Very average place. When I go to hot pot, I prefer two types: high quality and good service that I don't mind paying a little bit more for or all you can eat / large portions at a decent price. Unfortunately Shabu-Zen doesn't fit the bill for both categories. I went for dinner with my friend here a couple days ago and ordered the cheapest beef combos for $16, which came with sliced beef, your choice of starch and a plate of assorted veggies. The standard meat / veggie broth is included in the price unless you upgrade to something else like spicy or miso, which would be an additional $4. I had the udon noodles, which actually didn't resemble udon at all. They were slightly thinner, and just tasted like Chinese flour noodles. Nothing impressive. Sauces were prepoured but they didn't really seem to work well together. I think I saw some other ones that weren't served... perhaps you had to ask? I had two nice servers that came up and asked if things were okay, but nobody refilled the stock and lots of the staff just gathered into groups near one side of the wall either staring or talking quietly, which wasn't very appealing to me. Don't know why this place has such high reviews... read more

I came here for lunch with two other friends yesterday and it was a great experience. We arrived around 2:45 PM and sat in the middle seating, so we all had indvidual pots! I chose the miso broth ($4) as the base, the Vegetarian Delight plate ($12) as the main course, and udon as the noodles option. The plate consisted of a variety of leafy greens (like bok choy, napa cabbage), carrots, taro, mushrooms (like enoki), tofu cubes, vermicelli noodles, imitation fish balls, imitation squid (as my friend calls 'em!), a piece of pumpkin, and a tomato slice. Everything was served with a few side dishes which consisted of shrimp paste(?), hot chili oil, diced scallions, and minced garlic- additions you can use to spice up the broth. The miso broth was very rich and tasty! I added a bit of the hot chili oil to it and it tasted great. I tried some of my friend's Szechuan-style spicy broth and it was so flavorful and had the right amount of heat to it. Everything in the main course tasted fresh and it was large in portion. I was hoping for more udon noodles because the bowl I got was pretty tiny. We also shared a pitcher of Sake Mojito (#Daydrinking on a Monday? Yes). It was refreshing and had lime slices and mint sprigs mixed in. We each had a few cups throughout the meal, so it was definitely worth the price. The service was attentive. Workers came by from time to time to check on our pots and offered to replenish our plates or drinks. Overall, it was a lovely and filling experience! :- ) read more

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Located in the middle of Chinatown, if you're not already in Chinatown, parking for one is a hot mess and overpriced if you can't find street parking. The worst part is coming to this establishment for hot pot and to have poor service, our server came to our table about twice during our hour and a half stay. We had a friend that works there at our table so they must have thought it was okay to ignore us since we had our own personal server to take care of us, aka our friend. Our friend was not on the clock, therefore should be treated just like any other customer. The hot pot broth personally I thought was bland and we never where ordered broth refills. read more

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This use to be my favorite hot pot place in Chinatown and I would recommend it to all my friends but after the visit today, my opinion has changed. I'm not sure if they have new ownership but the portions have gotten a lot smaller and the prices have gone up. They also charge $6 dollars to have a "special broth", which is ridiculous. I will say that the quality of the food is very good. the meat and the vegetables taste fresh but is it really worth the price? I'm willing to give this place another try because it is my favorite but I was really disappointed with this visit. read more

very good flavor full hotpot broth- got the tomato soup and the Tom yum, both were really great. Really gives the veggies that you dip in lots of flavor. Also got the meat combo - beef is very fresh and good quality. Overall food was great! Staff was also very attentive. This place is always packed I came on a weekday. My only negative is the price- it's quite pricey for hotpot ... total came to $100 for 2 people. read more

I'm not sure why I haven't wrote a review for this place sooner but here I am, after the 30th time being here. Hotpot is my all time favorite choice of food anywhere, anytime, and any weather so it means a lot to say this is one of my favorite places to go to. My favorite things about this restaurant is the sauce and the meat. They provide you with their special soy sauce and garnishes: garlic, scallions, red chili, and bbq sauce. My favorite mix is mixing in the garlic, scallions, red chili, and fresh chili that you can obtain by asking the servers. My favorite thing to order is the short rib and tontoro pork cheeks. (The pork cheeks are located at the bottom of the menu so it might be a bit harder to find.) There are several choices for broth but I always get the Mongolian broth - when I'm feeling a little bit diff, I even choose to mix in the kimchi broth with it for a greater taste. The service is great. They are attentive and quick when needed. Lily is usually my server and I cannot ask for better service. Overall, I highly recommend this place! read more

