Izakaya Shingen in Ottawa

The food is amazing and the server Stephanie is the best !

Ive been to this restaurant several times - always an enjoyable experience.

Chicken karage was burnt and did not taste good. Food and drinks are small in portion and pricey. However, it is one of the few izakayas I know in Ottawa.

Very nice atmosphere and excellent food. A must if you like Japanese food.

I adore the decor & ambience, and the menu hasnt disappointed me yet

Pork belly was delicious!

The okonomiyaki from izakaya shingen is the only thing I d want with me if I was stranded on a desert island.

Good but not amazing. I don t like sour sauce in the poke.

Decent spot for a quick late night bite.

The food is delicious and the service is on top!

Sake Flights were great and the food was amazing!

The food and atmosphere was alright but very, very pricy for what youre getting, which kind of defeats the purpose of a casual walk-in izakaya concept.

Food is good, but not amazing. It is very pricey for the quantity and amount of food you get. I came here twice so far. It is dimly lit so it is hard to see.

Fabulous atmosphere, delicious food, and a great selection of sake.

New review: we visited last night for a birthday dinner and had a lovely time! Food was delicious as always (the katsu curry was better this time than before!) and we had good service. The restaurant was busy but we got our food relatively quickly, and the server was attentive. Great experience!

Amazing in every way

Friendly staff and enjoyed the food! We arrived a little later in the evening but were helped quickly. The staff gave good tips and we ordered some kind of milky rice wine which we enjoyed very much. The mackerel was extra tasty, but the rest was also tasty and we went home with a well-filled belly.

Superb place! If you want to travel to Japan and dine on the corner of an alley in a Japanese suburb, well you will be well received and served! The prices are reasonable and the atmosphere will make you have a good time. Vegetarian options: Dish only with vegetables Kid-friendliness: The dishes are accessible to children

It was not the first time we went to this restaurant. But unfortunately, tonight, everything was awful !! The appetizer, which was edamame, after about 45 minutes of ordering, was brought dry and without any sauce!! And just one dish with cold rice! When my sons food was finished, and I was going to pay the bill without food and leave the restaurant, they brought my food, in a very low quality! Unfortunately, we were not satisfied at all.

Our go to Izakaya in Ottawa! Love the atmosphere, service is always wonderful and the food is always hot, fresh and delicious. I literally dream about their Curry Tonkatsu Don. Always happy to return and we will for a long time!

The shishamo is so good!

ooooh, hidden gem! Wonderful servers, great food but best of all, the vibe! Food

Ive been a customer here for years, their food has always been amazing, service is good and the restaurant itself nails the aesthetic perfectly. If I could eat here 3 meals a day I would

Food was great, and it has a good izakaya feel to the place. However, the service was atrocious. We tried for over an hour to order sake, and finally left after finishing our meal without sake showing up. It took 30 minutes to be told the hot-sake machine was broken, another 10 minutes to taste one sake, and then after ordering a bottle and we waited 20 minutes and finally left. But, (you guessed it) the ~$100 bottle of sake showed up on our bill.

Nicely done version of what you may find in Japan. What an amazing place to hang out for bites and beer. Happy we discovered this gem.

We celebrated my husband s birthday here this past week. We were excited to try this restaurant out as we had just returned from Japan. The menu is great. A super variety of dishes, and the food came quickly and was fresh. Our server was nice, she helped us choose some dishes. The restaurant itself is simple and comfortable as long as you re not expecting a chair with a back. It is stools only. I must say though we were very disappointed by the condition of the washrooms. We used them at the end of our dinner. They were very neglected and quite a turn off in deciding to come back. I hope they get them cleaned up and maintained regularly. The washrooms are a huge reflection of the overall attitude of the owner. I can only give this restaurant 3 stars for this reason.

Really very well received and served. The decor and atmosphere are top notch! The food was very good and in generous quantities. There is wifi available as well as a small hook to hang your things. The restaurant closes late on weekends compared to many others, which is a very good point. To be tested! (May 2024)

Delicious !

