First time here. Food quality: very good and very good price point! Great options for ingredients to add to your hotpot. Service: very attentive and helpful! Atmosphere: felt comfortable and well organized and maintained. Overall experience: excellent! Notes: excited to come back! read more

The restaurant is very clean. They seat and serve you quickly. They are constantly filling your soup. They bring you more than enough meat. Their veggie and seafood selections could probably be filled better. They seem to be a little late, but it was a very busy day. I wish their ice cream area was set up differently because the line to get ice cream gets very long, especially since it's hard to scoop your own ice cream. I wish that the server would have picked up our empty plates more often because the table felt very cramped A lot of the time. Also some of our pots would boil and some of them wouldnt. Not sure what was going on. It was VERY expensive. Also they do charge gratuity automatically for parties of 6 or more(its no where on their website or menu). At $42 a person it adds up. I do have to say with the pots at different temps, some boiling some not, the cramped table. It felt very chaotic. So would I go back? No. Did I enjoy something new? Honestly not really. But i did try something new read more

Went here for my daughter birthday & Mother's Day(my sister, mum & myself) family dinner(11 people). It was already getting busy, but the workers were nice. My mother is a very picky eater. She's a chef herself. But she ate more than she usually eats and likes it. So it's a plus for us next time. Broth/Soup - Some of the soup doesn't have much flavor(blan, which it's supposed to be) and some does. For my family, we use the sauces they have to enhance the soup flavor. Please do try it. Meats/Veggies/Noodles - if you want the full meat choices, go Dinner hours. The meats are pretty good. If you enjoy seafoods, they have selective ones. Lots of meatballs. Most commonly used veggies for hot pot and lots of different noodles choices. Dessert Area and ice cream choices too. Along with Slushie drinks and Milk Teas. Sorry no pictures. My mobility is limited. . read more

I love AYCE hotpot! We made a reservation before coming which was a good idea because there was a wait when we arrived but we got instantly seated. A casual spot for sure. The broth flavors were basic, I wouldn't say anything special. The meat, sodas/tea is by server only. The rest is self serve: veggies, sauce, seafood, fishballs, squid, mushrooms, noodles, etc. it was decent selection! They also have self serve smoothies and some Thai tea/taro tea with boba! There's also a self serve ice cream area. The meat quality was ok. I wouldn't say it was amazing but it was not bad at all. The size of the meats made it easily filling. 4/5! read more

Honestly super impressed with this place. For AYCE, the meat quality is actually really good, even though you can only order two plates at a time. There's a two-hour limit, but our server was fast so it didn't feel too restrictive. I could see it feeling a bit tight if you're trying to hang out for a long time though. The self-serve section is huge. Good seafood, tons of kimchi and pickled veggies, and lots of noodles and vegetables to choose from. The drink station is fun too with milk teas and slushies, and there's even an ice cream bar with toppings. It's about $43 for dinner so not cheap, but if you can eat, it's a pretty solid deal. Also love how they turned what used to be old-school buffets into a much brighter and more modern space. read more

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My grandma treated my boyfriend and I to this place as she told us the meats here were excellent quality. We entered and we were greeted by the hostess who was friendly and quick as she got us seated in no time even they were pretty packed for a Wednesday afternoon. Our server arrived and was very helpful with explaining how the whole process worked as we have never done an AYCE shabu experience. He didn't mention that we also had access to the boba, smoothies, and fruits but when I asked about it he mentioned that anything in the middle of the restaurant was AYCE. I got their spicy house special while my boyfriend got their tonkotsu soup. Surprisingly, the soups were flavorful on their own, although my spicy soup was not really spicy at all. I love that the sections were labelled clearly so there are noodles, vegetables, seafood, sauces, and even had banchans. The milk teas here were okay, the taro milk tea tastes way better than their Thai milk tea. The orange and strawberry smoothies were refreshing too. The boba here wasn't the greatest as many of them were clumped and watery. Other than that, they always stocked up items so there was never time I saw anything empty, the servers always came around to see if you need more meat or anything else, and the quality of all their offerings were superb! The inside is very spacious and looks lovely. The lighting here is fantastic to take good pictures. I love that you can control the temperature of the soup as I always get scared of overcooking my soup ingredients as I eat slow. They have plenty of seating and can accommodate parties of all sizes. The servers here are also bilingual in Korean or Spanish which I thought was neat. read more

