Usually go to the Marina location which is a little more spacious.. but due to a screw up they didn't get our reservations so we ended up at the Sunset location instead. The space is very narrow, felt a little claustrophobic but I really liked the wall decor.. When we went it was really cold and as a result, the glass windows were very very steamy. The table we were seated at was right by the door and kind of cramped. While the food was delicious as usual... the service was pretty slow since they only had a 3 servers for the entire restaurant. That coupled with the small cramped space made the dining experience a little less pleasant than what I'm used to at the Marina location. We ordered the Shabu Shabu with Wagyu Beefa and added the duck on the side with Spicy Miso Broth.. Beggers can't be choosers, but if I had a choice, I would go to the Marina location as I've had a better dining experience there. read more

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One of my favorite hot pot places in the Bay Area! The broth is super delicious, and the meat quality is great. The service is friendly and efficient! read more

Nabe - Hot Pot Near Me - San Francisco, California

My boyfriend and I don't roam around a lot in the City and I realized that I will be visiting SF more often I decided to check on yelp some hot pot locations near his area. Nabe popped up on my feed after a few searches... I'll say this.......... this is by far the best restaurant for hot pot I have ever been to. It is very typical for me to say this but it is seriously so good! If i could i would honor 15 stars! The staff is friendly, the food is great, quick and fresh! I would stay here and write a long review but i would be coming back often that I know there will be 100 great things to say about Nabe! Wagyu beef is my favorite! I will be back! I am a returning customer and I recommend others to come and try NABE! read more

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Overall my experience at Nabe was good, and I did like the food. I came on a Sunday and the wait was pretty long, and it did get really steamy and hot inside. However, the staff was really helpful. I really liked how they made our shabu shabu into a kanji at the end of the meal. The experience was great. If you are hungry, definitely go for a large, and then maybe get a few sides too if you are a big guy. Nabe is not the best shabu shabu in town, but it is a solid spot to check out! read more

Nabe - Sukiyaki and kimchi - Hot Pot Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Really wanted to like this place as I've heard great reviews but my experience was only mediocre. Arrived on a weekday at 7pm and was seated immediately since we made a reservation. It's great that they take reservations cause the restaurant is small and I can imagine it filling up quite quickly. One of the servers' breath reeked of cigarettes which was such a turn off! I understand that individuals need to take smoke breaks during work but please chew some gum before speaking to your customers! As for the food, it was really nothing special in my opinion. My boyfriend and I decided to share the duck soup and the wagyu beef soup (can't seem to remember the names). Both were nothing special and lacked flavor. The only thing I really enjoyed was the rice porridge they made with your leftover broth in the end. I wouldn't mind giving this place another try but only if I'm in the area. read more

Nabe - Hot Pot Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Nabe is a Japanese hot pot restaurant in the 9th Avenue corridor. Save money by going during happy hour. Service fades as the 2 people can't keep up when the place is full. Picks: Sukiyaki Beef ($19 Happy Hour) has all the goodies in the sweet broth, you just add meat. Decent beef quality. Shabu Shabu Pork - Miso ($19 Happy Hour) has you adding all the stuff yourself. Lots of the usual vegetables, mushrooms, etc. Just OK: None Would not reorder: None Overall - Good Food - Very Good Decor - Good Service - Good Value - Good Would we come back - Yes read more

The hostess seemed hesitant to seat us without a reservation despite the entire restaurant being empty. Finally when we told her we just wanted to get drinks she agreed. We waited at our table for over 20 minutes but no one served us so we left. read more

We came on a Wednesday night and it was pretty empty. Probably because it was a weekday. But nonetheless, we were greeted Kindly as soon as we walked inside and seated with water and utensils already placed and ready to be used. The waitress had asked us if it had been our first time and she was super nice with recommending us what to get. I took my friend here for her birthday and it was an awesome experience! Definitely on the pricier side for non-AYCE Shabu, but it was definitely an experience that I wouldn't mind reliving. We ordered two different shabu sets so we could try out both. My favorite was the sukiyaki because I love the umami rich flavor that it had and it was just awesome. The meat is definitely on the higher quality end and the vegetables were just like any other vegetables. What was great and unique about the restaurant was the porridge they do at the end. It was definitely different than any other shabu place I have visited and all I can say is that it was amazing! The rice soaked up all the soup's flavors and really gave this intensely rich flavor in the rice that was just amazing. Now you might be thinking, we have to make porridge on our own?? Nope! The server will do it for you, just gotta let her know! Overall the experience was pretty spot on, one thing I wish was that there were better foods to put inside of the pot but the quality and taste was to my standards. The service is really good and it was pretty much flawless. Would definitely come back when given the chance. read more

Hubs & I made some reservations for us and some friends, before a concert, one evening. The place its self was small. There were quite a few people waiting. I would definitely recommend reservations to avoid a long wait. The line went outside and down the way. We were seated fairly quickly. We were still waiting for our friends. We ordered some appetizers & sake to get started. Hubs got a glass of plum wine. Our appetizers were good, no complaints, as was the sake and wine. Our friends arrived we all split a few things. I shared double portion of Seafood Yasenabe with a friend. My husband shared a double portion of Sukiyaki with another friend. Everything was very visually pleasing, very appetizing presentation. In all honestly my Seafood Yasenabe wasn't super flavorful. I was a bit let down. I had higher hopes. It was just decent. The broth just wasn't super flavorful to me. My husband and our other guest enjoyed their SukiYaki. They ordered an extra plate of Wagyu and a plate of Miyazaki. Both beef plates were splendid. I'm torn on weather we would give this place a shot again or go elsewhere. They do offer to make your leftovers into a porridge to take one. We unfortunately were unable to take it because we were not going home. I heard it's fabulous though! I would say 3-3.5 stars read more

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Amazing hot pot, great meat!! try their kimchi soup base, we loved it! The vegetarian option was good too! Will recommend this place for hot pot. read more

