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A good izakaya is easy to love—cold beer, sake, and small plates that warm your belly after a day of hitting tiny buttons and pacing around the snack drawer. It's a simple but effective formula, one that Shirube makes exponentially more interesting. We're not exactly sure why this Tokyo-based izakaya chain decided to open its first US location next door to a Chevron in downtown Santa Monica, but we're glad they did. Even if the choice of real estate makes it easy to miss, this narrow drinking tavern serves creative Japanese dishes with high-end touches, somehow at very reasonable prices. It's the most delicious bang for your buck in the neighborhood and a modern izakaya experience where the right amount of flair makes even a quick meal here feel special.
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Our favorite thing about Shirube might be its varied menu. It skillfully juggles traditional Japanese dishes with unique items that sound like they were specifically designed to be alcohol's best friend. Glistening, high-quality sashimi and snow-aged Hakkaisan sake share a tab with Sapporo beer towers, prawn tempura covered in globs of spicy mayo, and the sweetest, crispiest corn ribs coated in a sticky shoyu glaze. For $16, a server will torch an entire mackerel filet tableside while you slurp thick udon twirled in salty cod roe butter or dan-dan sauce. Six to eight dishes is the sweet spot for two people, allowing you enough room to jump between light and delicate, and deep-fried and decadent. And better still, most dishes hit the counter in under ten minutes, so there's never a lull in the barrage.
There are plenty of tables for groups in the dining room, but the bar seats are where you'll get the full Shirube experience, including a courtside view of the small but mighty kitchen, equipped with a charcoal grill and a spinning slushie machine full of frozen yuzu mojitos. And the chefs here mean business: they swiftly flip gorgeous wagyu steaks over hot coals, slice yellowtail with razor-sharp knives, and adorn tiny egg custards with jewels of roe.
Unlike the traditional shoji-clad taverns in the South Bay or Little Tokyo, nothing about Shirube's decor is particularly charming or old-school. The most Japanese thing about this place is perhaps the giant sword-wielding Shogun mounted on the wall. You're surrounded by blank, black walls that don't add much, but at least give the food room to be the center of attention. Also, they play a lot of early Drake and 2000s R&B.
At some point, you'll probably notice that despite the luxuriousness of the food, the majority of the dishes on the menu—aside from a shareable $50 wagyu steak and the mixed sashimi platter—fall well under $25, which is no small feat this far west of the 405. Shirube ticks all the boxes of a great izakaya and gets extra credit for keeping its booze and small plates experience unfussy and fun (without costing half a paycheck). We'll always welcome more of that in Santa Monica, even if it is next to a gas station.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Drinks
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Aburi Shime Saba
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Chawanmushi
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Corn Ribs
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Wagyu Steak
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Kamo
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Mentaiko Udon
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Hojicha Brulee