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Shabusen Yakiniku House - CLOSED
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Barbeque Restaurants Korean Japanese, Barbeque, Korean [Edit]
2993 Granville StVancouver, BC V6H 3J6
Neighbourhoods: Fairview Slopes, South Granville
(604) 737-6888
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
39 reviews for Shabusen Yakiniku House
Review Highlights
39 reviews in English
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Review from David W.
2/13/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This place is no longer open.
I recently called to make a reservation only to discover their phone number is no longer in service. I called the downtown location to inquire about the new phone number and was horrified to learn that they closed down the Granville location. The only Shabusen in Vancouver is the one downtown.
Famous for their terrible service (which seemed to improve after the word got out), all you can, reasonably sized menu, a phone they never answered, and middle of the road pricing especially their $14 all you can eat lunch, this was one of my favourite student / post graduate hang outs.
All things considering, and despite unpleasant service, I have fond memories of this place. The fact that Shabusen had the ingenious fusion of Korean BBQ and Japanese food with a strong western influence consistently made this place extremely popular even amongst my less adventuresome friends. Their private back rooms were exceptional for large groups of people and if you didn't mind hunting down your server you were in for a great time. It was an experience to say the least and perhaps the best place to take a wide range of people as the menu was large enough to accommodate most personal preferences and rarely did I see one of my friends not find anything they didn't mind.
I've tried the downtown location but lacked that certain X factor that made the Granville Shabusen a step above. I'm not sure whether the food tasted worse or the feel of the downtown restaurant tried making itself more upscale, but I always liked the unapologetic and honest nature of the Granville Shabusen. Get in, eat well, get out. -
Review from Derek W.
1/26/2011
Tips for enjoying Shabusen:
-The so-so sushi and sashimi is merely garnish for the plates and plates of delicious yakiniku (Korean meat you barbecue yourself) that you should be ordering.
-Be careful of the occasionally still-frozen sashimi.
-Don't be afraid to wave madly to get an over-worked server if one doesn't come around for ten minutes.
-Make sure you finish all your food!
-Head to the salad bar and get some fiber. After eating all that meat, you'll need it - it's nature's broom!
This place isn't fantastic, but it is the only game in town for Yakiniku, so it is worth visiting if you like bbq. -
Review from Jessica O.
Vancouver, BC
You need to be prepared. This sushi is not very good.
BUT... it is perfectly acceptable when you want to spend 20 bones on All You Can Eat and get a huge array of different bits and bites - a piece or two of nigiri, a couple of avocado rolls, a weensy bowl of sunomono, a cube of agedashi tofu, some gyoza - I want a bite of all the sushis!!! If you are a meat eater, the Korean BBQ is also included in the price and from what I remember it is the best part.
The best deal, hands down, is the lunchtime All You Can Eat special. About 12 bucks, and although it is a limited selection it is still quite varied. The fish is mediocre, but fresh due to the incredibly high turnover - speaking of which - always make a reservation!
This is a classic go-to for birthday parties in my group of friends - everyone leaves stuffed and tipsy for under 50 bucks. :DListed in: Vancouver Sushi Hits and…
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Review from Eric C.
Burnaby, BC
11/15/2010
Sushi and Korean BBQ?! I'm in.
Shabusen is a favourite spot of mine in Vancouver. However, I rarely go anymore. The lack of parking is always a problem and really, I'm cooking my own food. I'm paying someone to let me cook. Regardless, when I do feel the need to burn meat on a grill that I don't have to clean myself it's gotta be Shabusen.
All your basic sushi selections are available including a rather good spicy tuna cone. The BBQ eel maki is nothing spectacular, but it does the trick.
In terms of offerings for the Korean BBQ, you've got your staples with beef, chicken, and pork all marinated and ready to be fired up. There are also mussels, corn, and a few other options to char and/or sear.
Service isn't memorable, but I do enjoy eating at the bar since this means that service is more frequently available.
Overall, I'm always up for another session at Shabusen. Just let me in your carpool. -
Review from Katy H.
2/22/2010
Who wouldn't love a place that serves "all you can eat" for $13 a head? I came here today with 3 other friends and between the fours of us I swear we ate $80 worth of food!
The sashimi and sushi was super fresh, the Korean BBQ meats were all flavored perfectly and the little grill on our table cooked everything to perfection. We had a fun time grilling our food (even searing some of the sashimi!)
