My favorite shabu spot in all of the bay area. They are the OG's. I hate their weird hours tho.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hot Pot, Kobe Lean, American Kobe Lean Beef
Conway Wang
The American wagyu cut of meat was great and the fact that it's included in the ayce was a great deal. $48 pretip for 1 person, I paid 60 because the guy waiting the bar and on the deli slicer was so nice. Goma and ponzu dipping sauces were great too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Erica E.
We came with a party of 4 right before dinner rush. There was plenty of seating at the time, but as we were eating more people started filling the restaurant.We got a split pot with miso soup and ordered the kobe beef plates! One of my friends got an angus beef plate. Both meat plates were good! I like the soup base and they had a good amount of veggies. The meat was nice and tender, had that buttery goodness. By the time we finished eating, the restaurant was almost a full house. The servers did come by our table a few times for water refills or to see if we needed anything.
Erika Powers-Adame
Great service and perfect servings.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spicy Miso Broth, Spicy Miso
Albert Mao
Terrible waiter staff that was extremely rude.Made us order 2 entrees and slapped on sharing fee just for sharing food which is purpose of hot pot.Would recommend not stepping foot in this restaurant.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Albert M.
Terrible service and extremely rude waiter staff. Would not recommend setting foot in this restaurant.Despite having 2 people, they made us order 2 entrees and up charge us a sharing fee on top of their ridiculous prices. Terrible price for food. Would not serve us until we agreed. Threatened to call the manager on us
Anthony kameny
Shabuway is a great and comfortable place to dine. The service is very attentive and the gentleman working the slicer is very kind, respectful, and knowledgeable. Enjoy your time at this establishment and you will not be disappointed.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Connie W.
Shabuway has decent shabu, but I wouldn't say it's worth the price. There wasn't a wait on a Saturday night, which was a nice surprise. We sat at the counter and each got our own shabu pot. I got AYCE beef and lamb, since I wanted a side of the shrimp dumplings, udon and traditional vegetable plate, and AYCE ended up being cheaper than ordering just one plate with these sides. The miso broth wasn't super flavorful, but the ponzu sauce made up for it --it was really good! However, the sides weren't very impressive. The shrimp dumplings didn't taste as I expected -- it kind of tasted like how a crab rangoon tastes but with shrimp instead of crab. The meat was good but the rest of the sides were fine. Overall, nothing blew my mind in a way that would make me want to come back. I didn't get to try the ice cream even though it intrigued me since I was too full, but my friend did. It was normal vanilla ice cream, nothing special. I don't think AYCE is worth it here unless you can eat a lot of meat. Service was very friendly and fast though, so props to them!
Kylie Kim
They nickel and dime you for everything. Anything other than the plain broth costs extra, if you want to share food there is a fee, the more expensive vegetable plate is for variety and not more food. The server also did a terrible job of explaining this to us, we only figured it out in the middle of the meal.I would have been less upset if they were transparent about all these extra costs. Now I know why they were super pushy about us getting ayce even though we didn’t want it.
Joyce C.
The only AYCE hotpot in downtown San Mateo!!Right at the heart of San Mateo, this place has been around for a long time. However, service and taste have always been very consistent for me. You can always count on the owner of the restaurant to be there and check in with you. They have both one-person style pot, in case you don't want to share. It is also a great place for a hot and healthy lunch since they offer lunch combos. My personal favorite is the Angus beef and their sesame paste dipping sauce!! Please come support your local business!
They nickel and dime you for everything. Anything other than the plain broth costs extra, if you want to share food there is a fee, the more expensive vegetable plate is for variety and not more food. The server also did a terrible job of explaining this to us, we only figured it out in the middle of the meal.I would have been less upset if they were transparent about all these extra costs. Now I know why they were super pushy about us getting ayce even though we didn’t want it.
Justin Ng
Very expensive, for very little food, with miso soup that tastes like water. Be prepared to be nickle and dimed. I will not be returning.Paid extra for soup; tasted like water.Paid extra for vegetables; got the same quantity of vegetables as before, just more variety.Paid extra to share food with a friend; not to even get more food, just share the same quantity of food one person would eat. What the hell is a "share fee"?
