Great atmosphere and value. Get a lot of food for not too much and high quality as well

Still rock star steady!!! The Mongolian broth is the absolute best, it's outstanding! We got the lamb and beef combo and a separate vegetable based combo plus an order of the spicy edamame beans for the first time. They were a big hit for everyone. The broth bowl was split into two miso and Mongolian. The miso folks commented on the miso having too many green ones so if your not crazy about green onions take note. They no longer serve chopped fresh chili peppers. If you want them you have to ask, I didn't but if you want to turn up the heat it's a way to do it. This is one of my favorite places. This one is huge and your entire party must be there before they'll seat you. No saving the table till others arrive. It was another awesome trip to Shabu-Zen! read more

Worst place in Boston. Scalp you for every item, places like this should have at least unlimited rice and noodles. 1 person will spend at least $35 just for a single meal. Quality isn't that great. Go to spring shabu shabu or happy lamb instead. read more

It's not my favorite place for hot pot, but it's in a convenient location and the quality is always good. I've been here several times, and the quality of the ingredients here is consistently some of the best I've had. The meat and veggies are always fresh and the broth is always flavorful. The cocktails are pretty decent as well. I always enjoy the smoothies I get here because they're so tasty and taste fresh. We usually come for lunch as the prices are more reasonable at that time. Shabu-Zen is fairly standard as a hot pot restaurant. Once you arrive, you have the option of sitting at a table or at the bar. If you're with a big group, I suggest sitting at a table as it's hard to talk to everyone when everyone is facing one direction at the bar. When you sit at the tables, you share the hot plate with the person in front of you, but you are given individual broths. I recommend ordering the combos as the come with the basic ingredients of hot pot (proteins, veggies, and choice of carbs); you can always order more things a la carte if you're hungry or if you have a really large group. A single combo is enough for me, though. My fiance loves sauce, so we always have to order more of the Sacha BBQ sauce since they give only a little dish. Service is consistently friendly and professional. The interior could use some updating as I think parts of it are dated or dingy, but it seems clean. If you're lucky, you can find parking in the lot at the back, but there's street parking otherwise. read more

This is one of the best restaurants in the Boston area. If you're looking for hot pot style food, I'd definitely recommend trying Shabu Zen out. The meat is high quality and the portions are satisfying. The overall ambience of the restaurants is also excellent! If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Loved my dining experience at shabu-zen! Would definitely recommend. Note that this is a la carte and not all you can eat. The food: What really made this meal were the broths. We got the Chinese mala spicy broth, and Chinese herbs for a mix of spicy and non spicy. The broths came in one big pot with a divider. The flavors absolutely will not mix in the pot. The meal also came with some dipping sauces, garlic, scallions, etc. Between four people, we got jumbo portions of beef (I believe ribeye), lamb, seafood platter, and tofu appetizer. Each of the main meats came with a full plate of assorted vegetables and choice of noodles between vermicelli, rice, and udon. My favorite was the vermicelli because it really soaks in the flavor of the broth. The beef and lamb were delicious, cooked in seconds. The seafood platter was not worth it, personally, considering the cost relative to the amount of food. Hotpot is best shared with friends, so be sure to go in a big group! The space: Very spacious restaurant, moderate amount of noise. Obviously casual. Clean and a good experience. Service: Pretty prompt and nice. Standard, no complaints. The wait: Not bad for Friday dinner, maybe 15 min. We had to wait for everyone to be present in order to be seated. All in all, a great experience. If you like hotpot, give it a try. read more

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Great service great food. Never came to this location and left disappointed. The beef was tender and the staff were very welcoming. Very attentive. The broths were on point! read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

I'm not really into hot pot but this place was not too bad. The setup of family style is really good for groups. I love that you can split the soup bowl to get 2 different broths. The food was good and they have a lot of options and variety that you can order in the side. read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

