If shabu is the street name for the kind of crystal metamphetamine that is prevalent in the streets of Metro Manila, the PDEA-friendly but equally addictive shabu shabu is the Japanese version of the hot pot meals that the Chinese have popularized in Asia. Here in Lau Chan, as with anywhere else that serves shabu shabu, you need to order a soup base that is kept going by a portable stove, and then you order small individual servings of vegetables, meat and mystery meats (I call them so because you don't really know what's in them) like fishballs, various meatballs and meat rolls. It is interactive eating at its best, and it doesn't require any skill whatsoever. You just dunk everything in the soup and fish it out when you think it's ready. There is no danger of burning anything. If you still can't get past the idiot-proofed technique of quick-cooking your food in the boiling soup, you can always ask for help from the waiters.The interiors are modest. It is typical Chinese in its simplicity, as if to reinforce the fact that if your food is good, you don't need fancy bells and whistles to attract customers. True enough, most of the diners here are repeat customers who bring their entire families. The dining area is loud and full of boisterous laughter from families who may have eaten here for years and years. read more