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    Shabu En

    4.6 (602 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

    Shabu En Photos

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    SHABU EN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Good for groups
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Shabu En

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    Thuy P.

    We've been here many times and still like this place Food and service were good. The place is cleaned. Have many choices of seafood if you don't want only beef.

    Menu as of 2/21/26
    Jonathan V.

    We came to Shabu En for a friend's birthday and were not disappointed. This place has a lot of options for meat, veggies, and sauces and is all you can eat which is nice. Each person gets their own individual pot which is nice. Lunch is $23.99 and dinner is $33.99. Parking: Shabu En is in a big strip mall in Chinatown and has a large parking lot in front of the restaurant with free parking. Parking is easy to find. Ambiance: the restaurant is very modern and clean inside. The buffet line is well kept with items refilled constantly. All of the tables are sizable so you can fill up on all you can eat. Service: the servers here are very attentive and our plates were cleaned quickly. They have a tablet system that the waiter/waitresses use to place your orders. The meat came out quickly and our pots were refilled with broth constantly. Food: most of the items besides the meat are on the buffet. The buffet had veggies, dumplings, seafood, and dessert. They have 9 flavored broths to choose from and I went with the Signature broth which had a rich umami flavor. You are also able to switch broths which is nice if you don't like the first one you choose. Our favorite meats were the ribeye, short rib, and Wagyu round. The ribeye was fatty and marbled well and the short rib and Wagyu round had a lot of flavor. The brisket was a little tough and the other meats were a little lower quality as they became very tough after cooking for a short amount of time. The veggie and seafood selection was robust and had anything you could imagine. I enjoyed the shrimp and frozen dumplings. The shrimp were large and the dumplings soaked up a lot of broth flavor. One of my favorite things to do with hot pot is to drop potatoes into the broth and let them soak for a while. After a long time, they become soft and soak up so much of the broth flavor. They have a dessert bar with snow ice, coffee and cheesecake cones. Nice selection for dessert but I wish they had soft server or ice cream like some other shabu spots in town do. Overall, I would recommend Shabu En for its clean and modern interior, its large variety of food, and the excellent service.

    Eugene P.

    AYCE Shabu restaurant with individual pots. Good: - Clean interior. - Individual pots. - assortment of veggies and seafood. - fast at taking empty plates away. - Good sauce selection. Bad: - Meat quality is not the best. I expect some cuts of beef to be fatty but most of the meat is lower grade quality. It's normal for the soup base to accumulate fat, but this was on another level and that's because of the quality of meat. - Veggie quality is not the best. In my opinion, this is restaurant is not a Japanese style hotpot; it's more like a Chinese style hotpot. - Service can be improved. If you act like you don't want to work, customers can sense that. Also, servers should know the menu. I asked our server what the leanest cut of meat is and he said Rib Eye (wrong). - Parking is tough. Overall: I'm not sure what the hype is about this place. I've been to better Shabu places.

    William L.

    This may become a new fav hot pot spot on rotation for me. I'm a big fan of individual hot pots where you can pick your own broth (or switch it up). Their menu has a solid selection and you can order a wide variety of meats to the table. On weekends it's dinner pricing all day, but you also get better cuts, like Top Blade or Ribeye.. One of my friends was a hot pot pro and suggested combining two broths! So I went in with the Duck + Shabu combo and it turned out pretty good. Pro tip: ask for a ladle, just makes grabbing stuff from your pot way easier. The vibe is modern with music playing, and it definitely gets busy during lunch. The sauce bar is well stocked, and the buffet has a nice mix of veggies and seafood. (I especially liked the noodle and mushroom options.) Each table has its own temperature control which was cool. The shaved ice for dessert is a must.. Loved the texture and I went a little wild with the gummy bears and jelly toppings. (Just means extra gym time later... or honestly, don't even think about calories if you're coming here) They also have a good selection of mocktails and cocktails, and happy hour. I tried a highball on special and it was pretty solid. Definitely worth checking out overall, the pricing was on par with competition around town. With a coke + tax and 20% tip, we're looking about $50 per person for dinner.

    Christina M.

    Overall solid ayce hot pot! Lots of good meat options a service was pretty fast- lots of folks checked in on us. We tried a variety of broths- the original is really fishy tasting as an fyi, for those who don't love seafood But I did like the sukiyaki which was really sweet and the tonkatsu. The duck almost had a pho taste which was pretty good too. A cool thing about this spot is that they have all you can drink Vietnamese coffee! For dinner maybe not ideal but for lunch this is super neat! I do wish that the place was it more clean and that there was more than one condiment bar as we had to wait often to get sauces. However overall had a good time! I think it's well worth the price and for cold weather it's perfect!

