IZAKAYA SHABU DINING (이자카야 샤브다이닝) — Restaurant in Sydney

PB House brings to Sydney one of hugely popular Korean culinary trend, serving hinoki (cypress) steamer and Japanese style hot pot, but with its own twist by adding flavours from Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine.

We visited for dinner buffet on a Saturday. All their veggies were fresh, buffet area was clean, and foods were prepared beautifully. The dining area is brightly lit, clean space with modern furnishing including tablets on each table for ordering.

Hinoki steamers supposedly release some stress relieving substances, improving your well-being. For me personally, more noticeable attraction came from lovely forest-like aroma that the steamer gives off while cooking at your table, that also seeps into your food and broth. Everything ends up smelling great.

We walked out not only filled up to our heart's content, but also feeling like we did a healthy one for our body. Highly recommended.

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I should note there was a bit of learning curve to work out how the place runs. The remainder of this review is for people who are planning a visit, on what to expect.

If visiting for dinner, everyone's meal will go through 3 distinct stages - rice paper rolls, hinoki steamer, then shabu shabu buffet.

Once seated, make order via tablet attached on your table. A big box of hinoki steamer will arrive and start cooking on your table, which needs about 10 minutes. While you wait, you are encouraged to bring veggies and sauces from buffet to make Viet style rice paper rolls. It feels a bit like entree as there is no protein available for you at this stage, other than steamed chicken breast from hot food section if you're getting really desperate. Grab your choice of cutlery from pull-out drawer of your tables.

When steamer finishes cooking, it's time to dig into the assortment of steamed meats and veggies. This is the highlight of the meal and you only get one portioned serving per person, so make sure you savour it and divide it fairly with your meal companions.

After you clear the food inside, below the steamer you will see a nice broth developed in a Chinese style hot pot with a divider. You are free to fill your belly in whatever way you want from this point. You can bring sliced meats and veggies from buffet to start enjoying shabu shabu, or add spicy mara broth on one side (again use the tablet on your table to order), or decide to go back to rice paper rolls but with freedom to add meats cooked from your broth.

Few final points: Whilst Viet style rice paper rolls are on offer, some of the typical ingredients were not available e.g. vermicelli, mint, lettuce. They never claim to be authentic in Viet style in any manner, so I would treat the rolls as a bonus more than anything. Likewise, although you can add mara, this is still a Japanese style hot pot, so you will not find a full range of typical Chinese ingredients. e.g. fish balls, tofu noodles, sliced lambs, etc. Hot food section had tteokbokki, dumplings, and sausages, all popular options for kids in case they aren't really feeling it for your choice of meal...

New Buffet Spot in Sydney: Hinoki Steamed Dishes, Shabu-Shabu, and Vietnamese Spring Rolls!

I visited this place on Saturday evening. As soon as I walked in, I felt a cozy and comfortable atmosphere. The interior is clean and stylish, which made me feel great.

The hinoki steamed dishes were incredibly tender and packed with deep flavors. The shabu-shabu, made with fresh ingredients, had a rich and delicious broth, and I loved that I could mix and match a variety of vegetables and meats. The Vietnamese spring rolls were also super fresh, and the dipping sauce was so good that I asked for more!

The staff was friendly and the service was quick, which made for an even more enjoyable dining experience. Overall, I was really satisfied with both the food and the ambiance, and I can’t wait to come back with friends or family. This new gem in Sydney is definitely...

I only tried the ‘Korean style’ make your own Vietnamese roll. It gets my vote. It’s a unique Korean restaurant in Sydney and it’s worth a try.

I had the buffet and they offer Gimbap (Korean sushi), Spicy rice cake, Korean fried chicken but I focussed only on the Vietnamese roll section as this is what makes this restaurant unique. It was a little pricey but I got to eat a plenty of beautifully prepared veggies and protein.

What impressed me was their sauce. It was very well made and this is important when it comes to Vietnamese food.

They can improve the buffet station but the ingredients were fresh and enjoyed my Viet roll

For these reasons I give this...