Exceptional experience from start to finish--easily one of the finest hot pot establishments around. Tang provided outstanding service: attentive, welcoming, and thorough. We look forward to returning soon! read more

Was craving shabu/hot pot for the longest time, so I was so excited to find a spot so local! The value was honestly great for everything they offered, and everything tasted super fresh and high quality. The staff was also incredibly friendly and attentive. They checked in on us throughout the meal, were happy to answer our questions, and gave us some great recommendations on what to try. It made the whole experience even better. I'm still thinking about how amazing their special sauce from the sauce bar was. Everything came together so well, and we definitely left happy and full. Already looking forward to coming back for another hot pot craving! read more

Maki Shabu - Japanese Near Me - N Hollywood, California

First time doing hot pot and decided to try this place! This is so fun and cool! They have a full AYCE bar with seafood and different things to add to the broth. I got the mushroom broth and it was perfect, I couldn't really eat more than 2 plates of meat, it's a bit pricey but so so so yummy. Service was really kind, they explained everything to us. Ambiance was a bit weird.. could use some light music... but other than that it was great read more

Maki Shabu - Japanese Near Me - N Hollywood, California

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Second time coming here and we feel that our experience has improved a lot more since the first time! I was specifically craving some soft napa cabbages in delicious broth with meat and I knew that I really wanted some AYCE hot pot lol. They seated us right away and got our orders for our menu choices. We went with our usual Menu A and ordered wagyu short plates and beef belly. The meat came quick after our soup bases. The toppings section were more bountiful than last time I went because they had stuff on there that I don't remember getting last time. The appetizers we enjoy to eat from here is the cheese wontons. We got the garlic edamame and it was super flavorful and yummy to chew. The hotpot is easy to control with the temperature settings and a plus is they refill your broth with the soup base, not just hot water. Great and beautifully decorated spot to eat at and I know I'll be back for more! * small parking lot * friendly staff, some more efficient than others read more

Maki Shabu - Wagyu short plates and beef belly - Japanese Near Me - N Hollywood, California

My first time trying all-you-can-eat shabu shabu, and it was such a great experience! I highly recommend getting the tier that includes the Wagyu options--and honestly, just trust your server. Ours was a young gentleman who took amazing care of us, especially after we told him it was our first time. The process is simple: you choose a soup base (I tried the creamy one and it was so good), then order your meats, while also helping yourself to the buffet of fillings--many vegetables, noodles, and seafood options. After that, you customize your sauces at the sauce bar. Both the buffet and sauce bar were well-stocked, clean, and offered a great variety. If that wasn't enough, there are additional sides you can order as well. I really liked the crispy rice, and the rolls were decent too. Pro tip: you can control the temperature of your boiler! I didn't realize this until the end, so my pot was rapidly boiling the entire meal . Overall, I would absolutely recommend this spot--especially during the colder season. Such a fun, cozy, and satisfying dining experience! read more

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After a long day at Universal Studio it was time for Shabu hot pot. The staff was very friendly and helpful. We got exceeded right away and right in front of the TV, which was fantastic since one of my favorite NFL team ( Tiny Tigers AKA. Bengals) was playing. A bit disappointed because they did not have the Tonkatsu broth. But nonetheless, they have a few variety of soups flavors. We ordered a few of the meat selections, but the beef was pretty tough and chewy. So we stuck with the lamb and seafood. read more

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A great, sudden find for my friends and me! We were vacationing in SoCal for the day and had a party of 14. It was dinner time and AKI Shabu quickly took my group and I in within 15 minutes of making the reservation. The staff were super accommodating and we were lucky that there was not much of a wait. They prepared our table quickly and got to serving us. I did not get the gentleman's name, but he was very funny and tentative. He provided us his recommendations and very personable. Aki Shabu is an AYCE hot pot with different meal plans. The more you pay, the more food options you will receive. My table went with the basic option and were very satisfied. The tom yum broth was good and the meats were good quality. They also have a sauce bar and station for noodles, vegetables, and seafood. What's important to note is that everyone gets their own pot so it can be customized to how each person likes. No need for sharing the pot like many other locations do. read more