    Hayley F.

    Located among other restaurants and shops and in front of a big parking lot, Shabu En gets pretty heavy foot traffic. They have weekday lunch pricing, and for weekends, it is only dinner pricing. You can switch the broths as many times as you like with no additional charge. Meat ordering is on the last page of the menu. The vegetables, carbs, seafood, sauces, etc are in the middle. I chose duck broth which had a strong duck taste. I liked it! The self-service ingredients and the thin slices of mear were fresh. The desserts available were only cheesecake on a cone, shaved ice with various toppings, and Vietnamese coffee. I would love to see more variety of ingredients. Look out for the big banner beside the doors. It says, "Buy a Shabu En gift card. Win a Hermes bag or Louis XIII cognac." If you are interested...

    Buffet line
    Alex N.

    I've had my fair share of hot pot/shabu in the area, but after trying Shabu En, it's hard for me to go back to the other places. The price is about the same as the rest, but the experience marked it as my new favorite. Shabu En has the standard shabu self-serve buffet line for your carbs, veggies, and sauces, with a good selection to boot. At the table, you have 9 different broths to mix and match and choose from. Then comes my favorite part: the meats. Plenty of good quality beef to choose from without paying the premium price at other upscale places. The ending that seals the deal for me, worthy of earning my 6th star if I could give one, is their complementary dessert bar with delicious cheesecake cones and a build your own shaved ice station. I'll always be on the lookout for new dining experiences, but Shabu En will be a tough one to dethrone!

    Broths (very shallow)
    Linda T.

    I come here too often that I purchased gift cards and entered their raffle tickets. Am I going to win? Most likely not but oh wells. I have tried every single one of their broths and my favorite of all of them: Mala Sichuan. Surprisingly not spicy so make sure you go to the sauce station an get more spice. The flavor is just perfect. If you want more of a pho broth, go with their duck broth. Spicy seafood broth is very... seafood. If you like to eat Asian seafood instant noodles, then this is your broth. That's the best I can describe it. Tom Yum is usually my to go broth but it doesn't have that lemongrass Tom Yum that I truly enjoy. Not bad, still my second choice. Tonkotsu is not bad and I would choose spicy. Sukiyaki is on the sweeter side and doesn't side with me. Shabu En Signature is also another good choice even though the first year they opened, my servers always tell me to not get it because it's plain. Lots of fresh vegetables, seafood, and noodle options here. Sauce stations now have suggestions on how to make your sauce so if you're not familiar with Japanese hot pot, do not fear. The individual pots make it easy to not cross-contaminate with others. Though, it is pretty low pot so you won't get much broths. Meats are thinly sliced but not crazy thin like rice papers. Speaking of rice papers, did you know they have spring roll wraps here by their sauce stations? I was unaware of this till this year that you can actually change your broth. Obviously, don't make it such a hassle for your servers. Changing it once or twice should be enough. Be sure to ask them to give you more broths before it burns. Don't forget to end your meal with a dessert... or two, or ten. No one will judge. This isn't Planet Fitness. To this day, my family and I enjoy this hot pot restaurant. Priced is right, it's clean, and you get a variety of food where it's not old. I am the girl with a full plate of seafoods... come say hi.

    Look I used my Yelp swag!!
    Salma S.

    Came to celebrate my daughter's birthday. Our waiter Heider was fantastic. Price is about $34 per person.. It's definitely a ton of fun quality of protein and veggies is great. And staff is more than happy to help you out. I know lunch is like $20 and to be honest I prefer dinner it's more but you have so many more options. Really really enjoyable. And FYI if you pick a flavor you aren't fond of you can switch out you aren't stuck with it !

    Kathy V.

    Decided to grab hot pot for lunch on a cold afternoon, and I'd say it mostly hit the spot. The price was fair considering the wide variety of options available. The sauce bar offered plenty of combinations to suit different preferences, and the soup itself was flavorful enough that I didn't feel the need to add extra seasoning. That said, some vegetable, meat, and add-on selections are limited to dinner service. On the plus side, they do offer a kimchi/pickled bar and a unique shaved ice bar for dessert, which sets them apart from other AYCE hot pot spots. In addition, they also had Vietnamese Coffee, but that station was kind of mid as the coffee was very water down compared to the traditional one. Service was decent--my soup came out quickly--but water refills were a bit slow during my visit. I did appreciate the thoughtful touch of them providing a small water bowl to rinse your fingers after eating seafood. The interior was very clean and spacious, making it great for groups. However, the tables can feel a bit small if your group likes to load up on multiple plates at once. Overall: Service: 4/5 Food: 4/5 Ambiance: 5/5

    Signature broth. Side dishes were also very tasty
    YD S.

