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California Shabu-Shabu
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11:30 am - 2 pm
Mon-Sun 5 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
Japanese comfort food. Teriyaki, Cutlets, Udon, Curry, and Donburi.
656 reviews for California Shabu-Shabu
Review Highlights
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"Lastly, the black sesame ice cream is da BOMB." In 23 reviews -
"The peanut and ponzu sauce are yumm." In 53 reviews -
"don't forget to ask for the soup base." In 81 reviews
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656 reviews in English
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Review from Andrew N.
Fountain Valley, CA
5/16/2012
My preferred destination for shabu shabu! The staff here is amazing! Julie very friendly and willing to answer any questions you have. The service is very quick and prompt. Price is reasonable.The food is great! What more can you ask for?
The only negative thing I have to say is the parking can be a bit tight during dinner hours. But hey, it's NOT their fault! So five stars for california shabu shabu - costa mesa! The combination of great food and service will help you overlook that minor detail. Highly Recommended! -
Review from Christina L.
Fullerton, CA
5/19/2012
Yummy! I kept seeing my friends checking in here and wanted to try it. I got in at 11:40am today and got seated right away, but avoid lunch cause it filled up super quick right after! The service was wonderful, we got checked on frequently and I even got my yummy sauce refilled.
The portion was smaller than other shabu restaurants; dont get me wrong, its still plenty! But yeah, its slightly smaller for sure! The veggies were good, you get cabbage, spinach, carrots, seaweed, tofu and udon.
There are shabu places popping up everywhere... Meat quality is competitive, pricing is competitive, choices etc.... BUT you know what is really awesome about this place? The Sesame Dipping Sauce! Theirs is so thick and rich in flavor... with 2 hot drops, I was in heaven! Noone elses compares!
Seriously, I would come back for their sauce alone. And I probably will!Listed in: Lowered Car Friendly
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Review from Tim N.
Santa Ana, CA
5/8/2012
VERY GOOD SHABU.
I haven't found an excellent shabu bar yet, but this place is almost it.
I've tried all three beefs (never have gotten anything else).
Regular Beef: Good
Prime Beef: Pretty Good
Kobe Beef: Very Good
DIPPING SAUCE here is probably one of the best compared to other Shabu bars (that's just my opinion).
There's really not much else you can rant or rave about shabu... IT IS WHAT IT IS. -
Review from Mandy S.
Irvine, CA
5/20/2012
This was my first time doing Shabu Shabu. It was amazing. The lady explained everything thoroughly and helped us out a lot. The food was rad and we were given a free scoop of ice cream because it was our first visit. I will be back again.
Wouldn't recommend for groups larger than 2 because of the row seating. It makes it difficult to carry on a conversation with more than one other person. -
Review from Pillin L.
5/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Since my recent discovery of shabu shabu, I've been on a quest to try the best! My destination at hand was California Shabu Shabu and California Shabu Shabu definitely continued my winning streak. I went with a shabu expert so I knew I was going to be in for a treat. I let her flavor my broth and flavor my sauces for me and boy was everything super tasty. Don't be shy with the garlic, onions and daikon. My girlfriend put 3-4 good scoops into my broth and in my dipping sauces! This definitely made for a more flavorful meal. Load the broth up with a couple of turns of soy sauce and sesame oil as well, and if you like it spicy like I do, go for the spicy drops as well.
I went for the 2 item combination and tried the pork and prime beef. The pork was pretty good but the prime definitely stole the show. With its excellent marbling it melts in your mouth. And the sesame dipping sauce was divine. I used so much sauce I had to get it topped off!
California Shabu Shabu is all bar seating. Which makes dining with 1 or 2 fun, but I can't imagine dining with more people being that conversation would be induced to the people next to you because it definitely gets loud here. But I'm definitely a fan. Of their friendly servers, their delicious food, and the proximity to me! Winna winna, shabu shabu dinnaaa!!!Listed in: Shabu Shabu/Hot Pot
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Review from Shinobu K.
