I tried to approach this with ownership prior but I received zero acknowledgement. So here I am... Shabu Wara has been our go to shabu shabu spot since moving to this area and it's been great. Service was never their strength, but we glanced over it since it's the only descent shabu shabu restaurant on the area. Over the past few months, service has gotten exponentially worse with each visit. Our final straw was being seated and left unacknowledged for 10 minutes. No drink orders, no "we'll be right with you", nothing... This would've been the point of walking out, but my kids were saying they were hungry and going to another restaurant at that point would've been too late for their bedtime. I ended up walking up to a server who was about to help another table that was seated after us and said we'd like to order as no one's helped us. After finishing what he was doing, he walked up to our table with an ordering tablet and didn't say a word, just stood there staring at us. He took our order, got it wrong a few times, then FINALLY got our food. Not one server checked in on us the whole meal. Not one server offered the check. Just constant flagging down servers for everything. As I mentioned before, I reached out to management via email to try and bring this up on a professional level, but my multiple emails were left unanswered. I write this not to bash a business, but in hopes management sees this and starts correcting how their staff operates to not destroy an otherwise good restaurant. read more

Very disappointed. We made reservations 10 days prior for my daughter's birthday and when we arrived we are not on the list. We ended up waiting 45 min and service was very slow. Waiters were missing some orders and food was just ok. Will never go back. read more

Cute Shabu place located in Chino, Ca. Kind of hard to locate if you're not familiar with the area as the parking is in a medical office plaza. And the restaurant is on the side of the building. I like how they have the option for you to sit at a table or their bar area. To order, you choose your meat(s) & it comes with a side of vegetables. Then you choose your broth. You can also get sides of dipping sauce for your meats. They also have a wide variety of appetizers & drinks (alcoholic & non-alcoholic) drinks. I was surprised at how much food they give you for your buck. read more

Shabu Wara - Spicy broth & tonkatsu broth - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chino, California

See all

Came here for shabu and honestly was pretty impressed. The meat is freshly cut and you can really tell the quality -- especially the wagyu, super tender with nice marbling. They have a good variety of options, and the portions are actually pretty generous. Each order comes with a veggie platter, so it ends up being really filling. Didn't expect to get this full Place is also clean and well-kept, which I always care about. Overall feels like a solid spot with good quality and decent pricing. Would definitely come back. read more

See all

Went there on Monday night and it's kind of dead and quiet. The food was great and the server maybe he's the boss. He was very friendly too. The restaurant was quiet and no queue. We enjoy the food and it was good on the waygu. He have shabu shabu hot pot. read more

See all

Almost missed out on a delicious meal! The sign was deceiving from the angle you walk up from the parking lot, shows closed on hours sign but lit up OPEN?! Service was fantastic! Definitely a great shabu spot to go to! Maybe owners fix the sign so ppl dont miss out on ur restaurant?! read more

We ordered: USDA Black Angus Prime Ribeye Angus Beef Chuck Prime Australian Wagyu Chuck Eye Steak With sukiyaki broth. Love the presentation of the meats. They're high quality, properly sliced, and big slices. Sukiyaki broth was good and so were the sesame and ponzu sauces. I like that you can order the meats as either a side order or as a regular/large plate with an assortment of vegetables and carb. They skimp on certain items in the veggies like a few strands of enoki and Udon. If you want rice for carb option, it's a plentiful bowl. But if you want vermicelli, it's a small portion. Whether it's worth it depends on which grade of meat you get, how many you're splitting with, and how full you want to be. Service was good and friendly. read more

See all

I'm here a lot by myself especially on gym day. I enjoy my solo shabu shabu .. the broth is very flavorful. And they have good meats, the sushi is great, fresh fish. I like when they offer a solo dine in. Very nice and kind service, they allow me to bring my outside drink in. Nice ambiance. Will be back and recommend to friends, ofc.. I will take my family with me next time. read more

Shabu Wara - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chino, California

See all

Just visited on thursday, 2/19, and with each visit it gets worse. I called before I arrived to ensure they would seat us. I was informed the kitchen closed at 8 but the restaurant closes at 9. We arrived at 7:54pm, instantly I observed the host being annoyed by his body language, throwing the menu at us. He explained kitchen closes at 8, make sure you order everything. There were 8 other people in the restaurant so 10 total including us. I love the food here, but the service is unacceptable. I really hope Mokkoji in Riverside opens again soon, because I would not ever recommend this place to anyone. We're not able to go on date night often, and this was definitely a bummer for the service we received. I really hope Ryan has a better day and knows being nice goes a long way. read more

The service was amazing. I wish I remembered the name of the waiter but he was fantastic. He made us feel very welcome and gave us his top recommendations which is what we ended up ordering: premium beef toro and Australian wagyu chuck eye steak. He recommended the beef toro for fatty meat lovers, my brother, and the chuck eye for lean meat lovers. They were both amazing and exactly as he said they would be. Each order of meat comes with an order of veggies and carbs so the whole meal ends up being pretty filling. We chose the two most popular bases, tonkotsu and spicy miso, which were very solid choices on their own. I've been to some other places where the dipping sauces were necessary but I feel like dipping the meat and veggies in just the broth provided enough flavor. However, our waiter created a concoction for our refills that made them even better. He added creamy vegetarian to the tonkotsu and tonkotsu to the spicy miso. There were many tables inside and even outside (although that's for the cafe) and it was pretty empty when we went dined on Tuesday so we got seated right away and the food came out right away too. It's tucked in a plaza so I wouldn't have known about it had it not been for Yelp. read more

See all

Honestly this is one of my favorite restaurants. Incredible service, food is always amazing. Very chill vibes love the music always. Just 10/10 would recommend to anyone. read more

