Jazz Cat Cafe

Quite good for hotpot. My regular is spicy tomato T-Rex style. Staff is friendly and despite it being hotpot, temperature, smoke, and smell are well managed. I like this location better than their City of Industry location, but both are good.

Good personal hotpot & rice bowls. I ordered a hotpot with wagyu beef + kimchi soup + satay sauce + golden fish balls. The satay was great, the soup was spicy but a bit bland, but the wagyu beef wasn't as spectacular as I'd hoped (which is understandable considering you shouldn't order wagyu outside of Japan.) The golden fish balls were awesome, definitely recommend. We also ordered a shrimp donburi (shrimp rice bowl) which was quite good, albeit a bit sweet. The only downside was we had to wait 2 hours in the cold for an 8-person table.

Went here for my first time 12/23/2021 it was amazing they have around 20 different types of soup bases! They have the option for more meat or more veggies with their Shabu. You can get away with spending 25-30 per person unless you want to get excess appetizers and desserts. The main meal itself is very filling. Most of their soup bases are pork but there are many that you can substitute as vegetarian. The meat quality is excellent. I tried the cream corn, it was amazing! They do free refills on broth but charge $1.25 for more rice. Overall it was a great experience and I would go back to try their other broths.

Great place. So, if you're looking to have a good conversation over good food, this is the place for you. Just beware that your jacket is gonna smell right after. If you're a meat lover, you should order trex. More meat, less veggies, same price. Good value forsure!

I was introduced to this place by my friend and former roommate Kenny. This place has great menu options, great food but also just the style and presentation. Having the meat and vegetables not already in the pot allow you to just eat at your own pace and not have to rush like boiling point before the jelly burns up. You get to choose your meat, the portion size, then the broth, and then the sauce(s). It's got hot plates so you can adjust the heat and enjoy your meal and music which isn't too loud. Their portion description is great, regular or T-Rex portions (less vege, more meat). Parking is underground because outside parking is usually taken. But definitely came back to this place a few times.

There are a lot of soup options for hotpot. My favorite sauce combo would have to be the ponzu and Thai spicy. The vegetables and meats were portioned very well. My friends and I all went for the t-rex option, which meant a bigger portion of the meat. It was a rainy day that night, which was probably why the place wasn't too crowded. For parking, its pretty difficult to park ground level, so you would most likely have to park in the underground parking lot. If you're in the heart of San Gabriel Valley, definitely give this place a try.

One of the best meals I've had in a while. The spicy miso broth with the ribeye and additional seafood combo with udon noodle add-on was on point! Didn't leave me feeling gross with food coma. Their mango sorbet was also good.

Love love LOVE!! Jazz Cat Restaurant is the place to go to if you're craving some delicious Taiwanese hot pot. Their premium Angus beef is by far my favorite meat on their menu! It's so soft and juicy that I cant even!! They've got a gigantic selection of soup bases for anyone and everyone. And dont even get me started on their sauce selection. How do they stock so many?! Definitely try the golden fishball appetizer. So good. Also, pitchers of fresh watermelon juice? WHAT IS BETTER THAN THAT! Oh right, boba/milk tea. Basically they have the everything you would want if you're craving a Taiwanese feast. This place does not disappoint! Check them out!

For sure we'll be back. The larger size was too cray, we may even share next time, but it was awesome to have two meats and two sauces. I might opt for two pots your first time with different meats as well. Hella bomb, super good.

A nice place, cook your own in a soup base pot, this is my first time here, I like it

Unique fusion shabu that you can customize to to taste buds. Excellent food, coupled with exception service, make your dinner worthwhile.

I cannot give this place enough praise. Flavor explosion and really effective service. Honestly looking forward to making my way back here.

Ivan Paw

Went here for my first time 12/23/2021 it was amazing they have around 20 different types of soup bases! They have the option for more meat or more veggies with their Shabu. You can get away with spending 25-30 per person unless you want to get excess appetizers and desserts. The main meal itself is very filling. Most of their soup bases are pork but there are many that you can substitute as vegetarian. The meat quality is excellent. I tried the cream corn, it was amazing! They do free refills on broth but charge $1.25 for more rice. Overall it was a great experience and I would go back to try their other broths.