Placentia, CA
4/23/2012
The sauce is great! One of the best I ever had. Gomadare (sesame sauce) is better than what you can buy from a Japanese supermarket. Ponzu sauce is OK, nothing special about it.
If you had read my other reviews, then you know I'm critical about quality control. This place would get 1 star from me for that. Many visits I had , and meat quality is ranged from great to unacceptable. The meat is sliced from a big block, you can see the guy doing it. So when they used one up, they would get another brand new block of meat, that's when the problem comes. The new block is probably hard to slice, so the (guy who does the slice) slicer would run his setting to extra thin in order to cut the in beginnings. , if you happen to be sitted around the time this happens, you would get paper thin cuts ( if you are the unlucky customers).. My parents love ShabuShabu and I bring them to this restaurant often, that's how I observed the how they operate.. We had gone there enough times to experience this. Sadly. it could be great at times,, but could be angrily disappointing..
The service, however, is decent.
The music they play is really loud, nothing like what a Japanese restaurant should be.. But then, the customers are mostly non-Japanese, so what do they care!?!?
Conclusion, try it for yourself, great sauce, but variable quality control. Decent service.. Great for a quick lunch with with fellow workers, but DO NOT take your boyfriend/girlfriend there, unless you love loud noisy music.. No good for a hot date, nor for a family dinner... -
Review from Jen B.
4/20/2012
Eeehhh. I came here because friends insisted. I knew I was going to think it was ehhhh before even going. What's so great about swishing meat or veg in a pot of water and dipping it in sauce? The peanut sauce wasn't good at all. I did like the other sauce and the heat drops they put in. Two drops and my lips were on fire! :)
Everything was fresh for sure. But to me I would rather go to Vietnamese or Korean bbq and have much more flavor. -
Review from Nat S.
Long Beach, CA
5/18/2012 4 Check-ins Here
Best shabu place ever! food is super delish and pretty healthy, I always get the regular prime! Staff is super friendly!
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Review from Dee D.
Laguna Hills, CA
4/16/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Swish Swish goes my meat as my mouth waters waiting to put this delicious food in my belly!
Oh shabu shabu I visit you almost once a week. Am I addicted? Yes I think so. I've only been to 2 shabu places.. I'm kinda hesistant to visit any other ones for fear that the meat won't be marbled to my liking or that the sauces wont match up to the places I've been to.
Ambiance- Loud.. Very Loud..People are friendly..They share shots with you. The servers take shots with you.. Pretty much it's a party on Baker St.
Food- I usually get the Large Prime just cause I like to stuff myself into a stupor sometimes. Just last week I tried the Regular Choice and there isn't a HUGE difference from the Choice vs Prime. I felt like the Prime meat was more fresh than the choice. Bf has tried the shrimp, chicken, and salmon. He likes them all but then again he's not too picky with food in general. My mouth on the otherhand can tell quality.
They have a veggie plate sitting out for you ready to go when you sit down. Order your meats. Mix up your sauces.. and you are ready to go!
Price- If you want quality you have to pay the $$. Don't expect to eat awesome Shabu for an AYCE $20. We usually spend about 50 bux for the 2 of us including tip.
the only downside is having to wait. We usually go on Thurs nights and the wait is about 30 min give or take.. One day hopefully we will frequent enough that they will know us and have our spots waiting on thurs nights hehe ;) hey you never know it could happen... -
Review from Kelly B.
Santa Ana, CA
Updated - 5/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
Should have stuck to my gut instincts and not have chosen Choice Beef. Texture was pretty rough. Kinda disappointed. This place is still a decent shabu shabu restaurant, nonetheless, but for sure get Prime Beef or something else :) Service is okay, though. Kinda wish the servers were a little more attentive and friendlier.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/15/2011
Had to come here twice to fully appreciate shabu shabu.
Don't get me wrong, the first time it was… Read more »
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Review from Hirari N.
