Omakase Menu with Sake Pairings? Let the Feast Begin!We first became aware of Shibuya last year while planning for our Vegas Uncorked trip to celebrate the hubba's 40th birthday. The reviews were stellar and all those glossy, color photos kicked my drool reflex into overdrive. As happens with most of our trips to Vegas, however, we ran out of time (and money!) to eat at every fabulous place that caught our digestive interest, so we pushed Shibuya off for another trip. This strategy actually worked really well because on this most recent visit we stayed at the MGM Signature and were only a ten minute walk from the restaurant - we didn't even have to go outside!
Shibuya is billed by the MGM as the ultimate destination for Japanese cuisine. Since we have precious little experience or knowledge of Japanese cuisine I will let others quibble over the accuracy of this marketing statement. I do know that Shibuya was voted best Japanese restaurant in Las Vegas for 2010 and 2011, and has been a AAA 4-diamond recipient for the past six years - it offers traditional and modern Japanese cuisine in a la carte and multi-course tasting menu formats, provides more than 125 sakes to choose from including three private labels, and has a daunting beer selection that offers more than 25 Japanese beers. What's not to like?
Who are you calling Fish-Face?
Addicted to fishies? Call 1-800-sea-food
Shibuya was a much larger establishment than we initially expected. The front area where we were seated included a dining room and sushi counter. There was an additional dining room as well as a Teppanyaki area ... I think they may even have a private dining area but I'm not entirely sure of that. The wall behind the sushi counter was comprised of dozens of flat-screen panels that changed colors and featured video images of tasty fishes swimming in the sea - it was cool to watch throughout the evening but I wonder now if it wasn't designed to be somewhat subliminal in nature. Every time a new image of a school of fish appeared on screen I heard myself saying to Jay, "I want to eat that."
Video wall I
Video Wall II
As many of you well know from my incessant pre-trip musings, it was a foregone conclusion that we were going to order Shibuya's omakase menu, paired with sake, of course! The amuse - a Kushi Oyster with Apple Momiji and Orange Ponzu - was not paired with sake, and while I didn't eat it because I don't do oysters I thought the presentation was just lovely. As for taste, Jay assures me that this was a phenomenal start to the meal; he said those of you out there who enjoy oysters would have been smacking your lips with this offering.
Kushi Oyster
Our first course was paired with Wakatake "Onikoroshi" Junmai Daiginjo sake, from the Shizuoka Prefecture. Our tasting notes indicate that it had a sharp, lemony aroma with a dry, clean, light flavor - we thought it was quite good on its own but once paired with our hamachi trio it was brilliant.
Wakatake Junmai Daiginjo Sake
As I mentioned briefly in the paragraph above, our first official course was an Hamachi Trio: Sashimi, with Garlic Ginger and Sichimi Pepper; Tartar, with Tobiko and Garlic-infused Ponzu; and Sashimi, with Fresh Kizami Wasabi, Wasabi Oil, and Hawaiian Red Salt.
Holy Amberjack, Batman! This trio of tasty tuna-like fish was unbelievably good - rich and flavorful without being too fatty or too fishy and it stood up well to all three sauce variations with which it was presented. I think this may be the first time I tried sashimi but I guarantee it won't be the last!
Hamachi Trio
Hamachi Sashimi with Garlic Ginger & Sichimi Pepper
Hamachi Tartar
Hamachi Sashimi with Wasabi Oil & Sea Salt
Sake pairing number two was Yuki No Bosha "Cabin in the Snow" Junmai Ginjo from the Akita Prefecture. This was a much fruitier sake than the first one we tried and actually reminded me of a Riesling - the tasting notes indicate that it had an aroma reminiscent of ripe strawberries and peaches. It was served with a Sashimi Duo and the best thing I can say about it all is, "WOW!"
Yuki no Bosha Junmai Ginjo Sake
The Sashimi Duo we had was just amazing; it included Chu Toro with Ginger Soy Sauce and Spiced Crunchy Garlic and Kampachi with Yuzu Juice and Black Truffle Oil.
Toro! Toro! Toro! I never thought I would try Toro again after that abomination Todd English served us at his Bluezoo signature dinner a few years ago - that was the saltiest, fattiest, most unpleasant piece of fish it's ever been my misfortune to eat. This toro, however, was a delicate, buttery joy and I now understand why so many sushi lovers rave about this cut of tuna. It really is the meat butter of fish!
I liked the Kampachi, which I believe is an Hawaiian yellowtail, but I thought the truffle oil overpowered the fish. Granted, I am not a fan of truffles so I'm sure that had something to do with my impression but the truth is that nothing was going to outshine that beautiful toro, no matter how hard it tried.
Kampachi to the left & Chu Toro to the right
The third sake of the evening, Mizbasho "Early Bloom" Ginjo from the Gunma Prefecture, was paired with our Tataki course. The sake tasted of honeycomb and berries but was actually on the dry side and finished with some spice - it was one of our favorites.
Mizbasho Ginjo Sake
Did I mention that our third course was Tataki? To be more specific it was Australian Wagyu Beef Tataki with Lemon Tamari Soy, Tarragon Oil, and Garlic Chips and it was so good just typing about it right now is making my toes curl. In this type of preparation, the beef is seared briefly over a hot flame or pan, briefly marinated in vinegar, sliced thinly, and then seasoned. It wasn't raw but was definitely rare ... the better to enjoy you, my dear! It was tender and flavorful and downright delicious - I could have stopped the tasting menu right here and ordered six more plates of Tataki and been perfectly satisfied with our meal.