With endless amounts of tea and water, dozens of sushi rolls to choose from, and a roomy table to seat all of us, we were certainly very happy campers. Next time I'm in town I'm definitely making a stop here.Listed in: Vancouver, BC
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Review from Cory M.
12/29/2009
Okay I know the lunch only costed $13 for an all you can eat lunch but I still expect quality food. The Korean food was pretty good and if that's what I wanted, I would probably give it 3 1/2 stars. But when you put sashimi & sushi on the menu, my expectations go up.
The restaurant was crowded when we arrived, but we still got seated fairly quickly. The service was okay (unlike the reviews I read).
As for their kani, by far the worst imitation crab I've ever tried. The only resemblance to crab was the color. I must say the quality of the salmon was pretty good. When ordering thier "spicy tuna or salmon" they just use their kochujong sauce on the fish.
But when I order tuna sashimi & sushi, I expect maguro. What I got was probably albacore tuna (if it was tuna at all)! It was some white mushy fish that probably just got defrosted, as it was was still very cold in the center. Who the heck wants to eat what would be canned elsewhere?!
The rest of the food was okay and I can forgive the super fake crab, but eating fake maguro is unacceptable! Why serve that as sashimi?! I think the yelpers failed me on this one. :( -
Review from Alvin N.
8/20/2008
The Best all you can eat Japanese restaurant in my Yelp Book =D
The Quality of Food was really great since I last remembered. Since Yelp Finally allows Canada Reviews, This is my review of past memories.
I will go here someday again to update this, but all I can say is this place has always been in my Sushi Raw Goodness Favorites. Imagine all the all your craving foods desire. Oh Canada eh, eat sushi eh now @ The Shabusen Yakiniku House. -
Review from Lyn C.
10/4/2008
All you can eat had a great selection to chose from. The food was all good, but what I liked the best was our cute little sushi boat booth. I loved being able to cook the meat at our table too.
The service was not all that good. I asked several times for my water to be refilled and every time, I was assured that I would get more water. I did not appreciate being lied to. A BIG no no from them was when we informed our waiter that one girl in our party was highly allergic to fish so to keep the fish separated from the veggie, fried shrimp, california rolls, etc. We specifically asked for the fish to be on a separate plate but when they came with our food...it was all on one plate.
Needless to say, I think their staff has communication issues. The food and atmosphere is great, but service needs work. I would have docked it down to 3 stars, but I really liked the food, eventually got my water, and my friend didn't experience any anaphylaxis.Listed in: Omega 3 via Sushi.
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Review from karen c.
Vancouver, BC
3/1/2010
Lunch all you can eat here is probably a better deal than their dinner all you can eat. Overall, this place is mediocre. There's Korean barbecue and sushi/sashimi/Japanese cooked food all in one facility. There's also a mini salad bar. You can tell the raw meat is over marinated - but at the very least it's not too salty. The last time I had their salmon sashimi I thought it was quite slimy.
This location is way better than the downtown location. I've noticed that the service is above average compared to other all you can eat restaurants.
When I'm craving for all you can eat, I usually think about Shabusen. However, it can be replaced easily as there's nothing that special about this restaurant. -
Review from Tracy P.
Vancouver, BC
8/31/2008
It's fun AYCE, but I don't find the quality of the meats and sushi, to be all that great.
Absolutely fun place to get a good group of people together for a meal, though. Especially if you can secure the boats.
Lunch AYCE is certainly more worth it, than dinner, as it's essentially the same menu, but higher prices that I don't find worth it. Not for that kind of quality.
Reservations are recommended, as this place, because it's so well-known and popular, tends to be really busy. -
Review from Brenna K.
Toronto, ON
9/15/2009
Okay I was wondering around Granville and looking for some Sushi. I saw this sign beckoning me in with all you can eat! I said to myself - look out pants, this one is gonna hurt. I was dining solo so I was afraid of not having anyone to roll me out as I tend to over indulge myself.
I did not order all you can eat as there was some rolls that I wanted to try that I could not find on the all you can eat menu. One of them I tried was the bc roll (i think) that has tempura yam and cream cheese (and you thought sushi was healthy!). I also had a spicy tuna roll and it was delicious. My lunch was under $10.
Really fresh and this place is great for a large group. The service wasn't great so I will take a star off. I did not try the bbq option but next time I will. -
Review from Anne B.
9/29/2010
$24/person, all you can eat sushi/sashimi, korean bbq, and lots of good stuff. What more could you ask for?
