We had a very disappointing experience and would not return. We arrived around 8:00 p.m. even though the restaurant's posted closing time is 9:00 p.m. Since there are no paper menus and the QR code menu doesn't clearly explain what is included in the all-you-can-eat option, it took us a little time to decide. I specifically asked our server whether we had enough time for the all-you-can-eat meal because I didn't want to feel rushed. She assured us we would have an hour and a half to eat and recommended that option, so we ordered it at $39.99 per person. Shortly after we started eating, my son stopped because he said the broth tasted overwhelmingly like MSG and made him feel sick. I wasn't impressed with the food either, but since we had already paid nearly $40 per person, I continued eating. Around 8:40 p.m. I asked for a bowl of rice. About 10 minutes later, after it never arrived, I asked again. The server went to the kitchen and came back saying there was no more rice because the kitchen had already closed. At that point it was only about 8:50 p.m., even though the restaurant doesn't close until 9:00 p.m. She also mentioned they had already done "last call," but no one ever informed our table that last call was happening. To make matters worse, I explained that my son wasn't eating because he felt sick from the broth and that some of the vegetables didn't seem fresh. Instead of offering a solution, I was told I couldn't order anything else, had to eat what was already on the table, and could be charged if we didn't finish the food. At that point there was no reason to continue the all-you-can-eat experience because we were no longer allowed to order. I asked for the check around 8:50 p.m., but was told to finish the food first. We finally received our bill around 9:00 p.m. and left still hungry and extremely disappointed. The biggest issues weren't just the quality of the food--they were the misleading expectation that we'd have plenty of time for all-you-can-eat dining, the kitchen shutting down before the posted closing time without warning, and the lack of customer service when problems were brought to the staff's attention. We left feeling hungry, disappointed, and unwell. Even an hour after leaving, I had already finished three glasses of water because my mouth and tongue still felt irritated after the meal. For $40 per person, this experience fell far short of what was promised. There are far better Shabu shabu/hot pot restaurants in the area. We'll stick to Shabu Zone and Shabu En from now on. read more

Shabu Squared - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

The broths here are yummy and the vegetable and meat options are super fresh. There isn't a large variety of the vegetables and/or the meat, but they had everything I typically get so I did not mind. I do wish there was more variety for dipping sauces but not the biggest deal. Service was great and the staff were so accommodating for my vegetarian grandma with other dietary restrictions. read more

Shabu Squared - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Always consistent. My faves are the tonkatsu broth and the spicy crab. I always get the Kori Wagyu read more

Shabu Squared - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I absolutely love the food here! While it can be a bit noisy, I just feel like that's kind of the vibe because hot pot is a special event and usually brings lots of people celebrating. Our server was great as well she gave the best recommendations and brought everything out in a timely fashion. We got the tier 3 with everything all you can eat. I absolutely loved all the wagyu options! The ones with a bit more fat and on the thinner side are better, but that's just my personal preference. The shrimp balls were also amazing and the fish balls were good but a little bland if you don't use sauces. Also, I absolutely love the spicy crab tonkatsu broth. It's delicious and not too spicy! Parking and in general it's a bit hard to find but there's plenty of spaces. I need to come back again asap! read more

Normally not a fan of shabu shabu as I prefer Chinese hot pot, but this was absolutely delicious. (And indulgent because it's AYCE and /expensive/). Broth is essentially the deciding factor on good/mid hot pot and the tom yum broth here was sooooooo good and flavorful. Not the most wide variety of vegetable options but they had a lot of what I personally like so I didn't mind (squash, bok choy, watercress, cabbage, mushrooms, broccoli, tofu, udon)--plus it all tasted very fresh. The table is also set with premade sauces: one that is dark and sweet and has the fishiness of dashi, and another one that I really liked that's thicker and more of a sweet tahini base. read more

Shabu Squared - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

If you haven't had Shani Squared for Hot Pot you're missing out! The service is always prompt, friendly and attentive. The restaurant is not too huge of a spot but it's a good size. The food always tastes fresh and clean. From the starters to the main dish you can't go wrong. I haven't eaten anything yet that I did not like! My favorites starters are the edamame and cucumbers and I love how they stamp Shabu into the veggies! Such a cute touch. This place is perfect for date night or even group dining. Obviously, I will eat here again. read more

The service was a bit slow here even though there wasn't that many people. The meat choices were great and I really liked their salmon spoons were yummy as well. The tom kat broth was unique and tasted good but I'm not sure if I like it over just a tonkotsu broth. It was clean inside and the workers were nice it was just a bit slow. read more

