The food was amazing. everyone here is so kind and we had The perfect amount of food for our family of six. The service was excellent and I don't know what ambiance means. read more

Great service. We loved this a few months ago and came back. Immediately when we walked in a manager we recognized said "welcome back". Let me tell you.... When you only ate somewhere once but they remember you that makes you want to keep coming back! One big draw for me is the kids meal and options/service for kids. If a kid is under 7 they don't charge for them to split your meal with you and they can still get their own soup bowl and chair. Also, they have a kids meal option for 10 and under. My kids absolutely love being treated like real customers. They get to cook their own food and the team addresses them kindly and tends to them. By the nature of this type of meal there is a decent amount of checking in the waitstaff has to do like adjusting cook temps, delivering plates and drinks, coming back for add ons etc so it is a good restaurant experience for kids. They even have high high chairs (not a typo) for the babies. The food is good. Everything is prepped to order... you can literally see people slicing your meat or putting your vegetables together in the back. I come here because I want quality and not the volume of an ACYE place. I'd prefer to spend my calories wisely. I was surprised that it was full but no wait on a weekday. It's hard to find somewhere with a vibe on a weekday but this place has one. It's a short drive from the zoo and Balboa park so I'm sure the team will see us again. read more

Japanese hot pot? Ok. Driven by the place many many times and always assumed it was a ramen spot. We decided to give it a try after realizing it was hot pot. We walked in and just one other couple was dining. Happy hour from 5-6. Our waitress immediately explained how the menu worked and gave us cooking tips. I ordered the miso broth with pork and toro. We also had the chuck roll and brisket. The chuck roll and the pork were delicious. Would definitely skip the toro and brisket next time. The veggies they served were all great (mushrooms, emoji, bok choy, carrot, spinach, kabocha squash, with the exception of a bit too much cabbage). The experience can a little a bit of an endeavor if you've never done it solo, as you solely have to pay constant attention to the pot while trying to eat at the same time. It can be hard to hold a conversation when your food is boiling boiling hot! Definitely a laborous experience but a fun one! read more

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Aaron N was absolutely brilliant. Such a great experience and first time at this spot. Definitely becoming a new regular read more

Tabu Shabu - North Park - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

I came here for dinner one night with one of my really good friends. He lives in North Park and had heard this place was amazing. We got a seat around the bar. It's not just food. It's an experience. We got to cook our own food in a hot pot, which was absolutely delicious. I will be back. read more

Tabu Shabu - North Park - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

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The first time I went here was YEARS ago, and I loved it, then recently dined in again (twice) and remembered how much I enjoyed this place. Just to note: the happy hour is M-F from 5-6pm and it's such a great deal! I highly suggest going during this time. First and foremost, I love the seating arrangement/format of the restaurant. It is basically a big, U-shaped bar with all of the workers in the center. It gives it a more "family style" vibe -- as if we're sitting at the island of a kitchen. Because of this, the waiters are also very attentive. And before I continue, I want to shoutout Joe AND the man with the cool mustache. Months ago, my family dined in and Joe took care of all of us. He was so attentive, fun and interactive! And I apologize for not remembering the mustache man's name, but he was great the last time I went with my boyfriend. He was also very attentive and unique! Everyone who works here is just really kind and quick! Now... THE FOOD. If you are a hot pot fan, specifically shabu-shabu in this case, then this is the place to go. Each person gets their personal pot, so you're able to add in anything and everything to your broth. I love to get the regular miso broth and add in all the sides, sauces and garnishes to add even more flavor. The chili crunch oil that comes as a dipping sauce for the dumplings is delicious, so if you want a little kick and not too spicy, I'd suggest asking for some. With your broth, you get a plate of vegetables, a choice of noodles, a bowl of rice (brown or white) and meat. There is single, double and extra servings. I tend to do the double, and by the end of the meal, I am stuffed. The prime short rib and ribeye are my favorite cuts. Basically, eat at Tabu Shabu. read more

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Decided to try this hot pot place near my new place and it was beyond our expectations. The service was amazing. Aaron was amazing and was all around great. The food was great and I can say the price wasn't as bad as we guessed at the end. Once again thank you Aaron!!!!!! read more

