This place was pretty full on a Sunday night. The hostess took a bit to get to asking us how many were in our group. The restaurant itself was clean and very big. There's a center individual hot pot bar seat area and then tables with joint hot pots around the perimeter. We chose to sit at a table and share one pot. The server didn't come by our table till 15 mins after we sat down. Then after we ordered food and drinks, the food came before our drinks did...and only after we asked for them. We chose the Japanese miso and Mongolian broths and had a split pot. The miso broth was mild and good if you like the flavor to be more in the sauce not the broth. The Mongolian broth was not super spicy but still flavorful. We got the meat combo plate and a seafood platter. The meat was pretty fresh, though not a big portion. The prices are a big on the high end. The plates come with vegetables and your choice of udon, vermicelli or rice. The vegetables plate includes corn, enoki and shiitake mushrooms, Bok choy, Napa and some other greens. Overall decent place but not very attentive service. read more

Shabu-Zen - Meat o combo and seafood combo platter with Mongolian and miso soup base - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This place is more like a Chinese shabu fusion (expected since this place is in chinatown). My rating basically reflects what I thought of the food and the experience. We each ordered a half lamb and beef combo with udon and pork broth ($15). Disappointed that the veggie plate had some random veggies and not much napa cabbage. This was my first time eating shabu with a tomato, broccoli, bok choy, and corn. We also had to ask for sesame sauce which I found to taste really strange (burnt). They said it was house made when they saw that I wasn't using it. Even the ponzu tasted different and I found myself barely using that too. We thought the meat was good and not dry. I usually like my udon round and chewy but the udon they gave us was cooked dry and skinny. Halfway into the meal, we had an awkward conversation with our server: Server: I forgot to ask in the beginning.. Have you eaten here before? Me: No, I haven't. It's our first time here. S: Oh, okay. Let me show you how to eat shabu? M: Yes, we know. We've had shabu before. Don't really understand since we were half way done with our meal and he along with other servers were watching us eat the entire time (we were the first table next to the kitchen counter). I just felt a little uncomfortable with people watching and then him asking this. read more

Shabu-Zen - Half lamb half beef - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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...-_-... I went here recently with2 friends after the lunch rush was over, so it wasn't busy or overcrowded. I don't know what happened, the portions are very small compared to what I remembered when they were first opened, but the prices are still the same. So after I finished eating, I was still hungry. The service was very slow. The waitress forgot to order our appetizer and we ordered Tea ( which included free refills) but the waitress never refilled it unless I tried to get her. I had to ask for a refill 3 times. I like it when waitresses don't hassle you or rush you but she never came to our table to check up, at all. I think its nice to go to a hot pot place at least once to experience it, but I will most likely not return to this location. read more

Shabu Zen ruined me for future hot pots... and I didn't even know it at the time. What an experience! We went on a weekday evening, late-ish (well after 9pm), and the place was packed to the hilt. Packed the two hours we were there. (I seriously wondered if anyone worked in Boston if they're out shabu-ing it up til 11pm on a school night - ha). We told them it was our first time, and they patiently explained the whole thing. Lots to explain. Lots of choices. I went with the short rib dinner with noodles, spicy Szechuan style broth, plus a side of shrimp. Ken chose the Surf and Turf dinner with rice, spicy Mongolian style broth. I normally wouldn't go short ribs, but I was intrigued by the gorgeous curls of raw meat that went by, inquired, and thought 'I gotta have it'. Glad I did, because that meat was so tender. Sure, it should be, only being waved around in the hot broth for a couple seconds before dipping in sauce and shoving in mouth... but it was. Yeahh me. Ken's steak was good also (he preferred it actually), but most of his surf was just OK to me (once again, he really enjoyed it... so to each their own). I loved the veggies in the hot pot, mixed with noodles and slurped out of my dipping sauce bowl. Loved everything about this place - casual, laid back, eat at your own pace we'll add more broth if you run low. My kind of dinner. When we got home, we searched for Shabu Shabu immediately...found one... but just not the same. No dipping sauce. No noodles. No flavorings to the broth. So, if my first addictive taste of Shabu Shabu is wrong...well... I wish they had a wrong place here in the D! read more