Really Good , love the food and the atmosphere

Went 2 days ago it s a very nice place to eat and have a talk too..great food and service ..

Very immature hostesses. There is a problem with one of dishes, they completely failed at addressing it. Would not recommend.

Best restaurant in Ottawa.

Excellent experience! Food was delicious, came to our table quickly and hot. Didn t get to take pictures because we devoured it so quickly. Will definitely revisit.

A REAL Japanese restaurant. THANKS A REAL Japanese restaurant. Thank you

The exterior doesn t do this place justice. Inside it s a very small but moody space, with authentic downtown Tokyo dining experience and authentic food. I could spend hours here just chatting and snacking with my friends.

Ive been here twice. The restaurant has a good atmosphere. I definitely liked the setup with the dark theme. Food: -takoyaki (4.5/5) - it was really good both times I went -the salmon sashimi (4/5) - tasted like it should which is good - yuzuhosho nabe (2/5) - tasted pretty bland for hotpot Oden chefs pick (2.5/5) - didnt leave an impact Dashi Maki Tamago (3/5) - light textured omelette eventually Fired up salmon, poke bowl & sushi burrito (0/5) - basically just burned salmon, never had Japanese food this gross before. Other sushi burrito? (4/5) - My first visit the sushi burrito tasted really good, not sure if we got a different one or if the second time the chef did it wrong. The 2nd visit was so traumatic, I would avoid the fired up salmon at all cost Overall, it definitely has some high highs but also low lows. Its kind of like a lottery. It makes me scared to just pick something on the menu which is unfortunate since I really like when it tastes good. I probably wont come back again.

Good food and services.

Had a great time trying lots of small plates to share

Amazing food at a very reasonable price. Highly recommend the spicy edamame! The vibe of this restaurant is super cool and not something you see often in Ottawa.

Good are nice, friend would be happy if you bring them here

I loved their Takoyaki.

Food was great, service was lacking though. The Yuzu creme brule is worth coming here alone, it was amazing. The overall atmosphere of the place was great but unfortunately there was a very large table of inebriated guests who made it difficult to speak without yelling. Otherwise would come back.

Konichiwa

Tasty food.Very good Service.Waiting time of ordered food is minimum.Rate of food items are reasonable.

Never had a bad experience here. Great options, good quality.

Good Ramen! Cant go wrong with a chain restaurant. Might just be a personal taste but the Ramen are often times a bit too salty. The atmosphere of the place was great.

This is a gem on bank street, if you like Japanese cuisine, this is a must try. Ive been here twice and loved every dish I have tried. Tonkatsu don and Mentaiko don were my favorites so far. Takoyaki and Karaage are great here as well! Parking: Some street parking spots available in the alley next to the UPS store

The food and service was excellent! Definitely am looking forward to going again.

Best Japanese Food Ever

This place was amazing! The happy hour was great and also included food so we were happy to learn that. The vibes are immaculate, really felt like we were somewhere else. Every item of food was delicious, our personal favorites were the takoyaki and the mentaiko udon (so creamy!). I definitely want to go again. The small portions are reasonably priced and its a great concept to try many dishes.

I love coming here. The food is always great, the beer is flowing and happy hour is Monday to Friday 5-7pm!! The vibe is great considering Ottawa has limited Izakaya places. Will return

Very authentic experience of a Japanese Izakaya, both in terms of food and vibe!

Gyudon arrived room temp, tasted ok. Portion sizes are pretty small as well. Pretty disappointing given the price.

Every food here are amazing.

Great vibe, okay food, not the best value

I love love love this izakaya so much. Delicious food every time and always leaves me FULL. Ive brought so many people here and theyve all LOVED it, even my Japanese friends! So many great options, especially as someone who doesnt eat meat except for seafood (I love salmon). My favorite dish here is the mentaiko udon (also during happy hour!), so creamy and spicy!! The salmon chazuke is so warm and delicious. The Yaki onigiri is also a fav. I love ending my meal with the yuzu creme brulee, sooo yummy. Takoyaki and korokke are also delicious. My friend has ordered the karaage and loved it. Truly a gem of a place. I love the portions, you can order and try a bunch of different things (though I always end up getting the same assortment of things bc theyre too good). Ill be back again and again and again!

