Haru Shabu Shabu — Restaurant in Mississauga

I pre-booked reservations, I asked for what the price was for hot pot, I explained that I have never been to hot pot and I will be coming with a group, I was told it was $42 a person for hot pot and that is what I booked. Upon arriving, the communication was very poor, it's okay to have a language barrier But it was very unclear how it worked for hot pot and And a waste our dinner time as we were then told we have limited time to eat And they took a long time to bring out our food. At the end of dinner when it was time to pay, we were told everything has to go on one bill, nowhere before dinner was that ever explained to us either. When we split the bill up And my friends reimbursed me for their share It worked out to $54 a person. So poor service because the communication was really bad, nothing was explained correctly or clearly, nor was I aware that the soup was a separate charge. They were all over the place and not very organized And it took a long time for them to take orders and even longer than it should be to bring out our food This is very disappointing because I called in advance for details and none of the information that they gave me at the restaurant was given to me over the phone even though I very clearly said we have never done hot pot before and we are here for a birthday. The food was quite plain But still tasted okay Servers seemed very disorganized which made the atmosphere very anxious Because they couldn't figure out whether or not they're coming or going and didn't know how to explain menu items. As we paid, we asked if we could have the soup considering we paid for it and we were told no, this makes no sense to me Because we did pay for it at a separate charge that was not explained at the beginning. This is definitely not a restaurant I will be returning to and I highly do not recommend this to anyone. Maybe if you're from the same cultural background and you understand their language, it might work for you because then the communication barrier...

We were very upset.

Food: below quality of other restaurants, would say this is one of the bottom tiers of hotpot restaurants in the GTA.

Service: servers/waitresses were trying, but the ones who take your order/hostess, absolutely infuriating.

Atmosphere: cramped and loud. There's this high pitch screeching sound that gives you a headache.

Details: We went for a joint birthday, with reservations ahead of time, on a Saturday. They gave us a table that could sit maximum 5-6, for 8 people and expected us to squish in. When we spoke to the server, they told the birthday girl "you're skinny, just squish in". They repeatedly gave us excuses that its because its a Saturday, they were fully booked. If that was the case, they should of turned down some reservations or walk-ins instead of squishing people into tables beyond capacity. They suggested adding chairs in the space between tables, but told us themselves that it would get in the way of servers. They kept forcing us to squish in so "they could see" but with 6 people sitting, one of us already had only half an ass on the chair. They begrudgingly brought us 2 chairs, because they refused to move our table elsewhere, and kept pumping into us all night. On top of that, the booths hardly have any leg space so your knees are pressed against a hard surface (the table was not hollow underneath). The food itself gave 4/8 of us stomaches afterwards, which we never had happen at hot pot before (but lets give this the benefit of the doubt because we have to cook it ourselves). The table was obviously too small to fit our plates. The sauce bar only has not even half of the options other hot places have, and its tucked away in the corner so its super cramped. They did not refill either so one table went and 2-3 items continued to be empty all night.

Summary: I do not recommend, so many people have been saying good things about this place but it was truly not...

Our first hot pot experience was memorable, thanks to the exceptional service from our attentive and sweet server, Benita. She ensured our waters were topped up, napkins replenished, and trays swiftly cleared, making the limited counter space manageable.

The sauce station was a standout feature, allowing us to craft a spicy and sweet soy sauce blend and a sweet sesame sauce that elevated the flavors of our meats. We ordered from the Haru Menu and selected two soup bases: Sukiyaki and Spicy. In hindsight, sticking with the Sukiyaki alone would have been preferable, as the Spicy soup's heat overwhelmed the flavor profile. Sauces offer ample opportunity to add spice without losing complexity.

Our favorites among the proteins were the prime beef, pork belly, and sirloin, while the beef chunk and shrimp—though large and flavorful—were less to our taste due to the shrimp's shell-on preparation, making it cumbersome to eat. The snakehead fish had a delightful buttery flavor, leaving us eager to explore more of the menu next time, especially the appetizers.

For vegetables, we enjoyed the enoki mushrooms, black fungus, and crispy tofu skin rolls. The meal was accompanied by lemon and lime iced tea, a bowl of steamed rice, and concluded with creamy soft-serve ice cream—a perfect ending.

For sauces, we recommend:

Secret Sauce: One scoop sesame, a small spoonful of sesame oil, optional chili peppers, a scoop of cilantro, green onions, sesame seeds, and a finish of brown sugar syrup. Sweet and Chili Sauce: One scoop each of soy and ponzu sauce, cilantro, garlic, green onions, chili peppers, a small amount of sesame oil, and a generous drizzle of brown sugar.

Highly recommended for a flavorful and immersive hot...