Sapporo

My cousin who is a chef recommended this place. Specifically their Yakitori, which were delicious! The shrimp fried rice was tasty as well, though I would have loved to see a few more shrimps on there 🍤 Their service was part of the pleasant experience as well. Waiters carefully explaining the menu options and offering recommendations to us who were first time goers. Will come back to try the Ramen next! 🍜

K

It was a packed house. I tried some skewer sticks, noodle and rice dishes. Overall, everything was good. Service was great and super efficient. Parked in the free parking structure nearby.

Wynne Hou

My family and I come here often for dinner but usually during weekends when it gets packed. We went on a Wednesday evening and there were just a handful of tables with customers. We ordered a few items from their happy hour menu. Perhaps because it wasn't very busy, their yakitori was perfectly cooked. The pork cutlet curry rice was very good as usual; the cutlet was so crispy and the pork was juicy. My son also enjoyed the ramen.

RivailsLogan

If you're diving into the flavorful world of Shin-sen-gumi in Alhambra, you're in for a treat! The skewer selection offers a hearty mix, perfect for those who enjoy picking and choosing from a variety. From chicken and beef to delightful veggies, each skewer packs a punch of authentic taste. While the size might not be as filling as you’d expect, it’s a great way to sample multiple flavors without feeling overloaded. Plus, pairing it with a donburi makes for a satisfying meal that gets you both variety and volume. Definitely a must-try for any local or visitor wanting to taste a bit of Japan!

Janet Chang

I’ve tried several Shin-Sen-Gumi locations, and this one is definitely my favorite! The tall ceilings paired with lantern decorations make you feel like you’ve stepped into Japan. The chefs prepare piping hot skewers of delicious barbecue right on the spot, and the passionate, attentive service left a great impression on us. This restaurant is well-known for its grilled skewers, so we ordered tender and perfectly cooked beef chunks, flavorful chicken meatballs, and fresh jumbo scallops — all of which were absolutely delicious! As for the udon, I found the soup base a bit on the sweeter side for my taste, but the stir-fried udon had a wonderfully chewy texture that I really enjoyed!

Richard Morales

This was right next to a card shop I go to so I decided I'd try it. It was an interesting experience. Basically you order some small meat skewers and then they are brought out. They are small but I like how you can taste each meat individually. We had the fried rice and the Negitama Beef bowl and they were both great. I would recommend going with maybe a soup or some smaller side dish though if you are planning to try a lot of their meat skewers.Servers were really friendly and made us feel welcomed. Definitely coming back here again when I'm in the area :)

Winnie Huang

Taste just as good as other branches! My favorite shinsengumi is still the Gardena branch (they got this super yummy pork miso soup and triangular shaped chicken cartilage). But everything we ordered today were all really good, even the vegan bowl was surprisingly good 👍 highly recommend pork belly with shiso, soft shell crab, chicken with green onion, chicken wings, and all the beef skewers.

Patrick Chea

Great spot for Japanese foods! This is a local chain restaurant famous originally for its yakitori (or Grilled Skewers) but also specializes in ramen (Egg Noodles). The atmosphere is welcoming and casual. Staff are very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. Modifications to orders can be accommodated upon request. Food is all made to order, fresh, and hot! The prices are fair (though skewers add up quickly) and the service is reasonably quick, even at peak lunch and dinner hours. Parking is available in a city-owned parking structure behind the restaurant, simply follow the signs! NOTE: Main entrance of the restaurant is on Garfield Ave, facing the street. Overall, the restaurant is clean, well-run, and an easy recommendation for all!

Zerah Kawami

Amazing place for dinner and lunch. They serve a lot of great ramen dishes, but the key at this place is the yakitori that they serve for dinner. They also serve curry and udon meals, but me and a friend came for the delicious yakitori skewers. They are amazing and delicious as I think the simple chicken thigh skewer with green onion is a great place to start for skewers. It comes in both sauce and a simply dry salt seasoning variety. My personal favorite is beef tongue.

R E N Z O

My cousin who is a chef recommended this place. Specifically their Yakitori, which were delicious! The shrimp fried rice was tasty as well, though I would have loved to see a few more shrimps on there 🍤 Their service was part of the pleasant experience as well. Waiters carefully explaining the menu options and offering recommendations to us who were first time goers. Will come back to try the Ramen next! 🍜

Molee Hong

Service is so friendly and nice. They answered all of our questions. Since it’s been chilly lately we were craving some soup and this place fit the bill. I was surprised at their menu! They have soooo many options for ramen and udon alone! Curry, miso, kimchi miso, and more. They had a monthly special for January with different featured items weekly. Kimchi miso udon: bombbbb! I wasn’t expecting much but this hit the spot on flavor! There was pork slices and chopped kimchi. They let you choose regular, large, or extra large. Get the large! I got the large and it was enough for me lunch AND dinner! It comes with a side of noodles in a separate container. They sell pre-packaged ramens that you can stick in your freezer and cook at home! Only $15 for 2 servings of ramen. Def want to go back and try their other items!

