We liked the idea of hotpot and bbq in one. So we decided to get the half and half dish. They're choices of meat are great! Though we were disappointed that this place didn't have bigger slices of the wagyu for the grill (believe me I would have like that). The service was great and very attentive with us and everyone else. Overall I liked this place! Id come back here, but I think I'll just stick with the grill. read more

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I love boiling pot. I love grilled meat. So when I heard of Halves I had to come and try it. Overall it was a good experience. You get free refills for the tea so I drank four glasses and had to go pee really bad. The only thing was the cheapest meat, around $18, the Angus meat, was not as tender as I expected. In fact it was a bit chewy. That's one star off. I am sure they have much better meat but they are expensive. The best meat will cost you $50. With that said I will come back because I want to try other dishes. I urge you to come and try it out because it's the only hot pot shop in Foothill Ranch and I don't want it tto shut down. There's not many options in south county so I want to support them. read more

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My husband and I have eaten here about 6 times. We keep hoping that the service will get better each time we go. We really like the food and an option for me as a vegan but they up charge everything. I don't order meat so to get vegetables, I must pay $2 extra per side rather than just exchange the meat for vegetables. You want rice? Another $1.50. The service is awful, as we sat for thirty minutes each time and no one fills our water or checks in to see if we need anything. My husband has to walk to the front counter to get our water refilled or more sauce. It is a frustrating place to eat and as much as we like the food option, we have decided we won't return. read more

I'll start by saying that I was intrigued by the concept and was excited to try Halves. Unfortunately, the taste didn't quite live up to the potential. The meat quality here is good, but there wasn't a huge difference between the American Wagyu and the Prime Cut. In terms of the grill, the Pork Torro is the way to go, be sure to leave it on the grill a little longer to get it nice and crispy. The disappointment came in the form of the Tonkatsu broth and the dipping sauces. The BBQ sauce tasted like watered down, store bought Char Shiu sauce...not good. The broth was also watered down and lacked the fullness of Tonkatsu based soup. As for the veggie basket, more than half was chopped cabbage and the glass noodles were thick and chewy. The worst part of it was the dry and cardboard like brown rice. Food (2.5 stars) Service (4 stars) - From start to finish, service was friendly, attentive and professional. Decor (4 stars) - Modern and comfortable. The only negatives were the tables were really long and makes conversation difficult. I really wanted to like this place and make it a regular rotation, but I'd rather go to a really good Shabu or BBQ place rather than settling for the half baked execution at Halves. read more

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I just ate one of my favorite meals here Not only is it delicious, it's affordable and our waiter, Michael was awesome! He walked us through the menu- the broth types, how spicy everything really is and the sauces that come for dipping/marinating. You're provided with 3 dipping/marinating sauces: Sesame (thick, sweet), ponzu (salty, tangy) and BBQ. I wasn't as big of a fan of the BBQ sauce as other reviewers- I enjoyed the bite from the ponzu and the sweetness of the sesame. Can't go wrong with any of 'em! You have 3 garnishes on the table for your broth and sauces: minced garlic, green onion and daikon radish to thicken up any of the sauces if you wish. I didn't know that was a use for it- you learn something new every day! Based on others' Yelp reviews, my friend and I had the Halves, with spicy tonkotsu broth, 1855 Angus cut, American Wagyu, Black Angus short rib and Prime short rib. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the 1855 cut more than the Wagyu- more flavorful. I preferred the Black Angus short rib over the Prime (is that backwards taste??). All were delicious though! A bowl of rice and a cute lil' bucket of veggies comes with the meal. I probably had more fun than others with my tofu- I marinated it in the ponzu sauce with garlic and green onion and grilled it- mmm mmm! Make sure to boil and then grill your onions and pair it with the rib! After the boiling and grilling, you get to put the noodles cleverly hidden under the veggies in your bucket into your broth and finish your soup! The tonkotsu broth was pretty salty but tasted so good, I didn't have a problem with it. It's smooth and oily- not spicy at all. Even though we were at the had to unbutton ourselves stage of the meal, we had to order dessert! We got the matcha shortcake and the snickerdoodle salted caramel ice cream cookie sandwich- ohh la la! Big fan of the cookie but not so much of the matcha. It's virtuously flavorless but refreshing nonetheless after a hot meal. I will definitely try more ice cream sandwiches! Make sure to leave some room. They come in 2 pieces so you can share Can't wait to go back! read more

