Thanks @Chowseeker1999, that looks pretty disappointing for the price. Sounds like there’s no advantage of ordering the omakase over just ordering alc. how much was it just for the food?
Hi @PorkyBelly,
The menu states that Omakase starts at $90 per person… I forgot to save the receipt but IIRC, I think it was like a bit over $100 or so, with the rest being Sake.
I am planning to go with a la carte food and omakase drink on my next visit for the reason you state, since usually you can just ask what the specials are and have a decent chance of the chef letting you order it anyway.
3 oz of cooked A5 wagyu used to be on the menu…seems they have taken it off.
The jackfruit and chocolate dessert was really pleasing to me when I had it. Strange combo indeed but it worked very well.
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I’d be going there mostly to get my drink on.
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This sounds like a strong starter. I’m thinking the “sea cucumber dust” is a ground form of dried sea cucumber ovaries, bachiko, which is a form of one of the 3 original “chinmi.”
Sounds kind of similar to an otsumami I had at Sushi Sho Waikiki - aged lobster sashimi marinated in xiaoxing wine and sudachi zest, I believe. That slippery sweet almost offal funk that goes great with sake.
Thanks for the report.
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Only the Japanese…
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Actually they poached that one from the Chinos.
Hi @BradFord,
Thanks. Yah, we were really encouraged and excited by the chinmi starter. The A5 Wagyu from Miyazaki was enjoyable as well, but from there the rest of the dishes were fine, but they were all on the regular menu (and some flavor profiles for the Winter menu just seemed to never hit the high notes from their opening menu).
I’m hoping they develop more chinmi and off-menu dishes as time goes on, and offer a more unique Omakase experience, which I think would be really amazing at that point. (As all of the chinmi we had so far in our 5 visits have been interesting and unique.)
Went for dinner a la carte but did beverage pairings with our dishes. This was the first time in maybe a dozen visits that Chef Schlosser was not there.
Not much to add to chowseeker’s report, so I’ll comment on the most notable stuff:
Shibumi negroni: food coloring is not allowed at Shibumi, so in place of Campari, they use an aperitif made in NorCal.
Sea bream sashimi now has a sauce on it.
Chicken teriyaki. Felt almost embarrassed ordering this, but glad I did. Slightly dehydrated, was almost like a jerky. Loved it.
The Denshin sake that chowseeker had is legit! A must order.
Black cod had plenty of salt on it for me, so it seems there is a varying consistency issue vs when chowseeker tried it. We thought this was the best dish of the night.
My heritage pork was oversalted. Guzzled down a lot of Asahi with this dish.
Ordered the chocolate to finish again. Served with a different fruit than jackfruit, something between an apple and an avocado. Strange. Get the rum pairing if you aren’t drunk enough.
Not sure if it is due to the season or Chef Schlosser’s absence, but the meal we had seemed heavier handed in flavor and seasoning than per usual. Other than the oversalted pork, a successful trip. Excellent pairings of wine, sake, and booze. We left happy. 
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Thanks @DTLAeater. Great report! 
Glad to hear you liked the Denshin Sake (so good!). I think that is a limited run as well (just for the season).
Thanks for the tip on the “Chicken Teriyaki” very interesting, and glad it was a great twist on what you might expect.
And that’s a real surprise Chef Schlosser wasn’t in the house, but I suppose everyone needs a day off. Sounds like your Heritage Pork also had some oversalting. Hopefully his assistants improve over time.
I was there the other night as well hitting sake with a friend after a concert; that denshin is a great sake for sure.
They also burned some balsam for us to enhance the experience. What a place!
We had a second sake that was really lively and intense, just awesome contrast to the denshin.
Was hoping they would manage to keep the kitchen open till 11 on a Saturday, but no such luck… will have to go back soon for food. Chef Schlosser was discussing putting it on the menu a few months back and talking about how that is “the real chicken teriyaki”. I hope he’s in the house when I make my return visit to discuss it further haha
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On the menu it is called the “real chicken teriyaki.” Otherwise I was worried it might have been some bizarre crowd pleaser.
I am surprised you think Shibumi is the type of place that would ever put crowd-pleasers on the menu lol 
I love that he actually called it that on the menu, though hahaha
I wish they could’ve kept their original midnight hours, sigh… I love being in that place. I wish I could drink and eat there all night.
That is the role of the heritage pork I suppose.
When you turn 30, less will surprise you. ;).
It’s true… I should lower my expectations haha
I never considered the pork as a crowd-pleaser, though. lol
Denshin is very easy to like, though it’s on the light side for me.
The second sake is a limited spring release (once a year) nama Junmai Ginjo by Shichida brewery (Seven Fields) located in Saga Prefecture. Those who have tasted this told me this bottle is quite excellent and would be great with sushi, sashimi (think Mori, Shunji, Onodera etc), and foods meant to pair with sake. I have a bottle but I have not opened it up yet. This is also an unfiltered (no charcoal filtration in the brewing process) and undiluted sake (re: fresh sake).
There are not very many Saga prefecture sake that make it Stateside. So this is definitely worth trying if anyone else comes across it.
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Kind of scared to take on @beefnoguy’s extensive and impressive sake knowledge, but (deep breath)
A muroka nama genshu with sashimi or sushi? Unless this Shichida (I have not tasted it) is unlike any muroka nama genshu that I have ever tasted, I cannot imagine that it would pair well with sashimi/sushi.
The greenness, fruitiness, in-your-face-ness would almost surely drown out the fish flavors. Even if it were a blue fish…
- For those less familiar, think of muroka nama genshu (non-diluted, non-charcoal filtered, non-pasteurized (raw), sake) as the double indian pale ale of the sake world.
Any thoughts @Aesthete? After tasting, do you think sashimi/sushi would be able to shine up against this sake?
I would opt for one of Schlosser’s chinmi.
Ref: http://www.motohara.co.jp/tenzanshuzo.html
http://item.rakuten.co.jp/ono-sake/c/0000000287/
http://www.iwaikotobuki.com/product/72
undiluted (原酒・genshu) means that no water is added to this sake after brewing, not that it is a “fresh sake”. That would be the nama (生) part…
What’s going on here, @beefnoguy? This is troubling considering your purported love of sake, not to mention your many many recs to people on this board.
(exhale)
Also, calling a nama sake a “fresh sake” is problematic.
This invites confusion with shibori-tate and shinshu.
Ref: http://www.esake.com/Knowledge/Newsletter/JT/JT2000/jt2000_20.html
More correct would be to call it a raw or non-pasteurized sake.
That is what the bartender told me it was at least. I am a novice at sake, which is perhaps why I enjoyed this one so much.
They were down to under a half bottle left as of this weekend, so it probably won’t last until my next visit. Will have to wait for next season’s version.