+1 626-457-8826
Located in the heart of Monterey Park, Shinano Restaurant is a standout destination for lovers of authentic Japanese fare and sushi artistry. This vibrant sushi and izakaya-style eatery expertly blends tradition with innovation, offering a rich menu that spans sushi, tempura, sukiyaki, and an enticing array of Japanese bar favorites. From the moment you step inside, the inviting atmosphere—with its warm lighting and wooden partitions—creates a cozy, almost nostalgic ambiance that perfectly complements the culinary experience.
The culinary offerings at Shinano are a true celebration of texture, flavor, and freshness. Fan favorites such as the Sukiyaki boast tender, savory-sweet beef simmered with vegetables, while the Miso Soup provides a comforting, umami-packed start to any meal. Sushi lovers will delight in creative rolls like the fiery Salmon Lava Roll and the crunchy, satisfying Spider Roll, featuring soft-shell crab. The Baked Blue Crab Handroll and Baked Scallop on California Roll deliver a rich, indulgent twist on traditional sushi rolls, thanks to their luscious, oven-warmed toppings.
Shinano’s izakaya influence shines through in dishes such as Combination Chicken Teriyaki & Tempura, offering a beautiful balance between sweet-savory grilled chicken and light, crispy tempura vegetables or shrimp. The menu’s broad variety means there’s something for every palate: from the refreshing Chirashi Bowl stacked with fresh assorted sashimi on sushi rice, to the deeply satisfying Yosenabe hot pot, or classic fried treats like the Japanese Brussels Sprouts tossed in a signature Shinano vinaigrette.
Real guest experiences underscore the quality and warmth that define Shinano. One diner praised the “fresh, beautifully presented, and bursting with flavor” sashimi and rolls, especially highlighting the Cajun Salmon Roll and Salmon Lava Roll as outstanding crowd-pleasers. Another found the beef teriyaki tender and tempura perfectly crispy, complimenting the generous portions and friendly service. Whether craving a bowl of comforting Nabeyaki Udon on a cooler night or a casual dining experience post-movie, Shinano delivers with dishes that ignite your senses and hospitality that feels genuinely welcoming.
With its thoughtfully curated menu, inviting ambiance, and consistent praise from locals, Shinano Restaurant offers an authentic and memorable Japanese dining experience in Monterey Park, inviting you back time and time again to savor every bite.
Overall, a pleasant dinner experience ! My friend recommended it since she lives in the area. All of the employees are really friendly and courteous ! We came here for dinner after watching a movie at the nearby AMC Atlantic Times Square. Since it has been colder than usual in Southern CA these past several days, we decided to get udon. My friend got the regular udon. I got the Nabeyaki udon. Our waiter was friendly, and checked on us and refilled our green teas at least once. They might have been shorthanded because he wasn’t able to be as attentive after more people came in. We had to wave him down to ask for the bill . A fly seemed to have entered the restaurant at some point when perhaps the front door was opened by a customer. It was flying around and we found ourselves constantly waving it away from our food. Finally, our waiter came with a fly-swatter and tried to swat and shoo it away. I don’t think he meant to make a commotion. But there was just so much swatting and shooing activity right around where we sat in his attempts to try to get to the fly. If it wasn’t for that, we would have had a much more relaxed dinner without having to look constantly around us for the fly possibly landing on our food. The udon was hot and delicious and our green teas kept us very warm as well on a cold day ! There is a small parking lot in the back of the restaurant and we easily parked there ! Overall, it’s a really nice and quaint restaurant in the heart of Monterey Park where you can get seated and served right away !
Absolutely amazing experience at Shinano! We ordered sashimi, six different rolls, and tempura — everything was fresh, beautifully presented, and bursting with flavor (my faves were the Cajun Salmon Roll + Salmon Lava Roll - not pictured because I dug in immediately ). The sashimi melted in our mouths, the rolls were creative and delicious, and the tempura was light and perfectly crisp. Did I mention they have a BOGO 50% off on rolls right now? (STEAL!) AND you have a chance to win a Labubu with a $50+ purchase? Bummer that I didn’t win it, but it was still fun to spin the wheel. Friendly service with an authentic ambience, which made it even better. 10/10 recommend. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
YUMMY! Sushi rolls had great flavor combinations, beef teriyaki was tender, Tempura was crispy. Portion size was plentiful. Service was friendly. Highly recommend.
