This is a place of culture.. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure was playing as we walked in. Everything was good from noodle texture to individual ingredients. Also dig the layout and interior design of the restaurant. Their exterior design is pretty unassuming, which makes the interior design that much better.Side note: The website hasn't been updated so the prices were a bit higher than expected. Still reasonable considering how bad prices are in Bay Area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Black Tonkotsu Ramen
Amy Herrera
Love this place, the food is top notch and staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. Amazing Japanese whiskey selection. Cocktails also delicious. Atmosphere is swanky ??. Good spot for a chill dinner with a date or friends!
I came here after a tech conference and I wanted some good food. The appetizers here were delicious fresh shishito peppers and smoked duck breast. However, the portions were a bit small for the price. My drink had good flavor, but could've used a stronger kick despite the tequila and mezcal.The black tonkotsu ramen was incredible! But the real surprise was watching the magic happen in the kitchen. Though this Japanese spot is clearly the owner's vision, the authentic flavors are brought to life by a skilled team of Mexican cooks. Overall: For unique Japanese dishes with a surprising twist, give this place a try. The real stars of the show are the talented kitchen staff!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Black Tonkotsu Ramen
Kunal Patel
After living in Oakland for three years and trying a variety of places, I believe Shinmai is our favorite restaurant to dine at, especially when taking friends out. The interior is a vibe, the drinks are fantastic, and of course most importantly, the food, from the small plates to the ramen, always hits. We love the hamachi crudo, takoyaki roulette, chicken karaage, and the special bluefin tuna option they had our last time we went. Our friends who are vegan/vegetarian have had positive review of the mushroom gyoza, vegetable ramen, spicy fries, shishito peppers, and garlic edamame. The staff is always friendly and warm, and understanding if we are running a few minutes late. Thank you for being so consistent and a staple Japanese go-to spot in Uptown!
Recommended dishes: Black Tonkotsu Ramen, Takoyaki, Pork Belly Bao, Tempura
Hillary H.
Popped by here on an impromptu date night! Very cool and inconspicuous spot. The dim lighting and chill music made the ambiance super relaxing and comfortable. Uncle Max (the bartender) was super fun & knowledgeable of all the drinks and his recommendation was on point! When dinner came around we ordered the following:Garlic EdamamePork Gyoza Hamachi Carpaccio Pork Belly BaoMushroom ClaypotEverything was sooooo delicious, and came out super quickly. (Almost too quickly) We went on a Thursday evening, and wasn't super packed surprisingly. This is a wonderful spot for a date night, group dinner or even renting the whole place. It's just the right size! Can't wait to go back and visit.
Weezie D.
Good ramen, really good drinks, some drinks in really cute cat cups, great atmosphere! A great spot for a date, or friends after work.
Lisa B.
We arrived for a party of 2, I had a reservation because I knew it would be packed for a Fri night and I was right! Great place for a date night. Drinks were delicious and the food was too. A bit expensive but it was yummy. Skip the fries, not worth it. Everything else go for it!
Roberto Barroso
Decent place. Food is good, service is great atmosphere was
Great food with unique twists. We did shared plates which opened up so many options for us all to partake in. There were some absolute gems and a couple that missed the mark for us. It culminated in something less than five stars. The service was outstanding. Really nice open space that still maintained room noise at less than chaotic. Can't wait to get back soon. So close to the fox theater which is a huge positive.
Makayla Freed
Awesome food, great staff, wonderful atmosphere. We had the spicy fries appetizer, red tonkotsu, black tonkotsu ramen, and a few cocktails. WOW! Everything was out-of-this-world tasty. They had on nice music for ambience too. Great spot to hit before going to a show at the Fox Theater.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Renée Artigues
Absolutely fantastic garlic tonkotsu ramen. The edamame was a little too salty for me with the soy sauce, but still excellent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ken Toyama
This place is 2/3 a stylish cocktail bar, 1/3 Japanese restaurant. The cocktails looked great and cost about as much as many of the food items. It seems to attract a slightly upmarket crowd. Ramen came with very tender pork, the thinner Hakata style noodles, good quality Menma and delicious broth. Service was good and they checked on me 3-4 times. I’ll have time back for drinks and other food options.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Claire L.
Loved the ambiance in this restaurant. We came for a birthday dinner and the food was really good. It's a bit on the pricier side but definitely worth it. I'm vegetarian and they had good options for me!
