My go-to non ayce shabu spot!! The food here always hits. They have alot of delicious and flavorful…read morebroths to choose from as well as alot of protein options from beef, lamb, and fish. They also have a garden plate for vegetarians so just about anyone will be able to eat here. Don't sleep on their drink menu either- the cocktails here are both pretty and delicious. Service here is always amazing; all of the staff is friendly and has great energy :) Parking here can be rough being in DTSA but there is a paid structure nearby. The inside seems a little dark and is only bar seating. There are tables outside for larger groups. The owner of Kaizen also owns Sonder next door so check that place out if you like the food here!

This review pains me to write but I'll keep it as simple as I can: yes, inflation is up. Yes, we…read moreare collectively boned as a society. I can understand how business owners, managers, servers, and customers are all caught within the vicious fluctuations of markets and so on. However, what I was recently served at Kaizen Shabu last week was, to my mind, an egregious example of a restaurant offering well below the bare minimum of what should be expected for the prices listed (and my photos will show this, I believe). At the outset, I want to say I have no grievances with the servers. Our server was kind, attentive, and was elegantly multitasking. Bravo. Now, the food: we ordered the salmon "sashimi" plate, and what we were handed was a platter of the thinnest, grainiest, obviously-thawed and poorly sliced salmon I've ever eaten in my life. I was a bit shocked. At Cal Shabu Shabu (and other shabu places I tend to frequent more often), sashimi is... sashimi. It *looks* like sashimi because it IS sashimi: a piece of salmon purchased by the restaurant and knife-cut into appropriate portions depending on what portion size the customer has ordered. It is sashimi that gleans in the light, where the striations of fat and tissue are visible to the naked eye on the fish itself. As you can see from my photos, we were served paper-thin salmon that I could barely peel off of the plate with my chopsticks without ripping the fish into smaller, grainier pieces. It was all but inedible, in my opinion. This is not sashimi, and to serve such a thing for the price listed is beyond atrocious: it is an outright deception. Now, onto the side of veggies and noodles that come with every order of meat or fish. Perhaps the cooks could not be bothered, but what I received was broken tendrils of 2-inch udon haphazardly thrown into a bowl. I'm not sure if this is an issue with the chefs, with a dwindling supply of food nearer the end of the night, or if this restaurant truly does not care about the quality of what they are serving customers. Again, I think my pictures speak for themselves. I used to love coming here as the atmosphere was chic, and the servers are so kind. After my last dining experience, however, I cannot justify the price of my bill in the face of the quality of the food I am being served. I won't be returning, sadly. I hope the manager has an opportunity to look at these photos and perhaps reassess what can be done to improve what they are serving their customers.

I hadn't been to Shabu Shabu Bar in a long time, so coming back felt pretty nostalgic. This was…read moreactually the first place where I was introduced to shabu shabu, and it's what started my love for this type of food. I remember it being really affordable back then, but of course prices have gone up over the years. These days, the cheapest small size is around $22-$24, which isn't shocking with inflation and higher wages. One thing that hasn't changed, though, is the tiny cup of ice cream they give you at the end of the meal, which is a nice little touch. The seating is all bar-style, which can feel a bit overwhelming if you're an introvert like me and prefer having your own space. That said, it's not uncomfortable. People mostly keep to themselves, and the servers don't bother you much either. They'll check in once in a while to see if you need anything, but they're not constantly hovering. What really stands out to me about this place is the goma sauce. When it's done right, it's seriously good--rich, nutty, and super flavorful. Honestly, it's one of the best goma sauces I've had, and it makes the whole meal that much better. Even after all this time, that sauce alone reminds me why this place left such a strong impression on me in the first place.

Love, love, love this spot! The experience here stands out from other hot pot places and I…read moreabsolutely love it. The meat is always high-quality and consistent, but my favorite part is what they do once you're done with the meat...they make your leftovers into a flavorful ramen bowl! Nothing goes to waste and it's such a fun, satisfying way to end the meal. Plus, they top it all off with a little ice cream at the end! Every visit has been nothing short of wonderful. Highly recommend!

I really loved this place bc of the price point but let's talk about the cons first. I really…read moredislike any places that charge more for certain broths and sitting fees when you eat alone.. I understand the one person sitting fee but when its empty or not busy or not on a weekend I feel like the establishment can exempt this. It sucks that I don't have any friends ans now I get dinged for it also while eating. :( Now, what I love about this place is that its 20$ for lunch M-F. You get to choose from mutton, which was fantastic and angus beef amd pork slices. You also get a side of pork crisper. I loved the intestines flavor and the gizzards. Those are definitely my favorite. I can really care less about the meat. The decor is really awesome and the whole setup is really cool. You order from QR menu and you can become a member. Their sauce station is plentiful but the desserts are lacking. All the skewers are really fantastic and my server was so nice amd helped me a lot. I will definitely be coming again!

- tucked away in a plaza with plenty of parking - we came…read morefor the all you can eat deal and it's so worth it! - the ingredients are stored in a fridge to keep it all fresh and you order some meats through your phone from a qr code - staff is kind and ready to explain how to order for newcomers - the mushroom base is delicious and so umami - all the ingredients soak up that good flavor - sauce bar is stacked with other flavorings like fried bun, peanuts, and fruits - loved the crispy pork - so airy and light, the spice at the side for dipping was yummy too

We had a wonderful experience at Haidilao! The food was fresh and delicious, and there were so many…read moreoptions to choose from. What really stood out was the service -- the staff were incredibly friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the meal. The restaurant was also very clean and had a fun, welcoming atmosphere. Our whole family really enjoyed it. We will definitely be back. Highly recommend!

