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Wanted to check out another shabu place. This place is located next door to Yost theatre. Made a yelp reservation for 7pm and got seated at 7:30pm. It was very busy on a Saturday night and we had to wait even with a reservation. Lots of broth selection, but with an extra cost. They have hot drops that can be added in soup or sauce. The only thing we preferred was thicker cuts of salmon that we had at other places, but otherwise the shabu place was good. The beef was solid, but it would be nice to have a bit more veggies. Parking was hectic and the paid lot was full. We had to look for parking for about 10 minutes and ended up parking down the street a bit more. Very lively environment. Would come back, but maybe not on a Saturday night with so much going around the area. However, I may opt to go to our usual shabu place so we wouldn't have to deal with parking.
Meat was flesh but two dishes of sauce weren't meet my taste so as the hot pot. Service was good. Ambiance was small and dark.
My go-to non ayce shabu spot!! The food here always hits. They have alot of delicious and flavorful broths to choose from as well as alot of protein options from beef, lamb, and fish. They also have a garden plate for vegetarians so just about anyone will be able to eat here. Don't sleep on their drink menu either- the cocktails here are both pretty and delicious. Service here is always amazing; all of the staff is friendly and has great energy :) Parking here can be rough being in DTSA but there is a paid structure nearby. The inside seems a little dark and is only bar seating. There are tables outside for larger groups. The owner of Kaizen also owns Sonder next door so check that place out if you like the food here!
It was OC Restaurant Week, and the dinner combo was definitely worth trying. The restaurant itself is small and only has counter seating inside. Since my mom came along, we opted to sit at one of the tables outside instead. The deal included two combos, a bottle of sake, and ice cream for $35, which felt like a great value. I ordered sukiyaki for my broth. It was a tad sweet for my taste but still enjoyable. For my combo, I went with lamb and beef. As usual, I added my standard three drops of hot sauce to my dipping sauces, which gave it the extra kick I like. The combo came with both udon and clear noodles, which I really enjoyed, along with a good amount of veggies. After we finished our meal, we asked for the ice cream and were pleasantly surprised that it was actually a full-size cup. Overall, it was a good meal, the service was good, and it was definitely worth the price we paid.
Still love their beef broth which reminds me of pho. Recently found out you can combine broths too which I will definitely try next time Ribeye was a great cut and marbled well. Very easy to drink here too so be warned
Tried this place for their OC restaurant week menu and was super impressed by their delicious food and friendly service! Beef bone broth - essentially a pho broth, flavorful enough to season all the meats and veggies yet balanced enough to sip on Angus beef and lamb - marbeled meat with both very tender and flavorful in their own ways no complaints Sake - nice and hot with smooth flavors Ube ice cream - great dessert to close off the meal, not too sweet with coconut pieces in it too Service was attentive and so was the owner who kept checking in on us! Just fyi, the broth can take some time to prep and broth refills cost extra!
I thought this place was really good for the price but I thought the service was a little off... Also it was so dark in the back, I could barely see anything I do not recommend the shabu shabu because it really is just water, but they give you a lot of sauces so you could make your own. the spicy miso was really good Service was off because there was like 4 workers taking shots on the job with customers and the said workers were taking forever with service. At the end when we got our bill we didn't like the service (obviously) and therefore didn't think the tip deserved to be the ultimate highest. The server (who was taking shots) made a snarky comment back to us about not tipping high because we waited for awhile for certain items. Safe to say it's worth going to other places.
Easy to get the reservation and friendly service. We tried a couple of different meat cuts and they were all pretty good. Soup base has plenty of flavor.
Still my favorite shabu shabu go to spot ! Service is great and the quality of meat is good along with their broths! Their appetizers - chicken wings, calamari and tofu are amazing ! It's so crispy and flavorful!
Always a 5-star experience at Kaizen Shabu! The portions of meat and veggies are consistently generous, and the broth is incredibly flavorful. Service is always on point, and you cannot leave without trying the chicken karaage!
i think i've realized i like to make and eat my own hot pot! nothing negative about kaizen, food was great as well as service -- it just wasn't mindblowingly awesome to me. we ordered 2 soups each: spicy miso and sukiyaki and spicy miso and tonkotsu. for protein we got 5oz ribeye and 10z angus beef. lychee martini was yummers but too much syrup and juice.
