excuse me for being poorly versed on traditional japanese cuisine), i'd have to say that i wasn't exactly blown away by the food. we ordered the miso cod (which turns out to be their signature dish? i'm amazing at ordering), which was tender and flavorful, true, but it came with flavorless sides. The sushi we had was fine, but it was nothing special. I was expecting.. I don't know, exquisiteness, or something. In short, I don't think the food here is worth the price you pay, though it's not bad. I doubt I'd come back.
(3)Peter L.
heard this was a knock off of nobu; same menu; still good stuff; been there twice will go back
(4)Margie L.
Went back today for lunch and have upped this to 5 stars. Sure, it's a bit more pricey than other lunch places. The sushi lunch is $18 vs. $10 or so at other places. But this lunch came with a substantial portion of fish. Really generous cuts of nigiri (but not overly thick. think long instead). And a 6 pieces spicy tuna crunch roll. And soup. For this quality I'm more than willing to pay more. Definitely recommended and my new fave sushi lunch spot. Will need to go back again to try more, but here's a review of the omakase. Continuing my trend of giving new sushi places a try and trusting in them the first time, we did our standard let's do omakase the first time and order off the menu the next time (which we really need to remember to do!) We opted for the $75 omakase (slightly higher quality was the description). The description was: - 2 courses from sushi bar, 2 courses from kitchen, sushi, soup, dessert hmm. did that mean 2 course from sushi bar AND sushi? who knows (well, I do now) we got: - tuna carpaccio kind thingy. it was tuna toro sorta mushed and put in a cylindrical shape, served with caviar and a cool berry on the side. It was good, the berry was really intersting. - wild yellowtail served with an onion sauce and cabbage sprouts. Really good. fresh fish, interesting sauce. - rock shrimp tempura . this was really good but what they neglected to tell us when they serve it (or I didn't hear) was that it was rock shrimp and LOBSTER tempura. A hearty portion and the tempura was almost donut like in its flavor and consistency. I enjoyed this a lot. - miso black cod. I think this dish was made famous by Nobu and the two chefs here worked at Nobu NY, so it wasn't surprising that this was a fantastic rendition. and again, a very hearty portion - sushi. yup, also included sushi. I'm not sure I remember them -- seared toro, something else, trout, something that came braided and was interested and live eel. All the sushi was very good and beautifully presented. - soup at this point we were told it was the last course before dessert and asked if we wanted anything else. I thought this was a nice gesture (and the tuna nigiri we asked for was comp'd) - dessert was a very light berry creamy thing. Not a great description, I know, but it was really nice. Anyway, the service was great and attentive. The food was expertly prepared. I look forward to going back and exploring the menu on my own.
(5)Kenn E.
Well, I must say that they are too pricy for the quality. I'm not saying the food quality is low, but not that high either. As a Japanese person who wants really great Japanese food, they're trying to be too fancy to my taste. On the same direction, Nobu NY was much better. Oh, and I think they should fix the interior - that's terribly designed.
(3)Justin M.
The sushi was generally good--the salmon was outstanding, although the tuna was flavorless. But the service was terrible. My partner received his chicken teriyaki 25 minutes after ordering, and I got my chirashi a full 20 minutes later.
(2)hary n.
ok - 4 1/2 stars for food - but have to take away some for size of portions and value. It's so damn good but very expensive and smallest portions i think i've ever had for sushi. everything was good (yellowtail with jalapeno, sushi chef's choice, fixed price meal) so really 3.5 stars. I'll be back if convenient but can't make it a regular rotation d/t the high price.
(3)Tommy L.
Freshest fish I've had in the bay area. Better than my a la carte experience in Kaygetsu. Toro tartar w/ caviar was delicious, as was the kanpachi sashimi, and all the sushi. The toro, snapper, and trout really stood out. The kobe beef tataki was pretty good. It was real japanese waygu, so it was about 70%-80% fat and 20% protein. Again, I'm not as big of a fan of japanese waygu as the American waygu/angus hybrids, but it was still delicious. I recommend getting the omakase, but go w/ at least the $75 for the better quality fish. The black cod was pretty good, but I thought it was a little too sweet and needed some rice, which was not provided. Mine came with a small sliver of seared foie gras, which was surprisingly not very good. I just don't know if it went with the fish very well, and needed a few grains of salt to cut down the the slight bitterness. Overall, if you're looking for some really good sushi in the area, definitely come here. Also, sit at the sushi bar if you want a good show (we saw a whole lobster being deconstructed for our lobster roll, which was also really good).
(4)Carlie N.
Came back on a Saturday night, and the service was MUCH improved. We didn't have a reservation, but were seated right away. Still zero complaints about the food - the New Style Sashimi and Carpaccio appetizers were absolutely fabulous, as were the Dragon and Rainbow rolls.
(5)Lynn W.
I tried this restaurant for the first time tonight. I love sushi and have eaten it everywhere, including Japan. The sushi bar here recommended the pike, sardines, Oh Toro and the W fish with lemon suace. Everything was very fresh and more upscale than a regular sushi bar. They have some different items than what you normally see (for example, the seaweed salad is made up of four different kinds of seaweed) such as pepper seared Kobi Beef served with mixed greens in the center and a wonderful sauce. A bit pricey, but interesting enough to return. The service was also very attentive. A nice addition to California Street in Palo Alto.
(4)R S.
A true taste of modern Tokyo in Palo Alto!! I real treasure. The decor and seats are uncomfortable, and the service very uneven. But the food is genuine, japanese and delicious.
(4)charlie m.
The sushi is top notch, but i hate leaving a place after spending 250 for dinner with my wife( mind you she is 95lbs.) and still feel hungry. i would give this place a 5 star if the bill was on someone else :\
(3)Veronica F.
Sorry but I'm going to have to yelp this place way, way down. I came here for Valentines Day for the first time to try it out and I had the weirdest experience ever. We had reservations at 7, got seated at around 7:10 to a spare table with no tablecloth, nothing. We get our order taken and then wait...until 8:05 to receive our first dish. I'm not kidding. We complained twice by calling the waitress over upon which they'd say, "Yes? Are you ready to order?" Umm I ALREADY ordered lady, that's why I'm looking pissed and asking you over. Once we got our first dish we'd then get questions from the staff like, "Umm....sooo....did you order anything else??" Didn't you guys take our order down? Why are you asking us this? Of course we ordered other things, that's why my table is empty and I'm chewing on my chopstick!! This was also the experience of the table next to us. They also would mix up dishes all the time, I ended up eating somebody else's dish while somebody else ate my cooked fish which I saw was described as "new style sashimi." OK. The food was pretty good. I would recommend the Udon and the Cod, not so much the lamb chops or the fish appetizers in general. Corn tempura was okay. I wanted to try the strawberry panna cotta and was really looking forward to it but was told they were out. Umm. All they had to offer was "chocolate cake" which at a Japanese restaurant was not really appetizing sounding, plus I was terrified that ordering another dish would overtax the kitchen and I'd be waiting there for another hour. SO I am a bitter nelly and am giving Jin Sho one star. For $100 a person I don't see the value or the service here. The restaurant wasn' even 100% full so I can't see the kitchen being overly busy, there was a large party at the end of the restaurant who they kept saying they "had to serve," but I can't see how one large party ends up in the kind of confusion and mess that they displayed for Valentine's Day. It's just bad business in my opinion because V-Day tends to attract people to eat who have never been to the restaurant before, so there should be an effort made to make the experience a good one- Jin Sho did nothing of the kind. A friend of mine happened to be eating on the same night and she had a very similar experience as well. Overall VERY disappointed with Jin Sho, for the price I'd head over to Kaygetsu in Menlo Park or save some money and eat at Gochi in Cupertino.
(1)Kim P.
I went here after reading all of the good reviews on Yelp and was extremely disappointed. My boyfriend and I got the lunch special and another roll and couldn't force ourselves to eat it all. The fish did not taste fresh and the sauce they put on the roll was terrible. Don't waste your time and money.
(1)Jan M.
Service was very slow (although we were warned). The servers were unable to make recommendations and they were a bit forgetful. There was a server shift-change while the first server was taking our order! The food was very good--no criticism there. However, the internal decoration/feeling of the place was a bit off for an "executive-class" sushi bar.
(3)Rob C.
maybe I have to do the Ken K course, and I'll like it more just came for lunch, ordered chirashi and kohada piece guess i had all the boring pieces and thus was not impressed with the fish, also thin slices (e.g. why do that to salmon)...but the nigiri selection was extensive which was great the presentation was nice it looked like they made their own miso soup what i was most impressed with were the business clientele lunches happening around me as i was reading my kindle to the right, i had the banker pitching his financial services to a wealthy appearing couple...deflation this, leveraging that., etc to the left i had the prototypical dot com-er with his ebay t-shirt pitching his web services came for dinner, tried the chirashi didn't like the rice, too dry. fish pieces were good overall tried the rock shrimp tempura. like it better elsewhere but ok nice thing is the list of special fish and which months they are in season. gave it another shot with the sushi deluxe dinner $29, good fish selection and freshness, small pieces. rice ok. nice miso soup. little pricey place, but growing on me for the area. however don't come here hungry. back again, restaurant been stagnating. nothing changing on the menu and stays pricey. miso cod and rock shrimp tempura can only get you so far. tried shawn and shark rolls which were ok. miso a bit overly sweet and flavored and yet feel thirsty later.
(3)Danny T.
Just had dinner last Friday night for the first time here. I thought the sushi was probably the best I have had in the South Bay. I always judge a sushi restaurant by the Tuna and thought it was fantastic. I will definitely be back. The decor is minimalist so don't expect too much. Very clean though. The location is on California street so much slower vibe than University avenue.
(4)Jackie M.
the group i went with ordered family style, and sampled some appetizers, small plates, and entrees. we ate tapas style with drinks, of course. i had pretty high expectations, since i read that one of the chefs was from nobu. plus, i had tried to make reservations a couple of times, but got rejected, once because they were full, the other time because they are closed on sundays. after having to wait what seemed a torturous length of time for what i dreamed would have been tantalizing, insanely delicious food, i was very much dismayed. the food was just ok, and was WAY overpriced! what a bummer :(
(2)Jason C.
Wonderful food and service. I would recommend the nebeyaki udon.
(4)Michelle J.
Quality of the sushi is the best that I've had in South Bay. I always get the 8 piece sushi special, which is basically chef's choice on the pieces provided. It's a bit expensive, especially since the portion size is on the smaller side, but totally worth it. They are super busy on the weekend. If you don't have a reservation, it's best to show up a few minutes before they open to get a walk-in table. The tables are also a bit cramped but small sacrifice to make for amazing sushi.
(5)Dan S.
My wife and I love going here! The raw and cooked food are both great. Favorites include the Yellow Tail with Jalapeno, Black Cod with Miso, and Yaki Udon. Even their green tea is great (when it's freshly brewed). They have no problem creating custom rolls at your request (unlike some other sushi restaurants). They are rather pricey - dinner for 2 usually costs us about $70, including tip.
(5)Sarah T.
dinner set was a nice deal the tuna sashimi salad was nice and also the spider roll + the black cod with miso glazed my friends also got the shrimp rock tuna which was also nice :D hands down the bestjapanese restaurant in palo alto
(4)Nguyen P.
I used to go to Jin Sho for quick dinners because it was close to my work, otherwise I probably wouldn't go for a dinner date. First, sushi here is only 3 stars. The fish doesn't seem fresh and is definitely not worth the high prices. (Tip: Head north to Amami Sushi for $30 10-piece omakase with fresh, huge portions of fish!) No, don't come here for sushi - my 4 star rating is solely for the miso black cod. The accompanying rice, fried banana, and miso soup are also all solid and make for a satisfying, real dinner. I've tried the same dish at many restaurants and Jin Sho's is the best. For around $22, it's a great deal.
(4)Att A.
Ah Jinsho how I love thee. Actually, I am thinking if I didn't have friends who go here so often and know the chef, I am willing to bet my dining experience here would totally be different. As it were, I have been lucky enough to always sit at the sushi counter in front of either Neko-san or ?Ichiro-san (sorry I forgot the sou-chef's name) each time I have been there. I have *always* ordered the omakase meal which typically consists of 2 starters (salads, carpaccio etc), 1-2 cooked meals (nimono, noodles etc) followed by a set or sets of sushi depending on how hungry I am that day. I really through appreciate Neko-san inventiveness when it comes to making uber yummy dishes and sauces on the fly. His style is definitely NOT light in flavor. He brilliantly experiments with ingredients like yuzu kosho, chili oil, roasted goma, sesame oil, chili flakes and combinations of. He also remembers dishes, meats that the party doesn't like. Never served us pork or tamagoyaki (both of which I have 0 interest in). I also like the way he cuts his fish and prepares his shari (sushi rice) - always small and in sizes that is easy for me to eat whole. I had the fortune of tasting one of his saba battera the other day. Apparently it needs to be custom ordered as he marinates his saba for a minimum of 24 hours. Anyway, this is my go to place to take my special someone since its the only place that I can convince the SO to enjoy good food at. The SO prefer simpler dining experience but always says yes to Jinsho. And oh, I noticed they recently did up their back patio, now you have the option of dining outside if you like.
(4)Amado P.
We've come here several times and have always enjoyed the sushi. We especially like sitting at the sushi bar and watching the sushi chefs do their magic. Our favorite sushi chef is Hugo. My wife loves the Black Cod with Miso and we highly recommend that this be included in your meal. Everything else we've had at Jin Sho has been good. The down side of the Restuarant is that the seating is very tightly packed and on a busy night which is often the place can be intolerably noisy. Also the service can be slow.
(4)Minoru M.
Sushi and sake were good. Miso-nasu was too salty and heavy as an appetizer.
(4)Lauren O.