Irvine, CA
4/15/2012
Agree with Denise B., Shabu Shabu doesn't seem like a meal worth it's price. The place here is pretty fancy and nice (heavily Americanized), but the seating is so limited that two large parties will fill all the seats. A medium plate is worth some $20, and it feels like 1/3rd of the portion of what a typical all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ place would give you. They even make the veggie plate seem like a big deal, $3 extra to take it away and receive rice.
I left the place feeling more hungry than I did walking in because I wasn't willing to pay anymore for the little meat. Their stuff is good, I give them credit for that, but I'm not willing to pay $30-40 for lunch. -
Review from Denise H.
San Gabriel, CA
5/8/2012
OK. Nothing special, just overpriced. For 20 bucks, I expect some broth. But everytime I go to these shabu places with just plain water, and having to pay 20 bucks for some meat and veggies doesn't make sense. My boyfriend likes it just cuz the people there talk to you so nice and friendly, I guess thats nice, but being the asian I am that just want good and full of quantity too. i just want my grub on, and this place ain't worth my money just for socializin.
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Review from Melissa H.
San Diego, CA
3/24/2012
Came here to see what all the hype was about.
NOT IMPRESSED!!
So im only going to say what the highlights were of my night.
If i was the owner of this establishment i would think twice about my employees. Sitting there quietly making my hot pot, i noticed the one employee that was a MALE, was drinking with his "homies" and was having a long conversation. I had also ordered an extra side of noodles, which never came, and yet they still try to charge me for it. Long story short, my food was OK and the service was horrible. -
Review from Steven N.
La Puente, CA
4/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
How do you when a restaurant is good? You drive 30+ miles for it. One way. Many times.
I've tried many shabu places and this pot comes out on top. From the variety of the veggies to the freshness of the protein, the sauce and brown rice complete the meal. Couple of tips that I find useful:
1. Add hot drops to your dipping sauce! I prefer 3, but 1 will suffice for a kick.
2. Save your udon for last! Along with some veggies and meat. Then ask for soup base and you have a whole new meal: udon noodle soup.
3. Add the two bottles of sauce into your pot for flavor: soy sauce, and chili oil.
The wait time can be long some days at certain times. But it is well worth the wait. Keep up the yummy work California Shabu Shabu -
Review from Denise B.
Anaheim, CA
4/9/2012
I don't think I'm a fan of Shabu Shabu.
I've definitely had different sorts of hot pot before, but I don't think shabu shabu is my preference, especially since they charge so much for the amount of food they give you.
I get that they give you rice so that you can fill up, but the amount of sauce that you eat after dipping your cooked food with the amount of rice you eat, I feel like it's a super unhealthy way to eat.
I didn't eat all my meat, even though they only give you one plate of meat and a huge plate of veggies. I think I preferred the veggies over the meat, but the choice of veggies was boring: cabbage, spinach, carrots, and tofu.
Even though the way it's set up is cute, sitting at a bar and everyone having their own hot to cook their food in, I found it hard to even talk with my entire group and enjoy the meal together since we were all sitting side by side, five people long. I'd much rather share a communal pot and sit around it at a regular table like other hot pot places do.
Honestly, for paying $20, I expected a lot more, especially since I've been to other similar places (not shabu shabu but different types of hot-pot-type foods). I don't see myself going again. -
Review from N. V.
Garden Grove, CA
4/9/2012 3 Check-ins Here
I like the ambiance. The wall decoration is fun to look at. They have new collectible figurines on display all the time.
The staffs are super friendly and fun. They drink with you, hang out with you and the people who eat with you are also very friendly.
It's just the right place that attract the right kind of crowd.
Fresh meat and veggie.
You can also order pitcher of beer to hang out with your friends while you wait...the wait is aprox. 20-35 mins. =/
I like it over all. (don't forget to order black sesame ice cream for dessert....YUMMMMM!) -
Review from Michele L.
Pasadena, CA
3/8/2012
My first (and only) 5 star review has to go to my favorite shabu shabu restaurant. And yes, it is without a doubt better than Shabu Shabu House in in DTLA (judging upon service, decor, quality of food, and wait time). You might as well drive down here than wait 1.5 hours in DTLA for a subpar experience.
