Excellent service! The sukiyaki broth was delicious and the meat was great quality! I recommend the beef belly dipped in the raw egg. read more

Tabu Shabu - Costa Mesa - Beef belly with sukiyaki broth and raw egg. - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Came in hungry... and unfortunately left hungry. Their portions are overpriced for what you get as a regular set and very small. When I go to other shabu spots, I can barely finish a regular size. Not only are the meat and vegetable plates slim, but they also don't offer free additional vegetables. Despite the portions being small, the service is great here. The waiters are very attentive and there's barely a wait, if any! read more

Really small place for shabu shabu, the service was on point for mother's day but gave me a very american style vibe for shabu... Prime Angus Ribeye was the choice of meat. The cuts were thin and portions were huge. I got the kombu seaweed flavor, and moms got the kotsu flavor. The veggies and meat were fresh and simple. My sister finished off most of our meals because we don't really eat big individual meals like that. Not bad, and for gluten free people. It's worth the meal. read more

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Wells was so great and attentive! Thanks for having us. We always get the truffle edamame and premium meat combo, it's the best quality and deal. Love the vibe and art on the walls. They also have great happy hour deals read more

Daniel was the best server! Food was delicious.. very filling and healthy..save room for mochi ! read more

Came here on a Sunday night. There were not much people in the store. The service was good but the food is just okay. The portion of the food is small. I was only half full after eating it. It was about $35 per person after tax and tips. Probably won't come back. read more

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I've always heard such great things about Tabu, so I'm so glad I gave it a try! The parking is a little annoying if you at a busier time, but luckily I was able to find a spot pretty easily. You can also join the waitlist if you're running a bit late or want to get ahead of the game! I got the Ribeye Reserve $22, spicy miso, jasmine rice, kale ramen noodles & veggies. I would usually get spicy miso at whatever shabu place I go to, but I would say the miso flavor is not as strong and the spice was not spicy. I didn't opt for hot drops because I wasn't sure about my tolerance for the soup had I added it. The flavor, overall, was quite light if that is what you prefer. I was also pretty surprised that I could customize my veggie options because I usually don't enjoy eating broccoli with my shabu. Everything else was delicious! I was a bit sad that they had run out of udon by the time I had arrived, but I guess I will need to come back and try this and the yelp check in for the mochi! read more

Tabu Shabu - Costa Mesa - a variety of vegetables - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Place as it goes, with a hotpot per person, making it easier to eat. Come with veggies n all. This place is what you would expect when going out for some shabu-shabu, though, portion is tiny even for the large order of meat. Taste-wise was just aight - nothing out of the ordinary. Price wise, could find other places with better price to portion to taste ratio like Mokoji as the concept is identical to them. The selling point for me, was the porridge you can request for after the meal. I would definitely come here again just for the porridge. One of the best i've tried. read more

Tabu Shabu - Costa Mesa - porridge was my fav in this place - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I like their bar setting. The wait for shabu also isn't too bad. I recommend joining the waitlist online. The sukiyaki was okay--a little too salty for my taste. I will say the customer service is very very good. The lamb didn't taste too fresh but wasn't bad. I thought it was interesting that they poured out the pot when you are done cooking and into a ramen style bowl. That's smart! Unfortunately, for me, Tabu didn't have a WOW factor in terms of taste. Customer service is definitely a 5 star but freshness of food is ultimately a 3. read more

Tabu Shabu - Costa Mesa - Cucumber Salad - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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The food here is delicious. Haven't had anything here we didn't like. 4 stars because service has been inconsistent. Some of their staff is really awesome, attentive, and friendly. Some are lost, charge for included items, and aren't available when you need to order something. Jeff, the owner has been beer hospitable and quick to respond to emails. read more

Tabu Shabu - Costa Mesa - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Shout out to Dylan for helping us out and being a great server!! First of all I just wanna say that this is the only shabu restaurant in OC that I have been to that carries SRF/Snake River Farm brand meat so i was sooo stoked to try it out. The meats were amazinggg definitely melts in your mouth and has so much delicious flavaaaa ughhh I LOVE SRF MEAT! I wish they had the rib-eye cus that's my Faveeee I got the SRF short rib w/ regular kombu broth and bae got the SRF chuckeye roll w pork bone broth and a side of gyoza. The pork bone soup was very simple yet packed a good amount of flavor I reeeeeeeally like the sauces here! The ponzu is perfectly seasoned with some yuzu and the goma is dank too. I also love how they have regular daikon but their garlic is a little different! Not regular grated garlic but a pickled crushed garlic I really like how they give U the option of choosing whatever veggies u want, and they give u a gooooood portion size of veggies too + ur choice of noodles and rice I enjoyed my experience here sooo much and I'm Uber excited to try some new soups and meats again read more

Super good!! Will be coming back!! Everything was awesome I love the options!! Super convenient location as well super quick service

