Cute decor:
When we got there at 6pm the place was fairly empty. There was only 1 waitress so service was slow. The menu was similar to that of Shabu Zen in Chinatown. I'm not certain, but I believe it might be a little cheaper. We got the beef sirloin, pork, chicken, fish paste, tofu, seasonal veggies, enoki mushrooms, vermicelli, and cod. We really enjoyed the meal, especially the dipping sauce of garlic, chillis, scallions, and sacha paste you add to your soy sauce.
The secret dipping sauce:
Well, I suppose shabu shabu isn't that hard to perfect. We learned from the waitress that the broth doesn't contain any MSG and is home made from chicken bones. Hey that's always a plus! (Note however that they do not have the variety of broths that they have at Shabu Zen. My favorite there, being the Kim Chee broth.)
Shabu shabu in full swing:
The thinly sliced meats:
Shabu Village
417 Harvard St.
Brookline, MA 02446
617.566.0888
Chomp Meter:
We'll probably not be back now that the new Shabu Zen is open in Allston. They don't serve the yummy fruit shakes or different broths that are available at Shabu Zen.
7 comments:
hi, I'm responding to what you said about shabu village. I am a cumstomer here as well and I find their food excellent. Yes, they do have Kim Chee broth. I do not, personally, think they have slow service. Their service is actually quite speedy. Try their Sichuan spice, yummy! They also have bubble tea and fruit sorbet. It's qiute scrumcious.
You should really come back and have a second try!!
That last comment sounds just a tad bit biased.....
i thought so too! but eventually decided to give it the benefit of a doubt
I recently discovered Shabu Zen in C-town. LOVE IT! I was very excited to find one in Brookline which was, in my opinion, equally good. It may have been a little better due to the location, parking, etc. I thought the service was actually OVER attentive and felt that she wanted to remove my plate before I was even finished, same with my Sapporo. Never touch my Sapporo. I will be going back and keep bringing new people with me to discover shabu shabu. So yummy!
If you want better quality, quantity, and promt, efficient service, then go to Shabu Zen in Chinatown. I often visit Shabu Zen and I was excited to try this new place in Brookline only to find that it was worst than the worst sex I've ever had. I love food and I looove to indulge myself every now and then and I found the atmosphere at Shabu Village to be quite pleasing and after looking at the menu, seeing prices that I'd find at Shabu Zen, I'd think that the portions would also reflect those of Shabu Zen, but then again, it's Shabu Village, not Shabu Zen. Both of my friends ordered the surf & turf and to our disappointment, the seafood pieces were small, and all of it was served on one plate, with only five thin slices of meat, Shabu Zen gives you a whole plate of meat, and generous portions of seafood on another. So I guess my friends should have just ordered the seafood a la carte. I ordered a meat combo and fish paste (something I love and always order). It took them long to even take our orders, and they got a couple of them wrong the first time around - and waiting for my food took just as long. My friends were half way through their meal and I didn't even get my vegetables yet! The staff seemed very nervous serving our food, I guess it must've been a bad night - it was a full house (but even at Shabu Zen with a long line, the staff there are always on their marks). They also forgot my fish paste, and later came to me with what looked like something they just whipped up - (the consistency was chunky, something paste isn't supposed to be). Another member of the staff came to me and told me that they ran out of fish paste and I informed her that I had just gotten my fish paste she apologized. I didn't even eat my fish paste because it tasted like fish balls. I didn't order fish balls, I ordered fish paste. I could have gone for three more meals to fill myself up but I decided to sleep on it since my friend was treating. They even forgot to put corn on two of our vegetable plates. I am staying faithful to Shabu Zen. It's worth the wait at Shabu Zen. Oh, and I should add that I feel sorry for the three individuals that were sitting next to us, they waited so long for the staff to take their order that they paid for their beer and left.
Shabu Village is great. The staff is attentive. The portions are a tiny bit smaller than the Chinatown hot pot restaurants, but the lower price more than makes up for that. There are also more vegetables at Shabu Village.
i was just looking for their phone number online, and this site popped up, so I figured I'd counter the negative reviews with my positive experiences. my wife and i have been there at least 5-6 times since we moved to Brookline in August. And we don't eat out often - it's one of our top destinations because it's close, friendly, and the food is as good as any other hot pot place.
i think this place is over-priced and it doesn't seem to be doing that well, many times i have driven by at varying points during the day and there is a closed sign during the window, even when it is open there are very few people inside. For a place to be competitive in this location it should have focused on value and service, instead, it is stingy with portions and service is mediocre. Not a good combination. I don't know why people think people will pay so much for mediocre value.
Post a Comment