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What do you do when you can't decide between shabu and bbq? Go to Halves, lol! I'm a sucker for cool restaurant concepts so I found this to be really interesting. The cookware is half grill half hot pot and each person gets their own! The place seems to be getting quite the attention. I went right when it opened on Sunday morning and there was already a wait! (It was very brief though, less than 10 minutes.) It's not AYCE, but you do get quite a good portion of food. Aside from the meats you order, you get a little bucket of veggies and noodles for your shabu. I went with the miso soup base - really flavorful! As for the meat, I tried the A5 Miyazaki wagyu, pork toro, and premium 1855 angus cut which were all pretty good to me. I HIGHLY recommend the wagyu. It melts in your mouth like butter... Overall I found this restaurant to be a fun concept and I enjoyed the environment. You get the best of both worlds here. read more

Halves Boiling Pot + Grill - Half shabu half grill! - Japanese Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

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Totally recommend Halves!!! I love how you can both! We tried both the shabu and bbq. Everyone there is so friendly and more than accommodating! We came with a toddler and they made it work. They were so great! read more

If I could give this no stars I probably would only for the simple fact that after waiting 10 minutes without being acknowledged by any of the service team I was summarily told that they were not ready for me and that they would need another 10 minutes. So in a restaurant where there are 4-5 open seats just feet away from me it is a little difficult to understand. The food certainly look good and there was plenty of energy in the place but as a guest you certainly would at least expect a courtesy of a hello and please wait for moment? But their rudeness and inability to help is something I couldn't get past so I left without eating. Good luck to anyone else that can get past that. read more

This place is epic. We went for dinner right when they opened and were the first ones there. The restaurant quickly got full as we dined. It was our first time and the wait staff explained the concept and the menu. They provided quick and attentive service thoughout the meal. We both settled on halves, I had spicy miso with American wagyu Shabu and the pork for the bbq. Just like normal Shabu they give you the gomae sauce and ponzu plus a BBQ sauce. The veggies were fresh, but we were lamenting the absence of bok choy. The Napa cabbage was good, but we just love bok choy. The broth was a decent flavor and the induction burners quickly heated the pot and grill. Both meats were delicious, the pork having a nice amount of fat that crisped up nicely. One thing to be careful is to not accidentally spill any Shabu broth on the grill, it will splatter and hurt you. I wish the Shabu side was a little bigger, but we managed. Needless to say we were stuffed at the end. The concept is unique, and we will be back for sure. Now that we tried the halves I might just do a Shabu or bbq only next time. read more

My first time going to Halves. Service was great and attentive. Love the concept of having shabu-shabu and a grill next to each other.

Shabu shabu AND kbbq, two of my favorites coming together! I love the concept for this restaurant and had to come try it when I had the chance. The menu is straight forward: you have a choice of shabu shabu only, grill only, or half of each. I decided to go with the "Halves," with tonkotsu broth (+$1), Kobe-Style Beef Toro ($20) for the hot pot, and Premium Pork Butabara for the grill. It comes with three sauces: creamy sesame, ponzu, and their house BBQ sauce. Personally, the house sauce was my favorite because it was a bit sweet. It also comes with white or brown rice, an assortment of veggies, and udon + glass noodles. The meat was above average in my opinion, and the broth was pretty good, but nothing too special. If you come here, get ready to spend about 1.5 hours eating, since it takes a while to cook everything. It doesn't seem like a lot of food, but it was actually the perfect amount, getting me full without being bloated. In total, it was about $25 per person (depends on the meat you choose), so a bit on the expensive side. This was a really fun experience, but definitely something I'd only do once in a while. read more