Shabu-Zen - Short Rib and Shrimp (left) and Surf and Turf (right) - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Came here for dinner and was very disappointed. Everything was just ok and the quality isn't quite there. Also, they were sold out of the caviar fish balls :(. The service wasn't great as it was a bunch of younger kids horse playing around with each other. Wouldn't recommend. read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This place was great! It was our first time here and the server walked us through the hot pot process. She made great suggestions and knew just when to push us past our comfort zone. Food was fresh and tasty. I had chicken and my dude friend had beef and chicken. We'll definitely be back if we're in the area. read more

Frequented a lot in college and recently visited Boston again and stopped by and was not disappointed. The flavor is amazing, service is good, and price is reasonable. Definitely recommend! read more

I remember while I first visited Boston in 2008, we couldn't get in Shabu Zen because of we were large group and the wait was over 1 hour. After 6 years, I visited Boston again with hubby and I decided to give it another shot and see if we could get in, and ....YES!!!! Finally!!!! They told us we have to wait for 30 minutes but it ended up we only waited for 10 minutes. We ordered Prime Rib Eye of Beef and Seafood Supreme, the portion is Ok for a girl but probably won't be enough for a guy. The meat, however, is really fresh, I would recommend you not to order the regular beef plate but to upgrade it to Prime Rib Eye or other better beef options cause you get what you are paying for. One more thing, the correct way to eat Shabu Shabu is using the chopsticks to pick the one sliced beef and then dip the meat into the hot broth and quickly cook it. Cook the sliced meat for about 15 secs -20 secs ( or while color turned) and then they are ready to be eaten. I saw some people put all meats into the pot at once and keep cooking them, the meats probably will not taste good in that way cause if you overcook the meat, it will just become dry and tasteless. The waiters are very nice and they speak really fluent English, if you are not sure where / how to start, they will be more than happy to give you some advices. read more

Shabu-Zen - Seafood supreme set. - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Went to lunch with my friends. Got a full healthy meal for $10.50 including tax and tip. Got the lunch special with beef. It comes with a choice of rice or udon noodles and a side of veggies like corn, bok choy, nappa cabbage, tomato, tofu, carrot, and mushroom. All of the veggies and meat is nice and fresh. The hot pot sauce here is very good and they also serve it with green scallions, garlic, and chili pepper. Service is not so great because they get so busy here during their lunch time but the food is definitely worth it. This is always a good place to eat a satisfying healthy lunch! read more

Shabu-Zen - Lunch special chicken and beef options! - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

THE BEST HOTPOT!!!!!!! SO yummy and the meat comes with assorted vegetables, seasonings and tasty broth!!!!! Definitely worth it. read more

Shabu-Zen - Delicious - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Shabu is one of my favorite foods, so on my recent trip to Boston, I was excited to try Shabu-Zen. Unfortunately, I thought it was just okay. I ordered the prime beef ($16) and chose the Chinese spicy (Szechuan) broth (additional $4). I enjoyed the broth and thought it was the perfect level of spice for me. What I didn't like was the portion of vegetables. I'm used to getting a pretty large plate, and I thought the amount I got at Shabu-Zen was kind of stingy. When I asked for extra vegetables, my server said it'd be a $5 charge. That's pretty steep for vegetables, which are usually inexpensive! Additionally, I was surprised at the cost upcharge for the broth flavor. The places I usually go to include the broth flavor in the price of the meat. I was disappointed that my meal portion size was incongruous with the price, but I still enjoyed my lunch, especially on a cold winter day. read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I ended up going to Shabu-Zen twice in a week because the food is really good here. I started off with the lychee smoothie which is a must have at this restaurant. For the entree my two go to broths would be the Thai Tom yum and the Chinese Szechuan. We had it with lamb and chicken. The meat combo come with veggies and a side of rice. Overall a hearty and flavorful meal. Pro tip: ask them to replace the leafy vegetables with mushroom balls because they're so much better. If you love spice, definitely ask them to make it spicy. read more