Tabu Shabu - North Park - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

TAKE ME TO TABU (3.2 stars) - FOOD: ok - SERVICE: excellent - PRICE: decent - AMBIANCE: u shape bar The only hot pot in North Park. I love me some hotpot/shabu shabu but I've def been to much better places than Tabu. I had high hopes for the place only to feel mediocre about it. Pick your broth. (Sukiyaki) Pick your rice. (White) Pick your noodle. (Ramen) Pick your protein. (Wagyu) CUCUMBER SALAD- refreshing before a savory meal. A little over done with the dressing. RECOMMEND SUKIYAKI - yes it's a sweet broth but felt this was too sweet compared to other sukiyaki broths I've had and wish I went for the pork broth instead. WAGYU ZABUTO SHORT RIB ($34/regular) - of course I'm going to go for the quality protein. This was the most expensive protein in the menu. I really liked this cut of meat, wasn't too chewy if accidentally overcooked in the broth. Nice rich savory taste. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. I didn't like how we cannot control our own bowls destiny. If we want it hotter or colder we have to tell the bartender/server. One person running the service can be sometimes busy that you don't always get their attention right away. But they def try to do their best making their rounds. My overall meal was just ok, good but nothing amazing. I've had better and I've had worst. Not I. A rush to come back because I make a pretty mean shabu shabu at home. Until the next review... read more

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Came here on a whim because we were craving hot pot and didn't want to roll all the way out to Convoy. When you walk in, it's all bar seating (which personally i am not a fan of lol, gets super loud to me), but that's more about design theory than the food. The food is what we're here to discuss. I'm iffy on doing a personal shabu experience vs like a shared one with friends, but i get the reason behind the personalization. This all said...it was DELICIOUS! I appreciate how much you're able to customize what you want and how - i did the lamb and shrimp combo, which was great though not the most bang for buck i thought it'd be. the veggies they give though - GENEROUS. and i ate all of it up. i love that you can adjust your own broth to your liking too (so maybe i do like the individual expedrience??) also i got their dumplings that you boil in the broth you make too and they were fantastic. the service was a bit on the slow side, and it really wasn't so busy yet. i had to follow up several times for some things, BUT the team was so kind and i appreciated them for doing the best they could! i REALLY loved that after you're done with you hot pot, they can actually throw everything into a noodle soup for you. it's kind of like you got a whole other meal for one, that was neat (and filling). Overall i'd say 4.5 stars because really it was great experience and i would definitely be back now that I know what to expect. extra points for this trivia game they had on their screens you could participate in that was hella fun! read more

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Tabu Shabu is a restaurant specializing in pot per person Shabu-Shabu, a Japanese hot pot style that involves cooking thinly sliced meat, seafood, and vegetables in a flavorful broth at the table. AMBIANCE High-top, bar-like layout. Everyone gets their own pot SERVICE Friendly, helpful, and front loaded as all food gets delivered upfront. FOOD BROTHS MISO: briny kombu and savory white miso TONKOTSU: flavorful pork bone broth NOODLES 5/5 udon: thick wheat flour noodle, soaks up flavors 4.5/5 fresh ramen noodle 4/5 shirataki: yam starch noodle, love that there's a carb free option PROTEINS 5/5 LARGE Prime Premium Ribeye. Tender, beefy 4.5/5 REG Reserve Prime Short 4/5 LARGE Beef Belly: tender, quite fatty ?/5 PREMIUM Combo DBL PARKING Street side read more

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Great food, awesome service. Aaron was excellent and very helpful throughout our entire stay.

Loved the miso broth and all the veggies. Very much a big portion of meat. The service was fast, and they neatly put away take out boxes for anything that was left over. The ambiance is casual, nothing super fancy. It's north park-esque! read more

Tabu Shabu - North Park - Veggies - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

Great place for individual shabu shabu. Choose your broth, rice, noodle style and protein. Veggie plate and hot tea are included. For broth I suggest the miso - it has a nice mild flavor. On my last visit I tried the sukiyaki - which is good for cooking but too sweet for drinking like a soup. The ribeye is great, I've also tried the beef belly which is extra fatty but adds great flavor to the soup. Service is friendly and attentive. Seating is at a u-shape counter. Prices are reasonable and they even offer 20% off during weekday happy hour. read more

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We did a double date with friends. It is a a small restaurant and everyone is seated in a U-shape with the workers inside of the U serving. Server was helpful and asked if it was our first time and then explained the menu. It was nice that we each got our own pot to eat. Their menu explains what your options are and they have good choices for meat. It was everyone's first time trying Japanese hot pot. I would go again. Parking is street parking but we were lucky and found some nearby right away. read more

