DIY cuisine: shabu shabu

by Sarah J. Gim, Posted Apr 1st 2006 @ 8:54PM

Say "Japanese food" and right away, most people will think of sushi, perhaps immediately followed by tempura, teriyaki, and ramen. Increasingly, people are also becoming familiar with kushiyaki, the assortment of grilled, skewered foods that are traditionally served as "bar-snacks." However, there's another Japanese cuisine, shabu shabu.

The words "shabu shabu" roughly translates to "swish swish," as that is the way food is cooked: diners briefly swish paper-thin slices of raw meat and chopped fresh vegetables in a pot of boiling water to cook them. It's similar to fondue in that diners are "dipping" foods in a liquid in front of them, and similar also to Korean barbecue, where diners are essentially grilling the meat themselves at the table. Sometimes each individual diner has their own pot of boiling water, and other times, an entire table of diners share a community pot in the center of the table.

Once the meat or vegetable is cooked, it is dipped in a light, thin ponzu sauce, or a thick, sweet sesame sauce. An entire meal usually includes a plate of vegetables, tofu, noodles, and some sort of meat: thinly-sliced ribeye, chicken, or seafood like lobster, crab or other shellfish.

There are quite a few Japanese shabu shabu places:

Central:

Shabu Shabu House, 127 Japanese Village Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012, (213) 680-3890
Kushi Shabu, 123 Onizuka St Ste 305, Los Angeles, CA 90012, (213) 621-0210

Westside:

Mizu 212, 2000 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025, (310)478-8979
Shabu Hachi, 11680 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064, (310) 479-7537

East

Lee's Shabu, 18438 Colima Rd Ste 318, Rowland Heights, CA
Dai Kei Sushi and Shabu, 708 E Las Tunas Dr, San Gabriel, CA 91776, (626) 285-5701

South and OC

Shabu Shabu Gyushintei, 24631 Crenshaw Blvd, Torrance, CA, 90505, (310) 326-2438
Koji's Shabu Shabu, @ the Block@Orange, Orange, CA 92868 (714) 769-0200
California Shabu Shabu, 18908 Brookhurst St, Fountain Valley, CA 92708, (714) 963-8844

Filed Under: How To
Tags: Japanese cooking, Japanese cuisine, Japanese food, JapaneseFood, ramen, shabu shabu, sushi, tempura, teriyaki

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

4-02-2006 @9:57AM Annika said... After being a Los Angelenan shabu-shabu fan for about a year, I moved to the St. Louis, MO area. Am totally unable to find this type of Japanese cuisine here. Aaarrrrrrgggggghhhh!
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4-02-2006 @3:17PM Kung Foodie said... I recently posted about making shabu shabu style meals at home. It's pretty easy if you have a hot plate or electric skillet. I also found some great recipes for different styles of nabemono (Japanese one pot meals).

http://www.kungfoodie.com/shabu-shabu/
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4-02-2006 @4:48PM Kung Foodie said... I recently posted about making shabu shabu style meals at home. It's pretty easy if you have a hot plate or electric skillet. I also found some great recipes for different styles of nabemono (Japanese one pot meals).

http://www.kungfoodie.com/shabu-shabu/
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4-02-2006 @9:11PM Curtis said... Is it Japanese? The first time I had it was in Taiwan and was told it was a local "working man's lunch". I was happy to find it in the Block at Orange, but it was much more expensive there than it was in Taipei!
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4-03-2006 @12:36AM James said... It seems like people like to refer to foods as strictly Japanese while numerous Asian countries have been eating /using for as long if not longer than the Japanese.

Shitaki mushrooms? Not strictly Japanese. The Chinese has been using it probably far longer.

Gyoza? Are those pot stickers?

There are plenty of others.
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4-03-2006 @11:18AM Steve said... Shabu-shabu at home: Use an electric fondue pot. Freeze your meat (just use a rib-eye steak or something) for half an hour or so before you cut it so you can slice it thin. Cut up any vegetables you like - broccoli, bok-choi, napa cabbage, sugar snap peas (in the pod), whatever - it's all good. Use sauces you like - teriyaki, soy, anything (I acually usually have one dish of just barbecue sauce on the table, for those who like). Swish your meat and veggies (you can use chopsticks like the restaurants, or just use the fondue forks that came with your pot), and dip 'em, and eat em. Follow it up with some chocolate fondue dessert. Fabulous, and comes to just 4 or 5 dollars a person, if you use super high-quality beef, instead of paying 25 or 30 at some of the nicer places.

Once a month or so, it's shabu-shabu night at my house.
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4-10-2006 @7:28PM Estavros said... California Shabu Shabu is the best on the list. Although not on the menu be sure to order the King Kong or Godzilla for extra large sized portions. For the insane, some of the crew working there offer the Donkey Kong size. Also The Koji's @ the Block @ Orange has half-off dinner special on Thursday nights after 9pm!
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