Shabu Shabu/ hot pot is on of the more interactive and fun eating style, because you can cook your own food the way you wanted. Plus, if you go with a group of friends, you can share a variety of food selections with your friends, won't be as boring as eating just your own dish for a meal. Let's first discuss the equipment and the dining environment. Shabu-Zen is not a very big restaurant, but with the open concept, it feels bigger than it really is. It is a bit humid when you first walk in. I know there are so many pots cooking at the same time, but I wish the ventilation is little better so there is a better air flow within the restaurant. The electronic hot pot they have is very efficient. It boils up within no time. I have gone to places where it takes forever for the soup to come to a boil and that really ruins the mood of eating because you are waiting most of the time. If you are just sitting on the countertop with your plus one, you can have personal pot all for yourself; if you go with a group of friends, you guys will share a big hot pot together, which makes it more exciting I'll say. People fighting over for food perhaps. I really like the selections of meats they have here, although it is slightly pricy. The lamb and beef are cut in very fine thin pieces, with a good "marble" (fat content) in each piece. You only need to cook the meat for a few sec and it will be ready. The meats are really soft and smooth, but not yet to the point that will melt in your mouth. Each meat dish comes with a vegetable side and your selection of either rice, vermicelli, or udon. They also have a good selection of side dishes in the back of the menu. One of the highlights in the menu is wagyu beef, from either Japan or Australia. Wagyu beef is very prestigious beef, with a very high and evenly distributed marble across each piece. The price per dish for wagyu beef is over the ceiling, but if you have the money to spend, definitely try it out. read more

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This is one of my favorite hot spot places in Boston! There are a good amount of options for vegetarians, each time I went with the tomato veggie broth and a lot of extra veggies + tofu platters. I do wish the portions were a bit bigger for a hot pot place, but it's definitely cozy and the overall experience has always been amazing. read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Shabu-Zen is all about the food (and the drinks if you're so inspired). If you want ambiance, go around the corner to Q. Lunch starts around $8 and you can select your broth, meat and a carb option. Everything comes with a side of veggies, which are diverse and always very fresh. Skip the rice/noodles, and it's a perfect low carb or paleo option for lunch. The combo is the way to go. We rarely need to wait, since it's usually just two of us there are usually counter seats available. Simple and easy lunch option! read more

Shabu-Zen - Chicken and beef lunch combo - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

So I had enjoyed this place before, but after a gross experience this weekend, I had to post a public service review: I found in my meal, NOT ONE, BUT TWO BUGS. They were not small either (see photos). After discovering BUG #1, I flagged my waiter and he took it to his supervisor. She came over and apologized and offered to bring me a new plate - but I was already mostly done with my meal, so I told her it was ok, and then she offered to comp me for dessert which I wasn't interested in (mostly because I was getting full). After listening to her apologies, I was ok with continuing my meal - until I came across BUG #2! This was enough to kill my appetite and flag the supervisor. She again offered to comp me dessert - to which I responded she should comp my entrée. She explained to me since I found the bugs in my veggie platter (which always comes with any meat order) that she could not comp my entrée. I then icily said I would like my bill and would like to leave. She then spoke to her manager, who agreed to comp my entrée - leaving me paying $5 for an appetizer. When I gave her a $10 bill, she asked me if I wanted change - implying that I should leave a 100% tip for a meal with two bugs in it! To which I could only respond "yes" out loud, while in my head, the response went something more like this: "*&^^%#&!?????" Basically, if you are craving Shabu - go to the Brighton location (bigger portions anyways and much more competent service). read more

