At Beacon, good things are often served on small plates. From now until June 17, the Culver City restaurant is celebrating its five year anniversary with an entire menu of those good small things, for only $5 each, and that makes them even better than good.

Head chef Kazuto Matsusaka's anniversary menu encapsulates everything that has made the restaurant so successful; eclectic fusion, beautiful plating, and that black cod are all thoroughly represented on a smaller scale.

In no single dish on the menu is Matsusaka's mastery of fusion more evident than in the sliders. On a white square plate, a duo of lamb burger with kimchee and deep fried oyster po boy with yuzu tartar sauce sit in an elegant approximation of yin and yang; the lamb peeks outward from underneath a blonde bun while his cousin, the fried-oyster, faces opposite. The taste is as calculatingly balanced and cheeky as the presentation.

By the light of a tea candle, the strongest direct light in the room, the famous miso-marinated black cod glistens next to neatly stacked sesame green beans. The dish is a scaled version of the regular menu item, but that's the only thing regular about it. The fish is so buttery and the sauce is so syrupy sweet that you'll fight with your date over who gets to have the last bite and then fantasize about licking the plate. Or, for $5, you can order two and avoid the fight.

There's also a drink list that includes a $5 soju saketini.

The anniversary menu lets you to get a real taste for the restaurant without a lot of money, but it's only available for dinner and, again, only until the 17th. So call ahead and make reservations.

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.