Had my first dinner here with a friend yesterday, and honestly it was a bit underwhelming. The menu(s) had a fair number of new/changed items, many of which seem like they’d be less interesting or less well-thought-out compared to those on @PorkyBelly’s menu.
Didn’t take any pictures, but:
Chinmi - tofu-ya (exceptional, unusual, one of the best bites of the night), fermented spot prawn (good, but not a whole lot to get into), and uni (same)
Corn Soup w/Puffed Rice, Yuba, & Dashi Gelee - inventive twist on the classic taste, though Corn Soup is not really my thing. Execution here was definitely good. The two cubes of Dashi Gelee were excellent counterpoints, and I wish that flavor had been included in a slightly more integrated way into the dish - that was the part that I enjoyed the most
Sashimi (Hirame, Engawa, Heirloom Tomatoes, Shiso, & Shiso Flowers) - fine, and the tomato/shiso combination was definitely interesting in an “intellectual” way; there was definitely a contrast that worked there, but it’s not something I’d go back to. I prefer the more traditional accoutrements for hirame. The wild japanese aji sashimi looks much more interesting, not to mention the aged shoyi & ginger.
“First Pressed” Tofu w/Edamame Puree & Shio Kombu - again, interesting in a sort of intellectual fashion, and certainly the tofu was pleasantly reminiscent of a mousse in texture, but it seemed like the portion was kind of large given the minimalistic flavor profile.
Kinki Tempura (Lime & Salt) - decent, though it didn’t quite reach the heights of tempura you’d get sitting at the tempura bar at I-naba. Once again the tai & shoyu dashi looks like a version of the dish I’d have enjoyed more - if for no other reason than the fact that it’d be doing something slightly off the beaten path, and wouldn’t be falling a bit short compared to a dedicated specialist in the pure form
Cucumber Aspic w/Cucumbers, Prawns, & ???, on Dashi (I also forgot the name! This is what I get for not even taking a picture of the menu…) - kinda boring. Like the tofu dish, the flavors here were very muted, and the dashi wasn’t strong enough to provide much contrast by itself. Possibly the intent was to contrast the textures, and those were there, but the portion size felt like a bit too much and it started feeling same-y very fast.
Iron Pot of Rice, Pickles, Miso Soup, Shiitake stuffed w/Minced Wagyu, & Grilled Unagi - the minced wagyu honestly just felt a bit like slightly-richer hamburger meat, given how it was prepared, but everything else here was really good! The rice was perfectly done, each grain remaining noticeably distinct even as it cooled. The wasabi was quite floral and not very spicy, providing a great counterpoint to the eel. The miso soup was either best-in-class or very close, and had a delicious fish cake in it as well. Pickles were daikon in some sort of sauce (daikon isn’t my thing, so I can’t really comment here), mustard greens (salty! but good with the rice ), and lotus root (which was excellent and my favorite by far; could easily have that with every meal).
Apricot Seed (Almond) Custard w/White Nectarines - I’m pretty sure the custard itself was almond-based, and it was just topped with apricot seeds. Certainly a clever combination, given their similarity! The white nectarines were sweetened but in a way that gave them enough punch to play well with the custard. I’m not a huge fan of almond-based desserts so I was mostly appreciating this abstractly for the quality of execution, which was excellent.
(r)ice cream w/puffed rice - nice texture
Part of the problem, I think, was that a couple of the things that I thought were really well-executed from a technical perspective just happened to not really be things that I’m a fan of - i.e. both the corn soup and the custard. My friend liked both of those dishes a lot more than I did, because he likes corn soup and almond-based desserts! But even putting those two aside, at $155 a head before tip & tax, it felt a bit spendy for a meal that felt pretty boring half the time and had very few high notes (I’m can’t confidently say that e.g. the sizing on the tofu & the aspic were “missteps”, only the experience I had while eating them). Pretty much every changed menu item seemed like a downgrade - the sashimi, the tempura, the wagyu getting minced, possibly even the aspic (compared to the eggplant dish, which seems more interesting at a glance), and it also seems like there were just a couple items cut entirely without any replacement. I was full at the end but there was very little protein involved.
I might come back for an a la carte menu, because I don’t think I’d have ordered half of what I ended up eating, and would’ve been much happier for it, but probably not until then.
Well, I don’t think I got cyanide poisoning, but I’ll certainly avoid eating them in the future… whatever the custard was topped with, it definitely wasn’t almonds; both the texture and flavor had some similarities but were still noticeably different. For one thing they had a considerably more bitter aftertaste.
