Someone once told me that you can judge an Asian restaurant based on the number of Asian people who are eating in it. So even at first glance, I could tell that Shabu Zen was going to be good.
The most unique thing about the restaurant is that it’s completely acceptable to play with your food there. Think of it as plaster-fun time, but instead of painting clay, you are creating yourself a meal.
Let me elaborate on the process.
First, each table gets four small dishes: one with garlic, one with scallions, one with a highly spiced pepper, and one with ginger sauce. You mix these ingredients into soy sauce and create a custom designed sauce fit to your liking.
Next, you chooses a type of broth. There are a variety of broths, but the ones that stood out were chinese herbal, kimchi, vegetable broth and chicken broth.
Finally, you choose a main course. Options range from safe choices like chicken, beef and pork to more exotic choices like scallops, salmon, cod, squid, clam and lobster tail.
Lastly, there is an option between rice, Udon noodles (thick noodles), and Vermicelli (thin noodles).
Your delicious broth gets boiling even before your meal arrives. And when it finally does, the fun begins.
The chefs cut the vegetables and the meats very thin, so even after a few seconds in the boiling broth, the meat begins to change color. This indicates that it is ready for consumption.
The combination of the spiced dipping condiments, the enticing broth flavors and the complexity of the raw vegetables leaves any custumer in awe, and wanting more.
The best part of Shabu Zen is the end, when you realize that although all of your food seems to be gone, the broth is still there. Since you had cooked all of your vegetables and meat in it earlier, the taste is even richer.
For dessert, go for mochis: glutinous rice cakes filled with ice cream. Green tea mochi is the most traditional choice, but my favorite is the mango mochi.
The setting is very spacious and comfortable. You can either go for more traditional seating around a huge table with multiple families, or private areas that allow for a more peaceful and intimate meal.
If you’re looking for a unique Asian dining experience, Shabu Zen is the place to go.
Sarah Plovnick can be contacted at [email protected]