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Cherylynn N's 4.5 star rating for Nabe (NAH-BEH) is very spot on and I agree with 100%. Hi Cherylynn! I trust your reviews more than MBauer! Speaking of Bauer...thanks a lot buddy for outing what was supposed to be a "secret" good spot in your blog today. And now that restaurant thanks you too for so much exposure. The unintended consequence is that now they will get a lot of "know it all's", the hipsters who got charged after watching Jiro Dreams of Sushi, will now become Hipster dreams of Douchey, bringing their Tila Tequila type Asian girlfriends to show off more sushi knowledge. If you cringed when Carrie's boyfriend in Sex and the City said "Sake to Me baby" when she ordered sake, there's more BS in the works. Bauer, why don't you all do us a favor and go to Sawa Sushi instead and stay there :-*( ? Anyways, I'm just going to throw it out there that maybe 85+% of Chinese and Asian Americans don't understand traditional Japanese hot pot category of food (nabemono). To them, shabu shabu particularly the all you can eat bonanza's (which I affectionately term SHA BOO), Da Been Lo, kuo guo, Little Sheep, etc etc are either all the same to them, and/ or they find shabu shabu bland as hell, and thus require spicy miso broths in their ramen...and now shabu shabu. And of course what hotpot is complete without a sucka MC remix your own jive ass sauce experience. In a world where subtle natural flavors = no flavor, variety is their spice of life, at the expense of what it should really be. Thus crap becomes the norm. The essence of something like shabu shabu, should be an emphasis on the season, the seasonality of ingredients (as well as their quality and original taste)...plus having a cast iron hot pot of homey comforting food, to be shared with family or friends, is not just fun, but warms your heart. Spicy miso broth would in essence destroy that essence of original flavor. This is where premium quality beef, boiled in konbu broth, dipped in ponzu with scallions, momiji oroshi or ginger, is sufficient and elegant. But not the SHA BOO BS. So for Nabe to come in and pretty much do things right, and still give it a unique Japanese feel, right here in a city of wrong (and wrong food), is commendable. The interior is certainly interesting....swanky, yet very Japanese. Love the various bottles of sake plastered on the walls, and even the logo "Nabe" has that Orenchi-esque vibe to it. But us FOB types are really here for the food. Didn't get a chance to try the other pots yet, but I very much enjoyed the shabu shabu experience here, even though many are recommending the sukiyaki. Here's what you can expect with a Shabu Shabu here: If you are a traditionalist, the kelp/konbu broth is more than just "traditional water". There are humongous pieces of konbu in here. Way more than what the competition provides. Or if you have seen the version at Zabu in San Mateo, they throw in a few pieces of seaweed and call it a day, not kelp. The plate of mixed veggies you get is of pretty good quality, but if you have more in your party you want to upgrade to extra veggies (combo platter include abura age/tofu pouches, which soaks up the broth), shimeji mushrooms (and king oyster). Ingredients are organic where possible, and this makes a huge difference in the overall experience. For pork there are choices of belly or shoulder.... while belly is the popular obvious choice, the shoulder cut is actually quite excellent in its own right. The beef quality here is better than Shabuway (which is better than those SHA BOO house of worship and AYCE AYCDrink excess, like a Roman orgy or Yelp Elite event from 2005). The dip sauces have some thought put into it. The ponzu has a strong citrus accent than other places, and default one comes with momiji oroshi (minced grated daikon that has a slight spicy kick) and finely chopped scallions. Still very Japanesey. Didn't try the sesame dip, but it looked good. Even a bowl of rice in here, tastes like a good Japanese restaurant's prep. While I have yet to try Yosenabe, Sukiyaki, I have no doubt those will be done quite nicely too. Polite, adequate, and good solid service. Make a reservation before coming, especially on the weekends. If this place could do regional Japanese hotpots....ishikari nabe (Hokkaido) or even winter season kanburi (winter yellowtail) shabu shabu in soymilk broth, using organic ingredients (local if still retaining original flavor), this place would be unstoppable. As long as they don't offer ramen burgers, I will continue to come back. read more

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The menu is a little confusing but the waitressess were great at explaining the menu and making recommendations. Basically, you pick a meat and a matching broth set. At other shabu shabu places, you customize your hot pot and dipping sauces. Here since it's nabemono style, each broth pot comes to the table already filled with stuff. They use local and organic ingredients, and you can taste the difference in quality. We ordered a half and half; Sukiyaki with beef and Spicy kimchee with Berkshire pork. $19/regular, $24/large. Very good, liked the kimchee and pork combo. The sukiyaki was a little sweet. *Get the regular, the large only adds a few more slices of meat. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/nabe-san-francisco-3?select=mwEcB8tYHMFlBgcXeK0QrQ#mwEcB8tYHMFlBgcXeK0QrQ) It's a fun place, at the end of the meal, the waitress comes by and does a "finisher" by having you pick one of your leftover broths to make a porridge using rice, eggs, scallions, and seaweed. She mentioned it's "very Japanese" and that most people, full more dinner, take it to go. It was like Japanese jook/congee for me. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/nabe-san-francisco-3?select=0LQT7HaFVDUlLukG63s1pQ#0LQT7HaFVDUlLukG63s1pQ) Notes *For Nabe having a great modern design, it gets hot and steamy inside. *They should play some music, Japanese jazz? Nujabes anyone? *The place is a little tight, some lady walked by and almost knocked over my full plate of meat!?!?! Groups of 4 work, any bigger is *No all you can eat / drink option (yet?) *I wonder if modern places like this are going to start the next trend in Shabu? Overall, the place was a lot of fun to try and I'd recommend checking it out but since it always takes about 20-30 minutes just to find parking in this area not sure if we'll be back. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/nabe-san-francisco-3?select=kk7emiwjVIIp_EOgBK_l9A#kk7emiwjVIIp_EOgBK_l9A) read more