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I'm not a big fan of AYCE cuz it usually means lesser quality food and a tendency to over stuff myself to get "my money's worth." Thankfully, I didn't go overboard. I was a bit confused with the setup. You can get sauces that are pre-made or you can make it yourself, but things weren't set up very well for selecting my own ingredients. For example, I wanted chopped up cilantro in my sauce, but the cilantro at the veggie bar was big and stringy, so I couldn't really add it and instead just ate it separately. The green onions were also not by the soy sauce, and had to hunt it down by the cilantro. And they didn't have black vinegar, which is what I usually use for Chinese hot pots. Then the hot pot itself is small so I couldn't add very much at the same time. They also need holy ladles so I can get the cooked fish and the such without having to drain them on the side of the pot. I enjoyed all of their rice cake options and noodles and the meat selection wasn't bad. Still, at nearly $35pp for lunch, it's a pretty hefty price. Don't think I will go back unless a friend wanted to try it. read more

Stopped by for dinner with a couple of friends to catch up. Must say that I fell in love with this place, everything was so fresh and the soup was so yummy/flavorful. Service was great as well! I recommend coming during dinner and on a weekend that way you have full menu available to you! Price also wasn't bad for all the food we ate/ wide variety. read more

Shabu Zone - Mala soup/other items - Hot Pot Near Me - Federal Way, Washington

This place is huge and very clean. We went during lunchtime so it was $29.99/person. There was a large seafood selection even for it being lunchtime. I got the spicy original house soup and just wasn't a fan at all. Very bland. I expected some sort of spice but there was none. My husband asked for a bowl of rice and she asked if I wanted one, too, in which I said no. Come to find out, you're charged for rice! I would think an AYCE buffet would want you to fill up on rice? But she didn't tell us that, which was weird. It was only $2, but odd they'd charge for that. Everything else was great.. the service, oh my, my water cup never went less than halfway. Someone was always checking in on us... almost a little too excessive. But everyone was so friendly and helpful. Super attentive. Ingredients were all fresh and constantly being restocked. Location is great as it's nice to have a place like this in the south end. read more

Shabu Zone - Hot Pot Near Me - Federal Way, Washington

Since the leadership team returned to Houston, both the service and meat quality have noticeably declined. During their time here, we experienced exceptional service and food quality on three separate visits. Unfortunately, in the three visits since they left, the experience has been consistently mediocre. Service, in particular, has taken a hit. Servers are far less attentive, and we often had to flag someone down just to request more meat. As for the meat itself, the quality has been inconsistent--either overly chewy or falling apart into small, unappealing pieces. That said, the buffet remains very good, and the sauce bar is still solid. Overall, it's hard to justify the price given the drop in quality and service. It's disappointing, because this used to be a place I genuinely enjoyed. read more

Shabu Zone is a new shabu restaurant in Federal Way and has a vast selection. The meats are the only item (other than drinks and rice) that you order with staff. Staff are super friendly and you don't have a dedicated server. The meats are good quality however you only get 4-5 slices per order which won't be enough if you're a larger table. Additionally, the staff doesn't announce which meat cuts are which so it can be a little difficult to reorder specific items. For the buffet items, you have the normal items (tofu, veggies, noodles, etc) and then the other unique items (seafood and banchan). There's also a small self serve drink area (taro milk tea, Thai tea, strawberry slushy, and orange slushy) and desserts (self scoop ice cream and toppings). My qualms with Shabu Zone are the sauces and the base (sukiyaki). The sauces don't taste good and they're very random - you have creamy corn, (watery and too sweet) sesame, spicy ponzu, and some other sauces I couldn't remember. The sukiyaki base that I had could've been deeper in flavor but maybe I need to order something else. Overall, Shabu Zone is okay but I appreciate the good quality meat, diverse self serve items, and friendly staff. read more