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Me and my fiancée were going to spend our anniversary in the OC area and I wanted to find a higher end hot pot place so we can have an amazing anniversary dinner and this place popped up, BONUS!!! They have a grill option too :D read more

Halves is a brilliant idea! I love the idea of half BBQ and half shabu! We ordered the halves prime ribeye and short rib for the BBQ, $26 plus $1 for the spicy tonkatsu broth. The girls each ordered the same. The BBQ meat was tasty and fun. The veggies didn't really grill up that well though. The shabu portion was spot on. The sauces were so good and the hot drops had the right amount of heat! This is a great location for the restaurant since there isn't anything comparable near by. We ordered a 1.8 liter bottle of Kikisui sale and only finished half so they put our name on it and they'll hold it for next time. The service was really good too. One critique, it would be nice if they had seafood options, maybe calamari, salmon and scallops for those who just don't feel like eating meat. The place was bustling on a Monday evening with a wait outside the door when we left at 8. Also it would be nice if they had the ladle and other shabu accoutrements on the tables. We'll definitely be back! Especially because we still have half a bottle of sake waiting for us. read more

Halves Boiling Pot + Grill - Halves! - Japanese Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

I like the concept of having shabu shabu and grilling your own meats. The place was fun and it was great to enjoy both options with friends and family. Food/quality - 4 stars Service - 5 stars Cost - 2 stars I was surprised how expensive everything was with the amount of food we received. read more

Amazing place! We were looking for houses in the area and was looking for a place to eat afterward. The concept of half grill and half Shabu is amazing. The meat quality here is fabulous! We were here when they had the special on the mizuyagi Wagyu and it is so good. So much better than the American Kobe. We ordered the short rib for the Shabu and 3 meat combo for the grill. It was all amazing! You can taste the meat quality. read more

Halves Boiling Pot + Grill - All finished! - Japanese Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

I saw my friend come here and decided to stop by since it looked good in her photos. It was a bit of a drive for me from Irvine but boy it did not disappoint! The meat was very good quality and I loved the option to have both bbq and hot pot because they're both yummy favorites! Service was a tad slow and it took us a while to wave someone down for the check but I loved the food so I'll forgive that. read more

My friend recommended this restaurant to me so I had to try this unique new spot! Shabu AND BBQ all in one meal?! This place is perfect for little indecisive me because now I never have to choose between shabu or kbbq because I can just have it all. hahah. I tried the American Wagyu Beef for the Shabu and Black Angus Short Rib for the BBQ portion. Both of the meats were tender and flavorful! Great concept, nice presentation, delicious food. The cons of this restaurant is that it isn't very easy to seat large parties. We had a table of 6 and there was very limited seating so we had to wait longer for our table. The server we had in the beginning wasn't very friendly and the service was slow. However, toward the middle, a server named Jason ended up helping our table out and he definitely made our first experience here great! He was polite, friendly, and checked back on us all of the time. Thank you Jason! Also, don't forget to try their ice cream sandwich dessert. Maybe I'm biased because cookies and ice cream are my favorite foods but this was amazing! The snickerdoodle cookie & strawberry ice cream was definitely my favorite flavor. So sweet and delicious! read more

Halves Boiling Pot + Grill - Japanese Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

A good and convenient shabu spot in FHR. we only did shabu and the staff was helpful. It was very flavorful and tastey!