I love coming here for lunch cause the prices are reasonable ($12 for regular choice beef and comes with vegetables and rice). I wish dinner prices were a bit cheaper so I could come more often. Or maybe they can extend their lunch hours til 3 or 3:30pm.
I really like that they serve brown rice here and you get the option of requesting leaner cuts of beef at no extra charge.
Cool decor and amazing service!! Owner's super nice and welcomes customers to come in and eat even within a minute or two of closing time. -
Review from Linda N.
3/8/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I really love the service here. VERY ATTENTIVE and not overbearing. :)
The meats were fresh, nice marbling.
This place was a full house for lunch on a Thursday. A really popular shabu place.
Prices are much better during lunch than dinner.
No sukiyaki though. Maybe they should add it to their menu in the future!! :) -
Review from John W.
Anaheim, CA
5/5/2012
One drop of spice and you are in for something nice.
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Review from Les S.
I spent a day contemplating whether I liked this place or not. Given the number of 5 and 4 star ratings, I wondered if I missed something. Well, if I have to think that hard, I probably didn't enjoy it. Well, it's definitely not bad. I thought the meat and vegetables were fairly fresh but the dipping sauces were disappointing. I was only able to appreciate the ponzu sauce after they added a drop of some sort of capsaicin oil (comes in a medicine dropper). The goma sauce, or what seemed like one, was rather bland and tasted heavy of oil. It had a very thick texture, almost like a pudding. I was also disappointed they wouldn't put the hot drops into the broth. I'm used to flavoring my broth and I never had this problem at another shabu place in Fullerton.
It's kind of pricey but nothing excessive. The good thing is they have several size options and choices of meat so you can customize to your budget. My wife and I went with choice and prime beef to compare the difference. The prime is definitely more tender but the choice wasn't that bad. The best part of our meal was the dessert, black sesame ice cream. The flavor was pretty subtle and not too sweet.
Service was fairly efficient and courteous but not over the top. -
Review from Nathaniel N.
Huntington Beach, CA
3/28/2012
The layout of the restaurant is similar to that of a bar. Except no cocktails are served here. Once seated, a pot of boiling water greets you while a lone piece of kombu, or kelp, floats around lending it's ocean flavor to the water. Two sauces are served with every meal as well as a selection of condiments to customize your sauces. Grated daikon, pressed garlic and green onions can be added in varying amounts to the tangy citrus ponzu or the thicker, creamy sesame sauce. A squeeze bottle of soy sauce, chili sesame oil, and chili pepper powder are also served with your meal and can be used to add even more flavor to your cooking water. Servers will present a small bottle of hot drops upon request, a spicy condiment that is served by the number you request. A single drop was all that was needed for me to taste it's fiery kick.
To read the rest of this review and see pictures from the restaurant, please visit
http://gastrordinaire.... -
Review from Angela W.
2/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
I'm guilty of one thing so far this year: visiting CA shabu-shabu twice in one month. I came during my lunch hour with a friend and it was PACKED. He got there 10 minutes earlier than me and we still had to wait an additional 10 minutes after I arrived. Parties come and go pretty quick so I wasn't worried about the wait. When you arrive, you have to sign your name and party size on a clip board so it's organized to a certain extent. My second visit was after a long day of work with coworkers. It was also bustling on a Friday night so that's always a good sign.
My usual consists of the regular prime. Nine pieces of thinly sliced beef and a fantastic medley of veggies/noodles is plenty for a tiny Asian girl like me. Add one hot drop (I'm a wimp) to each of the sauces along with the minced garlic and green onions and you're good to go. It's always fun to cook your own food to your liking. Unfortunately my coworker had issues with her burner. It kept shutting off every 5 minutes so that was irritating. But besides that, everything else was fantastic. Ask for the soup base at the end of your meal to go with your noodles. It's pretty funny watching my first time co-workers attempt to fish the noodles out of the pot :)
Service is always solid and the iced green tea is delicious! -
Review from Beth H.