Shabu Zone - Hot Pot Near Me - Federal Way, Washington

Finally got to try the New Hot Pot Chain, now in Federal way. Walked into a fresh smell of seafood (Yuck)....i almost decided not to eat. I'm glad that didn't detour me. Dinner all you can eat for $40. Veggies/all meats and seafood/ice cream & slushy. The crab is small blue crabs , so don't think it's big size crab. My Bok choy had bugs on it. Not cleaned well . (These were the reasons for a lower score. ) Tom yum broth mixed with spicy classic was delicious. And we also enjoyed our White rice wine. Waitresses were very attentive and it was clean...If I come back, it will be for lunch as it's half the price/but half the selection as well. I'm ok with that tho. read more

Shabu Zone - Inside - Hot Pot Near Me - Federal Way, Washington

Such an amazing experience. Im glad we have an option outside of Bellevue/Seattle! I love how clean and organized everything i.the seating is spread out enough that it doesnt look cramp inside. The service is great. Multiple checking and making sure we got what we needed. I love the seafood section! My kid loves the rice cakes. I cant wait to go back! read more

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Great new Hot Pot place in south King Co! I love the individual hotpot bowls, I can cook and eat at my own pace. Meats are the main items ordered through the server & everything else is self serve. Everything else being: noodles, sauces, seafood, side dishes, soda, slushies, ICECREAM, and more! The variety is nice & the quality of the items is great as well. Lots of seating accompanied by kind servers, definitely coming back for another meal! :) read more

Shabu Zone - Hot Pot Near Me - Federal Way, Washington

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So good!!! we got the spicy house broth and were able to pick our choice of AYCE meat options, which were fresh and good quality! The veggies, seafood and noodles are buffet style so you go and fill your plate up as you go, very convenient. The broth is also filled for you as it evaporates so no need to worry about running out. Super friendly staff who are super attentive your entire stay. We went on a Saturday Night and beat the evening rush, so it was pretty packed and there was a waitlist as we were leaving. They also have sauce bar, dessert, and drinks! read more

Shabu Zone - Hot Pot Near Me - Federal Way, Washington

Came here opening month and it was super busy. We only waited about 15 min to be seated for three people. Our server was awesome! Since they were new, he offered each of us a taste test of the broth of our choosing. That definitely helped us make our decision. I went with the tom yum broth and it was so rich in flavor I was pleasantly surprised. He also gave us his recommendations on the best cuts of meat - they did not disappoint! Selection of food looked fresh, clean, and organized. The staff were constantly refilling empty trays and the sauce section had so many options. Will be back for sure! read more

Shabu Zone - Hot Pot Near Me - Federal Way, Washington

I've come here several times now and the food is always delicious. It's all you can eat so bring your appetite!

Been a loyal customer since their soft opening, when their food and service was elite. Now after several months the meat quality has slowly gone down hill, and service is a hit or miss. The rest of the food at the grab and go (salad bar) is well presented and still good. The atmosphere during the week is less crowded, easy to get a table, than the weekend where you can expect a wait. The price doesn't match the experience any longer. read more

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This one is used to be old country buffet many years ago. This whole retail complex has a lot of stores. Daiso, trader joe and American Best vision are next to Shabu Zone. Parking: a lot of free space shared retail parking. We had a group of 9, since they only have a table of 6, so we split into 2 tables, next to each other. No reservation needed, plenty of space. Weekdays: Lunch price 29.99 Dinner price: 41.99 Weekend: all day dinner price 41.99 There's vegetarian price and kids price as well, see photo. You have 2hr to dine in max Restroom: men and women restrooms Fyi, this is more Korean style all you can eat hotpot. Soup base: 9 different kind, refillable Meat: 11 different kind, you can order as many as you want as long as you finish them. My fav are #1 #3 and #6 , because they are more lean and less fat. They have: Banchan Many kinds Veggies, tofu, noddle, egg Seafood Sauces Desserts: ice cream and toppings, Chai slush, and only 2 kinds of fruits. Pay on your way out at cashier. read more

