Shibui Robata Bar is the latest addition to the growing Copacabana empire, headed up by brothers Jeremia and Michael Rudan. The cozy 80-seater occupies the basement floor of Copa's flagship Adelaide Street location.
 |
| A dizzying array of sashimi, including fresh seabream from Japan |
Aside from an inventive array of sushi rolls and sashimi spreads of the highest caliber, Shibui is conceptually centred around the
robata grill.
Robatayaki (or
robata) is a centuries-old cooking method that originated in Hokkaido, the northernmost island in Japan. Fisherman used a sunken hearth (
irori) on their boats as a source for warmth and a method of slow grilling their food.
The Rudan brothers fell in love with
robata grilling on various trips to New York and Miami, promptly soliciting the culinary talents of Chef Masaki Nakayama, former chef at Fujisawa, Sushi Yasuda,
Mr. Robata and other notables in New York. He most recently held it down in the kitchen at the renowned Japanese restaurant
Zuma in Miami. Admittedly, Chef Nakayama may be even
more masterful with a sushi knife than on the grill. Everything I sampled last night was top notch, from the fresh seabream sashimi to the succulent lamp chops with spicy Korean miso glaze.
 |
| Crafty cocktails - Ume and Yuzu Mojito, Kyuri Sake with muddled cucumber and Pink Blossom |
 |
| Shibui chefs hard at work topping robata grilled sweet potato with red miso |
 |
| Robata grilled lamb chop with spicy Korean miso glaze |
 |
| Kinoko salad with soba noodles, Japanese mushroom and ponzu dressing |
 |
| Chilean sea bass with teriyaki glaze |
No comments:
Post a Comment