Warrior: Shibumi is a DTLA gem. Some dishes today—particularly the corn soup and the nikogori (seafood and vegetables in gelee)—were outstanding. Very refined and classy stuff. Usually I’m a traditionalist when it comes to sashimi (I just want hunks of fish or squid and salt or soy sauce on the side), but I liked Shibumi’s preparation of hirame and engawa with cured tomato and shiso. Great textures, and the flavors worked well together. The wagyu was excellent as always. The eel was meatier and more well-done than what you would usually get in Japan, but it was good. The chinmi starters were tasty as always. Both desserts were good, but the almond custard was especially delicious. The beverage omakase was superb as always.
Peony: We’ve been to Shibumi for several years. I’ve noticed significant improvement of the dishes during this period. The most impressive time was right after their reopening during Covid. The staff there even told us they had tested and improved dishes during Covid. This time, I really liked the corn soup and the chinmi. They were just right. All the other food were all tasty, although not impressive like last time. I feel this restaurant has potential to do better. I like that the chef is being creative and always trying to do new dishes, so I look forward to returning.
agree with @T3t this wasn’t as good as the previous menu, the sashimi and nikogori were just okay, but everything else was great and overall still a really solid meal. the rice course with rice from iwate prefecture was next-level and insanely good, some of the best austere rice I’ve had in awhile. the pickles, pork and unagi were the perfect complement for the rice.
I also really liked the kinki tempura and thought it was better than current iteration of the inaba tempura counter.
chinmi - 18 month aged shiitake mushroom, 3 month aged hokkaido scallop in koji
Hey, at least you got the kohakuto! Looks like almost the exact same menu we had (different chinmi and you got pork instead of minced wagyu w/mushrooms), otherwise.
this is one of the most underrated restaurants in la and must have one of the lowest yelp ratings (3.5 stars) out of any michelin starred restaurant. i think if the chef wasn’t gaijin this place would be a lot more popular. the rice course is one of the best in the city.
however, i will say, i think your experience is very sergio dependant.
mini pancake stuffed with miso and walnuts, recipe circa 1718
While I understand your extraordinary enthusiasm and support for the other dessert, it is completely inappropriate to lump them together in this discussion, whether here or on other social media platforms. Not to mention they are two completely different desserts. And it makes me legitimately wonder why the need to compare or inject them at every turn, rather than let my review of one establishment stand. It comes across as putting down shibumi when you do that, and make me further wonder if there are other intentions beyond that enthusiasm.
i got the “taisho’s meal” and supplemented the grilled kurobuta pork rib eye and olive wagyu because i’m a glutton. the raw olive wagyu was like toro but with a nice pleasant chew. standouts from the meal were the katsuo, wagyu, shirasu tempura, and the excellent rice course with iwate rice, so good
i don’t know of another restaurant in la serving this type of kappo cuisine.
Just got back from dinner at Shibumi and I have to say my mind is blown. Super impressed! I’ve been before back in 2018 but the Shibumi of today is a different animal and I am so happy I’ve gone back.
I had the Taisho meal like PorkyBelly and everything is the same as what PorkyBelly got. Loved almost every course; the shirasu tempura was just alright for me. I also got the Chinmi add on. My friend and I got an order of 2 and 3 and ended up with a combined plate of 5 selections which was unique and fun to try. Cool stuff.
I don’t know if this topic has been addressed but I think Shibumi has a very very strong sake program. My friend got the sake pairing and it had some great stuff! Yoshidagura U, Senkin Classic, warmed Kamoizumi Red Maple, and Tamagawa Time Machine along with another I can’t remember. I also saw someone served the Kojimaya Untitled which I think is pretty new down here. Really really impressed with the selection here, though a great deal seemed like it was off-menu. The staff were also A+ and service was outstanding. Super knowledgeable about sake. Also seems like a good whiskey selection though I say this more on my friend’s reaction as I’m not really a whiskey person.
Agree with Porky that this place is extremely underrated right now. I think if I ever want an awesome meal with an amazing sake selection (including off-menu stuff), my pick will be Shibumi. I couldn’t believe reservations are so easy too! (though maybe this is because all the other places I’ve been looking at require a month in advance)
I believe they were aged 3-8 months, mostly with sake, shoyu, mirin and salt I think? My notes only went as far as the primary ingredient.
Personally I enjoyed the lighter ones more which were mushroom and red tofu. The mushroom was sweet while the tofu had more of a cheesy creamy texture. Uni and lobster were very strong flavors, the taste of the lobster I think lasting a particularly long time.
