Wagyu? All-you-can-eat? Count me in!
As big fans of Shabuya, we were intrigued at the idea of higher end hot pot at a higher end price. AYCE hot pot just warms the soul in a different way, and adding in some of the richest, fattiest cuts of meat? How can you go wrong!
For a two birthday celebration, we called ahead of time to reserve a table for six. I had to call a day before our visit to reduce the head count and they were more than accommodating. When we arrived early, they seated us right away, and came around quite often to take orders. There's a 90 minute time limit, but after 90 minutes our server said oh you have 30 more if you'd like. Top notch service all around.
Gyu Masu melds right into the architecture of Hilton Embassy Suites, adopting the contemporary elegance of modern hotel styling. It's very clean and quiet. The AC was a little strong, but I can imagine it would be a refreshing escape from hotter Kapolei nights. The little table got pretty tight with a full shabu shabu setup, so make sure you stack up your empty plates for service. Street parking is pretty easy out front, or find the second floor marked stalls behind the hotel.
There were seven cuts of wagyu to try, and you can order four at a time. The cuts are much thicker than other hot pot places, which we loved. Here's what we thought:
- Top Sirloin Butt - Had a fat line that tensed up and got noticeably tough compared to other cuts. Decent flavor.
- Top Round - My favorite, perfect balance of marbling and flavor.
- Short Plate - Thick fat cut that was just way too fatty for us.
- Short Rib - Wow, very distinct flavor and great marbling that was an overall favorite.
- Outside Skirt - Similar to short plate, so fatty and too rich.
- Brisket - Fatty marbled meat, thin and tender. A bit too rich for us.
- Chuck Roll - The least fatty and beefiest in flavor. Not my favorite but popular with those that like the beef!
We skipped the extra cost cuts, which I'm sure are amazing, but the included meats were plenty rich and decadent. We honed in on a couple favorite cuts and reordered those throughout our meal.
You can get up to two broths per pot, and we settled on miso and spicy garlic. They add wagyu tallow for amazing depth of flavor, and be careful with the spicy variants - it's got more kick than most places. Loved the broth here.
Also note that they add tofu, bokchoy, cabbage, and mushroom to the broth, so you can skip those in your first round.
Gotta say, the nabe ingredients do feel a little lacking compared to other places. "Mixed Mushrooms" were only quartered brown mushrooms - would be nice to have oyster, wood ear, or seafood mushrooms mixed in. Ramen, udon, and rice are staple starch options, but nothing special here like fresh or konjac noodles. Fish and shrimp are awesome options, but I regretted getting even one order of salmon, it was way too much (like a big 6in filet).
The cooked kitchen items are also mostly a trap. Be very careful about what you order, it's probably better to focus on the shabu wagyu for value. We had a couple of good items but were disappointed in others.
- Wagyu Pupu Steak - DELISH. Not the most tender, but absolutely popping with flavor and garnished with zesty green onions.
- Fried Shrimp Dumplings - Brah these shumai have big, juicy shrimp pieces and are fried til the wrappers are nice and crispy. Recommend.
- Ahi Poke - Previously frozen and stringy. The sauce was good, but the icy, low quality fish was not.
- Lemon Ginger Opakapaka - Dry, hard, severely overcooked. The seasoning has a strong artificial flavor. Skip this one.
You also get a free soft drink, which includes a variety of lemonade/limeade mixes. The limeades were very sour, and we had lilikoi, strawberry, and li hing flavors. Wonderful perk.
They also brought out slices of Japanese Style Souffle Cheesecake, two since we had two birthdays! Very light and fluffy texture with a rich and smooth cheesecake flavor, enhanced by a honey sauce that is brighter and sweeter than most. Very generous, as these are normally $5.50 per slice, but we would absolutely pay full price to get these again.
At $65 per person, it's a great deal, considering how many different wagyu cuts we got to try, and how many extra side options they have. It's an indulgent experience that is hard to treat like traditional hot pot, as the meat is exquisitely rich and hard to eat mountains of. I can't see it being a regular dining choice, but it's absolutely a worthwhile journey for special celebrations, or simply exploring high-end dishes at an affordable price. read more