I've been to Jin Sho several times and had good experiences. It is quite expensive, but that's what you get in Palo Alto. The fish is fresh, servers are attentive and seem quite knowledgeable about the menu. Parking on California Ave can be tricky at dinner time, but there is a large parking garage a block away. I really like the Shrimp Tempura roll, and their house salad dressing is amazing. Last time I tried the fried corn, which is a great appetizer.
(4)Doris L.
Solid Omakase- mix of sushi and entree plates. My sister and I split the Omakase and then ordered rolls on the side. Plenty of food for the both of us. Miso Black Cod is a must try as well as that chocolate layered dessert thing...it has crispy pieces in it which gives a great texture compared to your traditional chocolate mousse.
(4)Crystal C.
We had a disappointing experience here. The food was generally good (although I'll echo another reviewer about the very weird, slimy, seaweed salad -- we're convinced there was raw egg on it, but the server said not -- who knows), but the service was beyond awful. There were two servers the night we went, and they appeared not to coordinate at all. One came and took our order, and 10-15 minutes later the other one came to try to take our order. We ordered a variety of appetizers: miso, seaweed salad (weird and slimy), the yellowtail with jalapeno, the new style sashimi and the corn tempura. And then also ordered a variety of nigiri, sashimi and rolls. The appetizers came one at a time over the course of about 90 minutes, and most of the sushi arrived a little awhile later. The sashimi was fine, but not consistently well cut. The appetizers were good (not Nobu-quality), and the corn tempura was excellent and unusual. One of our rolls never arrived, and after sitting with a table with empty dishes for over 30 minutes, we finally got a server to come over. I don't know if they lost the roll order or if it sat on the pickup counter for the 30 minutes (if it wasn't ours, someone else must have had the same problem, since a roll definitely sat there ignored for that long). And the space is small, so there's no excuse for being ignored by the two servers. They didn't appear to care at all about our experience. Cannot recommend this restaurant; we'll go back to Fuki and make sure to try Kaygetsu soon.
(1)Monte M.
Just happened to try this place. Didn't know anything about it, but decided to stop in and sample the food. The sushi was top-notch, but a little on the pricey side, I think (plus they were a little small). Overall, very traditional authentic Japanese food. I love a Japanese restaurant when they use the best white rice (that's how I measure the quality of me Japanese restaurants :)
(4)Arisa A.
Great place for lunch! Good solid Japanese food with a slight modern twist. I usually have their lunch special ($16) which allows you to select one appetizer item and one small entree item. You also get rice (good quality Japanese white rice), miso soup, and a little tiny dessert! Not a bad deal. For the appetizer, I prefer the salmon or tuna sashimi salad. For the entree, try the Grilled Miso Marinated Black Cod or Angus Beef Tobanyaki. Both are pretty tasty. I hope to try the Omakase (prefix) sometime soon for dinner.
(4)Yvonne G.
$3 for ONE PIECE of yellow tail. It was fresh, but the price is just a bit unjustified for the portion. The nabeyaki udon was awesome, $12, and they provide the Japanese spices for me to make it super spicy. Still, a bit more than I would ever want to drop on a bowl of noodles I can make at home for $2. Service was great, I even managed to forget my credit card and had to go back for it the next day, and the maitre'd was very together, knew right away who I was and why I was there. If prices were more reasonable, at least for the lunch menu, I'd be happy to give Jin Sho more stars.
(3)Annalynn C.
Like Noboo K, I, too, am speechless. Speechless, that so many peoople gave Jin Sho 4 to 5 stars. I'm a little suspect. 5 of us decided to try their food a week or 2 after their "grand opening" and we were absolutely terrified. My meal alone cost me $40, which I consider to be an expensive meal, especially for lunch. Food is overpriced for what it is. It was so terrible that I spat my hamachi out. Yes, you read that right; I spat the food out. That's not something I do often, but when I am displeased with the taste, I cannot justify ingesting the food. The uni was also not so fresh and the unagi followed suit. Was it an off day when we went? Service was also horrible. We weren't served our beverage until we asked for water and the wait was insane. Our dishes didn't arrive on time; 2 people had their meals but waited for the rest of us to get our food before they started eating. By the time our food arrived, their meals were cold. I don't know what happened, but after this experience, I'm not sure I'd go back. It's not worth it to pay $3 to pay for one piece of mediocre to poor hamachi, when you can get nigiri (2 pieces) elsewhere for about 4 bucks and it will probably taste a lot better, too. I was highly disappointed. I was hopeful that CA Ave. would finally have some decent Nihon ryoori. (9_9)
(1)Blair K.
Yummy Yummy! I could eat this sushi forever! Just went for lunch today. We had really good miso soup, White Tuna Sashimi that melts in you mouth, salmon sashimi, spicy tuna roll could have been spicier, and the lobster rolls. It is wrapped in cucumber... and tasted super fresh. If I were to go back tomorrow I would get more White Tuna and another round of the lobster rolls. The sushi was fresh and the service was really good. It is a bit expensive for lunch.
(4)peter l.
Decent food, decent service, but I question the honesty (of at least one of their staff). I had a good meal there, but when I balance my credit card receipt in Quicken, I noticed that the charge slip was $69.18 but the credit card bill shows $70. I know some may say $0.82 is just "round off" error, but I think the "round off" is my decision, not theirs. What if they decided to round off from $69.18 to $100 and hope that I don't balance my credit card bills? It's the principle! I will not be going back.
(1)Yu T.
Basically, we now have a Nobu (albeit without the scene) in Palo Alto! Finally this day has come. I read about Jin Sho on various Japanese food blogs and saw the fantastic review on yelp. Me and fellow yelper Emily decided to give it a try. We ordered a la carte and had the suzuki carpaccio, rock shrimp tempura, and deluxe sushi x2. We sat in front of the chef, Kaneko-san. Kaneko-san is from NY and was at Nobu for 12 years. His style is distinctly Nobu style. Authentic Japanese food with a slight Latin American twist. His use of spices is just right. Things such as Unagi sushi with yuzu pepper and zuke-maguro I will always come back for. The thing to improve on is service... the gentleman who was serving us kept calling me "Lady"... like, "Lady can I take your tea?"... Aren't you supposed to say "Ma'am"??? Also, the green tea was not hot, but lukewarm. I am sure all these things, given that it is run by Japanese guys, will improve over time. Oh.. and the dessert... Kaneko-san's wife (who is a French chef herself) makes the best strawberry pannacottas I have ever had. Perfectly creamy and delicious. Our meal (with a small bottle of sake included) came to $55 per person. Some people may say that is expensive. But come on, you are getting a Nobu experience with a more personal touch, AND you are eating great fish shipped from Japan. I am going to try the Omakase course next time... can't wait!
(4)Lauren Y.
came here for my parents anniversary. the place didn't look fancy, but the food was most delicious and most fancy. i love it... LOVE IT when restaurants actually put thought into their food. we ordered the Omakase $75 and was stuffed. I usually don't order omakase because I'm allergic to fish and eel. I'm super sensitive too. I can't even use the same spoon that scooped up fish to get something else. So the very very polite and helpful waiter asked me what I could eat and I listed everything on the menu besides fish and eel. 1st flight: Tuna Tartar (I got Seafood Ceviche) - SUPER FRESH 2nd flight: Hamachi with Sesame Miso dressing (Lobster with Sesame Miso dressing) - SUPER FRESH AGAIN! My mom said the fish was really really smooth and my lobster was perfect. Huge portions too. I think it a tail and a claw.. for a SALAD?! 3rd flight: Rock Shrimp Tempura (Canadian Duck) - My duck was so tender and the sauce was sweet and just the right amount of tartness. My family wasn't very impressed with the tempura. It reminded them of mayonnaise shrimp with walnuts you find at any 2 star Chinese restaurant but they said you can tell the batter was very very good. 4th flight: Cod (Angus Steak) .. by this time we were all pretty full but still delicious! 5th flight: Assorted Nigiri (Super Spider Roll) - SUper Fresh again! The spider roll wasn't mondo filled with rice like you'd find at other Japanese restaurants. You can tell the chefs have are most talented because my huge rolls did not fall apart. There was also a thin slice of cucumber wrapped around the outside. 6th and final flight: strawberry panna cotta - perfect light and refreshing to end the meal. total with sake .... $400. Yea, a bit pricey for the location, atmosphere and decor, but the portions are pretty hefty and I liked it. Will come back most def, but will probably try a la carte. thumbs up: FRESHNESS, friendly, thought into the food, service, cleanliness, taste thumbs down: cheap paper menu and lack of signs. invest in the menu and signs please!!
(5)Sonny Y.
Jin Sho is quickly making its way into my list of favorite Japanese restaurants in the south bay. My experience at Jin Sho echos what several other reviewers (Dan V, Marc Y, Dennis J) have already posted, so I'll attempt to provide a slightly different perspective; the cuisine served up by chefs Ichiro-san and Kaneko (Neko-san) is just mouth-wateringly delicious and creative. I went there twice in the space of a week, and both times I sat at the counter and ordered the same set omakase dinner. We received no repeat dishes at all, and the breadth of the dishes the chefs are able to serve up is impressive! So far the range has spanned subtly flavored toro tartare to Angus steak on a hot-plate, to a delicious seafood broth, to well-cut sushi (see the pics I uploaded up top). On my second visit to Jin Sho, we specifically requested that one of the courses be duck only for one of the diners in our party, as she loved duck, and I remembered how good the duck had been on my first visit. That was the only request we made, and it was then that Chef Neko-san allowed this little tidbit of information: the creative dishes that he prepares are not based on a set of standard recipes that aims for 100% consistency, but rather reflects his mood at the time. So in essence the dishes are all a bit unique each time. True enough, when the duck was presented, it was a different preparation than the first time I had it, but nevertheless, just as good. Another strong point I found was that the sauces that were used in the dishes were as much a part of the dish's character as the main ingredient. Oftentimes, the sauce is more of an afterthought, and by themselves not memorable at all. Not so at Jin Sho. Case in point, the ginger-soy sauce that followed the shima-aji with kaiware sprouts, and the olive oil-vinegar-jalapeno sauce drizzled on the organic salmon. Mind-blowingly good! Service, as others have mentioned, was polite, and kept up with the pace of our eating. Parking is a non-issue as well - plenty of street parking, and there's a parking garage just on the back side of the block. Overall I am thrilled to have Jin Sho in the south bay and can't wait to go back for another visit.
(5)Naresh R.
Since the below review, I went there a few times, and service has become better. Granted, I went much earlier and beat the rush. Go at 11:30 and the meal will not be frustrating. The food is fabulous! I really wanted to give this place a great review, but after two lunchtime visits, I can't because the service was incredibly slow and frankly, inattentive. They let dishes sit at the cooks' drop off counter for a long time before serving them. The worst part is that the drop off point is in plain view of the whole restaurant. The waitress didn't bother to see if our water glasses were full, etc. and the meal just took forever to arrive. This happened twice. The food, however, is great. The fish is very very fresh, and the sushi is artfully prepared. I have no gripes about the food, but the service really needs help. Waiters and waitresses should serve food that is piled up whether it is their tables' orders or not. They should all keep an eye out for water glasses that need refilling. Otherwise, this place is great, the food is awesome and the decor is very pleasing. I'm really sorry that I have to give it such a bad rating.
(4)Chris D.
Good lunch specials and great miso soup. Super friendly staff and a great vibe.
(5)Nichole L.
A large group of us from work went to Jin Sho for sushi the other day. The service was great and the food was good. It was very busy, but we didn't wait long. Our server smelled really great too :)
(4)Zoe Z.
Some reviews mention it's Steve Jobs' favorite sushi place..Quite an eye-catching line, but food has to speak for themselves. Sashimi plates are fresh indeed. And you won't be able to walk into any sushi place in the neighborhood that offers toro tartare as such. Most likely, you feel a single entree with small delicate pieces isn't enough to feed you haha...I added a coupe desserts. They look as lovely as in pictures but tastes pretty mediocre. Fresh and well prepared sushi is not supposed to be cheap, so leave no complaints about the bill ;)
(4)Monique S.
My friend and I went here for the pris fix dinner. We went on a Saturday evening and were promptly seated. The waitress suggested the Jin Sho sake platter, which was delicious. The sakes ranged from dry to semi sweet. My favorite was the Ika Na Onna. It was very dry and refreshing. The ceviche was delicious with the perfect amount of citrus. It had shrimp but I didn't notice any fish. The sushi came, and I thought it was a mistake. It looked like spicy salmon. I checked with the waitress, and it wasn't. It was just regular salmon ground up. I've never had that before. Was it fillers? I expected a chunk of salmon. It tastes okay, whatever it was, but it didn't meet my expectations. My friend had the black cod and loved it. had the ceviche, rock shrimp, and salmon avocado roll.
(3)Marco H.
The staff is fairly rude -might be a cultural thing? In either case, I've sat outside 3 times now and they seem to forget about people in outside seating. Food is good, but not worth waiting an hour for a roll after ordering.
(1)Nora G.
Fresh fish. Pricey, but still surprisingly crowded on a Saturday night. Tables are incredibly close to each other, but they don't seem to care as long as a single other body can possibly fit. Service is consistently spotty. I'll still be back.
(4)Judy L.
Came here for lunch. Maybe I had too high an expectation -- the food wasn't bad, but just didn't measure up. The miso glazed black cod was a tad overly sweet. The angus beef toban yaki was not bad but nothing to write home about. Agedashi tofu was pretty standard. They had interesting flavors for mochi ice cream. Servers were friendly but service was slow.
(2)Benjamin L.
I think this is my new favorite Sushi joint in the area. The quality of fish is quite good and the prices are reasonable. The last time I went here was for my wife's birthday. She ordered menu B and I had the sushi plate. Both were quite good. Service was nice and they even brought out a green tea cheesecake with candle for her and sang the song. It did get busy during peak times so I would make a reservation. Other than that, I think if I want quality sushi nearby, then I will come here.
(4)K R.