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Nabe is the perfect meal to have especially in the Sunset where it is normally cold. When I got there on a weeknight, there were already people waiting. Ideally it would be nice to wait inside, but there is limited waiting space inside. Use caution if you do wait inside as the door swings inward ( I think this might be a fire code violation). Seating inside is tight and not ideal for large groups, unless you come right at opening. I ordered the nabemono sukiyaki set, which is wagyu beef, shirataki (noodles) with warishita broth. The set comes with assorted vegetables and rice. Also got the spicy miso broth with an extra add on of pork and shrimp. The warishita broth was better than the spicy miso. The spicy miso was bland. I finished off my meal with the zosui. The zosui is like a rice porridge similar to Chinese jook. It's packed with flavors since you are using the same soup base and all the ingredients that were cooked into your broth. Service was excellent. The servers were attentive and kept our broth filled. To me that's pretty important when having nabe or shabu. read more

Nabe is a welcome addition to the Inner Sunset - serving healthy hot pots with local, organic produce, non-GMO tofu, and non-drugged meats that warm the soul. They have a clean and modern interior, and friendly, knowledgeable and helpful staff. Most of the Nabemono (hot pot) sets are priced at $18 regular / $22 large; their seafood nabe is $23 regular / $28. We tried their Kinoko Nabe (assortment of Japanese mushrooms in a miso broth) and their Sukiyaki (washyugu beef in a Warishita broth) - this comes with a raw egg which you can use as a dipping sauce, or you can cook it in the broth. Both were delicious! Our veggies were already in the broth upon arrival. Perhaps it was the type of nabe we chose, or because their wasn't much space on our table, but I prefer to have my veggies on the side so I can cook at my own pace. I was stuffed by the time our server came to our table to make our zosui - a porridge cooked made with the leftover nabe broth. It was interesting to see the zosui right in front of us - she scooped out some of the excess broth so that the portion matched the amount of rice she was going to use. After most of the liquid cooked away, she added the egg and shredded seaweed - it was wonderful. In terms of acoustics, it got to be pretty loud due to the hard surfaces. In case Nature calls, plan ahead - there is one beautiful uni-sex bathroom. I agree with Cherylynn N. and give this place 4.5 stars. read more

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Things to do in/near Golden Gate Park: EAT AT NABE (after exploring the park, of course). My boyfriend and I went to Golden Gate Park in the early afternoon to visit the De Young Museum and Japanese Tea Garden. We spent ~4 hours there...so we were pretty exhausted and hungry. I wanted to try Nabe since my friend recommended it, so we came right when the restaurant opened. We were seated immediately - because we came on a Wednesday at 5p - and the restaurant was almost half-full by the time we left at 6p. The interior of the restaurant is very modern yet cozy. The lights are a little dim, but I guess that makes the setting more calm and romantic. There's also 1 stove for every 2 people - so you can choose to share (max 2 people per pot), or if you don't share, they will split the pot in half. For starters, we ordered PORK SAUSAGE which came with mustard aioli. The sauce just tasted like Japanese mayo to me, but we both really liked the sausage. The dish came with 4 decently sized sausages, and they were very juicy and flavorful. I also really liked the texture of the outside skin since it had a slight crispiness to contrast the juicy meat. We shared a LARGE SUKIYAKI pot. It came with a nice assortment of veggies, 1 egg (we ordered another egg add-on so each of us would get one), some kind of vermicelli, 1 bowl of rice (we ordered another as add-on), sweet broth, and beef. The overall experience was very fun - we got to watch the soup heat to a boil, crack our egg inside, and add the pieces of beef. Then we got to ladle food from the pot into our bowl to eat with rice. Everything tasted fresh and the beef was good quality. My boyfriend thought the broth was too sweet for his liking, but it was fine for me (with a sweet tooth). At the end, the server made a porridge by combining rice, egg, and green onion with our leftover broth. Since I ate a lot of broth earlier, I thought the porridge pretty much tasted the same as my main meal - but the nori topping gave my taste buds something salty to contrast with everything I ate thus far. In conclusion, we left with very very full and satisfied bellies. The service was excellent too. And a funny thing we noticed was that the windows get really really foggy because the restaurant turns into a sauna compared to the cold outdoors. I'm definitely bringing my friends and family here again! read more

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I can not justify a pot of "hot pot food" for $120 for 4 people. My friends and I ordered 2 Large Kim Chee and 2 Large Sukiyaki portions. The food comes out packed in a pot and you wait for the soup to boil and eat. I personally was still hungry after we ate all the meat and vegetables. The waitress did warn me that they will use the left over broth to make a porridge as a filler. Me being a germaphobe, had to share germs, since they use they same scooper to make the porridge on both sides. The rice porridge was the best part of dinner and as my friends would say "the game changer". Service was actually really good. Our waitress knew what she was talking about and was pretty quick in bringing what we asked for. If I had to share the pot with 4 people again, I would do 1 large portion on each side and two sides of meat for $11. My bill would be about $82 for 4 people, saving $38. $82 for the type and amount of food I got is still a RIP OFF. I guess the price paid, was for the Organic raw eggs I got. I WILL NOT BE BACK read more

Nabe - 6 large portions in this photo. $180 just for the food in the pot. 2 Kim Chee, 2 sukiyaki, 1 seafood, 1 winter duck special. - Hot Pot Near Me - San Francisco, California

I couldn't resist the thought of hot pot on a cold San Francisco afternoon, so after going to the farmers market across the street I stopped in to grab a lunch. The interior of the restaurant is nice and clean with modern twist. The service was prompt. Not a huge menu, but really, I was looking for shabu-shabu. The meat selection was between beef and pork. I asked the waitress about the marbling on wagyu, and she said she could get me more marbled meat than not, so I went for it with the traditional konbu broth. The cooking surface is the magnetic kind that heats the pot up. The pot is nice and heavy. The veggies and meat came out quickly. Veggie had a nice selection with generous amount of shitake, enoki and some shimeji mushrooms as well as nappa cabbage, spinach, carrots, and kabocha with tofu and udon. Kabocha is a bit strange for the hot pot, but oh well. The waitress only gave me ponzu sauce, so I asked for the sesame sauce in addition. The sauce had a nice flavor, ponzu a bit acidic than I like, but it was good. Sesame sauce wasn't too thin, but a bit on a sweeter side for my taste, but not bad. The quality of the meat was a bit disappointing -- rather chewy, even with some marbling. I'd have to give them 3 stars due to the quality of the meat. Otherwise, everything else was very good including the service. I may go back and try their sukiyaki to see how it is... read more