First time here and was pleasantly surprised with the neat quality. I ordered the 5 oz. Angus Beef, which is considered the lower end of the beef offered on the menu. I really enjoyed the tenderness of the sliced beef. I ordered the spicy miso broth and brown rice which are included in the price. I really enjoyed the richness of the broth and would definitely order it again. I didn't find it too spicy at all...but you can add hot drops for free. My family member ordered sukiyaki broth for $1 more. It came with a raw egg for dipping. The sukiyaki was a bit light, and not as flavorful as some other places, but still tasted good. The set also came with Goma and ponzu dipping sauces and a bowl of veggies and noodles. Unfortunately no refills on veggies though...but enough for me. Service was friendly, and we were seated immediately with my Yelp reservation.
26 days ago
Second time coming here wayyy better. Came to heal from a hangover and it did its job and more. Tom yum broth is sooo good even my mans kept sipping from it and he got Beef Bone Broth lol. First time I came we both got Spicy Miso but it wasn't very memorable. Also, first time we came it was packed as sardines inside it was almost like a rave. No literally, DJ and everything haha. It was at night and very dark inside, dimly lit. Also hungover first time here, and the loud music wasn't helping. You kinda want it to be chill when you're hungover you know? Everyone else was vibing though! It looked lit. Everybody was drinking. Second time we came, it was chill and in the daytime. No crowd. Service was pleasant and quick because it wasn't busy. Def coming back for Tom Yum! read more
I could tell they were absolutely slammed since they were juggling 2 festivals in Santa Ana happening on the same day. Most of my positive rating goes towards the staff that was doing the best they could. If you are on a time crunch, make sure to ask how long the wait is. The staff gave me the impression we could be seated right away but I had to still wait over 20mins given other reservations ahead of us. Easily a one hour plus wait on a busy day as there isn't a ton of seating. Where I took off majority of my rating was the ratio of price to meat. After tip and tax, we neared the $100 range for 2 people, and this was without any additional sides. We had the prime ribeye, pork, and salmon, all at 5oz and roughly in the 10 slices range per plate. Comes with standard veggies and a few bites of udon/vermicelli. The quality was fine, but I just feel like I could get more at this price range at other places for just about the same quality range. Not to mention the experience itself is quite bland and standard, without much ambiance. I don't think I would personally be back. read more
1 month ago
Wanted to check out another shabu place. This place is located next door to Yost theatre. Made a yelp reservation for 7pm and got seated at 7:30pm. It was very busy on a Saturday night and we had to wait even with a reservation. Lots of broth selection, but with an extra cost. They have hot drops that can be added in soup or sauce. The only thing we preferred was thicker cuts of salmon that we had at other places, but otherwise the shabu place was good. The beef was solid, but it would be nice to have a bit more veggies. Parking was hectic and the paid lot was full. We had to look for parking for about 10 minutes and ended up parking down the street a bit more. Very lively environment. Would come back, but maybe not on a Saturday night with so much going around the area. However, I may opt to go to our usual shabu place so we wouldn't have to deal with parking. read more
7 days ago
Meat was flesh but two dishes of sauce weren't meet my taste so as the hot pot. Service was good. Ambiance was small and dark. read more
My go-to non ayce shabu spot!! The food here always hits. They have alot of delicious and flavorful broths to choose from as well as alot of protein options from beef, lamb, and fish. They also have a garden plate for vegetarians so just about anyone will be able to eat here. Don't sleep on their drink menu either- the cocktails here are both pretty and delicious. Service here is always amazing; all of the staff is friendly and has great energy :) Parking here can be rough being in DTSA but there is a paid structure nearby. The inside seems a little dark and is only bar seating. There are tables outside for larger groups. The owner of Kaizen also owns Sonder next door so check that place out if you like the food here! read more