Not sure why there are so many random negative reviews... because this place is great. I have never been disappointed and I feel that you get the taste of Nobu without a Nobu price tag. I have since moved away but if I lived closer, I would frequent this place once a week if I could!
(5)Sabin C.
I went here based on a recommendation from a friend who frequents it. I was really surprised by the inventive dishes and the lunch menu. I tried the ceviche, soft shell crab and live eel along with some sashimi. Everything was super fresh as can be expected at most California Japanese places. The lunch crowd was a bit noisy since it's a very casual place. You eat quickly and your out, back to you desk. I image the dinner vibe is totally different. I will surely return to it during my next trip.
(4)Jeff H.
Good sushi, but not worth it at this price. You pay for the ambience and a more upscale atmosphere, but it isn't worth it in the end. My recommendation? Try Homma's, or even Odori, which are both nearby. What do I mean by good sushi? The fish is high quality. We ordered the Chirashi dinner ($23.65) and there was a good variety of high quality cuts. The red tuna, the salmon, and the mackerel were especially good. We also ordered the sushi dinner ($19.75), but you get better bang for your buck with the Chirashi. For an upscale place, their service was hit-or-miss. At times it was over-intrusive, interrupting us mid-conversation, and at others it was non-existant, as my tea went empty for most of the meal. I'm not normally one to complain over service since people can have bad days, but considering you're paying a premium for the service, you'd think they would have mastered this basic task of knowing when and how often to check up on you. It's not "bad" service at Jin Sho per say, just service out of line with the expectations created by the menu. Overall, it is a place that you might want to take a business client. Go if you really need the nicer atmosphere, but not if you want to get good sushi for a reasonable price. I don't give out 2-star ratings too often, but in this case there is just as high quality sushi nearby and at much lower price.
(2)Elaine N.
The Good: 1) No wait on weeknight evening. 2) Parking is right in front of the resto. 3) Steve Jobs' favorite sushi... The Bad: 1) Mediocre nigiri. 2) Slow service. 3) Many open tables, why do you try to put us next to another group?!?! Told the staff right away that I would like some S-P-A-C-E!!! Overall, a decent place to go if you are in the area, otherwise I would not drive out of my way to come here.
(3)JS H.
The male servers are rude. so fake and arrogant. Too loud. BUT, the hamachi carpaccio is the best among other sushi places.
(2)Robin M.
My husband and I chose Jin Sho as a lunch spot for two reasons: we were hungry, and it was the first Japanese restaurant we saw. Not the best reasons... We arrived right before noon. It wasn't too busy, so we were seated promptly. Very tight quarters. It wasn't too impactful at first, but it got busier and by the time our food arrived the restaurant was full. VERY noisy--the sound really bounced off the walls. We opened the menus and looked for a bento box option. Turns out they only produce ten boxes per day (?), and the chef chooses the options. I didn't care for the bento-box-of-the-day choices, so we decided on the pris fixe. My husband ordered jalapeno yellowtail and chicken teriyaki; I selected grilled chicken with miso and four pieces of sashimi. The good: Food arrived promptly, and plates were cleared rapidly. My chicken was tasty, albeit a bit dry. Husband's yellowtail was tasty. My sushi was very fresh. Iced green tea was strong and refreshing. Strawberry custard that came at the end of the meal was quite lovely. The not so good: Did I mention the din? Owing to unique acoustics, I had to ask my husband to repeat himself if he was speaking to me, but I could hear the conversation of the diners sitting next to us quite well. My husband's yellowtail arrived on a large plate that dwarfed the portion--three (3) THIN slices of fish, each crowned with a shaving of jalapeno. He never got the promised salad. My sushi was also very thin, and each piece was cut in two--perhaps to make it appear like a larger portion? When we left, I had to basically lap dance the folks seated next to us because the tables are so jammed together. Sorry about that, folks...
(2)Jasmine X.
Came here for lunch with work colleagues. We arrived around 1pm and I was actually pretty surprised to see how packed it was. We were seated pretty immediately. I got the lunch prix fixe--you get to choose one item from two lists. I went with the ceviche (I know, why would one get ceviche at a Japanese restaurant) and the chicken teriyaki. Ceviche was actually not bad, but it was basically just pourly cut sides of fish in ponzu sauce. The fish pieces literally seemed like they had been accidentally sliced off sashimi pieces, or like residual fish chunks from sashimi pieces. Tasted eh. Chicken teriyaki was equally interesting--chicken was definitely on the dry bland side and there was very limited sauce. It came with a side of mashed potatoes, a piece of broccoli, a few slices of carrots, and a fried banana. Just the oddest pairing I've ever experienced. Most redeeming part was the fried banana but it looked like a fried onion when I put it in my mouth so I was very unclear as to what I was eating. All in all, expensive and not that good... you can get much, much higher quality Japanese food at Fuki Sushi which is literally five minutes down El Camino. I also hate when I step out of restaurants smelling like oil and restaurants, which was very much the case in this situation. Waiters were very attentive though-great with tea refills. That was nice. tldr; meh Japanese food. so many better options for around the same price range close by
(3)Niso H.
Got the soba here, pretty good. Only complaint, was served by a Pakistani guy. What's the deal!? I came for an authentic Japanese experience. Love the ambiance, food and service. You guys are awesome. Keep doing what you do.
(4)Ros S.
Long overdue review! Absolutely love this place! Recommend you make reservations for dinner or lunch and ask to sit at the sushi bar. Sometimes they get busy so I just call up and make reservations. Service is always friendly and helpful. If there's something you want off the menu, I would suggest you ask. I love the Soft-Shell Crab salad and Yellowtail Jalapeño (it's not hot)! OMG..so good! Sadly, I didn't take a picture (devoured it before I realized I should've take a pic:)). You can order it during dinner. If you like Unagi, you will love the Live Eel (disclosure: it's cooked). So much better than regular Unagi. The sashimi dinner is awesome!!! Jin Sho is great for lunch or dinner. If you go for lunch, order the prix fixe menu. I really liked the ceviche. Pana cotta dessert was so good! Only for lunch though during the week. You can tell I love this place:)
(5)D.wight L.
Given the locale and who spearheaded this resto, I was expecting it to be more foo-foo. But in actuality, it reminded me of just a typical mom/pop, lively Japanese joint. No etched glass, no super statues of anything, actually nothing big city-like at all, cept for maybe the somewhat loud modern jazz on the sound system. And you know what, I was all good with it! The food here transcends the ambiance. Especially if you get anything raw from the sushi line. First things first, even though it is Japanese owned/ran, it is not traditional. The influences from having worked with Nobu shows. Sauces adorn plates along with raw or seared seafood. May be too strong or overkill for some purist, but I think they pull off a nice balancing act. For example a Tuna Sashimi Salad I got with my pre-fixe were simply nice slices of seared peppercorned tuna on top a super nice ginger dressing. A little spring mix and this was an outstanding starter in my opinion. yelp.com/biz_photos/jin-… Saki flights are also to be had here and are super conducive with their food. I like this route as it imparts an educational bend to the experience. yelp.com/biz_photos/jin-… Lamb Chops were tasty and juicy but they don't ask for requested temperature. Though juicy, I don't mind a little more pink in my quality lamb. The accompanying pesto sauce, however was not needed in this case. A lighter sauce, maybe Asian inspired may have been a better fit, IMHO again. yelp.com/biz_photos/jin-… Salmon Skin rolls were chosen as part of the pre-fixe and were not bad, especially with a look I've never seen, nice skills. yelp.com/biz_photos/jin-… Added extra nigiris to our outing and proved worthy. Saba is textbook, I would get this every time I come in. Wild King Salmon, though expensive at $14/pair was quite meaty and not as fatty as expected. Alphonsino was something I've never had, but I loved the texture with the attached skin. They also stealthily dot the flesh with citrus zest for a surprise bang. yelp.com/biz_photos/jin-… Oh and I cannot forget the sushi rice. This is some of best, well executed sushi rice I've ever had. Every grain stays separate and every grain is shiny like a pearl, I was a fan. Knife skills and assembly of all sushi are also to be commended. So to have food this good and sushi elevated from my usual outing and just paying barely more than what I'm accustomed to, is just spectacular in my book. I will easily be back and it will most definitely be at the bar. Can we say OMAKASE, for the next outing?!
(4)Cherylynn N.
It's been over 2 months since I've been to Jin Sho but a couple of things immediately come to mind about my dinner there: 1) It was expensive. 2) It was mediocre (this was the late Steve Job's fav sushi restaurant?!?!) 3) I wished I had a sugar daddy (just kidding). Actually, when I think about it even more, I start remembering more about our disappointing dinner at Jin Sho like the Toro Tartare ($22): bit.ly/1e93XfP that was sitting in a pool of soy that entirely masked and ruined the taste of this expensive cut.... How the overhyped Rock Shrimp Tempura ($14.75): bit.ly/1epHo1q reminded me of Chinese Walnut Shrimp from my neighborhood hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant but 50% more expensive... Then, there was the $5 a piece Omakase Nigiri that made plain Jane seem like the sultry Madison Ivy (read: run of the mill selection): bit.ly/Q2a2zJ . Out of 18 pieces, only one stood out and when we asked for another order, the sushi chef mumbled, "we're sold out". WTF, at 6 pm (they open at 5:30 pm) and while most of the customers around us were ordering Spicy Tuna and Dragon rolls?!?! Not even going to waste my finger strength detailing the Safewayesque Strawberry Shortcake ($6.75): bit.ly/1oKDAS4 . The most memorable part of dinner? The $300 bill for two. That and Mr. Amex is giving me the one finger salute at the end of the month.
(2)Chelsea H.
The food and service here are unique and 5 star. You will get more than you ask for.They blew me away with a veggie roll containing about 5 vegetable varieties and tempura with fried shredded vegetables. Very unique. I love this restaurant. They also let me use my own containers for take out. For the fish eaters, God I almost fell for it. You won't be disappointed.
(5)Aakash G.
That this place exists is such a travesty. It's such awful bang for the buck. And places this expensive should have at least edible food. The food is awful. Our experience was terrible. The server literally forgot a sushi roll, and it seems like he whipped it himself when he came back with it! It was supposed to have fish on top, and had little specks of skin! It was disgusting to get six small pieces for how much we paid for the roll. Furthermore, the other items outside of that were not impressive. The sushi and fish we did get was very subpar, one of the worst sushi experiences I have ever had. Like the first percentile. And, the lamb chops were a joke! They were some of the smallest lamb chops we each had ever seen. Overall, this place seems more like a scam than anything close to a fine dining establishment that charges prices that warrant three $$$ signs on Yelp.
(1)Marianna K.
One of those places where 1 star is too much! First of all, what's up with service??? Should have left right after hello! But I decided to give it a shot. I sat at the bar and was trying to place an order. I noticed that sushi chefs look a little tired. Looks like their ticketing system is a little 'off'. One of the orders was not done right and I observed the most weird sushi making technique ever! He took the roll off the plate, put it back together into a string, put something that looked like tuna on top, used the bamboo mat to glue it back... Cut it again into pieces. Put it on the plate... I should have left then, but didn't... I ordered... fantasy roll and a few pieces. The sushi was ok, but the roll was not great at all... Sad experience when miso soup is the best thing served!
(1)Samantha C.
Jin Sho is a tiny little tucked-away restaurant and the decor isn't anything fancy, but don't let that fool you, the sushi here is amazing! I came with a couple friends a few weeks ago and was totally blown away. I ordered the chirashi (assorted sashimi with rice) and it came with a generous spread of 6 kinds of fish (2-3 pieces each), shrimp, baked salmon, and tomago. Plus it was beautiful! see photo. We also ordered the rainbow roll, the spider roll, and the spicy scallop. The spider roll came wrapped in cucumber which was really creative. The spicy scallop was AMAZING in its freshness. We ate until we couldn't eat anymore. A truly delightful experience. I will certainly be back.
(4)SunDo K.
Today, I ate the same Sushi Steve Jobs ate made by Chef Takahashi. Humble and awesome guy who knew Steve Jobs in person. I grew up in Japan eating "Real Sushi" and today I was very satisfied. Ordered Omakase. I was informed first two visit Omakase is more of set menu and Third Omakase is more catered to the customer. Wish I can come here every single day. I have posted the photos of my Omakase course for you to see. #sundogram
(5)Lea I.
My mom and I came here after a recommendation from a friend. It was around 8:30pm on a Monday when we went in. There was maybe two tables being used so we got seated right away. It was a really tightly furnished restaurant, really hard to walk through. We sat down and looked at the menu. They had a menu describing all the different sauces which was interesting, but nothing on the menu really popped out at us. But we decided on agedashi tofu and a few sushi rolls. I got a avocado&salmon roll and a negihama roll and my mom ordered a spicy tuna hand roll and one other roll (I can't quite remember what it was called, it has salmon and unagi on top) We couldn't wait to get our food because we were so hungry. We got our agedashi tofu. It was decent, same as any Japanese restaurant. But boy were we disappointed when the sushi came. The presentation was HORRIBLE. I mean is there a head chef checking the food before it goes out? I mean I've worked at a few sushi places and never have I had to or would have served the sushi looking like that. (I'll upload pictures) BUT thank goodness the food wasn't that bad. It wasn't spectacular, but it was good. My mom decided to order another spicy hand roll since she was still hungry, but this second one that they sent over was SIGNIFICANTLY smaller than the first. It was like half it's size! And they charged the same price for it! And while we were eating they started to clean and even turned off some of the lights. I think there was still a customer at the sushi bar and they turned off the sushi bar lights. Taste wise, it's ok. Presentation wise, a huuuge improvement is needed. I heard this place was Steve Job's go to sushi spot. I guess you only get full and perfect service if you're Steve Jobs (May he rest easy). I don't think I will be coming here if I'm in the area, I'd rather go elsewhere.
(2)Christina N.
