So the food here is great. My husband and I really enjoy coming here but we haven't come without our 8 month old son. Every time we get sat they always end up throwing another party RIGHT next to us when we've asked to sit in a corner so we have space for the stroller. There's open seating in other areas in the bar yet they always sit them right next to us. Super annoying. Also there's NO changing tables in the restroom for babies. Last time we came my son had a blow out and I had to change him mid air and got poop on my sweater. I think they could stand to be more accommodating to families with children. read more

Friendly service! Everyone was very nice :) Food I'm not so sure about. Meat - it was pretty good quality! Got the wagyu chuck roll and toro. They also give you lots of veggies. Broth - sukiyaki was a bit too sweet and the spicy miso did not have flavoring... it was just a spicy broth (water) so I DO NOT recommend spicy miso. The table setup was a bummer. There's so much space between you and the pot so it was uncomfortable trying to reach. read more

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We recently dined at Tabu Shabu in Orange and had such a great experience that I felt it deserved a special mention. Their own description -- "Traditional Japanese hot pot with savory flavors, premium thin meats, homemade sauces, and a modern vibe" -- truly captures what they do, but being there takes it to another level. From the moment we walked in, the staff was warm, welcoming, and incredibly accommodating, especially with our kids. They took the time to explain the menu, the sauces, and the whole hot pot process in a fun and engaging way, turning dinner into an experience rather than just a meal. We've done hot pot before, but the quality here is on another level -- the meats are beautifully marbled and tender, the vegetables are fresh and vibrant, and the broths are rich, comforting, and full of depth. The restaurant itself has a lively, modern atmosphere that radiates positive energy -- it feels refined yet relaxed, with a vibe that makes you want to stay and enjoy the moment. It's the kind of place where conversation flows easily and everyone around you seems to be enjoying themselves too. Without sounding boastful, our family has had the opportunity to dine at Michelin-recognized restaurants, and we were genuinely impressed by the quality, service, and execution at Tabu Shabu. Everything felt thoughtful and intentional -- from the ingredients to the hospitality. We left feeling satisfied, happy, and already talking about when we'll be back. This is a spot we'd gladly return to with family and friends, and one we'd highly recommend to anyone looking for a fresh, delicious, and memorable dining experience. read more

We've been coming to this place for years and it's absolutely amazing. The girls are so helpful and always remember us, which makes every visit feel special. The food is great, and the service is even better. Highly recommend! read more

Overall a very solid experience. Our server was very tentative and the food was pretty good. Not particularly amazing, but I had nothing to complain about. It felt affordable, quick, and tasty. read more

Food and service was accelerant.The place was beautiful and comfortable with warm vibes.Recommend for sure!!

One of my favorite places when I visit old town! The service here is top notch with fantastic food to boot. The sukiyaki broth is my personal favorite. The barely cooked beef dipped into the egg is to die for. Some good beer selection as well to compliment your dinner. Love this place and always have to stop her! read more

Tabu Shabu - Orange - Hot Pot Near Me - Orange, California

Tabu Shabu in Orange Circle - menu and prices as of 12/15/2025. Nice ambience, friendly staff. read more

Tabu Shabu - Orange - Menu - Hot Pot Near Me - Orange, California

I have to say Tabu Shabu is the best shabu restaurant in Orange County! Very clean and friendly environment. Great service with amazing food! Will definitely come back again even tho it was a pretty far drive where I live. Worth the drive ! read more

Just amazing! Food is always a hit, and the service is up to speed. Hubby and I love coming there for date night.

Found really good reviews of this place so decided to check it out. It's located at the circle and was really excited to see a shabu place here! This review is more about the dining experience IMO. First, the quality of the meats and veggies are VERY fresh. The meat was topped with garlic and scallions which in the past I usually just dip my meat in that sauce but the server put garnishments on. There's noodle and rice options depending on your dietary restrictions/preference. However, I was surprised to see that the entire restaurant is bar seating all around with the servers basically in the middle taking care of drinks, orders, etc. I came with a friend so we weren't sharing a whole lot of food but if you're looking for a traditional type of shabu experience with a larger group of 4+, I wouldn't recommend coming here. I'm also really short so I felt like I was constantly reaching far over to dip my meat in the broth or grab my veggies out. read more

