When two acclaimed Dallas restaurateurs and their wives team up on a project, it has to be good. That’s the case with Shinsei Restaurant, an upscale sushi and Pan-Asian spot at Lovers and Inwood run by none other than Dan and Lynae Fearing and Kent and Tracy Rathbun. Dan Fearing is known for Fearings Restaurant while Kent Rathbun has spawned several hits including Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen.
The atmosphere at Shinsei is low-lit and intimate, and the restaurant has several different areas sectioned off. There’s the bar and lounge up front, the floor toward the back and then the sushi bar. Grab a seat at the sushi bar to see sushi chef Shuji Sugawara in action, rocking his sweet Elvis-inspired hairdo.
You’ll find all the typical sushi rolls and sashimi here. For an extra kick, try the Shinsei Roll (pictured above), stuffed with spicy Yellowtail, jalapenos and avocado.The sashimi version of it comes with strips of white tuna and Yellowtail topped with a pile of jalapenos with ponzu, a citrus-based sauce.
All in all, the sushi is the freshest around as if they caught the fish that morning – especially for someone like me who is used to buying packaged sushi at the grocery store.
The service at Shinsei is outstanding. The server was enthusiastic and very attentive (but not too attentive) and knew when we needed help decoding the menu. It’s easy for a restaurant like this to seem pretentious, but Shinsei is really down to earth.
