Shabusen Restaurant

Despite everyone’s complaints about service I had a pretty good experience, while they weren’t super attentive, they did manage go keep my water full and deliver the food in a timely manner.
We got there about 5 mins before the restaurant opened and waited till it opened. We were one of the first ones in, but from the moment we sat down, many more people began trickling in. The restaurant was half full by the time we left. I ordered the regular beef, the beef quality was very good and the veges were a nice portion as well. We got the split broth and the spicy miso is very mild just like the chef described.
I liked the food and it’s a fun dining experience, while the service can definitely improve overall I liked the food and the price point of the meal.
Would recommend

Shabusen was the first place I found when I moved to SF, so I automatically come here anytime I’m craving shabu shabu or sukiyaki. I really haven’t found any place I like better.
I’m definitely a fan — the quality and portion of food is consistently great, and the restaurant is clean and comfortable. But while the service is always friendly, they can be slow — even when it’s not busy.

Just one word: DELICIOUS!
I came here with a group of my friends one evening before we hopped on the Bart to get home. We came here not knowing what to get, so in a way we were very adventurous. We came here at the start of dinner service so there wasn’t a long wait. The waiter that seated us was very helpful when we tried to decide on what to get. The atmosphere wasn’t too noisy, but like I said earlier, we went at the start of their dinner service.
I ordered the Lean Kobe Beef with the original bonito broth. The soup itself did not have any flavoring, which is why I gave this place 4 out of 5 stars, but the add-​on speaks louder than words. I have never tried Kobe beef before and that’s why I decided to order it at this place. The beef cooked really fast and that is what is to be expected at a hot pot place.
What sets this place apart from the one’s in San Jose (where I am from) is the quality of service that they provide. Personally, I love to see the food being prepared in a place where I can see the chief’s prepare it. This place offers that. Also, the waiter helped us decide on what to order. I can tell that English was not his first language, and he did struggle when he spoke. But when I focused on what he was trying to say the suggestions that he was offering were very well thought out. He really gave the best definition of a «waiter.»
If I ever go back to the city I would stop by this place before I head back to San Jose.

Decided to try this place after eating shabushabu for the first time in Sacramento. Wait times were approximately 30minutes with five parties ahead. While waiting in line, the host/​waiter frequently updated the patrons which was much appreciated :)
The flavor of the original bonito was on the lighter side and required the ponzu to enhance the saltiness flavor. Since I can only compare flavors across one other restaurant I don’t want to make a detailed assessment of the flavor at this time.
The service was awesome! I totally enjoyed how they were attentive to the heat, water refills, and side dishes. There was never a moment throughout the experience where I had to request of anything. The only drawback to this place was sitting at the bar table. Reaching over to get your food from the lower shelf of the bar can get a bit tedious. I also wish they had a small wire strainer to assist with movement of the food.
Overall, great place to go to! I’d visit this place again in the future again.

Pretty good place to eat. Sukiyaki beef udon is delicious. Food came out pretty fast & service is good. The hamachi sashimi is a must. Clean & close to the restrooms. It’s located at one of the lower level entrances which makes it very convenient. I would eat here again.

Giving these guys a well deserved love tap on Unilocal.When reading the reviews, keep in mind where this restaurant is located, convenience, how difficult it is to screw up shabu shabu, and what I thought was great service.

I had dinner here late last night with a friend after not having come for a long time. It was great rediscovering this plate. I ordered the small beef hot pot. The small comes with five ounces of meat (versus eight with the regular size) and it was great cooking it in the spicy miso broth. The place had electric grills on the table with button controls that are easy for turning the heating level up or down. Very nice service as well.

This restaurant is a three and a half for its food overall. However, the ramen was above average and the service was friendly and attentive so it deserves four stars. I really liked the low key vibe and the music. Great relaxing spot for friends to feast.
Ramen = ⁴⁄₅
Tofu salad = ³⁄₅
Curry = ⁴⁄₅
Miso =3/​5
Takoyaki = 3.5÷5
fried chicken pieces = ⁴⁄₅
Spicy Salmon bowl = ⁴⁄₅

What. the. heck.
This is by far, probably the worst shabu restaurant I have ever been to. While visiting SF, my bf and I were really craving shabu, so we picked this place based on distance. MUCH RAGRET (no, that’s not a typo/​misspelling).
The portion you get is decent, but much more expensive than in SoCal (expected). The meat itself was not anything special, tasted fresh enough, but was not tender. Rice was too dry, spicy miso broth was nothing special. Oh yes, and they DO NOT have hot drops… when we asked for it, they gave us a bottle of habanero hot sauce. WUT? Ponzu and goma sauce were nothing memorable either.
Service was mediocre, there was a guy who seemed pretty aloof, while this young girl was running around helping everyone like a one (wo)man team.
Basically, if you’re a shabu regular like myself, you’ll be disappointed. I’m convinced we’re pretty spoiled in Southern California with the best food!

Great place for shabu shabu! It got really crowded around 7 pm so get here a little early for dinner to avoid waiting. They were really understaffed with just one waitress handling all the tables but she was super nice and tried her best to be attentive.
My boyfriend and I both ordered a beef shabu shabu ($ 20). There’s an AYCE dinner option for $ 34 but the serving size of one order was actually very filling for me. Each order comes with HUGE plates of vegetables and beef as well as a bowl of rice. You cook everything yourself in the boiling broth. We chose to get the original broth but I didn’t taste much flavor. The sesame and ponzu sauce it comes with were very flavorful though. The beef was tender and really tasty with the sauces.
It’s a fun dining experience. I would recommend this place for a date night!