Shabu-Zen - Thai tom yum and the Chinese Szechuan - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I've been here twice. The first time was during the Lunar New Year, I believe. It was busy and it was my first time. I had no idea what to do, where to put the food, what utensil to use, what sauce to use, what goes in the pot and what should be used as a dipping sauce. It was hectic but fun. The drinks were ok. I had pina coloda. I've had better. If you're traveling in two and would like to try the place out, I reccommend sharing two different dish rather than ordering two of the same dish. I had the seafood hotpot while my bf had the beef hotpot. We had different hotpot flavors too. Appetizer wise, there is this baby clam dish that is good. If you're used to getting a lot out of your dollar, this might not be worth the money to you since the portion is very small and the taste is not going to blow you away. It is just something different to try. Overall, expensive and good. I'll have to write more when I eat there again as I have forgotten a lot of the dishes names. read more

Still very good, but it's changed over the years. It used to be reasonably priced, with large portions. Not it's starting to get costly. Portions are much, much smaller and to add the items they reduced or dropped, you are easily at $50-60 per person. A bit much for what it is. The spicy broth was also different and didn't seem to be mad with that same care. It's still one of my favorite places to eat. read more

The thing I enjoyed the most was the kimchi but the tomato base wasn't that good . The atmosphere was nice especially if you like not being bothered by a server 24-7 which I personally like. read more

Shabu-Zen - I personally thought kimchi was delicious and I ordered 3 more orders - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Shabu-Zen is so unpretentious and fun. We brought friends and it was all our first time tying formal Shabu (we have made at home many times) and we all had a gastronomical experience! From the flavored broths, endless noodles and veggies- we all dived in and stuffed ourselves. The lean meats cooked in seconds - and the broth got more spicy and flavorful as they cooked down and concentrated the flavors. Service was lackluster- the server disappeared or was busy with other tables- it was hard to get water or beer refills. I can not wait to return and try some new "Shabu joints" around the area. read more

Came here for lunch and the service is great! Food and drinks came out fast and we sat at the low bar so everyone got their own hotpot! The ribeye is so tender and very good quality- highly recommend. First time coming back in a while but I would definitely bring friends back! read more

Shabu-Zen - A1 jumbo prime grade ribeye on the lunch menu - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I used to loveeeeeee Shabu-Zen. The food was great and the food is still really great. However, the boss don't take care of his customers. He's more about saving himself a couple of dollars from each customer. The food are already on the pricer side to begin with. It started with him taking away the free sweet bean soup at the end of the meal. Then took one piece of meat away from the boneless rib plate. They use to put 16 pieces on the plate and now it's only 15. He ordered his waiting staff to fluff the rice to make it look fuller. Also, now he don't offer bbq sauce or chopped chili from the start. It's only available upon requests. I don't think I will be coming back. I will take my business elsewhere. The boss don't value his customers, then I don't need to value his restaurant. read more

This is my go to hot pot restaurant in Chinatown! The restaurant is a good size and the wait usually is not too long during nights and weekends! I love that you have the option to get individual hot pots or the big one to share with your table. With the individual one, you get the option of choosing your own broth! I usually get the house broth, mala, or tom yum broth. They all go well with the different meats on the menu. I usually order a combo with comes with a choice of meat, mixed veggies, and a choice of carbs. You can also order a la carte and choose different meats and vegetables. This restaurant is good for dates, friends get-together, and even for families! Some times the music can get a little too turnt for me! But I love this restaurant, especially on a chilly day! The service is also very good. If you are in the area for lunch, they have good lunch deals as well! read more

First time for this location. Food was little slow but tasty. All servers are good and nice. Very rude host. I was there on 04/22 Thursday lunch. read more

As you walk in, you find great service. The servers are extremely well-informed and the food was fantastic. It was a bit over-priced but the service and food was so good it was expected. The best was the Toro and the Pork Belly. The Toro was overpriced, but good. The Zen roll was a great balance of flavor. Spicy if you can't tolerate spice but if you do, it's fantastic. Andrew was the best server and we learned more about Open Table than anywhere else before. The mochi sundae was very interesting and delicious and even the bill-candy was great! read more