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One of my favorite hotpot places in Houston! It can get busy sometimes, but parking is plentiful and I'm always seated quickly. There's bar and booth seating available. The service is always amazing and quick. My favorite broths are the spicy crab and sukiyaki. The beef served here is great quality and love the variety available here for seafood, vegetables and more. Sad to see that the concept of the restaurant is changing but will be coming back before it does! read more

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With all the hotpot places in houston I wanted to give shabu squared a try before they close down because of the good things I heard. We had a reservation at 7 for 10 people and had to wait just a little for them to get three tables set up us as one table was just finished. One of the smaller hotpot places and the bowls are more for sharing than individual so nice for choices if you have a duo! I liked the artwork on the wall as well. During dinner time they have an S tier or tier 2 for AYCE! I did the tier 2 as those were the perfect meat choices for me. Beef belly, wagyu, chuck, and ribeye were our go to. All other places i been to recently for vegetables and seafood are buffet style and i realized how much i like that coming here. It feels a little weird trying to get a specific amount of veggies by asking for it. No enoki mushroom is a bummer. Overall meat quality is top notch for sure. Service was slow at some point when the restaurant started getting packed more. Their premade sauces offered a variety of umami and strong flavors! If some other shabu choices did not exist I would be devastated as this would've become a choice for me to insert into the rotation. 8.2/10 read more

Shabu Squared - Beef belly - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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This place was recommended to me by a friend and so once we heard that they were potentially shutting down soon, I knew that we needed to try it out! Walking in, the place is very cozy with tables surrounding a center u-shaped bar style seating. We noticed that it's a pretty small restaurant so always good to have a reservation and smaller parties. This place has a 90 min time limit, and so you do usually need your entire party to be there if eating AYCE! If you're someone who gets overwhelmed with options, this place is for you because they have most of items you would expect at shabu but lesser variety which is a pro and con. For vegetables, instead of ordering individually, they provide of vegetable platter which features all they offer. I'm not a huge vegetable person at shabu so not a big deal but my husband did wish they had more variety. For meats, they offer two tiers for ayce and we went with Tier 1 which offered a fair variety and came with a soup spoon of salmon. My favorite meats were beef belly and ribeye - the presentation is also beautiful. I think the broths here are stellar and their premade sauces are to die for - way better than any that I could diy at other hot pot sauce bars. They do charge extra for noodles which was surprisingly. Overall, a good hot pot experience with no frills and decent variety to fulfill their hot pot craving. read more

Shabu Squared - Salmon - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Tried out Shabu squared for the first time. One very nice thing about this place is that it is down the road and not actually in the heart of Chinatown, so the parking is not an issue here. Since it was the weekend, only tier 2 or s was available for all you can eat. This includes everything from tier 1 (chuck flap, beef belly, brisket, crab sticks, shrimp, fish balls w/ roe) as well as some extra options specific to tier 2 (ribeye, wagyu bavette, lamb). I tried the mixed broth (tonkotsu + spicy sukiyaki) and sukiyaki broths. They also provide their ponzu and goma sauces. I thought the ponzu was too citrusy but the goma was good! It's a sesame sauce that is sweet and savory. I tried all the meat options and my favorites were the beef belly and chuck flap, followed by the ribeye. I also got some of their ramen and it's actually a lot so I would recommend sharing it with someone. I think it's really good if you just keep getting the beef belly and chuck flap only, therefore I'd say it's really only worth it if you go during the time period for tier 1 because tier 2 is more expensive and I didn't like their meat options as much. read more

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The owner is amazing.aren't enough adjectives to describe. Def will be back next week to eat again

Would recommend coming in early if you want a seat. The meat had amazing marbling and tasted better after dipping it in my broth. The vegetables and meats came flowing, thanks to the workers who made sure our meat orders come to us as much as possible. I would recommend the spicy crab broth to help make your food delectable. read more

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So sad to hear Shabu Square is closing, but exciting to see what their next venture will be! The best AYCE for hot pot. They have three tiers of AYCA. The highest tier is Tier S for $45.99. With Tier S, it comes with Tier 1 + 2. Their meat selection is excellent. My favorites are zabuton, A5 Wagyu and beef belly. For broth we like the spicy crab and the mixed broth. They offer you a small bowl of veggies and if you run out, you can always asks for more. Staff is always friendly, service is always quick & attentive. Great atmosphere, get seated at the booth if you want more of an intimate dinner. They offer seating at the bar for more interactions with others. read more

