As the weather gets chillier, shabu-shabu becomes an ideal dinner. Think delicately thin slices of meat cooked to your liking in a bubbling broth, then dipped in your favorite sauce and delivered direct to your tummy. What could possibly be better than a satisfying meal of all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu, you might wonder? Well, we hit jackpot when we found this restaurant in Yokohama which serves all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu and sushi, all for a low, low price of 1,799 yen (US$16).
In the spirit of gourmet discovery, we wasted no time in bringing along our Japanese-food-loving American friend Ike for some face-stuffing.
A La Carte Buffet Paradise
The restaurant in question is the Rokugakubashi branch of a hotpot chain restaurant called “Shabuyo“. Here, the shabu-shabu meat and sushi are all-you-can-eat, but you are required to order from a selected menu. Meanwhile, vegetables, rice and noodles are laid out for happy customers to take as much as they want to. This is so that the meat would be fresh and the sushi would not dry up.
There are more than 10 varieties of vegetables available should you want to take a break from stuffing your face with niku. On top of that, there is also dessert available. If you get thirsty, you can also fork out another 200 yen ($1.80) for unlimited access to the (soft!) drink bar. However, remember that the golden rule of buffet is to take it easy on the drinks so you can eat more! We take face-stuffing very seriously here at RocketNews24.
The Meat is Amazing
The restaurant prides itself on using soft and juicy cuts of beef and pork. They have even specified that they only use Wakahime beef and Sangen pork for their shabu-shabu. The quality of the meat is so high you wouldn’t believe the buffet costs only $16. On the other hand, while their sushi is hardly exquisite, there is a decent variety and the quality is comparable to a regular conveyor belt sushi restaurant, so you can’t really go wrong. Plus, let’s not forget, it’s all-you-can-eat!
Is This Heaven?
We asked Ike how he liked the restaurant and he was nothing but praise, “Is this heaven? Americans will definitely love this place! This is only about $18! Your American friends will love it if you bring them here!”
For a reasonable price, Shabuyo gives tourists the chance to indulge in as much of two staple Japanese cuisines as they like. If you have friends with big appetites (American or not!) this is definitely the place to take them! The menu and price at different branches of Shabuyo vary, so be sure to check their website before you head out to one!
Restaurant Information
Name: Shabuyo Rokugakubashi Branch
Address: 2-5 Rokugakubashi 1-Chome Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Hours: Lunch 11:00~17:00 Dinner 17:00~24:00
Open daily
[ Read in Japanese ]