I love the short ribs for grilling! The concept of half grill and half hotpot is not new but it is new for a Shabu Shabu place. Service: very friendly and helpful Food: come with many different options of soup base. Meat quality is quite high. It's the first time I see beef ribs as an option at a Shabu place. I ordered a Tonkatsu soup and it was pretty yummy (rich flavor). Unlike other shabu places that have only udon noodle as a part of vegetable portion, this place offers clear noodle as well. Place: has an impression of a sustainable, green feel to it. Modern furniture and interesting sauce containers. There are many seatings for groups and decent amount of bar seatings too. Cons: -There were about 3-4 groups, 1 of which was a big group that almost finished eating. There was also no line. However, food took about 15' to come out. Maybe they were short on chefs the day we came? -My glass had a food bit on the side when the server brought it out from the kitchen. read more

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Loved this spot. Went last week with my family and had a great experience. Staff is friendly. Also they have creekstone farms meat which is great for people looking for halal meat. I ordered the halves(half bbq and half Shabu). Meat quality was great. Will def visit here again soon! read more

The wife being Taiwanese she could eat hot pot "until the cow's come home" but we both enjoy grilled meats and veggies as well. So here you get the best of both worlds. Both areas for cooking are a little petite so you may run out of broth if you aren't an efficient cooker and eater. Not a big deal, I'm guessing they'll set you up with more as is normal. RIBEYE -- this was my grilled meat choice; slices were medium thick and tasted of quality beef and looked the part as well; the portion is adequate for price paid and with all the other food we were well fed; fatter pieces would have made me happier especially on the grill portion PORK BELLY -- my hot pot choice; I was hoping for the thicker cut but these flappy bacon-like cuts did taste good; 3 different sauces (sesame, ponzu and __________); miso broth (my choice); sesame is liquid gold. BROWN rice -- we topped it with scallions, garlic and sesame sauce which was nearly divine There was pumpkin and sweet potato; broccoli; cabbage; lettuce; string mushrooms (can't recall name); sweet peppers; another shroom (I'm terrible w/names unless they're the super common variety) The places has subway tile running rampant and is Japanese meets NYC inside with decor. STAFF are efficient and friendly. read more

I love an active dinner. Any place that has you cook your own food and I'm in. Halves fits right in but bring a twist on cooking options. Most places are either Shabu Shabu or Japanese / Korean cooking setups. Halves mixes the best of both. Shabu Shabu or typical grilling or both. I went with both and it was great. The vegetables were fresh, the meat was perfect and the service was great. They have great Shabu broth (I recommend the Spicy Chinese) and a descent selection of meats. I'd love to give this place 5 stars but I can't. This is not an AYCE place but with AYCE prices. $25-35 for a main selection is a typical price for a great Japanese / Korean AYCE BBQ. I realize that this is South County so I'm good with the prices since I don't have to drive far. The other downside is that the appetizer list is sparse and you don't get the full, pre-meal setup that you get at other places, and their meat selections are good but limited selections. However, what I ate was great. I highly recommend this place. I will be back soon. read more

Halves Boiling Pot + Grill - Two 'Halves' sets. - Japanese Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

UGHH! I can't rave anymore about this place. About a year ago, my brother took me here for my birthday since I'm a shabu fanatic! Nights are crazy so make sure u make reservations. I came on a afternoon on the weekend , score no wait! Sat down and noticed the menu had a changed a bit. We ordered what the waitress recommended to us and it was great! We ordered the American Waygu and the short ribs! We both ordered spicy tokontsu! Definitely always add in green onions and garlic to broth and sauces for more flavors! So recommend! I have nothing negative to say about this place!!!! read more

Came back again for dinner and definitely had a much better experience! After all, the concept is great for when you're indecisive and can't pick if you want KBBQ or shabu. Also love that they serve IPAs here. Nothing tastes better with your KBBQ or shabu meat than some ice cold beer! FOOD - + Half A5 Miyazaki Wagyu / Half Black Angus Short Rib ($55) - The A5 Wagyu is from Japan and definitely is very tender. I wish I grilled some of it because I only boiled it in my shabu broth. Regrets :( I definitely recommend grilling it if you get it so you can taste it both ways! Didn't think of this method till one of the friendly servers recommended what she does. + Half USDA Prime Angus Ribeye / Half USA Prime Short Rib ($29) - My boyfriend ordered this and was a fan! We were both stuffed by the end because they gave pretty big portions of veggies / noodles. + Sweet Mango Mochi Ice Cream ($5) - You get two mochi's cut into halves with whipped cream as well. + Uji Matcha Shortcake ($6) - Yum! Great to satisfy your matcha craving. SERVICE - Was much better this time. The servers were very, very attentive! AMBIANCE - Modern, simple and a bit dark. It's a very new and very clean design. read more