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
Alicia W.
Haven't been here in years, but thought i'd give it another try yesterday since it is one of the very few shabu places that still open for lunch. Came in at 1pm for AYCE option A ($42). Heads up the kitchen closes at 2:30pm, but that was enough time for us to still get AYCE. We decided to get option A because it included Kobe beef which should be the better option, but the beef was sliced in very large and thick slices and overall was chewy and not that enjoyable to eat. However, we ordered the angus as well to compare and it was sliced much more thin and had a more melt in your mouth experience so would recommend just going with option B if you are torn between the two. Service was inconsistent. The man who I believe was the manager provided good service, but the waitress forgot to bring items (water, refill on green onions, another plate of meat) whenever we asked. My friend actually did not have a cup of water for the first half of the meal until we asked again to the manager instead. Overall, this is an okay spot if you really want shabu for lunch and can't wait until dinner, but there are many other better options in the bay.
Haley T.
Dined for 2 around 5:30pm on a Friday night. Thankfully it wasn't too crowded yet. We sat at the shared bar space, which was a little cumbersome to dine at.My S/O and I both ordered a la carte, both Large portions of the Kobe and Angus Beef. It came with rice and a small plate of veggies. It was just enough for me. The soup was very bland, even after boiling all the veggies and meat. Don't get the Tonkotsu base, it's not worth paying the extra $4. Make sure to add green onion and garlic to your ponzu sauce for some much needed flavor. Shoutout to the meat slicer that night. He was very friendly and considerate.Overall, I don't think I'd come back specifically to dine at Shabuway. For the price, it wasn't great, especially with so many other options around.
PJ S.
The broth was good! I'm a spice-a-holic, especially when it comes to soup, and this broth was delicious! We ordered the extra spicy miso and added more of their Japanese chilli paste and it was just tingly enough to get my tastebuds singing. The meat was great, I would order more veggies (specifically the pumpkin and mushrooms) next time.Portions were "small" I guess? My dining partners were a little miffed, I finished my plates without any problem I'm a very light eater... Overall, it was a great experience for a newbie like me, and the definitely the best shabu shabu I've had so far.
My favorite shabu spot in all of the bay area. They are the OG's. I hate their weird hours tho.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hot Pot, Kobe Lean, American Kobe Lean Beef
The American wagyu cut of meat was great and the fact that it's included in the ayce was a great deal. $48 pretip for 1 person, I paid 60 because the guy waiting the bar and on the deli slicer was so nice. Goma and ponzu dipping sauces were great too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We came with a party of 4 right before dinner rush. There was plenty of seating at the time, but as we were eating more people started filling the restaurant.We got a split pot with miso soup and ordered the kobe beef plates! One of my friends got an angus beef plate. Both meat plates were good! I like the soup base and they had a good amount of veggies. The meat was nice and tender, had that buttery goodness. By the time we finished eating, the restaurant was almost a full house. The servers did come by our table a few times for water refills or to see if we needed anything.
Great service and perfect servings.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spicy Miso Broth, Spicy Miso
Terrible waiter staff that was extremely rude.Made us order 2 entrees and slapped on sharing fee just for sharing food which is purpose of hot pot.Would recommend not stepping foot in this restaurant.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Terrible service and extremely rude waiter staff. Would not recommend setting foot in this restaurant.Despite having 2 people, they made us order 2 entrees and up charge us a sharing fee on top of their ridiculous prices. Terrible price for food. Would not serve us until we agreed. Threatened to call the manager on us
Shabuway is a great and comfortable place to dine. The service is very attentive and the gentleman working the slicer is very kind, respectful, and knowledgeable. Enjoy your time at this establishment and you will not be disappointed.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shabuway has decent shabu, but I wouldn't say it's worth the price. There wasn't a wait on a Saturday night, which was a nice surprise. We sat at the counter and each got our own shabu pot. I got AYCE beef and lamb, since I wanted a side of the shrimp dumplings, udon and traditional vegetable plate, and AYCE ended up being cheaper than ordering just one plate with these sides. The miso broth wasn't super flavorful, but the ponzu sauce made up for it --it was really good! However, the sides weren't very impressive. The shrimp dumplings didn't taste as I expected -- it kind of tasted like how a crab rangoon tastes but with shrimp instead of crab. The meat was good but the rest of the sides were fine. Overall, nothing blew my mind in a way that would make me want to come back. I didn't get to try the ice cream even though it intrigued me since I was too full, but my friend did. It was normal vanilla ice cream, nothing special. I don't think AYCE is worth it here unless you can eat a lot of meat. Service was very friendly and fast though, so props to them!