Shabu-Zen - bug on veggie plate - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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After having many meals of american seafood, my gf was ready for some Asian food. With the cold weather of Boston, hot pot sounded like a great idea! We have hot pot in Houston, but it's just not the same when it's 90 degrees outside eating hot pot and 30 outside and warming up to hot pot. This place has both group table hot pots and individualized hot pots. There was only 1 place in Houston that has the individual pots so we opted for that route. I actually like this method better, because you get your OWN pot. Yes, it's great to share, but sometimes you cook a certain item and it ends up missing because your friend ate it. The only person you can blame is yourself. I had the Thai style broth, which was just OK, but my gf had the Korean Kim Chi styled soup broth and that thing was delicious. In this case I cooked everything in my pot but I stole her broth to sip on. read more

What a delicious dining experience in this spacious restaurant. The food and the zen of the place was great. The staff were very helpful and the menu extensive. The broths supporting the hot pots were no joke especially the Szechuan broth. Our electric burner at our table heated unevenly so we had to shift the pot from time to time. The bathroom was clean as was the overall space. read more

Shabu Zen is my favorite hotpot place in the Boston area because: 1) They serve a generous portion of veggies and tofu with the meat entree selections 2) Fun drinks like the gummy bear martini, which is one of my favorite drinks 3) A refreshing red bean dessert that is served at the end of the meal In terms of improvement, Shabu Zen should work on their broths, which are good but could be better. Other tips: 1) Ask for the veggie dipping sauce instead of the regular one, especially if the regular one tastes a little too fishy for you 2) Be wary that apart from their specified veggie broth, the others use a pork base so be sure to tell them about any dietary restrictions you may have and they will give you a chicken based one instead. Compared to the nearby Q Restaurant, I would say come to Shabu Zen if you want better sides (as opposed to broths), fun drinks and a welcoming atmosphere. read more

Shabu-Zen - fun drinks at Shabu Zen - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Much better than other shabu I've had in Boston but still miles away from what I can get back home. This place would honestly be 3 stars, but I can't fault an establishment for not being as good as places in Asian-dominated cities and it really wasn't that bad overall, plus the service was good, so heck, let's make it 4 stars. It's not cheap but it's not expensive. For $15 (everything included) you can get a full shabu meal sans seafood (that'll cost another $5 or so). All the ingredients are nicely cut/sliced, clearly fresh and beautifully arranged. They give more sauce ingredients than at other shabu places which is nice, but the portions aren't as big so you end up having to ask for seconds (which is okay, as they gladly give them). (Sauce tip: I like to mix my satay sauce with the soy, add some garlic and a tiny bit of scallions. Ask for seconds of satay, as you'll want a pretty even ratio of soy : satay. Prepare to dazzle your taste buds.) I'm used to bigger personal pots so couldn't dump as much in as I would have liked, and I'm also used to being able to control the temperature at all times (can you tell I've been spoiled by my hometown?), but the servers kept the heat on at good increments so I was able to cook everything in a timely manner. They also offered plenty of re-fills of the delicious broth, so no complaints overall. (Cooking tip: Cook your noodles (esp vermicelli) at the end, since they absorb liquid. This way, they also soak up the flavors of all the food you've been cooking and believe me, it tastes incredible. Sprinkle some of the soy-satay sauce over the noodles, mix, and you will be wolfing this down.) If you have a friend who's never had shabu before, this is a good place to take him or her. That was my case and my friend raved about how delicious and healthy the meal was. The only thing that wasn't so impressive was the dessert of chilled red bean soup (she didn't like it and I prefer it hot, plus SZ's tasted really made-from-powder-ish) but other than that, it was a fun night. read more

Princess recommended that we eat here, and very glad that we did. The orders: The Jerry: Prime rib eye - slices of beautifully marbled rib eye steak Princess: Seafood - shrimp, clams, mussels, squid, fish Each of the orders also comes with greens, tofu, mushrooms, and other goodies. Take your ingredients and dump it in your individual boiling pot of broth. Being a bit of a neat freak and a little bit of a germaphobe, I really liked this setup. No sharing of chopsticks, etc. Shabu-Zen is labeled as Japanese, but many of the ingredients, workers, and patrons are mostly Chinese. Bill is reasonable - about $25 per person with tax and tip included. Princess loves this place. read more

