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East West Shabu Shabu
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Food Specialty Food Ethnic Food Japanese, Ethnic Food
10130 Garden Grove BlvdSte 133
Garden Grove, CA 92844
(714) 590-6129
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Mon-Thu, Sun 5 pm - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- 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
108 reviews for East West Shabu Shabu
Review Highlights
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"and Spicy hot drops in the soup and the dip." In 12 reviews -
"We added the special "SOUP BASE" and it was soooo delicious." In 21 reviews -
"Just enjoy the tender meat and tasty ponzu sauce." In 11 reviews
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108 reviews in English
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Review from Katie T.
Garden Grove, CA
5/22/2012
I can count 5 reasons why I LOVE this place and here we go:
Reason #1: SOUP BASE, squirt your own! I call this liquid crack because it is seriously so good and makes all the difference. I've tried numerous shabu places and I have yet to find another place with soup base in bottle. It seriously makes all the difference!
Reason #2: HOT DROPS - oh yeah...10-20 please
Reason #3: Quality beef - Yum Yum Yum
Reason #4: Nam (the owner) is super nice and accommodating - service is always great when he is there
Reason #5: The price is right and did I mention, the soup base makes all the difference?
I used to come here when I needed comfort food. For a long time I would only come here if I wanted to eat out. Now that I've relocated and it's a further drive to East West, I don't get my weekly fix like before. I do make a point to come monthly though... =) -
Review from Andrew N.
Fountain Valley, CA
5/16/2012
Been going here since it first opened. Staff is very friendly. Nam and Tam are great! The place is very clean. Service is excellent! Food quality is amazing because everything is fresh! The pricing is decent, you're really paying for the service and trust me, its worth it!
Definitely recommended if you're in the mood for shabu. Every weather is shabu weather! -
Review from Chris D.
Garden Grove, CA
4/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
Of course, California Shabu Shabu is my all time favorite... BUT a pretty decent shabu place in Garden Grove only 5 minutes away from my house? I'll take it! I didn't enjoy the goma sauce that much but with a few hot drops, it'll cover it all up ;)
Favorite part: There's never a line. Honestly, I can't complain. East West Shabu Shabu, I'll see you again. -
Review from T N.
Garden Grove, CA
5/22/2012
I've been here probably a handful of times for lunch/dinner. They're pretty generous with the green veggies and the meat/seafood is mediocre. Location is pretty hidden and parking lot is big. The place is secluded in a far corner, but not exactly a hidden gem.
The prime meat is pretty big. It's place nicely on a plate, but gets extremely soft within a couple of minutes. The seafood plate was an extreme disappointment. The scallops were small as a US quarter and the muscle was tiny. Overall, go with the meat instead of the seafood- unless you're planning to eat semi-fresh products. Don't forget to ask the, for the hot drops!!!
The workers are nice, but can be forgetful. I've had my cards charged twice before and wrong drinks served when it wasn't even busy. Not sure if "forgetful" would be the right word to use or if they are just straight up careless.
I would come back, but I don't expect anything more than a 3-4 stars meal. I'm a big Shabu fan but it just so happens this place is down the long streets from my house, so I just have to deal with it. LOL. -
Review from Francesca N.
Costa Mesa, CA
4/15/2012
My bf and I love this place. This is our first time to try this Shabu place. The price is really good with good service.
I love their sauces and soup base. I totally recommend to me friends. -
Review from Katheryn N.
Westminster, CA
5/5/2012 8 Check-ins Here
One of the better ones in Garden Grove!!! I've tried their prime beef, salmon, fish & mussel entree and I liked them all very much! The owner is super friendly and the price is great!!!!!!!! :)
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Review from Leels B.
Irvine, CA
5/7/2012
This place is a decent shabu shabu place. I've been here several times and there never was a wait to eat. Sit down and get ready to eat. I've had the beef and pork. Quality of the meat isn't bad, I've had better but it still satisfies my shabu shabu craving. The service is usually very quick and I'm guessing the its the owners and they are very very nice.
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Review from Mya M.
