The boyf and I went wandering for a drink while we were waiting to be seated for Oak and Coal, and stumbled across Tabu Shabu. Noticed the multiple handles and decided to get a Sapporo on draft here, and even though we were just ordering a drink, the staff couldn't be nicer! As we perused the menu, we became more and more convinced to hit this place up for real for food in the future- sounds like a great deal and everyone there looked happy with their food. The atmosphere was hip enough without being overtly try hard and again, the servers were so attentive and nice even though we were just there for a drink. Shout out to Santiago, we'll be back for food for real next time! read more

I go here about one to two times per week. They have great Tuesday and Wednesday deals. I have never had bad service, very accommodating and friendly. Vegetables have always come out fresh. read more

My client and I looked for an Asian place to eat & found this on Yelp! I hadn't had Shabu in a while and she never tried it before so we came in. She had a pup who is like her therapy dog so she brings him everywhere. Anyway, even though there was no outdoor dining, they allowed us at the bar and the service was excellent! Super attentive, Hayley(?) and Niko(?) were great! We got the pork broth mixed with spicy miso and all the veggies and got Ribeye as well as Beef belly and were stuffed so fast! Barely touched the brown rice but took everything (including the dips) to-go. Yum! If I'm in the area and craving soup or Shabu, I'll be back here! Thanks guys! read more

Not all things get better with age. The shabu here is almost as good as I remember it being, but the customer service is definitely not what it used to be. They use Yelp waitlist now, which would be helpful (since they don't take reservations) if it was accurate. I waited 30 minutes longer after I arrived and on top of that, my group was bypassed when it was our turn by someone who didn't look like he knew what he was doing and acted unprofessional when I told him we got skipped. We tried to shrug it off and continue with our night since we were celebrating my birthday. So we started with a 100 oz. beer tube of Sapporo ($28). It looks cool but it doesn't keep your beer cold enough. Then I ordered a regular size Kurobuta Pork ($18) with Tonkotsu pork broth and brown rice. Beef is usually my go-to, but the pork was recommended to me by one of the servers. It was actually good quality and a nice change. The veggie plate was lackluster, but it's cool that they added kale ramen as a noodle option. It's an interesting and healthy alternative to udon. The food was enjoyable for the most part, but little things were missed that we had to ask for like the hot drops and the egg that is supposed to be served with sukiyaki broth. I was excited to come back to this place but it's not the same anymore. It's questionable if I'll return. read more

Tabu Shabu - Costa Mesa - Regular Kurobuta Pork w/ Tonkotsu Pork Broth & Standard Vegetables - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Did not get anything in our orders correct. Food was bland and noodles were overcooked.

great service! everyone was friendly and constantly checked on us to ask if we needed anything. There was a great promotion on Tuesdays that drew us in: BOGO all night on beer, wine, and sake. My friend and I opted for the lychee and peach sakes. They are chilled prior to serving and we were happy with the fun deal ($18 for both bottles with the promo)! It was also really easy to order. You pick your broth base, carb, veggies, then protein. Everything is brought out raw and cooks in the hot broth. I tried the spicy miso base and it was not too spicy. There are additional chili oils and add-ons if you want extra heat. Yes, you cook your own food, but you don't have to do much work. The hot broth will do all the work :) We arrived during happy hour which I believe is 25% off food? There was no sign that explains what is offered during happy hour, but they are promoting some kind of happy hour. read more

We often go pair Tabu Shabu with a wine tasting at Hi-Times, especially because we have someone with Celiac disease in our party and they are very aware of gluten allergies and are able to accomodate accordingly. The service is wonderful; the staff and always friendly and attentive. I also appreciate the cleanliness of their bathroom! The wait isn't too bad if you go at the right times. The only wish I have would be that the meat portions be a bit bigger. read more

Food and quality were amazing! Service was 10/10. Ursula was very nice and helpful:) Ambiance was such a vibe. My friends and I had a great time! read more

Excellent Experience I love the food definitely recommend! I will be coming back in the future perfect after a day at the beach

One of my favorite meals in Costa Mesa! The concept of Shabu is very similar to Korean bbq, but instead of cooking your meal on a grill, you place your items in a steaming bowl. I absolutely love this style of cooking. There's so many opportunities to customize your meal with different broths, noodles, sauces, veggies, and meats. Overtime the broth starts to absorb these flavors making for a tasty soup. I chose to go with their traditional noodles with a teriyaki flavored broth. The teriyaki broth was a little overwhelming for me, so in the future I might stick with the classic or spicy pork broth. I filled my pot with chicken, carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, and a side of truffle oil. While somewhat small, this restaurant is fun for groups or as a duo. I'd note that since you're sitting bar style vs. at a communal table, it's a little tough to converse. Tabu Shabu does not take reservations but you can join the Waitlist on Yelp and skip the line! read more