Tabu Shabu - Orange - Hot Pot Near Me - Orange, California

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2 stars because server was nice. Portions are horrible, way over priced, poor flavor. Terribly small portions. No tables, whole place is a bar read more

Great service and staff. Makes me really want to go back! A couple of the highlights that stand out. -Great sauce -Low Carb noodles option -Staff was very attentive They offered to marinate my meat. Gave it a try. Glad I did. They helped turn my vertical plate on the bar after I ate half the meat so the meat was closer to me. Attention to detail is appreciated. Plates were removed in very timely manner. Offered my friend a larger bowl because of how she was eating her food together. Very good attitude all around. It's just getting more and more rare nowadays so I'll definitely compliment a coordinated effort. Don't recall having to call for their attention. I've been to other Tabu locations before, this place definitely stands out. No reason to not go to this place. A lot of reasons to go. read more

We always have a great time at Tabu Shabu. The food is good, service is great, and we love the atmosphere.

#1 Shabu place in OC. Great food with great vibes all around. The service is always on point and makes you want to return there for another date night. read more

This place is the best for shabu!!!!! Audrey and Cici helped us out. We didn't have a reservation but we got sat right away and they explained the menu to us so well. It's not our first time but they made our experience so fun!!! The tonkatsu broth is the best, and the garlic edamame is also so good. Service and friendliness is 10/10. Give these girls a raise!!!!!! read more

My husband and I ventured to Tabu Shabu for lunch. It was our first time experiencing shabu shabu. The server was very helpful on the how-tos and our food was tasty. read more

I absolutely LOVE this place! Always good vibes and the service is great! Our go to spot !

Very reliable shabu shabu restaurant in the center of Old Town Orange. Service is great, meat quality is very good, and you can customize sides. Prices are reasonable for the quality of the food and the location. If you like spicy food, the optional capsaicin shots in the sauces are amazing (I like two shots in the soy sauce-based dipping sauce, which gives it an awesome burn. Be careful about putting it in the thicker sauce, as it won't disperse on its own and you can get a mouthful of pure capsaicin!) Appetizers are merely OK: the garlic edamame and the gyoza are just so-so. read more

Love them! The staff if awesome food is great. Come here often and love talking with them

Came for happy hour (between 5-6 pm M-F) right at opening on a Friday night and was seated immediately. Great deal to get 20% off! Total for 2 people was $48 before tip, with both folks getting a large beef toro belly and the $2 upgrade for tonkotsu broth. Really fast, attentive service. Not my favorite broth (I got half spicy miso/half tonkotsu) of the many hot pot spots I've tried but really liked that they: -marinated the meat (if you want!) -veggies were super generous -that you could split/mix the broths -that they offer to transfer the pot contents into a bowl toward the end so you don't have to reach across the bar Will go again if I'm in downtown Orange during that happy hour slot! read more

Tabu Shabu - Orange - Hot Pot Near Me - Orange, California

Love Tabu! Of all the shabu joints around Orange County, I personally like Tabu. Can't say enough good things about the food and service every time. Consistently good at all their locations. For broth I like to combine the spicy miso and pork bone. Veggies & protein are always fresh. I like getting the grass fed rib eye. The soup at the end is always a nice touch, almost feels like another meal! read more

Tabu Shabu - Orange - Hot Pot Near Me - Orange, California

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One of my go-to shabu spots! I love getting half tonkotsu broth and half spicy miso. I usually get the Wagyu chuck eye, and the quality is always super good! They will also marinate your meat for you with no extra cost Their goma sauce is one of my favorites, and has a perfect consistency. Also, I always order a side of their crunchy garlic. It's a game changer and pairs with your meat extremely well! The service is always extremely fast and all of the servers are super attentive. The wait time is never too long and it's a perfect meal any time of the day! read more

Tabu Shabu - Orange - Wagyu chuck eye on left & beef belly on right - Hot Pot Near Me - Orange, California

New favorite hot pot spot! They had quick and super friendly service - the restaurant was essentially all bar seating and someone came to ask us for drink order fairly quickly. We ordered a hot house sake to split and got our food order in. I ordered the sukiyaki broth which was super flavorful!! Highly recommend. My partner got the spicy miso soup which had a good amount of spice while also still being comfortable to eat. The meat was delicious and they marinated it for us which was a great touch. They also had a carb free noodle option which was actually really good! They also had a poppin play list which added to the fun and relaxing atmosphere. Will definitely be coming back!!! read more

