Beloved Restaurant Shibumi Closing Days After Earning Michelin Star
A Japanese restaurant in Los Angeles that just earned a Michelin star in late June, announced it will be closing its doors for good.
"With a heavy heart, I, David Schlosser, announce that Shibumi will close its doors on July 19th 2025. Nine years ago, we embarked on a journey fueled by an outpouring of love, passion, and curiosity from an extraordinary community—our incredible staff, our vibrant guests, the Japanese government, the late Jonathan Gold, and the Michelin Guide," the restaurant announced in a post on Instagram.
The news comes just days after Shibumi boasted about its Michelin star.
"Thank you so much @michelinguide for this immense recognition! We are so proud to have kept this standard for so many years now. This is not possible without the extreme care and mindfulness required from the whole team! In order to keep consistency at such a high level requires sacrifice, grit and a willingness to strive for perfection," the restaurant said in a post.
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The restaurant made its debut in Los Angeles in 2015 when Japanese cuisine was reduced to casual sushi and ramen.
"We dared to be different, reviving ancient recipes and time-honored techniques that carried the weight of centuries. In a city that birthed 'fusion' in the 1980s with pioneers like Chaya and Wolfgang Puck, Shibumi stood as a testament to the enduring power of tradition," Shibumi said in its post. "We believed then—and I believe now—that passing down nostalgic, soulful foods to the next generation is what truly matters. Shibumi did just that."
Despite being forced to close its doors, the owner reflected on its success and the strong emotional response from nostalgic cuisine.
"We need to be teaching the value of traditional fare and the old way of eating. The core values of health, respect, and gratitude have to be retaught for our future," the post said, quoting, Yoshihiro Murata of Kyoto’s 3-Michelin-star Kikunoi.
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