Vallejo, CA
3/21/2012
First time having shabu shabu, and i completely love it!
From the look of other places, its usually your party sharing one pot, but at this place you get your own pot. There were 4 of us so we all ordered different meats and just shared for more variety. I thought it was definitely worth the $20 (Dinner) for the meat, soup, rice, veggies and rice. Not to mention the customer service was so friendly! My friend dropped her noodles on the floor and without even asking the server, he gave her more. Since this was my first time eating at a shabu place he showed me how to do it, which was very nice. I would come back here again! -
Review from Tracy n.
Fountain Valley, CA
2/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
Seriously i don't know why people give this place such a bad rating.
It just like any other Shabu Shabu place around here but with no WAIT!!! I love the fact that I can go to a Shabu Shabu and start eating right away.
Service: The owner is friendly and always ask if we need anything.
Price: Fair and they give you a lot of meat
Location: great location...I didn't have to look for parking. It really close so that is a plus.
I would definite come back whenever i crave for Shabu Shabu. -
Review from Nancy S.
Placentia, CA
4/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
Love this place better than California yeah that's right I said I think it's better and there's no wait. Love the fact that I can enjoy my meal with no wait and no obnoxious people bumping into me and talking waaaay too loud.
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Review from Jen R B.
Lake Forest, CA
Updated - 12/19/2011
Sorry!!! Still sticking to my rating!
If you get absolutely terrible customer service at a dining place and been refused to be seated and served... coming in before closing time...even after explaining to the place that I had invited people from long distance to meet at this place... do you think many sane people would try giving the place another chance? Especially driving out of the way to meet at this halfway point with people coming from out of town?!
I'd rather not go back, but thanks for trying to smooth things over.
I see another yelper try to complain about my yelp review and experience but fact is fact and I'm sticking to my story. This is why sites like Yelp is available so people have an opportunity to share their honest opinion and experience.
I was asked to consider that it was the night before Thanksgiving Holiday weekend and people want to leave early to go home to their family... well, in response to that, I suggest you think about the paying customers who are people that make an effort to drive all the way out to your establishment in the times they can get there... after they themselves have to work a full day and get off work when their work time is done. Seriously. I suggest if that's how you want to run your business, that is your prerogative but for hardworking paying customers - they should choose to spend their money wisely... at places where their business is valued.
**This guy Nam T keeps sending me ridiculous comments about my review of his place. Apparently he must be the owner or involved with this business. Please complain away, it won't change my experience or my review and shows poorly how you receive criticism and feedback. As a business owner, I would say honest feedback like mine should be valued so you can focus on your business more instead of trying to contact me and get me to write a compassionate review towards your business and have consideration for business owner. Please... don't bother. That's just ridiculous. Check out the comments he sent me. You sound so whiny. Move on! I definitely have.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/6/2011
Boo!!!! Minus stars if I could give that. I planned to meet some friends coming down to OC from LA… Read more »
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Review from Carolyn D.
Fountain Valley, CA
3/26/2012
I reiterate my allegiance to CA Shabu Shabu. Came here for dinner a couple times, once on a week night, another on a weekend night. It's always EMPTY. The meat is sliced thinner but feels really tough after it's cooked. The goma was dried out which gave it a thicker consistency than I've ever seen.. and the ponzu tasted strange.. perhaps off-brand. In any case I'm not a big fan of East West & it's not a bargain either.
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Review from Lan N.
12/29/2011
3.5
Sauces were on point. Seafood Lover lunch portion. Two piece scallop, two calamari, two imitation crab, one mussel, two butterflied shrimp, and two sol white fish. $12 bucks and I've had better. Should I have paid a dollar more to get just the salmon? Oh, but they did not have salmon because the delivery did not come in. Oh darn. A bit pricey for just lunch and the quality of protein was not impressionable. -
Review from Amy R.
Newark, CA
Ordered the combo meats Lamb and Beef
OMG The soup was sooooooo good. It was definitely a different experience (making your own soup), and it was alot of fun too. I went with my family and got my free check in drink that they had on yelp at the time, I think it was a iced green tea which was YUMMY. We arrived as soon as they opened for dinner and no one was there however by the time we left it was getting kinda of busy.
