Shibumi Izakaya

I went back here recently with a large group (we were 6), and it turns out they’ve changed the menu a lot — leaning more heavily toward the food the chef loves, such as high-​quality veggies, top sashimi and special preparations of Wagyu beef. Even with 6 of us eating, we may have over ordered because everything sounded amazing. I had a cold tofu appetizer, in a sweet broth with scallions and ginger. I also had chirashizushi and a burdock/​carrot/​sesame dish to myself. Everything was amazing and fresh. Even the broccoli garnish on one of the plates was salted well and beautifully al dente — I ate it all — and it was the garnish!
The waiter was super helpful, and whenever he didn’t know an answer, he checked in with the kitchen and made sure to give us a reply or update. The chef made sure to come out and say hi, and share the specials with us — he even brought out a side of the Wagyu beef to show us the marbling. When we asked about some things that we’d had before (the amazing shitake mushrooms that might be called doku? I’m sure I’m misremembering the name…) he offered to prepare us a special salad using those shitakes and some amazing fresh crisp persian cukes… which of course, we took him up on! And it was delish.
The dining room is still beautiful, and they have a great selection of cocktails. Their sake list seems to have gotten even better, as well.

This place is amazing. They have the most authentic ramen and worth the cost. The bowl doesnt look that big but there is probably 3 servings of noodles in it. Ive never had pork like that at any ramen place in town. So happy they are in my neighborhood!

I came here for the wagyu omakase dinner. It was absolutely amazing. The steak melted in my mouth. It was phenomenal experience. This wagyu is from Japan and has newly been added to the menu. Hands down, it may be the best steak I had in my life. If you haven’t tried wagyu beef, you need to try it out!
Chef Eric is an amazing cook. He is always creating the most authentic Japanese food. If you like the California rolls that are drenched in sriracha sauce, mayo, and unagi sauce this is not the place for you. It’s expensive but this is because it is about quality at it’s finest craft.

Small on portion size, but big on taste. We shared the miso black cod, octopus salad, and pork wrapped in tofu curd tonight.
Like the beautifully appointed restaurant décor, each dish was plated beautifully, and tasted great, but the tiny portion sizes was a huge downer. I felt like I was searching for slices of octopus between thinly sliced cucumber and radish slices.
Sashimi sounded good, but $ 14-​$ 32 for 5 slices seemed steep and we couldn’t bring ourselves to pull the trigger.

We so fondly remembered our last Shibumi experience but now I am falling in line with a lot of other opinions on here: overpriced and middle of the road.
We brought some friends here on a Friday night, had no problem getting a reservation and it was never all that busy but it took awhile for our server to check in with us and for the food to arrive. Also, we couldn’t help but notice that it seems a lot stuffier than it used to which may not fly well on capitol hill.
The dishes themselves were quite nice, the broiled cod stood out as a winner. We also had the ramen «special» which was a mixed seafood bowl and they gave you a lot of seafood in it although the broth seemed to taste only of melted butter (don’t get me wrong butter tastes great).
Here’s the thing. When your only other Ramen dishes are $ 18 and your higher end dishes are $ 30 you should probably mention that your special is…$ 38!!! I understand it was seafood and a lot of it but when you read out the specials and the price discrepancy is that big (as in DOUBLE)…well common sense here. I will happily pay for good food but letting the customer know what they are getting into is important.

I was skeptical to give this place a try, because I’ve heard mixed reviews from my friends about it. But now that I’ve gone for myself, I am glad I didn’t let other people’s opinion wane me from coming here. Everything from the service, décor, cleanliness, and of course the food was all a 5-​Star Experience for me.
Started out with the squid as an appetizer, it was cooked nicely where it wasnt rubbery eating it. The sauce that it was covered in was also very good. Good appetizer to start off.
I ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen for my main dish. Pork soup, kurobuta belly, bamboo shoots, scallions + Soft boiled egg (extra). Now I can see why this dish is $ 16, and it was worth it. The pork soup broth was rich and full of flavor, noodles was good. But the one main ingredient that I thought made the dish was the Pork Belly, juicy pork pieces that was soft and tender on the inside but each piece was nicely glazed on the outside giving it the nice fried texture. My only gripe about this yummy bowl and Ramen was my extra soft Boiled egg, it was cold. Now if it was warm or the same temp as the broth, then it would have been one outstanding bowl. But other than that, the Ramen is a must get.
The sous chef brought me a matcha Green tea ice cream with a Cookie on the side to try (complimentary) Good Housemade ice-​cream and cookies.
Head chef Eric even invited me into the kitchen to show me how he prepares the broth, which I thought was a nice gesture from him. I will definitely be coming back in the near future.

