SHIN | A new Japanese tapas bar and matcha café in Rotterdam
Render of Japanese tapas bar and matcha café SHIN
Render of Japanese tapas bar and matcha café SHIN
Render of Japanese tapas bar and matcha café SHIN
Render of Japanese tapas bar and matcha café SHIN
Render of Japanese tapas bar and matcha café SHIN
Render of Japanese tapas bar and matcha café SHIN
Opening – At the beginning of this summer SHIN will open its doors at the Rodezand in Rotterdam. A modern, cosy Japanese tapas bar and matcha cafe in izakaya style. This brand new concept is created by entrepreneurs Tony and Nanako, who also own the popular Japanese ramen restaurant Ajisan on the Coolsingel.
3 minutes read
This is what food they will serve at SHIN
Visitors will soon be able to go to SHIN for alcoholic refreshments and various delicious Japanese dishes, just like the typical laidback izakaya bars in Japan. Japanese cuisine is much more than just sushi and ramen. But, as restaurant owner Tony soon noticed, not many Dutch people are familiar with the diversity that this unique cuisine has to offer. “There are a lot of Japanese dishes that we miss in the Netherlands. That is why we at SHIN put all our favourite dishes and drinks on the menu.”
The basis of all dishes they serve at SHIN is dashi. This is a broth that they make fresh every day from dried bonito tuna and seaweed sheets. The menu includes crispy chicken, udon noodles and real wagyu from Japan. It is important to the restaurant owners that everyone is able to eat here, which is why they also offer vegetarian dishes. Tony: “Think of koroké, a kind of croquette made from oyster mushroom and shiitake.” Everything on the menu can be ordered throughout the day and is meant to be shared.
Japanese cocktails with a twist and Japanese whiskeys
Want to start the afternoon with an alcoholic drink? This is no issue at SHIN, because the cocktails can also be ordered throughout the day. Classic cocktails are made with a twist, such as the MojiTokyo with Japanese sake for an extra taste sensation. But trying a Japanese whiskey is a real must at SHIN. The drink menu features many different varieties, such as the popular Hibiki whiskey and local whiskeys made with groundwater from the Fuji Mountain area.
Different matcha levels
Matcha lovers can indulge themselves at SHIN. Because here they serve real Japanese matcha from the Japanese town of Shizuoka, made by a company of tea farmers who have been in the business for more than 100 years. The menu features a variety of matcha dishes and drinks. From various matcha desserts, such as the Matcha Parfait, a popular dessert in Japanese cafes, and homemade matcha ice cream to (warm) drinks with matcha, such as the matcha latte. Guests can order the matcha at different levels, both for the drinks and the desserts. The higher the level, the stronger and purer the matcha. Are you trying matcha for the first time? Then it is best to go for a slightly less strong variant. Are you already very familiar with matcha and do you want it extra strong? Then go for the highest level. The staff can help you decide.
Interior of SHIN | Japanese style in a monumental building
SHIN’s modern, minimalist interior was designed by Studio Sander Wassink in collaboration with Japanese interior designer Yoriko Ishizawa. The perfect partnership for this job, thanks to their experience and home base in Kyoto. The concrete construction of the monumental building has been preserved, so that the original design remains visible. In addition, the solid wooden furniture, such as the benches and tables, has been designed in a Japanese way by a craftsman. This means that the joints of the furniture are made without screws or nails, but by means of dovetail joints.
For various details in the restaurant they made use of the colours red and grass-green. The red is inspired by the shu-iro temple, which keeps the evil spirits away. The green represents the colour of the matcha. In addition, the name and logo have been carefully considered. The name SHIN can be interpreted in 92 ways, in which they ultimately chose the meaning “renewal”, “heart” and “trust”, the core values of SHIN. One of the Japanese characters for this resembles a smiley face, which is the restaurant’s eventual cheerful logo.
We have written about other Japanese food than sushi, like in 2017 about Sweet Raku in Las Vegas, Japanese pastry entertainment and the Dutch FG Okonomiyaki Bar, a Japanese pancake bar in Rotterdam.
