Shirubē 424 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90401

"The best Japanese restaurant I have ever been in the US. Coming from Japan, it is extremely difficult for me to find authentic Japanese food. You can tell how hard the chefs work. Their food is not only delicious, but creative, artistic and passionate. They are honest in their work and always put the customer’s needs first. There is literally no other restaurant like Shirube. Service is great, chefs are the best and the vibe of the restaurant is something different from other izakaya restaurants here in LA. 100% recommended. You will never regret it."

"What a first-rate experience. The service was amazing, the food was even better and the atmosphere was lovely. There wasn’t a single dish we didn’t absolutely love. The corn, the bluefish sashimi, the udons, the rice balls, etc. Can’t go wrong. The service was exceptional and sake/“cocktails” were incredibly satisfying."

"Shirube just popped up and is already gaining traction. We came on a Friday night and it wasn’t packed but already a good amount of customers. We were seated at the bar, though we didn’t get a chance to talk with the chefs, they just served their dishes. Our host on the other hand was very friendly and gave good recommendations on the drink menu, which has a good range for all types of patrons. We had a virgin Ichigo, cranberry umeshu, and Sayuri Nigori. Their mixed drinks provide a great blend of flavors. For food, we started with the Aburi Shime Saba which was my favorite part of the night. This serving of cured sashimi is seared on one side which allows you to indulge in both worlds of an amazing cut of mackerel. It is also cured which pairs well with the fish taste. Next was the Chawanmushi which is bound to taste rich with the ikura and snow crab. There’s a generous portion of ikura on top that makes the dish worthwhile, but overall it was pretty mellow of a dish and was not a highlight of the night. The Gindara was also an amazing choice. Each part of this dish was rich in flavor, with the cod and tomatoes enjoying an ample char. We also ordered the Dandan Udon which were just standard. Such a dish is never too standout and ground Wagyu doesn’t really let the meat quality shine. It’s not a bad dish but it is much better to skip the noodle dishes in favor of the others. We finished the night with the Hojicha Brûlée. Many places serve a pudding, but this was 100% cream on the bottom which made it much more enjoyable. The dish is very straightforward so do not hesitate if you like these two elements."

"Went here a day after my birthday 10 minutes before the end of happy hour. Was able to snag 4 appetizers on the happy hour menu. Very flavorful and great textures. Staff was very attentive but did not feel rushed. Excellent service, respectful and helpful in terms of recommendations on how to eat each dish. The pinot noir was light, easy to drink. Wagyu udon was delicious. Free sorbet with candle for my birthday, a literal sweet gesture. Highly recommended."

"A new Japanese izakaya in Santa Monica. Would give them credit to creativity but not sure their style is my thing - so many dishes tasted more like Sichuan food than Japanese. Nice service vs space a bit noisy. Here’s the rundown: • Aburi shime sama - the meal started high, this was absolutely our favorite, the searing visibly removed excessive fat, very tender texture, delicate refreshing cured flavor, paired excellent with yellow mustard • Sunomono - great appetizer • Corn ribs - the sticky glaze tasted so much like orange chicken (non-authentic American version) .. • Grilled hamachi collar - this is a weird concoction .. the seasoning was reminiscent of Mapo Tofu, the texture was tender but inside partly almost completely raw (not too fishy, but wonder if it was intentional or just undercooked) • Dan dan udon - the minced meat was overly salted so you couldn’t taste the pleasant meat flavor, and sadly no richness of sesame flavor to be found either, all overwritten by the chili P.S. Portion here more generous than most places - the above would be too much for two."