Maki Shabu - Toppings - Japanese Near Me - N Hollywood, California

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This is one of those more "dirtier" shabu places, but it's fine. The meat and veggies are fresh. The broth is fine, nothing special to write home about. Staff are friendly and have recognized my cousins as regulars so that was a nice touch. There's also a free ice cream at the end to top things off! read more

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Parking: a few parking spots in a small plaza, but I came on a Sunday night at and there was plenty of space! The workers are helpful and attentive here! There is plenty of side dishes to choose from as well as lots of options at the sauce bar. As for the quality of meat, it could be better. I included pictures of how much fat to meat ratio our table was getting. I tried to let the server know that we were hoping for a better ratio to which she came back and gave us a fattier meat. It was saddening, but we still ate it. If I'm paying $45 for ayce, I would expect better meat quality. Sadly the meat to fat ratio and the response we got was upsetting. read more

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Great hot pot experience! The veggie buffet selection was bigger than most restaurants and the broth was very flavorful! Not many Hot Pot locations in North Hollywood so I'm glad this is in the area for a reliable hot pot fix! read more

Maki Shabu - Japanese Near Me - N Hollywood, California

Friends wanted to come here for his Birthday so gave it a try. AYCE shabu, for what I think is a pretty reasonable price of $34.99. Some things to note, you only order meat and some appetizers from the servers, the rest of the items including the sauce is self service which I personally liked. Sauce bar was pretty sizable and I was able to make multiple different sauces. Would say in comparison to other hotpots spots I've been to this sauce bar rocked. Self service items were pretty decent. For the most part quality seemed pretty good and the selection of items was somewhere in between medium and large (It was a good amount). Lastly the meat, many of them were really fatty but because of that it tasted darn good. They came in a pretty good portion and it seemed like they allowed us to get up to 6 dishes for 5 people, so maybe your party count + 1. Can't complain I definitely got my fill. I got the sukiyaki as broth and I approve of it. They refill when you run out too so no need to save. Overall, I thought in terms of quality and price this spot was pretty good especially for an AYCE shabu spot. I would be back if someone asked me to come here! Note - It's apparently no longer listed on the menu but they gave us really good complimentary ice cream at the end of our meal. Parking - Small parking lot but didn't have any issues during dinner time. read more

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I've been here several times and had a great time everytime but this time around I felt the meat quality wasn't as good and the broth was more water down. The brisket was chewy and I made sure to not over cook it. We did combo A and the best tasting meat was the pork belly. The beef didn't have much flavor. Service was great and friendly! They were very attentive with minimal wait time for ordering and receiving more meat. For the price and the down graded quality, I'm not sure if I'll be returning unfortunately. read more

Maki Shabu - The beef eye round. I think it might be old meat or meat that's been frozen for a very long time? The muscle just doesn't look good. - Japanese Near Me - N Hollywood, California

Came across here because we craved some hotpot but didn't want to leave the valley!!! For a Thursday night, I'm glad it wasn't too crowded and we walked in without a wait. They have happy hour menu, as well as 2 other regular menus to choose from. We started with Menu A and chose three meats (you order 3 at a time and 4 appetizers at a time). We got the Wagyu short plate, beef belly, and the angus brisket. Our least fav was the brisket because it wasn't tender to our liking. We actually only needed that one round of meat as we got super full!!! The appetizers we got were edamame, cheese wontons, and chicken potstickers. All tasty and tasted warm and hot. Came out quick as well after we got our soup bases. The sukiyaki wasn't overly salty or sweet, and I couldn't taste much of it. I had a heavy amount of veggies and seafood from the buffet station. With ice, they look to be kept in proper food temp!!! Overall, I do admit this place hit the spot for a hotpot craving and all the staff here were very welcoming and friendly, working hard. The Asian lady at the front was super sweet and wished us a happy new year. A con is that I don't find the soup bases to really be absorbed into the meat much but I still enjoyed dipping the meat into my sauce creation to add flavor. I like how the pots are down below so our arms don't have to be lifted up so high. I do wish there was a better spoon utensil given because finishing all of the broth is hard with how little broth the spoon captures!!! - small parking lot, may need to get street parking if it's busy - they also do takeout!!! - lots of TVs inside read more