The customer service was amazing. Since I went wit my family, it was all our first time going to a place like this, the waiter was very helpful, showing us all the In's and out's on how to use the condiments and sauces. He checked up on us to make sure everything was good and talked to us made us feel very welcomed.
QUICK TIP: if you like spicy they have a habenero drop that you can ask for to make your soup have a bit of a KICK. Everything was very DELICIOUS!
If I lived in the area I would definitely go back. Next time I'll have to make a special trip. Hope to see you soon Shabu Shabu. =] -
Review from Matthew M.
Orange County, CA
9/27/2011
Great lunch specials. $12.95 for prime cuts of rib eye at this quality is a good deal. Very slow during lunch so I love coming here once in a while.
Only shabu place that gives you soup base and sesame seed oil on the table which is really cool!
This will be my lunch shabu craving spot as long as i'm in the vicinity.Listed in: Shabu Ranks
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Review from Kristha G.
Garden Grove, CA
3/12/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I love this shabu place! I am a shabu shabu fanatic and have been to so many in the OC area! The owner is a sweet lady and so is her nephew! They are very attentative and truly want the customers to have an authentic shabu shabu experience! I also checked in and got a free drink! Definitely going back here!
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Review from Wendy H.
Westminster, CA
11/20/2011
This was the place I went to for my first shabu experience so it always has a keen spot in my heart, but I noticed the quality has gone downhill over the years.
The service here is great. I'm such a regular here that both the man and woman that works here knows me. But they will talk to any other nonregulars as well to make them feel welcome.
I normally always get the prime beef. They are thinly sliced. There wil be times when you'll get the chewy part and times where you get more fat making it a bit more soft. You also get rice and a veggie plate. Your veggie platter comes with onions, tofu, brocoli, mushroom, carrots, cabbages, spinach, glass noodle, and udon. It's a fairly large plate of veggie too and that's what I like. Gotta eat your greens! I like to eat the rice with the meat first. Make sure to save a few slices of meat for your soup at the end. I would eat the udon and noodle with the soup as well. I don't care much for the peanut sauce but their ponzu sauce is the best! It's freshly made. Don't forget to add a drop of hot sauce in the ponzu sauce and your broth if you can handle the spicyness.
Some people I know have complained about the broth being too watered down and tasting bland. The trick to it is to experiment. The first few times I came here, I felt it was very bland. Eventually, I found out what works for me. Add soup base. Add salt. Add pepper. Add the spices. Mix whatever it is you like to flatter your taste. For me, I find it to be the best when I added LOTS of onions and garlic to my soup and also to my ponzu sauce. It adds an extra kick. Don't forget to keep experimenting.
Happy dining! -
Review from J. D.
Fullerton, CA
4/19/2012
A friend introduced me to this place and I've gone back 3 times since then, introducing other friends to the joint. It's just a tiny tad pricey and maybe not the absolute top selection/cut of meat, but all in all, you're guaranteed pleasant service and a satisfying, flavorful meal.
The biggest plus of this place for me is that I haven't once had to wait - there's always been seating open. Don't take that as a bad sign - it's just a whole in the wall place and kind of a discreet location, tucked in the far corner of a strip mall - which probably decreases traffic flow. The other attraction to this place is the friendly service provided by the owner and staff. The owner is more than happy to come by and offer spice to add to your sauces, make recommendations, and assist with your broth preparation. Every time I go, I try a different selection of meat - no disappointments yet - just delicious! Especially dipped in the peanut sauce - my mouth is watering just thinking about it! Yum! -
Review from Missy V.
Manhattan Beach, CA
4/17/2012
Love it. Great service . Good amount of food! And the sake is delicious. Nam is always there and they never skimp on the portion. Not to mention, they deal w my silly requests ! :)
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Review from QT P.