Came here for lunch with my coworkers and ordered the lunch prix fix for $16.50. We were lucky that there was no wait since this restaurant was apparently very popular. Service here is pretty good, but at that price point, I'd expect decent service. The food too, was pretty fresh and decent and well worth the price. Miso soup - good Tuna sashimi salad - I was a little surprised by this as I expected it to be more tartare style but this came served more like a tuna carpaccio with a side of vegetables. The dressing went very well with the tuna, but was a tad too sour for the salad. Miso cod - So good I wished they gave a bigger slice of fish! Strawberry Panna Cotta - The panna cotta itself was very smooth. I did find the flavor a little too light, even with the berry sauce. Dragon roll - Ok. Generous serving. A tad on the expensive side for lunch. Not sure if I'd come back here again for lunch since I've had better in other Japanese restaurants with higher food quality to price ratio. Might come back for dinner to try!
(3)Christine K.
One of our favorite places for sushi! Not only delicious food but very friendly staff and nice atmosphere. We love the Rock Shrimp Tempura appetizer, Shawn roll, and fantasy roll!
(5)Jason S.
I, personally, don't get the whole sushi/sashimi thing. Paying the big bucks for some uncooked, very subtly flavored food. As an art form, it goes way over my head. I just don't understand all the subtleties. At Jin Sho, I watched the sushi chefs focusing on performing their craft, and despite their apparent efforts, the finished products still looked... not equivalent to the mastery required and history behind quality sushi/sashimi. That aside, what I DO enjoy is exploring cuisine. Jin Sho has a good selection of seasonal fishies and other water dwelling edibles. Much better than what one can pick up at the local grocery store. (The majority of them still taste 'mostly' the same to me, but I enjoy the variety. Even if it tastes the same, at least I am aware that the names are different) The prices are higher than other sushi places, but for me, sushi is already an expensive meal. If I'm gonna be paying a lot regardless, I might as well pay a bit more for better quality/variety.
(4)Alfred K.
We came with a reservation and were seated promptly. We were quite early so it was on the quieter side when we arrived. Service was friendly but a bit sporadic. I appreciate having our water and tea refilled promptly, but they were almost on the overly aggressive side of repeated refills. I'm not complaining, just it was slightly intrusive while in conversation. I ordered the "oyster bar" and the "chirashi don" and the black sesame ice cream Miso Soup: I really appreciate when miso soup does not come from a packet or pre made powder. Soup tasted of fragrant dash with an adequate about of miso. Chirashi don: Presentation was beautiful and I love that there was both ikura and masago (can never have enough eggs!) Tamago was fresh and fluffy, and all the fish was super fresh with the right texture. Lovely! Exactly what I would expect from a top notch Japanese restaurant. Oyster Bar: Described on the menu as three oysters with three kinds of special sauce, this did disappoint in two ways. Someone else from the table ordered the same, and our first complaint here was that the oysters came after the meal, after everything and everyone else was served. The oysters had potential, as they were perfectly shucked and sized, but were overpowered by the sauces that were placed on it. Definitely not oysters for oyster lovers, maybe oysters for sauce lovers but I'm an oyster lover who typically just gives a squirt of lemon at most. Black sesame ice cream - Creamy and delicious ice cream with a light flavor of black sesame. No coloring used so no scary deep and artificial black color that you get at some places. All in all this place is worth it, and I'll just avoid the oysters next time.
(4)Tom H.
I have eaten at Jin Sho over a dozen times and never been disappointed. Highlights are the sashimi, rolls, artisan seaweed salad, tuna sashimi salad, house salad (amazing dressing), and soups... Lunch prix fix is a solid value for the high quality food received. Staff are friendly. Love it!!!
(5)Patrick M.
Got the "Sushi Delax" (yes, that is how the menu had it spelled) and a piece of Uni. The Sushi Delax was $28 and the single piece of Uni was $5.75. The Uni was delicious, but the Sushi Delax was nothing special. It was a variety of "special" sushi, but two of the pieces were just tuna. I felt underwhelmed from the meal, and was slightly disappointing. I was told that this use to be Steve Jobs favorite sushi place in the area. I'm not sure if that is just a rumor, or if it is true. Regardless, I can say that this is not Patrick M's favorite place. If in the area, go the the cuban place across the way. It is much better!
(3)Desmond T.
I came with a party of 3 and we went straight for the nigiri. This is one of the few places that has such a large variety of fish that we've never heard/tried that just had to order them all - at least attempt to. The nice thing is that they tell you what months these fish are available throughout the year. Unfortunately, nearly 50% of the fish we wanted to try that were supposedly available based on the information provided, was not. This was a huge disappointment. Service was not the best; we asked a couple of questions and every time our waitress had to go back to the kitchen to get verification. Toro is not worth it here. I generally love toro, but it is really small, not very memorable, and too expensive for the portion they give. Hamachi was on point. Saba was solid. Blue Fin Tuna was AMAZING. A definite must have. Overall, just okay, but I would still like to come back to try the sashimi I couldn't get.
(3)Corey K.
I've been to Jinsho about half a dozen times now and I feel like it is a solid 4 stars. Let me go over the pros. First off, I love that they have a "prie fix" meal where you can pick two smaller sized meals with rice, miso soup and a small dessert. The sashimi salad is excellent along with the yellowtail jalapeño. However I LOVE the black cod with miso. It's so buttery and has that miso tang that makes me oh so happy :) I've also tried the corn tempura with matcha salt which is a nice way to start the meal. Chef kaneko is quiet but he is a master chef behind the counter and definitely has some good quality fish he presents every night. Now based on my review so far, you might be thinking...well it should be five stars right? Well, I don't want to be a debbie downer but it is expensive for the portions. I know I shouldn't expect huge portions in a Japanese restaurant (unless it's super low quality) but I wouldn't come here if I was starving. It does get quite busy so I would recommend getting there early or putting in a reservation. Anyway like I said this place is definitely a strong four star restaurant and I will be coming back soon :)
(4)Inseong J.
This review is only for their sushi and not for anything else. I came here for sushi and that was definitely a mistake. I see that the reviews are decent here so I am guessing that most people who are giving good reviews either did not eat sushi or have never had a proper sushi. I ordered Sushi Dinner Delax (not sure what delax means...). It was horrible. Fish was obviously not very fresh and someone definitely did not know how to make rice for sushi. I only order sushi when I go to Japanese restaurants so I am not sure what food is like at Fuki Sushi but I can guarantee you that their Fuki Mori (11 piece sushi plate $30) is much much better than Jin Sho's Sushi Dinner Delax ($28). The sushi here is without exaggeration, worse than one you could get from Safeway. Don't come here for sushi. Come here for other things on the menu. If you want sushi, go to Fuki Sushi. They serve good sushi.
(1)Erica S.
Talk about unimpressive! This place is like the PF Chang's of Japanese food. I'm surprised that this was SJ's favorite sushi place! We came on a weeknight for dinner and it took a few minutes before the host came to seat us. We also had to wait so they can clean the tables. The place is super loud so I wouldn't recommend going for an intimate dinner. Our server was slow and was not very good at his job. He would throw our plates on the table and I constantly had to ask for water refills. We started off with some tempura. You can order by individual pieces so we ordered a few. I had the carrot, kabocha, and broccoli. It's cool that you can order individually, but nothing special tasting about it. Then we waited over 30 minutes to get our sushi. Of course, it had to be the day that I was super hungry and feeling impatient. Not sure if our server forgot to place our order as customers next to us got theirs pretty quickly. My husband had the deluxe sushi and I had the chirashi. The chirashi came in a white modern bowl and had thin slices of sashimi spread out on top of the rice. No presentation skills whatsoever. The sashimi was so thin that 2-3 slices equaled a typical slice at other restaurants. Also, all the sashimi was typical stuff: tuna, salmon, snapper, hamachi, ikura. Nothing fancy. Definitely wasn't worth $23 for it. Rice was not good either, but because I was hungry, I pretty much finished it all. I left pretty disappointed and unimpressed that I don't think I would ever bring my mom here.
(2)Ann L.
I've read a bunch of reviews on Jin Sho and the Mercury Newspaper had a great article on them so I had to go. The chefs are from Nobu Restaurant in NY so they have Skills! Opened since Dec. 2007, they still have a Grand Opening sign outside. We were the first ones at 5:30pm on Wed. We sat at the bar which seats 10. Nice dining room, very modern. Open kitchen right in front too. FREE Edamame (soy beans) given. I should have gotten the prized dish of raw yellowtail w/ jalapeno & yuzu $15, but I didn't. I also wanted to try the lamb chops & Salmon avo roll. Next time. Instead we got: seaweed salad $8 - I thought it was slimy and not very good, hubby liked it. white tuna nigiri $3 (2pcs) - it was ok, not special. Grilled Miso marinated Alaska black cod $18 - another famous dish, it's 2 big slabs of cod w/ side of rice. Also some fried banana (didn't eat), okra (didn't try), pickled eggplants - liked that, also our chef's favorite. Recommended if you like cod. Yellow tail roll (6 pcs) - we asked for spicy, but he must have forgotten cuz it wasn't spicy. 2-pc scallop nigiri - ok 2 pc ikura nigiri - ok 2pc saba nigiri - ok We could have ordered more, but we were getting full & knew the bill was adding up so we stopped. Total before tax $58 + $4.79 tax = $62.79 Before tip. Separate bathrooms in the back. Women's one toilet/sink w/ nice soap + even more like anti-bacterial too. Next to Bistro Elan on Calif. Ave. Credit cards taken. Mercury Newspaper article here: mercurynews.com/restaura…
(3)Connie C.
For $90/person, I would have expected a lot more from my meal at Jin Sho. Of course, the company alone was worth it, but I had pretty high expectations for the food and service, and neither lived up to the hype. Our group was split in two and our table of 8 decided to go family style by ordering four $75 omakase dinners and an appetizer or entree per person so we could have a full sampling of the menu (check out my posted pics). This was WAY too much food in the end. We could have ordered half of that and been fine. We also had a few bottles of sake and wine, so $90/person would seem reasonable... IF we were having dinner at, say... Nobu? If I hadn't known the chefs had come from Nobu, perhaps my expectations wouldn't have been so high. There were a few highlights of our dinner, which if I were to go back again, I'd order a la carte. First of all, it seemed that our server should've known what dishes would be in the omakase, and let us know not to order something a la carte because it was included in the omakase, but he didn't. This happened with the miso black cod. Although it was one of my favorite dishes, we really had too many orders of it. It could have been avoided if our server made us aware of it and suggested that we select something else. I really enjoyed the Kobe beef tataki, which was nicely seared and flavored. The tiradito white fish and yellowtail with jalepeno appetizers were also very good. The mixed sushi included a variety of fresh fish, although Euge and I noticed a few messy cuts. Overall, pretty good, but I was not blown away. The panna cotta dessert was sweet and silky, but apparently not satisfying for everyone because the majority of the group went for "Korean" frozen yogurt in Mt. View after our 3.5 hour long dinner. I will probably go back in a smaller group (for better service) and on an empty stomach, which I'd suggest you'd do the same.
(3)Emmy L.
The first time we went it was a great experience, rolls were tasty and sushi were fresh. Somehow this second time was not impressive at all. The consensus of our table- Jin Sho was just an ordinary sushi restaurant. Maybe I will change my mind again but there is no incentive for me to go there.
(3)Lyn Y.
Came here once in 2009 for my bf's birthday - it was ok, not that memorable as we never went back. The fish was above average freshness, but nothing stood out. The decor was ok, service was good, cleanliness was fine - everything was fine but on the typical side. It sort of fit into my general impression of Palo Alto restaurants - nice ambience, but average food.
(3)Janice C.
Been here a few times & love the food! The sushi is always fresh and well prepared. I always forgot to make a reservation but that's probably a good idea - they're always packed especially on the weekends.
(4)Gzel B.
BAD SERVICE TINY SERVINGS TOO SMALL AND CRAMPED I don't think I'm going back to Jin Sho anytime soon! Bad service - I came in through the back door because I parked in the back parking garage, no one acknowledged me, usually they greet you at a Japanese restaurant, here everyone was looking away....... Got a table, the waitress took my order, she recommended a roll and brought out some rice and miso soup. OK good start. But she brought out an order of "appetizer" yellow tail sashimi that was small enough pieces to feed to my minnows in my fish tank!!! I'm so used to ample servings, even with appetizers, when I go to Japanese restaurants, this was MINIATURE serving. and at $8 - a total rip-off. I can't even taste the fish, it was so tiny! The waitress forgot to bring out the roll that she recommended, I waited and waited and waited, finally I called the tea server and asked for my roll, the waitress came back and asked if I wanted to order more food, I said no, I want my roll. she said to me matter-of-factly "you didn't order any roll" and she proceeded to flip through her order book, and there it was, I ordered a roll that she recommended. She ran to the sushi chef to order my roll. She then sits a bunch of lawyer type bunch next to me, whose orders came in no time while I sit there waiting for my roll. In the end, I asked for the check, as she was bringing out the roll, I stood up and said "I don't want it anymore, may I have my check." paid my check and didn't tip her. I love, love Japanese food but I don't recommend this restaurant for the 3 issues I mentioned above.
(1)Evan J.
Been going to this place since it opened and I really like the owners. They are always friendly and pour us sake when we sit at the bar. The miso cod is awesome and they have great and unusual fish that you can't find at other places. A little pricey, but this is my go-to place when I want a nice sushi dinner.
(5)Jessica C.
Sticker shock! Haha. I get there and look at the lunch menu today and it was like I was looking at the dinner menu. Ack. Am I sure I want to eat here? And yet it's one of the most bookmarked places on Yelp in the SJ area, so you know again. I have been brainwashed by the masses. From the outside this place looks... actually... kind of ghetto. The windows are all covered up, and then the paper sign saying grand opening. I think my friend and I almost decided to eat somewhere else. But once you get in the decorum is nice. I wish that they had green tea however. I just really like green tea in Japanese places. But it was some variety of black. I had the chirashi and my friend had the udon with egg, and one slice of the yellowtail. One slice that cost 3 dollars. Not even a pair! Ack tres cher! Nevertheless it was good. I would come back, but not necessarily for the fish, while it was super fresh, it was kind of on the thin side, and not the value for sure.