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Cool Sunset nights were made for this place. After reading Cherylynn N.'s review (http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=eKUGKQRE-Ywi5dY55_zChg), this was an automatic bookmark. It's been over two years since and this visit was long time coming. Let me preface that I am biased towards that place on Ocean Avenue near Stonestown for my Saturday lunch. I was supposed to meet a friend for dinner here, but he flaked due to a family dinner and left me on a solo trip here. With the dining room half full, my greeter brought me to a middle table next to a young couple. The menu has a decently wide selection so my dilemma was sukiyaki or shabu. After a few questions, I ordered the shabu shabu, regular set with spicy miso broth (http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=rfP3qj44WmhPJR6DYWIQ2g), $19.00. Given a choice of Wagyu bed or Kurabota pork, I asked Kevin for a special accommodation of half and half (http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=58S7Wi_JmCTRedpeNopCqQ). Starting with the veggies, which take longer to cook, I filled my pot as gradually got to my proteins. The meat qjuality was not quite as good as that other place. Not that it was bad, but wasn't as tasty. The soup was tangy spicy and lacked the umami of the other place's deep flavored spicy miso. Also, the one dipping sauce offered is a bit monotone. What really boosted this from a three to a four star review were the Zosui (http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=DT_Clm3Lj3f7ObJLDHlzdg) (plus half) and Kevin's attentiveness to details (plus half). As mentioned by Cherlynn, the Zosui is a rice porridge similar to Chinese jook that mixes egg, rice, and scallion slices with your remaining Shabu broth. Mine was expertly cooked by Kevin who then topped my bowl with small nori strips. Fortunately, I opted for the regular instead of their larger set (more meat), as the porridge put me over the top; in fact, there was porridge to go. The dining room was about 60% full during my meal on a Monday night. Everyone seemed to enjoy their meals. If you'd like a more intimate meal, you may need to request for a wall side table as the middle ones are very close together. Yes, I will be back and the meal was good with excellent service. It just wasn't quite, "as good as it gets", in my book. read more

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Nabe has several very nice, attentive, and knowledgable waitresses. Because the waitresses were so informative and helpful, our food actually came with a healthy side of knowledge. And of course, KNOWLEDGE IS POWER! Did you know...... 1) Nabe, short for Nabemono, is not exactly the same as Shabu. In Nabemono, heaps of food are already filled into the hotpot broth. In contrast, ShabuShabu comes out with only broth, and food is filled into it afterwards. If you're eating at Nabe, choosing any broth options other than 'Shabu' will get you a beautiful hot pot broth with a variety of ingredients already inside. (Don't worry, both options come with thinly slice marbled meat on the side!) 2) The meal is finished with Zosui, which is similar to a porridge, or a Japanese Risotto. A waitress comes over to your table with a plate of rice, egg, seaweed, and scallion and then proceeds to cook the rice in the leftover broth. Apparently, the rice absorbs the leftover nutrients from the veggies in the broth, thus making the Zosui a nutritious finish to the meal. My mom pointed out that there is probably a lot of fat and sodium in the broth, but she also agreed that it makes the Zosui absolutely delicious. 3) The most important thing to know for Nabe is TO GET THE MOCHI BUTTER CAKE DESSERT. They make the Mochi Cake in house, so this is the only place to taste this delightful dessert. It's served with a scoop of ice cream. Just imagine biting into a warm-buttery-chewy piece of cake with a sudden sensation of sweet-chilly ice cream sliding down your taste buds. gettttttit My mom and my sister gave strong compliments to the stellar service. I agree, the waitstaff was top notch. Next time I'm here, I will try the Sake, because they have an impressive collection lined up on their walls. Maybe I'll learn a little something about Sake too and of course, KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. read more

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Floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Pinterest-worthy wall decor of sake in wooden case dispensers. Water served in pink and blue frosted sake bottles. Sleek modern furniture. Wooden utensils. The classiness of not smelling like kBBQ. Enter Nabe, Inner Sunset's suave shabu shabu place. It's a cool ambiance with a general bouge feel, but overall I found it lacking flavor and more pricey for what it's worth. Yes it's locally sourced organic etc., which unfortunately doesn't translate to tasty. The broths were mediocre, and the portions were tiny (meat was sliced *paper-thin*!) I think we ordered a beef and a pork thing and added some noodles and mochi, but I don't remember exactly because it wasn't all too memorable. The redemption factor was the yummy rice broth at the end that everyone raves about. Overall though, $20 later, we were all still hungry :( I think Nabe would be the best for a girl's night out (or maybe a date to impress a girl who really like ambiancey places). The food is nothing mind-blowing, but you feel so SF eating overpriced organic shabu and sitting in a pretty restaurant with a crowd outside waiting for your table. read more

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Heard there was a new hot pot/shabu place around so I wasted no time and paid Nabe a visit that same day. Immediately, I was impressed by the decor-- sleek, modern, dark-- not something you find at a typical Japanese/shabu/hot pot joint. That's just it, Nabe is not your typical hot pot/shabu spot. I can't say that I know how people shabu in Japan but if I had a guess it would probably be close to how we did at Nabe. Nabe had a few Nabemono set meals to choose from but Mr. Dubs and I both ended up with the Sukiyaki and an order of the gyoza. We had originally wanted to try the sausages but they ran out of it. (minus a star. They also didn't have a beer that was on the menu... something that is very typical too) But to redeem themselves... the homemade gyozas were bomb(dot)com for sure! If you're the AYCE type of person and won't leave without devouring at least 4 plates of meat a la Hulk style, then Nabe is likely not for you. You would appreciate Nabe if you appreciated organic and locally sourced ingredients as well as top quality meat. I could hardly wait for my water to boil when our pot arrived. It was filled with tofu, mushroom, veggies, carrots and noodles all in a sweet sukiyaki broth. At the end of the meal, our server took out some rice, egg and seaweed and mixed it into our broth for our Zosui. To be honest, I thought that was just ok. I probably would've preferred having a bowl of rice during my meal instead. I'll be back at Nabe for sure. Though there isn't an AYCE option, you will definitely walk out feeling full. The restaurant itself is tiny, so I'd definitely recommend making a reservation ahead of time. read more