I am SO happy that this place is still in business. Houston's got a competitive list of good Shabu/hot pot restaurants throughout the area, but Shabu Squared is probably my favorite ... mainly because of their tasty sauces, meat quality, and delicious broths. All the food is brought out by their servers, so there's less options since there's no self-serve bar where customers can go grab their own vegetables, meats, sides, etc. But honestly, I'd choose quality over quantity any day. Even though there's less to choose from, everything is honestly top tier. I'm glad they offer the AYCE option now, so you can eat to your heart's content. read more

We had a reservation for 7:30 but weren't seated until around 8, so that already put us at a slightly rough start. In my opinion, the AYCE system at Shabu Squared is a bit confusing in terms of what's included and what's not; it's definitely not like at most AYCE hotpot places where you can pretty much order anything you want. Additionally, rather than making your own sauce they have premade sauces that you can choose from (not sure if it's dependent on which tier you choose, but we all opted for tier 2 and only two of the sauces were included and the other sauces would've been an extra charge). While the sauces weren't bad, I would've appreciated being able to customize them to my liking. The tonkotsu broth was overall good and flavorful but maybe a little too salty for my liking as I like to drink the broth on its own after I'm done with my meal. They also have a limited vegetable selection compared to other places. I will say that as someone who generally doesn't see a huge difference in meats offered by various hotpot places, I did enjoy all the meats that we had ordered here, so that I would say is the best thing about this place. But for an overall experience, there are other hotpot places that I would prefer more. (Side note they will be closing down on March 9th) read more

This is one of my favorite hotpot spots. It's more expensive & doesn't have as many hot pot ingredients compared to other hotpot places, but the meat quality is top tier. They do offer veggie bowls that contain variety of mushrooms, napa cabbage, bok choy, broccoli, tofu, watercress, & squash. The AYCE also comes with noodles, rice & two homemade sauces. There are three tiers (1, 2, & S). I was sad they no longer have Zabuton & Wagyu Picanha on their Tier S, so we went with Tier 2 instead. All the broths are pretty good, but my favorite is the mixed broth (tonkotsu & spicy crab) & tom-yum. read more

I've been here so many times, one of the waitresses recognized me By far, my favorite shabu place in Houston! All of the meats here are super good quality and fresh. Every cut of meat is either fatty and tender or lean and juicy, but both types are irresistible. They have a good variety of soup flavors with the sukiyaki, tonkatsu, and spicy crab being my favorites! Their all you can eat menu is so worth it in my opinion, especially if you eat a lot of meat. The ayce is not buffet style so you can't pick and choose veggies and other sides, but each person gets a veggie bowl and a bowl of rice. They have two default sauces where one of them is sesame based and the other is a yuzu ponzu, but you can order other sauces they have. The staff here are friendly and nice! The waiters and waitresses are attentive and will come by to either lower or raise the heat of your broths if they see it's boiling too much or too little. It can get a little cramped if there's a lot of people, but they have a good amount of seats and benches for larger parties. They always play good music here too which is also a bonus! This place is a very solid place for shabu, and it's perfect to go on a rainy or cold day. Every time my friends want a recommendation for a shabu place, I recommend this place! read more

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came here for dinner on a weekday and it was packed (despite sign saying it will close on mar 10, but will reopen with new concept) service was rly rly quick i love how the veggie bowl comes with an order of udon as well my favorite was the shrimp balls beef was very tender plenty plenty parking spots as the plaza was quite empty read more

Shabu Squared - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Parking is great, service is even better! We went for lunch and got the basic AYCE tier. The meat was very good quality, all the veggies were fresh and the broth was amazing. They do not have a bar for veggies and noodles, but I think that is better because there is less food waste. If you want more of something you just ask and it will be brought out promptly. We will definitely return when we're craving hotpot! read more

Shabu Squared - Lunch AYCE tier - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

This has been the premier spot for hotpot for a few years now, and I can see why. With the start of an AYCE option, Shabu Squared continues to impress and draw in clientele. My dining buddy and I came in on a weeknight, and it wasn't busy at all. We ended up doing the AYCE option, which was only a few dollars more, though does contain certain restrictions. Like you could only have one order of the salmon bite per person, and some more premium meats were not included. The menu is a little confusing, but the server will offer more in depth instructions. My lamb came out great, and I stuffed myself silly. We ended up choosing the Tom Yum broth, and it was okay. With hindsight, I would have chosen a different broth or a 50/50 split. The broth was more sour than I like. Definitely worth a return on a cold or rainy evening. read more