Our table of 7 probably ate $50 worth a piece. I love how you can order 20+ pieces of sashimi at a time. Just make sure you can finish everything you order.
I wasn't a fan of the spicy salmon sashimi, but everything else was good. I didn't set my expectations high as I know usually the food grade at buffets aren't the best. Tuna sashimi was still frozen.
Dislikes aside, the amount of salmon sashimi and scallop cones I ate, I'll definitely go back for this price. -
Review from Vincci L.
4/19/2010 1 photo
AYCE sushi AND Korean BBQ?! Ideally, this would have been the perfect combo, but when neither of the 2 are up to par, it makes it actually worse.
Came here Saturday night for a birthday dinner. There was 12 of us, we made reservations, and upon arrival, we were seated with no problem.
All you can eat is $21.95 here, which includes sashimi, sushi of all sorts, and other basic Japanese AYCE items- gyoza, tempura, miso soup....as well as Korean BBQ meats.
Their sashimi is your typical AYCE quality of fish, really not the best. The tuna was still a little frozen still so with time, it was actually sitting in a pool of water. Not the best tasting either. They have quite a few of rolls. Rolls are better than some other AYCE places. Avocado roll had a good proportion of avocado to rice, and none of their rolls had too much rice. Gyozas were decent. They did have my favourite corn croquette.
Korean BBQ: meat quality was ok, they were all marinated in the same sweet sauce. Made me very thirsty. Beef short ribs were the best out of all the meats.
There's something about trying to multitask cooking the Korean meats and having sushi that just doesn't quite work. You will spend time cooking, and then forget about eating.
I used to come here more back when I was still in high school. Back then, there didn't seem to be as many 'problems' with the food. Perhaps I've been spoiled by the other non AYCE Japanese restaurant, and my palette is much more experienced nowadays.
Service was slow, but it was a busy Saturday night. They more or so gave us the right portion that we ordered, and minimal mistakes were made.
Overall, I would come back maybe for someone's dinner party, or when I'm really very very hungry and I just happen to be in the area....otherwise, probably would head somewhere else. -
Review from Emily L.
Vancouver, BC
4/16/2009
Pretty Good All You Can Eat
I came here a couple weeks ago for lunch with a few friends. The food was pretty good- sushi was decently sized, sashimi was also a good size and all the other dishes such as the korean meat dishes had adequate portions too. I also like how you can specify the exact number of pieces of sushi you can order. The service was slow, though so we only re-ordered like twice or three times since the time limit was one and a half hours. For approximately $15 per person, lunch was a good deal. -
Review from Chris C.
6/23/2009
This review is for all-you-can-eat only.
Pros: Grilling your own food
Cons: Declining quality; Chicken is a pain to cook
I've been going to Shabusen for years since my parents took me while growing up. I've since moved away, but every time I come back home I make it a point to indulge myself in this unique restaurant.
Shabusen has Korean BBQ and Japanese sushi, along with various other items available for the all-you-can-eat. There is a healthy variety of food that should satisfy all but the most devout of vegetarians. Over the years I've even managed to advance my skills in grilling to make the most out of my meal.
With that said, Shabusen isn't one of these restaurants you can go to too often, lest you become morbidly obese. I don't think I've personally been there more than a dozen times, and I've been going here since I was in high school. It's more of a once per year thing.
I do notice that the restaurant's been in decline over the past few years. They've gotten more and more skimpy on the amount of food they'll give you, especially items like the sashimi. It doesn't matter the quantity that you write on the order; they'll give you as much as they feel like. The food gets salty and oily, probably because they want you to be full quicker so you wouldn't eat as much. The staff seem to be comprised mainly of apathetic high school kids with dyed hair and a lack of professionalism. You have to push them to get any results.
Whatever the case, Shabusen is a must-go for any visitor to the city. -
Review from Lynn H.
Vancouver, BC
8/9/2010
Where else could you find all-you can eat sashimi at that price! Every time I come here I throw down half a fish worth of sushi-grade salmon in one go. I am impressed that Shabusen manages to stay open... I would have thought that my family and friends would have bankrupted this place long ago.
Example: In high-school I used to come here with teammates after practice and watch my guy friends compete over how many rolls they could eat. It became somewhat absurd and absurdly gluttonous. Sometimes they would eat until they were so full that the last few rolls had to be discretely rolled up in napkins and disposed of in the washroom (so we wouldn't even get charged the left overs/take away price.