Quite possibly the best and freshest sashimi you could find that is prepared in ways that I’ve only experienced in Japan. I absolutely love this place! The food is fantastic and the unique cocktails compliment them perfectly on any given day. I came here once for regular dinner with my friends and the second time was for a food event by Eat in Seattle founder, Charles Koh. The dishes served that night was one of the best sushi meals I’ve ever had here in the states. Everything just had the most perfect flavor and was so ‘melt in your mouth’ delicious! The only downside is that it’s pricy and that just means the I couldn’t eat here as regularly as I would like. I talk about this place to my friends all the time and hope that they will make their way over there to try Chef Eric’s one of a kind sushi experience.
Ps. Yay to being the 80^th review

I have been traveling to Seattle for business on a regular basis. Walking through Capital Hill I noticed a small plates style and Ramen Japanese restaurant and decided to give it a try. I have had the good fortune of experiencing Izakaya style in Japan and was intrigued by what appeared to be an American chef preparing authentic Japanese cuisine.
The meal which consisted of several courses and am amazing desert was the best I have experienced throughout my travels. Start with a small plate of the chef’s daily creation add the daily Ramen special and leave room for dessert, a must have.

When looking for a later night meal, a friend and I stopped here for sushi based on good Unilocal reviews and good word of mouth. The ambiance is nice, and (as they were empty) the waiter was quick to seat us and take our order. I started tallying up all the things I wanted to try from their menu. I love sushi and have been known to … overdo it sometimes.
I ended up with wagyu sashimi, salmon nigiri, and a sake roll. I’d ordered more but it never made it to the table. When I asked about my missing items, I got a «kitchen’s closed» kind of response. The wagyu (beef) sashimi was cooked (braised?) which was kind of odd. It tasted OK but I was expecting raw, as that’s the way I’ve had it in every other restaurant where I’ve ordered it. I wouldn’t have ordered it if it’d been clear it was going to be cooked. My nigiri was AWFUL. So rubbery and chewy that I worried that I would gag on the piece trying to chew and swallow it. It was obvious by the expression on my face — my friend noticed and asked me if I was OK. Sure. I’m OK. Just choking on this unchewable piece of fish! After that, I was kind of glad the rest of my order didn’t arrive. My sake roll was fine, but nothing special.
When we got the bill, it struck me just what a terrible value this place was for the quality of the food we received. If this had been some strip mall $ 5 roll place, fine, but our bill came to over $ 50/​each for just a couple of items. I would not dine here again.

I came here for a party thrown by a friend of the owner’s.
Having explored the menu in advance, I walked up to the bar already knowing what I wanted. It took the bartender a couple of minutes to stop drying glasses and ask what I’d like. I ordered the tonkatsu ramen ($ 16, wtf) and a beer. He took my order and sent me on my way.
Several minutes later, he came by to tell me that they weren’t serving tonkatsu ramen that night. I ordered a different dish and, after trying to put it in the system, he reported that they weren’t serving this one either. I asked what they WERE serving, and he gave me the wrong – regular – menu. He then had to go check with another bartender for a menu that reflected the «special» (read: overpriced) food they were actually making that night. I ended up ordering a $ 14 soup that it took both bartenders 3+ minutes to get into the system, consisted mostly of clear, flavorless broth, and left me hungry for another $ 36 worth of food. For a place that thrives on selling $ 15 bowls of water, the servers should at the very least know what the hell is being cooked that night.
The food was only as good as ¹⁄₃ of its price, service was mediocre, and the waitress mistakenly poured water into some dude’s $ 4 club soda three times in a row. THREE TIMES.
Nobody in here is Japanese, and the only Asian waitress, who they use as a front, is actually from Hong Kong. This place drips with pretentiousness and is a total sham in every way imaginable.
But the best part was yet to come. Shortly before I left, I overheard a conversation in which the owner was bragging to people about how rich he was, how the food was «tits» and he could just retire and go live in Thailand for the rest of his life, the $ 200 massage he’d gotten that afternoon, and the fact that he actually hated running the restaurant (what?). Then, the following happened:
— Me: «Can I give you some constructive criticism?»
— Owner: «No. Do you want the keys, too?»
— Me: «Huh?»
— Owner: «The keys to the restaurant.»
He pulled the keys to the front door out of his pocket and gestured to hand them to me, as if to say «if you have a problem with the place, go run it yourself.» Then, he turned away and avoided me for the rest of the night – after I’d genuinely tried to help his business.
Please don’t throw away your money at these douchebags.

