I do think Shibumi is underappreciated, but you lost me with “underrated” and “after Vespertine” - though I have to admit I haven’t been to the reopened Vespertine.
My feeling based on my first visit, is that Vespertine might be the most overrated joint in the world. It was close to inedible a few years ago. Burnt Mush, in dish after dish. Great visuals and plating but not taste (for me). Had a few great take outs when restaurants were shut. And a memorable meal at Meteora recently.
Shibumi is definitely underrated, but the cuisine is quite a bit removed from what the normal consumer is looking for in LA. Real gourmand’s (like the people here) appreciate the food, but even a lot of the self declared foodies I know don’t/wouldn’t really enjoy a meal here compared to what else LA has to offer.
not the same restaurant anymore. If you enjoyed Meteora, I think you’d enjoy the current iteration of vespertine.
Can you elaborate on what you mean by the menu being removed from what the normal consumer/foodie wants? I haven’t been but the menu looks great!
Separately - looking at their Japanese whiskey menu, Yamazaki 12 year is $40/ounce?! That’s over 800% mark-up. I hope big spenders are buying it and supporting the restaurant 
The chef’s view is that karasumi is the greatest of all Japanese delicacies. $40 gets you a few bites of karasumi, a blob of red koji cured tofu, and cured scallops that taste like jerky.
I figure LA foodies are more inclined to think otoro, uni, and wagyu are the greatest Japanese delicacies. Shibumi does have great wagyu though.
Pretty much what @PeonyWarrior said
Kushiba closing. That was FAST
https://www.instagram.com/p/DAGwQ_zv62l/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Too much yelling at the staff?
I have no inside info or anything. But Kushiba closing and Shibumi adding a la carte feels very “blood in the water” / “something’s up.”
I had the worst dining experience of my life at Kushiba. Admittedly, when I wrote in to their team about how awful the waiters were, they comped the meal and gave me $150 to my next meal. But woof, the food was okay but everything else was awful
oh man tell us more.
sounds like you received the standard Echo Park service -___-
Shibumi offering a la carte might be just a good business decision. Was the place often full when it was prix-fixe only? An a la carte customer can easily run up a steep bar tab, and drinks have a way better margin than food.
I agree that it’s a good business decision. As just one example, I went to Shibumi years ago for the fixed menu. I liked it. But I wouldn’t have gone back. I’m now planning to go back, for the a la carte menu. But restaurants usually make this change only when they’re in some distress — such as Yess, which appeared to be struggling with their prior fixed menu format. And it seems unlikely that the timing with the closing of Kushiba is coincidental.
Will become a taquería:
“Bar A Tí is a mini-dream come true,” chef Andrew Ponce tells L.A. TACO while finalizing the small 7-10 dish menu at his new Echo Park taqueria, which is set to open Wednesday, September 25th, in the space that is now Kushiba, which will be closing.
Bestia’s Former Chef de Cuisine Opening a Taquería with a Full Bar
Oh, I liked that pop up so that’s a good add to the scene.
We went to A Ti a while back and were unimpressed. I much preferred Kushiba.
I agree with 100percentdoghair’s impression of the Shibumi situation. We have been to Shibumi around ten times over the past several years. Obviously, we like it and recommend it. But I haven’t seen it near-full in a long time–even with the new a la carte menu. The prices are very reasonable IMO.
It was near full when we went a couple of weeks ago. Bar was full, including Josh Skenes.