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Highly disappointed by the complete lack of customer service. Walked in at 8:15 this evening, and was greeted by one guy reluctantly and then told by another that they already did last call. They're posted hours are through 9 pm & when I asked-was told sometimes they close early when they're not busy?! (We've been here 5+ times and never need more than an hour) Halves is just ok and pricey for what you get but convenient to where we live. Sadly we won't be back, if we can't count on the hours being open as posted bc you're staff wants to go home early, then we'll stick to Mokkoji and Miyabi-both well worth the extra 5-10 minute drive & have never been turned away. read more

Nicely decorated and great ambiance. The food is so fresh I would certainly call it healthy and tasty. I had their signature half grill and half shabu combo. The pork soup base is the best I've ever had of all shabu places in California. I had the prime angus beef and the marble was absolutely beautiful. When I win the lottery I want to come back to try the A5 wagyu. Since they just recently opened there was no wait time to seat, but I can imagine being the only shabu joint in Lake Forest this place would become crowded very soon. Food was served in a timely manner and the servers were very energetic. Oh, did I mention I loved the music? Coming back for more soon. read more

Halves Boiling Pot + Grill - So pretty - Japanese Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

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Came the first week they opened awhile back and it was empty and was a bit hard to flag down our server. Second time back only because my friend wanted to eat here. Worth the try, but don't come too hungry! I got the prime ribeye and the prime short ribs. The short rib was tender and cooked really fast. Also, for safety reasons they do not add hot drops in your shabu pot. read more

This place is definately my new favorite spot in Lake Forest. As a Japanese bbq and hotpot/shabu lover, Halves offers top quality meat and tasty hotpot soup base. The quality of the meat this place offers are insanely good but the price is ultra afforable ( the price of their A5 waygu is probably the best in the whole orange county). If you are a A5 Waygu lover, you gotta try this place. Oh! one more thing, this place is definitely a great place for craft beer lover to hangout. I have never seen a shabu or Japanese bbq restaurant that offers draft Sculpin IPA and Lagunita IPA. For thr Sake lovers, make sure you order the Otokoyama or Kikusiu, super tasty. Whn you craving for both bbq and hotpot (mala soup 麻辣鍋/or shabu konbu or miso based soup) at same time, this place is your best choice in Town. read more

Halves Boiling Pot + Grill - Japanese Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

First I have to say that I'm not getting paid to write this review. As such it's truly from my experience. My husband and I were the very first customers when this restaurant opened couple of years ago. At that time there was not many Asian style restaurants in foothillranch. I had a review after our first visit and couple years later we re-visited again. 1) Suggested Tips are NOT calculated correctly. Owner is aware of this. Haven't been corrected for years. Some of my neighbors posted at the Facebook to watch out the bill. They list out each item on the bill, and automatically put a 18% tips as gratuity, before tax. On top of this, another 18% tips were calculated based on the total of tax + 18% gratuity + items you ordered. Most of the people would not notice that tips have been added twice. I pointed out this several years ago but I was surprised to see this hasn't been changed. 0/5 for this reason. 2) Concept I really like this concept that you can combine Shabu and bbq. I will give 5/5 for this great idea. 3) Food quality & taste - Soup: I've ordered Taiwanese/ Chinese spicy, spicy miso, and tonkoso as soup base. None of them is really special. - Beef I've ordered 1855, American Wagyu, ribeye and short ribs. Personally I liked the American wagyu the best. The portion is a little bit small. I will give 3/5 for the food. Overall I will give 1.5 (2) overall. read more