It was OC Restaurant Week, and the dinner combo was definitely worth trying. The restaurant itself is small and only has counter seating inside. Since my mom came along, we opted to sit at one of the tables outside instead. The deal included two combos, a bottle of sake, and ice cream for $35, which felt like a great value. I ordered sukiyaki for my broth. It was a tad sweet for my taste but still enjoyable. For my combo, I went with lamb and beef. As usual, I added my standard three drops of hot sauce to my dipping sauces, which gave it the extra kick I like. The combo came with both udon and clear noodles, which I really enjoyed, along with a good amount of veggies. After we finished our meal, we asked for the ice cream and were pleasantly surprised that it was actually a full-size cup. Overall, it was a good meal, the service was good, and it was definitely worth the price we paid. read more
4 days ago
Still love their beef broth which reminds me of pho. Recently found out you can combine broths too which I will definitely try next time Ribeye was a great cut and marbled well. Very easy to drink here too so be warned read more
Tried this place for their OC restaurant week menu and was super impressed by their delicious food and friendly service! Beef bone broth - essentially a pho broth, flavorful enough to season all the meats and veggies yet balanced enough to sip on Angus beef and lamb - marbeled meat with both very tender and flavorful in their own ways no complaints Sake - nice and hot with smooth flavors Ube ice cream - great dessert to close off the meal, not too sweet with coconut pieces in it too Service was attentive and so was the owner who kept checking in on us! Just fyi, the broth can take some time to prep and broth refills cost extra! read more
I thought this place was really good for the price but I thought the service was a little off... Also it was so dark in the back, I could barely see anything I do not recommend the shabu shabu because it really is just water, but they give you a lot of sauces so you could make your own. the spicy miso was really good Service was off because there was like 4 workers taking shots on the job with customers and the said workers were taking forever with service. At the end when we got our bill we didn't like the service (obviously) and therefore didn't think the tip deserved to be the ultimate highest. The server (who was taking shots) made a snarky comment back to us about not tipping high because we waited for awhile for certain items. Safe to say it's worth going to other places. read more
2 months ago
Always a 5-star experience at Kaizen Shabu! The portions of meat and veggies are consistently generous, and the broth is incredibly flavorful. Service is always on point, and you cannot leave without trying the chicken karaage! read more
i think i've realized i like to make and eat my own hot pot! nothing negative about kaizen, food was great as well as service -- it just wasn't mindblowingly awesome to me. we ordered 2 soups each: spicy miso and sukiyaki and spicy miso and tonkotsu. for protein we got 5oz ribeye and 10z angus beef. lychee martini was yummers but too much syrup and juice. read more
11 months ago
First time here and was pleasantly surprised with the neat quality. I ordered the 5 oz. Angus Beef, which is considered the lower end of the beef offered on the menu. I really enjoyed the tenderness of the sliced beef. I ordered the spicy miso broth and brown rice which are included in the price. I really enjoyed the richness of the broth and would definitely order it again. I didn't find it too spicy at all...but you can add hot drops for free. My family member ordered sukiyaki broth for $1 more. It came with a raw egg for dipping. The sukiyaki was a bit light, and not as flavorful as some other places, but still tasted good. The set also came with Goma and ponzu dipping sauces and a bowl of veggies and noodles. Unfortunately no refills on veggies though...but enough for me. Service was friendly, and we were seated immediately with my Yelp reservation. read more
1 month ago
2 months ago
This review pains me to write but I'll keep it as simple as I can: yes, inflation is up. Yes, we are collectively boned as a society. I can understand how business owners, managers, servers, and customers are all caught within the vicious fluctuations of markets and so on. However, what I was recently served at Kaizen Shabu last week was, to my mind, an egregious example of a restaurant offering well below the bare minimum of what should be expected for the prices listed (and my photos will show this, I believe). At the outset, I want to say I have no grievances with the servers. Our server was kind, attentive, and was elegantly multitasking. Bravo. Now, the food: we ordered the salmon "sashimi" plate, and what we were handed was a platter of the thinnest, grainiest, obviously-thawed and poorly sliced salmon I've ever eaten in my life. I was a bit shocked. At Cal Shabu Shabu (and other shabu places I tend to frequent more often), sashimi is... sashimi. It *looks* like sashimi because it IS sashimi: a piece of salmon purchased by the restaurant and knife-cut into appropriate portions depending on what portion size the customer has ordered. It is sashimi that gleans in the light, where