I was astonished at how low the prices are for the food quality. One of the cheapest LA restaurants for this quality.
Highlights: dan dan udon, corn on the cob, pork belly taco (SO good for only $6), cod (perhaps best cod I've ever had), wagyu meatballs (sauce is delicious; wish the meat was a little more flavorful)
Wouldn't get again: the fried chicken was meh (seemingly low-quality meat); desserts were disappointing -- ube cheesecake had too much of an offputting sweet potato texture and idk if it even had cheese; Creme brûlée was okay.
One service complaint is we weren't told the meatballs pan was SCORCHING hot and my friend burned his finger on it.
Travis Fodor
Best Japanese on the west side. I was shocked at how little reviews this place had. Incredible service, better food, and an all around great experience. I can’t wait to come back back!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mike Hosley
Great atmosphere!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sarah S
Excellent all around. Toro tacos and corn ribs were favorites. Sat at the bar to see all the action. Wonderful service. Can’t wait to go back and try more things.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jennifer Miller
This place is designed beautifully with great service and delicious food!
My favs were the pork belly tacos, the corn ribs, table-side seared mackerel, the jumbo shrimp on a bed of seasoned mushrooms, and the spicy tuna with garlic bread. And the dessert- ube cheesecake was spectacular. I usually don’t like cheesecake that much but their cheesecake was delicious- not too sweet, served with ube crisps and had a crème brûlée topping. I’m looking forward to my next dinner date at this establishment!
This is our new fav restaraunt in LA! Every dish was impeccable.
The menu is super creative and delicious. Sitting at the bar is fun and great vibes. Great price point for what you get and for the location.
Will be back...maybe tomorrow.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Weston Nawrocki
Firstly....SAKE FLIGHT.
Yes sake Flight not just a dinky pour 3 full bottles. How baaddass amazing is that all delicious and different!
Food so good the Saba was amazing! And Saba is like so hard to do I find!
Fried chicken amazing, noodles yes please!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Chicken, Mackerel, Aburi Shime Saba Fish
Anna Bondareva
The food was so so so good! Especially the wagyu steak and meatballs!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wagyu Steak, Corn Ribs, EBI Chili Mayo Spicy Prawn Tempura
Constanze
It was our first time at Shirube and we enjoyed it to the fullest. Our waitress was very nice and attentive, the food was amazing and also the mocktails were very tasty. The prices are reasonable. The music was not a great match for the ambience (90s Hip Hop) but was quiet enough not to bother us. The restaurant itself gives more of a quiet impression. We enjoyed that.
Anastasia Yashchuk
Wasn’t expecting anything, but we were truly amazed Food and service is on top I could really recommend this place without any doubt if you are into Japanese cuisine
The cord ribs are fantastic—must try. Mushroom udon was good. Tomato ginger salad was simple but refreshing. Toro tacos are okay.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alina Bobina
Overall 3.6 stars. Started off strong with the hamachi sashimi which was super fresh and tender, quality of their fish is amazing.
However, that’s where the deliciousness ends. Their cooked dishes are super average. The corn on the cob was fun to eat but too sweet, the pork belly tacos needed something sour to balance the heavy meat and the tortilla felt like it was microwaved. The black cod was also too sweet and had an interest taste like ham?? I was most excited for the mentaiko udon but it arrived lukewarm and just tasted like kimchi. The wagyu garlic rice bowl was by far the worst dish of them all. It was so oily I had a small bite and my mouth still feels oily. There was at least two tablespoons of straight oil cooking and soaking in the rice at the bottom of the stone bowl and I couldn’t eat this dish at all.
On top of the mediocre food, they had a ridiculous gap of time between each dish. I understand wanting to course out a meal, but for our 5 small dishes we were there for over an hour and a half, majority of the time spent waiting for our food.
Overall, if you have to go here, I would recommend their raw fish dishes, seating at the bar (at least you can watch them cook while you wait a ridiculous amount of time for your food), and not to come hungry.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 3
George K
Not a typical sushi place since you can't order separate rolls. A limited menu. That being said, the food was delicious and the service was amazing. It really is a 5 star restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Duck Breast
Lisa C.
Fusion, Fusion, Fusion. I prefer traditional Japanese food. Saba is a great performer, but it's a pity that the fish is hot on top but cold on the bottom. The only memorable thing about the food that day was corn. very delicious. You can skip the octopus, the fried chicken tastes too vinegary. Code is recommended. Nigiri What's the matter with splitting the rice into 2 halves?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Patrick Au-Yeung
Shirubē offers an exceptional modern izakaya experience in Santa Monica. The menu features creative Japanese dishes with high-end touches at surprisingly reasonable prices. Standout items include the aburi shime saba (torched mackerel), dan dan udon, and corn ribs with shoyu butter. The intimate bar seating provides a front-row view of the skilled chefs at work. While the decor is minimal, the focus is on the excellent food and attentive service. With most dishes under $25, Shirubē delivers delicious, high-quality Japanese cuisine that won't break the bank.
