Hot Pots and Spots

Let it be known that I love Shabu Shabu. Shabu Shabu is a Japanese style of dining which involves cooking your own food in a hot pot. I first had Shabu Shabu in Taiwan while visiting my best friend and her family, who graciously put up with a picky eater like me though out the duration of my visit. While trying to expose me to the local food, without scaring me too much, they took me to a Shabu Shabu restaurant and it definitely left a lasting impression. I was skeptical at first (cooking my own meat...shouldn't the chef do that?), however I instantly fell in love with the concept of cooking thin tender pieces of meat to my liking along with an assortment of veggies.

Years later when I moved to LA, a coupon for Shabu Shabu showed up on my doorstep. I convinced my now husband that we had to go (he had never had it and was also skeptical), but after the first bite he was hooked too. Since then, I actively seek out Shabu Shabu and will travel far and wide for the best. In fact, Shabu Shabu is the meal we had the night my husband proposed to me, so as you can see Shabu holds a special place in my heart.

So here I am at a Shabu Shabu restaurant in Orange County clad in dots and ready to cook in the hot pot. I like to wear a T-shirt for such dining because Shabu Shabu tends to splatter.

 

So that's that for the spots, now on to the hot pot and the yummy food. Shabu Shabu, for you Shabu virgins, starts with some fresh veggies. These usually include cabbage, spinach, carrots, green onions, tofu and in some cases (although not here) mushrooms.

Then you get your choice of meat (usually beef, but sometimes pork and fish) in a variety of sizes (make mine a large!). This always reminds me of a scene from Lost in Translation when the characters are trying to figure out what to order and all of the pictures of meat look the same on the menu.

Next is the fun part. Swish Swish. It's into the hot pot for you meat and veggies! This particular Shabu Shabu place lets you concoct your own broth to cook the meat in. The ingredients they give you to play around with include hot drops, soy sauce, green onions, sesame oil and a variety of relishes. I just throw it all in and hope for the best.

The other thing I like about this particular Shab venue is the cool art work. They have some murals on the walls and some other original paintings that are very cute. 

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Outfit: Skirt: J. Crew Postage Stamp Mini in Scatter Dot, T-Shirt: Target, Shoes: Kate Spade, Bag: Chanel, Belt: Urban Outfitters