Anaheim, CA
11/10/2011 5 Check-ins Here
If you need a shabu shabu fix this is the place to go. The reason I like to go to east west shabu shabu is because the place is never packed and its not that far of a drive. It feels like my own little secret place, unitl yesterday when i was turned away. The guy that i never seen before said I was 5 minutes too late they closed the kitchen early because they got an unexpected rush and ran out of veggies. The place did look packed, not completely full, but I never seen it that full in my life.
But anyways that was bad costumer service on their part, I guess they didn't want my money.
The food at East West is inconsistent. Some days it hit the spot and other days I feel like I have been given food from the bottom of the barrow. The sauce are good and consistent, add a few drops of hot drops and you are good to go.
The inconsistency has to do with the freshness of the vegetable and the sliced meat. I normally ordered chicken and some days the chicken slices are in broken pieces and it must be dark meat because when i cook it, i have to leave it in a bit longer because its hard to tell if its cooked or not because it stays a pinkish color.
The other problem with this place is that they do not invest in hoods exhaust system to suck up all the steam so prepare to smell like your dinner. -
Review from Jennifer K.
Garden Grove, CA
7/20/2011 1 photo
East West is my go to place for shabu, and it never seems to fail me! I easily come here at least 2-3 times a week and get my fix of a satisfied tummy everytime. I get the regular beef, and at first glance it doesnt seem like it would be enough but its more than enough! You do get udon noodles with your plate so that you can make a soup base either in the midst of eating, or after you've devoured your vegi plate/beef. And as for the service quality, I've never had a problem. They are always willing to help all the new-comers to shabu and explain in details the steps of a great eating!
Oh- and don't forget to ask for hot drops in your dipping sauce for a life changing experience. Be caution: It is spicYYYYY :) -
Review from Tiffany L.
Orange, CA
11/5/2011
This is our go to shabu place. We love the service here! The owners are always so nice, especially when we bring our grandma with us. The food is delicious, and we have never been disappointed. All of our plates come with a huge plate of veggies. Ponzu is made fresh here, and I crave the perfect acidic sweetness of it.
I always get the prime, and the meat is always perfectly cut and tender.
Husband gets chicken, hes always happy as well. He loves that they provide a soup base here, it really puts a kick in the soup. Also, my husband loves at least 10 drops of the hot drops, which i think is crazy.
When we bring our grandma, she gets the chicken and pork combo. She always enjoys her experience here.
Ive had many shabu places before, and what brings us back is the great service. They're super fast, unlike how slow Koji's used to be. I highly recommend this place if you like shabu! -
Review from Andy N.
Wow this place was not crowded at all on a Saturday afternoon. I came in and seated immediately. The sauces were all set out and the tables very clean. With just one lady working she was very attentive to my needs. The menu is easy to order from and the quality of the food here is fresh.
I went with the prime beef for lunch. It came with lettuce, brown rice , spinach , tofu , broccoli , mushrooms, carrots, and udon. The peanut sauce here was okay. The ponzu sauce here is awesome and more citrusy than other places. The meat quality was superb and I was really full by the end of my meal. I only left back a few pieces of udon and cleaned up everything else. I'd come back again.
Recommendation: Prime beef shabu shabu. -
Review from Grace K.
Stanton, CA
7/21/2011
East and westie!! this place is http://bomb.com!
I come in here often with friends! i love this place. My friend told me it closed down so i was bummed but then I saw my other friend post a pic on her fb So my friend tried to play me but i found out they werent closed =)
I usually get regular because i figure they all beef hahaha. and Spicy hot drops in the soup and the dip! bombs. =) There eggrolls r really good as well.
after i eat this i dont feel gross i feel that it is healthy and a good source of veggies and protein! :)
great service to. happy that theres a decent shabu place in GG. -
Review from Kaela H.
Orange, CA
4/30/2011
I LOVE Shabu Shabu, and I'm still on the hunt for a Koji's replacement. Visited this spot last night (a Friday) around 6 to beat the rush. This place is in the running, but in no means has it haulted my quest.