They nickel and dime you for everything. Anything other than the plain broth costs extra, if you want to share food there is a fee, the more expensive vegetable plate is for variety and not more food. The server also did a terrible job of explaining this to us, we only figured it out in the middle of the meal.I would have been less upset if they were transparent about all these extra costs. Now I know why they were super pushy about us getting ayce even though we didn’t want it.
The only AYCE hotpot in downtown San Mateo!!Right at the heart of San Mateo, this place has been around for a long time. However, service and taste have always been very consistent for me. You can always count on the owner of the restaurant to be there and check in with you. They have both one-person style pot, in case you don't want to share. It is also a great place for a hot and healthy lunch since they offer lunch combos. My personal favorite is the Angus beef and their sesame paste dipping sauce!! Please come support your local business!
Restaurantji Recommends
They nickel and dime you for everything. Anything other than the plain broth costs extra, if you want to share food there is a fee, the more expensive vegetable plate is for variety and not more food. The server also did a terrible job of explaining this to us, we only figured it out in the middle of the meal.I would have been less upset if they were transparent about all these extra costs. Now I know why they were super pushy about us getting ayce even though we didn’t want it.
Very expensive, for very little food, with miso soup that tastes like water. Be prepared to be nickle and dimed. I will not be returning.Paid extra for soup; tasted like water.Paid extra for vegetables; got the same quantity of vegetables as before, just more variety.Paid extra to share food with a friend; not to even get more food, just share the same quantity of food one person would eat. What the hell is a "share fee"?
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
Haven't been here in years, but thought i'd give it another try yesterday since it is one of the very few shabu places that still open for lunch. Came in at 1pm for AYCE option A ($42). Heads up the kitchen closes at 2:30pm, but that was enough time for us to still get AYCE. We decided to get option A because it included Kobe beef which should be the better option, but the beef was sliced in very large and thick slices and overall was chewy and not that enjoyable to eat. However, we ordered the angus as well to compare and it was sliced much more thin and had a more melt in your mouth experience so would recommend just going with option B if you are torn between the two. Service was inconsistent. The man who I believe was the manager provided good service, but the waitress forgot to bring items (water, refill on green onions, another plate of meat) whenever we asked. My friend actually did not have a cup of water for the first half of the meal until we asked again to the manager instead. Overall, this is an okay spot if you really want shabu for lunch and can't wait until dinner, but there are many other better options in the bay.
Dined for 2 around 5:30pm on a Friday night. Thankfully it wasn't too crowded yet. We sat at the shared bar space, which was a little cumbersome to dine at.My S/O and I both ordered a la carte, both Large portions of the Kobe and Angus Beef. It came with rice and a small plate of veggies. It was just enough for me. The soup was very bland, even after boiling all the veggies and meat. Don't get the Tonkotsu base, it's not worth paying the extra $4. Make sure to add green onion and garlic to your ponzu sauce for some much needed flavor. Shoutout to the meat slicer that night. He was very friendly and considerate.Overall, I don't think I'd come back specifically to dine at Shabuway. For the price, it wasn't great, especially with so many other options around.
The broth was good! I'm a spice-a-holic, especially when it comes to soup, and this broth was delicious! We ordered the extra spicy miso and added more of their Japanese chilli paste and it was just tingly enough to get my tastebuds singing. The meat was great, I would order more veggies (specifically the pumpkin and mushrooms) next time.Portions were "small" I guess? My dining partners were a little miffed, I finished my plates without any problem I'm a very light eater... Overall, it was a great experience for a newbie like me, and the definitely the best shabu shabu I've had so far.