I recently had the pleasure of dining at Shinano Japanese Restaurant, and I must say, it was a delightful experience. The restaurant boasts a throwback cool vibe that transports you back in time by 20-30 years. With warm lighting and wooden screens separating the dining room and sushi bar, the ambiance was incredibly cozy. I visited for lunch on a typically slow Monday, and the service was friendly and attentive. I highly recommend trying the shokado bento, as it was surprisingly good. The tempura was light and flavorful without being too greasy, and the portions were true to Japanese tradition – just enough to leave you feeling satisfied. The quality of the sashimi was superb as well. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this restaurant and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an authentic Japanese dining experience.
Was pleasantly surprised to find this place. I had gone to the restaurant up the street but one recent Saturday night, that other place had a line outside and I have a slight allergy to lines for restaurants. Especially in Los Angeles county in particularly in Monterey Park where there are so many excellent options. To prove the point I saw this place which almost never has cars in front of it even though it appears to be open. intrigued I found out in fact there's parking around the back and they have plenty of regulars. The reason why they have plenty of regulars is because they have a buy one get one free sushi roll deal which I at least assume accounts for some of the fandom of this place. I like the fact that it feels like a family run restaurant and that they serve chowanmushi. And a very tasty sukiyaki. Among everything else that they served it's very good. I like the fact that they have mixed matched dishes and serving plates. The service is good although they do tend to get overwhelmed if there's a lot of people. What's really charming is that there is a separate room that is set up in the traditional Japanese style which are available to reserve a day in advance. Still I have yet to take advantage of them but I will get around to it at some point. I highly recommend the place also because the prices are decent and actually are very good for the quality of the food. Not a big fan of the music they play but mostly because it's too loud
We had an early family dinner tonight at Shinano. Combination dinner set w/ 2 items (chicken and tempura) a Salmon Lava Roll, Salmon Lemon roll and Miso Eggplant. Everything was good. Food tasted great. Service was quick and the server checked on us multiple times.
Came here because the original place we wanted to go to had too long of a wait. We arrived around 7PM Friday night and was able to get a table upon arrival. The food was good. Nothing extraordinary but it was good and came out pretty fast. Spent $140 for 3 people.
Old school Japanese and sushi restaurant with many traditional menu items. Food ranged from good to excellent and service was top notch, although may have been a little overwhelmed when the restaurant hits its peak (around 6-7pm on the day we went which was a Sunday). We were celebrating my mom’s birthday and in a large group of 11. We were able to use a side room, just off the main dining room, which was very cool as we were loud and messy :). They also have some traditional Japanese dining areas, sit down style, which looked to accommodate groups up to 8 people or so. Not sure if they are staffed for that, but may be an option with up front notice - sorry, forgot to take pics :(. We ordered too many items to list, but some key takeaways. Their “boats” can definitely serve more than 2 people as noted. The sashimi and California rolls that come with the boat is very small, but otherwise huge servings and probably serve four people, especially if you add a few sushi, sashimi or rolls. Steamed clams appetizer was delicious and again, larger serving than anticipated. Grilled squid was also a standout. Whole squid, grilled to perfection. Spicy tuna nachos, Brussels sprouts and jalapeño Hamachi were also table favorites. Nigiri sushi, which is what I ordered was good. Not really a standout, but if you are there with a group and want to try different types of dishes, this is the place to go. Service was really friendly and helpful, except when they were very busy, but we were there from 5-8pm and for the most part very happy. Especially how helpful they were with some of the extra service that comes with a birthday (think cake, extra plates, candles, lighter, etc) and large group (think extra plates, bowls and chopsticks for sharing). Consensus was that we will be back for future group dinners due to the side room, food and service. The one thing I would ask them to work on is their restrooms. Women’s restroom didn’t have liners and men’s restroom didn’t have paper towels. They addressed it as soon as we brought it up, but seems like an easy item to fix before opening. Hoping to update to a 5 star review after the next visit!