Shabu Shack

Finally, quality shabu in the SSF area. Me and the lady went on a week day and it so happens that they have AYCE Mon-Thurs which is nice.

We both had the Spicy Tonkatsu broth which was actually pretty spicy. Meat quality for an AYCE was really good, makes you realize good quality meat compared to other shabu and hotpot places. All the sides were fresh and generous portions. Especially the udon and ramen noodles they give. Gotta love that!

Customer service was awesome, we were asked frequently by staff if we needed anything and if food was ok and I really appreciated that. Definitely will be a regular at shabu shack. Definitely a must try in SSF area !

Located on a Main Street, very close to the freeway entrance/exit. A lot of paid street parking in the area as well as a paid parking lot. Came in on a Tuesday, early evening and were greeted and seated right away. A lot of table seating options as well as a back room that is partially secluded. We went with the AYCE option.

Our server, Natalie(?), was super sweet and in general the service was fairly quick. We asked Natalie recommendations for broth options and she was on point. We went with her recommendations of spicy miso and spicy tonkatsu, i also added the option of Tom yum. All of them were good but the ones she recommended were the most flavorful/satisfying.

For meats we went with the beef belly, angus beef and lamb. All of them were really good and hit the spot. My favorite was the beef belly and lamb. I don't often see beef belly as an option (most pork belly) so i knew i had to get it. Perfect fatty to meat ratio. The lamb was really lamby (or gamey) which i really liked. We also got some fish balls with roe, spinach, carrots, and enoki mushrooms.

Overall, the quality of meat/food and service Natalie provided made our drive from the 925 area well worth it. Super happy to find a solid hotpot place and would recommend to folks to try.

Came to shabu shack with the gals and enjoyed it! I liked that you get to pick your meat either 6oz or 8oz and then Shabu Shack will provide you a bowl of vegetables, sauce, and a choice between rice and vermicelli.

I went with the angus which was on the leaner side but it was still very good. The only cut I liked more was my friend's wagyu. The toro was a bit too fat and the lamb wasn't that memorable. The vegetables were also pretty roughly cut and most of the napa cabbage was unfortunately on the stem end - crunchy, but takes time to cook. I did like the variety with firm tofu, carrots, enoki, and pumpkin though!

The spicy tonkatsu was my favorite broth tonight. The creamy vegetarian was good too but not as memorable for me. It was interesting that there was no top off on the broth so towards the end, it did boil down into an unappealing mush so make sure to not let it get down to that level.

$32 with tip for a 'just enough' shabu experience is a good deal as I don't always want AYCE.

On 8/24/24 12:30 we went to the restaurant. The first thought when coming in was that the service was slow it took a while until someone served us. The server did not even greet us or welcome us. When we got to our table the server gave us our menu did not explain how their system worked and let us struggle on our own.

Once we had ordered our food the first thought was food was pretty good. The Kobe beef was the star of the meal, the shrimp was good. The server looked confused and inexperienced when placing the food. The server repeatedly asked us if we would like side dishes to which we responded no. Although we repeatedly replied no the server kept on asking us every round of we wanted to order side dishes.

Overall the food was good however the service was so bad that I will not be returning or recommending this restaurant. The review would be 2.5 but could not do 2.5 so a two it is.

Visited Shabu shack on a Friday night with a party of four. It was pretty empty and got seated right away. My group opted for the all you can eat $50 or $60 option. The meat quality is good, soup broth can have a little bit more flavor, the choices of vegetables are limited. I wished they would have more variety. Your dipping sauces are pretty standard- minced garlic, green onions, sesame and ponzu.

My overall experience was average. Nothing wow'd me for me to come back again.

10/10. I had a great experience at Shabu Shack. My first time here, I've heard great things about this place, so I really wanted to try. First off, this place is clean and well kept. Decor was pretty cute. Good ventilation. I was really looking forward to their meat ring and it did not disappoint. The meats were quite fresh. The service was great too, they were so nice and provided suggestions upon learning that it was our first time, which I always love when I go to a new place! Overall, I had a great time and I highly recommend!