Good individual hot pot place in China town. Love the soup base options. Regular house soup base is free but with the other special options, it would cost you more. I like the black chicken soup base as the taste was very herby and tasty. The regular house soup base is good too. We got the pork set and ordered some more side orders. The pork cheek ( special ala carte) was really good as it was so soft. The dipping sauce was good with a bit of chilly mixed in. It gave u a kick there. Service was good and friendly. Our server checked on us many times if we needed anything. Good place to check it out. read more

I went a few days ago with a group of friends and it wouldn't be my first choice for hot pot again. The ingredients weren't that fresh which is important for hot pot! They're also sooo stingy with the base vegetables, e.g., 2-inch cob of corn, measly slice of tomato, and a sad single cube of tofu. You'll have to order more off of the a la carte menu to be actually full. The Chinese Sichuan broth was decent but not at the level of heat you'd expect for Sichuan. The redeeming factor was that their waiting list was online via Yelp so it was nice to be able to go to a bar and have a drink while waiting instead of sitting around for an hour. read more

All you really need is ONE good place for real Shabu-Shabu and that's what you have in Shabu-Zen. A great way to get through those Boston winters is sitting in front of boiling water. What I like about this place is that they give you choices of beef quality from Kobe Beef ($38) to regular beef ($11). I like to go with regular beef and eat 2 orders. SHABU SHABU: In case you are not familiar with Shabu-Shabu: There is a big hot pot with boiling water that sits in the middle of the table. While seafood and chicken is offered in the menu, the main item is thinly sliced BEEF. You take a chopstick and dip the beef into the pot. You wait 8-10 seconds (unexperienced people do it much longer, which over cooks the meat and makes it tough). You then dip into your sauce of choice. YOU DO NOT DRINK THE SOUP!!!!! Only negative aspect is difficulty in finding free/metered parking in this area. You might have to just suck it up and do paid parking. read more

Hands down the most affordable and high quality hot pot restaurant in Chinatown. You really can't beat 1 meat, variety of veggies, noodle, & cold red bean dessert soup for $12-$15 based on type of protein selected. Also the service is very good; all of the servers are attentive and bring out requested items very quickly. The smoothies/slushies are also very good. This was my go to for a fresh watermelon smoothie with no added sugar until Tea Do came around just a couple of shops down from this restaurant. read more

Shabu-Zen - Fish paste, the waiter can drop into soup for you if you'd like - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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What an experience! It was my first time at a shabu establishment and I'm sold on it. The first good sign was the long wait (about an hour). Fortunately, there are plenty of places to check out nearby to keep you busy. We came back and waited about 5 more min for our table and met some incredible Bostonians who, upon learning we were from outta town, didn't waste time in selling Shabu-Zen as one of their favorite places. We were feeling REALLY GOOD about this decision heading to the table. The inside isn't beautiful by any means, unless you're talking about authenticity. It is the classic chinatown staple where the focus is on the food and not much else. After all, that's what everyone attending is focused on, too! We ordered the "Finest USDA Prime Rib Eye of Beef", three different broths (Japanese Miso, Mongolian, and regular pork), beef tongue, some chilled sake, and kimchi. Everything was delicious - the steak was indeed very fine. The service was spot on, the ingredients were fresh, and the prices reasonable! Overall we had a great time. I would say Shabu-Zen is a marvelous restaurant for a group to go out and have fun while eating fine food. read more

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It was my second shabu shabu experience. I was disappointed the first time I had it, which was in JAPAN! Although fun to cook the items in the boiling broth were bland. My second experience was at Shabu-Zen and it was wonderful. I ate, sipped, slurped up all of the contents in my bowl. I dipped my delicious enoki mushrooms and salmon in the tangy chili, smokey, dipping sauce that I blended together with the ingredients provided. When all the floating pieces of food in my pot were gone, I poured the broth over udon noodles and happily ate that too. What caught my eye about Shabu-Zen is not just the fresh fun food, but how open and cheerful the waitresses were to teach their guest how to eat shabu shabu properly. Why miss the fun? read more

I had an extremely enjoyable lunch experience here at Shabu-Zen and I again wish that shabu places in the bay area were more like this. It was pretty cheap and the broth they offer, the lunch specials, the sides and the meat was all in abundance. The service was prompt, clean, and very friendly. We were immediately seated and offered a variety of options. The waitress even convinced us to get fish cake but she claimed it was tofu fish cake, haha ... Overall it was a hearty, filling and warm meal. Perfect for an overcast / rainy day in Boston. There are so many bakeries and other eateries in this area (Chinatown) that you really just can't go wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed it so it's a great place for lunch! read more

Ate the vegetarian and chicken hot pot. Food was alright. We would say this is not the best shabu shabu in town. But its nice that you can get individual pots if you're sitting at the bar. read more

Great service (attentive, prompt, courteous) and great food. Love the place and frequent it.

