Casual, lively, and always a good time. Shabu-Zen in Allston is popular with the college crowd and families. The space is clean, and they have a parking lot right behind, though it fills up fast. Street parking can be tricky. They have a great selection of broths, from veggie-based and savory to Sichuan spicy. You can load up on meats, seafood, and veggies, and there's a lot to choose from. I also like that shabu-shabu is interactive. You get things uncooked and cook it yourself in the bubbling broth, so we're constantly dipping in different meats, seafood, and veggies. We usually get sake here because it pairs so well with the meal. They have cocktails too, but this is definitely more of a sake-and-shabu kind of place for me. Overall Service: The staff here have always been great. I've been several times now, both with bigger groups and just a couple of friends, and the service has consistently been friendly, patient, and attentive. Even when it gets busy, they're always pleasant and on top of things. read more

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The broth was good and the meat was also nice! But i found it lacking on spice for some reason, didnt had the hit i usually get. The service was quick and nice. The ambience was quite nice too, we didnt had to scream. read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

This is a quick and easy hot pot place to go solo or with a group of friends. I usually come here when I want a quick meal - in and out! They are ala carte vs All You Can Eat where I do prefer the buffet better since you can get unlimited items. They have a wide range of broth. I go the spicy Chinese Sichuan and it has a nice kick. read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

I hadn't been to ShabuZen in a while and forgot how great it is. The space is surprisingly large, so it's easy for them to seat bigger groups without much of a wait. Another big plus is that they're open late, which makes it a solid go-to spot when you're craving hot pot at night. The sauces come pre-set at the table. I'm not totally sure how I feel about the freshness of pre-mixed sauces, but they're the usual essentials--garlic, soy sauce, chili pepper, and a few others--so you can still customize things to your taste. As for the ingredients, the selection of meats and vegetables is pretty good. Nothing mind-blowing, but definitely solid and reliable for a hot pot place. read more

This is one of the best hotpot's I've ever eaten at. Every time I fly in from California, this are the first place I stopped to eat. The produce is fresh. The meat is high-quality and the broth is delicious. read more

Spacious and fairly good spot. Not AYCE but still pretty good. Ingredients were fresh and service was quick. Reservations are recommended.

The jumbo combo is massive. Could easily split with another person. The A5 we got was pretty solid and I really liked the mushrooms as well. The broths were okay, tasted a bit watery. read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

My wife loved this place!! We always make it a point to come here every time we visit Boston. They have seats at the bar for single diner and tables for larger groups. Servers are great and usually pretty fast when you ask for things. But service could be little slow when they get the rush. The broth is very tasty, portions are generous and loved the variety of different combinations dishes that have. The watermelon drink is a must too!! read more

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This is far from shabu and more of a Chinese hot pot. I was sad to find that hot pot in itself was so so expensive of sub par ingredients. I had a really bad stomach ache from all the msg even after ordering a simple broth. Presentation is nice, but I would rather go for an ayce shabu shabu. read more

It's been 5 months since I had hotpot... Shabu Zen definitely satisfied my cravings! As much as we complain about their pricing, we're confident that it will never disappoint us. Please bring back $2-$3 broths! LOL read more

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This place is one of the more popular hot pot restaurants in the Boston area. There is a small parking lot off the side street if you are lucky. The restaurant is huge with bar seating having individual pots and tables with shared pots. Service was attentive and quick. The house broth is included and any flavor is an extra charge. I got the A5 beef regular combo and it came with a choice of noodles and assorted vegetables. The udon noodles and beef were fresh and not frozen. It did give an impression of higher quality than other places. The flavor broth is really good and the portion for the regular meat combo was a good size for one person. You should get a regular combo for each person. read more

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My favorite hot pot spot in Boston for over 15year+. We always get the kimchi broth and don katsu broth and they are both great. We end up going back because their sauces are what makes it different/special from other shabu spots. I love love love their peanut sauce (so good that i ask them for extra all the time) but their soy sauce mixed w different herbs and chili oil is amazing. If you choose a meat a plate of vegetable (napa cabbage, mushroom,corn, buckchoy, carrot and tomato comes as a default on the side) if you want extra veggies you must order it a la carte. Also included is a choice of carbs (rice, vermicelli,udon) Highly recommend their fried tofu skin and fresh tofu skin and their in house made fish paste! This place is very spacious making it great for families large and small and the staff is on point . We love that this location has parking in the back which is a plus for allston location since parking can be tough. Definitely give this place a try if you're in the area. read more

Shabu-Zen - Kimchee broth w beef and vegetables - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

Long time server nice guy served us. I love the food here. So yummy shabu! The shrimp paste is the best!!!