Such delicious dishes! Its like Japanese street food - my favourite was the onigiri. The con is definitely the service. The servers ignore you and arent very friendly. Theyre not mean but they do lack care However, the food is so damn good that I would take a not so great server any day for this place. Would still totally recommend!

Nice little spot downtown for Japanese food

First time in this establishment and I am very happy to finally eat takoyaki after several years :) A wide choice of Japanese dishes and a surprising price (in a positive way) for what they offer! An address to remember.

It s lit, foods good, just wish servings were a bit bigger but I m a big guy, understandable. Service is amazing.

Best Japanese restaurant in town, everything is worth a try! Love the skewers, get the takoyaki and okonomiyaki! Food

A MUST TRY. So so good, the food was so delicious and very flavourful. We tried so many items but I loved the Mentaiko Udon (resembled pasta but was really creamy, we were tempted to get a second one). Here are all the items we tried: Salmon Sashimi, Chicken Karaage, Korokke (sweet potato croquettes, which were also really good!), Agedashi Tofu, Kaki Fry (Breaded Oysters), Cheese Tonkatsu (this was really hefty), Yaki Onigiri (salmon rice balls), Zaru Soba, and Yuzu Creme Brulee. We also had the Sake: Makgeolli, which was surprisingly very good. It says theres a bit of a milky texture, but it wasnt strong at all - I would def recommend this. Overall, we loved everything and is super worth trying.

Could bump the lights up just a lil bit more with little expense to the ambiance. The mackerel and mushrooms are amazing, staples too. Wheelchair accessibility: Tight entrance.

Dont get the rice dishes. They are dry and mushy. The skewers and the lighter dishes are much better. Order those instead!

This place is really good if you re looking for an izakaya style restaurant. The soba noodles were very good, but the star of the show when I went was the salmon onigiri. I wish I had a photo of it because it was so good. Rice was cooked nicely and the salmon was perfect. The rice bowls also looked very appetizing.

Sushi burrito was great!

Great spot for food in Ottawa along Bank St! One of the better spots for Japanese izakaya. They have a great happy hour on weekdays until 7pm. I got the chicken karage and octopus (takowasa). Chicken was well portioned and fried well. Takowasa tasted fresh and came with a good amount of seaweed. Cozy vibes.

Yakitori here is delicious! Especially the chicken filled in tare. Personally, was not a huge fan of the mentaiko udon but the karaage was quite good and the soba was good. There was happy hour pricing from 5-7 PM for some of their items when I went on a Thursday.

Food, price and service are excellent. The place is perfect too... Unless you bring kids, which can be a little dark and lack of high chair or booster.

Great atmosphere with delicious and fine Japanese food.

What a terrible place! Their food is way salty and my experience was horrible. I guess the food is not safe to eat either because I had a serious stomachache after my visit!

Food was really good and the service was really fast. We got a variety of appetizers. I recommend going between 5 to 7 for happy hour.

Definitely on the pricier side, but nonetheless, Shingen has delicious Japanese pub fare with numerous izakaya staples to choose from! Every dish we got was incredibly flavourful. Reminded me quite a bit of some of the best izakaya I ve tried in New York City, so I was very satisfied. Fingers crossed that you consider adding chicken nanban to your menu in the future!

Very disappointing. We made reservations over a month in advance, planning our trip from Toronto. Upon our arrival, they couldnt find our reservation. We were told simply, sorry nothing we can do, and that was that. As I said, disappointing.

Food was flavourful and didnt take long to make! Service was fast and friendly. The atmosphere of the restaurant really makes the place great

Food and drinks are more expensive the normal but the vibe in this place is crazy. I felt like I was in Tokyo or something.