the striations of fat and tissue are visible to the naked eye on the fish itself. As you can see from my photos, we were served paper-thin salmon that I could barely peel off of the plate with my chopsticks without ripping the fish into smaller, grainier pieces. It was all but inedible, in my opinion. This is not sashimi, and to serve such a thing for the price listed is beyond atrocious: it is an outright deception. Now, onto the side of veggies and noodles that come with every order of meat or fish. Perhaps the cooks could not be bothered, but what I received was broken tendrils of 2-inch udon haphazardly thrown into a bowl. I'm not sure if this is an issue with the chefs, with a dwindling supply of food nearer the end of the night, or if this restaurant truly does not care about the quality of what they are serving customers. Again, I think my pictures speak for themselves. I used to love coming here as the atmosphere was chic, and the servers are so kind. After my last dining experience, however, I cannot justify the price of my bill in the face of the quality of the food I am being served. I won't be returning, sadly. I hope the manager has an opportunity to look at these photos and perhaps reassess what can be done to improve what they are serving their customers. read more
5 months ago
I'd like to begin this review by highlighting the exceptional service. The staff was fantastic, particularly one of the guys who was incredibly relaxed and helpful. He even recommended some delicious appetizers. For the main course, we opted for the Combo Meat selection, which included Angus beef and lamb. We also ordered the calamari that the server had recommended, and it was absolutely delicious. The environment was excellent very spacious wasn't crowded Would definitely come back as well as recommend this place 10/10 read more
Ordered: white miso broth with angus beef and pork belly Parking: paid parking lot, meter parking, free street parking We came on a Thursday for lunch and they weren't too busy so we were seated immediately. The service is amazing, our server was very knowledgeable and attentive. The food came out quickly. There were plenty of vegetables served with each hot pot. 1 hot pot can definitely be shared between 2 people. Everything tasted super fresh yet light. They are not in your typical Asian location but worth the drive. read more
4 months ago
I came at a time when there were absolutely no one here. This place was dog friendly, so I thought. They are no longer dog friendly but the staff let me dine as a one last time with dogs as I didnt know they no longer are dog friendly. The patio is small but its cozy. The only problem is there are a lot of bugs. Especially HUGE beetles! Lol. I'll show it in my pics! The inside is kinda tight and the bathroom is alllllll the way in the back. The decor is nice and they have some high booth seating. What I love about the place is the quality of the meat. That was one of the best lamb I've had and the pork belly is fatty and tender. I didn't care for the veggies it came with. I don't eat noodles either. What I don't like is the pricing. Everything you add on will cost 1$-2$. If you want a spicy soup its 2$ extra. If you want cilantro its 1$ extra. I think they can do away with that. They have different packages and meat selection. The fattier the meat, the more expensive. The angus beef is 15$ for just 5oz. all the way to a5 wagyu beef for 70$ for 5oz. Not much meat at all, but as I've mentioned, the quality is excellent. I prefer ayce bc I eat a lot of beef belly. However, you can get 2 meats combo for 33$. You choose from angus beef, lamb, chicken, pork, pork belly, salmon, swai fish, and shrimp. All meats come with veggies. Which is the standard cabbage, very little enoki, one broccoli, and interestingly kale. Also one mushroom, one corn, onions, one slice carrot, daikon, and one bok choy. Lmao. Ofc 2 kinds of noodles with the veggies. I would say I was disappointed in the soup broth spice level. They come and add drops to the broth for spice. My server added 10 drops and it tasted like NO spice. He should have just added the entire bottle lol! I love spice. I suppose nothing is spicy for me. I've done spice challenges before so there's that. I also ordered the beef skewers. Which, BTW is excellent! Its really fatty, juicy, and robust in flavor. Too bad a beetle flew to my food and wouldn't disengage from my food. For this, the server gave me another skewer for free. That was nice of them. The service was excellent even though it took 15m for them to come and take my order. After that, my server was on top of it! He was really awesome! read more
1 year ago