I love this place! I came for the first time with two friends, and I should give a disclaimer that none of us had been to hot pot before. We each got different soup bases and different meats, and we all loved it. We showed up at 8 on a Saturday that was super busy and ended up getting seated within 10 minutes at the bar. Our waiter was so friendly, he explained everything to us even when we were embarrassed with silly questions. I had the miso soup base with one of the specialty beef cuts, I forget which one. It was incredibly delicious, all the veggies were thoroughly cleaned and very fresh. They definitely give you a healthy portion of veggies. The meat was delicious and the portions were pretty big for those too. It seems a bit pricy when you order, but it's 100% worth it. You know you're gonna be full of genuinely good food at the end of the meal. I have already recommended this place to a bunch of friends! It's definitely a fun dining experience whether you've had hot pot before or not! read more

More like a 4.5. I think the beef was overrated. That aside, we had a wonderful time (me, my wife, and my youngest, 9). The food was fresh, the broth was very tasty, and the staff fast and courteous. I've sometimes felt rushed at Chinatown restaurants, but not so much here. We'd definitely return. Specifically i had the flounder on top of a sirloin large order that we all shared. I would recommend getting one or two fewer main meals, but then ordering a bunch of vegetables or other from the back of the menu. read more

Excellent choice for a cold fall day! We ordered the chicken and pork broths to get started. We also ordered pork and beef which came with veggies and a choice of rice or noodles. Everything was fresh. They also have sapporo! read more

Have been here many times and always liked it. Consistently great quality, nice service. Always a consistent 4 to 5 stars. Why 5 now? My sister was in town and had to fly out early in the afternoon. Problem - she is a part-time vegetarian. Hence, I never know what to expect from her. She craved udon. I craved meet. Winner. When she ordered a veggie plate, the waitress immediately verified that my sister is a vegetarian - and on this day my sister was vegetarian. So they switched the broth on the spot. Just a nice attentive gesture - not standard in Boston. Everything else was done well too - hence Woohoo ... read more

Pick your broth (selection is a little limited but you can customize it with condiments) - then great selection of veggies. Can add meat a La Carte which is affordable and good. Only downside was the no reservations so you need to wait outside for an indefinite amount of time. read more

Died and gone to Shabu-Shabu heavan. There's a reason why there's always a line up here. It's an institution in its own right. But don't be put off by the line up - it moves fairly quickly. read more

I've been here twice in two weeks! This place was rec'ed to me by a few local friends. I haven't had decent Shabu Shabu since I lived in San Francisco. Shabu Zen is a nice hole in the wall in the depths of Chinatown. It is a bit of a walk from either South Station or Boylston, but well worth it. It's a really fun dinning experience with friends or family. I prefer the spicy house broth. You get a nice serving of vegetables. Expect $15-ish for a meal. You definitely get your money's worth here. It's very hearty especially if you have some dietary restrictions. I tried the vermicelli and it was all right. I prefer the udon noddles - they're a thinner udon, not the thicker udon I'm used to, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Just be ready, the broth splashes everywhere! But that's part of the fun! Great place for groups of people and there is parking across the street. Only issue was that our waiter (on both occasions) didn't stop by to pour water as often as other restaurants do. read more