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I'm debating between 3 stars and 3.5 but I'm leaning more towards 3 since I doubt I'll come back. The style was different and unique compare to the usual hot pot and shabu I been to. I guess it has more of a traditional feel. I think the thing that really bothered me was that there was no lamb -__-. I think the only reason I like any form of hot pot is for the lamb!!! The fact that there was no lamb was quite disappointing. The rice thing they give at the end was interesting but it was a little too salty and heavy since it's cooked in the broth we had used to finish a platter of beef. The service was definitely great and attentive though. read more

Nabe - Sukiyaki and kimchee - Hot Pot Near Me - San Francisco, California

I was visiting SF for a week and I told my best friend to choose a place to eat for Christmas. She drools over my shabu shabu pictures in LA so she asked me to find a good shabu place in SF. Nabe is new and came highly recommended so we made reservations. MAKE RESERVATIONS, it's tiny! Ambiance could be better... There's a loooooooooooong communal table in the middle and a few tables on the side. LUCKILY my bestie and I got our own table to the side. I would've hated to catch up in between a bunch of strangers. They use the space to the fullest extent... like there's barely any room for the waiters to move around AND it's a fucking sauna in there. It's so funny cuz the glass windows literally steam up and you can't see anything outside. Ok on the important part... the food. You order a set of broth and meat and choose regular or large. The sets come with the items listed plus assorted veggies, noodles, and rice. You can also add veggies and more meat for an additional fee. I thought that the sets provided more than enough. For a party of 2, order these two sets to share... perfect combination! + Sukiyaki (wagyu beef and shirataki in warishita broth) - I liked their sukiyaki. Sometimes it can be TOO sweet or salty, but theirs is just right. Wagyu beef is super on point... really great quality. I highly recommend this set. + Shabu shabu (wagyu beef/kurobuta pork and udon in radition konbu, miso, or spicy miso) - get this with wagyu beef and SPICY MISO. I've had spicy miso at other locations and this one is by far the best spicy miso shabu I've ever had. I HIGHLY recommend. Again the wagyu beef is great and I don't think I'd ever stray from beef with shabu. + porridge - What's different about Nabe that I really enjoyed was the porridge they make for you at the end of your meal. They simply ask you to choose a broth, add rice and condiments, and voila... delicious. Ask for their ponzu and goma sauce because I don't think they don't serve it automatically with your set. AND be sure to ask for garlic, green onions, daikon, and chili oil/powder (if you like spice) to add to each sauce. Nabe is missing one important ingredient - hot drops to add to the sauce. Every shabu spot in SoCal has this and it is a key component. LUCKILY we brought our own so the lack of it didn't kill our experience lol. Nabe, I suggest looking into it. I'm hoping they expand in the near future. This spot has so much potential. read more

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One of the better shabu shabu places in the bay. It's hard to find a shabu place that doesn't fuse with Chinese hot pot. They don't have all you can eat. Got the ordinary shabu shabu with beef and the traditional broth and miso broth. you can also choose from spicy miso broth as well. The miso broth is like the miso soup you have at Japanese restaurants. I prefer the traditional water with konbu. The vegetables seemed fresh and the meat quality wasn't the best but it was decent enough. Service was attentive. I like the option of the zosui at the end which is similar to porridge but more watery. They make it out of the broth you used. They put egg and garnish with green onions and seaweed. Place is small and looks modern. read more

Nabe - Hot Pot Near Me - San Francisco, California

Oh how I love shabu... My love for shabu is unconditional. I want it all day everyday, rain or shine, day or night... No, seriously! Nabe is not the usual shabu shabu places you can find a dozen in the richmond district. Nabe offers the authentic nabemono shabu sets that's carefully chosen and prepared based on the soup base and the flavor of the meat. Appetizer Edamame with sea salt and garlic sauce - get your appetite going! Gyoza - pan-fried dumplings with ponzu sauce Kurobuta sausages with mustard aioli - sweet and delicious! Kimchi kurobuta pork belly with kimchi miso broth - if you like a spicy kick in your soup, go for it! pork belly is thin-sliced, easy to cook and very tender! Sukiyaki with wagyu beef and warishita broth - it's a much lighter and sweeter soup with a variety of vegetables. Absolutely refreshing! Keep in mind, they don't offer AYCE but a set of nabe or shabu shabu is more than enough for my tummy, and trust me, I have a big appetite for a girl! (And I'm not ashamed of it!) Don't order rice with your shabu set because at the end of your meal you will regret it! After you are finished with your meat and vegetable set, Nabe offers the zosui - they put a bowl of rice, an raw egg, nori, green onions into the flavorful soup to make rice porridge. I'm a person who loves to drink a bowl of the soup which contains all the nutrition and flavor from the vegetables and meat. I typically love to cook my udon in the soup and have that as the last bite of my shabu shabu. But after I discovered zosui, I could care less about the udon! I absolutely love zosui! The raw egg makes the soup a little creamier for the taste and you get a bowl of heaven(for me at least)! That is my favorite part of the meal! Never disappoint! Ok, I'm hungry now thinking about the wagyu beef, the pork belly and the zosui! Maybe I'll have that for dinner tonight! The service at Nabe is great! The waitresses there are attentive and friendly. :) Thanks Nabe! Parking is tough - street parking or you can try the parking lot right across the street. It is Irving st, just be patient. Make a reservation, it'll definitely be easier! Enjoy! xoxo read more