Parking: street parking. There may be a small lot in the back but I'm not sure since I parked on the street Service was fast and wait staff was courteous. For the price, I would have expected more meat/seafood for the two platters. It was $30 for ~15 slices of beef! It wasn't enough protein for my partner and we ended up getting an order of the lamb ($25). I will say that the beef quality was good but the seafood was just ok and they only give one mussel (see picture). Definitely recommend getting the meat over the seafood. The total cost for the meal for two people with no drinks or dessert was $160 - quite expensive for hotpot. read more

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Best hot pot i've ever had. Our server was nice and attentive. This is the only place with good Tobiko balls!! And the quality of the meat is unbeatable for hot pot! It's a bit expensive but definitely worth it. And has free parking!! read more

Shabu-Zen - Finest Usda Prime Rib Eye Of Beef Boneless Short Rib Beef - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

Despite all the new hot pot restaurants popping up, Sabuzen is still one of my favorites. Awesome broths, not too oily, good fish paste, fresh ingredients. I don't get the heavy msg dry throat after. Convenient parking in the back. Staffs always know we want individual pots and extra sauces. Lol. Excellent services every time. Seriously my family goes there every 2 - 3 weeks. Love that place. I hate all the gimmicks that new restaurants are doing, prefer a straight to the dish kinda place like here. Highly recommend. read more

Amazing hotpot- the Mongolian is my favorite. Try the vegan fish and the fish paste and the quail eggs! Parking lot behind though it fills up pretty quick Be prepared to wait on weekends but worth it! read more

Shabu-Zen is a well known Japanese hotpot restaurant in Allston with another location in Chinatown. I have only been once before and typically go to other places because I usually prefer Sichuan/Chongqing hotpot, and the last time I went it was pricey. I decided to get some lighter hotpot and chose Shabu-zen. We got miso and mongolian broth which were both very good, and the mongolian broth is very very mildly spicy. I don't love how they don't have a sauce bar but that is something that is expected when coming here (just the few ingredients given). We got prime beef combo with ramen, tofu puff, udon, pork dumplings, and fried tofu. The ramen is not worth the extra money as it is already pretty overcooked so putting it in the broth makes it too mushy. I will say the meat here is the best quality meat I have ever had at hotpot but it is extremely pricey for a small amount. Vegetables were fresh as well as the other ingredients. I really like it here as a way to switch it up from Chinese hotpot and because of the quality of the ingredients, but the prices here are very steep compared to every other hotpot place I have been to in Boston. After tip it was about $100 for two people and we did not feel like we ate that much, especially when it came to meat. I would come back but I have other places that I prefer more. read more

This is my favorite restaurant when I come and visit Boston. Excellent service and the menu is fairly extensive for a hot pot restaurant. They offer sashimi and fresh fruit smoothies along with their various choices of meats and seafood. They also have a parking lot so no need to worry about looking for a spot. I usually find one every time I come and eat here. This place is very consistent with their service and quality. I suggest coming during the week and avoid weekends as this place gets packed to the brim on Friday's and Saturdays. read more

Hot pot had high quality meat and pretty good number of side dishes. Surprisingly had no issue at all getting a table and the set up of the restaurant is pretty solid and traditionally styled. The meat was fresh and the vegetable quantity portion sizes were huge. They gave so many vegetables. You're likely to be extremely full getting your own, mostly from the broth. I recommend the Tom yum soup base which tasted quite accurate and wasn't too spicy or watered down. They come back to refill quite frequently. The music was kind of strange playing in the restaurant. Also, the service seemed to lack here and there when it came to being attentive on asking for the bill/check and a bit on wait time. But they were also quite busy. I think if you wanted to share one, you definitely could since you're likely to feel quite full quite quickly. The broth fills you up fast! read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

We visited on a Friday night and the food was alright but the service was bad. The pricing was also not very clear. It seems that this place could be a good deal if you knew what things to get and what things to avoid, but we were rushed to order so we selected two broths and a couple meats. What we didn't realize is that each non-house broth costs almost $10 each even if splitting a pot, while the normal broth is free. It felt like we were scammed out of $20. The service, in addition to hurrying us at the beginning, was inattentive for the rest of our visit. The interior of the restaurant was surprisingly large, though most sections were empty. I'd suggest looking elsewhere for a good hotpot experience. read more

Just as good as the Chinatown location. Great place to bring a date our a large party of people. The meat is of great quality and the appetizers are great too. The smoothies are amazing here too, don't miss out read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

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Food is Good but price is high. Service are nice and friendly, place is large enough that have seats most of the time. STILL, TOO EXPENSIVE!