This place is the BOMB! My husband and I went on a Sunday before 6pm and were seated right away. We tried their halves (half grilling and half hot pot). I got the American Wagu and the prime short ribs. OMG the meats were amazing! We will definitely return again for the food and the service. For two "halves" the bill came out to be less than $70 that's including 15% tip. It was worth the experience. Nom nom nom! read more

Halves Boiling Pot + Grill - Halves: American Wagu and Prime Rib! To die for! - Japanese Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

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Watch your bill! Today we found they added 18% gratuity on our two person's bill. It is very easy to miss it, as the bill has a big area to write "Tip". The tip suggestion at the bottom is 18% and above of food cost+ tax+ 18% gratuity. Actually the tip should only be the percent of food cost. read more

Everything is perfect to me. It is a fun and memorable hot pot experience. Yum! I will be back soon! About the restaurant, simply and neat design. I really like the drawer that you can put your stuffs in. They also have a bar area if you want to go alone. About service, everyone is nice, scrupulous and patient. About the food, it's delicious. Meat and vegetables are very fresh. I think the way of the pot is special because half is soup and the other half is grill. The choices are bountiful. There are dozens of meat selections. This is probably the best hot pot place that I have been to. Please try this place! read more

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First time trying this place today and must I say, it was soooooooooo good! I had the spicy tonkotsu broth with American wagyu and angus cut. Pricing is decent. There's also a grill option. It was worth the 45 minute drive to narnia. Will definitely come back when I have gas. Yuh! read more

Halves Boiling Pot + Grill - Spicy tonkotsu soup - Japanese Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

This is a high level review. Overall 4.5 stars. Decor - five stars Very modern and hip looking. Gives off a refreshing feel when you're eating there. The white bar top, white wall, and wooden tables gives it a clean look. Food - four and a half stars Good quality meat but lacks in quantity so may not be appealing to heavy meat eaters. But then again you come here for the meat quality and be satisfied and not for ayce and be stuffed. Comes with a bucket of fresh assorted veggies and at the bottom there are vermicelli and udon! I believe there are free refills on veggies. Each extra rice bowl is 25 cents. This place also serves alcohol. Mainly a wide variety of sake. Few selections of beer. Got the halves with the cheapest option. Sauces provided are sesame and ponzu for shabu and a sauce that tastes like brisket sauce for the grill. Service - four and a half stars This restaurant recently opened so I did not expect much from the service but surprisingly the waitress we had was pretty good. She explained the menu items and the sauces and how to eat for people who has never had shabu or teppan grill experience. If you get the servers' attention then they will come by and get the things you need. Food took a while to come out of the kitchen but this should get faster once the kitchen staffs and servers acquire more experience. Overall a positive experience. Will come back for seconds. read more

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SO YUMMY! Got their grill with Black Angus Short Rib and the meat tasted very good. You can tell that they actually serve high quality meat! I think my order (small size) has about 10 slices of the beef, it might seem not much but I was so full after eating half of the meat. And the staffs are very friendly! 10/10 RECOMMENDED read more

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This place is very unique and their food is very high quality. They have these halves which is half shabu shabu and half grill. Highly recommend the BBQ！ Most importantly, the staffs are all very friendly. I will come again for sure！ read more

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Halves offers an interesting concept of having both Shabu and Japanese BBQ at the same time. I have been wanting to try this place just because not many other places in OC offer this! Upon arrival we could see most guests ordered "Halves" (Half shabu/ half teppan grill). However, they do also offer just shabu, or just teppan grill. Since I was intrigued by the concept I opted to order for the halves. The halves menu was pretty limited in the choice for the teppan grill. They only had black angus short rib, pork toro, or USDA prime short rib (for an additional $3). However, for the shabu meat they had a wide variety of choices. We ended up getting the American Wagyu+ Black Angus short rib ($21) for one order and USDA Prime Angus Ribeye + Black Angus short rib for the other ($23). You could also choose the type of broth for your Halves pot for an additional $1 if you don't like the Kombu flavor which it comes with. I opted for the Kombu since I felt like the pot was so small and wasn't worth the dollar but my boyfriend got the tonkotsu broth. When our food arrived I was amused by the quality of the meats! The marbling on the meats and the taste were great. Although the price may seem like it is on the higher side the quality of the meats definitely explains why. For me this place had great service and great quality food but it's not a place where I would want to revisit again and again just because of the location and seating arrangement. They had bar seats and tables but the wooden chairs for the tables were fairly uncomfortable and because of the electric stove needed on the tables the table length was quite long I felt like it is hard to talk and hear the person sitting across from you. I would recommend checking this place out because of its concept and great quality of meats! read more