So good! I was truly impressed by this restaurant. They have an excellent waitstaff, a menu that is easy to understand, and dishes that are served perfectly.
Being Japanese, I am always on the hunt for really epic Japanese food. Shibumi has filled this need of mine.
I highly suggest trying the octopus appetizer. I’ve never had one better, and I’ve probably had one at least once a month for the entirety of my life. I almost ordered a second one, even though I was full. i’ll definitely be back again and again, if not for the complete menu then for this dish.
The miso salmon was spot on, and the udon noodles were handmade, and served deconstructed and very, very fresh. I want this right now, honestly.
Do yourself a service and try some of the best Japanese food in Seattle.

The restaurant was nice (though a bit cold by the window) — but I guess it should have been a bad sign when it was quite empty on a Friday night.
The food — unfortunately was so so and coupled with the fact that it was quite expensive, just didn’t seem worth it.
Tried several things — the miso broiled salmon belly was very bland, no miso flavor. The salmon itself was nice though. The wagyu nigiri was tasty but almost too fatty and veiny so you have to literally stuff the whole bite in your mouth.
We tried the special seafood ramen — I don’t usually have seafood ramen so I can’t necessarily compare the flavors, but the seafood was quite fresh (and had loots of dungeness crab) but the broth was more salty than any other flavor. But … I would say this was the most flavorful dish of the night.
I did like the sake that was recommended (shining prince I believe) and the cocktails were alright.
All in all sadly, with many Japanese options in Seattle — I prob wouldn’t return to this place.

Very disappointing. This place is GREAT if you want to drop a few hundred bucks for very little portions of mediocre food. The décor is fascinating but the food overall is mediocre at best. If I’m going to pay a good amount in dining I expect the food and service to be much better than this.
If you want really good food,
Tsukushinbo has better Ramen and Maneki has better Sushi.
Although I guess paying 4 dollars for a bottle of water was really what made this restaurant a unique, memorable experience. Very ‘French’. (Eyes rolled)

Stunning. You know you’ve eaten somewhere remarkable when you can’t decide whether it’s more important to talk about service, décor, or the food.
Walking into this small restaurant my first impression was that it’s gorgeous. While not all of the furnishings are necessarily traditional in a Japanese style sense, the theme is traditional. Clean lines, flat colors, woods, metals, and simple yet elegant fixtures. The chairs have a mid-​cen-​mod vibe to them, the ramen/​sushi bar is sleek and modern, and the light fixtures are insane. Insane because they’re simple yet beautiful. And when I say simple, I mean they’re made of cardboard! But beautiful because as you look around the room you notice that from each space (main dining room, ramen bar, cocktail bar) the lamps change in shape and size, but not material. In fact, the main center lamp is so large it could kill a family if it fell from the ceiling. It’s quite literally the largest, and coolest drum shade I’ve ever seen.
But so what, right? You might be reading this thinking — I don’t eat lamps, I eat food! But for me it’s these attention to details you notice before you eat the food that help set the expectations for the meal. If something as simple as a light fixture can blow your mind if you happen to look up and notice it, then imagine the amount of thought and care and creativity that goes into the food. The same can be said for the dishes, the flatware, and the cute river rocks that are used as chopstick holders.
Skipping ahead, I ordered the chef’s choice 5 course meal. This included 2 starters, a main, an udon soup, and a dessert. My boyfriend ordered the same thing and we were impressed that the chef made separate dishes for some courses to allow us to swap and try new things, and the same dishes for plates he knew we’d absolutely need to eat all of. And he was right! We scarfed everything down, shared food, and also drank great shōchū. The suggestions of the server were spot on and the shōchūs we chose were perfect for our meals. What’s more is that the entire bill was less than $ 100 for two people. We were FLOORED! This is a fantastic deal for a first date or someone looking to impress without breaking the bank. For the same quality food and ambience you can eat elsewhere and easily spend $ 160 – 200 for two people.
Speaking of which, sushi is new at this restaurant and it’s great. I had sashimi that included fatty tuna, salmon, geoduck, octopus, scallop, flounder, and one other fish that I can’t recall. Everything was fresh, buttery and tasty. The udon with house made noodles was also exceptional and the black cod dish was the highlight of the night.
I’ll have to go back for more dishes and try the ramen next time. In our nearly 2 hour dinner we noticed a lot of people who appeared to be regulars and friends of the chef/​owner. This was a great sign! Very family friendly, very local in feel, and very warm and inviting. Super romantic and cute for a date but also large enough for friends to socialize at the bar or dine in groups of about 4. Highly recommend!

