Update 5:
Some dear friends of ours were visiting L.A. and wanted to try something they hadn’t been to yet. We ended up at Shibumi.
As we were seated, Chef-Owner David Schlosser was busy breaking down some A5 Wagyu from Japan:
Chef Schlosser’s training and experience from Kyoto’s famous Kikunoi Honten (3 Michelin Stars), as well as Kyoto Kitcho Arashiyama Honten (3 Michelin Stars) made for great conversations throughout the evening with our dear friends (who had plenty of questions while the Sake was flowing). 
Takacho - Regal Hawk - Bodaimoto Junmai Muroka Genshu Sake (Nara, Japan):
Chef Schlosser offered us a rare Sake he had just gotten in, made by brewer Yucho Shuzo that has been making Sake for over 300 years in Nara, Japan! 
What was special about this bottle was that it was made using the Bodaimoto method of making Sake (over 500 years ago in Japan), which Yucho Shuzo has helped revive.
All of that sounds neat, but then you take a sip:
Wow.
I don’t even know how to describe this. It’s complex, layered, so interesting: You get some distinct fruity, sweet tones (nothing artificial or too sweet), and it builds from there, hitting your palate with layer after layer and it finishes so clean!
It is one of the most interesting Sake I’ve ever had in my life. 
(@beefnoguy @TheCookie @Sgee @J_L @A5KOBE @attran99 and other Sake lovers.)
And Shibumi was selling this for a reasonable price of about ~$60. Chef Schlosser mentioned only about 0.5% of all Sake produced in Japan right now is done with this ancient Bodaimoto method, and it makes a huge difference.
Fuyu Persimmons, Kabocha, Whipped Tofu, Ginkgo Nuts:
The grounded sweetness from ripe, in-season Fuyu Persimmons matched the Kabocha Squash and Housemade Whipped Tofu Sauce, which tied the whole dish together. The Ginkgo Nuts were fantastic. (And this went great with the Takacho Bodaimoto Sake.)
Shima Aji Sashimi (Nagasaki, Japan):
Fresh, bright Shima Aji (Striped Jack) Sashimi, meaty but supple, with a nice Vinegar Dashi accompaniment.
Chinmi - Rare Delicacies:
Karasumi (Salted Mullet Roe) - Smoked with Cherry Wood, Aged for 1 Year:
Perhaps the greatest delight at Shibumi is what Chef Schlosser is doing with Chinmi (Rare Delicacies). These are usually things that certain Japanese restaurants might cure, pickle, ferment, preserve for a certain amount of time and pair with alcohol.
We start off this evening with Karasumi (Salted, Dried Mullet Roe), which Chef David smokes over Cherry Wood, and ages for 1 year(!).
I love Karasumi normally (non-aged), and this smoked and aged version is incredible! There’s a deep, rich flavor coming through, lightly smoky, slightly briny (in a good way), and a fantastic pairing with Sake!
Chef David pours us some complementary Sake to pair with the Chinmi, Kid - Junmai Sake (Wakayama, Japan):
On its own, this Junmai Sake was tasty, although a major step back from the rare Takacho Bodaimoto Sake we were having, but it paired beautifully with all of our Chinmi.
Shiitake Mushrooms - Aged for 5 Months:
Come on! “Umami” feels like a copout, but if you wanted to know how intensely flavorful and savory, what “umami” might mean? Try Chef Schlosser’s Shiitake Mushroom Chinmi that’s been aged for 5 Months(!). Outstanding!
Salted Sea Squirt - Aged 5 Months:
This was a bit too funky for my palate. 
Intense, oceanic, still having a good density and chew considering it’s been aged for 5 months. I can’t really handle fresh Sea Squirt at Korean restaurants, so eating it aged for 5 months didn’t really help. 
Squid Sperm - Aged for 1 Year:
We eat Fish Eggs (Caviar, Ikura, etc.) all the time. People love Uni. Shirako (Milt) is served at high end Sushi restaurants. So when Chef Schlosser puts before us Squid Sperm that’s been aged in-house for 1 year? Sure, why not?
(Actually I really didn’t know what to expect, was a bit frightened, but tried it anyways.)
It was rather chewy and sticky. More like a salty, oceanic, denser Jell-O than anything. I’m glad to say I’ve tried it, but it didn’t really stand out like the other Chinmi. Still it was a fun, unique, interesting dish that no one else is serving in L.A.
Shime Saba - Cured Mackerel in Seaweed + Ginger, Aged 3 Years:
I love a great Shime Saba and Chef Schlosser’s Aged Mackerel is very good. Inherently oily Fish, bold, big flavors. The Rice that’s served with it isn’t a traditional Sushi Rice, but it works well here. But a surprise highlight is the Ginger that’s aged for 3 Years(!). It is incredible! There’s so much intense, Ginger flavor, but not the spicy, wild flavor in fresh Ginger, but something else, more mellow, but intense at the same time. Everyone in our group couldn’t stop talking about it.
To top things off, it’s served with an Aged Soy Sauce (3 Years) from a Soy Sauce Specialist that’s been making this for 500 years in Japan. (And it was delicious! It wasn’t overly salty, and we ended up using up all of this Aged Shoyu on purpose because it was so tasty.)
Ohitashi (Shungiku) Kurogoma-ae - Marinated Charred Chrysanthemum Greens, Black Sesame Sauce:
The Marinated, Charred Shungiku (Chrysanthemum) Greens were very good. Tender, nice smokiness from the char, and it paired well with the Black Sesame Sauce, which added nutty, aromatic, earthy notes.