Tabu Shabu - North Park - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

We (party of 4) came by on a Monday around 5:30 PM--it was pretty empty initially, which was nice. I believe they've got Happy Hour until 6 PM on weekdays (20% off the bill). As mentioned by other reviewers, absolutely top-tier service and staff. Our server, overheard us celebrating a couple of milestones and went above and beyond--surprising us with a complimentary bottle of champagne, a Wagyu sampler, and mochi ice cream. We were completely blown away by the kindness and hospitality. It made the experience extra memorable! Parking is mostly side-streets and residential areas, not too bad for a week day, but I can see it filling up quickly on weekends. Overall, a wonderful experience. The setup is a wraparound bar where everyone gets their own hot pot. Great atmosphere, excellent service, and delicious food--would absolutely recommend! read more

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The food here was delicious and the experience is so fun and unique! If you haven't tried shabu before this is definitely a great spot to try! The staff is very friendly and they helped to explain all the different options and how it all works. I love that seating is all around the bar. But it can be tough if you have a larger party to be able to chat with everyone. Definitely worth checking out! read more

Tabu Shabu - North Park - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

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ORDER sukiyaki broth (3/5) -- w/ udon & beef belly my group of 5 waited over an hour at around 6:40pm. not worth the wait. no matter where i go for shabu, i always get the sukiyaki broth. however, the sukiyaki here is way too sweet for my liking. the regular beef belly comes with around 10 pieces, which is far less than most places. there is a good amount of vegetables, but i noticed 3/5 of my party didn't get squash & the other 2 did. not a big deal though. you basically just get full off the carbs. SERVICE my server was nice, but i wish he was more attentive. everything came out before we got utensils. overall, still really kind service. AMBIANCE lots of street parking available. inside is nice with bar style seating. read more

Tabu Shabu - North Park - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

The goma & customer service will keep me coming back here. Aaron was our server & was extremely helpful & attentive. The food was great - portions were perfect. I ordered the miso broth with chicken & udon noodles. Ate it all. Thanks Aaron! read more

I've been here a couple times with my friends, and it's pretty decent. We've always been seated right away and parking is not too bad but it is located in North Park so it's all street parking. It's right next to a residential neighborhood and I've always been able to snag a spot. The decor inside is really trendy and modern with neon signage lights and framed photos. It's all bar seating so if you're short, you're out of luck. Service is friendly. Although this place is good, it's not my go-to hot pot place for a few reasons. For the price point, I don't know if it's quite worth it. I've ordered the tonkatsu on both occasions and while good, at the end, the soup base was really salty. Also, just me being picky but I didn't like how we weren't able to add the fire drops inside our actual soup and only in our sauce. I will say though I love the choices they offer in noodles. I love shirataki noodles so imagine my surprise when I saw that they offered it as an option here (I've never seen any other place do that). If you're watching your macros, I definitely would recommend coming here but me personally, I don't think it's my go-to for now. read more

Tabu Shabu - North Park - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

Had the most beautiful experience tonight at Tabu Shabu. Mark had impressive knowledge of the menu and went above and beyond to help us craft our perfect hot pot. 10/10 would come back again! read more

Tabu Shabu - North Park - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

Great place to try when in north park! The concept is so neat for a personalized Shabu experience and you get your broth turned into noodle soup or porridge in the end. We did the pick 2 meats with tonkatsu and miso broth. We don't regret our choice at all. Wagyu Chuck Eye + Kurobata Pork Wagyu Chuck Eye + Beef Belly ALL SO GOOD!! Don't forget to grab the truffle oil for dipping. Bryce took care of us; very chill vibes. Nice to see everyone working together to complete their tasks. Dining is very cozy bar style... we also left with Tabu Shabu Padres merch. GO PADRES! read more

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Loooooove this place. Introduced several of my friends to this place and they are converts!! The place is not that big, with U-shaped bar seating and the servers in the middle which makes for quick and attentive service. When checking in be aware your whole party must be there to be seated and it is likely that you will end up next to another party as there are no separate tables. They have premium meats and know that it is NOT AYCE like some other shabu shabu places, so beware it will be a bit pricy depending on what you choose. You pick a broth, a rice, a noodle, a protein and you get a plate of veggies and sauces. You get an individual pot to mix your food to your liking. It is SO GOOD. I have never had a bad experience here. My go-to order is a mix of the tonktosu and spicy miso broth along with double wagyu shortrib and extra udon noodles. It's rich and filling and the veggies are fresh. I like to sub out certain veggies to get extra of others I like better (like mushrooms). I would eat here every single day if I could. If you don't finish your rice and broth they'll put it in a to-go container for you so you can have your "porridge" later. Drink menu is good too, they have rotating selection of drinks available, as well as sake, wine, and beer on tap. read more

