Shabuway

Fast service, generous portions, and great meat quality. I’ve been there a couple of times and loved it!

One of my regular spots that I go to. Affordable, delicious shabu, in one of the greatest locations in the bay area. I recommend upgrading your vegetable plate to the California veggies, if you're a fan of mushrooms. The portions are great here, so even though the lunch special is 5oz, it's still plenty of food (and for only $15!). Highly recommend this place for shabu veterans and newcomers alike.

Yummy! A great hotpot dish restaurant. The Kobe beef, pork and lamb are delicious and the vegetable fresh. They thinly slice the meat as per order not pre-cut. Because of limited space, at peak time, expect some waiting time. it gets full fast.

This is my favorite restaurant for healthy lunch. If I don't ask too many bowls of white rice, Shabu-shabu hot pot is low-carb, high-protein meal with good amount of dietary fiber, therefore I go to Shabuway at least once a week. The owner always carefully purchases the quality meats. When he could receive a good quality of beef blocks, he recommends Angus beef, for example, with confidence even I was about to ask Kobe beef which is higher priced. The owner is such a honest guy yet low-key usually. The meats are such carefully chosen, and the sesame souse is the best part of this hot pot. I can buy several Shabu-shabu sauces from Japanese supermarkets but no one can beat Shabuway’s rich and flavorful sesame sauce. Because Shabu-shabu is a self-service cooking, you have to careful heating the thin-sliced meat in the boiling broth. I prefer nice and pink medium-rare cooked, so I tap the meat only for 2 to 3 seconds in the broth. If you cook too much, it loses the texture, flavor and fat then the meat turns like a piece of cardboard… so be careful for heating and find your most favorite. Have fun!

I love hot pot and probably can eat it once a week everywhere, especially of the weather is cold outside. I love AYCE Chinese style hot pots with all types of meats, vegetables and bunch of stuff you would not think taste good being boiled! However, I sometimes find that simplicity can be the best. Especially if it's just high quality kobe beef and savory broth. I've been coming to Shabuway for over 10 years and have even been to the old Mountain View location multiple times. The meat slicer- Enrique has been working here for 16years! A little bit over 20 dollars for dinner, a very satisfying meal Masks worn by staff. Hand sanitizers available. Parking moderate on street and garage.

Some of the tastiest shabu shabu beef I’ve ever had! They slice it fresh for you after you order and serve it with a plate of napa cabbage and other veggies.

Delicious meals. New way to try a soup, you can choose what to put in it, which sauces, meat and veggies. There are also dessert options. Typical Chinese restaurant with very good service and environment.

The meat is really good, its a fun experience if you have never gone. I shared it with my girlfriend since she does not eat much and I wasnt too hungry. However a plate for each would be good for the average person. Service was really good. A little pricy but again, you are also paying for the experience not just the food. Great place to take someone on a date.

Great place to meet with friends, not crowded Kids liked the noodles and meat (comes with the kids meal) Enjoyed hot sake and ramune soda

Lauren Pong

Some of the tastiest shabu shabu beef I’ve ever had! They slice it fresh for you after you order and serve it with a plate of napa cabbage and other veggies.

Yuki Kobayashi

This is my favorite restaurant for healthy lunch. If I don't ask too many bowls of white rice, Shabu-shabu hot pot is low-carb, high-protein meal with good amount of dietary fiber, therefore I go to Shabuway at least once a week. The owner always carefully purchases the quality meats. When he could receive a good quality of beef blocks, he recommends Angus beef, for example, with confidence even I was about to ask Kobe beef which is higher priced. The owner is such a honest guy yet low-key usually. The meats are such carefully chosen, and the sesame souse is the best part of this hot pot. I can buy several Shabu-shabu sauces from Japanese supermarkets but no one can beat Shabuway’s rich and flavorful sesame sauce. Because Shabu-shabu is a self-service cooking, you have to careful heating the thin-sliced meat in the boiling broth. I prefer nice and pink medium-rare cooked, so I tap the meat only for 2 to 3 seconds in the broth. If you cook too much, it loses the texture, flavor and fat then the meat turns like a piece of cardboard… so be careful for heating and find your most favorite. Have fun!