Came here for my birthday last night. Only picked this place because my friends likes it and was flying in from out of town. I left pretty disappointed. While the server was nice, I can tell he was overwhelmed with his section and couldn't keep up with the demands from each table. The beef tongue we ordered came last when it should've been first since it was an appetizer. They always skimp out on condiments. Never enough sauces or anything but no worries we kept asking for more with no problems. The broth was good. The quality was just ok. Portions was small. Overall I feel like it was a very expensive meal. I would rather go to an AYCE place in the future. I was also annoyed when I see other tables get sweet soup at the end of their meal while our table didn't get any when our bill was well over $500. Makes no sense? Let's just say I won't be back again. read more

Spent $40+ on a meat combo and was still hungry after. For that price, I'd expect either a large quantity or good meat quality. The meat wasn't bad, but didn't stand out. There's no sauce bar so you're stuck with the house sauce which is ok, but I'd rather just make my own sauce. The soup was kind of bland so I had to rely on the dipping sauce a lot. There are much better hot pot places in the area. Go to Liu Yi Shou or Happy Lamb instead. read more

Amazing hotpot, the broth is super flavorful and the meats are good. We had the Chinese herbal and beef and tomato broths with chicken pork and short rib. Very fair pricing too read more

Came here from California and was craving Hot Pot. Tried this place twice and was definitely not impressed. The meat quality was "aiiiight", but forsure it was overpriced for what it was. Also, they dont have a sauce bar and their house dipping sauce sucks. As for the service, it was ok. When I walked in, the place looked pretty clean, that was until i got to my table. We were seated in the private room with the TVs. The table were sticky, and the seats had leftover food on it. yuck. Didnt have that great of an experience and probably will not be back unless I get forced to go. read more

I will DEFINITELY be returning to Shabu-Zen. Where do I start? Our waiter, Ze, was funny, helpful, and very attentive to my gluten allergy. He checked the menu to make sure everything we ordered was gluten free. He gave us delicious suggestions. We had the Tom Yum and Kimchi broths, which were so tasty! Unfortunately, the Sichuan broth had gluten in it, so that we couldn't have that, but I'm delighted with the two flavors we got. We also ordered a new flavor of Soju that was yogurt flavored. It was the perfect pairing with the food! Now that it's getting colder, Shabu-Zen is the perfect place to visit. read more

Shabu-Zen - Our split pot of Kimchi and Tom Yum broth - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

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They have a huge dining area but there's always a fairly long wait to get seated, which is puzzling. Shabu-zen has long been a staple hotpot joint of Allston and serves up a good selection of items. They even have unique single-pot counter spaces, so if you want to eat alone, it's a good spot. However, Shabu-Zen has a TON of strong and new competition in the neighborhood: Spring Shabu, Happy Lamb, Shabu Shabu Toki. All of these places have huge hype and may cut into Shabu-Zen's throne as the Allston hotpot king. An issue is the price point, and $33 bucks for several slices of raw sliced beef doesn't seem to be worth it. Those are luxury steakhouse dining prices. Perhaps better sauces (like Happy Lamb) or more vegetables (like Spring Shabu) could help. read more

It was a cold Wednesday evening 10/5 we arrived about 730. As soon as you walk in the doors, the flavors Smack Ya Ass in the face...Whoa!! I've been to other Hot Pot restaurants but you didn't smell the aroma like Shabu! Dinner for two so we preferred a table for privacy. Went with the Surf & Turf and ordered extra Mushrooms . The other patrons recommended Mongolian Spicy so we went with that and Miso for traditional. Food & experience was excellent, the staff is attentive and can tell they work together. they have a bar, beer & wine. I'm a sucker for Martini and saw they had Lemon Drop hmmm idk what it was mixed with, That was Not It!! Clearly the wrong drink with food pairing so we both stuck to Sapporo rest of the night read more

Shabu-Zen - Clean version - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

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We were told that it would be a one hour and 45 minute wait for Spring Shabu Shabu and decided to come to Shabu Zen instead. Shabu Zen was my husband's favorite date night spot, so it brought back memories for us, now dining with my daughter and niece. I was quoted 20 to 30 minutes for a party of four, but the wait was really only about 10 minutes. We were seated along the bar and each diner got their own hot pot stove which the children preferred. Our waitress Jenna was very pleasant and patient. Midway through dinner, when I told her that we hadn't received our fish paste, she was quick to check on that and returned ready to serve it to us. It was the highlight of our meal and tasted like freshly made fish balls. This is a must order here! Next time, we'll order the shrimp paste too! In addition to the fish paste, we ordered the jumbo prime beef platter, seafood supreme platter, enoki mushrooms, and sauteed beef tongue. It was all very good and tasted fresh. The kids also really liked the strawberry smoothie with boba and the ice cream offerings! We look forward to returning! read more

