Happy Hour made me Happy!

Little did I know when I made a reservation at a new Santa Monica restaurant that they offered an incredible Happy Hour menu along with discounted adult beverages.

Firstly, it is rare to find a wonderful Santa Monica restaurant and secondly, a place that I can drive to in 15 minutes and is approximately 4 miles from my home…incredibly appealing.

Shirube is a very popular Japanese chain and they recently opened in Santa Monica, California on Wilshire. That boulevard sees many restaurants go under quickly, suffering from mediocrity.

A little back story…Founded in 1974 by visionary Takashi Uno, Shirube quickly became a renowned izakaya in Tokyo.

Shirubē is a Japanese, family-run restaurant with 13 outlets across Tokyo. Originally scheduled to open in Santa Monica during the summer of 2019, the project was put on hold during the pandemic.

Shirubē Santa Monica is operated by brothers and owners Kodai and Yudai Uno and features grilled meats and seafood, together with fresh vegetables from Southern California farmers markets.

The Happy Hour menu features many of the regular menu items at deeply reduced prices.

Minus two items, we ordered everything on the Happy Hour menu.

The Sunomono with wakame (kelp), crispy cucumber and ginger ponzu was a bit spicy for me, but a good starter ($5).

The Edamame was perfect with a sprinkling of sea salt and lime ($5).

The Negitoro comprised of tuna, avocado, nori wasabi, tobiko with a side of garlic bread was a unique dish, a delicious cornucopia of flavor ($7).

The Jidori CaraAge Jan aka Fried Chicken was divine, meaty and lightly fried with a crispy crust ($9).

My husband ordered the Ebi Chili Mayo consisting of spicy shrimp tempura and a Sous Vide egg. I did not partake as the shrimp were too jacked up for my taste ($9).

Chawanmushi offered tiny egg custards soft in texture. The layer of salty salmon roe on top popped and hidden chunks of snow crab were sequestered  beneath ($9).

The Corn Ribs were outrageous, a mix of sweet and savory. Not only is the corn super sweet, the ribs are dusted with cornstarch for a crackly crust. There’s a thick coat of sticky, salty, sweet shoyu butter brushed over every cob ($7).

The Smoked Black Cod with sweet potato and tomato confit was as good as Nobu and less expensive ($28).

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Hojicka Brûlée (dark-roasted hojicha) is nutty and smoky. It’s a perfect way to end your meal ($9).

Executive chef and owner, Kodai Uno, oversees the menu and execution.

Our counter chef was fabulous and made great recommendations as did our personable server.

Shirube’s varied menu is very appealing. It skillfully juggles traditional Japanese dishes with unique touches. Six to eight dishes are perfect to satiate your tastebuds and appetite.

Shirube 424 Wilshire Boulevard Santa Monica, California. Happy Hour Monday-Thursday 5-6:30pm and Saturday and Sunday 3-6pm. Open Monday- Friday 5-11pm, Saturday 3-11pm, Sunday 3-10pm. Reservations on OpenTable.com. Metered street parking available.