Sushi-ing with Shibui
Written by Eden • Photos by Jesse
Shibui was a truly unique experience and my expectations were blown out of the water, from the moment that I arrived at Casa Ritual to trying the divine dishes. I’ve always been a fan of Sushi but I had unknowingly become accustomed to the Mexican take on it - the rolls being filled with Philadelphia cream cheese or chipotle, and drenching the entire roll into soy sauce, (all of which are frowned upon in Japanese Sushi cuisine, oops!), so this was a very refreshing reminder of how quality sushi is meant to taste and be served. It wasn’t just the sushi that I fell in love with either. It was the level of service that I received and the whole concept behind Shibui.
Firstly, I loved the setting of Shibui. It’s truly enchanting and mystical and ignites feelings of opulence and elegance. The restaurant is located at the back of Casa Ritual, (a stunning villa situated along Los Gaviotas street in Marina Vallarta) and is overlooking the dim-light swimming pool. The building is romantically patterned with vines and wildflowers, which dangle softly over the entrance to Shibui, and the classical music echoes through the courtyard. It reminded me of a scene from Romeo and Juliet, very Romanesque and alluring.
I was met with a warm and calm presence when entering Shibui. It’s a small and quaint restaurant, which I’m guessing accommodates no more than 20 people. It’s simplistically decorated, with simple wooden chairs and tables, and has an open kitchen, where you can see the chefs creating magic.
The first step of the experience was not being given a menu. Never had I been to a restaurant, (the good and the bad), and not been given a menu! Instead, Augustin took the time to tell us what fish was being served and then gave us recommendations. We trusted his world as he spoke so fondly of the food, and we learned that most of the fish had been caught fresh from the bay that same morning. Not choosing from a menu was so new and liberating, and the element of surprise was exciting.
Another totally new aspect was being told there are only two alcohol drinks being served: beer and a Japanese classic, Sake. Sake is a Japanese drink that is made by fermenting rice. It is often referred to as a wine but is brewed quite differently, and is surprisingly and pleasantly tasteful - I drank three Sake’s that night!
The food soon arrived and was served in a simplistic manner. No fancy decoration or garnish. Just the raw sushi in all of its beauty, methodically placed on a rectangular black plate.
I took the first bite.
At that moment, I understood the concept behind Shibui. I understood that the simplicity of the restaurant contrasts beautifully with the explosion of taste and delicacy of the sushi. The fish was so succulent and soft. You could identify the freshness and the nurture of the meat. The flavors were married together so well, creating the perfect balance of taste and texture. It was divine and a true delight to my taste buds. I haven’t enjoyed the taste of fish like that for a very long time.
The sushi didn’t need a fancy garnish or dressing. The restaurant doesn’t need bright colors or loud music. You don’t need a menu. The excellence of the food and the service speaks for itself.
The whole atmosphere is ‘Shibui’. It’s beauty and delight in the simplistic.
We talked with Augustin, the owner of Shibui to find out more!
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Eden: What inspired you to start a Sushi restaurant?
Augustin: First of all, I love sushi! I have been in the restaurant business for a while now, all thanks to my brother-in-law Alejandro. He inspires me a lot. He is the owner of a number of restaurants, which I began working in from a young age, starting from the bottom and working my way up, learning all about the industry. I’ve worked as a cleaner, a waiter, behind the bar and I became good at it. I’ve always enjoyed the service element. I used to be nervous when socializing so being a waiter truly helped me and taught me how to deal with different characters. I noticed how much I enjoyed this industry and how I like to give a good service which customers can enjoy.
But yes, I’d say Alex, my brother-in-law played a big role in my inspiration for starting a restaurant.
E: How did you choose the name ‘Shibui’ and what does it mean?
A: Shibui is Japanese and focuses on the simplicity of finding the value and beauty of things in the simple aspects of daily life. It’s cool, it’s nice, it’s ‘Shibui’.
(Augustin translated the definition of ‘Shibui’ from Spanish to English): “It refers to the studying of the simple. The elegance of what is very subtle and finds a discrete beauty that you can find inside of things.”
That is why the décor of Shibui is very simple and elegant. That’s also why our dishes are simple. We don’t try to over-complicate or over-decorate a dish. We just base it on the quality of our product. We think it’s the most honest and authentic way of producing the food.