Note: Parking can be annoying on lower Granville depending on the time of day. It is often better to just take a bus (the 10 runs pretty regularly down this street and it saves you from having to shell out for pay parking). Alternatively you can look for neighborhood parking and walk down.
Anyways, thank you shabu-shabu for offering great sushi at an absurdly low price, we salute you! -
Review from Alanna M.
8/17/2009
I make it a ritual to stop at this place when we're in BC doing the day trip for exotic fruit. The service is fast, but I feel like the quality of the food has declined. The concept is great... all you can eat Korean BBQ and sushi. I think they took away their hot pot option which I did not see on the menu this time around. Their sushi is as good as it gets for an all you can eat joint. So that means... not so great.
I don't really think it's a kid friendly joint. Really tight on space and the hot grill at the table can be a definite hazard for a kid.
I need to find another spot to hit the next time we're up in BC. -
Review from Raymond O.
Vancouver, BC
12/5/2009
After having experienced both lunch and dinner at this location, I'm giving it 3 stars and that's being generous already.
It's funny that I had the same server during both times I came back and it's good to know that he does provide consistently service at the sub-par level. I guess he's assigned to the bar side of the restaurant at which he manages to disappear for long periods of time thereby abandoning any refill duties of drinks. He does manage to come back and show up to warn you of the time limit via a "last call".
As for the restaurant, I called to reserve a table to arrive in 15 minutes by 1:45pm and I was reminded not too surprisingly over the phone that their last call was by 2:15pm. I arrived prior to my reserved time, but they had no record of my reservation. Nice. And that missing reservation carries over to the food items that I ordered. Even the patrons beside me had to remind the server of their missing gyoza which they claim to have ordered right at the start. Just make sure you know what arrived before you remind them or you may end up with duplicate orders and wasted food.
On the other hand, food quality especially for lunch time prices of $13.50 (weekends) is good. You get to have up to 8 pieces of sashimi per person along with the usual all you can eat nigiri along with Korean BBQ meat items that you cook yourself.
No need to criticize the quality of the salmon and tuna sushi. I already said it was $13.50 all you can eat. That's all you need to know and your taste buds will understand from there.
Despite the lackluster service, I may go back again. I'll just make sure I have a reservation so I can have a different table this time and perhaps a better service will make my meal taste like it's worth more. Or maybe not. Who am I kidding. Did I say it was $13.50? -
Review from Janny W.
8/1/2009
In my opinion, it's a super fun experience. You pay something like $27 for dinner and you can have 2 of 3 all-you can eat choices: Shabu Shabu (hot pot), Sushi or Korean BBQ. My friends and I usually do the BBQ and Sushi deal.
It's super fun because you get the menu on paper and you mark how many plates of meat or how many pieces of sushi you want. Their sushi menu has everything from rolls to agedashi tofu. Since it is a pretty large menu, it's fun to order small orders of everything to sample. I especially love their coffee jelly dessert.
What I dislike about this location is that since it is near the popular Robson St, it is hard to find street parking and service is kinda slow during busy hours. Oh, and definitely call in advance to see how long the wait is. -
Review from Lisa L.
4/15/2010
Ingenious combination, sushi and korean bbq, all you can eat!
I love that you order from a waiter and items are made to order. I don't have to worry about germs and refrigeration issues.
The sushi and sashimi are pretty tasty, as is the meat. Loved that I could sear the salmon and tuna sashimi a bit in the bbq pit. Skip any fried item and the yakisoba, it's so-so and not worth the stomach space.
I prefer this Granville location over the downtown one, its larger, clean and easy to find parking. One downside, this location did limit the amount of sashimi we could get, whereas the downtown location did not.
I'm pretty sure they lose money when I come around, lunch is only $13.50 CAD, but hey, I've brought a lot of friends with me! -
Review from Jando S.
8/13/2008
Shabusen is a must visit for gluttons and Japanese food lovers coming to Vancouver. The location of the restaurant overlooks a nice part of Vancouver and features fairly upscale decor. However, the major sell for this place is the all you can eat Japanese BBQ and Sushi. The last time I ate here it was roughly $20 for everything and the food was pretty decent.
Service was nice but slow during my last time here. As a result, my group and I didn't get as much food as we thought we could have. The BBQ was good and the sushi was okay. I will have to come back here again and take an opportunity to sample everything. No matter what, this is a great destination for couples and groups, hungry for Japanese Yakinuku and Sushi. -
Review from Anita T.