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Terrific food at every turn. Soy edamame were savory and topped with copious amounts of garlic. I ended up spooning some of it into the broth. Spicy miso broth was robust and just the right spice for me (3/5). Veggie assortment was on par with other places but a surprise squash added unexpected pizzaz. End of meal porridge was actually just as good as the meal itself and I was scrapping the pot for every last drizzle. Impeccable service for such an affordable spot. Will be returning again and again. read more

Nabe - Hot Pot Near Me - San Francisco, California

2 regular nabemono shabu sets shared among 3 people is more than enough, mostly due to the Zosui rice that they add to your broth after your hot-potting is done. It's like two meals in one! A new hotpot restaurant in Inner Sunset that opened only 3 weeks ago? Hot damn! Cherylynn's review is so thorough that I don't need to bother with all the details. I just want to note that the nabemono sets include meat/seafood, noodles, and assorted vegetables paired with a broth. Your meal ends with a Zosui rice soup using the flavored broth from the cooking. Pricing is $18 per person for a regular portion, $22 per person for a large portion. They also have a seasonal nabemono winter set called Kamonanban, which includes duck breast and Tokyo negi with Dashi broth, regular $23 and large $28. Our group of 9 entered the restaurant around 5:30 PM without a reservation, and we were lucky to nab the long communal table in the back. The restaurant can only seat 32, so I would definitely recommend a reservation during normal dining hours. Service is good, with multiple waitresses running around checking on things, refilling water, and asking if the group is ready for the Zosui rice. However, the entire endeavor is a bit time-consuming given the ingredient preparation, table stove heating, and rice porridge finale. Our group was there for TWO HOURS. Crazy. My PDC family ordered 2 regular sets: the SUKIYAKI (Washugyu beef with a sweet Warishita broth) and the SHABU SHABU (Washugyu beef or Kurobuta pork with either traditional konbu or spicy miso broth). Our order came with 3 plates, one for each of the meats (15 slices of thinly sliced, beautifully marbled beef: http://s3-media4.ak.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/ZwBukC0KhMXJKbmaNfKPFw/l.jpg, forgot to take a picture of the pork, oops) and another for the combined vegetables and udon (http://s3-media2.ak.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/oENOdFCIcUrOqzm1cSXdgg/l.jpg). The vegetable/udon plate came with chopped cabbage, baby spinach leaves, a few slices of squash, two slabs of tofu, enoki mushrooms, a quartered shiitake mushroom, a few carrot pieces in cute shapes, and udon noodles. To be honest, I wish they gave more vegetables because spinach severely shrinks :( Since the sukiyaki set came with Washugyu beef, we opted for the Kurobota pork in spicy miso broth, per my big's recommendation. When our pot came to our table, the vegetables were already swimming in it (http://s3-media1.ak.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/9Zp7qpP_MynVcMIw3wA0TQ/l.jpg). This gave the scallions, mushrooms, tofu, cabbage, carrots, chrysanthemum leaves, and these spotted, slightly-crunchy, translucent noodles more time to cook. We added the meats on par with our consumption; I enjoyed the beef and pork equally :) Regarding the broths, I definitely preferred the sukiyaki's Warishita. The sweetened soy base adds subtle undertones to the hot pot ingredients, although the spicy miso adds that kick most people enjoy with their meat. The sukiyaki also comes with a raw egg that you crack into a bowl and dip your meat and vegetables in. So strange! I loved the added creaminess hehe. Screw Salmonella. After all is eaten, a waitress scoops out some of your broth and adds in some rice to make this delicious porridge chock full of hot pot flavor. You can choose to split your rice between the two broths or have it half-half. We asked for half-half, and she let the rice sit for 5 or so minutes before returning to stir in the beaten egg, nori, and green onions. I definitely would vouch for the Warishita broth over the spicy miso broth because at the end of the stewing, the savoriness of the boiled ingredients blends harmoniously with the innate sweetness of the broth. Max 4-way credit card split, and make sure to let them know before the ring things up. Also, they have one bathroom hidden behind a curtain. It has a weird sliding door... All in all, I would recommend 2 regular nabemono sets to be shared among 3 people. Both the SUKIYAKI and SHABU SHABU sets were fantastic, although I have a preference for the sukiyaki's broth and raw egg dip. I liked both the beef and the pork, and the beef is exceptionally marbled. And don't forget the Zosui rice porridge at the end! You're getting a real bang for your buck here ;) Also, shout-out to the best family out there! read more

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Food: 3.5 stars Service: 4 stars The zosui at the end tipped my rating from 3.5 to 4 stars! The rice porridge is hot and soaked up all the flavor from our meat/spicy miso. Yum. We almost didn't try it but sooo glad we did because the nori (seaweed) they add on top make the zosui quite outstanding. Between two of us we shared a large shabu shabu ($16) and a cold tofu appetizer ($5). The pork quality was good, and amount of veggies and noodles definitely filled us. The soup was bland in the beginning but obviously cooking the meats and veggies kicked it up a notch. The cold tofu was very refreshing but not a must-order. Overall, great place with cool decor, it's a reliable lunch/dinner place that won't disappoint! First thing walking in we both took a step back at how stuffy and hot it was. But I asked the waiter for AC and she turned it on immediately. During the time we were there she was very responsive and friendly. Tipped her 20% and I usually don't do that :P read more

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YUM. I've recently taken a liking to Japanese Hot Pot/Shabu Shabu and this place is really really good! So happy it's nearby. They have some AWESOME flavors for different broths or soups as well as a huge variety of veggies to add. I got the Kimchi soup with Kurobuta Pork - so so good. Really flavorful broth and the pork was really good quality. They also do a cool rice soup at the end with the leftover broth if you want something else after you're done ... if you have room. Overall, I loved this place. Small, steamy, but super yummy if you're craving soup on a cold day :) read more