Fake, over priced Japanese food. Nothing is seasoned. Beer was alright. Don t order the yakitori (BBQ) it taste like charcoal with salt.

great food, ambience & friendly staff.Good selection of beer and soju as well :)

Nice decor and service. Food was mediocre. We felt like the grilled food in particular was very underwhelming as some skewers seemed like they were just warmed up. For a packed restaurant the kitchen was very quiet. Would go again if food quality was better. Tons of potential.

Amazing Japanese food! Highly recommend this restaurant to anyone!

Its been a while since I last went here. Ive been pleasantly surprised to see how it has improved. Food came out of the kitchen really fast and the staff were very friendly and professional. Will be coming back.

Ordered one dish they didn t have it ordered another and they didn t tell me they didn t have it till my other dishes started coming. Bad night.

Great izakaya with lots of classic, authentic Japanese bar and street food options. We particularly enjoyed the pickled mackerel. Pricier than in Japan, but that is expected for a small plates place in North America. On the other hand the beer here is much less over-priced than is the norm at similar places. The staff were friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. This place is worth visiting if youre Downtown. Well be back soon. Parking: If your going during the day paid street parking or walking from a paid lot are your only options here since it is on Bank Street Downtown. It can be difficult to find street parking nearby, but if you go late enough on a weekday evening you wont have to pay and there should be spaces available.

Best izakaya in town!

Food was good but pretty pricey for what you get. Atmosphere was really nice. Enjoyed the mentaiko udon and grilled mackerel a lot.

I love the takoyaki at this place. Portion is bigger than what I originally thought. The gyu don and okonomiyaki are not as good. My overall rating is 4/5. (But i am very picky when it comes to Japanese cuisine.)

Awesome Japanese restaurant in Ottawa! Cheers guys!

Good food. Went as a group and it was a fun time. Its wasnt overly loud. The Tonkatsu Don was very good and the salmon poki bowl was good as well. Overall I would reccomend if youre in the area. Food : 5/5 |

Fantastic service. Chill spot.

Izayaka Shingen arguably has the most interesting atmosphere of any restaurant in Ottawa. It really feels like youre immersed in Japan, making it a great spot to go with your friends. There are loads of small delicious dishes to choose from. The nice thing is theyre always updating and changing their menu so theres always something new to try. Some of my favourite dishes are the yaki onigiri, angus beef kalbi, and sushi burrito. I would definitely recommend experimenting with different dishes!

We tried Takowasa - too salty and watery Oden - too salty and not much flavor Karaage - over-fired and on the dry side Korokee - not much flavor Aji Fry - over-fried and strong fish smell Yaki Origini - surprisingly very decent. Found this out because we took it home and ate it on its own. It was overshadowed by other salty food. Kushiyaki - had chicken, beef and octopus, all very tasty. Would have been an underwhelming experience without these.

Honestly in terms of a fun and chill experience, they have it down pat. It feels like your in a small alley way restaurant in the side streets of Japan. Service is very good too. I would say the skewers were a little underwhelming and sake was super expensive. But the normal plates of food are great, I loved them

Has a real Japanese bar vibe, with great small dishes.

Excellent experience!! Food was amazing; all dishes were extremely good. Staffs were friendly and helpful. Omaitaiko Udon is recommended.

Great service and great food! Nice atmosphere and good pricing.

Edit June 2023: Have been visiting over the years since 2018 and lately, the past 3 times in a row, and on and off this past year service has just been awful and not friendly. Wait times to get a server to come over is long and when they do, theyve always been very rude/just overall vibe felt like they did not want to be there and they took it out on my party an I with the coldness. We leave great tips every time, usually 20-25% and we only speak with them when they come over to take our order/drop off the food to ask for something like water or extra water. Overall, just dont feel valued at all. Nice spot to hit up for Japanese food and drinks. Ive been here quite a few times and have ordered most of the dishes. Id say the only thing Id avoid is the grilled onigiri, its usually a little overcooked where the rice is very hard and tasteless. Everything else is tasty. Decoration and atmosphere is really nice and the overall vibe is fun. Service on the other hand has usually been really great but lately its been a little inattentive and not as friendly.