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Love the new menu!! We got menu b and utilized all the Wagyu options. My Favorite was the Wagyu chuck eye, it's a must. Ohh and you have to get the awesome sauce. Just OMG, that sauce was awesome. Location isn't the best. There is parking available in the parking lot. Service was friendly. Ambiance is fine. It would be nice if they added more side options and maybe more selection of meats. But overall it was great. Food was amazing. So much better than the last time I was there. Keep up to good work Aki Shabu! Loving the improvements. read more

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Definitely great if you can eat a lot with a great price for the type of meat options you get. They also have a bunch of seafood options as well. Including crab. Tons of toppings and sauce options. You cook everything yourself which is cool. This is definitely a unique restaurant. Great for groups, dark intimate atmosphere. Good service, if you are new they will explain things if you ask. Would love to come back with more people to share with! read more

Maki Shabu is the best shabu shabu I've had in a while. They are all you can eat. They have buffet style serving for the veggies, noddles and seafood. Meats you order with a server. They have a sauce bar where you make your own dipping sauce. The broth is sooo good and you can mix two of the broths for a more unique experience. My go to was tom yum and spicy cream. I like that they have tv's and it's not sooo loud. This is a great experience. read more

My husband and I really enjoyed coming to Aki Shabu back when it wasn't so popular. You can always walk in and we never had to wait very long. The lady that greeted us most of the time was also very lovely and she always asks if we want to order more food, which reminds me of grandmas, but she's an absolute delight. Once they started to catch buzz, the prices went up, the wait times got longer, but there was more hot food selection. We didn't mind it, because we really enjoyed the food. However, our last visit did not leave a great impact like it always does. For the price that we paid, the service was definitely lacking. Although we got seated right away, it took our server a very long time to come up and ask for our orders. Comparing the service we received to when they're super busy, it was definitely disappointing. We had to wait very long to ask for water. My husband asked for a refill on his soup and they added what seemed like a diluted broth instead of adding the original broth that he had asked for, which diluted his original broth to no taste. They also usually offer free ice cream when you pay and we had asked for it. Only for the ice cream to never come. We gave up waiting and left. Would love to give it another try, but it would definitely be a while from now. read more

So this year both my boys graduated and each had their own preference for our dinner out after the ceremonies - both chose Benihana so my high school graduate had to choose a different one. (Will review Beni later on). He really likes shabu shabu - we've been to Tabu and Shabuya as well. We've been here in Aki before and waited awhile to be seated previously. However because my son's graduation festivities took awhile - we didn't get to the restaurant until after 8. On a Friday night it was actually not full and we were seated right away. Our server gave us the menus and we decided on the premium AYCE because it includes Wagyu. The self service station for veggie, side dishes. sauces, noodles and seafood are good I love that they have enoki mushrooms and chapchae. Between the 4 of us we probably asked for refill 4x (5 servings of meat each time) because my younger son just had soup little veggies and all meat. We got mostly if not all servings of the wagyu options and some beef ribeye as well. I chose the miso soup - I think next time I'll try to be more adventurous with my soup choices. Very pleasant and quick service when we visited. If you're into unlimited slices of meat - this is the closest if you're in the valley. It was the NBA finals when we went so they have the games in the screens. Also if you don't like crowds maybe coming after 8pm is a good time. read more

Maki Shabu - Japanese Near Me - N Hollywood, California

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Second time here and both of my experiences were completely different. In a good way. The AYCE menu has 2 options to choose from. The higher tier price included premium meats. For our party we just wanted Shabu and went base tier. The difference between my first visit and the second was their veggie and sauce bar. I liked the option of piling as much or little veggies as you pleased. The self serve area also had seafood and cooked foods to grab. I feel that is a great addition. Our meal also includes some made to order appetizers which we selected. The meat from the base tier wasn't the best but for the value it was pretty worth it. One of my favorite options is having your own hot pot with the broth of choice. Some Shabu places offer one pot to share with the group. That's cool but having your own personal hot pot eliminates the fight between which broth to initially choose. The service is great, waitresses are around to flag for more meats or any additional appetizers needed. Since the self serve section was new to me, our waitress was kind enough to explain how it all works. My only issue with this place is the parking. There are limited spots and even with a handicap placard I wasn't able to get a parking spot on the property. Street parking is available but you'll need to walk a lil more than you would imagine. Parking: small private lot, street parking VERDICT: Rinse and repeat read more