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This was a five star experience. I don't remember the guys name who helped us but I believe he is the manager. He was awesome. This was my first time having Japanese hot pot and it did not disappoint. If you ask for it to be extra spicy then he may bring you some capsaicin drops like he did for us. Noodles were good, broth was good, meat was solid. I don't have much to compare it to, but the food was very delicious. It's a very fun atmosphere, not really what I expected if I'm being honest. It's a restaurant, but the seating is more like a bar experience and so we ended up talking with most of the people near us just out of proximity, which was fun. This isn't someplace I'll go every day, but I will definitely be coming back. read more

Was visiting SD with my boyfriend recently, we were craving some shabu and came across Tabu Shabu on Yelp! First thing's first, parking here is so weird and kinda limited. There's literally no parking lot or anything, just street parking in a very deserted area with no other businesses around LOL. Not gonna lie, I was concerned for a bit, but everything turned out to be fine. Walking in, I really liked the vibe and ambience of the restaurant. It was decked out in Christmas lights + decor and neon signs! The entire restaurant is basically bar seating and a forewarning when you walk in, it's so steamy and foggy inside that it can be hard to see at first LOL. It was a Monday night so it was pretty empty. We got seated and decided on the miso broth, prime beef belly, white rice, and udon to share! The quality of the meat was excellent and the miso broth was so flavorful! Everything from their dipping sauces to the veggies tasted fresh and paired well with our meal! The service was very attentive and they helped us whenever possible. In all, this is a solid shabu spot in SD, but the location was a bit sketchy to me and kinda threw off my experience. Would recommend though if you're craving shabu and are ever in the area! read more

Tabu Shabu - North Park - Miso broth & beef belly - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

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We came in excited for hot pot and left feeling weirdly embarrassed and uncomfortable the entire time. From the start, the staff was strangely hostile. A server interrupted my friend mid-sentence to correct her, then completely took over the conversation like we were being lectured instead of welcomed. She randomly went on a rant about how she hates men and bragged about purposely making customers feel stupid for telling dad jokes so they'll never do it again, all while aggressively slamming dishes around the table. Later, she publicly shut down one of our friends for making a harmless joke and turned it into another awkward five minute anti dad joke speech. It wasn't playful, it was just mean and uncomfortable. The other server acted like we were asking for gold bars instead of basic items. When my friend asked for more broth, at a hot pot restaurant, he literally told her no. It's soup. That's the whole concept. To top it off, they seemed annoyed about splitting the check and added gratuity without clearly mentioning it. The food might be fine, but the energy was tense and unwelcoming the entire night. Super weird, unnecessarily rude experience. Wouldn't go back. read more

The food was so good. And the staff was very friendly! Definitely will come back again!

Ordering is very similar to Mokkoji: you choose a broth, carb, rice, and protein. Definitely pretty filling but healthy. Love the GF and vegetarian options available. Seating is bar style which allowed staff to be very attentive to your needs and concerns. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming - definitely the highlight of dinner. Street parking available. read more

Tabu Shabu - North Park - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

SO MUCH FOOD. I love hot pot. This might be a biased review bc I haven't had hot pot in a while and this hit the spot. My friend brought me here and immediately, I was excited. I got my own spicy pot of broth and ordered lamb. They brought out beef, but when I shared the mistake, they left the beef and brought out lamb without hesitation and apologized. Def didn't need both meats, but will gladly eat to my oblivion. Highly recommend. read more

Loved the service and the staff here! The Aarons were great. Food was fresh, recommend the tonkatsu broth.

Food fresh and amazing!! Concept of hot pot with add your own flavors was too notch. I got the udon with short rib and it melted in my mouth! Service and attention to detail is top notch! Kevin S shows passion with his job and strives to make it enjoyable experience. He took the time to explain everything and then gave us space and time to make our decisions! The quest part of the experience was waiting on the broth to boil! The only reason I gave this place 4.5 stars is the seating arrangement is kind of odd so you can't hear yourself or neighbor once the seating is full. If your easily over stimulated it might be a little rough on you. Everything else was great!!! I will return! read more

Do not come here if you are Asian and crave authentic hotpot or shabu. This place is catered towards the north park demographic and have the blandest broth I've ever had at a shabu place. Just drive a few more minutes to Convoy if you want anything that resembles flavor or seasoning read more

Waiting We got there with 2 parties ahead of us. The waiter took our name. We waited for a while and there were spots becoming available but no one called us. Eventually I had to go to one of the waiters and ask when we can get seated. He said we would need to wait as they could not handle more people. However, after like a minute we were seated to the exact spots that were available. I'm just not exactly sure how the logistics work there. Food If you know hotpot / shabu shabu, this is not the place for you. It's a very basic entry level and the price they charge is way over. Their beef is decent, but their lamb tasted like rubber (would not recommend). We ordered the large plate for meat and it came out just bare minimal for one person. There was no secret flavor or sauce that would make you raise your eyebrow. Overall, I would not visit this place again. read more

