Tabu Shabu North Park - S San Diego

Mostly everything served is very fresh. Food, service, and atmosphere are all very nice. The hosts are professional and fun. They are clearly excited to share this type of Japanese inspired fare as well as their love for it. The flavors here are simple. Each veg or protein has a distinctive flavor and texture that are clean, bright and are standouts by themselves. The broths range from light and simple to sturdy and complex. Taken together, the combination of unique flavors is the main attraction with their version of shabu-shabu. I say, their version overall because the vibe here feels like shabu-shabu through the eyes of a West-coaster. The sauces are amped-up rather than subtle and the veg portion sizes are sorely lacking relative to a traditional setting. I guess it shouldn 't shock me that this is a chain found on the West coast with a few locations in TX. Don 't expect to get out of here for less than $50/person. Think more like $50-70 per person. They do offer a 20%-off happy hour from 5pm-6pm, Monday through Friday as well as a return customer discount of %10-off.

Great spot, good food, great service. Just let them give you the full shpeel the first time we missed some of the can sub this for that things because we went with our Taiwanese friend and had no questions. I do like taking the free rice home cooked down with the juice at the end but it also leaves a really saucey lots of rice for the week. Did really like it; but, we 'll probably go to one of the other spots on Convoy or a North Park sushi spot. Personally, I don 't like the counter seating and having to look at my friend/spouse beside me the whole meal I like to look AT the person I 'm dining with but I 'll take that as personal preference.

I had the best hot pot experience at Tabu Shabu in North Park! Went with chicken as the protein and miso broth—both were perfect. The fresh ramen noodles were a standout, and the veggies were spot on. Huge shoutout to our server, Steven, who was amazing throughout the entire meal. His service was top-notch, going above and beyond. Also, major props to Luke, the guy with the coolest embroidered Tabu Shabu vest. I asked about merch, and though they didn’t have the exact shirt I wanted, Luke literally ran down the street to grab what I needed from their backup storage. That’s next-level customer service! Don’t miss their lychee dragon fruit sake dessert shot—absolute BOMB. Overall, an unforgettable experience, and I can’t recommend this place enough!

Absolutely amazing! Husband and I were walking down the street on a Saturday night looking for a place to eat and came across Tabu Shabu by chance. We were immediately greeted, asked if we had any allergies, and explained the process (we had never had hot pot). As soon as we tasted our food it was just an explosion of different tastes. There are really no words to describe how good it was! Just wow! Also, the service was outstanding! Everyone was very friendly and ensured we had everything we needed throughout the night. We also got a discount for wearing our Padres gear so that was nice. We will definitely be back with friends and family!

My partner and I just had the most WONDERFUL dinner here last night. First off, the shabu shabu was delicious! The vegetables were fresh and perfect, and the meat was melt-in-your-mouth good. I got the Kurobuta pork and my partner got the Wagyu Chuck Eye, and both of us loved them. But the real highlight of the night was the service! Everyone gave absolutely immaculate service and Luke, who helped us was the best. It was my partner's birthday, and he went above and beyond to make it a special night. He was so personable, asked immediately if we had any allergies, and his recommendations were spot on. Everyone else was super helpful, too. I don't think either of our glasses were ever empty, and everyone who helped us was just really lovely and generous with their service. We will absolutely be back, and have already recommended it to friends! Wish I could leave six stars!