(4)Amy K.
It took a long time to get a table. Other than that, average of the mill sushi joint. Fish was fresh, service was good. Not really memorable.
(4)Veronica S.
Alex brought me here after all the rave (see below me) he heard about it being the new place in Palo Alto with the two "Nobu guys". The outside doesn't really have a sign yet, (or they do but it's within the window, very hard to see!). The inside is a bit on the trendier side for a sushi place, (Hey, after Nobu, how can these guys cut back on the ambiance aspect now?) but still simple, yet clean and has neutral colours. The bar is long, and I like how the seats don't make you feel claustrophobic. Alex told me I had to try the live eel, and please let me clarify however, Their "live eel" is eel transported from Japan that they skin daily in the morning. It is VERY very good, especially because you don't taste a piece of eel nigiri splashed in sauce. I loved it! Also one thing to note, the prices on the menu are per piece. So for instance, one piece of nigiri will run $2.5-$5, or otherwise $5-10 per pair...eeps! A bit higher than your normal place but, the quality shows through so really, it's not much higher. OH, if you want a good bang for the buck, go with the Sushi Dinner. It includes the home-made miso soup, 8 pieces of nigiri, and 6 pieces of spicy tuna roll (all for $20.) The sashimi dinner is $26, or deluxe sashimi dinner (higher quality pieces, supposedly at least) for $28. Omakase prices, $60, $75 (same amt as the $60, but higher quality sushi,) and $90. 1.) Food taste - 5 stars Super high quality fish. Rice is pretty good. Tea (green) is super. Miso soup made from scratch. 2.) Cleanliness, freshness - 4 stars Clean interior, counter. Standard.. 3.) Presentation - 4.5 stars Pretty, I like. 4.) Location/price - 5 stars Decent prices (if you get the combination plates). Easy parking. 5.) Service - 5 stars Attentive staff Recommendations: Kobe Beef Tataki, "Live" Eel, Oh Toro
(5)Vanessa W.
Food is delish here! The sashimi, hamachi jalapeno carpaccio, soft shell crab roll are all really good. The friend shrimp used to be good, it's gotten to be a gloop of fried batter recently. Service is not good. It's unfortunate because it's probably one of the 'better' japanese restaurants in the area. We had a reservation one time along with another couple. The host staff happened to seat the walk in group that came in after us first! The audacity of the host people. I've been back - solely, for the food. The food does come out quickly and is super fresh.
(4)Leon K.
I'll be brief. I like sushi. This is a given. I like all sorts of sushi, I like tasty sushi, and I particularly like fresh sushi. I've had Sushi in Japan, I've had sushi In Hong Kong, I've had sushi all over the US. Basically, I've eaten a lot of sushi. Jin Sho... had average sushi, of average tastiness, and average freshness. The sushi took a long time to come, there was very little ginger on the plates, the waitress would forget to refill our tea, and in the end, 12 pieces of this, decidedly average sushi ended up costing me $53 dollars. Would not come again.
(2)Rachel S.
Mmmhhhmmm the peninsulas' best. Non-pretentious and epic quality, I can see i'll be a repeat offender here. Amazing cuts of salmon sashimi in bright pink slabs, a seaweed salad not overdressed & ever-so-fresh, the salmon/ahi/avocado salsa is stellar... Service attentive, free edamame start you off.
(5)Kevin H.
I would give this place one star on the food alone.... But ambiance and service bumps this up to a 2 i suppose. If your idea of japanese food is "delicious" rolls drenched in sauces and soy sauce then this is your kind of place. However, I am never coming back. The amazing cuts of sashimi that other yelpers may have experienced were MIA during my visit. disappointing.
(2)Anabelle O.
The spider roll was delicious and so pretty! It's nice that its not on University so it feels less like a student eatery than some others.
(5)Justin H.
Fantastic dishes - great food quality, decent service. Amazing cuts of fish, super fresh, and carefully prepared. Slightly on the pricey side, but you get what you pay for. I've been back a few times.
(5)E L.
Best sushi spot in the Bay area, by far - and we've been looking for four years. We moved here from LA, where we were regularly spoiled at Sasabune, Katsuya, and Nobu. I'm told that the chef here studied with Nobu, and it SHOWS. The guys here CARE about quality, aesthetic presentation, fresh ingredients, and creative flavors - it has been a long time since I've seen this much craftsmanship in a sushi restaurant. We ordered the prix fixe lunches, which I thought was a GREAT deal - soup, entree, dessert - reasonable enough for me to eat here every day if I had the time! Given the diverse menu, we also had to try some sashimi and rolls. We started off with a phenomenal "new style sashimi" - white fish doused with a yuzu-soy-sesame dressing - seriously, if the meal had stopped here, I would have been beyond satisfied. But the next act was just as good: the miso black cod was melt-in-your-mouth heaven; the soft shell crab had a gorgeous color and crunch with a faint citrus tang that really sets off the senses. The rock shrimp tempura had a beautifully-balanced sweet-sour dressing that I can't stop thinking about.The spider roll is the best I've had - crisply textured, light, elegant. The cucumber was hand-peeled so finely that at first sight, I thought it was soy paper. The ikura was sublimely fresh, smelling and tasting like the sea, its delicate orbs bursting with flavor. We tried the "Stanford" roll - spicy tuna, unagi, avocado - the tuna was chopped so finely it was almost like a puree (in a GOOD way) with just enough heat so as not to overpower and a velvety rich mouth-feel. I can think of at least 100 of my friends who would LOVE this roll. We concluded with a grande and fitting finale - a dome of chocolate mousse cake, and creamy panna cotta topped with candied pansy. Candied pansy, people! That's the kind of detail and whimsy that makes this place truly stand out. All this for a party of TWO females, mind you. But yes, it was THAT good.
(5)Raanan K.
A taste of the great Nobu repertoire right here in the bay area.
(5)Neil K.
I had a bad experience, gave them a second chance, and had another equally bad experience. I really enjoy sushi and will concede that they have good fish, but that's where any positivity ends. The service is terrible, and I mean TERRIBLE. The waiters are ALL incompetent. I've never seen such a poorly functioning wait staff with less knowledge of their product. I've also gotten take out from them and they've messed up the order BOTH times, even charging me for things then not including them when I picked them up. There aren't a ton of great sushi places in Palo Alto, but I would definitely recommend driving the extra couple miles north on El Camino to Akasaka in Menlo Park. This place is WAY TOO EXPENSIVE for having such ABYSMAL SERVICE. MULTIPLE CHANCES, REPEATED LET DOWNS - AVOID THIS PLACE FOR YOUR WALLET AND SANITY'S SAKE!
(1)Stephanie L.
3.5 stars. Ate at the sushi bar and ordered 13 different nigiri pieces. All were fresh and good -- pieces were about the right size, but the rice felt just a tad bit too big and not quite enough vinegar for my taste.
(3)kelly n.
Ahh...it is not easy to find myself a restaurant that I would always go again, but this little gem on California Ave does it. I saw mix review about it, but I have been there probably ten times or so, mostly lunch. I can say that it is one of the best Japanese restaurants in the area. First of all, they take 'effort' to make the food, it is always well prepared, don't feel like 'mass production' at all. Second, the ambiance is good - modern and clean. But the service can be a bit off sometimes.. Try their lunch, don't get shocked by their $16 lunch selection, it worth every penny. Must try - the miso cod - so yummy! p.s. To those who wants to know if this place is similar to Nobu, I have tried them both, and I can say that this is BETTER than Nobu. Nobu is so OVERRATED! & PRICEY!!! NY has so many choices, forget Nobu!
(4)Kim N.
Taking over the old Salsa restaurant (which moved over next to Mediterranean Wraps) and the adjoining space, Jin Sho is a great new addition to the Japanese restaurant scene in Palo Alto. The layout of the restaurant is very simple and modern. The sushi bar sits to the right of the restaurant while a row of tables line the left. Simple wood furniture, elegant bar area and large picture windows showcase the space from the outside. The menu is mix of both traditional Japanese sushi/sashimi mixed with some noveau entrees. After giving a hearty look at the menu while waiting for the last person in the party, we couldn't figure out what we wanted because everything looked so good. So we opted for two of the three Omakase options ($60 & $75 respectively, I tried the latter; there's also a $90 choice) and two appetizers. The spread included: Appetizers: - Rock Shrimp Tempura w Spicy Mayo and Yuzu Lemon - Corn Tempura with Maccha Salt Omakase 1: - Oysters Plate with Three Sauces - Tuna Sashimi Salad - Rock Shrimp Tempura - Grilled Miso Marinated Black Cod - Assorted sushi 5 pieces - Miso Soup - Mochi Ice Cream Omakase 2: - Toro Tartare with Caviar in Wasabi soy - Salmon with Jalapeno Dressing with Mizuna Greens and Garlic Sauce - Grilled Miso Marinated Black Cod - Angus Beef Tobanyaki with Garlic Sauce - Sushi Plate: Kohada, Hirame, Kanpachi, Hotate, Chu Toro - Miso Soup - Mochi Ice Cream Everything was fantastic. The standouts for us were the Toro Tartar, oysters, black cod and rock shrimp tempura. Even with the selection of food we had, the menu had so many more things we wanted to try. There are thirty selections for sushi/sashimi and about the same for salads, appetizers, and soup/noodles. Finally, there are ten entrees and 18 rolls. That's a lot of different combinations. They also have a nice selection of various sakes but since it was a school night we refrained. Since the place is brand new and we were there on a weeknight we almost had the place to ourselves. The staff was focused but super friendly and they all came and greeted us at one point. The chef came out and asked our opinions and we got to speak with him a bit too. Great debut and I'm looking forward to many future visits.
(5)Julia J.
I just discovered this place a couple of months ago and I'm glad I did! All of the food here is fantastic. I agree with previous reviewers that it can be pricey...however if you order with this in mind, you can find a way to have a great meal for $20. For instance, they just came out with the pris fixe (sp?) menu and it is wonderful - a really good way to attract all of the poor grad students in this community (such as myself!) For $20 you can get a soup, ceviche (amazing!), rock shrimp tempura (the best I've had in my whole life!), and a sushi roll. Does it get any better? Most of the price complaints seem to be about sashimi which I don't usually order. Some favorite rolls include: Sharks roll (trust me - try it!), spicy tuna, and 49ers roll Since discovering this little gem, my boyfriend and I frequent it about once a week. I definitely recommend trying it if you're in the mood for some really delicious sushi (try the spicy tuna roll and dragon roll - yum!)
(5)Murat S.
a bit pricy for what you get but pretty decent food. I tried their fixed dinner menu and bento box lunch on two occasions and the food was pretty good.
(4)Frank S.
I went there during lunch for take out, and the East Indian waiter who took my order must have been racist (I am Asian-American) because when he took my order, he looked quite reluctant and definitely was unfriendly and unsmiling. Then immediately after taking my order, without turning my order in, he took the order from a Caucasian family and was all smiles. Maybe he isn't racist, maybe he just doesn't like customers who order take out. I will definitely never go back to this place.
(1)Christopher C.
3 stars for food, 2 stars for the wait staff. Been here for lunch a few times since it is close to work. Last time we went, someone in our party asked if they could order a roll with hamachi instead of spicy hamachi (which was the default for the roll). The menu explicitly states that they can customize the rolls to people's desires, but the waitress refused. On top of that, she forgot to put in our appetizer order. The food itself was good, but not anything special. Quality of sashimi was in line with the price; yaki udon is excellent (it is not a soup, but rather it is pan fried and served on a cast iron plate)
(3)Alexander H.
Honestly, does this really have to be that expensive? I understand it's in Palo Alto, but a sushi dinner that cost $20 and can barely feed a high school kid is embarrassing. My friend ordered the black cod (which was delicious), but none of us understood the concept of having fried bananas, fried jalapenos and pickled cucumbers on the side. Also my order was completely a rip off! A rainbow roll that looked like miniature chicken nuggets was not what I envisioned. It's no wonder why the restaurant was relatively empty at night. I may give it a second chance to redeem itself, but unless some miraculous change happens, I will walk away like many yelpers have. =(
(2)Korn D.
Slightly pricier and slightly different than your average Japanese restaurant, but if you're looking for little change. Portions were a little small. I don't know my sake, but they had a big selection, with tasting flights. Ordered the prefix menu, tasted great with a hint of western presentation. Attentive service.
(4)Judy C.
This was our first visit. We came here for a large dinner party on a Friday night, Reservations were very easy to make. We weren't given any trouble about having to all be present to be seated or whether we could bring a cake/wine. We brought the cake 2 hours before our reservations because the bakery was closing and we didn't want to haul it around. They nicely held it for us. We were seated immediately. Our glasses and tea cups were refilled regularly and without disturbance to our meal. The Omakase dining was excellent, with each dish being a surprise to us. We ordered Level 1 and received 4 courses (not including soup and dessert). Beautiful dishes with amazing flavors: what I would assume would be a chef's best work. They served me the best black cod I have ever had. Yum... Overall, excellent food and excellent dining experience. The service was attentive without being too eager and very accommodating to our loud, rambunctious party. I am looking forward to returning for Level 2 of Omakase.
(5)ClosetDork ..
