Meat Lover’s Delight: The Five Best Shabu-Shabu Restaurants to Keep You Warm
There’s hardly anything better than warming up one’s body with a delicious stew during the cold, cold winter. This time around, we’ve paid special attention to the desires and craving of meat lovers and scouted Japan for the best shabu-shabu style stews! Shabu-shabu is the Japanese version of meat fondue and its name of the dish derives from the sound that the chopsticks make when dragging a thinly cut slice of juicy meat through the hot broth: shabu, shabu. Whether you’re looking for fondue with high-quality meat, a filling all-you-can-eat offer, or dine in an establishment that serves the famous but rare Osaki beef, we’ve got you covered!
1.Twice as Delicious: Yakiniku and Shabu-Shabu in One
Everybody knows those excruciating times when craving meat but not being able to decide whether to go for yakiniku, Korean-style barbecue, or shabu-shabu meat fondue. One shop in Shinjuku offers a solution to this dilemma: MASU MASU makes the dreams of meat lovers come true by combining both! Calling their style of meat preparation in a round pot yakishabu, the thin meat slices are first grilled lightly on a plate on top of the pot and then cooked in the true shabu-shabu way, making for an amazing flavor and a unique meat experience. Even the vegetables are a delight, coming directly from contracted local farmers and thus tasting fresh and healthy. Of course, classic yakiniku and shabu-shabu are available separately as well, and we recommend ordering shime-men instead of a dessert – the noodles are used to savor the rest of the broth with after all the meat is gone.
MASU MASU
https://gurunavi.com/en/gdgr404/rst/
2.Steak, Shabu-Shabu, Yakiniku – Meat Matsuri at Kagayaki
The next location is a must-visit for every meat lover out there. Kagayaki offers an irresistible all-you-can-eat offer, including not only shabu-shabu and yakiniku but also an abundance of other meat delicacies, such as steak and lamb shank. The juicy calbi, or Korean-style spareribs, as well as the beautifully marbled Japanese black beef are our special recommendations, best savored in a flavorful shabu-shabu meat fondue. While the menu is all about meat, neither vegetables nor alcohol specialties are neglected and the all-you-can-drink offer is very reasonably priced – don’t miss out on it!
Kagayaki
2-16-6 Ryusen, Taito-ku, Tokyo-to 110-0012
3.Shabu-Shabu Lunch: The Two Best Choices in Akasaka
Shabu-shabu makes for an excellent dinner but why not also enjoy the delicacy for lunch? In Akasaka’s Tameike area, there’s not just one but two restaurants that’ll tickle your tongue with shabu-shabu at noon. While Zakuro is particularly famous for its amazing Japanese black beef in spicy sesame sauce, Musashi offers Japanese-style juicy pork shabu-shabu – no matter which one you choose, you’re sure to have an amazing shabu-shabu lunch experience!
Zakuro
https://gurunavi.com/en/gahs603/rst/
Musashi
https://gurunavi.com/en/g438000/rst/
4.Crazy about Pork: Roppongi’s Most Delicious Pork Fondue Lunch
Butagomi Shabuan, specializing in pork fondue, is the place to go when craving high-class pork in Roppongi. For lunch, the restaurant offers a buffet that is, naturally, all about pork. Our recommendation, however, especially during the cold months of the year, is their pork shabu lunch, offering you to choose the kind of pork you’d like to savor from a colorful selection. While five different kinds of dipping sauces are available, we like the soba dip with chili oil best, so please give it a try!
Butagumi Shabuan
https://gurunavi.com/en/a585202/rst/
5.Kansai’s First: The Rare Ozaki Beef Experience at Nikukappo Gin
Kansai’s very first restaurant specializing in Ozaki beef has opened inside Osaka’s namBa HIPS, serving Ozaki rib-roast shabu-shabu that is so soft and juicy, it seems to melt in your mouth. This is a culinary experience that one really cannot get enough of, a taste that is positively different from the regular beef one might be consuming on a regular base. The knowledgeable staff also recommends the perfect choice of wine that goes best with the meat. As the restaurant exclusively has seats in private rooms, it’s a perfect place to visit while on a date or with a group of friends.
Nikukappo Gin
https://gurunavi.com/en/k742139/rst/
