"Small plates restaurants in Santa Monica often translate to bad tapas or wagyu sliders that cost more than a good burger. Not at Shirube. This Tokyo-based izakaya works well for snacking on roe-topped chawanmushi, grilled duck breast with a beautiful pink center, and delicate halibut sashimi. Most dishes cost less than $20, which makes Shirube an ideal place to load up on snacky things and drink sake with a date at the bar (where you can watch the kitchen staff swirl udon noodles in salty roe butter)." - Brant Cox, Arden Shore, Sylvio Martins, Nikko Duren