Maki Shabu - Japanese Near Me - N Hollywood, California

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First time in hotpot in the Valley. I have been wanting to come and try. First; food was really good. Have so much choices, from base, protein and veggies. Have different kind of toppings and some seafoods to add. Sauces were really good too, you can make it how ever you want. Second; ambiance was okay, it was chill for the time we dine. Third; service - our server, she was great on explaining everything and being attentive expect for 1 thing, she forgot to mention that " 4 or more people TIP OF %18 is added" in the receipt it said "charge %18" - ‍ charge? How about "tip included" and please let costumer know. read more

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Okay, we're back to 5 stars because everything I complained about last time.. they fixed. Love that. Now my only criticism is to let us order more meats when they are busy. We finish way too fast and they are too busy to order more so we do a lottttt of waiting. Not going to dock a star for it though. Favorite local place read more

Maki Shabu - Japanese Near Me - N Hollywood, California

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One of the better hot pot restaurants in the valley. It is AYCE, it is pretty consistent. The restaurant is large. The parking lot is small. The service is decent, fast, attentive. The soup broth is good. The quality of ingredients are good. Definitely give this place a try. read more

Good shabu-shabu spot in North Hollywood! friendly staff and clean restaurant. The all-you-can-eat menu is such a great deal, good meat options and lots of veggies at there good bar buffet style. The broth options are flavorful without being overpowering. If you're a shabu fan or just looking for a great, cozy place to enjoy a hearty meal, Aki Shabu is a good place to visit especially in the valley. read more

Maki Shabu - Table setting - Japanese Near Me - N Hollywood, California

Service is a disaster. I've been sitting for over 20 minutes after finishing the food on the table, and had to ask for another server to get our server. Still had to wait over 15 minutes to get the cut meats after that. Asked for the bill and had to wait 20 minutes to get it. Disaster. Not worth it. Wouldn't come again read more

Maki Shabu - Japanese Near Me - N Hollywood, California

We were feeling for some sushi and ended up at Aki Shabu as it seemed like a popular place, looking in from the outside passing by. We went in on a random weekend evening and the waitress mentioned they had a different kind of special that evening for dining. I believe it was along the lines of their 'dinner for two' but it seemed pretty inclusive with other hot dishes to choose from. After understanding their process and similar to a korean bbq kind of feel, we thought they had a nice range of options to choose from with the selection of seafood and meat they offered. Very filling though and depending on your hunger levels, its wise to pace yourself in places like this as they will charge you for what isnt eaten. I also saw some signage that mentioned you cant take leftovers (which most places dont mind)! read more

Maki Shabu - Dinner for 2 - Japanese Near Me - N Hollywood, California

fresh selection of meats, however the soup base was very flavorless. The bar veggies were fresh however the sea section seemed to be sitting there forever. The service was good and very quick. The restaurant didn't seem that clean, Overall, i'd not revisit again. read more

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Great spot for a cozy meal after a long travel day due to its proximity to Burbank. Came on a Sunday, we got the miso and sukiyaki broths. The meats were good and the veggie/seafood bar had a surprisingly large selection. A very solid AYCE shabu shabu spot without breaking the bank. read more

I heard a lot of good things about this spot and wanted to try it for the first time recently. The inside of the restaurant is nice and cute... the food was very disappointing, 1/10 I'm surprised of all the 5 star reviews. The service that I received was even worse, she was rude. As soon as she saw us paying then she decided to change her attitude and tone of voice and proceeded to be "patient" I wouldn't eat here ever again read more

Wagyu was delicious! Staff were SUPER helpful and who doesn't love an all you can eat shabu shabu place? Sunday evening and we didn't have to wait for a table. Great spot. read more

My friends and I had dinner here and the food was delicious with very reasonable prices for what you get. Our server Tang was the highlight of our night. She was so personable, kind and funny. We will definitely be back. read more