Donny Pusawong

I love hot pot and probably can eat it once a week everywhere, especially of the weather is cold outside. I love AYCE Chinese style hot pots with all types of meats, vegetables and bunch of stuff you would not think taste good being boiled! However, I sometimes find that simplicity can be the best. Especially if it's just high quality kobe beef and savory broth. I've been coming to Shabuway for over 10 years and have even been to the old Mountain View location multiple times. The meat slicer- Enrique has been working here for 16years! A little bit over 20 dollars for dinner, a very satisfying meal Masks worn by staff. Hand sanitizers available. Parking moderate on street and garage.

Paula Aguerreberry

Delicious meals. New way to try a soup, you can choose what to put in it, which sauces, meat and veggies. There are also dessert options. Typical Chinese restaurant with very good service and environment.

Mario Morquecho

The meat is really good, its a fun experience if you have never gone. I shared it with my girlfriend since she does not eat much and I wasnt too hungry. However a plate for each would be good for the average person. Service was really good. A little pricy but again, you are also paying for the experience not just the food. Great place to take someone on a date.

J L

Great place to meet with friends, not crowded Kids liked the noodles and meat (comes with the kids meal) Enjoyed hot sake and ramune soda

My favorite hot pot place of all time. Highest quality meat for the price, love the Tonkotsu broth, and love ponzu sauce. The American Kobe beef is a must get! Definitely an underrated place!

The meat quality is very good. The most expensive AYCE option is definitely worth it if you are hungry and the waiters will make sure that you are fed, even when it is packed. Soups could be more flavorful but the sauces provided at the table make up for it.

Amanda Chiang

My favorite hot pot place of all time. Highest quality meat for the price, love the Tonkotsu broth, and love ponzu sauce. The American Kobe beef is a must get! Definitely an underrated place!

Yuqio L

Fast service, generous portions, and great meat quality. I’ve been there a couple of times and loved it!

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.

James LionlyLion

The meat quality is very good. The most expensive AYCE option is definitely worth it if you are hungry and the waiters will make sure that you are fed, even when it is packed. Soups could be more flavorful but the sauces provided at the table make up for it.

I've only been to this location for their lunch specials. My coworker and I always order the same thing: spicy broth and the Kobe American Lean beef! I love the homemade sesame and ponzu dipping sauces but if you only like one of them you can ask for a substitution.

Got introduced to hot pot here. The meat and vegetable selections were pretty diverse and my favorite was their spicy curry base which had a good kick to it without being crazy spicy. Usually there is a wait to get in here, but once you are in the service is pretty fast.

I enjoyed the broth and despite the requirement to get an entree before ordering any side plates, it was an economical version of hot pot for 4 people (one vegetarian) in my experience. I especially liked the peanut dipping sauce that was on the table without needing to request.

Came by on a Friday night around 6:30 pm and they weren't too busy but chances are, you may have to sit at a shared area like the bar or a large table. Fresh meat and the meal comes with fresh veggies as well. The smaller size is probably sufficient for most people but if you're looking for more protein, they have a large size as well!

Great quality of meat. The ventilation needs to be improved. Service is good. Overall needs to be remodeled.

Liked it~ the quantity was generous and for lunch (even on weekends) you just pay around $11.50 per person. As we were 2, we chose 1 plate of beef and 1 pork and both were delicious. The only thing we didn't like was the spicy broth, the regular one was ok (although not good for a soup). The service was nice but we had to ask for water several times. I would come back next time :) go for a walk at the Japanese garden afterwards to suggest! *quick edit: lunch menu is only available o weekdays now, but on weekends you can get a similar deal for $12.25~

Good food and now available for delivery on Doordash. How wonderful is that! However, can't help but notice the meat portion is smaller (first pic) compare to last time I ordered (second pic).

We came here on a weekday night and it wasn't too busy. Got the miso broth and combo of beef and lamb with regular vegetables. It was all good, just enough food for me (a little too much, I didn't finish everything), but my friend got the same thing then ordered an extra plate of beef. There's a ponzu and a peanut sauce to dip and those are both good. Casual, easy going place.

Japanese hotpot is my comfort food. The American Kobe is my choice at a good price for under $20.