Halves Boiling Pot + Grill - American Wagyu+ Black Angus Short Rib - Japanese Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

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I came here on a Saturday evening for a nice dinner because I wanted hot pot & my friend wanted bbq - Halves provided both and we were very satisfied with our experience here. The service was great; our waiter was attentive but not overbearing. I loved the ambiance inside. It was very clean with changing color lights under the bar - a nice touch. The bathrooms were clean & well-kept, just as everything else was. But importantly, the food was delicious! We got two grilling meats: Double R Ranch prime ribeye and the USDA Angus beef; and two meats for hot pot: beef toro (belly) and the A5 Wagyu. They were all delicious, the A5 especially melted in our mouths! What I liked best about Halves was the broths available: kombu, miso, spicy miso, tonkotsu bone broth, etc... but I'm in love with their Chinese herbal pot which is marked with 3 hot peppers! I am a lover of spicy foods and this meal hit the spot for me. Because I couldn't finish both my grill & boil, I had the pleasure of bringing home a bonus noodle dish in my Chinese herbal broth. It was absolutely delicious even the next day! The flavors somehow became more developed. Loved my experience here & I would come back in a heartbeat. Great service, lovely atmosphere, attentive wait staff, and amazing food. What else could a girl wish for? read more

5 stars. Why? Why not, is my answer. Let me start by saying that I love Shabu Shabu. My husband does not. He doesn't like cooking his own food if he's going out...but, he loved this joint. They offer a grill option. The grilled rib eye and vegetables really made him happy. Here is the breakdown: -I always start with the base option of beef. This is my standard, and how I qualify a shabu shabu restaurant - If the lowest price option of meat satisfies me, then I'll spring for the Kobe or Wagyu option on a later visit. -They had all of the accoutrements, green onions, garlic, daikon -Multiple broth selection, ponzu and goma sauce. -I like the decor, and cute presentation of the veggies in the little buckets -Plenty of parking and no wait as I arrived early at 5:30 -Staff was attentive, friendly...and a group of good looking guys I may add. wink. -The hubby liked the TV screen with March Madness basketball -Prices are competitive for the (new) shabu restaurants, they have rent to pay people...splurge a little. -I LOVE that it's located a little further south in Foothill ranch so we aren't competing against the line stalkers in Irvine. Maybe my review is skewed because I got here early, on a rainy day, so I got alot of attention. I was so full I didn't even look for dessert options. No comment there. read more

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First I'd like to start with Michael our waiter. What a sweet person he is and he's very good at his job. We asked him to explain the menu and his recommendations. He was very detailed and honest, that was much appreciated. Since this was the first time I'd ever come to this restaurant, I wasn't sure how it all worked. By the end of his explanation I was completely comfortable with our order. We started with the free endamame for the Yelp check-in. Got the prime rib eye and the prime short rib which was amazing. We did what was called halves. Half hot pot and grill. Yakiniku. The sauces that they give you are really good and complimented the meat and veggies. The experience was fun and I would come back here again. Michael made this a happy event and his attention to detail with customers, always checking in on everyone throughout the restaurant, was amazing. He's the keeper of this establishment. He has great customer skills. read more

Halves Boiling Pot + Grill - 1/2 and 1/2. - Japanese Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

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