Wa Shin

I'm speechless. Wa Shin is that good! The omakase rivals the best in NYC with the freshness of the fish and the exceptional ambiance and service. It ain't cheap but for the caliber of food, you are more than getting your money's worth. I love when a chef focuses on highlighting the natural flavors of the fish. I don't need a lot of fancy bells and whistles, aka going overboard with the sauces and garnishes, and it's a thin line between overzealous creativity and one or two add-on's that really make the piece sing.The painstaking eye for detail is apparent from the wood used for the counter (hinoki, imported from Japan) to the staff making sure your drink is always filled to the little bowl of house-made pickled ginger (with a tinge of yuzu) is never empty. I noticed Chef Sky would adapt immediately to customers' preferences - if someone didn't like shrimp, he switched it out for another fish; if someone else preferred less wasabi, he made sure to modulate. The chefs also constantly made tiny scores in the fish for more depth of flavor, especially for the pieces getting torched. I could go on and on about what an incredible meal this was. The rice - temperature, coherence, taste - was perfect. From start (an oyster topped with uni) to finish (lychee sorbet), everything reflected a commitment to taste that you wouldn't expect anything less from someone who was mentored by Nakazawa himself. My favorites:- King salmon. Insanely buttery. Best piece of salmon I've ever had. - Tamago. Like an eggy cake. If you've watched Jiro, you know that scene of Nakazawa trying to perfect the tamago and this was all I could think about. - Medium-fatty tuna with caviar. - Eel: this isn't the eel you see in sushi spots where it looks a little too perfect and is drowning in sweet soy sauce. This eel was a lighter color and, yes, cliched as it sounds, melted in my mouth. I will say that a lot of the pieces were pretty light and clean, with only a minimal amount of sauce or garnish. I walked out feeling the perfect level of satiety after 18 courses. To top it all off, Chef Sky is a hoot. Can't say enough good things. 5/5! 10/10 A++++

Best Omakase in Boston.Wa Shin Omakase offers a truly exceptional dining experience that left me in awe from start to finish.

After hearing from friends about their amazing dining experience at Wa Shin, we were stoked to try this new omakase spot. We were lucky to get a reservation, which open 14 days in advance and are released online daily at 12:00pm EST. The interior is beautiful and spacious, with each counter seat offering an intimate view of the chefs and their meticulous craftsmanship throughout the evening. Chef Sky and his team thoughtfully prepared an immersive, upscale, yet homey dining experience for each guest, engaging us in conversation throughout the night and providing impeccable service (even folding and unfolding the napkin when a guest returned from the restroom). In regards to food, each piece of nigiri seemed better than the last. The creativity of flavor combinations, freshness of their ingredients, and premium quality set this dinner apart from other omakase spots in Boston. We left completely full and satisfied and are already looking for an excuse to return!

Sounding like a broken record- as is every other review.This is the best omasake in Boston. Traditional and extremely fresh. No added fancy sauces. Very subtle flavors are added that bring out the fish's natural flavors. For once every dish isn't scotched to hell. Only a few fish see a touch, and just enough to bring out the fish's fat.The staff are incredible. A tiny piece of garnish fell off my plate and a server Immediately saw it and grabbed it off the counter.The sushi chefs are very personable and talk to you throughout the meal. It's kind of like you're just hanging out, but still manages to remain high end.I highly recommend anyone to come here if you like sushi. You will get addicted and come here again again and again. 5/5

If there's one thing Boston is lacking, it's omakase spots. Compared to NYC, we just don't have that many. Few and far between, I am always excited when I find one. Enter the brand new spot, Wa Shin. The host/manager Matt was super friendly. He was very polite, and is the expert on their alcohol. He can tell you all about the drinks and sake and suggest something to your liking. Absolutely ask Matt for guidance on your beverage selection. Chef Sky's omakase concept is not to be missed. The setup is roughly 12 counter seats if I'm not mistaken, but the area dedicated to the sushi chefs is huge. Many places I've been to in NY, the area for the chefs to work is very small, or smaller by comparison to Wa Shin. This feels like the design was conceived to spotlight the experience behind the counter. This feels much more authentic.A beautiful interior, and limited seating, you're really getting a premium experience. The price does correspond to that level of offering as well. Seatings are Monday thru Saturday, 5pm, 7pm, and 9pm, as of now. It did run up right to the end though. The next seating is already waiting for you to be done. Expect to spend the full 2 hours there, which is awesome, as you're not rushed.The omakase selection is pretty awesome. The menu is expertly curated by Chef Sky. The Uni is from Hokkaido. The salmon from New Zealand. The fish is all sourced from hand selected destinations. The scallops were so sweet. All the courses were VERY fresh and fine tuned to please your taste buds. Chef offers purple Uni as well. The shell is purple, so the Uni itself just looks very much like regular Uni, but it's so delicious. The aged tuna was so good! Fatty tuna melts in your mouth.The chefs use a kind of scoring technique with the knife in some of the pieces, which makes them much more tender. They care alot about the preparation, which is a tribute to Chef Sky. The omkase experience is just that... an experience. I've been to $70 omakase in NYC and they crank out the courses in an hour flat with little care. This is a premium offering with premium fish and hand crafted courses with sushi chef expertise.