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The good thing about this place is that it's definitely what I would consider comfort food on a cold night. My bf came here at my behest because I know I'm not finding any good Shabu in SB any time soon. We ordered the Surf and Turf (lamb and an assortment of seafood), udon, mushroom balls, and pork dumplings. We had the spicy szechuan broth on one side and the regular (which I don't even know what that really means) on the other. I've been here before, which is why we shared a main dish and ordered a few sides. One order is huge for one person, and almost enough for 2 (almost). I generally enjoy "cooking" my own food and we took our time with each portion of the meal. The veggies side that comes with the meal was a little smaller than I remember, but the meat and seafood portions were good. The mushroom balls were meh, not particularly flavorful and a little tougher than I anticipated (regardless of how long we cooked them). The seafood was good. We didn't overcook anything, so that helped. The scallop looked like it was sliced in half, so it was a small portion, but they most definitely didn't skimp on the squid. I would have preferred a little more white fish, though. The lamb was a little too fatty, but still good. Especially when cooked in the spicy broth. The spicy broth was not bad, although it could have used a bit more flavor. We added the side sauces to our broth, which made it tastier, but it's a shame that it can't stand on its own. read more

Shabu-Zen - surf n turf - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

Came in here for lunch and we were seated immediately without a wait. We were a party of two so we got one hot pot and a side of kimchi. This was just right for both of us. Pay attention to the meat and veggies that boil all the time since if they overboil - they start disintegrating inside the broth. Highly recommend the lamb and the salmon. Also go for the watermelon frozen drink - it's awesome! read more

Shabu-Zen - Seafood platter and lamb meat option as part of the Surf n Turf combo! - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

Although I'm not a huge fan of hotpot (compared to my roommate who basically eats here every other day), when I do come here with her, I am never disappointed. Honestly, I just order the same thing anyways. But the portion is so large for what you get and the time it takes you to cook everything and eat, you're so full! I always order the $14(?) beef plate with udon & it comes with all the veggies and stuff. Every time I come here, the staff here is so good. Really good. Always with smiles & great customer service. They come several times to refill our water and because everyone at my table loves extra sauce & onions & garlic, they automatically give us extra so we don't have to ask for more later. read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

So I have recently (within last year) began loving what is Shabu... There is a place near work in Kendall & we go there quite often, but being that this is only one of the few places I go for Shabu a GF/Co worker and I decided we needed to try another place... So Shabu-Zen was that place. Off we went & we knew they opened at 1130 and that they had a small parking lot so we headed out early to get there, so we pull into the empty lot & notice several workers sitting/standing there waiting to open. I think this cant be a good thing, there is no way they are going to open in 5 minutes & have everything ready... So a few cars pull in, several people file into the back door & we decide we have waited long enough (5-7 minutes - as it was just 1130) and we go in. It is Freezing in there (clearly they dont run the heat overnight) so I suggest if you go in the winter right at opening, bring a sweater. The waitress is super nice & informs us for tea its going to be some time as they just opened, I mean its water - boil it.. But whatever. We look at the menu and are instantly amazed at how cheap everything is compared to the prices of our regular Kendall Sq location. We order several options, sides, combos, extras... Just want to try it all. I get my standard Tom Yum broth as I soo love it & Gf gets Tomato Veggie or something. In no time the table is FULL... we have soo much stuff. It is soo good, I feel like the veggies were all great, the mushrooms was less of a selection than my usual spot, but there were tons of other things. Bill comes & OMG its like 1/2 the price for double the food. It was a great time & we will DEF be going back. Loved everything. read more

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This was my first hot pot experience and it was delicious!! Friendly and informative staff, clean atmosphere, and reasonable prices. I don't know how much other hot pot places typically charge, but I wasn't surprised by their prices.. it was pretty much what I expected. Pretty good!! Will go again! read more

We came to Boston very last minute, the restaurant we originally wanted to go to was a 40 min wait and they closed at 9:30. Came across Shabu Zen and they didn't close until midnight, which was great in our case. Only has to wait 10 minutes to be seated :) Didn't know it was only hot pot served here and unfortunately it doesn't go by "all you can eat" like other restaurants do. There's pricing for a combo, I got the regular $16 beef combo that comes with veggies and noodles with chicken broth for the hot pot. We saw on the menu that they served the spontaneous wagyu beef from japan! Was really interested to try although the thing was $78, my friends were close to ordering it but realized it was meant to be boiled in the hot pot. We decided against it as this delicacy should be seared on the grill and not boiled. So that's something to keep in mind if you come here and debate on getting the wagyu beef. The food was really good although the ingredients could've been easily made at home. If I was lazy to make hot pot myself I'd definitely come back here. Oh yeah, I ordered takoyaki as an appetizer which the server forgot about so we had to remind him. When I got the takoyaki it wasn't served as how it should usually be for a Japanese dish. The mayo and takoyaki sauce was on the side and the takoyaki balls were skewered with toothpicks individually. They were also not cooked all the way through and were mushy. Wouldn't get that again. read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