    Been here more than 20 times. Our server, Vihn, was extremely helpful and attentive! Food was as usual, fantastic.

    Nini P.

    This was my first time at Shabu En, but I can definitely say it will not be my last! The meats came out quick and were great quality, and the vegetables and seafood tasted incredibly fresh. There were lots of broth options to choose from and I was pleasantly surprised that both my broth and the vegetarian broth were so flavorful. The interior was very clean and organized. The hostess and waiters were kind and efficient. My favorite part had to be the dessert though. There was a shaved milk area with toppings like mochi, popping boba, passion fruit syrup, and more. There was also Korean banchan, Vietnamese coffee, and a wide variety of sauces. Shabu en is my new favorite shabu spot in town and I'm definitely coming back!

    Tons of variety!
    Jess F.

    As far as AYCE hotpot experiences go, Shabu En is one of the best! The atmosphere, service and food are all top notch, and the soup options are super diverse. I got the mala sichuan broth, which wasn't too flavorful/spicy at first - but I asked for extra spice, which made it perfect! I paired this with a simple and classic sesame oil, soy sauce, and garlic dipping sauce with a bit of cilantro on top. Just thinking about this is making my mouth water again! And if you're not into spice or are just looking for a different flavor, the broths are from all different countries and have something for everyone! They also have a vegetarian broth! The meat options are great, they're not stingy about letting you pile up your trays (some tables had stacks taller than I was, walking by)! The beef is thinly sliced and perfect for that fast cook and tender bite. The buffet bar also has a super wide range of options. There's also Vietnamese coffee, shaved ice, and cheesecake cones! What more can you ask for?

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    7 months ago

    Great experience and loved our server Albert very attentive and helpful! Loved the environment and everyone was super friendly and helpful!

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    1 year ago

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    11 months ago

    really nice atmosphere and really beautiful area . I cannot wait to try it ! it smells really good

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    7 months ago

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    7 months ago

    The customer service that Heider did for me and group was just the best. I'm surely coming back and asking for him it was amazing.

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    5 months ago

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    8 months ago

    "Friendly service. I'm not a fan of chopsticks with needles on both ends--it's confusing to tell which end to use."

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    1 year ago

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    9 months ago

    Britney was our servant and she was absolutely wonderful, always helped us when needed. Really recommend the shabu en broth, it was amazing.

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    9 months ago

    Britney was absolutely wonderful and she made our dinner more amazing!!! The broth was flavorful and meet was fresh.

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    9 months ago

    Loved it so much was craving hot pot since forever! Genie provided such great service throughout the whole experience

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    11 months ago

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    11 months ago

    The food was excellent, the beef brisket was very tender, and the service was quick. Will definitely be back soon!

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    1 year ago

    This place is dantastic. Very clean and variety of meat selection!! Also, you can switch base soup!!!!

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    1 year ago

    Temi served us for our first time! Highly rec. I got spicy tonkatsu as my broth and they have a huge selection of sides

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    Page 8 of 16

    Shabu En Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Shabu En

    Do they serve alcohol?

    Yes they do! We ordered beers and mimosas

    Can i still go even if I don't have a reservation for that day?

