Shin sen gumi This!

Shinsengumi Shabu Shabu

Location:
1695 W Artesia Blvd
Gardena, CA 90247

Entertainment Value: Cooking your own meal and Sochu

Food Cost: $$ According to Yelp

To my surprise, not many non-Asians know of shabu shabu. The Japanese term, "Shabu Shabu" literally translates to "Swish Swish", because it is the act of using your chopsticks to swish the thin cut beef, pork, or chicken slices in a boiling pot of broth that makes it so fun.  To the average American, you'd probably wonder, "Why would I pay for a dining experience where I have to cook the meat and vegetables myself?" Well, I guess it's a matter of perspective. For one, you get to select what type of raw foods you'd like to throw in the pot, and as the steam rises from the boiling medley you've concocted, moments later you can immediately eat it, freshly hot and as firm or soft as you'd like it--since you cooked it. And while you're waiting for it to cool slightly, you can still see the evaporating heat trailing above your chopsticks, and when it is dipped into citrus salty ponzu sauce and peanut based Goma sauce, slabbed on a bowl of hot rice, it not only gives you fresh hot food but it also gives you a sense of accomplishment.

Shabu Shabu places are a place to socialize with friends over shochu (the Korean version is called Soju), which has its many variations from distilled barley, soba, or rice to "imo-jochu", which is distilled from sweet potatoes. Usually around 25-40% alcohol content, Shochu is normally enjoyed over ice, lemon, and water, although it can be combined with Calpico, fruit drinks, and soda water. You can use various Japanese soda drinks from your local Mitsuwa or Nijiya to make your own version of chu-hi, an alcoholic fruity soft drink for those that like their cocktails to be carbonated. So while you are waiting for your veggies and meat to cook, you can Gan Bai with your buddies, lover (s?), or business associates.

Want more than just boiled meat and vegetables? You can also grill your own meat, over natural stone coals. They have a wide assortment of meat, from pork belly, beef intestine, Short rib, duck, squid, the works. I personally recommend the beef tongue and for the appetizers, the chicken Nankara, or deep fried chicken cartilage.

The next best thing to a fun and delicious meal is that you'll come out of the place feeling full and HEALTHY. Yes, how often can you leave a restaurant with a pot belly and a seductive aftertaste and not have to feel guilty about putting on the pounds afterwards? If we did the McDonald's test and ate Shabu Shabut for one month straight, we'd come out of it not only alive but we'd manage to trim down the fat. Don't believe me? Well, maybe I'll start another blog called "30 days of Shabu Shabu" and find out! I'd probably end up being the poster child for Shabu Shabu like Jared Fogle was for Subway. Hmm... not a bad idea...anybody else interested in going in on it with me? Post your comments below!

Another great thing about this particular Shabu Shabu place above all the other ones is their customer service. It is top notch. As soon as you enter, the entire staff bows and says, "Irashaimase", which in Japanese means "Welcome, thank you for your patronage"... just kidding.. they don't say that last part after welcome. But in Japanese, it sounds so long and they are so friendly that it sounds that way. When you leave, they all firmly shout in unison, "Arigatou gozaimashita", or "Thank you very much", as if you went out of your way to lend a hand for a friend.

 FYI: Just to clarify for those of you not familiar with these two terms, Shabu Shabu is part of Japanese cuisine and has an array of certain types of vegetables (nappa cabbage, tofu, green onions, shiitake mushrooms, and vermicelli), and the meat selection is limited to beef, unless it is sukiyaki, which doesn't have set limits on types of meat or vegetables. With that said, the Japanese Sukiyaki is like the Chinese version of Hot Pot, in that both types of cuisine have no limits to what vegetables or meat you can put into the boiling broth. The only exception is that Chinese Hot Pot tend to be spicier and if we decide to get even more technical on this subject, there are also regional versions of Chinese hot pot, such as Mongolian and Szechuan, but I'll leave that discussion for another blog.