1/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
After some helpful tips from my Buddy Mel M. I decided that my Shabu-Shabu virginity would be given up to CSS. I also made sure to read several reviews as I wanted to be sure to pick up as much information as possible. I'm not sure how much good this did, but I enjoyed myself nonetheless.
We arrived at 6:00 PM (they open at 5:00) and it seemed to be perfect timing. While the place was almost full we were seated right away. After a few minutes, we were asked if we had been helped yet or if we needed menus. I explained that this was our first time (setting us up for that friendly how-to everyone raved about) and the menus appeared.
After we ordered (beef for my dinner companion, beef/pork combo for me) I was kind of expecting some help or instruction since every review said that they were more than helpful if you tell them you are new. Well, that wasn't really the case for us. Basically, we muddled through by watching people around us and lots of trial and error. Everything was very good and as promised, the soup base at the end really wrapped things up nicely. I think I saved half of my meal for the soup...I love me some soup. I found it a little odd that twice, half way through the meal we were asked if we wanted to put in our order for ice cream. Both times I replied, "Yes, when we're through" but I was thinking and feeling like we were kind of being rushed.
When we were almost through with our meal, a party of 6-7 came in and sat down next to us. They said they were new and got the full blown Shabu-Shabu instruction manual about how to do it up right. Yes, this was a different waitress than our "main" one but she had helped us during the meal. We both looked at each other and wistfully wondered why we didn't get the Shabutorial.
When we finished we basically sat for about 10 minutes before we were asked if we ordered ice cream. No, but we'd like to. This took another 10 minutes to appear. Maybe we should have ordered it half way through the meal. The Lychee sorbet was yummy for sure.
All in all, it was fun, the food was really good, the price wasn't bad for the amount of food you got and the experience was cool. We kind of figured out what to do on our own and I guess the experience gets better with time by experimenting and finding that perfect mix. I know this isn't your typical dining experience where you can lounge around for a couple of hours but we did tend to feel a bit rushed. I will definitely return for another go round to see if I can improve upon my technique. -
Review from Mimi S.
Santa Ana, CA
4/8/2012
Terrible food, it was bad, i had the worst stomach ache after for a few hours...service was awful. food was bland and not fresh...
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Review from Richard P.
Alhambra, CA
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
Ate at California Shabu-Shabu last night and had an awesome experience!
The food is great! I ordered the Regular Prime Beef. They also have options for Choice and Kobe beef. Being my first time at the restaurant I thought prime would be a good option. The food was delicious! You have the ability to customize your sauce. They even have an option to add spice drops, which is a huge plus because I love spicy food. I also love the soup base that they have for the noodles at the end. Overall great meal.
In addition to the great food the atmosphere and staff are great. It has a modern hip atmosphere with cool cartoon type painting on the walls. The staff is young and extremely friendly! Leonard was super nice and helpful. He definitely provided excellent service.
I can't wait to eat here again!!! -
Review from Vi V.
Orange, CA
3/9/2012 2 photos
Second time having shabu shabu! Went with my cousin around 1 in the afternoon and it about a 15 minute wait?
What I got:
Choice Beef ($12): it came with a plate of veggies and like 7 or 8 slices of meat? Everything was good and fresh. They cut your meat when you order. You can also customize your veggie plate if you don't like some of them. The soup base at the end was good, but I like it more at SWSH in Irvine, it has more flavor.
In the end we got ice cream that was shaped like a mouse! It was mango and lychee ice cream with strawberry mochi's as the ears. Very cute!
Service:
Service was great. The servers are inside and you are seated on the outside so service wasn't a big problem. If you needed anything they were right there and they would come by and ask us if we needed anything and if everything was good. -
Review from Allie P.
Los Angeles, CA
2/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
Drove right past the parking lot even though I saw the orange sign from the street before turning in. I didn't think it was really in the front as the storefronts looked empty, yet cars were parked inside, haha. So, after making my U-Turn at the end of the street, I drove into the parking lot, which was of course full (I didn't know you're able to park in the back of the building, so I did another U-Turn and parked on the street).