Parking: kaizen is right next to Yost Theater nestled in downtown Santa Ana, so there a couple paid parking lot options. There's also a bunch metered street parking which uses ParkMobile. I paid $2.80 for 1 hour and 12 minutes. Service: they're always quite friendly, very attentive. They also bring everything out very quickly. Every now and then they'll even offer shots on the house! Ambiance: the restaurant is very nicely decorated. It's mainly high top seating with several regular level seating. Many TVs around the restaurant too! They also offer outdoor seating on their nice and cozy patio as well! Food: Calamari (9/10): so crispy, so flavorful. I literally add the green onions from the calamari and eat it with the rice. So yummy! Spicy Miso (10/10): so yummy! I always get this broth flavor. It has a light kick to it Certified Angus Beef: I prefer this cut because I prefer more lean meats. The fat tends to be more evenly distributed over the beef cuts Sukiyaki (10/10): my bf loves this broth. It kind of tastes like sweet soy sauce to me but my bf is obsessed with it Prime Ribeye: my bf prefers his beef a bit fattier so he likes this one! read more
This place was just okay. Nothing stood out from other shabu places. It was great but it was good. They were out of fish roe when we got there. It was a little hard getting the server at times to come back to check on us. A couple times we needed our stove turned down. We did get the manager to come help us. The sauce they had was mediocre like all shabu spots not one that stood out. The drinks here though were amazing. There's nothing but bar seating which is okay. No complaints there. I was hoping to be able to talk shop face to face but again it's a shabu place so not too many complaints there's the food was good again but nothing stood out. Will I be back? Maybe not because of all the competition that's out there with waaaay better sauces and broth, sorry Kaizen you were good just not ooooh I'm going to be back good. read more
11 months ago
I'm honestly super impressed. The meat quality of the Certified Angus Beef is better than a lot of place's high end meats and that wasn't even kaizen's highest end beef. It was incredibly tender and super flavorful. It just tasted so fresh as well. A lot of shabu places' beef has an "already been frozen" taste, but they don't have that flavor or texture at all. Really great stuff. The spicy miso was delicious and flavorful. I will admit that the ponzu and goma sauces are not as good as some other restaurants but the flavor from the meat and broth makes up for it. So yummy! read more
1 year ago
I was so happy finding a shabu spot that stayed opened late after spending the evening at the parks. First time here and already can't wait to be back. There's something so amazing about a traditional shabu set. Was definitely full after my meal. Service was great, price point was fair and sauces were delicious and house made. The meal was simple but so satisfying. Their calamari was delicious, cooked with garlic, green onion and serano chilies. Would def get this again. Parked in the light right in front. You do have to pays I think it was $2 for the hour or so. read more
10 months ago
1 month ago
10 months ago
I supported this place when it was dead and empty during covid. Over time they forget who their loyal customers are because theyre consistently busy. The owner will only give you free tequila if he remembers you and if you're a "repeat" customer. If you can see my tonkatsu broth had so much fat in it , I asked the staff to give me more broth (which is free at other places), they told me it was going to be "extra" Enjoy this place if you're rich. They love profit more than customers. It shows in their "service". read more
2 years ago
Came here with family while in the area around 1:30pm. There was 5 of us and we had reservations but seemed like we would've been ok without one as it wasn't super busy. Parking is limited in the area, ended up parking in the lot where the Food 4 Less is and walked over. We got seated near the front of the door, not the hugest fan of the layout since my back was to the door. Also we had the L shaped corner and there were 4 burners between the 5 of us. My sister shared with her daughter with a split pot so it was fine. I ordered 7 oz of the angus beef ($29) with the Sukiyaki which ended up being plenty of meat. I didn't really like that they charge to split broths but then also extra for certain broths. So if I wanted to split ($2) coconut curry ($2) and tom yum ($2) that adds up to $6 just for the 2 broths for myself. We also ordered some appetizers to share. Also they charged $5 for ramen! That seems way too excessive for a noodle type that's not particularly special. The agedashi tofu I would say was a great portion for the price and tasted good. But the star was definitely the calamari. I think they season the batter which makes it extra flavorful and very light and crispy. I would prob come back again if I was in the area because the calamari was outstanding and meat quality was good. I think they should reconsider how they charge for certain extras though. read more
