Shin Sei

Ogden is full of fun little treasures if you know where to look. While the city isn't that much to look at on the outside, if you dig a little bit, you'll find some quite fascinating tidbits of art and culture buried under the overall lackluster appearance of the town. Gems such as El Matador restaurant on 26th Street, the old UP station at the end of 25th street, and a little place called Shin Sei just up 25th from the old Union Station.

Shin Sei is a quaint little Japanese sushi bar that has a very distict foreign appeal. The exterior of the shop doesn't shout out to the tourist or restaurant connoisseur as being a fancy foreign restaurant. However, once you cross the threshold of the entry, you are greeted by a very unique place, indeed. Kristin and I took a chance on this place Friday night and were not disappointed at all. Almost immediately after entering, we were greeted by a very nice waitress who asked us if we would like to sit at the bar or if we would like our own private room. We opted for the room. The whole time I was thinking that it would be a standard booth-style "room" where the patrons all shared a common cafeteria, just like in most non-upper-crust restaurants. Boy, was I mistaken when about two minutes later, our waitress came and up a small flight of stairs into something that reminded me of a Japanese bath house. She ushered us into a room with cane curtains and a table sitting about 8 inches off the floor. Much to my surprise, this was actually a false floor and the table was sitting in a pit where you could put your weary feet. There were no chairs to sit in. Also, the ceilings are painted with a calming sky pattern of blue with white clouds.

Once seated, we perused the menu and ordered an appetizer called the Sampler, which is in itself self-explanatory. Consisting of egg rolls, crab wonton and shrimp Tempura, this was almost a meal all its own. Next came "I Can't Believe It's Not a Volcano" which is plate of very fine salmon sushi with cream cheese and Tempura bits. Keep in mind that there are no utensils like what we Americans are accustomed to. The only utensils available are chopsticks.

The main course consisted of Tori Sake Mushi (Sake grilled chicken) for Kristin and Salt and Pepper Shrimp for me. Both plates were very tasty and prepared with a great deal of quality. The ambience and the menu selection were highly reminisscent of the restaurants in Taiwan where the Ogden Concert Band had the priviledge of visiting in December 2002. I must say, that the only negative aspect of this experience was the root beer. It tasted quite watered-down. Other than that, it was a delightful evening, perfect for a date. All main courses come with a miso soup or salad and fried rice. This combination makes for a perfect meal; one that is neither too heavy nor too light.

All in all, I will have to give this 4 and a half stars out of five. It is easily the most foreign restaurant I have ever eaten at in the United States (disregarding the little Mexican cocinas along the US/Mexico border.) Shin Sei was a delightful eatery with a flair for the exotic. So, if you're pining for a neat place to take a date (be it your spouse or your boy/girlfriend) don't hesitate to check them out. 154 25th Street in Ogden.

****(1/2) of *****