A Birthday Omakase at Shunji
A truly unforgettable dining experience!
I had been wanting to plan an omakase with my friends for a while, and thought what better way than to plan it on my actual birthday! I researched several omakase spots all over Los Angeles, and decided on Shunji located in Sawtelle. Several factors were accounted for: it has a Michelin star, is a quick drive from Santa Monica, is highly rated by food blogs, and the big winning factor — Cherie from Bling Empire had posted there!
I was even more excited when I found out that it was one of my best friend’s first omakase experience. Due to availability, I booked our experience with Chef Miki, though I would also love to try Chef Shunji in the future. Fun fact: Chef Shunji helped open Matsuhisa in the 1980s! I signed us up for a sake tasting as well, as Shunji has an incredible wine and liquor selection.
When arriving to the restaurant, the exterior is very unassuming as it is just a brown wooden door sandwiched between a massage salon and picture frame store. We waited outside until the door swung open, and were greeted to come inside. As we walked in, we were instantly transported to Japan. It is a small wraparound counter, but the details are imacculate. Everything from the blonde wood sushi counter, minimalist design, beige walls, wooden blinds, and tables adorned with sake bottles sets the perfect ambiance for the experience. Chef Miki creates his omakase in this room, and there is a sliding door separating Chef Shunji’s omakase room. There was another experience going on at the same time, but I would love to check out the other room next time!
Starting with my review of the sake tasting, we were served glasses right away at the start of the omakase. I have yet to hunt down the sake bottles we tasted, but I have pictures of them below. Each sake came with its own unique glass, and I was ecstatic when I saw we would get to taste from some gorgeous Edo Kiroko sake glasses. They were all absolutely amazing and paired well with each corresponding course, but I would have to rate the Iwa 5 as my favorite. I had no idea that it was made by the master brewer of Dom Perignon — no wonder I loved it so much!
Chef Miki introduced himself and began the preparation of the most gorgeous fish I had ever seen. They were all stored in wooden boxes, and the fish we tasted was actually from Spain. It is amazing to see each dish being prepared before your very eyes! He said that the sushi style is influenced by Tokyo specifically.
The cold dishes were also incredible, and I am gaining a big appreciation for seasonal vegatables through these Michelin dining experiences. The first sweet corn dish was especially fresh and flavorful. One of our favorite parts was witnessing the preparation of fresh wasabi grated right in front of us — I had no idea how it was made until this evening!
The meal was a perfectly balanced combination of cold dishes, several stunning sushi pieces, hot dishes and soups, a handroll, and dessert! Each dish was well thought out, and timed perfectly so that we did not get too stuffed too fast (I have done an omakase before where I had to tap out and felt unwell at the end). Instead you end the meal feeling “manzoku”, which means satisfied and “just right” in Japanese.
The sushi pieces were prepared with rice soaked in red vinegar, which gave them a delicious and unique taste profile in comparison to other sushi establishments I have tried. My favorite would probably have to be the barracuda sushi, which was very rich and bursting with flavor. I loved that there were many pieces and dishes we had never eaten before — I was proud of my friends and I for being adventurous and trying out each one! The Happy Birthday dessert came with a card that was signed by every single person who works at Shunji, which was so special. We ended with a final glass of dessert sake in gorgeous matching blue Edo Kiriko glasses which was the cherry on top to a perfect evening.
If you would like to make a reservation at Shunji and share this wonderful experience, you can do so through Tock. Reservations are released every 7th at 1PM PST for the following month dates of the 1st through 15th, and every 22nd at 1PM PST for the following month dates of the 16th through 30th/31st. When checking out, you can add on additional sushi pieces and/or the sake tasting experience. They also have a separate drink menu that you can choose from upon arrival. It is one of the more expensive omasakes out there, but well worth the memborable and delicious experience! Kanpai!