Kaze no Mori - Wind of the Woods - Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu Sake (Nara, Japan):
We were so impressed with the Takacho Bodaimoto Sake earlier, that we stuck with the same ancient brewer for another Sake from their lineup: Kaze no Mori. While this wasn’t made with the ancient Bodaimoto process, it was still pretty delicious being a Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu. It had a subtle effervescence (naturally), was a bit bolder, bigger in some ways, but still finished so clean and dry! Wonderful!
Salmon Trout Smoked in Cherry Bark (Iceland):
A mainstay on Shibumi’s menu from its early days, the Sakura Masu was moist, delicately smoky, although a touch aggressive on the Salt. Still it was delicious and an awesome pairing with the Kaze no Mori Sake!
Gohan - Iron Pot Rice with Ikura (Salmon Roe) (Hokkaido, Japan), Miso Soup, Burdock, Potatoes:
One later addition to the menu that Shibumi has really excelled at is their Iron Pot Rice dish. When you order, they will start cooking a new serving of Rice in an iron pot, and you can choose a variety of toppings. For this visit, Chef Schlosser chose to serve us some Ikura (Salmon Roe) he got in from Hokkaido.
First, the Iron Pot Rice: Perfectly cooked Rice, toothsome, lovely texture, you could appreciate each grain (not too mushy, nor too dry). It was an excellent complement for the Ikura, little wonderful morsels that popped in your mouth.
The Miso Soup was a spot-on, warming rendition, and I loved the accompanying Burdock Root and Potatoes.
The Housemade Pickles were excellent, piquant and snappy and another excellent accompaniment to the freshly-made pot of Rice.
California Holstein Beef Strip, Grilled, Fresh Wasabi, Narazuke Pickles:
Excellent as always: Chef Schlosser has really been successful in extracting this wonderful beefiness and savoriness from the Holstein Strip, especially with the pairing of the Fresh Wasabi and Narazuke Pickles.
Sansho Peppercorn, Seaweed-Wrapped A5 Wagyu Beef (Miyazaki, Japan):
In a nice exploration of Beef, Chef Schlosser serves us Holstein Strip and then A5 Wagyu Beef from Miyazaki, Japan, back-to-back. As much as we loved the Holstein, the A5 Wagyu Beef from Miyazaki was just that much better. A delicate beefiness, the Sansho Peppercorn was just a whisper, a luxurious taste lingering on the palate, and it was far better executed than the A5 Wagyu we just had recently at n/naka. Delicious!
Chef Schlosser also featured A5 Wagyu Beef (“Hokkaido Snow”) from Hokkaido, Japan, but we were getting full, and being mindful of our friends’ budget.
Apricot Seed Almond Custard:
Insanely fragrant (in a good way), Chef Schlosser’s Housemade Apricot Seed Almond Custard was like the best version of Annin Tofu / Almond Jelly / Almond Tofu you’ve ever had! Our friends devoured their servings before I finished taking photos of it!
Koji Rice Cream, Blackberries:
One of his popular Desserts from the Grand Opening days, like with almost all the Sauces and various items around Shibumi’s menu, Chef Schlosser makes his own “Rice Cream” (Rice-based Ice Cream) from scratch, in-house, with a Koji base. It is still surprisingly “Ice Cream”-like, and it fooled our visiting friends, who thought it was a nice Ice Cream. Tasty.
For Japanese Whisky lovers, Shibumi has been really developing their Japanese Whisky menu. They currently feature 34 Japanese Whiskies (plus a few Off-Menu selections as well).
Mars - Iwai Tradition - Wine Cask Finish Blended Whisky:
Chef Schlosser recommended this Mars “Iwai Tradition” Japanese Whisky, that was a Wine Cask Finished Blended Whisky. Quite enjoyable, a bit more robust than the basic offerings from Nikka or Suntory.
Yamazakura - Pure Malt Whisky:
(Off-Menu) Yamazakura - Port Wine Cask Finish Pure Malt Whisky:
We finished off the evening with a tasting of 2 Yamazakura Whiskies, their standard Pure Malt Whisky, which was spicy, a bit wild compared to the Mars, and then the same Yamazakura Pure Malt Whisky, but this time finished in Port Wine Casks. What a huge difference that made! It was smoother, rounder, a bit sweeter, and just enjoyable.
Shibumi has started to really settle in on finding its own voice in the L.A. landscape. It may not have a larger, crowd-pleasing menu (that our top Izakaya have), but instead is a more austere, focused, and unique menu, focused on interesting dishes here and there, along with a fantastic Sake and Whisky Menu.
There’s no one else in L.A. doing the level of Chinmi (Rare Delicacies) that Chef Schlosser is doing. We still think lovingly on the Chinmi of Uni, Aged and Fermented for 1 Month, and the Spot Prawns, Aged for 2 Weeks in its own Innards(!). They were flatout phenomenal!
The Shrimp and Shrimp Eggs Fermented for 2 Months was even more amazing on another visit! And this visit’s Karasumi (Salted, Dried Mullet Roe) Smoked and then Aged for 1 Year was incredible!
Pair up his Chinmi offerings with Shibumi’s interesting Sake Menu and you’re well on your way to an enjoyable evening. Shibumi has a standout Sake menu, with some interesting offerings (and some standard ones), but the pairings are always a delight.
Chef Schlosser introducing us to Takacho (Regal Hawk) Sake made in the ancient Bodaimoto process of making Sake already stands out as one of the most memorable Sake we’ve had in years (and at an affordable price to boot).
Add-on some regular cooked standouts like their Beef selections (California Holstein and Japanese A5 Wagyu variations), Iron Pot Rice (the Pork Jowl is our favorite), various dishes that feature Chef Schlosser’s Housemade Sauces and Condiments and beyond, and it’s a place that has found a noteworthy niche in our city.
Shibumi
815 S. Hill Street
Los Angeles, CA 90014
Tel: (213) 265-7923