After a long and chilly day spent at Disneyland, my friends and I were craving Shabu. I've been to Tabu Shabu a few times and I always enjoyed the customer service here. This time around, I tried their Sukiyaki. I thought it was okay -- a little too salty for me, but I still enjoyed my meal nonetheless. Meat quality is perfection. Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe they're the only shabu restaurant in OC that carries Snake River Farm meat. I also like how you can choose whatever veggies you want and they give you a good portion with your choice of noodles and rice. I wish I knew about their split pots tho cause after reading their Yelp reviews, people were saying you can get it... you just have to ask. (I'll def be back for that) This whole time I be ordering one broth when I could've been getting two. Can't wait to come back again. read more

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Super chill vibe. Great place to celebrate your 21st birthday if you're looking for a chill night! Service is quick and food was amazing! Super fun to craft your own dish! read more

[late review] Customer service was excellent. Plenty of parking spaces Blah: Veggie only plate was so pricy ($16)- no squash White rice- taste and look so sad.. like day old rice read more

It was New Year's eve and my wife and I were hungry for shabu, since it was just the 2 of us we wanted to venture over to our normal shabu place but as luck would have it, it was closed. So we consulted Yelp! And found Tabu Shabu and I'm glad we did go here. The place is quaint and intimate. Typical U shaped counter top where staff would be in the pit working and taking your orders. Protein selection was normal shabu shabu and prices were completely in line with what I would expect from this type of establishment. I ordered the large Angus with spicy miso and wife got the small with yakuniku broth. Didn't have to wait long as the food service was quick. I will say that the sesame seed sauce is REALLY good here. The ponzu isn't too bad, but that's just a matter of personal taste and preference. Definitely will add this place to our list of favorite shabu shabu place. What I would like: If there were one less stove top we felt that it would give you just that little extra elbow room. We found it a little cramped as the veggie/protein/sauce/rice bowls were being delivered it go cramped quick. Veggies is all preference but I do like to have a lot of veggies with my meal, could use a little extra. Other than that, we had a great time and left satisfied. Staff was super friendly and the place had a good vibe. read more

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

Was excited to try this place. We arrived around 12pm on Thursday. Got seated right away. I ordered sukiyaki soup, kale ramen and combo meats. The combo meats comes in size large or X-Large. I went with prime ribeye and Wagyu. The veggies portion is a large size. Normally most shabu shabu just give you a small portion. I was quite surprised. The sukiyaki was borderline too sweet. I would probably get spicy miso next time. I love the kale ramen. It had a really good chew. I was so stuff after my meal. It was quite yummy. Also got a free mochi for checking in on Yelp. read more

Tabu Shabu - Costa Mesa - Combo - prime ribeye & Wagyu - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Fantastic! Would come again! Recommend the lamb! The people were super nice and good happy hour.

Amazing,just amazing everything from the food to the service was great. Great experience and will definitely go back again for more read more

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

Really good. Come and try it! You won't be disappointed. Wagyu chuck eye and short rib go absolutely bonkers!! Don't forget the kale ramen noodz read more

Honestly, I felt like I had higher expectations for this place based on the number of reviews and high ratings it received. I only thought it was good, but not AMAZING. It also didn't really feel like authentic Asian styled shabu, but moreso "Asian influenced" based on the interior and menu items. I tried the regular sized rib eye meat with the spicy miso broth and I really did enjoy the taste of their spicy miso! However I thought the meat felt pretty tough after I cooked it, and I didn't even let it cook for that long. I appreciate how they had an abundance of veggies on the plate, but I wished they were not just your cheap typical kind of veggies? They had iceberg lettuce, baby bok choy, carrots, etc. and it seemed kind of just thrown together on a plate. I appreciated how the employees were attentive and made sure we were doing okay. It was still an enjoyable meal overall, but would personally prefer other shabu places. *CHECK IN FOR FREE EDAMAME TOO :) read more

Tabu Shabu - Costa Mesa - spicy miso broth + rib eye + (all) veggie plate + brown rice - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

food was very very good and service was amazing as well. i do wish there was a smaller portion people could get because it definitely was a lot of food but i'm glad we were able to take leftovers. i will for sure be back because i love the whole vibe of the place. i got the spicy miso broth with salmon and the kale noodles and it all was so so good. read more

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

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GREAT SUSHI!!! Nice ambiance, great overall experience. I highly recommend if you are a sushi lover. read more

Great, attentive service. Food was excellent, loved all the customization options. Can't wait to go back!

Great food and great service! Loved the beef belly and they had a nice variety of veggies!

The quality of the meats at tabu shabu is out of this world! Truly terrific job on the staff consistently helping us with tips for how to enjoy our experience even more! Tabu shabu is so fun because it's not just a meal but a whole experience. We'll definitely come back! read more

Bomb dot com hot pot place with very cute vibes. Very good service. We got their sukiyaki and tonkatsu broth. Meat was high quality and they had nice service. They give you a fresh plate of veggies, noodles, and rice with your order. If you want, they'll turn all your leftovers into a soup you can take home. Ten out of ten would eat again. read more