It's always tough branching out and embarking on your own venture after being under the umbrella of a marquee name. So you gotta give the two ex-Nobu chefs credit, for setting up Jin Sho. The location on Palo Alto's California Ave, always viewed as the poor brother to the more upscale and posh University Ave, is also a bit odd. Nonetheless, we were excited to give this place a try, having been to two Nobu locations and perpetually wishing that Nobu Matsuhisa suddenly has an epiphany and decides to open up in San Francisco. So we went ahead and ordered the tried-and-true Nobu-esque dishes of miso black cod and lamb chop with garlic wasabi sauce. We then threw in a couple of extra dishes - yellow tail jalapeno and volcano rolls. First off, service was slow. It wasn't busy (to be fair - California Ave isn't exactly hopping on Thursday evenings anyway), so there was really no excuse for the pace (or lack thereof) at which the order was taken and the time taken for the first dish to make its way to the table. The food wasn't so bad, but it certainly lacks the creativity and oomph that Nobu has, so it certainly was decent but unforgettable. The bill came down to $70, which is considered surprisingly pricy given we didn't have anything but ocha (warm green tea) to drink. Nobu price tag with less-than Nobu service and food quality... hell naw. They should've known when they advertise themselves as ex-Nobu chef that comparisons such as this would be inevitable.
(3)A C.
Torn between 3.5-4 stars here. Jin Sho is pricey (probably because they can afford to be with all the law firms around here). However, the sashimi and sushi taste really fresh and of high quality; I do wish the pieces were bigger, though. The price fixed menus are a good way to go. The black cod is always a hit. The service is good. This place fills up quickly, so make reservations if you can! They take reservations on the day/night of, which is nice.
(4)Mike S.
Went for a date night with my wife, on a friend's recommendation. Both had the high-end omakase, her the "1st time" and me the 2nd time. Everything was quite good, but the black cod my wife got was incredible; the foie gras on top paled in comparison. Nit pick: tempura was a little greasy for both of our agedashi courses. Sake flights provided a way to spread our bets, given near-total ignorance of the drink. Our underage waiter was not much help in selecting, unfortunately. Good sushi is shooting fish in a barrel in the bay area, but I think we'll return to this barrel.
(4)Tim T.
We went specifically to try the omakase menu. While the food was good, the service was so poor it ruined the experience. With omakase, you leave yourself in the chef's hands -- every course is a surprise. So, with no written description from a menu, you rely on the staff to help make the meal "come alive". Unfortunately our waitress had no clue what she was bringing to our table. We'd ask and get a response like "tuna" when, in fact, that course seemed to be seared katsuo with a smoky/sweet bonito sauce and daikon sprouts. It's amazing how poor service can almost change the taste of food. I might go back for basic sushi and rolls, but the chef's artistry is lost when it can't be conveyed by the waitstaff.
(2)Andrea R.
Nothing special. I've had better elsewhere. Happy to have the variety on cal ave. Not bad but didn't thrill me.
(2)Joe L.
Food is good. I don't disagree. I give a low rating because it is really really not good value. Think double the price and half the portion, that kind of poor value. They offer a $11 bento at limited supply. Only the first 10 customers can order that. The 11th customer must spend more. Order their $16 lunch and you will come out hungry. After tax and tips and your hunger costs even more. Double whammy means one quarter of the usual value. I know Palo Alto has a lot of rich people so they may be setting the price for those VCs on Sandhill Road. I don't mind their pricey menu if the portions can at least match a regular restaurant. Good food, just expect to spend more if you need to fill your tummy.
(3)Sandy P.
I am giving this rating based on their $16 3-course lunch specials. It is just pure goodness, and I fee like the portions are large enough to satisfy the avg guy. And since I'm an avg sized girl, I literally have to force myself to stuff down the last bite (well, b/c it's just so darn good!). Sometimes I even skip the rice that come with the entree so I wouldn't have to deal with the heavy food coma later. Anyway, as others have mentioned, the blackened miso cod is heavenly, as is the panna cotta, which is just so fresh and light. I do remember having sushi rolls here and not finding them out of this world. They were good, but not great. I've never had sashimi here either, but I am looking to go back in a month or so, so I will follow up then. :)
(4)Jaime O.
The price is HIGH. $21 for chirashi at lunch. My lunch mate had tempura. I am not sure how much it was (she grabbed the check- thank you very much - you rock!) The portion seemed small to me. She said she was full, but.... It was just a plate of tempura - no salad, no noodles, no rice. Hrrm. My chirashi was good and I was happy but $21 is ALOT. Came with Miso soup (too weak and lacking in flavor). Can't reccomend this place unless you like to spend ALOT for food.
(3)Max R.
Good fish. Reasonable prices. Nice atmosphere. Marginal everything-but-the-fish, excluding the plain white rice, which was, oddly enough "perfect". For some odd reason most Sushi places can not make plain white rice properly. Strange, but true. Just to expand: - Edamame: meh. - Sushi rice: meh. - Miso soup: meh. - Some other appetizer I tried, the name of which i fail to recall: meh.
(4)Miss H.
$$$$?!! OMG. I wish I knew this BEFORE I stepped foot inside, haha. We were starving and it was too hot to eat anything "hot", so we thought sushi rolls would be perfect for dinner. There's a new Japanese restaurant across Jin Sho, but it was empty so we decided to go to Jin Sho instead, since the hustle & bustle indicated better business = better food. Service started out on the bad side... there was clearly an open table and we came in with no reservation. We waited a good 5 minutes before a lady seated us there. Go figure. But she did apologize profusely throughout the meal and gave us edamame on the house, which was $7 on the menu. Which brings me to my next point... The prices = RIDICULOUS. Especially for what it is. Maybe we didn't order the more expensive items which might have been worth it? Who knows. We got the angus beef tobanyaki and organic salmon teriyaki. It's not like your typical Japanese restaurant where you get your main dish, with a bunch of sides like miso & salad. It's basically just your main dish, but maybe a little larger than normal. It was good, but for the price, not worth it. I'd go somewhere else for standard Japanese food and if you want to shell out $$$$ for Japanese food, there are definitely other places where you'll be getting your money's worth.
(2)Susyn D.
I don't understand some of the other reviews. This place is amazing. I ate at the sushi bar and was well taken care of by sushi chef, waiter, etc. True, I spent over $150. But it was well, WELL, worth it. It is a small place so if you want a table, call for reservations. It was the best sushi I've had outside a place in Maui that I was at. And I had the smoothest Sake I have ever had. BRAVO!!
(5)Bobby B.
i felt a bit of steve jobs sitting and eating here....RIP
(5)Jonathan T.
I just got back from having lunch here and this place was not what I was expecting. When I heard that two sushi chefs from Nobu worked here, I thought "wow, this place has to be pretty amazing!" It wasn't. I ordered the corn tempura. It was 'eh.' Next I ordered the blackened cod...way too sweet. It was either overmarinated to the point where the fish was no longer white, but a dark translucent color or it had been sitting there for a while. Furthermore, it didn't come out hot. We also ordered various rolls and nigiri, which only comes out with one piece. Nothing blew my mind here, but the uni was quite fresh. I finished lunch 20min after they closed and the workers all came out and started eating next to us, so come early! I will not come back here unless someone else is paying.
(3)Gregory C.
And return I did. Really not much to say other than another wonderful dining experience. I love the service staff and chef crew. Most importantly the food is phenomenal. Other than ordering the "New Style Sashimi" again (see first review), a pleasure I could not pass up, here are a few other selections from tonight's dinner. - Japanese Eel: Flown in from Japan daily, have to say it was smooth like budda/butter. So fresh, sooooooooo good. - Corn Tempura: Fresh corn tempura-ized in a square rice-crispy like treat. Plated with maccha salt on the side. Dip your corn tempura in the salt and swallow this wonderful tempura treat. - Kohada Sashimi: Sooooooooooooo good. Try it and you will understand. Apparently kohada, or gizzard shad, is a highly prized serving at Edo style sushi restaurants. The kohada is filleted and marinated in salt and vinegar. The key is the marinating time, which must be well controlled. Too long and the flavor of the fish will be overpowered by the vinegar, and the fish's texture ruined. Due to the many factors involved in creating kohada sushi, it is a selection by which the skill of a sushi chef is tested. So I'm told. I'd say they passed with flying colors. - Yellowtail roll: Excellent !!! - Uni: Fresh. Very good !!! - Seaweed Salad: Three types of seaweed. Refreshing with a nice texture. Best I've ever had. Thank you Jin Sho, and thanks to my friend for picking up the tab.
(5)Mike L.
Love their lunch bento box. But if you don't show up before 12pm for lunch, then you will have to wait a bit to be seated.
(5)Florence W.
It is not easy to rate this place. I really like the food here, they tasted awesome!! Recent visit was a little dissapointing though, the sushi portion has shrunk to half the normal size!!! The service, seating, timing of food to the table, are all problematic! I have seen customers leaving their table from waiting too long (after being seated), to customers being turned down at the front desk. It's too bad and too sad what is happening here. They either need to hire more help or have better management. But with more hire, means higher price on the menu. This place is very pricey as it is. Each nigiri is price per piece (instead of the usual 2 pieces) and the nigiri is now half the size of a normal 2 bite size. So I think the next time I go to Jin Sho, I need to have lots of time to wait for a table, and have lots of moolah, or not be too hungry, but how not to be hungry after the long wait? Beats me.
(3)Tommy Y.
Lets be honest, half the good reviews for this restaurant are because people read that the chefs are from Nobu, so they just assume that its goin to be spectacular. The truth is, this restaurant lacks a lot of the creativity that makes Nobu what it is. The sushi is actually quite good. I ordered the kanpachi, hamachi, and a couple others and found it quite good, The cooked dishes were not very creative and can be found at numerous other restaurants around the Bay that don't have the pedigree of "Nobu" chefs, but are just as good. The primary two reasons for the low marks are the service and the pricing. Let me explain both. From the time I sat down, it was a good 10 minutes before we even were asked about tea or water, then the waiter finally came and asked what we would like to drink. After we said tea and water, it was another 10 minutes before anything came. The food took over 25 minutes to get here, which isn't horrible, but this is lunch and the restaurant was only half full at this point. At the end of the meal, for some reason I remmeber the price of one of the nigirils. The price they had charged us and the menu price was different. We were charged 50 cents more per fish. I know it may have been an honest mistake, and overall it was maybe only a 6 dollar difference, but there is a principal involved with this, and they have to be more on top of these things. Yet again, I feel like many of the reviews are people who are making an assumption about the quality of everything because of the chefs pedigree, but have not necessarily been impressed with the restaurant itself.....
(2)Katie M.
The fish at Jin Sho is great (especially if you order sashimi and stay away from rolls, etc.), but we always think twice before heading here for dinner because the service can be so frustrating. More than once we have been told it will be a 15-minute wait for a table, but we've given up after 45 minutes. The food is reliably good, but definitely don't head here without a reservation if you are super hungry...
(3)M K.
My husband and I wandered down to Cal Ave one spring evening, not wanting to deal with the parking and downtown scene. It was between Jin Sho and Bistro Elan (right next to each other). I had read some good reviews for Jin Sho and with the executive chef from Nobu, it would be pretty good. Yeah, no. The sushi was forgettable - no really, I can't even recall what I ate. The edamame was overcooked and mushy. My husband's chicken teriyaki was boring. Very un-hip. And the service was terrible. The infrequent interaction was almost welcome as our waiter made it seem like we were imposing on him. There are so many other better sushi places that I wouldn't even bother checking this place out. Too bad we passed up Bistro Elan for this. *yawn*
(2)Vanessa L.
I've been wanting to try this place for awhile but finally got my chance last week. I'm not sure if I was expecting a fancier place or better food based on the reviews...but I wasn't that impressed. The sushi was good but not great...it felt like any other sushi place...nothing extraordinary. Like other reviewers, I found the seaweed salad a bit to slimy for me. It did feel like there was a raw egg in it, it was a bit too gooey for me. My friend and I weren't that impressed and probably wouldn't come back...but have to mention, if you do get the sushi sampler they do give you a variety of fish and not your typical maguro, sake, hamachi...definitely worth getting if you were to go.
(3)Szilvia H.
Wow, this place has 3.5 stars on average. How is it possible? I read some of the 3 star reviews and it turned out that some people had too high expectation. Hey, this is not Nobu! Never wanted to be. Not the same style, not the same prices, so don't expect the same food, either. Palo Alto is not NYC but a small town where Jin Sho offers probably the best sushi around. The fish here is as fresh as it can get. They have some inventive, nouvelle cuisine-like dishes that are all excellent, but their sushi and sashimi is the real jewel. The service is great, the atmosphere is pleasant, the prices match with the quality. I definitively recommend to anyone who likes real Japanese sushi, rather then all kinds of Americanized rolls.
(5)Yitao Z.
Really over-priced and over-rated...I tried Steve Jobs' favorite dish, the cod with miso sauce. Well, it is OK, but lacks the "WoW"... The Eel+Avocado is not bad, but again, not good enough. At this price level, I am looking for something special and unique and I couldn't find it here.
(3)Jeff Y.
I got the price fixed menu with yellow tail and jalapeno, spider rolls, and black cod. The food was good, but I thought it was a little pricey for the quality and amount. The severs were super friendly and the food came out quickly. I'd give them about 3.5 stars, but I'll round them up to 4.
(4)Meg C.
Ordered takeout. The sushi was delicious. A little overpriced. I liked the Stanford roll!
(4)Lanee J.
Sushi is great and the lunch special is a great deal ($16 for Miso soup, 1 starter, 2 reg. rolls and dessert). Service is not great - I've gotten the wrong roll more than once and servers are generally inconsistent/inattentive. Highly recommend the seaweed salad, spider roll, and eel and avocado.
(4)Meghan W.
Picked up 2 rolls, 4 pieces yellowtail sushi and 2 pieces of tuna at 6:45pm. We sat down at home to eat at 7. As I was about to take a bite of the yellowtail I thought it smelled odd but chewed and then spit it out. Tried the tuna and it was chewy & tough so I spit that out as well. My husband abhors wasting food so he ate his portion. It's now 11:30pm, he has been feeling sick for about an hour and just had it all come back up. Awesome, nothing like getting food poisoning when you were super excited for a relaxing night of fresh healthy eating. Will not be going back to this place. Zero stars.
