Shibumi

101 Best restaurants of Los Angeles

@latimes

"#40 When Shibumi opened in 2016 on a lonely downtown block, next to the yawning concrete maw of a parking garage entrance, the buzzword around its format was kappo, a style of multicourse counter dining in Japan that splits the difference between casual izakaya and ceremonial kaiseki. David Schlosser, who spent years cooking in Japanese restaurants locally and abroad (including the original Masa and its successor, Urasawa), has eased up on that definition over time; a la carte and omakase are both available. Schlosser likes to pickle just about any fruit or vegetable he gets in his hands. He marinates greens in black sesame tofu sauce, smokes salmon over cherry bark and batters hemp leaves in the most fragile tempura. Shibumi can be divisive. Some people bristle at Schlosser’s idiosyncratic interpretations and flavor combinations. I chose to have my birthday meal at the restaurant this year, so you know where I land. For the most persuasive experience, choose the bar over a table and ask for the seats at the end, where Schlosser stands meditating over his dishes and talking diners through his philosophy. Full bar. Lot parking. Credit cards accepted."

In the Loup - a foodie's world map

@victoire_loup

Sean Glass

@sdotglass