Tag Archives: shabu

Shabu Zen @ Allston/Brighton Chinatown Boston, MA

shabu/hot pot is probably my fave thing to eat in boston. if you ask me what would like to eat, 95% of the time i would say shabu. it’s just so comforting, warm, not so heavy, and simple flavors that are amazing delicious. shabu/hot pot is like fondue where you sit at a table and cook your food in a hot pot as you eat. ive had fondue at the melting pot. although i do like the cheese fondue, the meat fondue is horrible compare to shabu shabu.

i tend to not write reviews for places that i go often, but since i just bought a new camera i wanted to take some test shots with it.

shabu-zen has two locations. i have been going to the chinatown location for years til they opened the one in allston/brighton. now, i go to the allston/brighton location more often because they have a small parking lot in the back of their restaurant and the it is a lot more spacious than the chinatown location.

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they have a full bar. ive tried the sake mojitos once. eww.

the bar seats. they do have plenty of tables.
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ok. the deliciousness starts here -> the sauce. i believe it’s soy sauce, but they probably diluted with water. i love love dipping things with this sauce. this is why i choose shabu over the regular hot pot because of the sauce!
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the broth. they have a few variaties. i usually get the chinese spicy – sichuan style. it’s not really spicy and numbing like the real sichuan broth, but good enough.
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Finest USDA Prime Rib Eye of Beef
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Seafood Platter
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i usually get the surf and turf which includes seafood platter with your choice of beef, chicken, pork, or lamb.

all courses come with assorted vegetable plate and a choice of udon noodle, vermicelli, or steamed jasmine rice. i always always get vermicelli.

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you can also order more veggies or other stuff on the side.
we ordered taro and fish paste. i always always get fish paste. yummm.
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at the end of the meal they always bring you this free red bean soup dessert. it’s the perfect way to end the meal. i come here at least 4-5 times per month. service is very friendly, but sometimes they get very busy and could be a hustle to get their attention. overall, i love this place.
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80 Brighton Ave
(between Reedsdale St & Linden St)
Allston, MA 02134
(617) 782-8888

http://www.shabuzen.com

16 Tyler St
(between Beach St & Kneeland St)
Boston, MA 02111
Neighborhood: Chinatown
(617) 292-8828

Shabu-Zen on Urbanspoon

Shabu-Zen on Urbanspoon

Sichuan Chengdu Hot Pot / Shabu @ Mala Tang Arlington, VA

we have been to uncle liu’s hot pot restaurant a few times and i love the spicy hot pot broth @ uncle liu’s. probably the most authentic ma la spicy broth ive had on the east coast. the only turn off is the meat @ uncle liu’s. not tender and high quality meat. one day we saw mala tang on livingsocial. mala tang and uncle liu’s have the same owner except mala tang is the fancier version of uncle liu’s, so we wanted to give mala tang a try and hoped that they have better meat @ mala tang.

we went to mala tang for lunch last saturday. the place is pretty good. very well decorated for a chinese restaurant. we were the ONLY people there except another couple.

i ordered chengdu cold noodles. this was ok. flavors were off. not as spicy and delish as what ive had in chengdu.

chengdu dumplings. this was so off. nothing like the real zhong shuijiao, but it didnt taste bad.

they have the small personal pot for hot pot. it sort looks like shabu shabu. the broth was bland. uncle liu’s broth was way spicier, numb, and flavorful!

i love the sesame sauce, but not a lot of places have it in america. this tasted a bit sour :T

scam no. 1: i ordered the surf and turf meal which comes with meat and seafood of your choice and a combo of veggies. i chose veggie combo #1 because it has lotus roots on the menu, but when they brought the veggies i did NOT see any lotus roots. i asked our waitress why she said they did not have it. ok this is not acceptable. why didn’t she inform me that they did not have it when i placed the order?!

scam no. 2: you can choose either noodles, rice, or vermicelli. she did not ask me what i wanted; she just brought rice to me. who eats rice with hot pot?! i asked her if i could have vermicelli; she said no because that would be extra $4. wtf it says right in the menu that i get to choose.

scam no. 3: the meat – bad quality meat with veggies stuffed in the bottom to make the plate looks fuller.

ive always always been skeptical about restaurants on livingsocial or groupon. if the restaurants are good, they do not need to advertise on such sites. this proved me im right again.

this place gets 1/5 bunny belly

NEVER AGAIN!

3434 Washington Blvd
Arlington, VA 22201

(703) 243-2381

Mala Tang 麻辣烫 on Urbanspoon