Jonathan Prawiromaruto

Great place. So, if you're looking to have a good conversation over good food, this is the place for you. Just beware that your jacket is gonna smell right after. If you're a meat lover, you should order trex. More meat, less veggies, same price. Good value forsure!

Ce Li

I was introduced to this place by my friend and former roommate Kenny. This place has great menu options, great food but also just the style and presentation. Having the meat and vegetables not already in the pot allow you to just eat at your own pace and not have to rush like boiling point before the jelly burns up. You get to choose your meat, the portion size, then the broth, and then the sauce(s). It's got hot plates so you can adjust the heat and enjoy your meal and music which isn't too loud. Their portion description is great, regular or T-Rex portions (less vege, more meat). Parking is underground because outside parking is usually taken. But definitely came back to this place a few times.

emi

There are a lot of soup options for hotpot. My favorite sauce combo would have to be the ponzu and Thai spicy. The vegetables and meats were portioned very well. My friends and I all went for the t-rex option, which meant a bigger portion of the meat. It was a rainy day that night, which was probably why the place wasn't too crowded. For parking, its pretty difficult to park ground level, so you would most likely have to park in the underground parking lot. If you're in the heart of San Gabriel Valley, definitely give this place a try.

A G

One of the best meals I've had in a while. The spicy miso broth with the ribeye and additional seafood combo with udon noodle add-on was on point! Didn't leave me feeling gross with food coma. Their mango sorbet was also good.

Mikey Chang

Love love LOVE!! Jazz Cat Restaurant is the place to go to if you're craving some delicious Taiwanese hot pot. Their premium Angus beef is by far my favorite meat on their menu! It's so soft and juicy that I cant even!! They've got a gigantic selection of soup bases for anyone and everyone. And dont even get me started on their sauce selection. How do they stock so many?! Definitely try the golden fishball appetizer. So good. Also, pitchers of fresh watermelon juice? WHAT IS BETTER THAN THAT! Oh right, boba/milk tea. Basically they have the everything you would want if you're craving a Taiwanese feast. This place does not disappoint! Check them out!

Rick James! Chatas

For sure we'll be back. The larger size was too cray, we may even share next time, but it was awesome to have two meats and two sauces. I might opt for two pots your first time with different meats as well. Hella bomb, super good.

jake wong

A nice place, cook your own in a soup base pot, this is my first time here, I like it

Anthony Do

Unique fusion shabu that you can customize to to taste buds. Excellent food, coupled with exception service, make your dinner worthwhile.

Chef Amanda

I cannot give this place enough praise. Flavor explosion and really effective service. Honestly looking forward to making my way back here.

Love this place! I had to try a few pots before I found the one I loved but it was worth the wait! I originally was okay with the spicy pork broth and the herbal essence (?) But thennnnnn!! I tried the creamy milk & corn pot and I really liked that. So unique and I like that they are very generous on the corn. The other one that's also good is the seafood essence. Tip 1: you can try one flavor of soup and if you don't like it, you can change it! Tip 2: try the golden fish balls! So good.

Amazing soups!!!! Make your own style soup and premade as well, But come on!! We are all here to cook our soups!!! Great service all around, the servers come by and ask politely if we need help , and the atmosphere is pretty nice Had the mongol herb since I was sick. Made me feel better , 10/10 would mongol soup make again

Linh Yeh

Love this place! I had to try a few pots before I found the one I loved but it was worth the wait! I originally was okay with the spicy pork broth and the herbal essence (?) But thennnnnn!! I tried the creamy milk & corn pot and I really liked that. So unique and I like that they are very generous on the corn. The other one that's also good is the seafood essence. Tip 1: you can try one flavor of soup and if you don't like it, you can change it! Tip 2: try the golden fish balls! So good.

