japanese food is not all sushi and teriyaki

my family wanted to take me out to dinner on my birthday, so i chose shabu-shabu.



shabu-shabu is usually a communal dining experience.
think of it like fondue or korean bbq; you gotta cook at the table. anyway, shabu-shabu involves a hot pot in front of you with seasoned boiling water, plates of various raw meats, noodles, vegetables and dipping sauces. it's good comfort food in the winter.


i had to cook for myself on my birthday :(



cook stuff in the pot then dip into ponzu or miso dipping sauce, bite, bite, chew, chew


this place, california shabu-shabu, has individual hot pots for each person. like i said earlier, normally, it's a communal/family thing with everybody sharing one pot.


that's my nerdy looking brother and his wife


anyway, you sit at a counter lined up with these pots of boiling water and just go at it.



this place has a friendly atmosphere, it's almost neighborhood bar-like and you can always chat away with the owner like you're best friends. RUMOR has it, there's a yankees scout that likes to eat here when he's in town. he asks the owner (huge baseball fan) about japanese baseball websites and tries to get a feel for up and comers etc. owner says he was talking about Matsui to this guy years ago. dunno, how true that is.


anyway, consider this a public service announcement from your friendly neighborhood japanese girl...move beyond the teriyaki and sushi...you might like it.