Food was good very authentic!!!! Lots of Korean eat there so you know it good.

Delish and affordable!! I love the salmon onigiri, takowasa, fish cakes in dashi and takoyaki!! OMNOMNOM!! *\(^o^)/* The grilled skewers were very bland and boring. SKIP THOSE! It s decorated so adorable and it s a cute spot to bring friends or a date. NOTE: make a reservation ahead of time because it can get very busy!! 3-4 dishes is good per person!

The food was amazing! I would recommend getting the Sake taster.

Pretty solid Japanese food. Some things were excellent but other things, like the skewers, were just fine. You can get a fair amount of food if you share with a group and we ended up spending less than we thought we would.

Very good authentic food

We ve never had a bad meal at Izakaya Shingen! Not only is the restaurant charming, but the food itself is always top tier. Probably the best takoyaki and korokke in all of Ottawa. They have a wide variety of soju available and the staff are phenomenal - the perfect balance of checking in when needed but not hovering when you eat. We consistently come back and will continue to come back - we love it!

Best sushi ever

A real Japanese isakaya. Sublime. Super chill staff and very good food. Really very fast service!!

Very good restaurant, surprised by the menu++, good team cohesion between the staff.

We had the yaki onigiri, edamame & tuna poke bowl. The onigiri was perfectly crunchy and the edamame was the right spiciness. The poke bowl was so fresh, the Mandarin and avocado was delicious. Service is fast & very friendly, cant wait to come back!!

Food was good and it had a great atmosphere. The location is unassuming, along a street where it almost seems out of place. They have this huge sushi burrito which is exactly what it sounds like - basically a big chunk of tuna inside a huge burrito sized sushi roll that you eat. When we went we had to specifically ask for soy sauce and wasabi - could have been a random issue with our server who vanished for a time. Otherwise, you actually press a button on your booth to get served. Very true to the Japanese design and feel, the decor was great.

Great for a late night bite, great for groups, menu is mostly small plates. Everything we ordered we were happy with. Favorite dish: Yaki Onigiri

Food was good, service was acceptable. The seating was very uncomfortable, and the close proximity to other diners was not ideal.

Go here. Get some snacks and drink some fabulous whiskey.

Typical Japanese styled pub. Atmosphere and seating are very traditional. The service is quite easy, i had a button i would press on the wall and a server would come. The food is out of this world, get the mentaiko udon, it is so savoury and creamy. The Karaage, Koroke, and Skewers are phenomal and well priced as well. They have great prices on Asahi and friend and i got the Sake tasting menu which was awesome.

Food, Vibe, Service, Price, all 5 stars

Great service, great food, perfect environment. Im a regular here me and my partner always have Izakaya at the top of our list when looking for places to get dinner. Menu has something for everyone to enjoy and really great prices and portion sizes. Ive almost tried everything on the menu and am really impressed by everything. Really love this place, probably will be coming tonight for dinner! Have already recommended this place to almost everyone I know

My favorite Izakaya in Ottawa. Food is delicious, nice atmosphere and good service. Try the Curry and chicken skewers with tare, they re amazing options!

Food was fantastic 5/5, atmosphere was awesome 5/5. Portions on the smaller side which is totally fine. Service was lacking unfortunately 2/5. Waitperson was nice but never came back, had to get up and ask for the bill. Miso soup never showed up. Overall 4/5 definitely recommend to check it out.

The food was succulent, fresh ingredients, and very tasty. Their cocktails are very good. I totally recommend

The sushi burrito I got was good but small for the cost. We had to sit at the bar. It took a good 15 minutes before someone took our order. Never checked in on us. Neither toilet in the bathroom flushes and no paper towels.

Great atmosphere, solid food. Really glad that we have an Izakaya style restaurant in Ottawa!

