Update 2:
We weren’t planning on going out for Sushi for a bit, but a good friend wanted to celebrate her birthday and loved Shin Sushi, so it was time for another visit. 
Koshi no Kanbai - Kinmuku “Milky Way” - Junmai Daiginjo Sake (Niigata, Japan):
Koshi no Kanbai has always been a great Sake lineup. Their Kinmuku “Milky Way” Junmai Daiginjo Sake has got this nice roundness, robust, nice fruity sweetness, but still a clean finish, no alcohol burn. Just a great Sake to start things off with and pair with the opening course.
(Zensai Course) Seasonal Vegetables (Myoga Ginger, Okra, Eggplant); Edo Tsubugai (Whelk); Toro to Takuan no Kunsei (Smoked Fatty Tuna Belly); Wasabi Tofu; Kanidofu (Crab Tofu); Sawagani (Japanese River Crab):
While not as elaborate as Mori Sushi’s Zensai, Take-san’s opening course is still quite pleasurable and features a nice array of seasonal offerings to start the meal.
Poached Seasonal Vegetables (Myoga, Fresh Ginger, Okra, Eggplant) + Karashi Miso:
We start with gently Poached Seasonal Vegetables, with a Karashi Miso (Japanese Mustard Miso) as a condiment. These are all wonderful, light and refreshing. The Myoga from Japan, a young Ginger, was sharply contrasted with the Fresh Ginger from the U.S.A., a nice exploration.
Edo Tsubugai - Whelk (Hokkaido, Japan):
The Edo Tsubugai, a type of Japanese Whelk was plump, nicely infused with a gentle Dashi, with a delicate chew.
Toro no Kunsei (Smoked Fatty Tuna Belly) + Takuan no Kunsei / Iburigakko (Smoked Pickled Daikon Radish):
As before, it seems Take-san’s time at Mori Sushi and one of Maru-san’s signature items has become a signature for Take-san here at Shin Sushi as well (and that’s totally fine): Because taking a bite of the gently smoked Takuan (Pickled Daikon Radish) and the Toro no Kunsei (Smoked Fatty Tuna Belly) is so pleasurable, bringing a smile to your face at how exquisite the smoke and sweet Pickled Daikon Radish flavor is, as well as the insane smoke and focused fat of the Toro (Tuna Belly).
Sawagani (Japanese River Crab):
As with the previous visit, this adorable deep fried Sawagani (Japanese River Crab) has been cooked to a perfectly brittle, crunchy texture, so you can eat the entire tiny River Crab as is. It is crunchy, lightly oceanic and delicious.
Wasabi Tofu:
The Housemade Wasabi Tofu is silken, slippery and nicely infused with fresh-grated Wasabi Root paired with the Tofu.
Kanidofu - Crab-Infused Housemade Tofu:
This is also quite tasty, a real Crab flavor infusion in this other Housemade Tofu creation.
On to the Nigiri Sushi portion.
Madai no Kobujime - Adult Red Snapper (Akashi, Japan):
A nice starter, Take-san marinates Madai (Adult Red Snapper) with Konbu (Kelp) to help enhance the flavors before serving. Light, clean whitefish to start.
Kasugodai - Baby Red Snapper (Kyushu, Japan):
In a nice contrast, Take-san next presents Kasugodai, which is a Baby Red Snapper, wrapped with a Sakura (Japanese Cherry Blossom) Leaf. The contrast is interesting and telling, with the Kasugodai had a slightly more gentle mouthfeel, lightly herbal and aromatic from the Sakura Leaf.
Kurodai-Zuke - Black Snapper (Oita, Japan):
Next was Kurodai (Black Snapper) that Take-san marinates in a special Soy Sauce blend before serving. Tender, but firm, with a decent amount of fat as well.
It should be noted that Shin Sushi’s Shari (Sushi Rice) has settled into a solid offering. It’s not top tier like Maru-san’s Shari at Mori Sushi, but good, not overcooked, nor too dry, a decent Vinegar balance. His Shari was certainly better than his brother’s over at Kogane that we tried recently, so it was fresh in our minds.
Hotate - Scallop (Hokkaido, Japan):
A very good Hotate (Scallop) prep, served simply with some Yuzu (Japanese Citrus) and Sea Salt. This was fresh and silken as expected.
Kuzuryu (Nine-Headed Dragon) - Daiginjo Sake (Fukui, Japan):
A beautiful label and calligraphy, thankfully the liquid inside matches the splendor here. 
For those that may not know, Kuzuryu (Nine-Headed Dragon) is the sister line of Kokuryu (Black Dragon) (such awesome names!), and this Daiginjo Sake was fabulous in pairing with our next Sushi items. Very clean, pure, focused flavors, just a great Sake bottle.
Akami-Zuke - Lean Bluefin Tuna Portion (Boston, U.S.A.):
Take-san chats with us about how tonight’s Tuna was over 250 pounds(!), and he was quite happy with this Akami (Lean Tuna) portion that he flash marinated in a special Soy Sauce blend before serving. This Akami today was outstanding! A deep, rich concentration of like the best Tuna flavors you remember, brought out masterfully in this bite. One of the highlights of the meal. 