Jossie Constantino

Tried this newly opened Shin-Sen-Gumi and was impressed with the quality of meats and how perfectly they were grilled. Really delicious and flavorful. Excellent customer service from the staff, specially Lisa. Enjoyed the staff's attentiveness and positive friendly attitudes. I highly recommend this place.

Lively place, friendly staff, service can be a little slow but they're attentively--- can get crowded so it makes sense about the slow service. If you have kids who are sensitive to loud noises, not the best place for them. All in all, LOVED IT HERE! Food is really good and loved how you can watch them cook too!

Great Skewers! Great appetizers! Great curry plates! Great ramen! This is always an option for us when we want good stuff!

griselda gudino

I love this place, the food never disappoints. We tried the chicken and meat skewers, Mexican corn (yummy),and potatoe, so delicious. Staff is great, always checking to see if you need anything. Plus the beer is nice and cold.

They’re brand new. They serve yakitori skewers at dinner only, 5:30 pm and after. They have a nice patio, but it’s better if you try to make reservations for those spaces. It’s got an open roof, so it can get cold but they have gas heaters. Ordered simple udon w bonito base and tempura, and their classic satsuma chicken and pork bone ramen (the garlic was def burnt). The udon was really tasty and hit the spot. Ordered a chicken liver skewer (classic I believe!), and a beef tongue skewer (but they didn’t have it... they’re a new restaurant)

I liked their chicken hearts and grilled shrimp, but unfortunately the rest of the skewers we had were overcooked. Portions were tiny as well. However, I loved that they let us do the unlimited sake tasting. We managed to taste a few, and picked the 750ml Platinum bottle (which is a limited edition), and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Overall, it is not a bad place when you want varieties or something to nibble on the Main Street. Service was fast!

This review is based off an “Uber Eats” delivery order and I’m pretty sure in the restaurant it’s a better dining experience. For delivery this was excellent and delicious. I ordered the Negitama Beef Bowl which is like a yoshinoya style beef bowl but a lot better & topped with egg. I also ordered the Jido Kara whic was fried chicken pieces and it was also very delicious especially with the sauce included. The Geso Kara which is fried squid legs was also good but wish it came with a sauce but still delicious. Now the Soft Shell Crab was probably my favorite, I just wish it came with tempura sauce. The overall order was on point and I only gave this spot a 4 because I didn’t dine in but I highly recommend this spot for delivery. One day I’ll stop by and get the full dining experience.

1st time here & had an amazing experience! Love the energy & vibe. Great place to hangout w/ friends over the weekend, even though parking was really hard to find. Feels like I’m actually in Japan. They even have a back patio that’s cute, vegetarian options, play Japanese anime & music. Everything on the menu was affordable & reasonable. Tried their Vegetarian Ramen & Vegan Soboro Rice Bowl. So good!

Christy E

I liked their chicken hearts and grilled shrimp, but unfortunately the rest of the skewers we had were overcooked. Portions were tiny as well. However, I loved that they let us do the unlimited sake tasting. We managed to taste a few, and picked the 750ml Platinum bottle (which is a limited edition), and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Overall, it is not a bad place when you want varieties or something to nibble on the Main Street. Service was fast!

Rodrigo “funning”

This review is based off an “Uber Eats” delivery order and I’m pretty sure in the restaurant it’s a better dining experience. For delivery this was excellent and delicious. I ordered the Negitama Beef Bowl which is like a yoshinoya style beef bowl but a lot better & topped with egg. I also ordered the Jido Kara whic was fried chicken pieces and it was also very delicious especially with the sauce included. The Geso Kara which is fried squid legs was also good but wish it came with a sauce but still delicious. Now the Soft Shell Crab was probably my favorite, I just wish it came with tempura sauce. The overall order was on point and I only gave this spot a 4 because I didn’t dine in but I highly recommend this spot for delivery. One day I’ll stop by and get the full dining experience.

Wesley Tsai

1st time here & had an amazing experience! Love the energy & vibe. Great place to hangout w/ friends over the weekend, even though parking was really hard to find. Feels like I’m actually in Japan. They even have a back patio that’s cute, vegetarian options, play Japanese anime & music. Everything on the menu was affordable & reasonable. Tried their Vegetarian Ramen & Vegan Soboro Rice Bowl. So good!