Toronto, ON
8/15/2008
Definitely one of the most well known Japanese restaurants in Vancouver, Shabusen lives up to its name. The location is beautiful - on the second floor of a building in a very trendy area with huge windows in the front.
If you're not ordering off the "All-you-can-eat" menu, there is so much selection to choose from. Any type of Japanese fare that you could imagine, you will find. From Sushi and Sashimi to Udon and Yaki Soba, everything is delicious.
The one thing that I think they could improve on is their service. While the staff is perfectly friendly and the food comes out fast, it is sometimes hard to get the servers attention as they don't come around to the tables as often as one might like. But other than that, this is definitely a restaurant you'll want to check out in Vancouver. -
Review from Kyle K.
8/18/2008
I cry every time I think about this place.
Is it because their selection of all you can eat is amazing? Yes
Is it because everything from their hand rolled spicy tuna and BBQ meats are out of this world? Yes
Is it because my friends and I drove up to Vancouver JUST to eat at this place but depressingly discovered they were full until closing? HAIL yes.
Shabusen is one of the best restaurants I've been to. Not necessarily for their service (which isn't too bad), but their food!
Just remember to call in advance before you visit this place, *tear. -
Review from Sheila W.
BC
12/23/2008
It's a dining experience that sticks with you for hours ... days ... just sniff your clothes again ...
Yes, there are open flames in holes in the middle of the table where you can grill loads and loads of raw meat that they bring to your table. This can be a fun dinner, if you don't mind being in a meat-coma afterward. Ask yourself: Can I stop, or will I try to get my money's worth?
If you don't think you can stop -- you've been warned!! You'll go home and lay on the couch rubbing your sore, bulging belly asking why? Why? Why didn't I stop?
It's a fun experience and you'll leave totally stuffed. But the quality is really not that great. It's fine, but quantity is what keeps people coming back. I'm still looking for yakiniku that compares to what I ate in Japan.
Another bummer about this place is that they close between lunch and dinner. No afternoonsies here! -
Review from Luisa S.
Vancouver, BC
11/3/2008 3 photos
The emphasis here isn't so much quality as it is quantity. Everything here is generally okay and you can definitely get more than your fill on a mere $20 for all-you-can-eat (tabehodai!)--provided you don't indulge too much in the Asahi. They serve sushi, sashimi, grilled seafood and yakiniku prepared Korean-style.
To call this place a fusion restaurant is a bit misleading in that it doesn't serve food that demonstrates a blend of two different kinds of cuisine. Rather, they serve two different kinds of cuisine, each one being very distinct. The seafood is generally quite fresh and they're too stingy when it comes to providing customers with higher quality meats.
This place is consistently busy so a fifteen-minute wait is on-par with the Shabusen experience. The service is generally good but be patient as it does take some time to flag them down and get the Sapporo you ordered twenty minutes ago.
Rec: leave your knits at home unless you want them to smell like grilled meat for the rest of its life. -
Review from Vince T.
8/31/2008
So the first day of my trip to Vancouver concluded with a visit to Shabusen, where my friend and I met up with a group of friends going to Whistler. We got to the area first, but spent a good half hour trying to find the entrance. Eventually we found this place, and boy were we happy to get here. We did have to wait a bit to get a table, but eventually we got to sit down and started devising our plan of total conquest of the food which was about to be laid in front of us.
The food was phenomenal, with all you can eat sushi, bbq meats, japanese food, etc etc overflowing on our table. I'm pretty sure we went through 9 slips of order papers, where you write down how many orders of each dish you want and give it to the waiters. Service was decent, as they didn't mess up our orders or take too long to deliver our food.
Like i said in my post about Richmond Sushi, it's because of places like this that will make me visit Vancouver a whole lot more. -
Review from Stephanie M.
Vancouver, BC
12/12/2010 3 Check-ins Here
I've had mixed experiences here (ie. some more impressive than others), but I still conclude that the sushi is excellent and the variety on the all-you-can-eat menu is better than average, even without the Korean BBQ (which I always ignore in favour of sushi).
My favourites are the house roll, spicy chopped shrimp roll, and the spicy tuna cone, as well as the sashimi. I have been frustrated with some of the servers here, who literally seem to run away from your table before you can make any simple requests for water or napkins, but on my latest visit, our server wasn't as rushed and we were able to catch his attention when needed.