Pedro rosete

Amazing soups!!!! Make your own style soup and premade as well, But come on!! We are all here to cook our soups!!! Great service all around, the servers come by and ask politely if we need help , and the atmosphere is pretty nice Had the mongol herb since I was sick. Made me feel better , 10/10 would mongol soup make again

Good shabu comes with nice customer service. The only thing I do not like really much is their music. People call their restaurant "Jazz Cat" for a reason. I heard full album of jazz when I was in Jazz Cat in Rowland Heights. It is not big a deal, food is the most important 😂

I've been here numerous times before the pandemic, it was our go to hot pot restaurants. This was our first visit back since the pandemic, I believe they just opened back up. Service was meh, our meat came out 15 mins after the broth and veggies. Their seafood essence soup is my favorite. I feel the meat quality is not the same as before. I ordered Australian wagyu today and it was tough and chewy. It needs to be sliced thinner and have less tendon. Overall, I will be back, but I hope their meat quality will improve.

Chilled Japanese Beer, great service! Next time Hot Pot!!

Classic hot pot with a twist. Many different broths. Meats are on point. Onion rings were actually really good! Hard to go wrong here. It isn't as crowded as before either.

Great hot pot! Always get "t-rex"! They give more meat and excludes a few of their vegetable items. Totally worth it. You choose your soup base, type of meat, and sauces. I get Seafood Essence + Beef and Satay and Sesame sauce. So good. You can also ask for minced garlic, chives and cilantro on the side to mix into your sauce. Don't forget GOLDEN FISH BALLS! Make sure you specify that it's the appetizer and not the side. It's deep fried goodness with fish roe inside and basil. My fave.

I really enjoy the hot pot at Jazz Cat. I'm sure there are other restaurants around like it, but I can only speak of this one. For someone who likes the idea of hot pot, but doesn't want to share a pot with others and be stuck with the same soup base, this is definitely the place to go. You get your own individual pot and get to choose from various soups, what kind of meat and sauce you want, and whatever other add in's. I also like that they have a variety of fruit and milk tea drinks that are actually decent and not crappy quality. This is food I'll randomly crave every so often, especially during the cooler season.

It's a good place for a quick hot pot fix but lacking a bit of flavor. Services is good though.

A lot of different soup bases to choose from, great place to try something new. A lot of choices for teas, overall good well rounded menu for a shabu shabu. Odd thing I found about the place was the table layouts, you will have a fast time seating 2-3 people. For some strange reason they have quite a few tables for 3 people. We waited oddly longer cause of this, something to keep in mind when you bring friends.

Ugh... I stressed in the passed that I hate eating hotpot with a passion, but eating with my friend makes eating hotpot fun. If you need help eating hotpot, she can give you the lowdown on eating hotpot. Parking: If you can't find parking on the top, there is plenty of parking in the underground parking structure! Ambiance/Decor: Feels relaxing and intimate with the people that you are with. Dim lights and clean and modern interior makes this place a winner. Service: Service and wait time to get a seat can be slow depending on when you come, but that is expected. Other than that, servers are very attentive and friendly How to order hot pot: 1) Choice of meat (A lot of choices to choose from) I usually get the beef or the lamb. Tip: Get the t-rex if you are a meat eater. Downside to this is that you get less vegetables, but it is worth it! It's also the same price as the regular. 2) Choice of soup base (there is a lot to choose from). I usually get the curry soup base. If your soup is low, the servers will happily refill it for you! 3) Sauces (I recommend getting the satay or the sesame sauce) Don't come here often, but when I do my tummy is a happy camper! Happy eating ya'll! :)

Great selection of broths and the T-rex option is great for meat lovers (get less veggies for more meat). Prices are decent for a regular night out. Come early because the wait could be quite long.

A good portion for $20 plus tax and tip; we went with the regular (more veggies) entrees and I selected Japanese Premium Kelp & Miso and my friend selected Healthy Premium Kelp & Chinese Herbal with taro add-on $4.50). We picked satay sesame and Thai satay sauces after the waiter’s recommendation. I wanted to try other flavors but Jazz Cat only allows one sauce selection. You can request hot chili oil and some green onions with cilantro on the side. It was a packed house and only about a 10 minute wait using the Yelp kiosk in the entrance. The broth was pretty good with plenty of miso flavor, and it does get saltier while it boils, and the waitress walks around to add clear soup to lessen the saltiness. The chicken tasted funky for some reason, and I don’t think they brought me lamb instead. I took the broth home and cooked it with shin ramyun noodles the next day, yum. 3.5 stars. Plenty of parking underneath the plaza, and he Sweethoney Dessert shop in the same plaza is still closed.