When we arrived we were the only ones there and were welcomed by a young guy and he sat us close to the wall. After we were seated he asked us to move over one more seat and sit directly against the wall under the TV so neither of us could watch it. WTF? We were the ONLY PEOPLE THERE. Oh well, the owner had decided they were watching the basketball game anyways...snore.
Before we even ordered, our veggie plates were brought out which my pain in the ass usually customizes. When I asked the guy if I could sub out most of my veggies for broccoli and carrots he said I could order separate sides @ the cost of $4 per small plate. (An extra $8 for carrots and broccoli?!?!) The cabbage looked old and wilted like it had been sitting uncovered in the fridge (hence why they were readily available seconds after our arrival?)...but who gives a shit, I don't eat the cabbage anyways. Here you get mostly cabbage, a little bit of spinach, 2 ice cube size chunks of tofu, around 10 pieces of the clear noodles, 5 pieces of udon, 2 rings of onion, ONE FLORET OF BROCCOLI, and 2 slivers of carrot. The veggies are my favorite part usually, but their chincy selections and offerings were a bummer.
The ponzu was fantastic, super citrus-y, just how I like it. However, I was disappointed with the super thick and pasty goma (perhaps Kojis ruined me with their thinner more-sesame-than-peanut-y goma). The meat (I ordered the "reccomended" prime) was the same as everywhere else and just fine.
I did order my extra $8 in veggies so I did enjoy my meal and the food was great (I did make it myself, after all). I was slightly uncomfortable with the way the server and owner were hovering, but not in a friendly way...almost like they wanted to make sure we were "doing it right" and were judging us.
I will probably try another few Shabu places before I return to this one again, but I haven't ruled it out. -
Review from danserey n.
Garden Grove, CA
8/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Since I've always was a regular at Koji's at the block of Orange. That place has since shut down and closed. Last night I decided to try this place out for dinner. Might I say it was delicious and fairly priced! I ordered the premium beef (large) for $16 and seafood combo $19.
This place had two waitors, which was enough and the sauces (peanut & dark) sauce. Delicious! The peanut sauce seemed to be nuttier than other places, but it was still declious. We ordered two bud lights came out to be short of $40, not bad for a dinner date LOL.
I've had Koji's, California Shabu Shabu and ultimately I like this place the best. Small spot near the house and great service & food.
Highly recommended it. -
Review from My N.
Stanton, CA
3/30/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This place is down the street from me and their shabu shabu is delicious.
Plenty of parking
Good service
The owner will play tv channel upon demand! -
Review from Anh L.
Santa Ana, CA
12/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
shabu shabu? hell yeah!
close to home? hell yeah!
shabu shabu close to home? HELL YEAHHH!
this place isn't bad at all. i like it just as much, maybe even better than California shabu shabu. It feels less hectic here, smaller crowd means i don't have to wait, and also get better service, which is always a good thing. Food is good too, what more can a hungry girl ask for? maybe some fried ice cream for dessert would be nice...
OH YEAH, check in on Yelp, you'll get a free soft drink. -
Review from Thao V.
3/9/2011
This is the only place I go to for shabu shabu. It's down the street from where I live and there is never a wait. I usually get the prime beef. It comes with rice and a plate of veggies, udon, etc. The beef is fresh-love it. My gf ordered the vegetarian plate. Let me tell you = waste of money. You get the same exact thing for the same price if you were to get meat! I thought they were going to bring out plate of veggies that I wouldn't get on mine. The only noticable difference: she got squash and I didn't. I told her to order beef next time and I'll eat it. :)
Tip: They put this hot sauce drop (I think it's habenero) if you ask for it. I usually ask for two drops in the pot and one drop in the sauces. I suggest starting off with one and if it's not enough for you palette, ask for more.
Service is OK. If it's your first time having shabu shabu they will explain to you how to season your soup.
Gawd, now I want some more. It's so good and refreshing! -
Review from Lisa N.
Santa Ana, CA
Came here for dinner and I got seated right away, it was not crowded at all. The man working was very attentive and friendly.
