Very soon a modern, cosy Japanese tapas bar and matcha café in izakaya style will open at the Rodezand in Rotterdam: SHIN. Once it does you will be able to go here for Japanese cocktails and whisky’s and various delicious Japanese dishes, just like you can at the typical laidback izakaya bars in Japan.
Below you can find out more about what you can expect from this new Rotterdam hotspot and check out the renders for an impression of what it will look like!
Tapas bar with classic Japanese dishes
With their new restaurant, hospitality entrepreneurs Tony and Nanako, owners of Ajisan and SHIN, want to show that Japanese cuisine is much more than just sushi and ramen. On SHIN’s menu you can find all their favourite Japanese dishes and drinks that they miss from their home country.
The basis of all dishes they serve at SHIN is dashi, 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.
Accessibility is important to the owners, which is why they also offer vegetarian dishes at their new restaurant. 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 are meant to be shared.
Order a Japanese cocktails or whiskey
Want to start the afternoon with an alcoholic refreshment? Not a problem 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 what is really a must at SHIN is to try a Japanese whiskey. The drink menu features many different varieties, such as the popular Hibiki whiskey and local whiskeys made with groundwater from the Fuji Mountain area.
Everything for matcha lovers!
And as the title of this article already indicates, matcha lovers can indulge themselves at SHIN. Because here they serve real Japanese matcha, from the Japanese town of Shizuoka and made by a company of tea farmers who have been in the business for more than 100 years.
What can you expect from the matcha menu? For example, various matcha desserts, such as the Matcha Parfait, a popular dessert in Japanese cafes, and home-made matcha ice cream to (warm) drinks with matcha, such as the matcha latte.
You 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 familiar with matcha and do you want that extra spice? Then go for the highest level. The staff can of course help you with this.
Minimalist 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 concrete construction of the monumental building has been preserved, so that the original design remains clearly visible. Furthermore, many red and grass-green details have been used in the interior. The red is inspired by the shu-iro temple, which keeps the evil spirits away. And of course the green stands for the colour of matcha!
The name and logo are also noteworthy. 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.
Do you want to visit SHIN and enjoy the matcha and discover new Japanese dishes? They are expected to open their doors at Rodezand 23B-25 at the beginning of the summer. Follow them on Instagram.
