California Shabu Shabu

This past week, I tried for the very first time, shabu shabu. Shabu shabu is a Japanese hot pot dish cooked with beef. I went to California Shabu Sabu in Fountain Valley to experiment with this dish.

I was new to the entire experience, so I went with a seasoned shabu shabu expert. The restaurant was small and it featured a round counter seating with the waitresses serving you in the middle. I wouldn't suggest it for large parties because you cannot face each other while eating. 

Once seated, there is a pot of boiling water in front of you. You can season the water however  you want with chili powder, soy sauce, and chili sauce. Each person also receives a plate of vegetables to cook in the broth, a bowl of rice, and two bowls of dipping sauces. One is a peanut sauce, and the other is a soy sauce. You can also season the sauces with powder and radish. 

Next, you order your plate of beef to cook in the broth and eat with the rice and veggies. You can select from four to twelve pieces of varying qualities of beef. The beef comes in choice, prime, and kobe, which are all thinly sliced. Upon receiving your plate of beef, you cook the pieces one by one until their are fully cooked. Then you can dip the beef in the sauces and eat it with some vegetables and rice.

I was skeptical at first because I had heard it was mostly vegetables and sounded too healthy for me. But I was pleasantly surprised. The sauces flavored the broth very well and the beef was tender and worked well with the soy dipping sauce. I would not recommend this dish for everyone however. It is quite healthy with low fat and sodium. Also, it is quite pricey. You're expected to pay at least $10 for a couple of slices of beef with mostly vegetables and broth for lunch. However, it was a new experience and I would be delighted to eat shabu shabu again!