Ginza Shabutsu — Restaurant in Tokyo

My girlfriend and I went shopping at the 12-floor Uniqlo in Ginza, and afterward, we randomly picked a restaurant about 50 meters away. Upon entering, we realized it was a Japanese shabu-shabu (hot pot) place. My girlfriend ordered a Wagyu combo, and I opted for an all-you-can-eat set. Initially, they served two plates of meat: one plate had chicken, beef, and duck, while the other had beef and Kuroge Wagyu, along with a platter of vegetables. The portions were quite generous. Although it was an all-you-can-eat, this amount alone might be enough to fill the average Japanese person.

The dipping sauce for the hot pot was particularly sour, most likely vinegar, which neither of us liked. We ended up adding some chili oil and soy sauce to make it more palatable.

We were seated at the bar, where two older Japanese men were busy working behind the counter, but the waiter serving us was a Middle Eastern guy (he speaks English). I first ordered Japanese rice sake, which had a strong and authentic rice flavor. Halfway through, I also ordered a glass of shochu called "Tenson Korin." By the end, I was feeling pleasantly tipsy—not drunk, but definitely lightheaded.

After finishing my set, I ordered two more plates of Wagyu. I felt like I ate more than what a typical Japanese person would, and having that much Wagyu felt like I was getting my money's worth. The experience was enjoyable, but in terms of the food quality, based on my taste preferences, I couldn’t give it a...

The restaurant is located in the basement of a high-rise building. It’s not hard to find, as there’s a sign placed right at the entrance of the staircase leading down. The staff here are very enthusiastic. I was lucky—just as I arrived, a table had just finished eating, so we didn’t have to wait. During lunchtime, the place gets so crowded that there are no tables left for new customers.

I had heard that Shabu Shabu is a must-try dish when visiting Japan, and it truly is—a very unique style of hot pot. As I was instructed, you first grind the sesame seeds to bring out the aroma, then mix them into the dipping sauce for the meat. The hot pot broth is simply boiling water. After dipping the meat, the water becomes sweet with the flavor of the meat, and that’s when you pour it over the noodles, which the staff bring to you after you’ve finished the meat. It’s quite an interesting process.

However, I didn’t really enjoy the dipping sauce—it was too sour for my taste. I tried adding some salt and water, but it didn’t help. It was just too sour and didn’t suit my palate. The noodles, on the other hand, were pretty decent.

One thing I noticed is that the staff here are very quick, friendly, and professional. They work efficiently and keep everything neat. The restaurant is always clean and tidy. The wagyu beef was incredibly delicious and sliced very cleanly by machine.

I would recommend that tourists try Shabu Shabu at least once to experience this unique...

I was looking for a shabu shabu place as my last dinner in Tokyo on my vacation. I ate at Shabusen yesterday, so I was looking for a different place to try.

I found this restaurant after few searches, and I thought overall 4 star rating was good. So, I decided to try it.

I ordered AYCE option and asked for just beef. When it came out, I thought it didn’t look good. Color of beef was little too dark and fat part was little off white. When I put a slice in water, color of meat turned to dark brown to black and color of fat turned to yellow-ish. When I tasted it, it had no flavor, it was dry, and it was little tough to chew. This was the worst meal I had in my 2 weeks trip to Japan, and it was absolutely the worst beef I ever had in any shabu shabu restaurant, both US and Japan.

I would not recommend this restaurant if you want beef. They also serve other meats, such as duck, pork, and beef tongue among others. I didn’t try those other meat. They maybe good as other reviews.

To put salt to injury, they also charged 900 yen for a cup of green tea and for a refill. I had ordered green tea in other restaurants during this trip, and no place had changed for green tea. I paid 350 yen for a small sake at a dinner. Green tea is more...