This is a very authentic Japanese tapas restaurant.
Unfortunately, the prices are quite high, as you will usually want 2 or 3 different items to try /​share, plus drinks, will easily bring your bill over $ 60 per person.
Because of this, I only tried a couple items, and they were tasty, and cooked perfectly, but just too overpriced.
I’ll have to go back and try the Ramen.
I’m secretly hoping they will adjust their prices for the neighborhood they are in.

The meal was fresh and well-​plated. The texture and flavor combinations of soft marinated leek and crunchy cucumber was just the right balance for my palate. The portions were just right for us, because we were able try a few items and not feel stuffed like a burrito bar or teriyaki joint.
The place has jazz music, an Industrial/​Soft Modern Ambiance and lots of French wine and sake.

As hunger corroborated our illogical mind, we settled for the nearest new restaurant. Knowing this is a newer place, we gave them the benefit of doubt for the price and taste.
We ordered the agadashi tofu, chicken miso ramen and BBQ shoyu ramen. The tofu was soaked with the sauce and didn’t have any history it was ever fried.
Ramen were looked great but taste was a huge disappointment. The chicken miso ramen tasted closer to chicken soup. Nothing fancy except kale, ramen, and chicken. Soup was bland. The BBQ ramen was more flavorful but due to the lack of creative ramen ingredients ranked average at best.
Prices were higher than the normal for good ramen. Décor of the restaurant were tasteful. Walls were filled with plenty of colorful liquor. Service required flagging even though the server knew we were the only new guests of less than six total customers.
If you are looking for good ramen, go elsewhere.

Expensive, Pretentious, and Tasty.
Shibumi is a new Izakaya restaurant in Capitol Hill. If you are unfamiliar with Izakaya the literal translation is «Expensive Japanese bar food» (trust me I’m half Japanese). To this translation Shibumi is true.
The space is very modern and clean. Almost sterile feeling. Stiff perhaps. This was reflected in the staff as well. While dining in the bar (Friday around 5) we had 3 friends show up and they were told that the entire restaurant was booked. They inquired about the remaining bar seats and we told there was nothing available. After chatting with us for a few minutes they hostess informed them that «arrangements had been made» and they could eat. Also in the next half hour 1 couple showed up to eat.
My friends Ramen was good but not exceptional, especially for the price. My pork belly and cod croquettes were 2 tasty dishes but for the better part of $ 16 amounted to about 4 large bites.
I hope they do well enough to lower their prices or introduce some sort of happy hour menu. Otherwise there are better places that embody the Izakaya spirit for much more reasonable prices.

Disappointing !!
Ramen was bland, overpriced, and chicken nearly raw.
Chicken karaage and gyoza was okay.
I hope they succeed but I think I’ll stick to Wann and Kushibar to scratch my ramen and izakaya street food itch.
This place just didn’t deliver for these prices and the hipsters working were a little too precious for me.

We came here on night two and considering it was night two the restaurant was running pretty smoothly. The food was delicious, with some room for improvement I think.
There were four of us so we decided to get a bunch of things to share. We tried the seaweed salad, croquettes, pork belly, and spicy gyoza to start. All tasted amazing and were very shareable. The croquettes were my favorite with minced beef and potato fried to a crisp. The pork belly was a close second!

We also tried the black cod and tonkotsu ramen. The cod was cooked well but less flavorful than we’re used to. The tonkotsu ramen was also good, however, not nearly as creamy as I’d expect tonkotsu broth to be. It was pork-​y but not heavy with big flavor. The noodles were perfect and the portion is nice to share between two people.
The bar has an extensive selection of sake and wine. They also have other Japanese microbrews, which are a nice change from the usual Asahi and Kirin. The Cabin in the Snow sake, both regular and nigori, were so smooth.
We’ll definitely be back for drinks and to try the wagyu and other items!
It seemed like they were only seating those with reservations. So make one online before you stop by, just in case they’re still doing that!