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My new favorite hotpot spot - hands down! Came here on a Monday evening for dinner with a party of 8. There's tons of seating, so getting a table wasn't difficult, but we preferred everyone sit side by side to each other, so we waited for about 15-20 minutes for a table to open up, not bad. Overall ambiance is great - kpop playing non stop (my favorite!), super clean, bright and modern aesthetic and an overall very spacious environment. Service was excellent. There were lots of staff working and they were super quick to clear out empty plates. They also offered meat refills regularly, so we never had to wait on any. Meats also came out very quick. Everyone was also super nice. Food was fantastic as well. I ordered the miso broth while my friends ordered tom yum and a couple others. I see a few reviews complaining that the broths were on the less flavorful side, but that's the point, the broths develop more flavors as you add in ingredients, and are more subtle to highlight those ingredients. I didn't find the broths to be underwhelming at all and thought they had great flavor. Meats were all tasty. My favorite was beef belly. There were also tons of other stuff to choose from too - veggies, dumplings, seafood. Everything tasted fresh. They also have a boba station and ice cream station which I also enjoyed. Needless to say, I will be coming back. read more

Shabu Zone - Boba station - Hot Pot Near Me - Federal Way, Washington

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My first time eating here with my best friend and they did not disappoint! Lots of different options for your soup! We loved the all you can eat aspect and got so much food. They have fresh veggies, meats, seafood, noodles, and so much more. There's a little smoothie bar, and fruit & ice cream for dessert as well! I will definitely be coming back soon! read more

Think I'm in love. This hot pot place doesn't charge by the plate and there is so much variety in the "salad bar" to put in your soup. There is also a lot of amazing broth choices. I am love with the balance of #6 Sukiyaki being savory and a touch sweet. The service is top notch being attentive and kind. There is even an ice cream dessert waiting for you. The place is clean and plenty of room. You get broth refills and can swap flavors for $1. read more

Shabu Zone - So good! - Hot Pot Near Me - Federal Way, Washington

Shabu Zone is a new hot pot spot that recently opened, so I had to check it out. I did the all-you-can-eat option, which gives you access to all the ingredients at the buffet bar. You get to pick your own broth and then cook everything as you go. They had a good variety of ingredients, and if you're a seafood lover, there are plenty of options to choose from. They also had the typical meats you'd expect for hot pot, along with higher-end options like Wagyu that you can order through your server. There was a wide selection of vegetables and noodles, although I didn't notice any quail eggs. They had lots of banchan though! The sauces were all really flavorful. I'd recommend getting the spicy ponzu. Overall, it was a good first experience. The place is huge, but since it's new, there may be some wait time before getting seated. If you like Kpop they have a huge screen that plays all the bangers lol read more

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Newly opened Shabu Zone in Federal Way. Visited on Friday for lunch. Customer service: We were greeted immediately once we walked in and got seated. The restaurant is pretty huge and our server explained the menu to us, from soup broth to meat selections. Food: Lunch was about $30/ person (pre tax). There are plenty of meat to choose from: beef, pork and lamb. At the center of the restaurant, you will find the AYCE vegetables, seafood, side dishes, sauces, etc. I like how staff keep refilling the AYCE station so it was never running out of ingredients. I was slightly disappointed that they didn't have quail eggs and fried bean curds. These are my two favorites when it comes to hotpot. I, later, learned that this is a Korean owned restaurant because of the kimchi and radish so it kinda made sense. There is a slushy station, fruit (melons) and ice cream for post-Shabu dessert. For the price you pay, I think it's worth it. Ambiance: Bright and clean restaurant. K-pop music playing in the background. P.S. they currently don't do anything specific for b-day. Unlike other hotpot restaurants that offer some sort of discount or free meal. read more

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It's my first my time trying out all you can eat hotpot or shabu Zone. My ex and I took my little girl since she loves noodle and celebrating her birthday next week so this is to check how the place is and we love it . The place looks simple and clean, very spacious and the island buffet is well prepared. Then server that helped us were all so helpful. Not just one or two helped us but there a few of them to check on us at least once or twice . We were able to try the soup we wanted and I recommended tonkatsu for those that don't want too spicy or ton yum for someone who likes mild spice. Both works with the meat and seafood. My favorite so far is number 11 the Wagyu beef belly. Number 5 is also not bad we came lunch time so we didn't have the option 1-4 that's for dinner (1-11) lunch is 5-11 . Changing soup base does cost $2 which is not too bad since it's refillable and I also tried shoyu for my little one who likes udon . We will definitely coming back . read more