Shinshu Masu - Freshwater Trout (Nagano, Japan):
Since his signature offering of Yuki Masu (Snow Trout) was out of season, Take-san on this visit was offering a Shinshu Masu, a Freshwater Trout from Nagano, Japan instead. This started with a nice oily and lean balance, but ended with a touch of dirt aftertaste, unfortunately. Definitely not as great as the Yuki Masu he normally serves (which is wonderful).
Fish Bone Miso Soup:
Another item that Take-san seems to be offering consistently is his Housemade Fish Bone Miso Soup, which is pretty phenomenal: There is this insane concentrated flavor of the most delicate Fish Broth you can remember, balanced with a lighter Miso. It is nourishing and really wonderful. Highlight!
Menegi - Tokyo Green Onions - Japan:
Another signature item at Shin Sushi, Take-san seems to be developing his voice with some key items that make his restaurant stand out from his rivals. The Menegi Sushi sounds a bit simple, Tokyo Green Onions atop some Sushi Rice, but the flavor is outstanding! Bright, Spring-like, a gentle onion-y flavor, but not overwhelming. It’s a great intermission in the parade of Sushi.
Botan Ebi - Spot Prawn (Santa Barbara, U.S.A.):
Take-san shares with everyone that he doesn’t like the texture of freshly dispatched Live Sweet Shrimp / Spot Prawns seen at many restaurants. He feels it’s too firm and taut, so he gets Live Spot Prawns, dispatches them, then ages them 2 days before serving for a better texture that Take-san prefers.
The taste is excellent: It is indeed, less taut, less musculature, but still slippery, fresh-tasting, but softer. It was very good, but I think we actually like the texture of freshly dispatched Live Spot Prawns more.
Ohtoro - Fattiest Tuna Belly (Boston, U.S.A.):
The Ohtoro is finished with a quick sear over charcoal, releasing some of the fat, and adding a touch of smokiness. This was definitely tasty.
Aji - Spanish Mackerel (Fukuoka, Japan):
This was crisp in flavor, clean and tasty. However, having just had the Omakase course with Maru-san at Mori Sushi very recently, there was no comparison: Maru-san’s Aji was far better. There was a massive depth of flavor, the mouthfeel, taste, preparation, everything about it.
Kinmedai - Golden Eye Snapper (Chiba, Japan):
Take-san also uses a quick charcoal sear for this Kinmedai before serving. A delicate smokiness, this was a textbook, good example, lightly fatty and lean.
Uni - Sea Urchin (Mexico):
This was pungent, in a bad ocean water way. 
It had a bit of creaminess, but this was so disappointing and not pleasant in comparison to great Uni from Santa Barbara or Hokkaido, that this felt like a misstep.
Anago - Sea Eel (Oita, Japan):
Finished with Yuzu citrus, this Sea Eel was creamy, meaty, but had just a touch of dirt aftertaste on this visit.
Ume Shiso Tamago - Japanese Plum + Shiso Leaf Egg:
Signaling the end of the Omakase Sushi dinner, Take-san’s Tamago offering on this visit was still quite good, prepared in a Dashimaki (Japanese Omelet with Dashi) style, it was moist, and the Ume Shiso combination was spot-on.
Toro Takuan Temaki - Fatty Tuna Belly + Pickled Daikon Radish Hand Roll:
We asked for a Temaki (Hand Roll) to finish off the evening, and Take-san obliged with a stunning Toro Takuan (Fatty Tuna Belly with diced up Pickled Daikon Radish). It was luscious, fatty, with a perfect crunchy texture from the Takuan, and the Nori (Seaweed) was crisp.
Shima Aji - Striped Jack (Oita, Japan):
For the bonus round, we asked if there were any other offerings he didn’t serve yet, and Take-san mentioned he was happy with the Shima Aji he just got in. This was outstanding! That beautiful balance of fat & lean meat in a great Shima Aji offering was present here.
Tofu Mousse Kuromitsu:
And for Dessert, Take-san continues to offer a signature item, his Housemade Tofu Mousse, served with a beautiful Kuromitsu (Japanese Black Sugar Syrup).
For this return visit to Shin Sushi, it was an enjoyable evening, with a good to very good lineup, with a few noteworthy highlights. But having just visited Maru-san and Mori Sushi for their Omakase dinner, the difference between these two places becomes very clear: Maru-san & Mori Sushi has better Shari (Sushi Rice), the fish preparation, knife work and overall execution of flavor is just a notch above as well. The Zensai (Opening Course), is outstanding as well. The Sake List is superior, and the list goes on.
However, this doesn’t mean Shin Sushi isn’t a worthwhile destination: Far from it. It has its own strengths, starting with the value. This remains in the $170 - $200 range (depending on ingredients for the day, if you added any extra pieces), which is unheard of these days for a full Omakase dinner (where the majority are in the $250 - $350+ range). It is the lowest priced Omakase out of L.A.'s top Sushi-ya, cheaper than even the lesser known / newer places that are trending. And Shin Sushi has been better than many of them.
Add in the fact that as an Itamae, Chef-Owner Taketoshi Azumi is probably the most affable and wise-cracking Sushi Chef out of the top places as well, and it makes it even more of a pleasure to stop by. He loves cracking jokes, he makes everyone feel welcome, and has some standout items as well. It’s for these reasons Shin Sushi remains in our rotation and has become a favorite with many of our friends.
Shin Sushi
16573 Ventura Blvd.
Encino, CA 91436
Tel: (818) 616-4148