I used to adore this restaurant and hadnt visited in nearly two years since my move. I was eagerly anticipating this return, but I was truly taken back by the prices today. A mere half piece of daikon is now priced at $2+(used to be full piece at lower price), and many other dishes have experienced price increase while offering smaller portions. While I understand that businesses have faced challenges due to COVID, this experience has left me very disappointed. Edit - my reponse to owner after initial review: Thank you for responding to my comment. However, Id like to address a few of your points: Its great that youre ensuring fair pay for your staff during difficult times. However, a lot of peoples wages, including my own, have not increased in accordance to the inflation rates you mentioned. I think its fair to say in a review that I am disappointed I can no longer afford your prices, and I dont understand why expressing such a sentiment would warrant such a strong negative response from your side, when it is clear a large number of reviews mention the same thing - small portions for such a pricey menu. I also dont understand why you assume I have never publicly praised your restaurant before, as if implying one must first leave five star reviews before having the right to say that there has been a price hike. Besides eating there more than a handful of times myself, I used to consistently recommend your restaurant to family and friends, and several of them have dined at your restaurant because of me. In fact, yours was the first restaurant that came to mind when I planned my visit to Ottawa this time during a very short stay, and I also came with a group of 4. I believe I am justified in my observations as a long time patron and supporter, and thats why my disappointment was all the more upsetting. My initial review rightly acknowledged the challenges faced by small businesses in recent years, and contained zero disrespect towards the restaurant staff. However, you responded with such passive aggressiveness and presumptuous attacks on my credibility as a customer. In particular, you mention how there is at most a $2 price increase, when I literally have a photo of your menu from a few years ago that shows the mentaiko udon changed from $11.8 to $17.8. Its so disingenuous its unbelievable. I am sincerely sorry that you are experiencing financial hardships in your business, but this response was totally uncalled for and unprofessional. Heres to hoping things get better so more people can afford to enjoy your service.

Took some friends here during a convention and sad to say that dinner service can be a little rough when things get busy. To be fair, we were here on a VERY busy weekend where multiple events were happening in the area. We had to wait quite a while and the kitchen was low on some stock. Despite the rush, the staff were super friendly and personable the whole time, responding quickly to requests, and I always felt attended to while here! This isnt the same as your rowdy downtown Toronto Izakaya, but the food is good if youve got a hankering. My best expierence here was last year at lunch time, so maybe try their lunch service if you want to avoid the rush.

Closes the kitchen 30 mins before closing

Dont go here. They scam customers by getting them to pay for their meal twice. The bank wont replace your money Be careful

Ready to lead the after hours life of a salaryman? This is your spot. Enjoyed the wide offering of dishes here. On a Friday night there were many tepanaki available. My favorite was the eel. The fried chicken was a favorite with my sons. I would like to return and try some of the Japanese whiskey, there were about 9 different options available. Watch out if you come with a budget, the yummy offerings add up quickly!

We ve been here a couple of times, love the poke bowl.

This is a really fun and quirky Japanese place that was a convenient walk from our hotel. The menu was varied with a number of items we hadnt seen before. Everything came out at the perfect temperature, and at fairly good pacing. The decor of the restaurant has a very Japanese back street vibe to give a cool themed feeling to the place. Highly recommended!

Awesome Izakaya style place in Ottawa! I recommend taking skewers and little portions of different dishes (eel, chicken etc) if youre there with friends ^^

Service is good, but the food is just average. The highlight of the meal is Takoyak, which is tasty. The pictures in the menu is better than the real thing. Noted there is no paper menu, one needs to scan the QR code for online menu viewing.