(1)Lis A.
A NOBU CONNECTION I was looking for a good sushi place for a team lunch and found that former Nobu chefs had opened Jin Sho in Palo Alto. We came here for a lunch and tried the omakase. Everything was nicely presented just like Nobu. The miso black cod was amazing and I also loved the sesame ice cream. I can have that every day! Service was very attentive.
(4)Monica S.
Expensive and not so great. The Shawn was my fav but still it was not that great.. I spend $39 on 2 rolls and an ap.. Expensive!
(2)Jonathan R.
I had lunch here a couple of years ago. And it was really very good. For dinner last night I took a friend from out of town to Jin Sho. And we were both amazed by the quality of the food. I ordered the A combo. Ceviche, duck, and eel sushi. My friend had the 8 piece sushi special. And we ended with black sesame ice cream and green tea cheesecake. This place is a true gem. Very decent food for the 20 USD price range. If this was in SF they could easily charge more.
(5)Archie R.
You know how at the airport all the items are like 3x more expensive because they have you somewhat captive? Well, apparently, someone at Jin Sho thinks along the same lines. The yellowtail and jalapeno appetizer (recommended) came out pretty quick. That turned out to be the best part. Then, her udon dish came out while I waited for my food. Then we waited. And waited. Twenty five minutes later my food came out. The funny part? Her's was cooked. Mine wasn't. The next crap part was that my entire plate smelled pretty heavily of fish. While I am no sushi master, I do whore myself out to all things Food Network so I know that a "fishy" smell is not an entirely good thing. As I have stated NUMEROUS times in the past, I really don't give a second thought to the cost of food when it's deserved but... We got lunch, an appetizer, and sodas and the total cost, including tip, was over $80. I am thinking someone at Jin Sho was heavily invested in AIG and WaMu and they need to recoup some of that cost. It's good, but it's not THAT good. There are WAY WAY WAY too many other places out there. They take AMEX so at least I can get some points out of this overpriced fishy smelling long taking over hyped relatively mediocre lunch. Profit.
(2)Jen C.
Got the 5 course omakase, which was tasty but somewhat expensive for what you get. I would go back, but for the price, I'd rather have a meal at the Village Pub or equivalent restaurant. The ambiance is somewhat lacking, though service was attentive, if not the best.
(3)Kari T.
This is OK. Food is good, not outstanding, but certainly not 'average'. The sushi is the best - main offerings are a little heavy on the sauce.) My biggest complaint is on the service. On this last visit, after 30 min of sitting with no water, silverware or acknowledgment, I got up and started serving these things myself. That's when we finally got some attention and were able to place our order. Another 15 minutes went by, however, before placed drinks arrived. AGain, I got up to get them myself and this is when things moved along, So, what do you look for in a night on the town. Service? keep looking. Decent enough food? This will do.
(4)David C.
Food by far was the smallest portions I've had for Japanese... Co-workers ordered lunch specials while I played it safe and got the dragon roll. Taste of the rolls was below average and the size of whole thing looked like it could fit in the palm of my hand. I know this is Palo Alto and everything is a bit more expensive than the south bay, but either the taste or the portions should made up for the extra $$...+2 stars for the somewhat cozy/clean/modern ambiance and friendly service... Seriously, the waitress must've filled my water glass like 5 times... with a smile...
(2)Danielle B.
Ick. The sushi here is SO salty :P
(2)C H.
First, I don't consider Jin Sho to be "expensive" - $$$$ - as I haven't come close to spending $60 per person for dinner ordered a la carte. The special Omasake menus are in that $60+ range, but one can easily have a satisfying meal in the upper-moderate range. And in reading some of the negative reviews, it seems some diners may have looked at Jin Sho to be a Special Occasion Restaurant, while I see it as a casual place to savor an intimate meal with foodie friends. Just so you know where I'm coming from... The atmosphere at Jin Sho is low-key and has a neighborhood feeling. I've found the food to be consistently fresh, tasty, and creative without overstatement. It's quite good - just don't expect a lot of fancy knifework or garnishes. The corn tempura sounds completely boring but is a wonderful surprise - innovative but not edgy. The freshness of the corn juxtaposed with sea salt and batter is delicious and unusual. (Be sure to devour these puppies while they're piping hot, or else you'll be nibbling on corn hockey pucks and have wondering what this review was talking about.) I've ordered the cod fillets and eggplant more than once - they're delish but (like the corn fritters) quite filling. Sushi here is fresh, straightforward, and reasonably priced; they do offer a few "fancy" rolls (rainbow, dragon, and volcano), too. The ceviche is tasty and complex - and probably one of the more adventurous dishes on the menu. Jin Sho is not Nobu. Or even Keygetsu, where I often feel compelled to indulge in their fab kaiseki meal. Nor does Jin Sho try to be anything it's not. Service is warm and attentive. I'll come here any day for simple, fresh, and authentic food that's a cut above other casual Japanese places in the same price range. --- Edit: Lower the rating from five to four stars. Had a few mediocre visits. So YMMV, as mine has...
(4)Tyler H.
Awesome sushi on California Ave in Palo Alto. Jin Sho is easily on the list for top 3 sushi restaurants in Palo Alto. (The others are Kanpai downtown on Lytton, and Fuki Sushi in S. Palo Alto).
(4)Perci N.
1. Completely overpriced. I've had better spicy tuna from the $1.99 Chinese sushi boat place on Clement. I don't care if your spicy tuna is ohtoro with caviar. The tuna smells and tastes rancid. 2. It's kind of telling when no one in the place is Japanese, and the waiter has never even heard of shouchuu. 3. The best dishes on the omakase set menu were the duck and the sea bass, both prepared Chinese-style... Jin Sho is the PF Chang's of "Japanese" food. End of story.
(2)Marc Y.
OK, 13th time now... -beltfish(tachiuo) aburi topped with caviar, spicy oil sauce -aji sashimi two ways (plain, shisogoma) + aji hone -meso (young anago)/mushroom/shiso/onion+carrot tempura -mango miso-sauce duck with asparagus -sushi of torigai, mirugai, copper river king salmon, tai w/yuzugosho, magurozuke, shimaaji, ootoro, uni, kohada -strawberry panna cotta & goma ice cream I told Neko-san to put the duck dish on the menu. Let's hope he does!
(5)Bill M.
Had dinner at this place with my wife, sister, brother-in-law and mother. This place is expensive. I single piece of Uni of $6!! I will admit the freshly prepared eel was awesome, but in the end the food just did not win me over for the price. If I want really good sushi. I'll go to Kitsho. If I want Isakaya style food I'll go to En.
(3)James K.
I have a love/hate relationship with sushi. I love the stuff, and I hate the fact that I love the stuff. I blame sushi for preventing me from buying my dream watch (well, the one that's not 6 figures). I blame sushi for putting the Kid's college fund on hold. I blame sushi for turning me into a hamachi whore. And as it goes with my relationship with sushi, so it goes with my feelings for Jin Sho. The love/hate thing goes like this: On the one hand, Jin Sho has an impeccable selection of very fresh and very hard to find fish. On the other hand, on the night my friend and I were there, some of those listed items were unavailable. The chutoro nigiri sushi was exquisite, soft, buttery, melt-in-your mouth silkiness. But the actual slices of fish were minuscule and cut very thin. Where's the fish? Hamachi with jalapeno appetizer was competent, but how many times have variations on this fusion dish been served in other restaurants? I think Nobu Matsuhisa made this dish popular when he opened Matsuhisa in LA eons ago (I think he used hot oil instead of jalapeno pepper slices). I think we need to push the retirement button on that dish. Black Cod Miso, again, very good, but unique? Beef Tataki, competent....a bit on the gamey side. Definite plus with no reservations: One of the better selections of fine sake I've seen. Although Jin Sho doesn't have thousands of different types of sake, the ones they do have are more than top-notch. We must have finished off two full bottles and 1 demi-bottle....needless to say, we closed the place down. So why the fussiness? Why the haterade? It's not that I don't like the place, it's just that I can't justify the cost, and it can get very expensive here. I really wanted to like this place, but I think there's a little bit too much of the high-brow going on, as if the owners wanted to turn it into Nobu, Palo Alto. But it actually feels out of place on California Avenue in Palo Alto. In addition, they haven't been able to pay off on some of the details that make places like Nobu in NYC an institution, details like waitstaff that know what is and what is not available that particular day and who know the dishes by heart, pieces of fish that are cut to more "appropriate" sizes, dishes that inspire with originality or a witty twist rather than something that has basically been done before. Jin Sho is young, so there is time for it to grow. On the other hand, I hope the place is a lot busier than it was the day we went. Granted, it was a middle-of-the-week, but from around 6:00 PM to the time we closed the place down, there was a grand total of 4 sets of diners that day, the largest group being 4 people. I'm hoping business is a bit more consistent (ummm, marketing suggestion, a website and a much larger and noticeable sign wouldn't hurt). I hate that I don't love Jin Sho. It's almost there, but not quite there. As my friend would say: "I almost look like Brad Pitt, minus the good looks, plus 30 lbs, minus the money and the fame, plus I'm Asian." Uh, right.
(3)Rain D.
went here for my b-day a few days ago, and had omakase again. It seems every time you tell them what time it is and you get something different. the third time, was pretty good! about half the items was soo yummy, the other half of the items were good but not as good as some of the other stuff we had before. if that makes any sense... can't wait for what the 4th time will bring. ^_^
(5)Shweta V.
Sushi is always fresh. Two great appetizers - jin Sho salsa and yellow tail w/ jalapeno. Relatively standard rolls selection. I took away a star for the inconsistent quality of service.
(3)A V.
The best Japanese restaurant in Palo Alto. I've eaten at Jin Sho many times for lunch. My favorite at Jin Sho is the miso black cod. The lunch entree order comes with two big pieces of cod, rice and miso soup. The spicy tuna rolls here are also the best in the area. The prices are normal for Palo Alto.
(4)jon y.
This review is solely based on the lunch experience. If I were rating this place only on the food, I'd probably give it 3 stars. The service, however, is just toooo slow. Come on, it's lunch time! They gave us enough time with the menus for my mom and I to each change our mind 3 times over. The wait staff kept disappearing into the back. What, are they also the chefs?! Their food was alright. I got the ceviche & beef toban pre fixe menu. The ceviche was...not citrus-y enough for me, but good. The beef toban was quasi-tender, but I was definitely still hungry after. I also had some (read: quite a bit) of my mom's sashimi. the pieces were extra small and broke down like this: tuna = a little too mushy, salmon = nice and buttery, mackerel = pungent in a good way haha. their strawberry panna cotta was a pleasant little surprise, but again came only after I flagged someone down to get the check, by which time my mom had already left to go to the bakery down the street to get pastries (because she knew she would be hungry soon). Soooo she missed out on the best part of the whole experience. Wah wah. In conclusion don't come here for lunch unless you've got an extra long lunch break.
(2)Prista C.
This place has the potential to be something pretty awesome but it's still undergoing some growing pains. The food was very good but maybe for this price range, I expected more. Presentation was simple and beautiful. Sushi was good but not exceptional. It might also be that I have a secret (and totally awesome) sushi place I go to in SF and nothing on the peninsula really compares. The food alone would garner 4 stars but I had issues with the service. First of, when you're paying $$$-$$$$ for a meal, once settled, I don't expect to be re-seated just to accommodate a later walk-in party. Pacing of entrees was slow, it took ~20 minutes for the simple appetizers to come out. Parts of the meal were forgotten and required reminder of the wait staff. Overall, good potential and a nice addition to the PA dining scene. I might check this place out again in the distant future to see how things have evolved, and I hope it is for the better.
(3)Bryan K.
I really wanted to like this place. It came with such high expectations as I kept hearing that the chefs came from Nobu's in NY. Sadly I was a bit underwhelmed. A bunch of us split a few omakase and other appetizer dishes. BTW one omakase is enough for at least 2 people. It included nigiri and maki sushi, cooked dishes, and dessert. I was surprised to see that it included spicy tuna roll. WTH? I thought you make spicy tuna roll just to get rid of yesterday's stinky fish! I could make spicy roll from my nephew's dead goldfish and it'd be damn tasty. The black cod was perfectly cooked. One of the sashimi dishes had an overpowering citrus taste to it. The toro tartare was kinda stinky like, well... two day old mackeral as a famous Japanese food yelper would say. But overall I'd say the ingredients were fresh but the dishes didn't wow me. I wasn't impressed. P.S. Aaron dude I'm sorry... I must confess that I was kidding when I told you to order the Ozeki sake. No fancy pants Japanese fusion joint would carry Ozeki. I'm a bastard I admit it. 3.5 stars.
(4)Stanley C.
Other than Fuki Sushi this is the only other place in Palo Alto I go for good sushi. I've eaten here many times for lunch and the sushi is always consistently fresh and delicious. The owners who are behind the sushi bar are true masters at their craft. the service here is always friendly and nice. It's too bad I do not work around there anymore otherwise I always go at least once a week if I could. Highly recommended.
(4)David C.
I have been to Jin Sho twice for both lunch and dinner... The dinner shushi was very fresh and good but the lunch I had today was somewhat below average especially as they "mass produce and pre-cut" sashimi/sushi, I can certainly taste "fishness" rather than the jet fresh at KanPai or Fuki-Sushi. I had Omakase Sushi during lunch (same price as dinner) but the fish slices they used were "lunch" quality.... Their Daiginjo Sake sampler was good but I think KanPai sake sampler is much better and personal. Also order the corn tempura which is always good. I will certainly go back for dinner next time but not for lunch unless I have Americanized Maki for lunch as Jin Sho has been too "localized" to cater for maki customers.....
(3)M T.