Jean Tsou

Great quality of meat. The ventilation needs to be improved. Service is good. Overall needs to be remodeled.

Cecilia Chung

Liked it~ the quantity was generous and for lunch (even on weekends) you just pay around $11.50 per person. As we were 2, we chose 1 plate of beef and 1 pork and both were delicious. The only thing we didn't like was the spicy broth, the regular one was ok (although not good for a soup). The service was nice but we had to ask for water several times. I would come back next time :) go for a walk at the Japanese garden afterwards to suggest! *quick edit: lunch menu is only available o weekdays now, but on weekends you can get a similar deal for $12.25~

Jinxin Ma

Good food and now available for delivery on Doordash. How wonderful is that! However, can't help but notice the meat portion is smaller (first pic) compare to last time I ordered (second pic).

Liza Glow

We came here on a weekday night and it wasn't too busy. Got the miso broth and combo of beef and lamb with regular vegetables. It was all good, just enough food for me (a little too much, I didn't finish everything), but my friend got the same thing then ordered an extra plate of beef. There's a ponzu and a peanut sauce to dip and those are both good. Casual, easy going place.

D Men

Japanese hotpot is my comfort food. The American Kobe is my choice at a good price for under $20.

Went in on a Tuesday eve and the place was pretty busy. Ended up at the counter. Couldn’t get 1/2 & 1/2 broth at the counter. They also had no Ice Coffee. Ordered Kobi beef and veggies as well as Udon. Udon was never brought. Flavors were pretty good but service was average at best.

I enjoyed the food and atmosphere, but service seemed very disorganized and threw away my food without asking if I wanted to box it. They tried to make up for it, but it's not the same as your custom soup flavor from placing all the ingredients over time.

The soup base is kind of bland and the service is mediocre. Overall the experience isn't terrible but I don't plan to come again because what I get just doesn't deserve the price.

Try the American Kobe. Vegetables were crispy and fresh. Rice was to sticky and over cooked. Super crowded. Broth was weak. Lots of food. Very noisy and parking is a challenge.

Meat quality is pretty decent, but unfortunately thought everything else (especially broth and vegetables) was a bit lacking (taste for the broth, variety for the vegetables). I think there are much better other options for hotpot/shabu shabu for similar prices in San Mateo.

I can see why this place is no longer getting customers. The quality of everything just has plummeted. I remember when Shabuway first came into the Bay Area and there were lines around the block. Well today, the competition is high. You need to serve great fresh meat, broth with depth, and other side dishes and dippables... and Shabuway just hasn't kept up with any. Really felt bad being the only customer there. Hope they turn it around.

The food is awesome but they've gotten a cheap on the vegetables I got one little piece of broccoli and two shoots of asparagus that they chopped in it 1inch pieces and they used a lot of cabbage as a filler to make it look like you got a bunch of vegetables they didn't used to be like that not with the last owners little disappointing but it's still one of my favorite places but I always feel like I'm settling when I go there

Chris Stanyan

The food is awesome but they've gotten a cheap on the vegetables I got one little piece of broccoli and two shoots of asparagus that they chopped in it 1inch pieces and they used a lot of cabbage as a filler to make it look like you got a bunch of vegetables they didn't used to be like that not with the last owners little disappointing but it's still one of my favorite places but I always feel like I'm settling when I go there

This place has gone downhill. It’s in need of at least a deep clean. The meat was mediocre. Service was friendly but they need more training, for example to remove dishes as people are finished with them. Also beware, they attempt to get a tip on the taxes. Their receipt shows suggested tips based on the total amount after tax, not the actual amount. Would not return.

I used to love this place, but the food quantity(amount) has gone down so much. I used to order medium size and at the end of my meal, I felt full and content, but last time I went- I had to order a large, but still didn't feel full. They don't give noodles anymore either :( The broth was still good and the quality of meat was good as well.

Sora

I used to love this place, but the food quantity(amount) has gone down so much. I used to order medium size and at the end of my meal, I felt full and content, but last time I went- I had to order a large, but still didn't feel full. They don't give noodles anymore either :( The broth was still good and the quality of meat was good as well.