Hot pot with affordable prices, plenty of variety, and good ventilation -- BINGO! This is a delightful place with late hours that I frequent heavily. The portions for price are great -- surf and turf could easily feed two people (or one large. Ahem). The additional "add-ons" for between 2-3 dollars are worth it. I recommend the tofu skin and tripe. It works great for groups as you can order a couple of things for the table. If you do bring a group, make sure it's before the 7pm rush on the weekend as you'll find yourself waiting a while. The Saki list is decent and the juices with pulp or pearls added are fun. The servers can get a little busy but flagging anyone down is the norm and easily garners attention -- often the waiters will get/do what you need even if it's not your waiter which is nice (i.e. turn up/down heat of the hot pots, refill drinks, order more, etc). Next level rec: trial some different broths! As I mentioned at the top, you don't come out reeking of hot pot. Hot pot lovers know what I'm talking about--the ventilation is very good here. Mind you, I did not say you will not smell of hot pot, but it won't be cause for immediate shower upon returning home. read more

Really bad appetizers. The oysters are tiny. It even has unmelted ice inside. The octopus is way too salty. The boneless ribs are tough.

Loved this little spot in Chinatown.. all in all, the staff are very friendly and accommodating which is a bonus. Great Customer service is always a win, thank you Shabu-Zen for that. The food was great. I had the thinly cut ribeye steak, vermicelli noodles, Korean style broth, mild spice level and my friend had the pork dumplings. I love how they serve the soup in your own personal pots and it's a DIY cooking place if you're into that kind of thing. I did enjoy building my own soup so it works. They give you small trays with minced garlic, chives, chili oil, and other sauces so you can season your soup to your liking as well. I'd definitely come back. read more

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13 (!!!) years since i last came here. Ah yes the prices have indeed gone up with inflation. Let's see... the last time I came here I paid $7.50 for a lunch. This time, I came with my husband and child and paid $65 total for dinner, so about $20 per person. And I felt like we left really hungry. The meats were very thinly sliced (we got the least luxurious beef plate, so there is that). The black chicken broth was delicious, and their fish cakes are excellent. The service was prompt. However, I do have to dock points for leaving a bit hungry. read more

Not to sound like a complete foodie or anything, but I was SO happy during my entire meal here. I usually don't really enjoy hotpot.. mostly because I am incredibly impatient and can't wait for the broth to boil and for the meat to cook (ridiculous, I know...) but this place made me a HOTPOT LOVER! Service: fine, no complaints Serving size: great Price: pretty affordable ($15-20 each) Broth: SPOT ON (if any complaints, wish the spicy broth was spicier. I'm sure if I asked for them to make it a bit spicier next time, they would) Shabu-zen has shown me that good things come to those who wait... 5 minutes for their broth to come to a boil :) read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Ok, it's date night. First thing we do is order a whole bottle of umeshu to share. That way I know he'll be drunk off his ass, and I'll be pleasantly buzzed. Then, I undergo the internal dilemma that I always face when I come here. I want to order the seafood plate. I love seafood. Dammit, I want seafood. BUT THE VEGGIE PLATTER IS SO GOOD! (For healthy people! No meat! No meat!) Damn, I want those yam cakes and taro slices so badly. What do I do... ughhnn. Oh, right. Order a la carte. Thus ensuring that I will have way too much food in front of me, will not be able to finish my meal, and will leave here so full I can hardly waddle back to my apartment. YEAH. So the food comes, and clearly I am so engrossed in perfectly cooking each and every morsel that I forget to drink my umeshu. Quick! Down three glasses in a row! The place is packed and they want out seats, rush rush rush!! Stomachache. read more

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Amazing been coming here for over 10yrs 100% recommend it. Best hotpot in boston, and you gota try the Sapporo beer

The food was okay and the service was slow. I expected much more food for the price that we paid. I could have spent the same amount and have gotten more food if I had hot pot at my house. I rather spend my money elsewhere than here! read more

Actual food was so-so, not great, not terrible. Just interestingly presented and endlessly self-customizable on the spot. All about the visuals really, and getting REALLY REALLY involved in your meal's preparation. The other reviews have already detailed the how part of it, so I'll just supply my opinion of the "what." This was a nice visit, service was ok, people watching was good, the place is interesting and lively. But for the money you pay and the food you actually put in your belly? Meh. More gimmicky than anything, in my estimation. It's not crazy expensive by any means, but in Chinatown you can get a lot more food for the same money and not have to lift a finger to prepare any of it in any way! So, cheap slackers like me, are better off going elsewhere nearby, methinks. read more