Maki Shabu - Japanese Near Me - N Hollywood, California

Aki Shabu is one of the few hot pot spots in the Valley I frequently go to. Their Tom Yum broth is pretty flavorful and I love their buffet options... they have tripe on the buffet (I've never seen another place offer that). You can't beat a $34.99 price... however the service is kinda slow. Not sure if it was because they're short staffed but it took a while for the meat and appetizers to come out. By the time the appetizers came out, we were almost full and finished. :( The "mochi" ice cream they offer after the meal is homemade and tastes so fresh! It's my favorite thing about this place! read more

Maki Shabu - Japanese Near Me - N Hollywood, California

I just want to give a stellar review for Aki Shabu. They are my favorite hot pot restaurant. I used to have to drive to SGV for hotpot, now I drive down the street; and it's so much closer. Although the parking lot is small: there is always parking. There is street parking as well that is always available. This is the valley so parking is much easier to find when you look for it; as compared to LA or Hollywood. The food here is amazing. I love the meat quality. I have celebrated many birthday's here: including my own this year. I love this place: for the great service, kind owners, delicious food, and awesome sauce bar. They also have crab and crawfish here: how awesome is that? My favorite soup broth is the tom yum. The creamy spicy would be my second favorite. I'm not sure if she is the owner but the kind older Asian woman who worked tirelessly the first year on her own really impressed me with her work ethic. It made me happy when they did better and I saw they began staffing more servers. I wish the best for this mom and pop hot pot restaurant. Give them a chance! Also: another reason I LOVE Aki Shabu is they allow solo diners. Ain't no shame in my game! I come here solo often and I feel comfortable and very welcomed here. read more

Hey. Wagyu all you can eat in hot pot is hard to beat when you want a good mouth feel. Came here craving wagyu, and man did my craving get satisfied !! The ribeye wagyu is my favorite type of wagyu to order, and sukiyaki is the soup base I go with. They also have sushi rolls you can order. A good place to pig out when you don't mind burning 43 dollar for some self indulgence on wagyu. Strawberry ice cream in the end is cherry on the top. read more

Was presently surprised at my dining experience here at Aki Shabu. Growing up in the 626/San Gabriel Valley it has been really difficult to find Shabu in the Valley. So when I found out about Aki Shabu I wasn't sure it would meet my 626 foodie heart if I'm being honest. However the experience exceeded my expectations! The broths were creative and the creamy spicy one I got was very flavorful. The sauce bar had variety and the buffet options were very fresh. Set A option was very reasonably priced and still had variety. The meat seemed fresh too! Service was prompt and there is a private parking lot. Honestly I like this place more than places like HaiDiLao. Looking forward to returning soon! read more

Maki Shabu - Japanese Near Me - N Hollywood, California

Came in for an early dinner around 5pm on a weeknight and it was moderately busy. We were greeted right away and were sat as soon as we walked in. The two of us ordered their Option B Ayce which included premium meats such as wagyu options. The quality of the meat and vegetables was great -- everything tasted fresh and their food bar was always filled. You chose what broth you'd like in your own pot. While I like sharing, I appreciate being able to flavor my broth the way I want. We ordered the miso and the korean style soup. I like being able to customize my dipping sauces, but I highly recommend asking for their awesome sauce. Portions were satisfactory and I left feeling full but not overly stuffed. They usually have hot food at the bar but they didn't have it tonight. The atmosphere is cozy, and perfect for a relaxed meal with friends or family. Plenty of small tvs to keep you occupied. Music selection gives a chill laid back vibe. Service was okay, the first round of meat we were brought they were explained and laid out. There were no tongs to cook our food and we had to ask for them. They would check in a few times to ask if we wanted more meat. While attentive to our meat needs, we also had no water pitcher. We ordered a second and third round of meats, all wagyu. Food is great but service has been better before. For the price and quality, it is definitely reasonable. One of only few places in the area that does AYCE shabu shabu. I'll definitely be coming back whenever I'm craving shabu shabu. I would recommend if you're in the North Hollywood area! read more