5 months ago
My friend took me to this place and it exceeded expectations. Service was attentive and quick, got seated immediately and food was prepared fast as well. Absolutely loved the Tom Yum and Sukiyaki, both tasted so delicious; Sukiyaki is on the sweeter side! You have the option of getting a combo for the meats and a split broth! Calamari was also amazing, that first crunch hit! We came a little after noon and so there weren't many people, which made the service feel more personal and catered! Ambiance may be more lively during dinner time but overall would come back! read more
2 months ago
Food was delicious. Service was friendly and they constantly checked temperature of soup broth. We sat at the low bar and the decorations were very unique and fun. read more
Oh my god, this place is probably the best non-ayce shabu place I have ever gone to. Kaizen has been a staple in my shabu shabu list, and will always be my go to place. The certified angus beef here is just immaculate, and the broths here are full of flavor! If you are looking for a spicier experience ask for hot drops!!! But be careful as they are no joke. The bone broth especially just reminds me of a beef pho broth, so if you want something like that I would get it. Their karaage is also super good in and also got a nice crunch to it. The service here has never disappointed me, with the staff always attentive and super nice. They can always give recommendations if you really don't know if you should order something so don't be shy asking. They have a bar seating area that's super relaxing, and the music they play for lunch is pretty mellow. They also do have tables that you can sit down at so if you don't want a bar seating you can sit there instead. So it's just an absolute vibe when you just want to relax and have a nice chat. read more
My bf and I came here last month or so for the first time and we really enjoyed the experience. The owner was there and he was super friendly! He kept giving customers free drinks. At one point he even poured it into our big laddle! Food was good! Quality of veggies and beef were great! Ambience was nice and shop was clean! The owner also said he bought the one next door, used to be our favorites too, Mercado, but he owns that now, it's supposed to be a bar with delish food so we can't wait to try it! Would recommend if you want a great fun experience with yummy food and free alcohol on occasion! read more
4 months ago
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More info about Kaizen Shabu
303 N Spurgeon St
Santa Ana, CA 92701
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(714) 486-3464
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http://www.kaizenshabu.com
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Ask the Community - Kaizen Shabu
1. Are the veggies non gmo? 2. Any meat options organic / nongmo ? 3. Do the broths have MsG?
Are there any vegetarian options
I'm severely allergic to peanuts - are they pretty safe with allergies?
We do not carry any peanut products in our store. Our Goma sauce is pure sesame
I have reservations for 4 and would like to bring my small dog. Do I need to call and let your staff know to take note of that?
This place is listed today as having outdoor seating. Is it still available? If it is, is it covered or heated? How many people can sit there? / April 25, 2023
It is still available. The patio is covered with heat lamps. We can still 50 people outdoors comfortably
Do you need to make reservations?
It would be good, but the two times I've been there I was quickly accommodated without reservations.
How easy is parking?
Plenty of parking downtown Santa Ana , either next to restaurant or main parking structure on bush and 3rd
Good for older kids/tween?
Yes, we came with a 6 year old and he loved "making his own dinner". You can easily opt for the broths that do not have spice if that's an issue for kids
Does this place offer AYCE?
all you can eat rice and all you can drink water only
Is the set price reduced for veggie only?
yes you can always order veggies on the side of an additional bowl of assorted veggies/noodles
How much is the equipment rental?
free with togo orders over $150 .. $20 with out
Is there like individual dishes and stuff like Boiling Point or does everyone share?
Everyone gets their own hotpot with veggies and noodles, or you can have a double pot that has a divider and you can pick two broths. You pick your meats and how much you want of each, and cook in your own broth. They also have small plates like…
What type of sauces do they offer?
they have their in-house gome, ponzu dipping sauce
Is there All you can eat?
No there is not. But I believe the 10oz of meat is very filling and AYCE is not even required
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
127 reviews that are not currently recommended
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