The prime beef was good, the sauces were pretty good as well. The goma sauce wasn't as great as California Shabu Shabu but it's much better than other places I've tried. The ponzu sauce had a good citrus taste to it. Also, I had to have the hot drops added to my sauces because I love eating spicy food.
The meal overall was fulfilling, I don't often ask for much after I've been served except the occasional refill on my drink, but it didn't stop the server from checking in to see if I'd like anything.
I'd definitely come here again when I don't want to wait in line at California Shabu Shabu. -
Review from Live O.
Irvine, CA
12/17/2011 6 Check-ins Here
This place is my go to shabu. I think it's alot better then california shabu.
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Review from Jinra I.
Anaheim, CA
12/29/2010
Regarding the MSG claims a few Yelpers have, I find them to be very false. I've eaten at East West Shabu Shabu, plenty of times without feeling sick.
It's hard to screw Shabu Shabu up, so it's a feat for most Shabu Shabu restaurants to stand out. East West accomplishes 'standing out' by providing a cozy clean atmosphere that isn't cramped, excellent service, decent prices and that special hot sauce that's served in the small dropper bottle. Anymore than a drop of that stuff in your Shabu Shabu and you're just asking for it.
What I especially love is that it's one of few places that doesn't let the excess Shabu Shabu soup go to waste. At East West, it's converted into udon soup. Amazing on chilly days. -
Review from Lica N.
3/3/2011 5 photos
Dude this place is like 5 min from my house and didnt even notice it!! The parking lot where this place is locate is so dead that I always just drive by. So sad!!!
Anyway I went with my the bro and sister in law. They wantes something different then their usual grub when visiting from the valley.
Of course when it comes to shabu shabu or sukiyaki I usually did it at home and very rarely went out to eat it. Of course its much cheaper to go out and eat. This place had a really good price too.
The place had 8 or so customers already when we got there. Looked through the menu and placed our order. The service was good and the guy (i thinkg is the owner) was very attentive. Came over several times to see how things were.
Everyone enjoyed the food. My SIL who is mexican and loves japanese food needed a kick in her soup. The guy brought over this special red hot paste looking thing and said it was extremely spicy and that you would only need 1 or 2 tiny spoon full. Well he was right, thats pretty much all it took. It was definately spaicyyyyy!
I would've like more undon but thats just me. All in all I liked the place. Its clean, friendly, tasty and most of all its close to my house! -
Review from Steph N.
Huntington Beach, CA
3/13/2011 1 photo
We decided to try this place out last night and was quite disappointed with our experience. I don't know if the waiter had too much going on or he was just plain forgetful but my husband had to remind the guy about bringing his beer 3 times, I ordered the combo #1 (which is 1 type of seafood & 1 type of meat) and got no seafood, and lastly he forgot to bring out the brown rice which we reminded him about twice!
Despite the waiter's forgetfulness the food was just alright. I don't think we'd go back again. -
Review from Thanh P.
Huntington Beach, CA
2/28/2011
My new favorite shabu place. Never gets to crowded... slices of meat are a tad thicker than other places that cut them see through thin. I like my shabu a bit thicker since I only dip it into the water for about 5 seconds and like the inside to stay more rare.
I had the miso broth but didn't think it was anything too special. I'm mainly giving the 4 stars because of the quality of meats and veggies coupled with the portions and for a decent price compared to other Shabu joints. I think it far excelled in quality/portion/price.
The ONLY reason why this isn't a 5 star was because I felt service was a bit lacking here. Only 2 people manning all stations and payments. They didn't bring me out my rice and I had to ask twice for it. Other places my water would never be empty but seems like i'd have to ask for it here. Sauces don't get filled automatically and service in general is a bit slower. By no means do I mean the service here is bad, I just think they've got their hands full with only 2 people to handle everything including payments. I would forget stuff too if I had to handle 20 different orders, fill their waters, and collect payments. 1 more person to handle their stream of customers would be great but even if they didn't, I'd still come back. I'm not a stickler but for that reason its not 5 stars.