This was one of my first Covid dining in experiences; I was satisfied with the level of precaution the restaurant took (taking temperatures, writing down phone numbers for contact tracing, etc), but I was a bit surprised at how crowded the restaurant got on a Sunday evening, and by the time we left 80% of the tables were filled, which made me a bit uncomfortable. Food-wise, I was pretty satisfied with the quality of ingredients for the hot pot. The meats and veggies were all fresh, and I was impressed at how spicy the Spicy Szechuan broth was. The overall set up of the hot pot tables was nice - everyone has a personal sized hot pot and the temperature controls are all on the waiters' side, so you don't have to worry about any of it. Our bill came out to ~$50 for 2 hot pots, so slightly expensive but for good quality ingredients. Would go again, but maybe when Covid is over / on a less crowded day. read more

This is favorite place to go to for hot pot in Chinatown, especially now that the weather is getting colder. The restaurant itself is pretty big and there are both group and single person seating options. The wait is usually not too bad during busy hours. If you're eating with a group, they will bring out a large pot that is separated in the middle so that you can choose two different broths. We usually always get a spicy and non-spicy option. Combos come with a choice of meat/seafood, veggies, and either vermicelli/udon/rice. I usually get the beef or lamb. Meat and veggies are very fresh! There is also a good selection of drink options here as well. Overall, great food and a really fun place to come to with friends. Highly recommend. read more

Shabu-Zen - Seafood combo - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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First hot pot experience - a rocking success! What better way to spend an evening with friends than dunking every type of food into a bubbling pot of broth, slathering it in dipping sauce, and dexterously attempting to chop stick it into your ravenously waiting mouth? Even for a newby, the ordering process was seamless. Choose your broth, choose your main course (the Vegetarian Delight was a MOUNTAIN of both familiar and unfamiliar veggies, as well as several different preparations of tofu - fabulous), and hot pot away! My experience at Shabu-Zen was amazing, the food just as good, and sharing it all with friends made it truly unforgettable. read more

Shabu-Zen - No longer a hot pot virgin! - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

my boyfriend and i were in boston on vacation and being that it was a rainy cold day, we were craving some hot pot! OMG this place was so good! the price for lunch was still a little pricey (coming from VA, we have places that offer all you can eat for the same price) but i will say the broth for the tum yum soup was fantastic! it still is a generous portion of food for i think about $28 per person. i really enjoyed the food - service was a little slow - but still decent. read more

Came in here for a late dinner. It's nice that they are open until so late! We sat at the bar, and it was nice because our waitress would come by frequently enough and fill our drinks. I had the tomato veggie soup base and the soup just had a few cut up tomatoes with small coins of carrots and celery. It looked like it came out of a crappy canned soup! I could barely taste anything in my food and the soup tasted oddly sweet. The meat was pretty good and I had a good amount, but they don't give you a lot of veggies on the side. My sister's boyfriend got the original flavor and it basically tasted like water. I guess you have to pay more to get those extra flavor add-ins. read more

Very enjoyable. Our waiter was really terrific. We have visited hot pots before, but we let him give us the whole story just for fun. The cuts of meat were lean and tender even though we got some of the least expensive cuts. Allowing us to get up to three broths was a treat. The spicy broths were terrific. We got plenty of meat, but I would have preferred more vegetables. read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Good but standard hot pot. Best part is the selection of broth options (Spicy Szechuan is my favorite). Broth is $5 unless you get the complimentary house broth. Went for dinner and got the A5 prime beef ($16 for regular) which comes with some veggies (e.g., Bok choy, Napa cabbage, enoki mushrooms, etc) and your choice of noodles (udon vs vermicelli) or rice. Service is friendly and fast. Hot pot is served individually so easy to go with friends and each person can choose their own broth (great for those who have varying spice tolerances). There are several hot pot choices in Chinatown and this is a good option, but certainly not a "must go to" spot. read more

I just love this place. With all the amazing food throughout Boston it's the first place I go to when I'm in town. No hot pot restaurant has been quite as good. Pick a broth and food to dip it in. It's so fun and tasty. Shabu shabu (swish swish). read more