Loved the soup! We got a bit of everything...shrimp, lamb, steak. I tried the Taiwanese broth and it was spicy and full of flavor. It was great with all the meats. Loved the mushrooms and other veggies!

The broth and meats were good. I like how they have a decent variety and fairly unique flavors such as Rose Cream or Lavender Cream. I tried their Rose cream broth and though it was pretty good as the hint of rose paired well with the rich creamy texture and adding the meat and the Japanese Spicy sesame sauce just ties in all the flavors. I do wish that they gave us more fishballs (both quantity and variety) and vegetable as the meal is like $15. The amount of meat is decent but I do expect a bit more for the price.

The waiters were nice. The soup has a nice flavor but the meat is a bit lower quality than before.

Great and cozy place to have hotpot. I wish the items could be slightly more. However one set is enough for one person.

Kevin Kwak

A good portion for $20 plus tax and tip; we went with the regular (more veggies) entrees and I selected Japanese Premium Kelp & Miso and my friend selected Healthy Premium Kelp & Chinese Herbal with taro add-on $4.50). We picked satay sesame and Thai satay sauces after the waiter’s recommendation. I wanted to try other flavors but Jazz Cat only allows one sauce selection. You can request hot chili oil and some green onions with cilantro on the side. It was a packed house and only about a 10 minute wait using the Yelp kiosk in the entrance. The broth was pretty good with plenty of miso flavor, and it does get saltier while it boils, and the waitress walks around to add clear soup to lessen the saltiness. The chicken tasted funky for some reason, and I don’t think they brought me lamb instead. I took the broth home and cooked it with shin ramyun noodles the next day, yum. 3.5 stars. Plenty of parking underneath the plaza, and he Sweethoney Dessert shop in the same plaza is still closed.

L S

Loved the soup! We got a bit of everything...shrimp, lamb, steak. I tried the Taiwanese broth and it was spicy and full of flavor. It was great with all the meats. Loved the mushrooms and other veggies!

Chelsea Josette Dy

The broth and meats were good. I like how they have a decent variety and fairly unique flavors such as Rose Cream or Lavender Cream. I tried their Rose cream broth and though it was pretty good as the hint of rose paired well with the rich creamy texture and adding the meat and the Japanese Spicy sesame sauce just ties in all the flavors. I do wish that they gave us more fishballs (both quantity and variety) and vegetable as the meal is like $15. The amount of meat is decent but I do expect a bit more for the price.

Chloe Lau

The waiters were nice. The soup has a nice flavor but the meat is a bit lower quality than before.

Sorta Verawaty

Great and cozy place to have hotpot. I wish the items could be slightly more. However one set is enough for one person.

Fun experience. Food was decent. The veg and produce were lacking and not fresh. Shrimp were huge, all fish was frozen and not cleaned. Wait staff was attentive for water and pot refills.

If I was a Shabu Shabu fan in general, I'd give it 4 stars. But since I'm only just OK on this type of meal (I prefer hot pot), 3 stars is a pretty good rating in my book for this place. Their pricing is very competitive to other shabu places since for $13 you can choose to have more MEAT and less veggies for the same price. Go go T-Rex! There's also plenty of broths and sauces to choose from and I did enjoy my Japanese Cream Miso. My bf got the Rose Milk and it had real rose buds in the broth which he didn't bother trying lol. Typically shabu shabu sets doesn't seem like a lot of food, but once you get going, the hot broth slows your eating pace and you end up REALLY full. (At least for me!) So the portion of the meal + the price is really decent for a shabu shabu place. The WAIT, however, is a different story. Geez, there's so many people that wait here. But when you actually get seated, you'll notice that there are PLENTY of tables left. So what's the deal? Are their staff to slow in seating? Can they clean faster? Do they want the whole world to see that there's an insane line? I don't know. But there shouldn't be a reason why it takes so long to get seated. In addition to the long wait, people are forced to STAND in the lobby or sit outside in the curb. Come on. At least install a bench on that cushy wall and let the older generation rest their feet! People are not sardines, and you shouldn't pack them in the lobby like they are. TL;dr : ++ for price and portion Mega - points for wait time + lack of seating in lobby