Australian Wagyu Beef Tataki
Look at the marbling!
Sake number four was Tsukasa Botan "Peony Rule" Junmai from the Kochi Prefecture. This sake was very dry, much more along the lines of what Jay and I expect from a filtered sake, but it wasn't bitter or overly acidic and it had a lovely, fresh aroma that reminded me of pine trees.
Tsukasa Botan "Peony Rule" Junmai Sake
The above sake was paired with Ezi Ebi - Australian Lobster Tail and Day Boat Scallops in Uni Sake Butter Sauce. While I'm not normally a big fan of lobster, when it's used as an ingredient in some type of rich, calorie-laden bisque I'm all over it. Add other tasty creatures from the sea and mix in some decadent alcoholic sea urchin butter and it's blisssssss!
Ezi Ebi
Our next sake was Jokigen "Sweet Dream" Junmai from the Yamagata Prefecture. This was a Riesling-style sake and definitely had some pronounced, light sweetness. I didn't really like it much on its own but it was incredible with our next course and you will understand why in just a moment!
Jokigen "Sweet Dream" Junmai Sake
Our fifth course of the evening, and one of the standout courses among many standouts, was Niku: Braised Kobe Beef Short Rib with Saute'ed Foie Gras and Sweet and Spicy Soy. Where do I start? The short rib was so tender that we didn't even need a knife to cut it, which is good because we were only provided forks with this course. And the foie gras ... it was a thing of beauty; the best meat butter of the trip. The sake made perfect sense with this course once I chased some of the foie gras with it ... smooth and creamy and just plain stunning.
Kobe Beef and Foie Gras ... We're in Heaven!
The next sake ... yes, I did say the next .. was Kubota "Hekiju" Junmai Daiginjo from the Niigata Prefecture. This was supposed to be served with our nigiri course but it was poured early and we ended up enjoying it so much they gave us a second pour! It was a very light sake with a slight aroma of flowers that proved to be equally as enjoyable without food as it was with.
Kubota "Hekiju" Junmai Daiginjo Sake
This next course was not supposed to be paired with a sake and if it hadn't been home to hundreds of drowned mushrooms I might actually have enjoyed it. As it was, the Miso Soup, which included Main Lobster, Green Onions, and a colony of Shiitake Mushrooms that I swear were breeding in the bowl, was so overpoweringly shroomy that I couldn't eat more than one spoonful. Jason enjoyed it but even he thought the kitchen went too banzai with the mushrooms.
Maine Lobster Miso Soup
To our delight we then both received a plate of Nigiri, our favorite type of sushi. In this case it was the Sushi Chef's Choice Nigiri, but as you can see from the pictures below it was a pretty standard plate, not that I'm complaining. It was fresh and light and delicious and I would go back to Shibuya in a heartbeat just for their sushi, it was that good!
Nigiri plate
Nigiri Plate with funky garnish!
Our final sake of the night was Ichinokura "Himezen" Junmai Sake from the Miyagi Prefecture. That's right ... Mr. Miyagi has a prefecture in Japan and when he's not preaching "wax on; wax off" he's busy producing dessert sake for the world at large. We were actually told that this sake is a new type of sake with a lower alcohol level and some residual sugar which makes it lighter and sweeter. There were aromas of peaches and apricots and while it was definitely sweet it was not at all cloying or unpleasant.
Mr. Miyagi's Sake
Our final course was a dessert tasting: Raspberry-Yuzu Calpico Panna Cotta; Choco-Lychee Mousse Cake, and Mochi Ice Cream. Jay and I don't typically try to order dessert when we dine out at sushi joints and now I know why. I give the kitchen full credit for trying but I just don't get the impression that dessert is something that's really popular in Japan and it's not something they seem to do very well. I did not like the Mochi at all; while it had a nice lemon flavor, trying to eat it made me feel like I was chewing on bathroom caulk. The chocolate-lychee mousse cake was dry and spongy with not much in the way of flavor and while the panna cotta was not bad, the raspberry overpowered the subtle flavor of the custard.
Mochi Ice Cream; Choco-Lychee Mousse Cake; Raspberry-Yuzu Panna Cotta
And so ended the meal. We couldn't have been happier with the overall experience which was a totally new one for us. We thought the service was just right - attentive without being annoying; the sakes were amazing - good quality and well paired with each course; and the food was nothing short of spectacular (even those items that I didn't personally like). It was an expensive evening with the Omakase menu priced at $120 per person and then an additional $55 per person for the sake pairing, but it was worth every cent. The uniqueness of the experience alone made it worthwhile for us since there is nothing like Shibuya anywhere near Stinktown as far as we can tell. The quality of the food and the sake along with the stellar service from the staff proved to us that those AAA four-diamond awards were well deserved.
Before we departed for the casino and a stint on some Lord of the Rings slot machines, our server brought us a copy of the evening's menu that was signed by the chefs. It's a beautiful menu and some signatures use English characters while others use Japanese - it will look very cool framed and hanging in our kitchen along with other favorite menus from around the country. They also gave us two fun little boxes wth a couple of samples of Japanese candy. There was no Crunky to be found but we did discover a miniature version of Milky! Oh, who knew that those repeat visits to Japan-mart in Epcot were going to be so edumacational?
Shibuya-box!
FUN!
Friends, we can't say enough good things about our Shibuya experience. All I can do is urge the sushi-lovers and adventurous eaters among you to give this place some serious consideration the next time you plan to visit Las Vegas. This was the absolute best meal of our trip, and that's saying something!