Tabu Shabu - Orange - Sukiyaki - Hot Pot Near Me - Orange, California

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We come here almost once a week, and that may not be enough. Best shabu in OC by far, staff, environment, everything. read more

We joined the Yelp waitlist of Tabu Shabu on a Saturday night around 8. When we showed up at our designated arrival time, we had to wait an additional 20 minutes for four seats to open. All seats are around one open area where servers bring you your dishes, so it does seem to take a while to clear out. Not a hindrance for us, but just something to note. This was my first shabu shabu experience. For a beginner like me, the staff offered me tongs to help get my veggies out of my cooking broth. I really enjoyed the experience of cooking the food myself. You're able to curate it exactly to your liking. Food was great! I got the pork in spicy miso broth. They were also running a special of buy one get one rosé, so our whole group indulged. :) This is a fun place in a great location! read more

Honestly, I would rate this as 5 stars if only we had good service. There was only 1 girl manning the entire dining area a few hours before they closed for lunch. My boyfriend and I waited a little before we were sat, no big deal. However, we were sat all the way at the end of the dining area, meanwhile everyone was particularly in the front where the girl was mostly catering towards. Nothing against our server, but I think they should have at least scheduled someone else to work alongside with her because she was running around the entire time. The food was great, we loved the broths (tonkotsu and sukiyaki) and shared meat. I was just a little disappointed that the time spent at the restaurant was way over than what it should have been because we were put at the far end and neglected a little. read more

Catfished by yelp once again! (and i eat shabu a LOT) Lackluster shabu broth and poorly designed dining services. The table to chair distance is quite long so if you're petite, the tables gonna be almost to your shoulders. Im 5'4 and i felt like i was peering over the tabletop. Then, the distance between the edge of the table and the pot... a literal arms length away. And i dont have short arms... lol.. why was the pot so far away??!! broth selection is so limited, spicy miso was super bland and lacked depth. its salty and not much else. they couldnt add their "hot drops" to the soup (only ib the dipping sauce) because they said the hot drops in soup would cause steam that burned people's eyes??? um... DANGER LOL so i was eating foods cooked in bland salty soup dipped in spicy sauces. really strange Service was meh. Servers were not friendly.. only our server would help us and even then it was quite difficult to get her attention. also my udon noodles were so ridiculously broken up.. and it looks like the veggie plates were made by a child grabbing fistfuls of random vegetables and throwing it on a plate. 0/10 for presentation read more

Tabu Shabu - Orange - shredded udon bits??? - Hot Pot Near Me - Orange, California

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Decided to eat here on a Sunday night after finding this on Yelp! Honestly came here because all the other restaurants my group was considering had super long waits. The waitlist for Tabu Shabu was only 30 minutes at the time, which was enough for us to drive over and find parking. We were seated after maybe 45 minutes total. My food rating: Spicy miso broth, 7/10 - I don't have too high of a standard for miso quality, but this is the broth I go for at any Shabu place. I thought the spicy miso here was good, not outstanding, but good. Wagyu Chuck Roll, 7/10 - also good. (Im not so great at tasting meat quality tho lmao). I just think they could do better with fresh garlic for the marinade they add on top. Kale Ramen Noodles 8/10 - mm what a yummy option. It tasted best leaving it to cook in the soup for a while. Overall I thought the food was okay. I didn't like the taste of their goma or ponzu much, but I think its just a personal preference thing. I have other Shabu places in mind that I prefer, but I would come here again if I was in the area and craving hot pot. *I added a photo that my friend took of her meal since I forgot to take one of mine. She ordered the sukiyaki broth which I thought was also good but not my go to because I prefer spicy and savory instead of sweet. The restaurant interior was quite nice. With the bar seating they offer, I feel the place is much better suited for pairs or trios at most to be able to talk to each other. I'm giving the restaurant a 4 out of 5 stars for the nice interior and service but a neutral opinion on the food. read more

Tabu Shabu - Orange - Sukiyaki broth - Hot Pot Near Me - Orange, California

Love cici! She was so hospitable and on time. Definitely will come back especially on those cold nights