make sure to check in before on Yelp so you don't have to wait too long! I ordered the Spicy miso T-rex premium meat (which means you get more meat and less veggies) I think it's more worth it to get this because it's the same price as regular except you get way more meat and even though they cut down the veggies it didn't feel like they did at all. Overall the meat quality isn't the best but this is good if you are just in the mood for individual hot pot thats not super pricey

The food is good, and portions are big, the style of being served is unique, such that you are cooking the soup over your own personal electric stove top haha. That being said, there really wasn't anything about it that was great, in terms of flavors. It was fairly pricey as well, looking at close to 20 dollars after tax and tip per bowl of soup, and that's not including if you want to add any extras. For that price point, I think that the flavors didn't stand out enough... There may be a bit of hype here because of how you get to prepare the food, but I'm certain there are other ramen and pho places that sell much better tasting bowls of soup or noodles for much cheaper.

Went here today with my friend. I got the beef lunch special (11.99 for 5oz of meat) with Japanese miso broth and Thai satay sauce. When the Thai satay sauce came I tasted it and it had an overwhelming Chinese oyster sauce taste. It was nothing similar to a Thai taste at all so I exchanged it for a Japanese spicy sesame sauce. Do not get the Japanese miso broth, it was way too salty and was not drinkable. This particular broth also easily created scum when you added the vegetables and meats to the soup while my friend's broth was fine.

Stopped here for an early dinner around 5:30pm on a Sunday and my party of 2 was quickly seated without a wait. We both ordered the T-Rex size portion for the beef, which meant we got more meat and less veggies. Here's how it works: (1) Choose a meat (regular or T-Rex size) (2) Choose a broth (3) Choose a sauce There is a great selection of broths to choose from, so if you can't decide ask for a recommendation. We ordered the milk and corn broth and the Japanese spicy miso broth. The milk and corn broth is quite heavy but a bit lacking in flavor (aka saltiness) and the miso tasted the same as any miso soup with a bit of a spicy kick. The meat was fresh and the veggies were a bit skimpy. Each shabu pot is $13.98. You may not be full with the portion they give you, but you can order more meat and sides. They also have other cooked foods. Overall, the shabu was just your standard shabu. Head to little sheep or boiling point if you want more flavorful broths.

First time ate at this restaurant. They have parking building so that's good. There was long waiting period. We got seated at a table w booth nearby to the entrance and the chairs felt funny, sinking feeling. We ordered the most expensive set from their menu and the taste were okay. Customer service was good. Prices are kinda expensive.

I ordered the donburi (?) rice bowl. It would be good to order but I couldn't taste the toppings on top of the rice because the rice was so moist that I would say it was wet; not wet as in it has moisture, but wet as in it's wet enough to be further cooked into rice soup (jook). (Depicted: only what's in the bowl comes with the bowl)

Un known

First time ate at this restaurant. They have parking building so that's good. There was long waiting period. We got seated at a table w booth nearby to the entrance and the chairs felt funny, sinking feeling. We ordered the most expensive set from their menu and the taste were okay. Customer service was good. Prices are kinda expensive.

social3ngin33rin

I ordered the donburi (?) rice bowl. It would be good to order but I couldn't taste the toppings on top of the rice because the rice was so moist that I would say it was wet; not wet as in it has moisture, but wet as in it's wet enough to be further cooked into rice soup (jook). (Depicted: only what's in the bowl comes with the bowl)

