One of our favorite types of restaurants in Japan is Shabu Shabu. It is a Japanese version of the more widely known concept of “hot pot”, with the biggest difference in Japan being the quality of the meat. Shabu-shabu in Japanese means “swish swish” – which is what you basically have to do to cook your food – swish thin slices of meat inside the pot filled with broth, followed by dipping it into a sauce.
Our favorite chain of shabu shabu restaurants is Nabezo (this links to the Shinjuku location but they have a few around the city). It is located on a high floor in an office/shopping building in a busy area – so if you get a seat by the window you get a chance to observe the streets of Tokyo while eating.
It costs ¥2500-4500 ($25-45) per person for all-you-can-eat supply of meats and condiments – which is pretty cheap considering the quality. And of course, the best feature is ¥1500 ($15) all you can drink in addition to the tasty food you’re eating 🙂