Great hot pot experience! Got the kimchi broth and tom yum broth and both were flavorful and rich. I preferred the tom yum though. The wagu beef, which sells for around $70, was delicious and definitely melts in your mouth. Worth a try if you love wagu. The short rib was also fantastic. Overall good service and great location in Chinatown boston. read more

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I am a fan of Hot pot and new to this area. My friend brought me here as it is high rate. Restaurant atmosphere: Good, not too noisy, suitable for group and family size party Staff and service: Good and friendly Food: The broths are similar taste and too salty. We ordered mushrooms broth and Mongolian broth. Their taste are the same; the only difference is hot chili putting in Mongolian broth. Having hot pot, you should let it get to boiling, then dip veggies, meat, etc.. into the soup. The soup will be getting salted since it's been boiling over the time. Therefore, if the soup is too salty at the beginning, you can't eat it all. Our soup broths were in that case. We couldn't finish all soup but getting over bloat because if thirsty and drinking a lot of water after dinner. Additionally, this restaurant is pricey. The price on menu doesn't seem to expensive, but you have to order every single thing. I prefer "all you can eat" I wouldn't recommend this to my friends and family read more

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I don't remember how many times I go to Shabu-Zen. Every time, I wanna a hot pot. I always go to Shabu-Zen. My old-time favorite is a lamb pot with veggies combo. Their herb stock is totally made for lamb. It's a sweet flavor with herb ingredients. So healthy. The most important thing is their sesame sauce is insane!!!!! No matter what kind of meat you order, you dip into sesame sauce. Your food will level up to a higher yummy level. It is heaven. If you never try, you should give it a chance. You would not regret it. read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

Best hot pot in all of Boston, no doubt. My go to is always the A1. If you're not a huge veggie eater, order a la carte instead. Would recommend ordering udon noodles, shrimp paste, fish paste, and tom yum broth! read more

I usually only have hot pot buffet style, but my friend wanted to come here so I gladly agreed. The space is very clean and all the staff members are friendly and accommodating. I ordered the meat combo, which came with pork and beef ($17). It also came with a pretty sizable portion of veggies, and your choice of udon, vermicelli, or rice. They also have fancier broth flavors that cost extra, but I just went with the pork broth. The meat was all high quality and the veggies seemed fresh. Since we sat at a table, we didn't get our own individual pots, but shared one pot that was split in two. Compared to hot pot buffets, I think you get better ingredients and service at a la carte places like this one. I have a feeling I'll be back, especially in the winter time. read more

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The food isn't fresh, and pretty expensive. The restaurant force us to pay 18% tips, even the waiter literally did nothing, we have to cook the food by ourselves. read more

You can't trust bad reviews left die Asian restaurants. It's usually for the service and Service is not why you go to the Asian restaurants. I get that. But I am so angry right now that I just had to leave a bad review. Otherwise I don't think I will get through this rage. Their waiting system is SO archaic and not reliable it makes you feel so cheated. 20 min wait was what we were told. I waited 1.5 hours. They kept saying "two tables ahead of you". Not true. read more

One of the best places for hot pot in Boston. There is a variety of broths to choose from but the one that I usually gravitate towards is the Chinese Sichuan and the Chinese herbal because that can do no wrong. The quality of the meat is amazing. There are also many different main courses that you can choose from as well and each one comes with its own side of assorted veggies and rice/udon. The A9 is my personal favorite! I especially like shabu-zen over other hot pot spots in Boston because they have very good portions. It's not too much where you're stuffing your face trying to finish the food you ordered, it's just the right amount of food to make you full. Staff here are always so kind! read more

Shabu-Zen - Takoyaki, Meat Combo with dumplings add-on - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

You have to wait awhile on weekend nights for this place. Pretty crowded and parking can be difficult even though they do have a lot behind the restaurant it gets filled up fast. Prices are reasonable but it definitely will not be a cheap meal. Good quality food, prices are up there with meat portion size a little small for what they charge. There are a lot of soup flavor options here compared to some others I've been to. I would go here if you're looking for a restaurant big enough for big groups/dates and good hot pot if you don't mind the wait/the prices compared to some other hotpot restaurants. read more