Is this hot pot or stir fry? No joke, there was about 1.5 inches of soup in my pot, and that may be a generous estimate. I put in my shrimp ball and half of it stuck out of the soup. So, do they expect me to turn it over after a couple minutes to heat up the other side? If you ask for more soup, they bring by the standard msg-filled soup base for every pot, which dilutes the flavor. There's no point of ordering Thai Spicy if I have to ask them for the same amount of MSG Soup. If there's a lack of good soup base, it evaporates as you eat. So after 20-30 minutes of slowly, supposedly enjoying your food, your soup base is going to turn into a salty minefield. Not to mention there's no sauce station. Yes, you have to order your particular sauce, and then ask for garlic/cilantro/green onion plate. The sesame sauce doesn't come with daikon. They offer 2 sizes at the same price (with no explanation on the menu). T-Rex increases the amount of meat at the expense of some veggies/balls. I will admit, the rib eye was on point. Unfortunately, to me, hot pot is all about 1. soup base, 2. sauce, 3. ingredients. When you mess up on 2 out of the 3, don't expect a passing grade. And, at $18 a person!

Jazz Cat what happened? I came back tonight after the reopen and everything was just off. We called to see how long the wait was and we were told there is no wait. We come in and they make us put our name down, when there were plenty of open tables. The broth I ordered was wrong, I didn't say anything and ate it anyway. The milk tea was terrible. I used to get two when I would come in. Even the appetizers was off. They literally gave us 7 long glass noodles per order and that was it. Terrible. My friend ordered hot tea and the waiter said it'll be $2.95. Umm....duh of course we have to pay for the tea. Super, super weird staff. Did the owner change? I'm so sad. Used to love this place. I know you guys closed temporarily due to Covid but come on. Tired of the Covid excuse. The staff changed and the place has gone downhill quick. No wonder there was not a long wait. Then they took my friends credit card and did not bring it back. Which she had to ask for it. Shady, she'll definitely monitor her account.

Haven't been to Jazz Cat in a long time because they normally have a long wait. My friend wanted to get hot pot and he suggested to go here because he saw that they had outdoor dining. Once we arrived, we realized that they didn't open outdoor dining for dinner. Probably because it's cold and nobody wanted to sit there? Ok, so we just had to eat inside. I ordered a premium beef with Taiwan satay broth. It didn't take them too long to bring our orders. I realized they have their own shape of hot pot that is the shape of a cat. That's pretty cute! What I like about this place goes downhill from here. The beef was not really cut for hot pot. They were too thick. They actually became tough once you cook them through. It's like three times the thickness of a normal hot pot beef slice that you could even get in a supermarket. On top of that the vegetable was not even cut to manageable size. I felt like they should give me a scissor so I could cut them myself. Were they that lazy to vegetables? My friend ordered a fried tofu as appetizer and it was not even crispy. All in all, the meal was just not great. At the end, both my friend and I agreed that we would not come back again. It's a disappointment because I used to have fond memories of this place. Maybe they have changed ownership? I am not sure why it has gone down so much. Anyway, it's sad to see a place that was once a good hot pot place to go down like this.

Grace Lee

Haven't been to Jazz Cat in a long time because they normally have a long wait. My friend wanted to get hot pot and he suggested to go here because he saw that they had outdoor dining. Once we arrived, we realized that they didn't open outdoor dining for dinner. Probably because it's cold and nobody wanted to sit there? Ok, so we just had to eat inside. I ordered a premium beef with Taiwan satay broth. It didn't take them too long to bring our orders. I realized they have their own shape of hot pot that is the shape of a cat. That's pretty cute! What I like about this place goes downhill from here. The beef was not really cut for hot pot. They were too thick. They actually became tough once you cook them through. It's like three times the thickness of a normal hot pot beef slice that you could even get in a supermarket. On top of that the vegetable was not even cut to manageable size. I felt like they should give me a scissor so I could cut them myself. Were they that lazy to vegetables? My friend ordered a fried tofu as appetizer and it was not even crispy. All in all, the meal was just not great. At the end, both my friend and I agreed that we would not come back again. It's a disappointment because I used to have fond memories of this place. Maybe they have changed ownership? I am not sure why it has gone down so much. Anyway, it's sad to see a place that was once a good hot pot place to go down like this.