PROS:
- Large seemed to be of good size (didn't get me full, but content)
- Staff was friendly & attentive
- Awesome art (which there was more of it - some areas looked undone)
- Quality of the meat was up to par, but not the best I've had (thinly cut slices, barely any fatty parts, yay!)
- Two sauces weren't bad (I prefer the darker one)
- Purse Hooks!
CONS:
- Sign Up & Wait your turn (I didn't know I had to sign up myself until I read the small sign to my right - staff saw me, but didn't greet me or inform me what to do -- I was a new customer - not a good look)
- Not a lot of seating for such a popular Shabu eatery (YET, they did have more seating than another place I've been to).
- Wish there was an AYCE section on the menu (yes, I was thinking about that when I was there... I was that hungry).
- Didn't really care for the viewable kitchen-like area by the bar... kind of made me feel like it was almost unsanitary to have there while people ate right above
- Cheap barstools
- Not a good variety of veggies -
Review from Catherine Q.
Irvine, CA
After the wonderful experience last time.
We are back again and this time we get to sit right beside the kitchen.
After we ordered the prime beef large, we were waiting for our food.
Sniff sniff...
"What is that smell?" I asked Mr. Q.
Sniff sniff....
" yeah..that's weird..eeww...it's kind gross!" Answered Mr.Q.
Sniff...sniff....
"I think it smells like waste water" I was wondering where is it come from.
Sniff...Sniff.....
"I don't think I can eat here"( The smell is very strong and makes me want to puke) let's change the sits". I suggested.
"Excuses me, can we switch the sits? It smells funky here" ;S
----'NO, WE ARE SORRY, THERE IS ONE BIG GROUP AND THOSE CHAIRS ARE TAKEN".
When the waitress turn on the shabu shabu for us, the funky weird smell is gone until we were waiting for our black sesame ice cream.
"Oh...Look, there it is, that's why this place is so smelly....ewww..This is so disgusting!!!"...my prime beef wants to jump out of my tummy cuz of that.
We just found out that we were eating right in front of their trash can. It's filled with left overs and it's very smelly.
Are they going to put that in the kitchen instead of where people are having food?
Why do you want people eating right in front of a full trash can.
That's odd.
This place is still cute, prime beef shabu shabu is still nice, thought the vegetables are a bit limited, but eating right from a trash can that contains full of smelly left overs, it's unpleasant and disgusting.
CALIFORNIA SHABU SHABU, PLEASE REMOVE YOUR TRASH DRAIN INTO YOUR KITCHEN, WHERE PEOPLE CAN EAT FRESH FOOD AND SMELL JUST THE SHABU SHABU AND NOTHING ELSE.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/19/2011
When me and Mr.Q walked into this restaurant, we were happy to see those super cute colorful anime… Read more »
Comment from Leonard C. of California Shabu-Shabu 3/28/2012
Hey Catherine, Thank you for coming back to Cal Shabu and… More » -
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Review from Clayton B.
Escondido, CA
4/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
I love this place. My awesome Asian friends took me here and I still thank them for that. This place was perfect. So many hot waitresses. Oh and the food was great! I got the beef and pork combination. I did get a few drops, which I think they called turbo? and I was doing fine, don't worry! Yes, it will be hot to most people so if you don't like spicy I don't recommend getting it. The waitresses are pretty good about warning you though (apparently being white meant I was going to scream and the waitress wouldn't be held accountable for it lol). Overall though, awesome food. Great experience. Perfect atmosphere. Oh, and the black sesame ice cream is the shit. Get it or I probably won't like you.
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Review from Jonny T.
Costa Mesa, CA
2/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
My favorite Shabu restaurant in O.C. The food is great (e.g., choice beef is always fresh, booze is cheap) , gets you full, and the atmosphere is awesome (e.g., Grafitti on the walls, young/ good looking wait staff, bar style seating).
I've lived here for about eight months now and I find myself going there all the damn time. I went twice in a day once; oops.