I ordered the pork with pork broth and it was amazing. They have infused melon water with vanilla bean which was great.The service was fast, friendly and top notch. I highly recommended this place and I will definitely be coming back. read more

I went to Tabu Shabu yesterday, and I had an OK experience. At Tabu Shabu, everyone gets their own individual broth, which is nice if you and your party want different soup bases. When you order, you select your broth, rice, noodle, and protein. I selected miso, white rice, udon noodles, and reserve short rib. I thoroughly enjoyed my selection. The miso had a nice, light flavor to it and did not taste greasy/oily. It simply just tasted like miso soup, which I liked. I also enjoyed the cut of my meat as well as the sauce selection they had. I was, however, a bit disappointed in the portion sizes. The price of this place is a bit hefty for a non-AYCE shabu restaurant. I understand the sentiment (and definitely enjoyed the food), but it feels as if you're mostly paying for overpriced vegetables. I wish their price point was lower or that they gave you a bit more meat/sides. The service, however, was excellent! The worker was very sociable and kind. Despite this, however, I am not too sure that I would return. For this price, I think that you could get good quality AYCE shabu elsewhere. read more

Tabu Shabu - North Park - miso, white rice, udon noodles, reserve short rib - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

Food is delicious, service is good, trash youblike family, ambiance nice and family friendly

This is the after math of a yummy shabu meal. Some of the highlights were the ponzu sauce and the minced garlic. The veggies were fresh and a great meal overall. read more

Tabu Shabu - North Park - Japanese Near Me - San Diego, California

Food: 5/5 Service: 4/5 Ambiance: 5/5 I was pleasantly surprised after being a bit hesitant when I observed that I was the only Asian customer when I walked in and none of the employees were Asian from what I could see. A hot pot place without Asians? I wonder how this will turn out... and it turned out amazing! The menu is a bit on the pricier side but the quality was amazing. I appreciated that they basically provided everything you would need for hotpot and if the broth or sauce was not up to your individual taste you can customize it and change things up. The miso was a bit bland for me but after adding some fish sauce/sesame oil and a bit of gochujang it was perfect. They helped pack the leftovers. I ordered the LG (1/3 lb) wagyu and it was the perfect amount for dinner. I would probably try a combo of meats next time. I used the rice in the broth to make a porridge for my next meal. read more

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The food here is delicious. Great flavor, good portion and variety of vegetables. The service was great, prompt. Very cute, commune table seating. read more

We went in looking forward to a relaxed hot pot dinner and ended up feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed by the service. Almost immediately, a server cut off my friend while she was speaking to correct her, then completely took control of the conversation in a very condescending way. Instead of focusing on service, she launched into personal commentary about hating men and proudly talked about intentionally shutting people down for telling dad jokes so they will never tell them again, loudly slamming dishes as she went. The whole interaction felt aggressive and unnecessary. What really crossed the line was when one of our friends, who is usually very quiet, finally spoke up and made a harmless joke. Rather than letting it pass, she singled him out and went on for several minutes about how bad dad jokes are, clearly trying to make him feel embarrassed. Watching someone shut down like that at the table was incredibly uncomfortable. No one should be treated that way in a restaurant. The second server was no better. Basic requests were met with resistance, and when we asked for more broth, which is literally the point of hot pot, we were flat out told no. To finish off the experience, they acted annoyed when we asked to split the check and added gratuity without clearly communicating it. No one asked how we wanted the checks in the first place. The food itself was delicious, but the tense, unwelcoming atmosphere ruined the night. The third person working (with purple hair) doesn't respond when you speak to them. Dining out should feel enjoyable, not awkward and demeaning. I wouldn't return. read more

Some of the best broth I've ever had (and you can season / tweak it to perfection with their add-ins that come with each pot). The meat is delicious too but the portions don't feel filling for what we paid at the end of the meal. I appreciate that they let you take home leftovers (they should really sell their full broth to go!). Service is strong - everyone was super informative and friendly. Very impressed with their ability to keep turning seats and accommodate dates or groups. When they first opened I remember having a great impression of a trendy spot with great moody ambiance - perfect date night vibes. We just visited for the first time in a while and I'm not sure if I misremembered or something changed because it felt a ton more casual and meh ambiance-wise. Really brightly lit and for lack of a better term, it looked sort of "worn." We'll be back for the food for sure and definitely recommend it to others with the caveats noted above! read more