It’s Tuesday night, every exit is closed on the 405 because of construction, and your phone is having Waze connection issues. Not to mention you’re already a half hour late to that date you actually care about. It’s in these times when you want to throw your Hyundai into park, press your head against the steering wheel, and wonder what you’re even doing here. LA is a great city, but sometimes it’s pretty easy to forget that. Go remind yourself at Nobu Malibu. The Nobu empire might have originally started in NYC, but its Malibu location is one of the international restaurant group's recognizable locations. Despite the ridiculously high prices, the paparazzi literally parked out front, and the see-and-be-seen crowd sitting on the patio, there’s no denying this place is a showcase for many of the things that make LA feel special. There’s the space itself. Located right along the Malibu coastline, Nobu's panoramic views don’t even seem real when you’re staring at them. The place is big, but its sleek design keeps it from feeling too overwhelming or old and dreary like the rest of Malibu’s fancy seafood restaurants. More importantly, everyone has their own space here—for at least a few hours, you can pretend that this is your life now. If you’re unfamiliar with Nobu, you don’t need to prepare yourself for some insanely adventurous expedition into the sushi unknown. In fact, Nobu’s menu feels pretty standard. There’s a yellowtail and jalapeno sashimi plate, tuna tacos, and a cooked black cod miso dish with enough butter on it to baste a turkey. But it’s important to know that Nobu invented these dishes, and even after expanding to become the global empire it is today, they’re all still better than any copycat version that’s out there. You’re going to spend a lot of money here. A full meal without alcohol is going to set you back over $400, and that’s a tough pill to swallow. But it goes down smoother when the sushi is this good, and you’re staring out over the ocean, reminding yourself that this is, quite literally, your life.