Not the best Izakaya I ve had but good for Ottawa standards. Skewer review: chicken is the winner, from taste/price standpoint. Steak: good, has a nice charcoal taste, though expensive. Ebi: dry, avoid. Mushroom: not bad, nice spice. Scallop: on the undercooked side, okay but I wouldn t recommend it. Unagi: average, nothing special. Other dishes- edamame: quite spicy, good. Recommend the takoyaki and onigiri. Karaage: good and crispy. Sweet potato croquettes: decent. House hot sake: okay value.

nice experience, quality food

I went here a few days ago and can confidently say that this is the best Japanese food I ve had in Ottawa I got their Kankuni Don and Chicken Karaage. Both were super delicious, the pork belly in the Kankuni don was super chewy and full of flavour, not to mention the generous amount in the bowl. Out of the three places in Ottawa where I ve had karaage chicken, this place definitely has the best one. Big pieces, super crispy, not too oily, overall just amazing. The service was great too! The waitresses were super nice, and the atmosphere of the restaurant is such a vibe. I d definitely recommend coming to this restaurant to anyone looking for a good Japanese meal!

Great experience and food. Staff were very helpful with recommendations and helping us order the right amounts of small plates.

One of the best places for Japanese food in Ottawa

Food and service were amazing

We were looking for a place for dinner and decided to give this a try given the wide selection of sake. We tried a flight of sake (all were very tasty, although I disagree with the dryness rating ). The wide selection of yakitori, sashimi, and other snack was appreciated as we found a good mix of things to satisfy our appetite.

Am shocked by the size of the baby octopus. It s for $8. Inflation maybe? Been a regular customer to Shingen. Sad to say but it s getting worse and worse, from service quality to the food portion. Taste wise is good though.

Fantastic food, fantastic service, fantastic atmosphere. Prices are very reasonable, good and drinks are great quality, and the location is very convenient. The sake flights are a real highlight.

The ambience is on point, the restaurant is very nicely decorated and service was good too. The drinks are reasonably priced. However, the food doesn t hit the mark and on the pricer end too. I would still have been ok with the price tag if it was accompanied with good taste but sadly wasn t. Had the angus beef short ribs & chicken kaarage, both lacked flavor.Will return but likely for drinks with friends.

I recently visited Izakaya Shingen for the first time and I really enjoyed the food. The location serves traditional izakaya fare and provides an intimate, but lively Japanese izakaya ambiance with adorned with beautiful red lanterns. We had ordered Japanese cocktails, a few skewers, fried chicken and oysters, as well as pork belly which were absolutely delicious and arrived promptly. While we did enjoy the food, the service was lackluster and made the experience quite unpleasant. It would have been understandable if the restaurant was at maximum capacity and patrons were treated consistently, but this was not the case. At $100+ for dinner for two, I would have expected better service. Upon arriving at my reservation time, we were seated at our table and left unattended while the server cleaned all the tables around us. No menus, no water. We waited patiently until the server finished cleaning the tables. Immediately after, she asked us to move to a smaller table in anticipation of larger groups that evening despite other tables being available. We willingly moved to the smaller table - to watch them seat a couple on the very same table minutes after while a majority of the restaurant tables remained unoccupied. When we asked for the menu, we were pointed to the QR codes and were left unattended and were rushed to order shortly after while the adjacent table were immediately offered water, paper menus, and were attended to immediately. During our meal, the server didn t check on us and we had difficulty getting a hold of her to ask questions or order additional food. With how long we waited and the service provided, we opted to take our bills and grab dessert elsewhere. EDIT: On November 18, 2023, I revisited Izakaya Shingen following Bobbys invitation and experienced a notable improvement in service, including increased timeliness and attentiveness. Bobby, whom I had previously communicated with, made a positive impact by checking in during the meal. This reflects Izakaya Shingens commitment to prioritizing customer experience and valuing feedback. The enhanced service significantly improved my overall dining experience, with attentive staff and a more enjoyable ambiance. Its reassuring to witness the restaurant actively addressing customer concerns and working to elevate service quality, showcasing their dedication to providing a satisfying dining experience.

I recommend sharing many plates as no one dish is amazing but trying them all is wonderful. I did especially like the bbq unagi!

Everything was good except the okonomiyaki which I would not recommend

Great service and food, and an amazing atmosphere.

As a first timer, I found the service fast and friendly. They were very accommodating and made changes to the menu to make sure that it was gluten free.

Warm friendly service. Great food and selection of saki.