Although a dish may look simple but it’s not simple at all. For example, the way our rice is cooked and served is done in a special way and takes time and skill. Also, to have a fish served as fresh as we serve it, with the texture and taste, has a lot of work behind it.
I think that’s the art behind Shibui.
E: What do you think is important to make a good team in a restaurant?
A: I’ve tried to follow the steps of my inspiration, Alejandro, and build my own little restaurant from scratch, creating employment for other people and having a little work family. You work with these people every day, so you want a nice atmosphere and a nice interaction. The person cleaning the dishes is as important as the chef. I wanted to create a nice balance and then you create a product that people can start appreciating.
The restaurant industry is an industry where people come and go often, from the waiters, to the bartenders, to the cleaners. It’s very fluid and keeping a team together for a long period of time is not easy, so that’s why I want to create a place and atmosphere where my team are happy and want to stay. It’s important to me.
E: What is the experience that you aim to give to customers?
A: A simplistic atmosphere but serving top-quality sushi. This is why we don’t even give a menu to customers. We want it to be an experience. The first time a customer visits, we try to earn their trust and we recommend dishes based on what fish we caught that morning and what we think they’d enjoy.
We usually start with a local fish caught in Puerto Vallarta. We then continue with other imported, fresh fishes, which are also delicious. We’ll then show you a variety of fishes and you can begin to order what you like and how you’d like it.
Usually, the second or third time that a customer visits, they know the process and say “do the same, send us what you want. Surprise us!”. This feels good because it shows that people enjoy and trust your service.
E: Do you serve the same type of fish or does it depend on what you catch?
A: It depends. All of the local fish that we catch from Banderas Bay, we receive day-by-day, so we never know exactly we’re going to have. It also depends on the season, but that’s exciting and keeps the menu diverse.
The imported fish is more of a standard order and we know we can get that on a daily basis.
E: Where do you source your fish from?
A: As well as fishing locally, we import a lot of fresh fish from Ensenada (Mexico) and we also import certain fishes from Japan. Hamachi is a fish farm in Japan, and we import from there directly. We also have a Japanese provider who imports our rice and Saka. This gives that authentic Japanese flavor.
Most of the fish that we serve were caught locally in Banderas Bay, such as Periko, Sol, and Lobster.
E: How did you choose the specific fishes that you serve?
A: It really depends on the season that we are in as we source most of our fish locally. There are already really popular fish, like the Blue Fin Tuna or the Salmon.
We base our dishes on what we caught from the bay that morning. That’s what makes us very strong and gives us an advantage because we can catch a lot of delicious fresh fish from the bay. What’s also cool is that we’re serving fish in ways that many people have never experienced before.
E: Are the chef’s sushi chefs?
A: The main chef worked in the United States for a while, in different type of cuisines. He then came to Mexico and started working in Sushi restaurants. He learned all his skills from Japanese chefs, and he started to create his own style of doing the rice and treating the fish, and now he has his own signature in what he does.
I want to take the whole team to Japan next year and try to learn more about the culture and the essence of the Japanese cuisine.
E: Did you expect Shibui to become popular this quick?
A: No, it’s crazy but very satisfying! It’s so nice to see something that you love come to life, and for people respond so positively. Every time you start a business, there’s a lot of expectations and risks but you always have to have that belief that it’s going to be great. So yeah, it’s amazing. We never expected it to be this successful this fast and it’s a nice surprise!
E: Do you have any plans for growth?
A: Yes, I’ve thought about that. I think the concept of the place has a balance. I don’t want it to lose it essence and its exclusivity. We’re going to continue to keep it simple and keep it quaint, so that the experience stays the same.
We think we’ll grow but maybe with other concepts, but we’d always like to provide that exclusive experience. Keep it small and keep it ‘Shibui’.
E: What is your market audience?
A: We want Shibui to organically grow and for people to come here who love sushi and want to have a particular experience. It doesn’t matter the age or type of person.
We have young people, old people, from all different walks of life.
Shibui Opening times:
Monday to Saturday: 1:30pm – 11pm.
Sunday: Closed
To make a reservation:
Contact: (322) 104 4986
A huge thanks to Augustin for allowing me to interview him and learn all about his wonderful and innovative sushi restaurant! It was a truly wonderful experience and the food is divine!
Follow Shibui on Instagram @shibui.pv
