Shabu-Shabu House in Los Angeles Shabu Shabu in Los Angeles

5 / 5 based on 1 Reviews

Updated: July 3, 2024

Summary

Shabu-Shabu House, located in Japantown, Los Angeles, specializes in the traditional Japanese dish known as Shabu Shabu, which consists of a flavorful broth served with thinly sliced beef and a variety of vegetables. The restaurant features individual cooking pots at each table, allowing guests to prepare their meal at their own pace. Open Tuesday through Saturday, it attracts a steady crowd, necessitating a wait to be seated; guests typically find themselves at communal tables with overhead ventilation. The dishes are well-rated, with large portions priced around $25. Guests can enjoy a tranquil ambiance, punctuated only by the sounds of cooking. While the restaurant is generally busy, the experience is worth it for those eager to try this unique dining style.

Details

Type: Restaurant
Published: August 30, 2019
Visited on: December 2, 2
Rating:
Price Category: 34.0489
Touristic Level:

3/10
Address: 127 Japanese Village Plaza Mall, Los Angeles, CA 90012, United States

Online Reviews Summary

This Little Tokyo shabu-shabu spot delights diners with its sleek, modern vibe and interactive tabletop grills where premium, paper-thin wagyu arrives ready for your own perfect sear. The minimalist décor and high-bar seating give it a futuristic feel, while friendly, attentive staff guide newcomers through the self-cook experience. Beyond the star beef, the menu offers ramen, kimchi chicken rice, fried dumplings and homemade mochi ice cream, ensuring there’s something for everyone—even vegan or kid-friendly options. Regulars rave about the generous portions and well-priced lunch specials, praising the seamless tablet-based ordering and speedy service that has kept this family-run gem thriving since the ’90s. To make the most of your visit, sign up on the waiting list right at opening (waits can stretch two hours), bring cash (card machines can be spotty), and customize the clear broth with ponzu or sesame dipping sauces to avoid any blandness. A few note the bar stools could use more cushioning and that parking may require a short walk, but nearly everyone agrees the quality and unique DIY format make it well worth the trip.

The detailed experience report from RyuKoch

Shabu-Shabu House at a Glance

The restaurant is located in Japantown in Los Angeles. There you can mainly eat Shabu Shabu, a Japanese hot pot with beef and vegetables. Each seat has a stove with a pot where you can eat your stew.

Opening Hours

Mon: Closed
Tue: 12:00–14:00 and 17:30–21:00
Wed: 12:00–14:00 and 17:30–21:00
Thu: 12:00–14:00 and 17:30–21:00
Fri: 12:00–14:00 and 17:30–21:00
Sat: 17:00–21:00
Sun: Closed

Rating

Ryusei: 4,5/5
Matthias: 4,6/5

Price

$25 for a large portion

Summary Conclusion

The Shabu Shabu House in Los Angeles is a typical restaurant where you can try the Japanese hot pot. It’s always crowded, so you should bring time, but the food was quite delicious! The atmosphere was also relaxed.

In this restaurant, you can try Shabu Shabu in a cooking pot at your place for a relatively high price.

Shabu Shabu - Japanese Hot Pot

Shabu Shabu is a Japanese hot pot, or also broth fondue. You have a pot with slightly simmering broth at your place and with it thin strips of beef and various vegetables or tofu. The meat and vegetables are cooked by holding them in the broth and thus cooking them. This creates the typical sounds that give the dish its name. Finally, the cooked food is eaten with various sauces and rice.

How to eat Shabu Shabu

To prepare and eat Shabu Shabu, you need the following items:

a pot with water and Dashi
a plate with meat
a plate with vegetables
small bowls with various dips or sauces.
Sometimes rice is also served with it.

Then the ingredients are cooked in the broth.

A worthwhile visit

The Shabu Shabu House in Los Angeles is definitely a good place to try the delicious stew. The restaurant is very well located in Japantown in LA and it is very well attended. When you come in, you usually have to register first. Then you get a seat at a long, bar-like table and each seat has a pot with a stove. Above the tables are extractor hoods.

We enjoyed everything very much and it was relatively quiet in the restaurant. Apart from the food, the typical sounds of the cooking in the pot, you hardly heard anything else. A large portion costs about $25, which is expensive but worthwhile if you want to try Shabu Shabu.

As it was very crowded, everything was quickly cleared away as soon as you had finished eating and the bill came automatically to the table. So you also have to bring a lot of time and be prepared for high prices.

What did we order?

Of course we ordered two Shabu Shabu. Since we wanted to eat something later, we didn't order anything extra during our visit.

We were brought a large plate with thinly sliced meat to our place. We also got a plate with vegetables, tofu and Udon noodles. We also had two sauces: sesame sauce and Ponzu.

Thinly sliced meat, side dishes and rice

Conclusion:

Our conclusion is that a visit to the Shabu Shabu House in Los Angeles is definitely worthwhile! With $25, a large portion is relatively expensive, but not disproportionate. Bring plenty of time, as the restaurant is very popular. For that, the Shabu Shabu is very tasty and rich and the atmosphere relaxed and quiet.