The fact of the matter is... if you want to have good Shabu with a good friends, go here.
The only downside I can even think of is going with parties of four or more. It always feels like a Seinfeld "I can't see the fourth person" situation at the Shabu bar. Other than that, WOOOOOOO. -
Review from Howie C.
1/29/2012
I love this place! Fresh food, cute server girls, nice server guys, friendly service and cool vibe. The restaurant is brightly lit, with aluminum Emeco Navy chairs. You always feel apart of the action because the seating is U-shaped... you can see everyone sitting across from you. Steam in their face and all that good stuff.
I always get the prime beef, but you can get the cheaper choice beef or chicken, and there are also seafood choices, along with Kobe beef too. To give you a basic idea of the pricing...
Choice Regular Size (9 piece): $15
Prime Regular Size (9 piece): $18
Choice Large (13 piece): $18
Prime Large (13 piece): $22
They also have larger plate sizes with addition cuts of meat... you can get up to 34 pieces of meat. That's insane!
If you like beef and can afford it, I say go with the Prime meat, it just flat tastes better because there's more marbling in the meat.
What I like here is that their veggies are always fresh, I never see browning or yellowing on them, like I have seen at some other shabu-shabu places. You can choose either white or brown rice (brown rice additional charge).
A few tips...
1) If you like hot, ask for the spicy drops. One or two max is enough in your sauces. I can handle hot and they are very hot. Sometimes I go without the drops now, not because I can't take it, more because I feel it overwhelms the taste of the ponzu and the sesame sauce.
2) Cook your noodles at the end of the meal. Then ask for the soup base/soup bowl if they forget to offer it to you. Fish your noodles out of the pot and into the soup bowl.
3) If you order the large prime set or larger, you get a free dessert, like green tea or black sesame ice cream.
And lastly, the music. It's usually indie, dance, or hip-hop. But no dancing in the building, just swish swish. -
Review from Tiffany H.
Irvine, CA
1/23/2012 2 Check-ins Here
The Shabu/Hot Pot addiction continues!!
5 stars for service
3.5 for food/price
= 3 stars? Yep, 'cause it's A-OK.
I like that California Shabu is a little different. For broth, you start with a traditional kombu (seaweed). You get a plate of vegetables & noodle as well.
What i've tried:
*Vegetable: Disappointing. I personally don't like Japanese pumpkin a lot.
*Side of Scallops: Large scallops!
*Chicken: was good I guess, can't really go wrong.
Be sure to ask for:
* The noodle base when you get to your noodles. The base itself has a hint of sweetness. You mix your shabu soup in that and it's delish!
* The spicy eyedropper oil (but seriously this stuff CRAY. one drop and it's pretty spicy!)
They also serve maeda-en ice cream & ice cream mochi. And Maeda-en (can be purchased at Mitsuwa) is the BEST. When it was our first time, the server gave us free ice cream too! Win!
I still like Ayame better though (tsumire, rice cake & different broths AND price wins).
But, still definitely try this place out, but come for lunch! It's more worth it.Listed in: HOTPOT/SHABUSHABU…
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Review from Carolyn D.
Fountain Valley, CA
3/26/2012 6 Check-ins Here
i LOVE LOVE LOVE shabu. California Shabu Shabu also has locations in Fountain Valley, and Santa Monica. I haven't been to the Santa Monica branch yet but I'm extremely fond of the FV & CM shabus. The service is always stellar and the waiters are down for a shot with you (: Because I crave it so often, I frequently make shabu at home. Something about having it in the restaurant makes it taste so much better though! Maybe it's the attentive service, or just better quality meat. In any case, shabu is always delicious at California. I'm addicted!
Listed in: Warm Soup Belly!
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Review from Doug F.
San Diego, CA
3/29/2012
I prefer the Shabu up north because I'm not use to creating my own broth from scratch. For this venue, I just added all sorts of shit into my boiling pot and just ate whatever was in there. Nothing special.
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Review from Linda Y.
