A Japanese, family-run restaurant company called the Raku Corporation, with 13 outlets across Tokyo, has opened its first location in the US and it’s in Santa Monica. Originally scheduled to open in the summer of 2019, the project was put on hold during the pandemic and has only survived as a result of the company’s success in Japan’s capital city.
Called Shirubē, the izakaya operated by brothers and owners Kodai and Yudai Uno offers grilled meats and seafood, together with fresh vegetables from Southern California farmers markets.
The word izakaya (居酒屋) is made up of three kanji (a system of Japanese writing using Chinese characters) that mean "stay-drink-place." In essence, it’s a type of informal Japanese bar that serves drinks and food, like a Spanish tapas bar or a gastropub. Unlike other kinds of Japanese restaurants, which typically specialize in one dish, like sushi or ramen for instance, an izakaya usually offers a wider choice of menu items.
"We were ready to open [in 2019] we were just waiting for a few approvals to go through, but then the pandemic came. And because we own a bunch of restaurants in Japan, we had to go back because Japan was hit very badly with the pandemic as well," says Kodai.
"We had to take care of the business in Tokyo and then we couldn’t fly back to the US. Japan wasn’t letting anyone travel overseas for a while. So that pretty much stopped us from operating here," Kodai says, adding, "We came back last year and we had to start seeking approvals again and doing a little bit more of construction and stuff like that. So it took us nearly a year since we restarted the project. And yeah, so here we are now."
The Raku Corporation will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year and it all began when the father of Kodai and Yudai, Takashi Uno, opened the first Shirubē in Tokyo in 1974. Kodai himself studied in Vancouver, first at high school and then at the renowned Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts. Dividing his time between Canada and Tokyo, Kodai worked with his father running the family business before opening two restaurants in Vancouver.
However, in March 2011, a massive earthquake struck Japan, which invariably affected the country’s economy. "We all had to focus on keeping the business alive, so we closed everything that was in Canada and we had to focus on Japan," Kodai said.
However, during his time spent with our neighbors to the north, Kodai worked extensively with different recipes, ingredients and cooking styles from countries all over the world, particularly France and Italy and as such, you’ll find subtle references to those in some of the items on the menu and wine list.
CREDIT: Scott Snowden
Shirubē serves two beers, one Japanese and one American, plus a nice list of nine types of sake to choose from and all of this unfolds in 1,800 square feet of space that offers a total of 60 covers, both at tables and at bar.
The décor itself is simple, effective and elegant, with a somewhat industrial aesthetic. Plus there’s also a samurai warrior placed high up on the wall at one end with the family’s crest on the left and the name of the restaurant on the right.
"Our family is from one of the two biggest samurai clans from thousands of years ago and our family has ancestors that were samurai," Kodai says. "We kept everything simple [inside the restaurant] but we wanted to display something that’s Japanese and I think the samurai armor is probably the best example."
Shirubē is at 424 Wilshire Blvd and opens between 5 and 11 p.m., seven days a week, currently.