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I went here for their AYCE lunch and chose the Tier 1 option, which is about $26 and includes a broth of choice, about 5-6 protein options, and veggies on the side. Things like rice and noodles are not included but you can order them a la carte. Our server was attentive and made sure to check up on us throughout our meal. She also offered us some ghost pepper drops but fair warning.. they are extremely spicy but yummy! If you enjoy spice, I'd recommend asking for 1-2 drops in your soup. I underestimated how spicy it would be and asked for a few drops in my sauce and in my soup. Proceed with caution!! Overall, this is easily my favorite AYCE shabu in Houston. The quality of the meats for the price can't be beat! When I initially tried Shabu Squared a few years ago, they had just opened and hadn't introduced this AYCE shabu menu yet and I remember it being pretty pricey for my party of 3 that evening. Pricey enough for me not to come back for a few years lol! So I'm very happy with their new AYCE prices! read more

Shabu Squared - AYCE lunch menu! - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

I have to take back my previous words immediately. This place was SO good. I'm not sure why my first visit was not great, but this time, Shabu Squared knocked it out of the park for me. Our super helpful waiter might have had something to do with it; he was extremely knowledgeable and came by frequently to check in on us and even taught us how to eat each meat with each sauce. I would even say this is better than another shabu spot with a very similar name... The meat quality was insane, and the veggie platter is so worth it! We ordered two meats and a veggie platter and it was more than enough food for three people. The broth was also really delicious this time, and I kept drinking it on its own. The establishment is super clean, and our bill wasn't too expensive. I can't wait to come back here again, and I'm really glad I visited to change my previous opinion. read more

I enjoyed Shabu here, you can tell the meats are very high quality. I ate the Tier 2. The salmon spoon appetizer that they started you off with was very flavorful. However, I disliked that noodles weren't included with the tier and that there weren't more sauces to choose from. The service was okay, the server got our meats mixed up sometimes and it came out slow. The interior was classy and sleek. Overall, 8/10. read more

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Honestly didn't expect to like this place as much as some other ayce hot pot spots in Houston but I loved it! So sad it's closing in February but I'll be back a few more times before then hopefully. The service was great and you order everything through your server vs self serve. The broth, sauces, and meat are definitely my favorite here. It's smaller compared to most hot pot places but I like that since it's less overwhelming. read more

Shabu Squared - Tom yum soup - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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My absolute favorite hot spot in Houston. Make sure to give it a try if you haven't yet, as they are planning on closing their hot pot at the end of the season. I'm so glad they decided to make AYCE available. The Tom yum broth is unbeatable and sooo addicting. I was happy with my tier one and ordered lots of chuck flap and beef belly! The cucumber salad is something I have to get every time I come. Def a con that veggies, noodles, etc are extra on top of ayce but the meat and broth makes up for it. 10/10!!!!! read more

Shabu Squared - Tom yum - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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It was very nice. Food was excellent. We will definitely go again. I only wish it was a little closer to home. read more

This is one of my favorite hot pot dishes to go to. It's all you can eat or can order dishes separately. The meat is tender and the broth is flavorful!! Also, they have salmon sashimi and it's really fresh! Definitely try it out before they close down in February I heard. read more

Shabu Squared - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Shabu^2 is probably my favorite hot pot spot in Houston. I've been here multiple times, and it is consistently always high quality. The most recent visit though was the first time trying their new AYCE option. We went with their tier 2 AYCE option, which is just the right balance between indulgence vs price. Tier 1 is mainly only for lunch, and tier 3 is if you're really feeling bougie and wanting AYCE wagyu options. Tier 2 was more than enough to fully enjoy shabu^2 though. Broth wise I usually like the tonkatsu or the spicy tom yum. Meat wise I'd recommend the lamb, sirloin bavette, ribeye, and beef belly. You also get 1 salmon spoon per person, don't skip on this because it is one of the best bites of food. Overall, I've never been disappointed with Shabu^2. The service is always quick, clean interior, and high quality meat. If you like spicy, try their spicy drops in your dipping sauces as well. Enjoy! read more

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So this place was suppose to close and reopen as a different Japanese restaurant, we were so disappointed! But I guess they changed their mind and it's still open! It's all you can eat shabu. We always get the top tier, it includes wagu beef and lots of other amazing options. My son calls the salmon heaven! It's not cheap but totally worth the cost for the quality. read more

Finally got to try shabu squared with a group of friends the other day. It's situated in a strip mall right off the beltway so it's easy to find and parking was plentiful. We were a party of 6, and we got seated as soon as our whole group was there. We were there for lunch, so we opted for the tier 1 ayce option. On our table we tried the spicy crab, tonkotsu, mixed broth and Tom yum and all were very good. My favorite was probably the spicy crab - there's legit crab in the broth too! The great quality of the meat was very evident in the flavor! They also give you two dipping sauces: sesame and ponzu. Overall very impressive meal. Service was super fast and friendly. The only con is that their tables can't be moved together if you have a big party - our group was split into two adjacent tables. No biggie for us, but might be for some folks. Can't wait to come back and try the higher tier ayce options! read more