The experience was good, and I would go there again. Making a birthday party was amazing here.read more

With the surprise closure of Red Flame, SO and I have been on the hunt for a new place for soup…read more As any fan of hot pot knows, there is a rare intersection of PRICE and QUALITY that makes a spot a repeat attraction. That makes it 'The' place to go, even if it's a little further out. I believe ZZ has the potential to be that place. When we stopped by it was empty. The menu was QR code only, I know this is a downside for some, not so much for me, but worth mentioning. There are 2 restrooms, single user, roomy and very ADA-accessible, the illuminated mirror is a very nice touch. And the food? First point is the price. You cannot beat this price, I believe. For two of us, our total was around $40-something. The food itself? Delightful. Attentive staff. The sauces available on the table were good. I did opt for mild heat level, since I like enjoying my food and not panting like I'm in Hell in this heatwave, and the broth was very good. A nitpick I often have with hot pot is that there is far too much cabbage, but in this case I felt like it was pretty balanced. All in all, I am excited to come by and give it another try. I have very high hopes for this spot.

We ended up here after our first-choice hot pot place had a 1 to 1.5-hour wait, and we were so glad…read morewe did! We took a break from a hot, long day at Disneyland. They seated our party of five immediately. The service was impressively fast--they flip tables quickly and the food comes out in no time. Interior was clean, stylist and spacious. The food was fantastic across the board. My nephew had the Taiwanese pot and I got the Thai pot; both were amazing and packed with different meats, seafood, and veggies, offering rich, multi-layered flavors. My oldest sister tried the Miso pot, which was nicely mild. The portions are huge! My mother and other sister shared the garlic noodles and shaken beef, and I even got an extra order to go for my kids--the beef was perfectly seasoned and the noodles were super flavorful. Everything was generously portioned, delicious, and very reasonably priced. Highly recommend, and we will definitely be coming back!

We went for a late lunch on a Saturday, it was fairly empty and we got seats right away. We both…read moregot the cheapest set for $35/person, I believe everyone might have to choose the same menu to avoid cross sharing. You get to choose a broth and order from the tablet as much as you want within 100 minutes, but there is a wait time between ordering on the tablet so I recommend just putting in everything you want at once, but also not over ordering because it's extra if you don't finish. The meats were nice, they were not as fatty and didn't have as much marbling so it could be a little chewy after cooking but for the price we really couldn't complain and it was still delicious. And I'm sure the higher priced menu sets have higher quality cuts. We loved all the veggies and noodles you can order and there was a sweet rice cake dessert that was absolutely delicious. Each order of meat was also quite large so I would watch out for how many sets you initially plan to order.

Prime Hot Pot recently switched their menu from AYCE to a la carte - while I had never tried them…read morewhen they were AYCE, I can say that the quality of their dishes and meats/seafood on their new menu is fantastic. In particular I really liked the grilled beef tongue and Wagyu platter. Of the two broths I tried (Beef Bone and the mild House spicy), I preferred the Beef Bone, which was rich and flavorful. The House spicy had a decent Szechwan kick to it even at mild. The staff here were very nice and parking is plentiful at the District. Overall definitely recommend to anyone looking for a good hot pot spot.

This is an authentic Hot Pot spot in Irvine that hits the spot if you're looking for spicy Chinese…read morehot pot. But be warned - the spice on their spicy broth is unreal. I'm Asian so I know how to handle spice, but even a level 2 on their spice level will be a bit painful. The interior looks newly designed, and the inside is very clean. The standout dish for me was the fried rice. For a hot pot place, they really know how to cook up a delicious fried rice. The meat was unremarkable, but with how thin they slice the meat at hot pot/shabu places, I've never been too impressed with any meats a hot pot place. The service is okay - you'll probably have an easier time communicating with the staff here if you speak Chinese, but even with limited English, there's not much to convey; and to be frank, with how spicy the food is, your typical Westerner might suffer here as I did (but in a good way). Parking is a bit tricky since the lot is small, but I always managed to find parking.

Authentic Chinese style spicy hot pot One of the most spicy…read morehot pot in the area! Beware to order less spicy if you can't handle the heat! First time trying fish maw broth here, comes with tons of Chinese meat, fish maw and jumbo shrimps Also ordered beef short ribs, goose intestine, duck paws, duck blood, shrimp paste in mushrooms ‍, tofu cubs and winter melon Snack bar is a must visit! Tons of appetizers, dipping sauces, fresh fruits and desserts. Jello is my favorite

Really enjoyed our experience at Tabu Shabu!…read more The marinated meat is definitely a must for extra flavor, and they have a great variety of homemade sauces. The whole place has a fun, modern vibe while still keeping that traditional Japanese hot pot experience. Came hungry and left SO full and happy. Would definitely come back!

Writing this review mainly to address the fact that yes this location does indeed also offer a…read morelunch special as well -- they just don't advertise it on their social media because it's not ordered often. I believe it's $16.00 for 3oz of protein (toro, brisket, or chicken???), and your own order of veggie plate, noodles, rice, and broth. It's up to you if you think the size is worth it for you to order the lunch special deal. I drink a lot of broth and am a very soup-driven diner, so I guess it's not a terrible deal, but I can see it being considered a small portion to those who eat more protein and carbs during their meals. At minimum, you can order more food if you're still hungry and the service is consistently friendly. Parking in this area can be stressful, but you'll figure it out if you're patient.

Came here with friends and ate good. Leilani was cool asf and hooked us up. Would only come back…read moreagain if she's our server

The broth, the vegetables, and meat, seafood are so good. We keep coming back. It's taste pretty…read moreamazing at the same time healthy.

Good service and good food overall. Would definitely recommend this place and happily come back…read moreagain.

Very good choice of different food of meat,fish and so…read more Ton-Yam based soup is my favorite if you need more broth just ask they will do it with pleasure The stuff also very kind and well experienced