Seriously, the best shabu shabu. I've tasted to date. I highly recommend the spicy miso broth and make sure you get this crunchy garlic. It's so good. The staff is always super friendly and you cook your own food. There's always a line so you're gonna wanna make sure that you either get there when it opens at 5 PM or you're prepared to wait. You usually don't have to wait too long. read more

this is my favorite shabu spot! they staff is always so nice (michelle is my favorite), always remember our orders, chat with you - the vibes are 10/10! food of course is great - you have to try the pickled onions / peppers and chili crunch!!! read more

I wish I was rich because I would eat here every day. The food is great and the staff is even better ! I came and was helped by Michelle and others ! They are freaking hilarious. Beer was never warm. The recommended getting the Serrano peppers and onions and the chili oil !!!!!! Omg it didn't miss. I'll be back I love it here !!! read more

Tabu Shabu - Costa Mesa - 10/10 wagyu and reserve rib eye - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Tabu Shabu has become one of my staples. The quality of the meat and veggies is amazing and the staff is so nice and accommodating. I really enjoy eating at the restaurant and bringing my friends and colleagues. read more

Tabu Shabu - Costa Mesa - Menu 5-25-19 - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Haven't updated my review for a decade... wow! Since 2013 I've tried many more Shabu restaurants and Tabu is still my favorite. All the meats & veggies are real fresh, sauces are delicious, staff is friendly, and still a great music playlist. The porridge is excellent to take home and eat the next day. Highly recommend! read more

Delicious!!! We come here all the time, the soups are tasty and the right amount of meats and veggies.

It was delicious with wonderful service. We got all of our meats and items to go in our broth instantly. Every time we needed something a server was right there at our service. The ambiance was very beautiful with wonderful looks and great paintings! read more

Tabu Shabu - Costa Mesa - 3 oz SIDE Prime Ribeye 3 oz SIDE Reserve Short Rib - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Been coming here for years, and it's still my favorite spot. The service is amazing, and the food is to die for. Even as a beginner, it still taste delicious and it gets better every time. read more

Tabu Shabu - Costa Mesa - I love this place more than my luggage - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Since I had a good experience at the HB location, I thought I'd go to this location when meeting a friend in the area for dinner. It was Friday night around 7 and the wait wasn't long at all. The parking lot however, was really small and I had to park down the street in the next plazas parking lot. The staff was super friendly and answered all of our questions. They poured us some water that already had lemon infused in it. They also had some good beers on tap, though I decided not to drink that night. This location didn't seem to offer marinade for the meats like the HB location did. Either way, everything was really good and I will definitely come back! read more

Tabu Shabu - Costa Mesa - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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the best tabu spot in OC! Always fresh ingredients, tasty broths, cool ambiance and quick service! Vegan and gluten free friendly. I always get the miso broth and make it spicy with chili paste and the ramen noodles. (Comes with a veggie plate) I always have about half leftover and take it to go :) The staff is super sweet and helpful, ask for Wells if he's there, he's the best. read more

So so yummy! Great for a cold day to warm the soul Cool seating layout, each chair has its own heating pad. Service was excellent! Marie was attentive and knew when we were ready for the next thing. Packaged our leftover soup to go! read more

Tabu Shabu - Costa Mesa - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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The spicy serrano cucumbers were so good, they make you a porridge at the end and i love the service! Will come back :)

Decent Shabu. I won't say it's great because of one key factor... They pre-mix their broth so you can't control how weak or strong it is. And it's weak. Other places start with a pot of boiling water and create the broth in front of you by adding as much homemade concentrate as you'd like. Now at this place what you can do and what I should have done is pay extra for some miso paste to strengthen the overall flavor profile of the broth. In my case I chose Tonkatsu (pork) broth. To take your broth and kick it up a notch for free, use most of the garlic and green onions they supply you with. Then request a side of soup base (aka smoky fish sauce) and pour the whole thing in there. Don't add any of the supplied peanut sauce nor soy sauce unless you want to totally change the flavor profile. Don't get even a single drop of the spicy liquid they offer unless you can handle heat that's more than twice that of a typical hot wing. Now get that to a rumbling boil for several minutes before you put any vegetables or meat in there. Let the broth reduce a bit to enhance the flavor. Here comes the fork in the road with any Shabu regardless of where you are... Do you cook and eat as you go regarding your vegetables and meat? If so, then do you consume any of the broth as soup? Or as I prefer, throw the vegetables in there starting with the hard ones like carrots first, then later once you've got all of your vegetables in there, throw in all of the noodles and all of the meat, wait a few seconds and request them to transfer everything into a giant soup bowl for you so you can enjoy the broth along with everything right off the bat. As for their meats, the short rib is nice and flavorful, while the angus is flavorless. The pork is a great value with lots of flavor too. Next time I'd like to try the prime ribeye. You need to get the half pound quantity per person. Even my little wife agrees. As for the vegetables, I like all of them but my wife prefers just the broccoli and carrots. Nice ambience with an adequate selection of wine and beers on tap. If you bring a bottle of wine and receipt from Hi Time Wine Cellar then there's no corkage fee. read more

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Amazing place for a family dinner! I love going here with my kids. Recommend this spot for any family looking for a dinner spot!

