Encino Michelin-starred omakase.
Shin Sushi opened in 2018 (most sources, including the chef's own quote, say July 2018; the Los Angeles Business Journal/SFVBJ says June 2018).
Shin Sushi was founded by chef-owner Taketoshi "Take" Azumi, a Tokyo native.
Shin Sushi remains owned and operated by chef-owner Taketoshi Azumi.
Head chef Taketoshi Azumi trained at Mori Sushi in West L.A. (about four years, under chef Morihiro Onodera) and Sushi of Gari (about two years, under Masatoshi "Gari" Sugio), and also worked at Asanebo, before opening Shin Sushi.
Before opening Shin Sushi, chef Taketoshi Azumi worked at high-end LA sushi bars including Mori Sushi and Sushi of Gari, and has roughly two decades of experience as a sushi chef.
Shin Sushi is named after the original Shin Sushi in Tokyo run by Azumi's late father, also a sushi chef. Take's older brother, Fumio Azumi, is likewise an LA sushi chef, making the Azumis an LA sushi family.
Chef Azumi comes from a family of sushi chefs. His older brother Fumio Azumi (with whom he worked at Sushi of Gari) is also an accomplished sushi chef who went on to open a branch of L.A.'s Sushi Zo in Hong Kong; a third brother also works shifts at Shin Sushi, and a fourth brother runs a hamburger restaurant in Tokyo.
Shin Sushi won one Michelin star in the inaugural all-California Michelin Guide in 2019 — the San Fernando Valley's only Michelin-starred restaurant that year — and retained the star at least through 2021.
Shin Sushi has retained one Michelin star in the years since 2019 and is listed as a current one-star restaurant in the 2025 Michelin Guide / Los Angeles roundups.
Signature offerings include a long-running multi-item appetizer platter (Hokkaido conch, firefly squid, jellyfish, two kinds of tofu, and a fried mini crab) and an omakase of nigiri featuring unusual fish such as cherry trout and Shigoku oysters; the rice is served warm, just above room temperature, seasoned with two vinegars.
Shin Sushi serves a pared-down omakase of seasonal nigiri. Noted items include lightly torched cherry trout (sakura masu / 'snow trout'), a chive nigiri (menegi, chives tied with crispy nori and topped with bonito), saltwater eel (anago), akami (bluefin tuna), and snapper, ending with a tofu-mousse dessert.
Shin Sushi is located at 16573 Ventura Blvd, Encino, CA 91436, on the Ventura Boulevard stretch in the San Fernando Valley known as Los Angeles's "Sushi Row." It occupies a strip-mall space that previously housed Sushi Nakamura.
Shin Sushi is open and operating as of 2026, as a small reservation-only omakase counter that does not accept walk-ins.
Shin Sushi is known for accessible-luxury positioning: a deliberately small, reservation-only omakase counter that drew acclaim partly for its relatively low price. At its 2019 Michelin recognition the omakase started around $80 with no individual plate over $22.50; the dinner omakase has since risen to roughly $200+ per person.
Shin Sushi is named in tribute to chef Azumi's late father, who ran the original sushi restaurant of the same name ("Shin Sushi" / "Sushi Shin") in Tokyo; the name and logo are mounted behind the bar.