This will never be the super long and drawn-out fine dining experience of somewhere more upscale, but I really enjoy the sushi and the overall atmosphere. If you're with some people who only want sushi (like me) and some who want BBQ, you can get both, which is a bonus. -
Review from Z Z.
Vancouver, BC
10/17/2010
Tasty and fun (you bbq your own meat). The spicy pork was excellent, and the sashimi as well. The waiters were a bit curt and not too friendly, but I find that to be the case for most all-you-can-eat places. The lunch all-you-can-eat is a really good deal.
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Review from Robby C.
6/29/2010 4 photos
First of all, come down here for lunch if you can because you will be saving about ten dollars Canadian compared to coming down here for dinner. Dinner is about twenty-three Canadian dollars for all you can eat sushi and Korean barbecue which is ridiculous because there is nothing like that here in the states that is even remotely comparable to the quality at Shabusen Yakiniku House. Initial parking is a bit to be desired, but after that experience you will find yourself sitting at a table surrounded by such an amount of food that you would feel as if heaven was really just a street in British Columbia.
The salmon and tuna sashimi is cut to almost a quarter of an inch thick and it seems that the food has only gotten better since our last visit here over two years ago. Also, definitely order the beef sashimi because every Japanese restaurant serves salmon and tuna sashimi, but how often is it that you get a chance to feast on endless beef sashimi. Descriptions do not truly do this place any justice nor do pictures, but the pictures posted should be enough to make any person fight off a watering mouth. Advice, try to to fill up on the fried foods or the teriyaki and instead opt for the various maki sushi and spicy tuna or chopped scallop hand rolls. As for the Korean barbecue, order up plenty of spicy beef and a few plates of lamb since you can almost never go wrong with either of those and just to round out a meal go for the cuttlefish and mussels because everything including seafood tastes better when you have to work a little bit for it. The only quip that our group had with this place is that there is only one type of sake served at the restaurant and it sadly is not exactly a sake you would choose to drink over a nice meal. Lastly, try to go with a group of six people or larger to score one of the more spacious rooms near the windows because the smaller tables are lacking in leg room forcing you to sit up uncomfortably straight especially for an all you can eat meal. -
Review from Maddy S.
Vancouver, BC
12/12/2010
I definitely prefer this location over the Burrard location.
1) It doesn't feel as crowded and you can get private rooms for parties.
2) There are actually some nice servers (though some rude ones too during the night rushes)
and most importantly... I love the manager at this location! Always running around and working hard but he's nice and seems to be enjoying what he does. Unlike the Burrard location manager whom my boyfriend and I nicknamed '45 Minutes'; he'll always ask in an angry tone you how many, if you have a reservation, look around the restaurant and say "45 minutes". Even if the restaurant is half empty.
Went here for lunch with a girl friend, and while we are petite Asian girls, we can pack down that food. We stayed there over the time limit eating what looked to be our last meal and the server and manager never rushed us out of there. They smiled if we made eye contact, refilled our drinks and gave us a thank you and good bye when we left. For AYCE, I'd say that's pretty awesome. -
Review from angela h.
10/20/2010
Came with 18 other people the day after Vancouver's summer fireworks extravaganza for lunch.
We were served very poor quality meat. The beef had a heavy iridescent rainbow sheen after it was cooked (that's meat sitting out for several hours; few people realize this) The salmon was ok, it has a few striations from drying out, but this is normal at any sushi buffet, still, I decided to stay away. We were also informed that there was a 8 sashimi limit per person. (due to our large group?)
I'm wondering if lunch consists of leftover meat from dinner. And try dinner vs lunch. Let me know if it's better, because I found lunch very disappointing.
Great for : starving college students, anyone who likes quantity over quality, your rough and tumble friends, hardy immune systems. -
Review from Kelly C.
Vancouver, BC
1/31/2010
Fun place to go with friends in a large group. Really fun with kids too, best to make reservations. Great food and service.
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Review from Siri W.
11/5/2008
Ah Shabusen. Beacon of many a trip over from the island and one of the few "must visits" my friends and I pre-ordained before every trip. Now that I'm a card carrying Vancouver resident, I get to enjoy this baby whenever I can scrounge up the funds (and that's not hard to do.)
For starters, this location is every bit as busy as the one on Burrard, so if you're planning to come, make reservations. And for God's sake bring a ton of people, 'cause this place is definately a "more the merrier" type of establishment.