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.

I really wanted to like this place, but just not a great experience. The guy behind the counter kept on taking my plate away before I was done, and they don’t even give you a plate or bowl unless you ask. AYCE is pricy, and the meat is average quality. Was here on a rainy day and almost slipped on the wet floor because the staff didn’t think to mop the wet floor. I like supporting small local restaurants, but I don’t know if I will be back.

Wei-Ai Tai

I really wanted to like this place, but just not a great experience. The guy behind the counter kept on taking my plate away before I was done, and they don’t even give you a plate or bowl unless you ask. AYCE is pricy, and the meat is average quality. Was here on a rainy day and almost slipped on the wet floor because the staff didn’t think to mop the wet floor. I like supporting small local restaurants, but I don’t know if I will be back.

The meat was delicious! However the broth was meh and the veggies weren't really good or fresh. The service was pretty bad. I felt rushed the whole time and there weren't people there. In addition it was quiet like we were eating in a library. Best to go with a bunch of people you like so it can be lively. I don't think I'd go again to this particular place.

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"?

Biggest scam in the world. Should have walked out when I had the chance. Sharing is impossible because they charge $10 in sharing and soup fees. That's practically paying for .4 of another plate of meat. The meat is subpar. It is meat. It exists. You can chew it to gain protein in your diet. Of course, one can't just live on protein, so they'll give you a small plate of 2 small bok choys and a fingerful of cabbage and call that your serving of veggies for the day. Don't even get me started on the broth. The "traditional seaweed water" was tasteless. I tried the seaweed and it was no different from munching on my phone case. Their miso is also not miso. I paid for overpriced food so you don't have to.

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.

Firstly, the coupon from them didn't say it is not valid on weekend. Secondly, there is only one waitress, which makes making request for a very very long time. Thirdly, and the most important thing, the beef they provide is too old. I even doubt if I understood the word "prime" correctly.

Food was decent the staff was alright I felt rushed I didn’t get to look at the menu or decided what I wanted the pot was to far away I keep dropping food I heard other customers trash talking me it was an over all bad experience all around I could have ordered little side things got exactly what I wanted I was forced into what was forced on me 😡🤬

Tasteless broth. Really way below my expectations. Was craving for some hot pot and decided to try a different place from our regular list of hot pot places. We ordered a Kobe beef set and a Pork set. Chose the half half pot, one of which is spicy miso and one is the seaweed broth. The meat didn't taste that fresh. The broth was just bad. Both the spicy miso and the seaweed was bad. The seaweed broth tasted more like just plain water. Thankfully the sauce they provided taste pretty good, we were dunking the meat endlessly for more taste. It's pretty disappointing given that for hotpot places, their key two focus are awesome broth and fresh meat. Unfortunately, both did not quite work out when we visit. Will certainly be my first and last visit. Decent service and ambience but can't make it up for the poor soup base n meat.

This is so sad!!!! Is it so hard to open a hotpot restaurant and you do your job to make sure your soup base is good? You have nothing to do but make sure your soup is good right?! But no sorry, this place is awful experience!!! So I had spicy miso, taste like water. I’m not even joking!!! And I asked them “can this be more flavorful? “ I mean add more miso into it. But they said no can do. They gave me more soup base but still taste the same. The quality of meat is so bad too. Kobe beef and angus beef. Taste like cardboard box. This is so sad. I love hot pot. But this place you can skip for sure.

Cassie K

This is so sad!!!! Is it so hard to open a hotpot restaurant and you do your job to make sure your soup base is good? You have nothing to do but make sure your soup is good right?! But no sorry, this place is awful experience!!! So I had spicy miso, taste like water. I’m not even joking!!! And I asked them “can this be more flavorful? “ I mean add more miso into it. But they said no can do. They gave me more soup base but still taste the same. The quality of meat is so bad too. Kobe beef and angus beef. Taste like cardboard box. This is so sad. I love hot pot. But this place you can skip for sure.

Service is average but the food is just so bad given the ayce price. The meat is not tender at all and doesn’t taste fresh.

Stan

Service is average but the food is just so bad given the ayce price. The meat is not tender at all and doesn’t taste fresh.