    Yes

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    I'm reviewing from the POV of an allium-free vegetarian. The owner of the now closed Pine Forest…read moreworks here and they have an entire two rows (?) of vegetarian food that he is in charge of. It's pretty decent and takes up almost 50% of what they offer, so not bad if you follow a vegetarian diet. Do note that you pay the same price regardless of what you eat. Likely not food allergy friendly; we fed my kid with the food allergies before we came. This place is fairly new and is on the second floor of Dynasty Plaza. A decent amount of parking but it can fill up fast during the busy hours as there are a lot of restaurants there. We initially scouted out the place a week before and it was almost empty, but we did go during the slow hours. This time, I met up with my omnivorous friend at noon and there were a good amount of tables that were occupied. It is a huge space so if it were smaller, it would seem busier, but most people spread out. It's about $18 per person for the weekdays and about $24 per person on the weekends. Kids are around $11 each. This price does not include the beverage station/drinks but you do get complimentary water. There's a sign saying you can't stay for longer than 2 hours. You pay first and then seat yourself... almost. Someone came with us with our waters and asked us where we wanted to sit and placed our drinks on the table. We chose a more isolated place. They don't have actual napkin dispensers. Every table has soy sauce, sriracha, and a bag of napkins. No caddy. Very casual. They offer a lot of different foods. You can order stir fry/noodles that they make just for you, there's an international section consisting of fried chicken, fries, even a few soups, a sushi section, fruit and salads, the 2 vegetarian sections I mentioned earlier, and a dessert section. I honestly just focused on the vegetarian and dessert sections. The food was good as expected. Less greenery than one would think when you think of vegetarian food but there is some. I thought it was pretty good except for the fact that I could only eat one full plate, but I managed to sample almost everything in that one plate. They've got things you might recognize from Pine Forest but also items that are new, so that is nice. They have an interesting shaved ice section, but the ice is sitting there... but the ice bed it's on isn't cold enough to keep it from melting. I like the idea, but the execution could be much better. They have small diced fruit, beans, and grass jelly as well as random liquids you can add on (syrup)? I think that they could definitely provide bowls of fresh shaved ice (the guy manning that counter looked pretty bored) and offer more toppings where the platter of shaved ice is. The dessert section is a bunch of cakes, but they do offer individual cups of Blue Bunny ice cream (vanilla, strawberry, chocolate). My kid loved the mango one the most. She ate 3. I thought the mocha (?) one I tried was on the dry side. My friend got a chocolate one and she agreed. Overall, pretty decent if you go for the vegetarian items. The price of $18 isn't terrible, especially if you eat more than me. However, I'm not sure if it's worth it to pay $24 on the weekends. My kids don't eat a lot; my daughter only ate a few bites of the rice noodles and 3 mango cakes. There's a reason why we don't bring them to buffets. BUT if you've got a big eater for a child, then go right ahead. I definitely think drinks should be included. It's a BUFFET. As for the meat items, my friend said they were okay. The seafood could be more fresh. They should label better though. Some sections have labels but they're mostly wrong. The restrooms are sound the side and we're pretty clean. I like how they have a lower sink for kids/wheelchairs. They definitely have some things to improve on and iron out overall. The Pine Forest owner did say that they might get rid of the vegetarian section. Once that happens, I guess this place won't be an option for us. Not sure if that will mean they'll focus on more meat items, but perhaps they should perfect/improve on what they already have if the reviews I've heard on those are mediocre instead of doing too much.

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    10.2 mi
    $$$

    This BBQ spot felt like the kind of place where you can truly slow down and enjoy a good meal…read more The aroma of grilled meat fills the air, but in a warm, comforting way rather than anything overwhelming. The meat was fresh and perfectly cooked--crispy on the outside, tender inside, and deeply satisfying. The side dishes were thoughtfully done as well, light and refreshing. I really appreciated the atmosphere here--relaxed, unpretentious, and just right for a long conversation or even a quiet meal on your own. Service was easygoing and attentive in a very natural way--present when needed, never intrusive. Overall, it's the kind of place I'd happily return to--not just for the food, but for how comfortable it makes you feel.

    After not visiting for several years, I was excited to give this place another try, but…read moreunfortunately, the experience fell short of expectations. The first red flag was arriving to find the banchan and salad already sitting on the table. Everything was warm, which made it seem like it had been sitting out for a while rather than being freshly served. After placing our order, only part of the meal arrived. We eventually had to ask about the missing soup and japchae. When the soup finally came out, it was cold. We later learned the wrong bowl had been brought out. Once the correct soup arrived, it was piping hot, packed with flavor, and had just the right amount of spice, easily one of the highlights of the meal. My husband was especially disappointed to learn that the beef belly, the dish he specifically came for, was completely sold out...on a Friday night. The fried shrimp also came out cold, and the popcorn chicken was underwhelming. Thankfully, not everything missed the mark. The beef bulgogi and kalbi were both flavorful and satisfying, and the pork cheek was served in generous, meaty portions that were perfect for sharing. Overall, the meal felt inconsistent. There were a few standout dishes, but between the service delays, missing items, and several dishes arriving cold, the experience didn't live up to the memories I had of dining here years ago. Would I come back? Probably not. Houston has too many great Korean BBQ options to overlook this many service and quality issues. While a few dishes were enjoyable, the overall experience simply wasn't worth the visit.

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    Shabu En - hotpot - Updated August 2026

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