I was astonished at how low the prices are for the food quality. One of the cheapest LA restaurants for this quality.
Highlights: dan dan udon, corn on the cob, pork belly taco (SO good for only $6), cod (perhaps best cod I've ever had), wagyu meatballs (sauce is delicious; wish the meat was a little more flavorful)
Wouldn't get again: the fried chicken was meh (seemingly low-quality meat); desserts were disappointing -- ube cheesecake had too much of an offputting sweet potato texture and idk if it even had cheese; Creme brûlée was okay.
One service complaint is we weren't told the meatballs pan was SCORCHING hot and my friend burned his finger on it.
Best Japanese on the west side. I was shocked at how little reviews this place had. Incredible service, better food, and an all around great experience. I can’t wait to come back back!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great atmosphere!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent all around. Toro tacos and corn ribs were favorites. Sat at the bar to see all the action. Wonderful service. Can’t wait to go back and try more things.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is designed beautifully with great service and delicious food!
My favs were the pork belly tacos, the corn ribs, table-side seared mackerel, the jumbo shrimp on a bed of seasoned mushrooms, and the spicy tuna with garlic bread. And the dessert- ube cheesecake was spectacular. I usually don’t like cheesecake that much but their cheesecake was delicious- not too sweet, served with ube crisps and had a crème brûlée topping. I’m looking forward to my next dinner date at this establishment!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Corn Ribs, Mackerel, Kakuni Braised Pork Belly Taco
This is our new fav restaraunt in LA!
Every dish was impeccable.
The menu is super creative and delicious.
Sitting at the bar is fun and great vibes.
Great price point for what you get and for the location.
Will be back...maybe tomorrow.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Firstly....SAKE FLIGHT.
Yes sake Flight not just a dinky pour 3 full bottles. How baaddass amazing is that all delicious and different!
Food so good the Saba was amazing! And Saba is like so hard to do I find!
Fried chicken amazing, noodles yes please!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Chicken, Mackerel, Aburi Shime Saba Fish
The food was so so so good! Especially the wagyu steak and meatballs!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wagyu Steak, Corn Ribs, EBI Chili Mayo Spicy Prawn Tempura
It was our first time at Shirube and we enjoyed it to the fullest. Our waitress was very nice and attentive, the food was amazing and also the mocktails were very tasty. The prices are reasonable. The music was not a great match for the ambience (90s Hip Hop) but was quiet enough not to bother us. The restaurant itself gives more of a quiet impression. We enjoyed that.
Wasn’t expecting anything, but we were truly amazed
Food and service is on top
I could really recommend this place without any doubt if you are into Japanese cuisine
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Negitoro, Wagyu Steak, Creme Brulee
Restaurantji Recommends
The cord ribs are fantastic—must try. Mushroom udon was good. Tomato ginger salad was simple but refreshing. Toro tacos are okay.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Overall 3.6 stars. Started off strong with the hamachi sashimi which was super fresh and tender, quality of their fish is amazing.
However, that’s where the deliciousness ends. Their cooked dishes are super average. The corn on the cob was fun to eat but too sweet, the pork belly tacos needed something sour to balance the heavy meat and the tortilla felt like it was microwaved. The black cod was also too sweet and had an interest taste like ham?? I was most excited for the mentaiko udon but it arrived lukewarm and just tasted like kimchi. The wagyu garlic rice bowl was by far the worst dish of them all. It was so oily I had a small bite and my mouth still feels oily. There was at least two tablespoons of straight oil cooking and soaking in the rice at the bottom of the stone bowl and I couldn’t eat this dish at all.
On top of the mediocre food, they had a ridiculous gap of time between each dish. I understand wanting to course out a meal, but for our 5 small dishes we were there for over an hour and a half, majority of the time spent waiting for our food.
Overall, if you have to go here, I would recommend their raw fish dishes, seating at the bar (at least you can watch them cook while you wait a ridiculous amount of time for your food), and not to come hungry.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 3
Not a typical sushi place since you can't order separate rolls. A limited menu. That being said, the food was delicious and the service was amazing. It really is a 5 star restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Duck Breast
Fusion, Fusion, Fusion.
I prefer traditional Japanese food.
Saba is a great performer, but it's a pity that the fish is hot on top but cold on the bottom. The only memorable thing about the food that day was corn. very delicious.
You can skip the octopus, the fried chicken tastes too vinegary.
Code is recommended.
Nigiri What's the matter with splitting the rice into 2 halves?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Shirubē offers an exceptional modern izakaya experience in Santa Monica. The menu features creative Japanese dishes with high-end touches at surprisingly reasonable prices. Standout items include the aburi shime saba (torched mackerel), dan dan udon, and corn ribs with shoyu butter. The intimate bar seating provides a front-row view of the skilled chefs at work. While the decor is minimal, the focus is on the excellent food and attentive service. With most dishes under $25, Shirubē delivers delicious, high-quality Japanese cuisine that won't break the bank.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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