Shabu-Shabu Restaurants

Shabu-shabu hot pot is one of the most popular hot pot dishes among the Japanese. It is prepared by submerging a very thin slice of meat or a piece of vegetable in a pot of broth made with kelp (kombu) and swishing it back and forth several times. The familiar swishing sound is where the dish gets its name. Shabu-shabu directly translates to “swish swish.” Cooked meat and vegetables are usually dipped in ponzu or “goma” (sesame seed) sauce before eating. Once the meat and vegetables have been eaten, leftover broth from the pot is customarily combined with the remaining rice, and the resulting soup is usually eaten last.

Because shabu-shabu hot pot cooks beef blue rare to rare, it’s preferred to use high-grade Japanese beef. Typically, shabu-shabu is considered a fine dining dish, due to the quality of the meat used, and the price charged for it at restaurants in Japan.