I didn’t like the “buckwheat gnocchi” things myself.
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i agree about that soba gnocchi was a huge miss. not only was it flavorless but extremely difficult to eat, the nori would instantly turn into mush like you said and the gnocchi would squirt out the other side when you try to eat it.
my highlight of the night was the wild boar croquette, crispy on the outside and fatty and juicy inside.
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Luckily we managed to avoid the buckwheat squirt 
Did you… add on two other main courses from the other tasting menu and the wagyu corned beef? 
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spring menu
highlights
shrimp cake with sea pineapple
capon chawanmushi
bamboo tempura with smoked bonito furikakeh
ginga no shizuku rice with furikakeh
grilled unagi
sakura masu
grilled wagyu
sakura mochi
chinmi - shiitake, aged tofuyo, scallop, uni, narezushi
first time having narezushi - one of sergio’s deep cuts.
hassun - shrimp cake (minced hoya sea pineapple shiokara), grilled mochi stuffed with karasumi, hotaru ika, sweet soy glaze asparagus
japanese sea bream, yubuki, myoga, umeboshi
hokkaido scallop, akagai, wakame
chawanmushi - capon rooster, fava bean, carrot leaf, mitsuba, ginger
matsuzaka beef sashimi
fresh bamboo tempura with smoked bonito furikakeh
ginga no shizuku rice (iwate japan), fresh peas, shiitake, salted cherry blossom tsukemono
grilled unagi, burdock root
sakura masu
grilled matsuzaka and ohmi wagyu, fresh wasabi
koji (r)ice cream, jackfruit
candied quince
sakura mochi
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@PorkyBelly what did you think of the rice? I thought it was pretty boring. The worst thing we had was the chawanmushi, because it was served too cold - I don’t think it was a problem with the BOH, the FOH seemed very disorganized and inexperienced.
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Can I ask what a sea pineapple is?
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that’s surprising. did you think the rice itself or the entire rice course was boring? the rice and accompanying proteins have always been my favorite.
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i originally thought i was eating this:
but apparently it’s a sea squirt
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@attran99 It’s squishy with a nice chew, and tastes like the ocean, with a hint of bitterness. I find it fun to eat, definitely better with sake. A good drinking appetizer.
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I have a ratio problem there. My personal preference is double or triple proteins for that much plain rice. I found the rice itself was quite boring because I don’t know what to do with most of it after the accompanying protein is gone. Maybe save some chinmi for the ending rice could have been a very nice move.
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Oh my god, it’s a giant sea squirt. “Rubber dipped in ammonia” matches my experience.
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yeah I can see that. i always order triple protein with the rice.
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Years ago when I first tried kaiseki in Kyoto they served plain rice with soup and vegetables. No proteins, either on the side or mixed in. At a ryokan they were going to do the same but I asked specifically to open up the rice early to pair with proteins (it was cooked but just sitting in a clay pot if I remember right for after I was done with other parts of the meal). This has colored what I considered Kyoto/traditional kaiseki and I was so happy to see Brandon doing more with his rice course when I first tried Hayato.
If presented with the same presentation, I’d try to pair each bite of rice with a sip of miso soup or a pickled vegetable. Not my preferred way of doing it as I also like a good protein with rice but this seems like a thing that happens and sometimes you just gotta roll with it.
Anyways, another great looking meal at Shibumi!
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If the rice is as fragrant and delicious as the rice at Needle, I have no problem eating it alone.
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The rice itself was fine, I thought it was cooked well, but yeah not a lot else to go with it. To be honest, I was already getting quite full and the rice was not amazing enough to entice me to graze on it. After the sakura masu and the oden the rice was just ehh.
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new cdc derek wilcox
new summer menu
and new forthcoming izakaya restaurant in echo park
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new summer menu with new cdc sergio. one of the best menus i’ve had so far, not a single miss.
highlights
- the fatty, crunchy karei engawa was great, never had engawa that fatty
- chinmi
- chiayu tsukudani, like a candied ayu
- abalone with fresh mochi and saikyo miso
- the refreshing chilled somen noodles
- black cod tempura with dashi
- perfectly fried and crunchy menchi katsu with iwate rice
- shirasu with iwate rice
- yatsuhashi
stay tuned for a forthcoming kaiseki menu from new sergio. he’s super knowledgeable and with his seven years of apprenticeship at kikunoi in kyoto this should be right up his alley. I was looking forward to him going full kaiseki since he came to la.
shout-out to unverified max
sergio
chinmi - hokkaido cured scallop, 3 year cured oita shiitake mushroom
hassun
chiayu - young sweetfish tsukudani
cucumber stuffed with salted plum, smoked bonito and sesame
mozuku shot with green grapes
fresh yuba, shrimp, dashi joyu, shiso flowers
karei sashimi(hokkaido), smoked karasumi, yamaimo, nori
abalone, fresh mochi, white miso
octopus chimaki wrapped in bamboo leaves
chilled somen noodle, pearl tomato, japanese parsley, summer vegetables
tempura of black cod, warm dashi, grated radish
grilled sawara in junmai daiginjo sake lees, bettara zuke
grilled eel unagi stuffed with eggplant, young ginger pickle
menchi katsu - crispy minced wagyu cutlet, red miso, shaved cabbage
iron pot rice from iwate - ginga no shizuku variety
house miso in smoked dashi broth, tororo shaved konbu, shiitake
salted shirasu, sansho
koji custard, yatsuhashi
poached loquat in elderflower gelee
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Kushiba
1498 W Sunset Boulevard
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RIP Sunset Beer Co., Bar Calo, Alternate Universe, the dentist, the hair salon, and the mac repair shop that used to be in that complex.
Hate to see the crappy landlords of that building get rewarded with a cool new tenant willing to pay their insane rent……… but also I’m sure this is going to be dope and I’ll try it eventually.
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