If you're looking for a challenge, grab a few friends (read: a lot) and take on the All-You-Can-Eat special for around twenty-bucks. You can literally cram yourself full of every kind of sushi and sushi accessory (loadsa tempura, miso soup, edamame etc.) provided you leave nothing behind. Rule: Ya don't eat it, ya pay for it. So loosen the belts and man up, wusses.
If you want something a little less smorgadbordy, give the Korean barbecue a try. It's kind of a novelty thing, they give you the meat, you roast it yourself. It doesn't always make for the best tasting meat, but it's a fun experience and even funnier after you've had a few.
If you want something traditional and delicious AND are looking to get a great amount of food for your buck, try the bento boxes. For just ten bucks at lunch you get a huge and very satisfying meal and even enough for a doggy bag. If you're lame like that.
In addition...try the coffee-green-tea flavoured jello. I guarantee you've never tasted anything like it. Whether that's a good thing or not is between you and your god.
The Verdict: If you like sushi in large quantities and having indoor barbecues after knocking back a few jumbo-sized Kirin's, this place is for you! Seriously though: Great food, awesome service and friendly staff...Shabusen is where it's at.
Itadakimasu!Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Simon K.
Average for what you get. One thing though, you do get stuffed! And the oranges here are real good always. Wish there was more selection on the BBQ part of the menu, as the meats almost taste all the same.
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Review from Katy N.
3/17/2009
Do not like this place...they have all you can eat hot pot or korean bbq style....garbage!!
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Review from beki L.
Vancouver, BC
11/10/2009 2 photos
i keep rolling my mouse over the 3 star...then the 4 star... and im undecided on where i want it to land.
on one hand you get a fairly decent restaurant in terms of cleanliness and size but its in one of the best locations you can think of in terms of trendy shops and cafes around...then theres the fact that you have the option of bbq (for the ones who like to go to a restaurant and PAY to cook your own meal) or sushi (for the ones who like to go to a restaurant and PAY to eat your meal uncooked!)...or BOTH!
yes, it is all-you-can-eat...how fabulous! (you only have a 2 hour limit...so big parties better NOT arrive late!) quality is as expected from an all-u-can eat menu, dont look for any fancy dishes...but the service is pretty quick with the food (but there will be a 30 min delay for drink orders...if you left to get one from a close by convenience store, you might have beaten them to it... i dont know, it could've been just that one night we went...)
some highlights: full sized oyster motoyaki (mmm..so yummy mixed with a little bit of rice) * many sashimi + cone options (dinner only maybe?) * deliciously marinated meat (chicken, beef, lamb, pork, some seafood...for grill) * green tea + coffee jello (if you like green tea, you will like this little dessert!)
avoid this!!!! : teriyaki salmon (dry...nothing fancy) * gommae (blech)
the service was neutral...neither outstanding or horrible... the servers there could afford to smile and maybe make a little conversation. looking a little happy, even if you have to fake it, makes the atmosphere just that much better don't you think?
so, you can see why i have a little trouble deciding a 3 or 4 star rating... will i be back? if a friend were to have a dinner party here again, yes i would.... i wouldnt personally pick this venue to throw my own party though. -
Review from James P.
Vancouver, BC
5/28/2009
similiar to the downtown location, the food is awesome and delicious... everything is perfect except the unfriendly parking (takes forever to find a spot on the side streets at nights)... one thing missing from this location --- coffee jello... !!!
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Review from Alvin S.
Burnaby, BC
6/15/2009
I had way better BBQ than this place. This used to be one of my favorite places but the food was terrible and all the BBQ was so salty. Service was decent at best. Will not go back again...
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Review from will m.
8/4/2009
for all who know me, they know this is my favorite place to eat in vancouver. it's all you can eat sushi and korean and japanese barbecue or a hot pot. everytime i come here with my family or friends, we always leave having to loosen up a belt notch or two. everything is made to order, you fill out an order form, hand it to the server and the server will bring out sushi, hot food like teriyaki and gyoza and other items, and raw marinated meats that you cook up on the burner in the middle of your table. it's great food and good service and for the price, it's well worth it. parking is horrible here, don't even attempt to try parking in their underground lot because there is like only 10 spaces there and at least 6 of them are taken by the employees, but it is still better than trying to find a spot at their downtown vancouver location. the only thing this location lacks is coffee jello dessert the downtown location has. when in vancouver, be sure to stop by this place and come with an empty stomach. to save money and get the most bang for your buck, go there for a late lunch rather than dinner.