This is a place of culture.. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure was playing as we walked in. Everything was good from noodle texture to individual ingredients. Also dig the layout and interior design of the restaurant. Their exterior design is pretty unassuming, which makes the interior design that much better.Side note: The website hasn't been updated so the prices were a bit higher than expected. Still reasonable considering how bad prices are in Bay Area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Black Tonkotsu Ramen
Love this place, the food is top notch and staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. Amazing Japanese whiskey selection. Cocktails also delicious. Atmosphere is swanky ??. Good spot for a chill dinner with a date or friends!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Karaage, Pork Belly Bao, Tonkotsu
I came here after a tech conference and I wanted some good food. The appetizers here were delicious fresh shishito peppers and smoked duck breast. However, the portions were a bit small for the price. My drink had good flavor, but could've used a stronger kick despite the tequila and mezcal.The black tonkotsu ramen was incredible! But the real surprise was watching the magic happen in the kitchen. Though this Japanese spot is clearly the owner's vision, the authentic flavors are brought to life by a skilled team of Mexican cooks. Overall: For unique Japanese dishes with a surprising twist, give this place a try. The real stars of the show are the talented kitchen staff!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Black Tonkotsu Ramen
After living in Oakland for three years and trying a variety of places, I believe Shinmai is our favorite restaurant to dine at, especially when taking friends out. The interior is a vibe, the drinks are fantastic, and of course most importantly, the food, from the small plates to the ramen, always hits. We love the hamachi crudo, takoyaki roulette, chicken karaage, and the special bluefin tuna option they had our last time we went. Our friends who are vegan/vegetarian have had positive review of the mushroom gyoza, vegetable ramen, spicy fries, shishito peppers, and garlic edamame. The staff is always friendly and warm, and understanding if we are running a few minutes late. Thank you for being so consistent and a staple Japanese go-to spot in Uptown!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Takoyaki Roulette, Hamachi Crudo, Shishito Pepper, Shoyu Ramen, Chicken Karaage
Hip environment, but a little loud for quiet
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Hamachi Crudo, Shishito Pepper, Chicken Karaage, Pork Belly Bao
Shinmai is GOATED!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Black Tonkotsu Ramen, Takoyaki, Pork Belly Bao, Tempura
Popped by here on an impromptu date night! Very cool and inconspicuous spot. The dim lighting and chill music made the ambiance super relaxing and comfortable. Uncle Max (the bartender) was super fun & knowledgeable of all the drinks and his recommendation was on point! When dinner came around we ordered the following:Garlic EdamamePork Gyoza Hamachi Carpaccio Pork Belly BaoMushroom ClaypotEverything was sooooo delicious, and came out super quickly. (Almost too quickly) We went on a Thursday evening, and wasn't super packed surprisingly. This is a wonderful spot for a date night, group dinner or even renting the whole place. It's just the right size! Can't wait to go back and visit.
Good ramen, really good drinks, some drinks in really cute cat cups, great atmosphere! A great spot for a date, or friends after work.
We arrived for a party of 2, I had a reservation because I knew it would be packed for a Fri night and I was right! Great place for a date night. Drinks were delicious and the food was too. A bit expensive but it was yummy. Skip the fries, not worth it. Everything else go for it!
Decent place. Food is good, service is great atmosphere was
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Great food with unique twists. We did shared plates which opened up so many options for us all to partake in. There were some absolute gems and a couple that missed the mark for us. It culminated in something less than five stars. The service was outstanding. Really nice open space that still maintained room noise at less than chaotic. Can't wait to get back soon. So close to the fox theater which is a huge positive.
Awesome food, great staff, wonderful atmosphere. We had the spicy fries appetizer, red tonkotsu, black tonkotsu ramen, and a few cocktails. WOW! Everything was out-of-this-world tasty. They had on nice music for ambience too. Great spot to hit before going to a show at the Fox Theater.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Absolutely fantastic garlic tonkotsu ramen. The edamame was a little too salty for me with the soy sauce, but still excellent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is 2/3 a stylish cocktail bar, 1/3 Japanese restaurant. The cocktails looked great and cost about as much as many of the food items. It seems to attract a slightly upmarket crowd. Ramen came with very tender pork, the thinner Hakata style noodles, good quality Menma and delicious broth. Service was good and they checked on me 3-4 times. I’ll have time back for drinks and other food options.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Loved the ambiance in this restaurant. We came for a birthday dinner and the food was really good. It's a bit on the pricier side but definitely worth it. I'm vegetarian and they had good options for me!