PS I love the fact that they use the drops directly into the hot pot. I find my meats to be much more enjoyable this way.
and if the owner is reading this please get better filtering ladles, the ladle with the big holes just doesn't cut it. I think the purpose of the screened ladle is to filter all the dirty gunk out of your broth so your food is cleaner. When I pour my broth into my bowl I like to pour the broth into my bowl with the screened ladle in between to catch all the contaminants. -
Review from Tom L.
Anaheim, CA
12/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Best place ever, Jen R.B. Does not know what she's talking about
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Review from Jane A.
Newport Beach, CA
12/19/2011
Great Shabu spot. Not too pricey, about average for a Shabu spot. The food quality was very good and service was surprisingly good. Most seem to have really bad service, don't know why. Wish they stayed open later like most other restaurants in the area. They close at 9.
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Review from Zody H.
Garden Grove, CA
9/25/2011
I used to really enjoy this place a lot, especially since I never had to wait (unlike cali-shabs). I went in for dinner tonight. I haven't had shabu since maybe April, so it's been a while. What a disappointment. This was really my go-to place for quick bite of shabu and they never really let me down. Now, prior to tonight's visit, I would've given it a 3-star... I guess I feel generous giving them two instead of one simply because of my past experience.
When we first arrived, we were greeted as always. I'm a pretty complicated girl when it comes to how specific I want things. My normal shabu consists of a veggie platter of udon, 3 cubes of tofu, and mushrooms. When I went in tonight, I decided not to be too picky, but I did request no cabbage. The owner, who is usually pretty pleasant with us, seemed displeased that I asked for no cabbage and more of the other vegetables. While he wasn't mean about it he seemed like it was such an inconvenient request and responded with, "hm... well.. it was already prepared, but okay..." I didn't see why it was a problem especially since my request wasn't nearly as demanding as what I normally ask. They were pretty cheap on vegetables, they gave my boyfriend and I ONE (1) piece of broccoli each. I think it's a restaurant norm to give more than one piece of a type of vegetable. If you're gonna give one, why give any at all?
The sauce... you know, you'll never get a sauce quite like Cali-shabs and I don't think anyone can argue that. I didn't expect it to be, but I did expect it to be the way I've had it before. The sauce this time was terrible. By terrible, I mean... I normally ask for two bowls of the goma-dare sauce, but I maybe had like 2/3 of the bowl of sauce. I was so disappointed. It was too sweet and it seems they either bought cheap pre-packaged goma-dare sauce or they added some weird agar powder. It became like gelatin and artificial. It was really gross. You can tell it was packed with sodium. I've had goma-dare sauce that has tasted better than that. It was GROSS. I pretty much lost my appetite after that.
So then they brought out the meat.. It was chewy and they gave us a cut that wasn't fat, because when it was cooked down it was hard to chew. My poor boyfriend accidentally bit the inside of his mouth from chewing down the tough part of the meat.
It was about $35 for two (tax & tip included) for regular meat shabu shabu.
I will be returning to Cali-shabs, because even though the wait sucks, I never had to pay for button mushrooms, the sauce is consistent, and the workers never made me feel like I asked for too much. I'm disappointed that I'll never go back to this place, because of this one visit. -
Review from Keycee D.
This is my new favorite Shabu Shabu place! My boyfriend and I came here last Friday. We got the mixed sea food and Beef, and 9 Pcs of beef on the side (yah, we eat a lot), but it was really good! They didn't charge for extra rice and the service was great.
The other places i've tried, beef is already $28 dollars, compare to East West, both the sea food mix and Beef were only $16.95 each! and this place has more sauce/seasoning compare to other ones..
I'm glad I finally found a near by, good priced Shabu Shabu! -
Review from Chau N.
2/27/2011
The food good.
I ordered the seafood lover and prime beef. @ $16.99 (dinner) each, the prime rib was good, but the seafood lover was not worth it; the portion was small.
The portion comes with udon, vermicelli, veggies, and rice. This is plenty for one person, especially if you're a girl.
The lychee sake was good for the prce ($7 sm/ $9 lrg - cold & filtered). Very smooth.
I would come back again, considering there are other shabu shabu places that are a little bit pricier.