Shabu-Zen - Thai Tom Yum broth and veggies to dip in it. - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

the quality of the boneless short ribs never disappoints but everything else was a fail. ordered a jumbo today and literally half the plate had smaller beef pieces than the other half.. i brought this up to the waiter and he said that i am getting my moneys worth. i am obviously not. two pieces of the smaller short ribs = one of the bigger pieces. how in the world am i getting $44 worth??? the fish tasted weird, had obviously been frozen for awhile considering that they had basically no customers.. shabu zen used to be great, a little pricy but now it's just crap and not worth it. read more

Shabu-Zen - small portions.. this was an $85 meal. - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I stopped here for a late dinner after a Saturday night concert. I love hot pot, and was really looking forward to trying some in the city. The atmosphere is pretty neat. I like the set up of the hot pot bar with individual place settings. There was a certain uncleanliness feeling to the restaurant that was a bit unsettling, but certainly not enough where I wouldn't eat there. Maybe it's more of a run down feel than a dirty one. The flavors were great! I got the tom yum sauce and it was the perfect level of spicy. I went with the beef and pork meat combo. It comes with some udon, veggies, and meat. As far as taste goes, I couldn't have been happier! So yummy. Loved it! My issue came with the price and portions. You don't get very much for the price. Maybe it would have been better if my husband and I ordered a la carte and shared, but who knows. Maybe I'm spoiled by the all you can eat for a set price places. Random complain about hot pot in general though. Why corn?! It is the worst hot pot veggie. And I'm a fan of tomatoes, but they turn into scalding water bombs in that hot pot. You know what's amazing in hot pot? Broccoli. So good. Those fluffy tops hold the flavor and not the water so well. Im just saying this cause the veggies included corn and I thought too long and hard about that while eating. Enjoy! read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

3.5 stars rounded down. I've been curious about this place since forever, as it seems like it's been in chinatown forever. however because it was never explicitly Chinese, and because i was always a little bit skeptical of x restaurants in non x enclaves, i held off on coming. when I finally found myself in Boston chinatown with nothing special to do and nowhere special to go, i decided that it would be the day i would finally visit shabu zen. For people who are looking for a little bit of background, the dish "shabu shabu" is a Japanese dish which is basically about throwing a lot of different things (primarily high quality marbled beef) into a broth and boiling it until cooked. This place however is kind of a Chinese... version of that, in that most of the broth bases have a Chinese spin/take on them. Many of the flavors, including the Sichuan spicy broth that I got obviously have Chinese flavors. The pricing here is a little weird. You pay for the set you want here- the cheapest one, which I got for one person (myself) is about $14. However, you also need to pay for a soup base, which is another $3. This seems like slightly disingenuous pricing, since you can't eat this dish without the soup. It leaves a funny taste in your mouth, kind of like when Indian restaurants charge you separately for rice when you order curry. The dish itself is not bad. It features mostly different kinds of vegetables, one very tiny starch, and a small, but reasonable side of meat, the main feature of this dish. It was overall not bad. I wish I got a little more food for what I paid for, but c'est la vie. I may come back if I'm in Boston, but because this place isn't a great deal, I'd have to wait and see how I'm feeling on the day. read more

Shabu-Zen - pre cook - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Decent little Shabu spot in downtown area. Quality meat and sake at fair price. I ate at the high bar and it was a little janky quality setup. Like it wasn't really made to fit there but food was good so who cares honestly lol. Will be back on next trip to Boston. read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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A gem of Chinatown for many years and their dishes for their hotpot is amazing. Decor is modern as tables for 3+ are to the side while the middle is individual hotpot cookers in a U shape. There slices of beef options are so flavorful. There seafood platter and seabass are extremely fresh. The side dishes such as pork gyoza is cooked to perfection with slight crisp, the Berkshire sausage which is seasoned beautifully and lastly the flavored sautéed baby clams are irresistible. Service is quick and efficient. Helen who works in the front is awesome. She is a great people's person, she's friendly and just very personable, caring about the guests! read more