My friend and I came on a weekday evening for dinner. It was pretty crowded, so we had to wait 10 minutes to be seated. We ordered the meat combo and takoyaki. The meat combo came with various vegetables, which was great! Both meats were very flavorful and delicious!! I really liked the enoki mushrooms with the house broth. The takoyaki was a lot chewier than I was used to and it wasn't as flavorful as I had hoped. It almost seemed that the outer dough wasn't fully cooked. The waiter wasn't very attentive. We ended up waiving down another waiter to order the takoyaki after we finished our meat combo, and to get us the check. Overall, we had a good time would come back again for dinner. read more

Shabu-Zen - Takoyaki - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

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Shabu-Zen was a great choice for hot pot! We were seated immediately and served quickly. This restaurant gets very busy so they try their best to get you in and out. The food was delicious and if it weren't for the messy center in the room, I would give them 5 stars. I love that they have the air conditioner on because it does get hot inside. I ordered the Surf and Turf with beef and Tom Yum broth. The broth was very spicy but so good. My fiancé had the Szechuan broth which was phenomenal but also very spicy. The service was so fast! Another thing, they had Ikezo sake which is my favorite jelly sake drink (it's so hard to find)! I was very pleased with my visit. read more

I have a friend who eats out more than I do If such a thing is even possible. I told him to surprise me, and surprise me he did! I admit that this is my first time experiencing Hot Pot, still despite the price I was a blow away not only by the food but also by the service. Though I had the chance to try a sample of the mushroom broth, I went with the Chinese Spicy (Mongolian style). Nothing wrong with the mushroom, but the pleasant heat of the Mongolian just hit the right spot. The broth was extremely pleasant and perfect for cooking and bringing everything together. Setting aside their many other options absolutely would get again. With the condiments, by themselves, they were fairly unremarkable, but mixing them all together (as is recommended) made an amazing and flavorful dipping sauce. A little sweet, a little heat, some saltiness, and of course savoriness! For meat, I got the short rib. It cooked extremely quickly in the boiling broth. The combination of sauce with meaty and fatty parts when cooked to a medium-rare made an incredible combination. I also got the Udon Noodles as the starchy element. the way it's meant to be is for the noodles to be warmed up on the broth, and then added back to the bowl with the broth, making a sort of soup. The spicy broth made a wonderful contrast to the udon, and with meat and veggies, it was even better. My only regret is slurping them down too soon! Other veggies are nothing to write home about, although I would have liked a little more tofu, as after some cooking in the broth it was divine! Yes, I realize it's on the expensive side, and you all know how much I care about value. Still, it was our server, Mark who made a great experience amazing. Mark explained the menu very well and starting off allowed me the opportunity to try a little mushroom broth. Throughout the dinner, he guiding and helping with the experience with how best to enjoy everything, including sauces, short rib, and noodles! The location was very spacious and clean! read more

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Interesting Hotpot experience! I came here for a birthday and had a lot of fun to be your food into the different soups. Decent drink menu. Overall, the food wasn't super flavorful, but I think this may be typical of hot pot. read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

Amazeballs. Staff is nice. meat quality is good and the overall food is great. The szechuan sauce is the best. I love this spot!

It was my first hot put experience. The staff was very helpful explaining how to order, what to order, knowledgeable about what was in the various foods for allergy sensitivity. It was bright, clean, the food was fresh and delicious. It was a fun experience. read more

We went to spring shabu shabu first and was told to wait for 2 hours. So we searched on yelp and opted to this place. We waited for 45 minutes to be seated. Everything was okay, not very authentic though. No sauce station, only soy sauce. Meat was cut too thick, not tender enough after cooking. Portion was small. 4 pieces of taro for $4? 3.5 okra for $4? Service was slow. Our waitress believed we didn't order enough so we ordered more and ended up with too much food. Overall an okay place. Won't revisit though. read more

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Hot pot is one of my favorite dining experiences. What could be better than being out with friends, cooking your own food to top chart music, drinking hot soju on a cold Boston day? I think I must've dined here at least 50 times. And Shabu-Zen never misses. An added star for free parking, making this place always easy access. Broth options are always solid, flavors are all amazing. My personal favorite combo - 1/2 kimchi & 1/2 miso. Ingredients are always fresh and cost is decent. Definitely a go-to. Adding another star for proper ventilation - you won't leave drenched in the aroma of spices and meat. read more

First time I went was a disaster. I asked for recommendations from the waiter and he FAILED miserable but service was good. The good was gross. 2 weeks later I went back with people who frequent and it was heaven on earth. Soooo soooo good. The trick is in the broth and knowing how to make the dipping sauce. Mongolian broth for the win. I can not wait to go back! It's filling but you do not disgustingly full. The service was not that great but I think the waiter was just not for it. #HotPotForTheWin read more