Shirube After Hours

Shochu, ice, and soda. This is what I usually drink.

If you know sake but haven’t tried shochu, let’s talk.

I’m Kodai, and I run Shirube, an izakaya in Santa Monica. In this episode of Shirube After Hours, I share my go-to drink—imo shochu with soda—and how you can find a style you enjoy.

We talk about sweet potato, barley, and brown sugar shochu, touch on Okinawan awamori, and explore different ways to order a glass with your food.

I also share a story my dad told me about bringing oolong-hai and fruit-based shochu drinks onto his izakaya menu—and making the place feel more welcoming to more people.

Next time you’re at Shirube, or any izakaya serving shochu, tell the staff what you usually like. You might find your next go-to drink.

CHAPTERS
00:00 My go-to izakaya drink
00:23 Let’s talk shochu
01:01 Sake vs. shochu
01:14 Imo, mugi, kokuto & awamori
02:24 Different ways to drink shochu
02:46 My dad’s oolong-hai story
04:09 What to order your first time

Have you tried shochu? How do you like to drink it? Let me know in the comments.

Like this episode and subscribe for more izakaya stories from behind the counter.

Shirube • Santa Monica, California
Instagram: @shirube_santamonica

#Shochu #Izakaya #ShirubeAfterHours

“An izakaya is a place to drink.”

It sounds simple—but what does that actually mean?

In this episode of Shirube After Hours, chef Kodai shares his perspective on the drinking culture at the heart of an izakaya. From choosing food to go with your drink to ordering another round and letting the night unfold, food, drinks, and conversation are all connected.

Kodai talks about the separation between dinner and drinks he’s noticed in LA, a friend’s sake-focused izakaya, and how people who don’t drink alcohol can still take part in the experience.

It’s not about getting drunk. It’s about enjoying drinks with food, conversation, and the people you’re with.

Follow Shirube After Hours for more izakaya culture and stories from Tokyo to LA.

Visit Shirube in Santa Monica:
https://shirubeusa.com/

“You’ve got nothing to do tomorrow, right? Come help me.”

I was fourteen when one of my dad’s chefs, Shige-san, invited me to work at his izakaya in Tokyo. A trip to the market, a plate of yakisoba, and one evening behind the counter changed how I saw the world I’d grown up in.

In this episode, I share how I fell in love with izakaya—the people, the laughter, and the feeling of being part of the room—before I fell in love with cooking.

And yes, someone told me to say I was twenty.

Pull up a seat, pour yourself a drink, and join me.

Visit Shirube: https://shirubeusa.com
Instagram: @shirube_santamonica

A Japanese pub? Small plates and drinks? An izakaya can be all of those things—but to me, it’s the people and the atmosphere that bring it to life.

I’m Kodai Uno, chef at Shirube in Santa Monica. In this introduction to Shirube After Hours, I share what I love about izakaya: the freedom, the conversations, and the feeling of leaving with a little more energy than you walked in with.

Every izakaya has its own personality and its own stories. These are mine.

Pull up a seat, pour yourself a drink, and let’s begin.

Visit Shirube: https://shirubeusa.com
Instagram: @shirube_santamonica

We started working on Shirube Santa Monica in 2018. We finally opened our doors in June 2023.

Between those two moments came construction delays, COVID, and a return to a quiet, unfinished restaurant.

In this episode of Shirube After Hours, I share how my older brother Yudai and I found ourselves building an izakaya in LA—and what it felt like to finally see people sitting at our counter.

Along the way, I share photos and footage from the construction, our return in 2022, and our first day open.

Pull up a seat, pour yourself a drink, and join me.

Have you ever had to put a big plan on hold and start again? I'd love to hear your story in the comments.

Subscribe for more stories from behind the counter.

Visit Shirube Santa Monica:
https://shirubeusa.com

Follow us on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/shirube_santamonica/

#ShirubeAfterHours #Izakaya #SantaMonica