Came here on a Sunday with a reservation, but luckily it wasn't super crowded when we arrived! The restaurant is pretty big & can accommodate many people. The interior is very cute, the wall is painted with cherry blossoms and the ceiling lights were decorated with cherry blossoms as well. The servers were very attentive and friendly when we ordered and when we needed to replenish some of the food for our pot.

We opted for AYCE and ordered a split pot of Creamy Vegetarian & Tom Yum. Everyone was impressed with the Creamy Vegetarian, it wasn't diluted and the broth was rich. The Tom Yum wasn't super spicy, but the spice kind of kicked in after a few consumptions. We ordered all 3 of the beef meat options they had, and they were all very good! We had about 3 rounds of meat and individually had our own mixed vegetable bowls to throw into the pot as well.

In addition, we tried the Kobe Fries and Spicy Garlic Edamame. The Kobe Fries weren't that bad, but I wasn't really impressed. The Spicy Garlic Edamame were pretty good with the cooked garlic. We received complimentary ice cream at the end, with the options of either Mango or Green Tea which were both good. It's nice to have a new hotpot place around, since it opened just last year I think. It is a little difficult to find parking, so you might need to park in the parking structure a block away or might get lucky enough to find street parking

We arrived on a Friday evening at 6 pm with a party of four. Parking was convenient as it was still early. The restaurant's spacious corner location made it easy to find. The staff was attentive, and we enjoyed the food.
I love the creamy vegetable broth because I've never seen it at other resturants. For $44 pp, you can have AYCE~ our faves were beef belly and kobe beef. Next time I come, I'd like to try the appetizers.

Newer spot on Grand Ave, several choices to choose from, bring on the meats. Let me break down everything we sampled and how everything faired

The mixed drinks were super sweet teeth hurting sweet lol the meats primarily the kobe, the lamb and the brisket were all winners everything else was just ok. There were no marinated meats cause there was no grill to cook them on so strap in and get stick with the meats given, for the most part depending on your broth makes a difference we choose 3 different broths one being the miso, the other was the tonkotsu anbd the spicy sichuan. If you have kids stick them with the miso broth it is a good segway for them to actually eat food being prepped. The Tonkotsu was ok the start for me was the Spicy Sichuan just enough kick and not overpowering.

Of all the meats I would stick with the kobe beef, the lamb and brisket were ok but I do recommend the Kobe option, of course you get a full side of vegetables and tofu too throw in the pot, meh for me that would be a filler, the long skinny mushrooms is what I would stick with, tofu takes on what ever flavor you cook it in, everything else vegetable wise was a pass, for dipping sauce you have standard ponzu and peanut butter type sauce.

The staff was very responsive and friendly, never had to ask for refill of water or sake it was already refilled before asking. If you like Hot Pot spots this is a definite spot to visit if in the area, they will definitely get you full

food ****
price $$$
service ***** helpful
ambiance **** clean, smells of steamed meats once you walk in

The fact the shrimp is already pealed is the greatest thing here. We took the basic All You Can Eat deal for $44 and it came with those good meats, all seafood & veggies. I had the miso broth. My friend got a spicy one. It was all good. The waitresses were very helpful & attentive. At the end you get ice cream which was great!

I'm guilty of being influenced by Mr. Gao and the darn IG of him eating here. I don't usually pay attention to food influencers, but it's Mr. Gao! Dude makes delicious Vietnamese food!

Pros:
+ Great meat quality
+ Flavorful Spicy Tonkatsu broth!

Cons:
- AYCE was on the pricier side compared to the average
- Veggies were not plentiful nor diverse

What We Ordered:
+ Tonkatsu, Spicy; 5/5
+ Spicy Sichuan; 3/5
+ Beef Belly, Large 8oz; 5/5
+ Lamb, Large 8oz

We did not do AYCE, so we each picked one broth and one meat. Both my partner and I loved the meats, but thought the veggies could've been better. It was an abundance of Napa cabbage, and a bit of enoki, spinach, and tofu. No bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, and beech mushrooms.

While the veggies were disappointing, I loved their broth and meat. I think I'd return if I'm in the area.