Chosen at random while walking around, I hit a jackpot. Good food, great place, and extremely friendly and welcoming staff. They were not sure if I knew how to eat Shabu, and were willing to help me along. Once I explained that I knew which end of the chopsticks to eat from, the rest was easy. Tasy bits, maybe needs alittle garlic in there but that’s me. All in all a good time was had with good food. Some say it’s small, but unlike the apartments in SF «cozy «is an accurate description. I will be back!

Solves a craving. The all you can eat option is the bomb but be prepared for the meat sweats.

Most people have heard about shabu-​shabu, which is the Japanese version of the Chinese hotpot. And while they serve shabu-​shabu here, I’ve only come here to eat sukiyaki, which is a related but still crucially different dish.
Here’s what you can expect: you order the choice and the quantity of meat that you want… and maybe a few additions like extra noodles or squash. Soon your waiter will appear with a big pot that is neatly layered with all sorts of veggies, starches and your choice of meat. All of that swims atop a sugary/​savory juice… the quintessence sukiyaki jus. The pot feat placed on the burner and then you’ll have to wait until everything bubbles nicely and the ingredients are cooked.
They serve a raw egg on the side which is supposed to act as a dipping sauce for the meat. Personally I’m not a fan of raw egg, so I actually use the egg to finish off the meal: if all that’s left is soup, I stir in the egg and then pour the result over the rice… delicious!
This is best enjoyed in a group of four…

Shabusen is still my favorite place to go for shabu shabu (: Ever since I visited and tried shabu shabu for the first time in San Francisco at this restaurant 6 – 7 years ago, I had to go back!
Shabusen is a hotpot place located in Japantown. Inside there is a hotpot bar and also table seating available for bigger parties! The service here is really great; the waitress I had was extremely nice and accommodating! They give generous portions of veggies for your shabu shabu, and also rice and dipping sauces. The beef is extremely tasty, as well as the pork.
I love this place and will always go back and try to visit when I’m in San Fran! (:

First time here, we had a great time. A different dining experience than we’re used to. The beef was fantastic. And the portions were really good for the price.
For two people we got a large dinner, a small dinner, 2 sides and a large saki = $ 60. Great date place.

Shabusen is located near Japantown and is pretty convenient if you want hotpot and don’t want to travel all the way to the sunset district.
Pros:
— Near Japantown
— Next to many other eateries and stores.
— Menu contains a simple variety of food aside from hot pot, such as appetizers and alcohol.
— There’s seating available for big parties or smaller parties at the bar.
— Accepts both cash and card
— Friendly service, the workers are very accommodating and will help answer your questions.
— Generous servings of food, especially the veggies, which is my favorite part of shabushabu.
Cons:
— The area is a bit small.
— There’s more seats at the bar than actual tables.
Shabusen is pretty much like any other hotpot joint in the bay area. You choose what kind of meat you want, and it comes with the vegetables and rice. I like that their menu has the optional additives. It does get busy during the weekends so time your visit accordingly. The service has been good for me, and i haven’t had to deal with any mishaps on my orders whatsoever. I also like that this place is right near Japantown, so if you’re ever wanting to walk off the food, there you go.

I can’t believe I never reviewed this place before!
I’ve been here a million times, and recently went back last week after not having been for several years. It’s still tasty shabu shabu… yumm! And it’s still popular haha, so come at odd times so you don’t have to wait long!

–Five minutes of waiting by the door. With no one around.
–When we’re seated, another five minutes of sitting without any menus.
–Ten minutes go by before orders are taken.
–Another half hour or so before the food comes by.
And the place was empty!
I opted for a small kobe beef shabu shabu with a side of ramen noodles (they were out of the noodles). The vegetable portion included two pieces of carrots, two mushroom buttons, and three-​fourths of a plate of napa cabbage. Hrmph. The beef was good and went well with the spicy miso broth.
Other than that, there’s nothing good to say.

After a night of Halloween partying, my friend suggested we get shabu for lunch. Japanese-​style-​hangover-​food? I can’t complain. (He said he wasn’t hungover. I beg to differ.)
For about $ 15, you can get an order of meat (with a plate of veggies and noodles) for you to cook. Two broths: miso and spicy miso. Few meat choices: beef, pork, lamb, and chicken. The quantity of food was perfect, but the food wasn’t anything that blew my mind (or taste buds).
What I really liked about this place was that our servers were so easy going, upbeat, and attentive. They have bar and table seating, so sit wherever floats your boat!

Surprisingly mediocre
Having walked by this place countless times, I’ve always wondered how the food is inside. Through the windows, the place always looked warm, with smiling folks dipping slices of meat into warm pots of broth. Even the lighting in the shop was very warm and relaxing.
After finally trying this place out for the first time, I realize how overrated it was! The majority of the seats inside were bar seats, with very few actual tables. The shabu we ordered was actually very light, with a broth that tasted almost like water, and meat/​veggies that were non-​remarkable. The sukiyaki was actually much nicer, especially when the broth starts boiling and the flavor of the ingredients start soaking into the broth. In any case, it was ok, but nothing beyond expectations.
The waiting was pretty long, mostly because there aren’t that many seats inside.
Definitely not worth the wait!
All in all, I would probably try to go to other shabu locations in the area next time.