05/19/09

Delicious dinner and a fun experience!

by GramercyGal

I hadn't done Shabu in years and I thought it would be a fun dinner out with some out of town friends. I was so pleased that my memory of this delicious and fun dinner was just as good as I remembered.

To begin, this restaurant is lovely and you feel as though you're transported to Japan (well, if Japan was in the East Village). We started out with some pitchers of Sapporo, a deal at $17 a pitcher, a couple bowls of Edamame and some Teryaki Tofu - which was piping hot and perfectly executed.

For dinner we decided to do a little barbecuing and then some shabu shabu. We started with the mixed fish and meat BBQ with three dipping sauces. Everything came out well, despite our lack of experience on the table top grill. The dipping sauces, a spicy, sweet, and mustard were a lovely compliment to the char grilled tender meats and fish.

The shabu shabu was certainly the highlight for all of us. The thinly slices of prime rib and pork cutlets were delicious quickly cooked in our broth of cooking veggies. The miso sauces were a wonderful compliment to the perfectly cooked meats and veggies. Afterward, our homemade stock was delightful with our noodles and seasoning as a wonderful soup. And even though we were stuffed, we still managed to scarf down a nice dish of ice cream and finish our beers.

The bill came and for the 6 of us, a couple pitchers of beer, mixed grill for two, shabu shabu for two, several appetizers, a delicious fried rice dish, plus the other little extras such as rice, salad, and ice cream, the meal came out to $50 including tip each! What a steal! Not only that, it was a huge success with my out of town friends and reminded me what a fun and delightful dinner Shabu Shabu can be. I will definitely do this again soon!

• Pros: Great experience, superb food quality, great service
• Cons: Too much food... is that a con? Not many vegetarian options

08/06/08

Great place to bring a date!

by misskimsta

Initially when I tried this place I was pleasantly surprised with the quantity of food and the fast service. Over the past year or so, the price for the shabu shabu for two has gone up but is still affordable. I recommend going there during the winter, where you will be warmed by the steaming water on your table. I suggest making a reservation beforehand (they only allow reservations for 4 or more people) but if you get there and they are busy, just ask them how long and grab a drink at one of the many bars in the area while you wait. Great place to bring a date!

• Pros: A satisfying and large meal for your money
• Cons: You might have to wait if it's busy

03/16/07

Average at best

by goliathslw

I eat a lot of shabu shabu, and I just don't believe that this place is worth all the hype. The decor isn't bad, though it is small, so try to make reservations if possible (groups of 4 or more). I felt the portions were on the small side. Sure the plate was large, but there wasn't much on the plate. The select beef choice was too fatty in my opinion, but the other beef choice wasn't fatty enough. I was just hoping for a fattiness between the two beef choices. There wasn't much flavor in the shabu shabu. Maybe I'm used to drinking the soup while cooking other food. Here- they give you a cup to drink the soup afterwards, and that's where all the seasoning was. So the entire time, we're cooking the shabu shabu, I felt the noodles and vegetables didn't have enough flavor. I had such high expectations for this place, and was frankly a little disappointed.