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I would eat here often if I could. The service is top notch. The food quality is top notch. Very clean as well with great ventilation The assortment of ingredients is wide, varied, and most importantly fresh. The sauces are excellent as well. They even have a "banchan" section! They even have various types of quality kimchi in traditional stone jars! They even have a dessert section! Top notch too. Strawberry ice cream with real strawberries! Coffee/mocha ice cream that tastes great! Buckets of ice cream made by Umpqua as opposed to buckets of flavored fake stuff that leaves a bizarre aftertaste (Chinese buffets). They also provide juice slushies and an assortment of ice cream toppings! They even have a ginormous TV that's as wide as an 18 wheeler truck is long! We paid about $42 per person for a buffet style dinner. read more

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I am so thrilled that a restaurant like Shabu Zone exists in Federal Way. It has been a long time coming that we have an AYCE hot pot spot with literally every ingredient you could ever want. The space is enormous and even has its own private space, used for large parties I'm assuming. Right when you walk in you can tell they put so much thought and effort into everything. From the giant screen on the wall, to the carefully crafted selection of ingredients, to the copious amount of staff, you just know that this place is here to stay. The meat selection is great quality and they have everything you could want. My personal favorite would probably be the beef belly. I'm a huuuuge veggie person when it comes to hot pot, so unlimited napa cabbage and enoki???? I'm sold. But besides that, there are tons of other veggies, noodles, seafood, and even Korean banchan to choose from. The broth selections are fantastic and there are so many to choose from. The biggest win for me, included sauce bar. If you know hot pot, you already know this is key. Enough said. If you didn't stuff yourself, you can enjoy a yummy bowl of ice cream with toppings galore when you're all done! Prices are fair for AYCE. I am so so happy to have Shabu Zone in our city! read more

One of the best ayce hot pot I have tried. Limited meat selection during lunch but it was more than enough. My least fave was the Wagyu beef belly & pork chop, which we didn't ordered but not sure how we got it. Beef belly was very fatty & pork chop was little too chewy. Other than that everything was good. They had a couple sections for sauces but they didn't have peanut sauce & sriracha, my fave combo! All the staff were friendly & very attentive. I can't wait to go back! read more

Shabu Zone - Hot Pot Near Me - Federal Way, Washington

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Clean and open dining area. Well stocked with a variety of veggies, seafood, dumplings and noodles for Shabu. Meat is very good quality. Fresh and tender. Oscar and John were great servers. Attentive and polite. I loved that they asked permission to take things off the table. I was using a plate for hold items and another person just took it without asking... I brought my elderly parents and they loved it. It may become their next go to place. read more

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Shabu Zone is the newest hot spot for anyone who loves fresh ingredients, bold flavors, and the fun of cooking your meal right at the table. The moment you walk in, you're greeted with a cozy, modern atmosphere and a staff that's genuinely excited to help you have a great time. There are many varieties of broth you can choose from the menu. If you would like to try another broth option, just simply let the staff know which one you want. The ingredients are super fresh--from thinly sliced meats to crisp veggies and bouncy noodles. Everything cooks quickly and tastes amazing, especially when paired with their house-made dipping sauces. The meat selection has many varieties and choices you can choose from beef, pork, chicken, and lamb. All meats are thinly sliced . You can keep ordering as much meat as you want. They also have a wide selection of vegetables, noodles, seafood, banchan, and a sauce selection to choose from. If you're looking for a comforting, interactive dining experience that still feels trendy and exciting, Shabu Zone is definitely worth the visit. Perfect for date night, family meals, or catching up with friends over a steaming pot. Overall: Fresh, flavorful, and fun! read more

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Had lunch yesterday with a small group, 3 of us had never been. It was such a delight! Our sever was attentive and explained how things work, she and the other servers were on point when it came to service! All the food was clean, organized and nicely filled, I was so impressed with the selection of veggies! I would totally come back, such a wonderful experience, and the meat was so tender. 2 hours is plenty of time to get full on all the yummy food! read more

The cuts of meat are really good! #11 by far is the best. I like their variety of soup bases, I got the tonkatsu and it was super good. The salad bar and toppings were fresh and good. Only complaint is that a 2 person table is too small for everything to fit! Wait staff was attentive and great. Already wanting to come back. read more