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Shabu Zen can be such a hit or miss. Having used to work here, I expect a lot more. The service, the food and etc used to be really amazing. Maybe I am biased? I like that they have expanded their menu with new options as well as the option to get a jumbo of the combos. I come here for lunch from time to time and visit the other location during dinner (easier for parking). Last time for lunch, I ordered the regular Pork Combo with vermicelli. They have downsized their dishes. The veggie plate came with napa cabbage, baby bok choy, enoki mushroom, tomato, tofu, corn and a carrot. I wish they had watercress. They also charge now if you substitute an item which SUCKS. I am not a fan of napa cabbage. The corn is pretty dinky sized. The meat itself is good. When your soup is boiling, make sure you only wiggle it in the water for 8-11 seconds, once the pink is gone. It can easily get dry. The short rib is a great option when you don't want your meat to get tough too quickly. I usually get the veggie broth to be more healthy which has seaweed in it. The house pork broth used to be a lot better, flavor-wise. I do like that they added cilantro to it now. Service here is so so. They are quick to take your order and give you your food but not the best at checking up on you. Overall, Shabu is okay. They increased their prices which is unfortunate since the food doesn't make up for it when it was better before. read more

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Welcome to Boston's very own, warm and cozy, Japanese hot pot restaurant. No longer do you have to travel to Japan to experience an authentic hot pot meal, as Shabu-Zen in Boston brings the experience right to you. Shabu-Zen is an adventure for those who haven't had Japanese hot pot before and a comfort for those who love it - no matter where you come from. Hot pot is an up and coming dining trend. For those who love to dine, you will find that this type of dining is fulfilling, fun, cost-effective and most importantly, healthy. This type of cooking brings family and friends together because "he cooks for her and she cooks for him", all in one sitting. Ahh, Shabu-Zen, just thinking about it brings me to a peaceful, food-coma place. This has to be one of my all time favorite places to go. I live in Georgia, and I literally fly up to Boston twice a year just to eat hot pot. I love it here. THE STARTERS: Pot of homemade broth-variety to choose from BBQ Sauce Garlic Soy Sauce Chives Hot peppers 1 Free Plate of assorted vegetables Choice of Udon noodles, vermicelli, or streamed rice You start with one broth, and by the end of it you have a deeply flavored broth that you can add to a bowl of udon. The Korean kimchi, which balances spice, earthiness, and a light sweetness is my favorite option for broth. Each hot pot order comes with a side of vegetables: napa cabbage, corn, mushrooms, bok choy or watercress, and carrots (plus a square of tofu). There's also soy sauce, which can be doctored up with the condiments that come with each order: chilis and red beans, scallions, garlic, Korean barbecue sauce. Starch options include rice, vermicelli, and udon noodles. The hardest choice is the protein -- pork, beef, chicken, or seafood -- but the surf and turf option allows for indecision with pork or beef, scallops, calamari, salmon, and more. They have individual and group seating. If you want your own pot, you need to sit at the bar. The tables have one soup pot for everyone to share. The pot can be divided in two (maybe even three) so if you want to have different broths, you can. All in all, it's a great place. I may be no phantom gourmet but I give Shabu-Zen 5 stars. read more

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It was great! Our first time having hot pot in a restaurant( well my hubs second time out, third time in general). Anywayssssss it was delicious! The server was super sweet and helpful, the food was fresh and perfect to warm us after scrambling around the greater Boston area on a frigid windy November day. We would definitely recommend coming here... and come early! We got here around 5:30 with a few people already seated... an hour later the place was jammed with people waiting at the door to get in! We had veg broth and chicken with vermicelli noodles (yes I'm plain Jane... I wanted to try it before messing with all the sauces and seasonings), and pork broth with Szechuan seasonings (spicy), steak and rice. We also shared the salad sampler... seaweed, squid and baby octopus! DELICIOUS! read more

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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 in the top 5 of my favorite restaurants in the world. I go there every chance I get.

Fav hot pot spot the service is always good. Service is always super prompt, meat and veggies fresh and they have great drinks!