Nabe - Spicy miso and kimchi stew broth - Hot Pot Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Nabe, Inner Sunset's new Japanese hot-pot restaurant opened on Friday 12/21/12. Nabe is a nabemono hot-pot restaurant with a clean modern decor. They have surely drawn a crowd with their wonderful choices of broth and high quality organic, locally sourced produce. While Nabe is a bit small on size (32 seats), it's big on "high quality" flavors. It's a must try! Food Ordered: - Sukiyaki - Washugyu beef with Warishita broth - Kimchi + Kurobuta Pork Belly - Berkshire pork belly with Kimchi Aka Miso broth * Traditional Nabe pairings, includes meat/seafood, broth, accompanied by noodles and assorted vegetables, finished with Zosui rice soup. [Reg 18., Lrg 22] Both of the broth's were amazing! The Warishita broth had a nice sweet savory taste, while the Miso broth had a spicy kick that was just right (medium). The Washugyu beef and Kurobuta Pork belly were tasty and even came with their own dipping sauce! Be sure to save room for the Zosui rice soup at the end; it comes with an egg, seaweed, green onions, and your choose of which soup to put it in. My wife and I chose to put it in our Warishita broth which we thought came out perfect. Quick Tips: - For parties of 6 or more, call in for reservations. The Good: Savory flavored soups, delicious food, and Zosui rice soup! The Bad: Waiting 1 hour on a Friday night while watching everyone sitting at the tables eating and salivating away. read more

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I found this place a couple years ago after coming home from Oahu. I had zosui at a restaurant there called Ichiriki and fell in love. This was the only place I could find that seemed to offer it the same way. I think I've been here 4 times or so since then, as it's out of the way for me since I don't even live in the city and it's not super close to a BART station. The other times I remember really liking it, but now that I've become a more frequent patron of One Pot in Cupertino, I feel like this place pales in comparison and is no longer worth the trek for me. I actually came out this way to dine at San Tung on the evening of my last visit, but it didn't cross my mind they'd be closed on the eve of Lunar New Year. This was the only other restaurant I had eaten at before in the area. Sukiyaki $28 for large: I do like the broth, it is a bit sweet though. I forgot that they already throw the veggies in there, so those were just in my way. (Sorry, mom. I'm still not into my veggies.) The beef texture was too tough compared to my fav One Pot, so that just diminished my experience. It comes with an egg to use as a dipping sauce: crack it into the provided bowl, just beat it (beat it), and dip your cooked beef in it. I think this is cool as I've never had it with sukiyaki elsewhere, but other than the novelty factor it doesn't do much for my taste buds. The other dipping sauce provided is really good though. I think it's a type of ponzu sauce? It's nice and tangy. After you finish your meat, they add rice to the leftover broth, along with an egg, to make zosui, which is basically a rice porridge. If you had multiple broths at your table, I think you can only choose one for the zosui for everyone. I've never asked for otherwise though. I do remember really liking this here in the past, but I messed up this last time because I forgot to clear out the veggies from the broth first. They were easy to avoid when just cooking the meat, but were obstacles too hard to overcome in the zosui. Photo Mentions: Pork Gyoza $8 Shabu Shabu with spicy miso broth $24 for regular Final thoughts: I probably won't come back now that One Pot Shabu Shabu has won over my heart, but I did have good experiences here in the past. read more

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This score is based upon the average of the two visits here at Nabe. Ever since it's opening, I've been excited to try this place because of its high reviews and the different styles of hot pot (shabu, sukiyaki, kimchi broth with pork belly, Seafood Yosenabe and Kamonanban!) that comes with Zosui at the end of the meal. On the first visit, knowing that the place was going to be packed on a Friday night, my friend scheduled a reservation for 7:30pm for the two of us. Contrary to the pictures you see on the website, the restaurant looks a lot smaller and can probably fit 20 people at most. When we arrived for our reservation, the waitresses apologized and told us we essentially had 30 minutes to eat before a larger party of 10 came in or that we can come back in another hour. Uh. what? I don't think there is any possible way for anyone to leisurely finish within 30 minutes at a hot pot restaurant. If we had just casually walked into the restaurant and was told this, I would've thought, "Oh it's okay then. We can wait" But NO! We made a freaking reservation! It makes absolutely NO sense for us to wait another hour. I was pretty upset about this and seeing that we were both hungry, decided to go down the block to Ebi Sushi for dinner. :| A couple of weeks after, I decided to go again with a couple of my other friends, with some amount of reservation. It was a Saturday evening and was surprisingly empty. We decided to split between Shabu Shabu and Seafood Yosenabe with an extra order of ramen and udon on the side. I enjoyed eating the seafood yosenabe because it has plentiful amounts of seafood and shellfish. One thing to note is that unlike other shabu places, you do not have rice on your side until the end when they mix it in the broth. By the time we finished both pots, I was pretty full and content The waitress was very nice and even offered to help take a picture of us. I wouldn't mind coming back again for lunch to try their other pots and hopefully, those next visits will help make me forget about that first visit... read more

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Went here for a birthday dinner and LOVED this place. It's my favorite hot pot restaurant in SF (vs. Little Sheep and AYCE spots in the Richmond/Sunset), mostly because it's slightly classier and thanks to the meat variety, e.g. duck, salmon, and legitimate wagyu. Highlights + not AYCE but ends up being tons of food for similar total cost + super great meat cuts (e.g. duck, salmon) that feature amazing wagyu beef + wonderful zen-like interior design and awesome sake bottle looking H2O bottles + best part (as other reviewers have mentioned) is when they take the leftover broth that's simmered in all the meats and veggies and make a super delicious porridge (yum!) + decent service Highly recommend and would definitely do a birthday dinner here! read more

When Kathleen W. wanted to come by and get a mani pedi together, I said yes, of course! Afterwards, we decided to grab some dinner together..well because we wanted catch up a little. We ordered two "small" pots of the Kimchi and the Sukiyaki to try together. The pork belly is so good with the spicy kimchi and the beef with the sweet sukiyaki was great as well. The vegetables were amazing and a great addition to each of the hot pots. It's just reminiscent of hot pot at home with my parents. Lots of food in a pot cooking and amazing food. I do wish they had those fish balls or those other familiar hot pot items, but it was great for the most part. At the end, after you're all done with your food, they add rice and make it into a porridge. I think the porridge that they made for us was a bit too watery - needed a little less liquid, but so flavorful after we had cooked all our food. I think that was my favorite part. I'll definitely be back! read more