Shabu Zone - Hot Pot Near Me - Federal Way, Washington

I've been eyeing this place and finally got the chance to try it! I will say the soups are pretty bland however- they have a sauce bar you can add to make your soup flavorful! The all you can eat is nice and their service is very fast and friendly. They do have aprons available if you don't want to get your clothes dirty. They have various side bars you can put in your soup. Like noodles, veggies, pickled veggies and so much more. There is a 2-hour limit while dining here just be aware of that. Other than that I would come here again! read more

What a yummy spot if your craving hotpot action. This is a self serve restaurant where they bring you all the meet you want to add to your pot, the self serve is getting your own vegetables, sauces, seafood protein. There is also a self serve ice cream station with some toppings. Really cool slushy machine also and it's all you can drink. $42/person is a little bit hight but overall good experience. Staff is very friendly and helpful. We would come back again! read more

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Shabu Zone is hands down probably the best shabu shabu restaurant I've been to. First, this place is massive. It's so big that the 200+" TV on the wall seemed just the right size for the space. There were easily 150 people in the restaurant when we came in and it wasn't even full. My son and I were promptly seated and the server approached us within minutes took our broth and meat order. The pictures Yelpers took of the bar doesn't do it justice. It was better IRL! There was an assortment of seafood, meats, and fresh chopped veggies. There was even a banchan station which looked delicious but I skipped it because I was there for the meats. There was an individual station with an assortment of sauces and even a station for fruit and one for desserts. As busy as it was, our server cleared our plates quickly, brought us more meats, and even offered refills of broth to our dwindling bowls. But don't take my word for it. Come down to Shabu Zone and try it out for yourself. You won't be disappointed. read more

Last week I went to visit my sister in Tacoma and I got to see the nice area and to eat at a few nice places. Before leaving the state, we visited this very nice and modern Shabu style buffet in Federal Way. This seems to be a new restaurant, nice and bright in a big shopping center with plenty places to park. The price compares to CA is a little high $42 per person, but it includes boba drinks, ice cream with all the trimmings for desserts, perfect for my kids. The servers are attentive and pleasant but one has to take care of quite a few tables without the high tech digital pad of some kind to record orders of many different kinds of meats. Still using pen and note pads and he did forget our orders. Other places have servers and people who bring food to the tables, but this one the servers do both jobs, a little hard on the servers. The are quite a few types of meats but even with this price, no my favorite briskets, except some types of beef pot belly. Anyhow, the seafood bar, vegetable bar do have many selections in par with other Shabu restaurants in CA. There's no appetizers like fried chicken. The meat cuts are thicker than other places and not as frozen, tender and good. There are many sauces to choose from so if you mix a good one, the food will be excellent. This place has Tong Ho veggie that I like. The broth has flat flavor, so we have to add our own sauce to make it tasty. The desserts and drink bar are great if you have room after the meats meal. It seems like there's no competition here in federal way, sometimes to have a nice dinner with a price a little steep is OK. It was a hearty meal before getting on the plane back to the nice sunny California it was raining dogs and cats here. Booking for Golf the day after. read more

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As someone who tried this place in Houston, I'm glad we have something like this in Washington and near Seattle. The place is huge, serve was great just like in Texas. Everything was the same but for those who never been, they have a large selection of seafood, veggies, and carbs. They also have slushies and ice cream for dessert. Pricing is reasonable. The mala was spicy even though I was told it was 0/5 spicy. I wish they had Tomato broth in general or sukiyaki broth in stock. I highly recommend and would come back! read more

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The place feels very clean, welcoming and spacious. Great staff that is ready to assist. Food was pretty good and has a selection of choices. Pricing wasn't too neither for everything you get. Would recommend tonkotsu soup with #11 Akashi wagyu beef belly and #6 Shabu zone special prime rib. read more

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My family and I had a fantastic experience at Shabu zone that we've been there three times over the holidays. The restaurant is clean. The staff members are attentive without being intrusive. John is wonderful and has been our server a few times. The cuts of meat are impressively fresh and high-quality. The selection of vegetables and seafood is wide enough to keep every bolt interesting a great place to warm up with a satisfying well prepared meal. We like the shoyu, spicy, miso and tonkatsu broth. read more

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The value proposition of this place is really good. The cuts of meat and the fresh veges that's AYCE. However I'm not fond of their soup base and I generally don't eat a lot and would prefer a place that has a soup base I like. Their service is really good so all in all it's a worth it place to try :) read more