1/26/2012
California Shabu-Shabu is one of my absolute favorite lunch spots. It's located right next to Shark Club. Top notch food and service!
I always get the choice beef special for $10. For dinner service, you will pay twice that. Don't forget to get some spice drops! It makes the sauces that much better. I can usually handle 3, but just get 1 if you're a n00b. It's super spicy. You have the option of choosing either white rice or brown rice. The brown rice is pretty good so stick to the brown rice. It's not bad at all!
I absolutely love the peanut sauce and the udon noodles in the end. Use your greasy and beefy water from your pot to make udon noodle soup! Don't go to sh*tty places like House of Shabu Shabu in Irvine. That place is a joke. There are so many better options! -
Review from Vivian P.
Stanton, CA
3/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
What can I say... Next to pho shabu shabu is the next best thing! Ive been to a few shabu shabu places and California Shabu Shabu tops them all! They always have a friendly staff and great service!
I recommend getting the regular beef with brown rice! For those of you that likes a bit of spice, don't forget the hot drops! It gives the sauces an extra yummy kick!!! -
Review from Jacqueline D.
Garden Grove, CA
My freaking favorite.
If you don't like it here you're probably:
A) crazy
B) don't know what good food is
C) don't know how to cook shabu
D) all the above
The first time at Shabu sucks for everyone. They wonder, what is the point of this place? Why isn't it more filling? Why do I have to cook my own food? Why is it so bland? Blah blah.. WELL, I have answer to these questions.
1. Japanese Shabu: hot pot. Wiki it.
2. It is actually very filling. I always walk away super stuff every time I eat here. You eat everything with RICE, which is the filler. But I'm asian and I'm more partial to rice, heck I love it. Especially japanese moist gooey fresh rice!! But there's brown rice for you healthier gym-crazies. +the soup base at the end!!!
3. You get to cook your own food? GREAT. You can personalize how you want everything. How much garlic, green onions, radish, oil, etc to put in your dipping sauces & hot pot. REMEMBER THE HOT DROPS (if you like spicy)!!!
4. It's not bland.. there's two dipping sauces for a reason. The black sauce (PONZU) and the brown peanut-y looking one (GOMA). I like to put my veggies in the ponzu and meat in the goma. Whatever sauce you like, soak it in after you've cooked your veggies/meat. +soysauce in my rice to make it extra tasty!!
5. This place deserves 5 stars and nothing less because it's fantastic!! A little on the pricier side but the meat is usda rib-eye. The service might be a little spotty sometimes, BUT IT GETS BUSY!!!!! They're great, they're personable, & if you're a regular, they get to know you on a first name basis... What's not great about that service.
This is one of the original Shabu places in SoCal and def. my favorite. I would go here anytime, any day, any weather!! -
Review from Alissa D.
Santa Ana, CA
So good! The staff is friendly and helpful, they know what you need - when you need it. It can get a little busy but I tend to go when they first open for lunch. The meat is really fresh and of high quality and a really big plus for me is that Cali Shabu Shabu is nice and clean! This place is definitely worth your money and if you haven't tried shabu shabu yet, this would be the place to try it!
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Review from Sarah S.
Anaheim, CA
5/1/2012
I love this place, and the only reason I give it a 4-star is because of the wait! Other than that, this place is amazing!! They have great portions for great prices and they have the best staff ever!! They are so fun and welcoming, and they are what makes this place poppin! I go here at least once a week, and everytime it has been consistently great! If anybody wants a great Shabu restaurant in OC, this is the place!
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Review from Liv E.
Irvine, CA
1/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
My all-time fav Shabu shabu this location is trendier than their Huntington Beach location and with a lot more seating.
500+ reviews there isn't much I can say that someone hasn't already said. Like their HB location my fav and best part about this place over other shabu shabu is their hot drops, ponzu sauce and udon soup base!! This place doesn't have fancy broth but it doesn't need it. It's quality ingredients that makes it real good.
Love their sizing and the names! I've seen some men order a side order of half a cow sliced thinly.