I have been frequent flyer at this place for over 8 years. Overall the food is tasty and if you order the right things it can be quite healthy as well. However, currently the prices are very high ($$$) for this type of place (i.e., it does not have an upscale decor, fancy location, or polished waiting staff). 2 person meal, without any alcoholic drinks, can cost around $80-$90. Also the portion sizes are so small that you will inevitably end up spending more. I like their food, but will explore other hot-pot places around Boston. Happy lamb in Cambridge is already becoming my next favorite. 3 stars for the food and lack of 2 stars for step prices read more

After finally finishing my comprehensive finals, my classmates and I decided to celebrate with some sake and some delicious hot pot. One of my classmates had been to Shabu Zen before, so it made it easier on the rest of us who hadn't been there. We came for lunch and sat at the bar - so we each could get our own individual pot. Our waiter was super helpful and attentive - took our drink orders right away and answered any questions we had about the hot pot process. I decided upon the Deluxe Meat Combo with spicy Szechuan broth. The Deluxe Meat Combo came with boneless short rib and prime ribeye. The broth was perfectly spicy and added a nice kick to the meats and veggies. The plate of veggies came with a variety of items and I ate everyone single one of them (tomato, corn, tofu, cabbage, bean sprouts, etc). On the side, I ordered their dumplings to give them a try. They were good and when dipped in the spicy broth ... mmm-mmm. All in all, a reasonably priced place to get some good hot pot in Boston. read more

My entire family loves this place and we've been coming here for years and years! It's been the location of many birthday and other celebration dinners. The quality of the food is so consistent and great value for sets like the surf and turf which comes with protein, seafood, and a noodle or rice side. We typically get appetizers to start: salmon carpaccio, salmon sashimi, seaweed salad, octopus salad. For the soup, we always get half regular broth/half Mongolian broth. It's always busy here, but we always receive great service. read more

As new to this area we wanted to try a few places and we were really pleased with this one. The hospitality was amazing and the servers were friendly and knowledgeable. We got the half and half soup (mushroom and miso)which tasted amazing! May be too many peppers but overall it was great. Easy to order the meat and cook afterwards. Presentation was nice as well. 10/10 experience.Beef Combo read more

It has a neat dining room yet the food is really average. I came here thinking that maybe I could get a special broth or lamb meat. I wind up with an average lunch. You could literally have the same meal even better than this if you purchase some hotpot base online... read more

So its been few months since i posted my first review and during those few months i visited this place for at least another five times. I would say they did improved. As for detailed please read my previous review on this restaurant. This is just a brief update. The Improvement: 1. Services definitely did improve. 2. Filling water more often. 3. Greet and smile more often. (including front desk.) 4. Veggie seems to improve as well! I still love their rice and meat. The only down side is their price has increase, which is understandable due to inflation. read more

We loved this place! We had a friend from out of town visiting who had never tried hot pot before. We have been to a couple of others in the Boston area but none as good as Shabu-Zen! The food was delicious, the wait staff was patient and answered all of our questions, even making recommendations which were spot on. We will definitely be back! read more

Shabu-Zen - Hot Pot - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

I have never in MY LIFE seen a waitress come up to my table and so rudely question how much tip we gave. Like BRUH YOU HAVE SOME AUDACITY SIS... LMAOOO I came in on Friday at 9PM, literally finished a good meal about to leave and she demands that we tip at least 15%. FIRST OF ALL, gratuity BY LAW means it is the choice of the customer. We were only a party of four and this was no choice boi. She literally stood there waiting until we rewrote our receipts... food is dank so too bad you got a whack ass waitress giving us dirty look and talking shit with a coworker as we exit. Lmao pce homegirl read more

Rude waitress with arm tattoos and glasses at the front desk. Terrible service and experience. Walked in and politely asked the waitress in Chinese if takeout was available, and was greeted with "I don't speak whatever you're speaking". Even if Shabu-Zen wasn't a Japanese - Chinese restaurant that literally has both English and Chinese on their website and menu, what a way to greet a customer. read more

Our favorite hotpot place in Boston area. Expensive but absolutely worth it. We go here regularly.