Shabu Squared - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Broth is mid but the meat quality is very good. IMO the broth is most important when eating hotpot, so the flavors weren't really hitting despite the good quality meats. It's not AYCE, which is fine--but I feel like for the price it's not a good deal for your money at all, even compared to other non-AYCE. But I must say whatever crab stick brand they buy from is hella good though. read more

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20/10 I will definitely be coming back again. My partner and I literally ate everything we ordered! Their meats are extremely high quality and cut super thin. The beef belly was our favorite but everything was fantastic. It was a very chill & fun place, great for a date night or with friends! The service was great. Everything came out super fast and they were good about frequently coming around so we could order more. One thing that would make it a little easier is some mini tongs to dip the meat! read more

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I've been here a few more times since my last review and have had much more positive experiences since then. I usually go for their 16.99 lunch special that is just the right portion. I love their sauces, flavorful broths and the quality of the meat. My go to broths are the sukiyaki, tonkatsu crab and plain tonkatsu. I stopped by today for the special but found out they discontinued it and now there's only an ayce lunch deal for 25.99. There are two other higher tiers that are available for dinner. For the 25.99 you can choose from beef belly (they were out of this today), Chuck flap, angus, brisket, crab stick, shrimp, and fish balls with roe. Rice is included but not the udon. Vegetables are also unlimited. I preferred the previous lunch special as I don't usually go for ayce during lunch but it's not a bad deal. Overall, this is probably my favorite non AYCE shabu spot although their prices are higher than other places read more

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Both times I've come here I've had superb service! Most recently I went with some friends after a long work day, and we had an amazing waiter who sparked up some great conversation. He never failed to check on us, and even poured out our Nigori shots as we were enjoying our meal! The meat quality here is top-tier with quite a few different wagyu options and fatty cuts to choose from which really soak in the soup base. I haven't tried all the broths but the mixed broth and sukiyaki continue to be my favorites! P.S. Always ask if they have their fish balls in stock. We were lucky to get some, but they tend to run out on some days. If you enjoy seafood, your hotpot isn't complete without it! read more

Shabu Squared - Dining area - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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This was so good! The service was quick and the concept was easy. The meats were really good as well as the broth. I would highly recommend! read more

This was my first time having hot pot and visiting Shabu Squared. I was very happy with my experience! Our server Quynh N. was super patient with us and took time to find the best menu items that would fit our tastes. The lean cuts were actually lean, and the broths were very flavorful. For first timers I would recommend sukiyaki broth as it's soy sauce based and not spicy. Also, the veggie bowl is a must for your hot pot. You can dump it into the broth to cook first because the meat won't take as long to cook. Vegetables like the kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) and mushroom will take a little bit to soften. I would also recommend the garlic shrimp for your starter. We were way too full for dessert, but I'll definitely be stopping by again when I need a nice hearty meal. Big shout out to the manager for his hospitality too, we ended our dinner on a very positive note! read more

Shabu Squared - Spicy crab broth and sukiyaki broth - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Very High quality hot pot. No sauce bars or self serve side bar so that was a little annoying. Very clean restaurant but smaller than most AYCE hot pot places. The selection is not as big as some places in town but I think the ambiance and quality makes up for it! Different tiers offer more options so I would at least get the B tier! Too bad they're closing in April 2025 read more

One of my favorite hot pot places to eat. They have a variety level of tiers, my personal favorite is tier 2. It comes with basically everything in the 1st & 2nd tier and they come in thin & fresh slices of meat. You can choose your appetizer and you're missing out if you don't try the salmon spoons! They're to die for. Food comes out really efficiently and it's easy to get a reservation. Customer service is a hit or miss though wish they work on that. read more

Shabu Squared - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Went for during their lunch special hours and oh my.. so worth it! Each couple ordered the deluxe ($18.99) and look at how much meat we got! We all got different broths: spicy crab (favorite! Not too spicy too), Tom yum (can't go wrong with Tom yum), miso (I love miso broth and this was my favorite out of all the miso broths I've tried. I even asked what type of miso paste they use for it lol), and spicy tonkotsu (was just ok!). I like that they bring out pre-made sauces, it makes it easier for those who don't know what to put in their sauces. They also have additional sauces on the menu too. Our server was great and he made our dining experience fun even tho there were only 2 tables in the restaurant because we came at such an odd hour. Probably one of my favorite shabu places so far! read more

Shabu Squared - plate on the bottom left has the bavette sirloin and angus strip and plate on bottom left has the beef belly and chuck flap - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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