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Oh Nabe...how I love all your wonderful nabemono combinations! My go to sets are the Kamonanban (duck) and the Shabu Shabu (w/ the Wagyu beef or the Kurobuta pork belly). But you really can't go wrong with any of them! All the meats and veggies are great quality and really fresh! Another must is the Kurobuta Sausage starter. Great texture, nice bite of the casing and just super savory yumminess. Beware as you take your first bite as I've some across come squirters! *giggles* And the Zosui rice finisher is a thoughtful way to end your meal. It's crazy comfort food and a wonderful way to not waste the delicious broth! Lastly, the staff and owner round out all the reasons why this is one of favorite restaurants in SF. Courteous and attentive, while not being overbearing. I love introducing my friends to Nabe when they are craving shabu and are looking for something different from the usual. And everyone always walks out loving it as well! Love you Nabe! I feel a shabu craving coming on so I will be seeing you guys soon! read more

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Shabu shabu makes the world a better place. Especially if you are sick and it is cold outside. SETTING -Nabe is in a busy part of Inner Sunset - right between Irving and Judah on 9th Ave. -Glass doors and walls so you can look right into the restaurant, unless it's around dinner when the inside is so hot that the glass gets fogged up! -They have a few tables for parties of 4 or smaller, and then a long table that stretches in the middle of the restaurant for pairs or larger groups. -If it's a full house they do have a wait list you can put your name on. You can wait inside or wander about outside and they'll give you a call. -Service gets a little bit slow when things get crowded. SHABU SHABU -We always go for the half pot Spicy Miso Broth (Shabu Shabu order) and half pot Warishita broth (Sukiyaki order) -Meat platters come in two sizes: Regular or Large. The prices vary depending on which type of meat. For this outing we ended up ordering a large Sukiyaki wagyu beef order and a regular Shabu Shabu kurabuta pork plate. -Each order comes with a plate of assorted vegetables and other condiments: tofu, cabbage, enoki mushroom, carrot, udon noodles, shiitake mushroom, kabocha squash, etc. -TIP: After you finish your shabu shabu meal, there is actually a FINISHER! The waiter will bring out rice and use your leftover broth to make a rice soup. The spicy miso broth rice soup finisher is amazing. They add an egg, green onions, and a little bit of seaweed. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare if your broth is still hot. PROS/TIPS -Complimentary rice soup finisher after your Shabu Shabu meal! It always hits the spot if you're still a little hungry after your Shabu Shabu! -Ask for iced water when you get in - most people ask for tea but after you get your Shabu Shabu... you'll want cold water. -Keep your broth hot after you're done with your Shabu Shabu and you're ready for the finisher - otherwise it'll take extra time to reheat the broth and make the finisher. Since it's time intensive you could end up waiting for awhile. Overall delicious :) happy happy shabu shabu! read more

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Came here for the sukiyaki because I have yet to find a sukiyaki place in the bay area and was excited to see that they offered it here. It was good but it wasn't what I was looking for. I was looking for the sukiyaki that Yojie's in SoCal offers. Expensive for what it is. Won't be back. read more

I mean, the food is fine - it's hot pot so not that complicated ... but the service sucks. They forgot our meat and the real treat to end it all was that they were "out of rice" so we couldn't get the rice porridge that comes with the meal, which is the entire reason we went there. They didn't offer any type of replacement or other option (like reduced price). Won't be coming back. read more

We went there for a dinner after a long day of biking in San Francisco. We were completely famished and looking for a hearty meal. Nabe was recommended by a friend who lives in the city so we gave it a try. The ambiance was modern yet warm. The service was friendly and attentive. Although the space in this restaurant is relatively limited we did not feel that our privacy was compromised. The menu was not like a traditional Shabu menu; all the meats and broths here are already paired. We ordered the rare Duck Shabu as well as the Spicy Miso Shabu with Wagyu Beef. The Duck Shabu was very tasty. It's rare to find duck at a Shabu place. It comes already in the broth, so make sure not to leave it in too long if you like it rare or medium rare. The beef slices were thin and tender. Unlike the duck broth (which is very light), the Spicy Miso broth is flavorful enough to drink as a soup and dipping sauce optional for your meal. The portion were average size -- if you are really hungry you might want to order additional sides. However, the good news is that at the end they will use the remainder of one of your broths to make Zosui rice soup, which resembles porridge. Overall, good experience and food, but don't expect to pay less than $30 per person. read more

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Been wanting to come to Nabe for a while after my bf moved to inner sunset since a friend said it's her fave restaurant. I think Nabe is so yummy, kinda pricey, but every time I come I leave happy. My bf and I have now been here multiple times, and we usually always make a reservation an hour or two in advance just incase they're busy, thus we've never had to wait more than about 5 minutes. Every time we come we get the large beef wagyu shabushabu since it already comes with udon, and I'm an udon LOVER! We have tried both the miso and spicy miso, and enjoy both, but as people who like da spice, we usually go for spicy miso =). We also like to get an add on of mochi, even though its $4 for 6 tiny pieces...I LOVE MOCHI, and mochi wrapped in wagyu beef is so so good (also a couple of times they gave us 7 pieces, twas magical)!!! At the end they make a yummy zosui (rice porridge) with your leftover broth, and mmm it is so good, both my bf and I love porridge, so we are always happy for it at the end. Once they accidentally burned it, but we got extra for the inconvenience, which was very nice of the staff. On days where we are too full, we bring it home and eat it for lunch the next day, and mm it taste just as good! For dessert, we have only tried the butter mochi with ice cream, which is definitely worth it in my opinion. I definitely recommend Nabe, and maybe someday we will venture out and try out something besides our usual shabu shabu. Also just a warning, they don't have very good ventilation, so it gets quite warm inside. read more

Nabe - Large Shabu Shabu with wagyu beef - Hot Pot Near Me - San Francisco, California

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