Amazing quality. Their sukiyaki broth might be the best sukiyaki I've ever had at a shabu place. The real value though is the service. Absolutely incredible service from the whole staff. Thao is so nice and always checks on all the customers. As she walks by she'll quickly monitor mine and my girlfriend's broths, adjusting the temperature as if on auto-pilot. If she isn't a manager already, she definitely deserves to be. read more

Great food and service and this little spot is so cute and place good music. Decided to stop by here after work with a friend, and so glad I did. It just so happen to be happy house since we stopped by before 6pm and the entrees were 20% off, so worth it!! We got the grass fed ribeye and also the beef belly for meats. For the soup, the server recommended me mixed the spicy miso with the pork tonkotsu and wow the broth was amazing. I admit the soup was very salty at the end, but that is to be expected with any shabu hot pot in my opinion, but you can also add more broth to reduce the saltiness. Everything about the food ambiance and service is great, but if I had to nitpick, parking can be a bit of a hassle, but if you don't mind walking a block or two, there's a lot of parking lots around the corner of the circle. All in in I will definitely be back for some yummy shabu shabu hot pot! read more

Tabu Shabu - Orange - Toro beef belly with everything - Hot Pot Near Me - Orange, California

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I tried Tabu Shabu a few weekends ago, and yes, even in 90 degree weather, it was soooo good! I ordered the beef toro belly with the spicy miso soup and was not disappointed! Each order comes with your choice of veggies (I got them all) and grains (I got brown rice). My husband got the prime ribeye with the sukiyaki soup and that was also very good. We ended up getting the tabu famous porridge at the end of our meal and really enjoyed that as well. On Sat and Sun, they serve bottomless sake for $10! read more

Tabu Shabu - Orange - Hot Pot Near Me - Orange, California

Solid shabu joint. I've had the one in Costa Mesa years ago and my sister recently had it and wanted to try their tonkotsu broth with spicy miso paste. We ended up going for a late lunch and it was pretty empty so plenty of seating and got seated right away. I got the angus ribeye and my sister got the toro beef belly which are both great options. They also asked to dress up the meat which was delicious. I enjoyed the tonkotsu broth with addition of the spicy miso paste which was $2 extra. We also got the garlic edamame which we could have done without. Service and food was good overall, wouldn't mind coming back here. read more

Tabu Shabu - Orange - Garlic Edamame - Hot Pot Near Me - Orange, California

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I had a wonderful first time experience at this restaurant. Using a gift certificate that I had received about two Christmases ago. We finally made our way into this restaurant. We found that the restaurant was set up in a very easy and self-explanatory fashion, and the servers were very kind pleasant and helpful when it came time to order. I definitely felt a good value for the money and was ready to come back just as soon as we left. read more

Very good I like the tonkatsu broth The spicy miso was really spicy The offerings are great You choose the meat offerings, the type of noodles you want, and the side sauces. I always ask for the crunchy garlic. The seating is a bit to be desired, but I guess for the space it's the best they could think of. Service is a bit slow but nice. I love that you can take the broth and leftovers home and have an even better meal at home. The leftover broth is the best part. Two meals for the price of one. read more

If you're looking for a quick bite by yourself or with a few friends, this place is excellent! For those unfamiliar, shabu shabu is basically a hot pot with veggies and thin slices of meat. You pick a broth, a rice, veggies, noodles, and a protein. I ended up picking the chicken. They dress the meat with garnish and sauces, and you dip it yourself. I really enjoyed the flavor! Seems some people here are pickier than me, but with hot pot it's all about the broth + the sauce + the atmosphere, and this place did great on all three. Speaking of atmosphere, the inside is cozy, as it's pretty much a semicircle around the staff (no individual tables), but it wasn't too noisy. I could easily have a conversation without straining - though it might be harder if your party is bigger than 4. The food came pretty quick, and was reasonably priced too. Our server Mia was the highlight of our night! She was really attentive and charismatic, even though I might have accidentally insulted her necklace :( Hope she sees this and knows how great she was!! read more

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Food and Service are great . Sauces are very good and portions are pretty generous , with variance options of meats , veggies and noodles . I usually either order the 1/2 a pound prime , they do have a wagu option also . read more

Dude. Courtney and Tram were the best! Great food, great service, go here! They will not disappoint!

Love their yummy food. We come here almost every week and the quality of food and service is excellent