Everything was fab! Short rib, wagyu, bomby!! Thx to the staff, Mary was a total doll. We def be back

Always love Tabu Shabu. Yet to have a bad experience here! Also the sake selection is *chefs kiss. read more

I got the spicy miso broth and it was just ok. The meat quantity is much smaller than other shabu restaurants. I ordered the beef belly and it was 8 small pieces of meat. The quality of the meat however was slightly above average. They give you plenty of vegetables and sole noodles so I didn't leave hungry. It's bar seating so I wouldn't recommend it for large groups and you can only speak to those near you unless you don't mind yelling ima restaurant. The servers were very kind but the actual service was lacking. We had to remind them several times for many things as they kept forgetting. read more

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I have always liked Tabu Shabu. Their sauces are so good. I am picky about my goma sauce and this place nailed it. They give you a good amount of vegetable in their vegetable platter as well as variety. I get full with the regular size option of protein. I used to come here a lot more back in the days when it would be one of the few shabu shabu places that would stay open late. It is still open late now on weekends so it's great for when we want some nice healthy meal other than fast food. read more

Great food, especially on a cold day! Spicy miso broth is my favorite! Don't forget to ask for the soup after your meal with the leftover delicious broth! Always great service with a lively ambiance. Crunchy chili garlic is so good on the meat, ask for it! Soup at home makes it feel like I got two meals! Pro tip: nice little date night spot! BOGO wine, beer and sake every Tuesday! Happy hour 5-6 M-F Bottomless sake brunch Sat & Sun! read more

Amazing food and flavor very happy with this out, not to big so it doesn't get to crowded

Great amount of vegetables and loved the noodles. Good service. Great ambiance and good water. read more

Tabu Shabu - Costa Mesa - Miso soup with angus beef - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Have come here on Wednesday nights with girlfriends for wine Wednesdays! Michelle and the rest of the team always greets my friends and I and give us the best service. Food is always great and look forward to coming each week! read more

Really cute ambiance and friendly service. The salmon was cut super thin, which maybe is the way you're supposed to have it but it wasn't pleasant to eat paper thin fish. The veggies were plentiful and delicious and I enjoyed the spicy miso broth. Free mochi sampler with yelp check in was a nice way to end the meal. read more

Tabu Shabu - Costa Mesa - Salmon - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Really good the sukiyaki is a little on the salty side but it's still delicious. Service is quick and kind. Friendly bar aesthetic that is welcoming. read more

Tabu Shabu - Costa Mesa - Starters and extras - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

My daughter and I go here so the time, and they have never let us down. Her and I share the love of cooking our veggies and meats in delicious broth. The ingredients always come so quickly, we love that. The ambiance here is great too. My daughter and I have shared great memories here at this amazing hot pot. read more

Shabu's one of my favorite meals and I've been to plenty of different spots to seek where I'd enjoy going to most. Unfortunately I've been to Tabu a couple times and it's not my preferred shabu spot. It's served the same way as other shabu places, which is nice and consistent with what's offered, however it's not what I'd consider is the way I'd enjoy my shabu meal. I'd get the tonkotsu here, as I would when having shabu at other spots and the broth isn't deep with flavor here. The broth is just kinda bland and plain to me. They have a good selection of meats, however I feel like it's sliced fairly thin so even though it's weighed, it just doesn't feel like you're taking a good bite of protein because the slice itself is just thin. I'm a super big veggies person with my shabu as well and so the veggies offered here are standard, but minimal in the amount given. Shabu dipping sauces and condiments are also an essential part of the meal and I truly drench and enjoy my sauces, which are also just ok here. Of course this is all just my opinion and according to my tastebuds because I do know a lot of people who enjoy Tabu, as well as observing there are a lot of regulars who tend to dine here since I can tell by the conversations being had with the staff. I always find that super cute and I'm glad they're enjoying their meal! Service here is super nice and everyone's friendly and attentive. I just don't think Tabu is for me so it wouldn't be my first shabu spot choice. I can say it's also not the worst shabu I've had either though! read more

Tabu Shabu - Costa Mesa - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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last time I added death drops, way too spicy. this time without it tasted amazing. The service was good, attentive but I don't know why other customers sit close to people. read more

Tabu Shabu - Costa Mesa - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Very tasty and fresh meat. Got the spicy miso broth and combo meat. Veggies were fresh and all the sauces and things is fun. Fun date night for sure and the vibe is super cool. Our server was wonderful and super helpful. read more

Tabu Shabu - Costa Mesa - Beef Belly and Angus Beef for my Japanese hot pot - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California