I had heard great things about this place and knew it had become pricier as its popularity grew, but I still wanted to try it as a birthday treat. Unfortunately, it did not live up to expectations. When we first entered, there was no host present, and we had to wait about five minutes just to get someone's attention. Even then, it took a bit before we were seated. Once at the table, our waitress seemed rushed and pressured us to quickly choose a package and place our order, despite us explaining that it was our first time there. After ordering, we went to the bar to grab vegetables, and when we returned, the soup bases were already placed at our table. We sat and chatted while waiting for our meat and appetizers to arrive. Unfortunately after waiting a while we decided to just go ahead and eat the things we got from the bar. Once done our appetizers, rice and sushi arrived and we ended finishing all of those within about 20 minutes--well before the meat arrived. Trying a new place always comes with some risk, but unfortunately this experience was disappointing. The broth lacked flavor, which set the tone early on. When the meat finally came, it was the best part of the night, along with the sushi though still not particularly impressive as they were simple rolls. Despite paying a premium for the package, we didn't feel motivated to continue ordering after the first round and left still not fully satisfied. After finishing it took about 15 minutes just to get our server's attention to request the check, and then another 10 minutes to actually receive it. The concept itself is nice, and having tried other hot pot-style restaurants, I expected to enjoy Shabu since it's a similar experience. Unfortunately, this location missed the mark. The sushi was decent but very basic, and while the wagyu meat was good, that's expected given the quality. Spending over $100 for two and leaving unsatisfied on a birthday outing was disappointing, and I don't plan on returning. read more

Although the store name changed, the quality of food and service remains wonderful. I enjoy the varieties they offer, although I wish they still gave the handmade Strawberry ice cream for free with the AYCE. I will continue to go for any hotpot cravings. read more

We came for the 34.99 AYCE on a thursday evening. Not very crowded, but for some reason all the waitresses were super busy. Our waitress was very kind and even made us the "awesome" sauce because we didn't know what sauce to get. Unfortunately we didn't have the best experience because the vegetables were not very fresh/there was hair in the vegetable area and it grossed us out. Meat quality was ok, the sukiyaki broth is not very flavorful so you definitely need the sauce. I think maybe we just got unlucky or came on an off day. Towards the end of our dinner it started getting busy and it took a while to get our waitress' attention (not her fault, they seemed to be very short staffed today). Overall, we decided to stick to our usual place in glendale and likely won't visit this place again. read more

Took my wife and mother-in-law here today for Mother's Day lunch and immediately regretted choosing this restaurant. We had to sit with our soup base boiling for a long time while waiting for the initial meat order to arrive, which already started the meal off poorly. What made it worse was waiting over 20 minutes for the next round of meat -- and it was only two plates. During that time, our server told us it was "being worked on" without ever actually checking with the kitchen. For the prices they charge, the experience was extremely disappointing. The ambiance was also terrible due to loud music from the neighboring restaurant that was loud enough to be irritating even from the parking lot and could still be clearly heard inside. The vegetable, seafood, and noodle bar was also very limited compared to similar restaurants. For an AYCE restaurant, receiving less than two plates of meat per person before wanting to leave after an hour out of frustration is unacceptable. Between the slow service, poor atmosphere, limited food selection, and mandatory gratuity added for a party of five, this was easily one of the most disappointing dining experiences we've had in a long time. I would strongly recommend dining elsewhere. read more

Came for the first time. The menu on the website is incorrect as of today's date 9/25/24. They now have a happy hour (12-4 weekdays) AYCE for $28, a AYCE set A for $35 and AYCE set B for $44. I think the set A is a better deal for most people. Based on the website menu price we previously thought this place is expensive versus the competition, but having set A is good. Both sets have the same soup bases and unlimited sauces and side dishes. We actually got set B since we wanted to try more premium Wagyu. All the meats were pretty good and tasty! There's a decent selection of self service sauces but the tried and true goma is the best. There's also the usual cold seafood, noodles and veggies for your soups. I liked the fried dough pieces as a starchy accompaniment instead rice and noodles. We got there at 5p on a weekday so not all the hot appetizers were out but towards the end there was fried rice, fried chicken and green beans but of course you can order other appetizers (gyoza, wontons, sushi rolls) from your server. The strawberry ice cream was a good ending to the meal! There's a decent sized parking lot but can get busy on weekends. read more

Maki Shabu - Strawberry ice cream - Japanese Near Me - N Hollywood, California

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