I am an AVID hot pot fan and have had my fair share of hot pot throughout my life. With that being said, Shabu-Zen is perfectly average in all respects. Shabu-Zen is a pretty large restaurant and surprisingly popular. I've been here a number of times out of sheer convenience and every time I come there's always been some wait. The service here is pretty good but nothing special. FOOD: I typically order the meat combo, which comes with a choice of 2 meats (chicken, pork, beef or lamb) and an assortment of vegetables for $17. You also choose either rice, udon noodles or vermicelli noodles. There are 3 house broths that are free of charge and the rest you have to pay for. The portion sizes are pretty standard and usually enough to fill one person. One thing I dislike about Shabu-Zen is their lack of sauce variety. They give you one sauce (soy based) as well as garlic, green onions, and shrimp paste. I wish they had a bigger selection of sauces. Overall, I'd say this place is just alright. Prices are decent, food is decent, service is decent but nothing really blew me away. read more

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FAVORITE hot pot spot. I love eating here, but too bad they don't do AYCE. Meat quality is always on point and their udon is super skinny (can't find it anywhere else). If you're with a group, do sake bombs and it will definitely freak everyone out. (: read more

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For a hot pot place in Brighton, it will do. The place is pretty big, so it shouldn't be too hard to get a table. They don't seat everyone until your entire party is there. We ordered a la carte for beef, lamb, and tontoro pork along with spinach, fish balls, udon, and ramen noodles. The meat is really good and quick to cook. The fish balls were good and they grow in size when cooked. I was a little sad that they don't have the thicker Japanese udon noodles, but everything else was good. The service here is okay, but could be better. Our waiter said she would come to refill our hotpot with more water, but it never happened. Thus, towards the end of our meal it was harder to cook food with the little amount of water left in our hotpot. read more

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Place gets busy. For a place in Allston, this place is fairly clean. Friendly staff too. I appreciate how they have hot pot stations along the bar if you're dining by yourself. The kimchi broth is flavorful. The main pork broth is yummy as well. Solid place. read more

Look no further for amazing hot pot in Allston. We come here on the reg and are always greeted by amazingly friendly staff. The bar offers plenty of seating for when things get really busy, and you'll definitely need to sit and sip on a watermelon saki martini (WOW). I always opt for beef in the chicken broth with Szechuan spice. It is the perfect balance of flavor and heat. Your meal will come with a huge plate of veggies and either noodles or rice (always go noodz). This part is important - stay for dessert. They offer a variety of frozen treats and the coconut sorbet is to die for. From start to finish, you will not be disappointed. read more

I eat a lot so Shabu-Zen doesn't have the best value offerings for me. But I do appreciate the higher quality meat (A1 Prime Rib for sure - $21 for regular plate and $31 for jumbo) that hot pot buffets cannot compare to. The meats come in jumbo or regular size, and come with a plate of assorted veggies and either udon, vermicelli or rice. There's actually a fair amount of veggies so I wouldn't recommend ordering more in addition to what comes with the meats - spend that money on meats instead! Or cheese-filled meatballs that my friends loved (but I don't eat cheese haha). I'll be back when I'm feeling a higher quality hot pot night! read more

Shabu-Zen - A1 and A5 - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

BOOOOOooooOOO!!!!! HISSSSsssssSSS!!!!! Garlic BELCH!! Came here tonite with fellow yelpers Mel (grandma), Roni (who I will now refer to as "spermling"), John, Corey, Andrea, and Melanie (who I just discovered has 1 degree of separation from me at BU). Being a Shabu noobie, I thought the whole experience, though somewhat awkward at first, was fun. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, sort of like the first time you watch porn with a group of friends. BUT..... BUT...... BBBBBBBBUUUUUUUUTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!! Service was a tad bit sloppy. Waiter-with-a-bad-haircut-and-dog-rectum-breath managed to spill semi-scorching soup on my left hand (which I've affectionately named "Palm-ela Anderson") when he came to refill the shabu soup bowl thingies. AND... It took a frickin HOUR to get the bill. Tables around us came and went, both with smaller and larger parties, and they managed to get their bills on time, while the Yelp squad sat there like Crisco containers waiting to decompose into something OPEC could export. Not sure if I'll come back here unless dragged by friends. read more