Tabu Shabu - Costa Mesa - Sukiyaki with beef and edamame - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Heard about this place from a friend so I want to give it a try. It's a small restaurant with chef counter seating so there's a wait if you come during dinner time. My friend and I came around 5:15pm and were able to be seated right away. They also have happy hour from 5-6pm; you'll get 20% off all entrees. I got the tonkotsu soup base and my friend got the spicy miso. Both broths are more on the bland side but will taste better after you add all the veggies and meat. We also tried the porridge people craved about and thought it was just ok. The server mixed and seasoned the porridge for us and it was a bit too salty for my taste. Overall I would give the food 3.5/5 The reason why I didn't give a higher overall rating is because of the service... and I think it was just our server who was kinda rude. I saw other servers around and they were really nice and attentive to their guests so we were just unlucky I guess. read more

Michelle was great! It was my first time! Food was good.They Jane happy hour and Wednesday wine. 50%off

5 stars would recommend. Food was outstanding and the meat quality was top notch. Highly recomm nd for anyone craving shabu

Tabu Shabu is a great spot for hot pot! I typically go to AYCE shabu restaurants to get unlimited ingredients. However, at this restaurant you order set menus and get a certain amount of food. With that being said, it was still the a fair amount of food and great quality! They don't provide that much meat which is the down side and another thing I would say is if they could be more generous on some of the veggies & noodles (mushrooms, lettuce, etc.) my boyfriends portion of noodles was tiny. But the broth (I got the spicy miso) was sooooooo delicious!!! I think that was what made the overall taste of the food really good. The seating inside the restaurant is super cool and I like how it's just a big round bar with chairs all around. The sauces were great, and the servers were attentive and really helpful when ordering! read more

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Favorite dinner spot in town, highly recommend. Great service great food. - Jason Bateman

The quality of everything is spectacular and the workers are amazing. Would highly recommend!! Get the Wagyu

Good shabu! While I typically opt for all you can eat shabu places because I like my options, my dining partner wanted to come here and I indulged. He was a regular, I was a newcomer. The place doesn't seat too many folks and all seating is counter seating but it was still pretty comfortable. The smallest meat size was plenty for me and I like that they give a healthy serving size of a variety of vegetables (unlike some other places). Plus it looked like they actually washed their veggies (don't tell me you haven't been suspicious before). I recall not being particularly impressed with the miso broth I selected but I enjoyed the meal enough to plan another visit back. Shabu really is hard to mess up though and Tabu is just another in the long list of shabu places in the area. But, the service and server interaction was particularly memorable and that is what will bring me back. read more

Delicious food! Nice staff! The ponzo sauce and Japanese pumpkin are especially good. read more

Amazing place, tasty food, and great service every single time! We love our Shabu! I go there on the buy monthly schedule lol

The service was excellent!! The service was not far behind. The taste of food was amazing! I highly recommend it!

Great music, great service, great food! Amazing experience. Make sure to order the broth booster.

Arrived Saturday at 810p. Had to check in on yelp at 7p and waited for an hour. Be sure to check in on yelp to get the free truffle edamame. Food. Decent. Not amazing. Just decent. Meat was ok. Veggies were average. I ordered the miso soup spicy which was good but but omg omg like when I order it in city of industry (Jazz Cat for example). Service was good. Yes good service. So the bad.... way too dark. It was very dimly lit so I couldn't see all that well. Great if you're on a date with a person who isn't all that great lookin so that you don't need more alchy for the beer goggles to come out, but seriously it's way way way too dark in here for Shabu !! Seating ... way too tight. I could not enjoy my food because the person sitting to my right was either bumping into me, or I was bumping into them. Just terrible seating arrangements. They need to be spaced out more. I mean, this place has so many damn good reviews but I couldn't even enjoy my food because every time I'd lift my chopsticks to put something in my mouth, i would get bumped and either the food would drop or I'd be poked by the chopstick. Just a terrible experience. The servers were good. The price was right. But the dim lights and the crappy eating environment (sitting too close to another) made it a terrible eating experience. Eh won't be back. Just not a comfortable eating experience. read more

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I bring my family here on tueaday nights!Tuesday nights with BOGO Sake!!California Shabu Shabu read more

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

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Overall, really liked this place. Pros: - Has a hearty veggie plate w tofu protein. Nice serving of base, rice and noodles - if you come in early they seat people in a way that there's some distancing - porridge concept is brilliant, needs to be advertised more. The bane of hot pot restaurants is how they always have leftovers that you can't really take home and can't finish. Here servers help make a porridge using remaining veg and meat and add an egg if you like. It's so hearty,so comforting Cons: - can only do one broth in the vessel/ split broth isn't an option. You can split with another person though which is what we did but I'm not quite sure I got how the math worked. - dashi broth is a little underwhelming, just seaweed and water. - can get super busy and only indoor limited seating. read more

This place is pretty solid for Shabu Shabu. Prices are reasonable. I really liked their tonkatsu broth. It was light yet still has enough of the sweet pork flavor that I was looking for. A good balance without being too bland or overpowering. Veggies were fresh and sauces were bomb. I always like the goma (sesame) sauce the best. Dress it up with some garlic, radish and onions and you will be good to go. If you like that extra kick, ask for a couple drops of ghost pepper :P. The angus ribeye was also very good quality. The only thing I didn't like was the seating arrangements. I don't mind that all of the seats are at the bar but it was way too tight! Be prepared to get intimate with your neighbors. At times, it was uncomfortable to eat because I felt so squished in between 2 people! read more