We celebrated my bf's birthday here and it was an amazing experience. Chef Sky serves an 18-course omakase with 10 countertop seats with 2 seatings. I had the perfect front row seat in the house as his team freshly prepared each course. Not only does he display his culinary expertise and meticulous work in front of the guests, but he is an active listener and engages us in conversations. What I love most about Chef Sky is his commitment to making guests happy. I had mentioned my distaste for mackerel and eel and he accommodated it. Usually, other places don't unless it's an allergy, but he had a note right under the counter. During the meal, my bf wanted extra wasabi in his nigiri and another party wanted less and he happily accommodated them. He cares deeply about people's preferences and is very attentive, as he's constantly watching us. Our server Cathy also provided great service with a warming smile. She was very attentive to our needs. Our course had many smoky, salty and citrusy flavors. The starters were an oyster w/ uni and smoked tuna. I thought they were ok. The nigiri is the main show. The rice was warm and soft. I was a little scared of the rice breaking each time. Interestingly, He makes different precisions in the fish for textural contrast, which I loved. Some were cut very thick and others weren't. My favorites were the spot prawn, otoro, king salmon, scallops, belt fish, and snapper. We finished with a refreshing matcha panna cotta paired with hot green tea. Nigiri: -Isaki: loved the grated citrus-Japanese belt fish: very yummy and cut to be perfectly torched.-Hokkaido scallop: cut interestingly, very yummy smoky flavored salt on top-squid with grated salted fish egg: loved the salted fish eggs-salmon thickly cut and torched: very fatty and melts in your mouth -soy marinated bluefin tuna: saltiness from the soy-otoro fatty tuna: thickly cut and very very buttery-sea bream: nicely paired with lime-spot prawn: freshly prepared live paired with finger lime. perfectly bouncy and not slimy at all. They fried the shrimp head which is my favorite part!!-Hokkaido uni: very cold which contrasted the warm rice perfectly and was buttery with no fishiness at all -tuna handroll: the pickled radish gave it nice texture. So cold and crispy. -tamago: a little too hard/overcooked for my liking. For 2 people, it was $630 including 25% tip. I would definitely come back.

Wow! This was one of the, if not the best, omaksase we've been to in Boston. From the food to the service to the ambiance, everything was top-notch. I was lucky to snag a reservation for a Friday reservation right when the dates opened up on the booking portal. The location is easy to find in back bay. Limited parking cause it's back bay but not impossible. The inside is spacious and decorated with some beautiful bonsai plants with a large sushi counter in the middle of the room. The seats were comfortable, and you can see all the action of the sushi chefs. The sushi was so good I still think about it to this day! The texture, temperature, and taste of the fish were all perfect. The chef used grated seasonal fruits to top off some of the nigiri, which added a wonderful citrus aroma and taste. For one of the standouts..the sweet shrimp which were live and kicking btw, they added finger limes, which gave it a wonderful pop of texture. We added on 2 pieces of sushi at the end, a seasonal scallop from Japan and toro with truffles. There were quite a few other seasonal options to choose from as well. Don't forget the dessert! We were served a silky green tea pannacotta that was not too sweet. We were stuffed by the end.The service was amazing with the most attentive staff you could ask for. Napkins were magically folded when you got up to use the restroom and unfolded on your lap upon your return. This takes the top spot on our list, and we will be sure to return.

Incredible experience. Varied yet refined taste palette. Presentation was fantastic. You're truly watching a master of his craft. Boston is lucky to have this treasure here!

I had the chance to visit Wa Shin last week for my girlfriend's birthday, and it was truly spectacular. Getting a reservation can be tricky, but keep an eye out for last-minute openings. We had a 9 PM reservation, but the previous dinner ran late, so we were seated around 9:15 PM. The staff was incredibly apologetic and started us off with refreshing cold towels.The ambiance was exactly what you'd hope for--intimate, with only 10 seats at a hinoki wood bar and traditional Japanese decor setting the scene. We ordered genmaicha and hojicha, served in a charming teapot right in front of us.The sushi and entrees flowed seamlessly from start to finish. We began with the best oyster I've ever had. The king salmon was rich and fatty, and the bluefin tuna was served both lean and fatty. The uni was top-grade, melting in your mouth with its luscious, oozy texture. Near the end of the meal, the waiters let us know we had one or two courses left and asked if we wanted to order more, but we were already completely full.Chef Zheng's attention to detail was impeccable. He made sure our tea was constantly refilled, and the waiters were quick to fold and unfold napkins when we returned from the bathroom. At one point, I dripped soy sauce on my plate, and Chef Zheng immediately had a waiter clean it up. Every piece of sushi was crafted with precision and care.Wa Shin offers the closest experience to Japan you'll find in Boston. Save yourself the plane ticket and book a reservation here. You'll be reminiscing about the meal for weeks and writing your own rave review. I'm already looking for an excuse to go back with my girlfriend.

The best omakase experience in Boston! The intimate setup of Wa Shin allows you to directly speak to and watch the chef prepare each bite. The freshness of the ingredients and the way Chef combines them is unmatched. With a brilliant tasting menu, there are no decisions to be made which is great for a date night! This is a must do in Boston! If you want a Michelin experience, this is the place to go!