Wow, this place is amazing! I ate here for lunch and had the black cod. It was fantastic. It was cooked perfectly, with the most amazing miso-based citrus sauce. I couldn't believe how delicious it was. The service was good, the decor was nice and simple, and the size of the restaurant wasn't as big as I expected. The prices were more than reasonable for the quality gourmet food and unique flavor. Expect to spend around $16-30 (not including tip/tax/drink, and it depends on what you get) for lunch, if you just get one entree or prefix. Honestly, the food quality matched that of Japan's, and that is quite a rare feat. I will definitely be back and highly recommend this place, if you are looking for authentic-Japanese-based fusion gourmet food.
(5)Feng T.
Does Jin Sho mean "hairy sushi"? I ordered sashimi, waited 20 minutes, but got instead sushi--with hair.
(1)Eva D.
Ahhh, finally great sushi on the peninsula. I am a fan of really good, fresh sushi. I lived in Japan for three years and got accustomed to fresh, simple sushi. Although I've been to some amazing sushi restaurants in the City, I'm usually at a loss where to go on the Peninsula. Jin Sho is now my favorite sushi south of SF. Yes, it is more expensive than other places in the area, but worth it for excellent, well-textured fish.
(5)David L.
Best sushi in Palo Alto. Sushi chef trained at Nobu.
(5)Anh Thu V.
Having missed Jin Sho in its first year of operation, a friend and I went there to rectify our error. We started with several orders of sushi. Ichiro, the co-owner and chef, began with beautiful cuts of aji, shiro maguro, o-toro, uni, hotate, and some tiny fishes. Each serving of fish was amazingly fresh, melting almost immediately in my mouth. The uni lobes were smaller, well formed, and of a deep gold yellow in color, a bit different from the larger, grainier, pale yellow lobes that I have had in the past. Honestly, I was a bit concerned at first until I bit into my serving. It was meltingly tender, butterily rich, slightly briny, and completely free of ammonia! The same quality was inherent in the rest of our sushi order. Each piece was expertly cut and prepared. Few sushi restaurants served aji with just the right mix of freshly minced ginger bits and minced scallion. And the hotate was sweet and slightly crunchy, indicative of very fresh scallops. And the tataki-style maguro was seared on the outside then marinaded in soy sauce. The slices were deep red in color and tasted of rich beef. Its counterpart, the shiro maguro, was translucent and melted in my mouth. Absolutely amazing! Most sushi lovers judged a sushi bar by its rice and Ichiro's rice preparation was right up there: Slightly vinegary, slightly sweet, and a bit crumbly, completely unlike the gummy rice torpedoes served elsewhere. Since we were pretty hungry, we ordered the seaweed salad and three other main dishes to follow our sushi, including the Salmon with Jalapeno Sauce, Miso Grilled Black Cod, and Beef Toban. The seaweed salad was composed of three, maybe four different kinds of seaweed: Wakame, Kombu (?), Ogo (?) and a fourth gelatinous seaweed with just a hint of vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame seeds. I could practically feel the nourishment being absorbed by my body. :-) The salad was followed by the Grilled Salmon with Jalapeno Sauce. Served thinly sliced, slightly toasted on one side, the salmon carpaccio napped in a vibrant green jalapeno jus seasoned with just a touch of vinegar and a hint of sweetness, beautifully offset its peppery zing. Topped with slivers of garlic chips and mixed greens, it was one of the freshest, healthiest dishes I have had in a while. Totally inspiring! By the time the Beef Toban and Miso Grilled Black Cod showed up, I was feeling full. But they were so beautifully prepared that I couldn't resist sampling some...and some more...and some more. I have always been a fan of Miso Grilled (Chilean) Sea Bass when I first had it at Sushi Groove in the city, before the Chilean sea bass was placed on the endangered species list. Ever since, I rarely ordered similar dishes at other restaurants, preferring to keep my conscience clean and my memory of those smoky, umami-filled fish morsels pristine. ;-) The Black Cod fillets were flaky, moist, lightly basted with white miso, and perfectly grilled. Accompanying the fillets were slices of banana or plaintain fritters and some tsukemono. All in all it was a well-executed version of a classic dish, originally offered by Nobu himself. The Beef Toban arrived sizzingly hot in its covered ceramic dish. By then I was getting too full to do it proper justice. Bummer! Plus the Spider Roll, ordered somewhat impulsively by my friend - I mean, we were getting full, had arrived. I judiciously decided to devote myself to sampling it instead of the beef dish. The roll was classically executed, IMHO, down to its cucumber wraps. Most restaurants skipped this step, leaving out the crunchy element provided by the cucumber peel. Each slice was full of deep fried soft-shell crab, avocado, bitter greens, sweet rice, and crunchy cucumber, a symphony of tastes and textures! Of course we had to counter such healthy eating with some sake. My friend, having just returned from Japan on the previous Monday, ordered three different kinds of sake: Yuki, x, and y. Ichiro countered with a fourth sake. I am sorry but after a full flight of white burgundies and four sake, it was very hard to remember the individual sake served. Needless to say, they were great sake (that much I remembered). One was nutty, one was slightly sweet, one was clean yet possessed light-yet-haunting fragrance (wow, am I waxing poetics or what?), and the last one a blur! ;-) As a bonus dessert, one of the other chefs offered us the light-as-a-souffle Panna Cotta topped with freshly minced strawberries in its own juice. Fluffily light, slightly tart, slightly sweet, and completely unlike the sweeter, syrupier panna cotta catered to the American palate! All in all, it was a great dining experience. So much so that I am planning to go back soon to sample the Omakase Menu. And we invited Ichiro to go drinking with us tomorrow night in the city. Beretta, you guys better be ready!
(5)mui chu C.
Love their sushi~~ Love beef tataki~~ Love their sake choices~~ Love their Tai~~ too bad they sold out Aji... will go back for omakase~~
(4)J. B.
Had a nice lunch here yesterday. The place was packed so we waited about 10 minutes and got a seat at the sushi bar. Had some very nice sashimi, a roll and one cooked dish. The sashimi was fresh and the variety was great (including abelone). The place is definately on the pricey side but let them know you are a true sushi fan and let them take care of you. They know what they are doing and the fish is great.
(4)Irene S.
Once in awhile, so bereft of sleep, my body relents to hibernation; thirty-six hours of don't-call-me-I'll-call-you, like Dead.To.The.World., I might as well be anesthetized. It's amazing, really, to wake up in the shadows and glows of street lamps peeking through the blinds with not a clue as to what year or time of day it is and certainly not a single worry or question except for the most important one, of course, which is, what to feed this hollow belly: Breakfast or dinner? Bellini or pinot noir? Bacon or bacon? Come Friday, I had seen the sun rise once too many times this week. A literal pain was crying out to play the social Flake card and book some time with said dormancy. Tempted to take a rain check yet again, I decided better of it and met a friend for dinner at Jin Sho. Good call, because this is possibly my new favorite sushi joint. Kiss Seafood and other more traditional Japanese restaurants are run by, arguably, traditional and frigid chefs - their frown lines deep and settled in, marked by how despotically they take their codes and craft. But the head chefs are so mild and good-natured that I'm won over by how they manage to move orders in the open kitchen without sacrificing their plating skills or abandoning their counter patrons. Observe how soft and limber Ichiro-san keeps his wrists when knifing, like a beauty queen waving in a street parade. We chose the mid-range omakase, and due to fact that it was our first visit, the chefs presented us with dishes (but nothing fried at my request) off the menu as a general sampling: wild toro tartare topped with caviar and a very sweet yamamomo served on a bed of shaved ice; wild seared sake with kaiware and a delicious onion-miso sauce; grilled marinated miso black cod; angus beef tobanyaki (sadly, came out too well-done for my taste); assorted sushi, including maguro zuke; miso soup; strawberry panna cotta; mango mochi ice cream The servers were top notch and attentive, refilling my tea cup just before I thought to motion. In fact, one of my guys left Sumika Los Altos to join the team at Jin Sho and as always, he was so nice to present us with a bottle of nigori sake off the menu. I recommend the hou hou shu sparking sake as a delectable complement to dessert. Unless you have a particular aversion to raw foods, my opinion is that the omakase (namely, the entrees) isn't necessary, but a great way to familiarize yourself with the real strengths of the menu. My next visit shall no doubt include a lot more sushi bar and sashimi selections, a special request for uni and a certain spider roll wrapped with a sheet of cucumber. As other people have described, if you're looking for a bit of pizazz and sexiness, the peninsula's version of a Jewel Bako NY has yet to make an appearance (*sigh*), but what Jin Sho does do right is serve wonderful quality fish and that makes it a jem it it of itself.
(4)Andy C.
This place is delicious, been multiple times and have sampled sushi, appetizers and other items... All top quality. Giving 5 stars because they deserve a better rating on Yelp!
(5)Jasmine L.
Their temporary, hideous red "Grand Opening" sign still hangs on the front door and is unappealing. The glass doors look like they've been installed there for years. You enter the restaurant and it feels a little more welcoming, but the dark furniture and bamboo benches and chairs gave me that bare feeling that they wanted to go minimalist on the interior decoration.... maybe zen, but I didn't feel that way. I went for their fixed lunch menu, which was a seared tuna salad and two sushi rolls for $16. My friend ordered the rainbow roll and an unagi nigiri. The sake probably made it a sweeter experience for him. The presentation of the seared tuna salad was nice, but the sushi failed to impress me with the over-seasoned rice and fish that didn't taste like the high-quality sea-sweetness you would get from a GOOD Japanese restaurant. Even though we weren't feeling too full or satisfied, we decided the food didn't warrant ordering more. A little disappointed, for sure. I was excited to try this place but it failed to impress.
(3)daniel j.
Went here for dinner last night. It was pretty empty, but then again, it was a Monday which are typically slower nights. Since this was my first time here, I had the sashimi dinner that came with a good assortment. The quality was definitely there as well as exceptional cutting skills. However, I thought the $26 was a little pricey for the quantity as a sashimi dinner alone will not suffice a hungry stomach. The interior was nice and the service was good, but then again it was a slow night. I definitely want to try this restaurant again and explore there menu. I'll follow up on this one.
(3)Nobu K.
1, I am speechless with the dish. 2, I am speechless with the 2 chefs. ( both from Nobu N.Y) 3, I am speechless with the wait staff. 4, I am speechless with the *real-live-Unagi. 5, I am speechless with the real- Miso soup made from scratch. 6, I am speechless with the great tea. 7, I am speechless with the nice clean counter & interior. 8, I am speechless with the Petaluma Chicken. 9, I am speechless with the Sushi-Neta( fish) and Shari( sushi-rice). 10, I am speechless with the service. 10 star, period. * importing live eel from Japan! This place doesn't use frozen Unagi. I have never had the Unagi the way prepared like this place. In the menu, there is a Sushi-dinner, 28 bucks with 10 Nigiri with 1 Tekka maki with miso-soup. Coincidentally, the chef was making it when I was looking the menu. The 10-Nigiri + 1 Tekka for 28, about 2.20 each? ( 1 Tekka is 6 bucks) That's a bargain! With the great fresh fish in there! When I said that to the chef, he was glad to hear that 28 is seems high for a sushi dinner but 2.20 each is cheap. He said that the fish he choose are very pricy. I can tell the pricy fish by just looking at the Nigiri. There are plenty of Sushi-Nazi-chefs out there and said, " I make Traditional Sushi in Authentic Japanese way. So you must appreciate the Sushi I make!", kind of attitude. And they go on to say, " I don't make ANY Jive Ass Rolls because That's not Authentic Sushi, period!". Man, they are such a dickhead. They are all themselves, such a self centered and living in their own kitchen and they think they know everything about Sushi in their own small mind. And, I agreed with them, but now I am sorry. Yes, I am sorry. I said it out loud! This is my 300th review and I am sorry that I was such a hard ass MXXXXX FXXXXX. But not anymore because these 2 great authentic sushi chefs from Japan have the rolls in the menu and told me that, " if it's good, it's good. we are open for any thing new and we are not afraid to try it." There are 3 different level of Omakase-dinner. $60, $75 and $90. We had Omakase-dinner $75 per person. I'm not go into the details but we got way over our limit. Satisfied with Full stomach and No Regret! It was a great fun educational dinner. There is open kitchen you can see it from the counter. In the kitchen, there were 3 Latino guys working very hard. I think the 3 guys are going to learn the real thing. I do wish them good luck because they are the next generation if they can keep up, and that's the only way to be a good sushi chef. P.S., Please see the other reviews especially Ken K, Dan V and KQN for good detail information. P.S., they have pre-fixed lunch, $16. And NO BENTO-BOX! The chef said," I don't want to do "Bento" because Bento is originally take-out thing in Japan so it should not serving inside of restaurant because it's all cold food." Yes, he is right, Bento means take-out. I'm just tired eating Bento inside of restaurant anyway.
(5)Paul W.
Quick version: Not cheap and not bad. If you have a vendor taking you out for lunch of dinner, this is a pretty good call. We got the $70 omakase menu which was the middle priced one I believe. It was a pretty good amount of food. All of the food was very good, but when we go back we will focus on the sushi. Decent selection of sake to go with the fish. And the hamachi belly really was to die for on this particular night at least. The decor was not on par with the prices and food quality in my opinion. Service was great for us but it was pretty new and nearly empty, so we got a lot of personal attention from both owners at the sushi bar. We will go back.
(4)Mami T.
The complimentary edamame, which tasted horrible and old, was already a bad sign....in retrospect. Four of us went here tonight, and three of us did Omakase. OMG. Spend that money somewhere else. Kaygetsu and NamiNami are not that far from here. One of us did a la carte, and I think that was a smarter way to go. Basically, I don't get the hype. The food was good, but not THAT special to hint any affiliation to Nobu. Certainly I would have never guessed that their chefs were from there. There are many Japanese restaurants that offer decent fusion, and Jin Sho does not shine out from them. (a private note) P.S. Thank you, Spice S.
(3)