Crank Fastle

They’re brand new. They serve yakitori skewers at dinner only, 5:30 pm and after. They have a nice patio, but it’s better if you try to make reservations for those spaces. It’s got an open roof, so it can get cold but they have gas heaters. Ordered simple udon w bonito base and tempura, and their classic satsuma chicken and pork bone ramen (the garlic was def burnt). The udon was really tasty and hit the spot. Ordered a chicken liver skewer (classic I believe!), and a beef tongue skewer (but they didn’t have it... they’re a new restaurant)

J C

I’ve been to several other locations and this is the first one that I’ve been to that offers yakitori (bbq skewers). The ramen is amazing as always and I tried a number of different types of bbq. The bbq was definitely good, although a bit highly priced for what you are given. Definitely try to go when they open. Many of the good restaurants in this area tend to quickly fill up and have a long wait.

I made a reservation for four people at Shinsengumi. There were multiple 4-person tables available, but Grace, the hostess, tried to seat us at a table tucked away in a corner. When I asked for a different table, she made an excuse, saying it was “reserved,” even though all the tables looked the same. When I questioned what the difference was, she couldn’t give a clear answer and told us we would have to wait another 15 minutes while they reset a table. While we were waiting, Grace seated two other groups of four — who didn’t even seem to have reservations — before us. After finally being seated, we realized that water was leaking from the ceiling above the table, and we ended up stuck at a weird corner spot we didn’t want. To be fair, the other staff members were very friendly and the food was great — exactly what we expected from Shinsengumi. It’s just unfortunate that Grace ruined an otherwise great experience. Honestly, if it weren’t for her, I would love to come back.

Food: not very good. Portions: small Price: bit high for the portion size Service: good Atmosphere: clean and pleasant Have not been here for more than a year. I don't like it now. The place remains the same, but the menu items has been changed. They do away with all the ramen and added a lot of skewers. Came in today with my nephew who wanted ramen. Disappointed they no longer serve it. The menu was very disappointing. Can't figure out what to eat. Not here to drink alcohol. We ordered 1 Kobe beef skewer meal (the beef is chewy , not good) and 1 curry lunch, but the curry is not the same. Not as good. Much rather have the old menu back.

Abe Honda

I made a reservation for four people at Shinsengumi. There were multiple 4-person tables available, but Grace, the hostess, tried to seat us at a table tucked away in a corner. When I asked for a different table, she made an excuse, saying it was “reserved,” even though all the tables looked the same. When I questioned what the difference was, she couldn’t give a clear answer and told us we would have to wait another 15 minutes while they reset a table. While we were waiting, Grace seated two other groups of four — who didn’t even seem to have reservations — before us. After finally being seated, we realized that water was leaking from the ceiling above the table, and we ended up stuck at a weird corner spot we didn’t want. To be fair, the other staff members were very friendly and the food was great — exactly what we expected from Shinsengumi. It’s just unfortunate that Grace ruined an otherwise great experience. Honestly, if it weren’t for her, I would love to come back.

Sam Wong

Food: not very good. Portions: small Price: bit high for the portion size Service: good Atmosphere: clean and pleasant Have not been here for more than a year. I don't like it now. The place remains the same, but the menu items has been changed. They do away with all the ramen and added a lot of skewers. Came in today with my nephew who wanted ramen. Disappointed they no longer serve it. The menu was very disappointing. Can't figure out what to eat. Not here to drink alcohol. We ordered 1 Kobe beef skewer meal (the beef is chewy , not good) and 1 curry lunch, but the curry is not the same. Not as good. Much rather have the old menu back.

When you see a place that is well reviewed, you look forward to what you can get. For me, it was a disappointment. The broth was described as "rich" but it was bland and tasteless. The noodles are at best mediocre. The pork cutlet side was served lukewarm, and extremely hard to bite. The only good dish of the night is the takoyaki. $3.25 for an egg is 🤷‍♂️... The servers came by to ask if we are ready to order. If we said we are not ready yet, it means we are not ready yet. We felt that we had to order and after we ordered, another server came by to ask if we were ready.

Kevin Wong

When you see a place that is well reviewed, you look forward to what you can get. For me, it was a disappointment. The broth was described as "rich" but it was bland and tasteless. The noodles are at best mediocre. The pork cutlet side was served lukewarm, and extremely hard to bite. The only good dish of the night is the takoyaki. $3.25 for an egg is 🤷‍♂️... The servers came by to ask if we are ready to order. If we said we are not ready yet, it means we are not ready yet. We felt that we had to order and after we ordered, another server came by to ask if we were ready.