We walked in tonight and my wife is pregnant, and the place was very poorly run. There were only two servers in the place and neither one of them was very experienced or efficient. They finally sat us down, but never brought us menus nor waters. While we were sitting there or someone else walked out. Then someone else came in and they gave them menus and took their order immediately, while my pregnant wife and four year-old daughter were sitting with no water or food or menus. It was like the manager didn't have qualified employees and didn't even check how poorly they were running the restaurant. we won't be back. read more

Food was delicious, but the service was subpar. It was our first time to Hot Pot, and the young man who served us at the beginning condescendingly and unsuccessfully explained the menu; he seemed annoyed at the fact that it was our first time and we didn't know how the pricing worked. He compared it to Korean barbecue, but it's not all you can eat. I didn't get to ask his name, but he has a stylish blonde Afro. Thankfully, another two servers came into help and the vibe got a bit better. Raymond was the friendlier, more approachable one, and our group appreciated his kindness and welcoming spirit. As much as we loved the food, I don't think we'll be back because of the lack of welcoming and friendly service and the vulgar music playing (profanities and sexual content). read more

What we had was good but they were out of quite a few things that we wanted to order.

This is where you can get wagyu hot pot with no added frills for under $35. Choose the size of the protein you want, and your usual accoutrements of broth, veggie plate, and rice are included. I've never seen spinach ramen before, and it's sooo worth the upgrade. What I loved most is that you can tell this place is beloved by the community when almost everyone there are return customers. If you're around Chino, check it out and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading! ^-^ read more

See all

I had one of the best experiences here. I was a first timer and I enjoyed the exemplary service that was provided to me by Dayton! He truly made me feel welcomed and gave me the best suggestions for the sauces, the meats, etc! I got the "Wara Trio" which consisted of: Prime Ribeye, American Wagyu Zabuton, and Japanese A5 Wagyu Chuck Steak eye. For my broth I tried the Spicy Miso Tonkotsu. I added Ramen to mine. OMG everything was delicious. I practically finished all the meats and veggies. He made me a "special" sauce that I cannot get out of my head. It was too delicious. I highly recommend this place! 10/10! read more

Great customer service, very helpful explaining menu and made suggestions when we asked. Super chill and relaxing with good food and portions were perfect. read more

I want to start off by saying that this is the first shabu place I have had in Chino. So I think I may be writing this from an unfair perspective but I really thought that for the price this was not worth it. AMBIANCE My partner and I visited this location on a Monday evening and it was eerily empty, the decor is really basic (cherry blossom stickers), the walls were dirty (from dried broth splatter), and honestly just not a vibe. I would avoid going here for a first date. It is more like committed relationship, wearing stained sweats, greasy clipped up hair, and I am too tired to cook tonight vibes SERVICE Our server was attentive, nice, and helpful. We never felt ignored or forgotten. FOOD 1. Honestly all the meat was SUPER good and fresh. We ordered the pork belly, lamb, and some sort of Australian wagyu. 2. The broth was okay we had the sukiyaki (which was a little sweet for my preference but it is supposed to be sweet) and the spicy miso Tonkatsu (which was a little watery and bland) 3. But what makes this place mid is really the price. For the same cost I could have gotten maybe not as high quality meat but still extremely good AYCE in OC. Personally, I would rather just go to boiling point in chino hills than here if i have a hot pot craving or I would just wait to go to OC on the weekend for better AYCE read more

Shabu Wara - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chino, California

I had been wanting to go here for a while and finally made it. What a DISAPPOINTMENT. the food is very mediocre.... We have had way better quality shabu elsewhere. Where this place really disappoints is the service. The young men who work here mill about like zombies. Not one smile. It felt like an inconvenience to ask for anything. I would never return just based on their poor service. read more

This place changes from cafe to shabu shabu at 5pm. The meat quality is very good. It's special cut so it's very tender. I had 2x regular which made me very full with the veggies and rice. The chicken wings are very good too! They make the broth here in house and it's great. I think shabu was a bit sweet but it's still good. My server was very friendly. It gets very busy towards the evening. Great vibes! read more

Shabu Wara - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chino, California

They have AYCE A5 Wagyu here! Wow! The wagyu is really good! I'm not sure if it's possible to eat your money's worth of wagyu, but I'd recommend trying! Overall, the meat, broth, and veggies were all great! The AYCE Wagyu is only available Tuesday and Sunday! Friendly great service! read more

Shabu Wara - Wagyu nigiri - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chino, California

See all

Never even got to taste the food, service was unbearably slow with one person working. Atmosphere was great, was looking forward to try this place out but twice I went and no one even came to give us drinks 20 + mins of sitting. read more

Absolutely DELICIOUS FOOD! The ambiance is to the top Arnold is really nice person. Love what he does. Beautiful smile with DELICIOUS food

FIVE STAR. Shabu Wara is hands down, the BEST Japanese shabu shabu option in the Chino Hills area. We've been a couple times now and recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a high quality shabu experience! The service is amazing as well - the owner Arnold is super nice and the main guy at the counter Dayton is our new best friend. :P On Tuesdays and Sundays, Shabu Wara offers an ALL YOU CAN EAT experience, if you choose to avail. They have a standard a la carte menu too. On our most recent visit, we went for the AYCE. There were 3 options - Basic ($69pp), Deluxe ($89pp), or Premium ($109pp). Take a look at the photos of each of the menus so you can see the differences between the 3 options. The deluxe and premium have the Japanese A5 Wagyu Chuck Eye Steak, which is the appeal for those higher end options. We went with the Deluxe option this time and were not disappointed. Here's a breakdown of what we tried: - Japanese A5 Wagyu Brisket - Japanese A5 Wagyu Chuck Eye Steak - Full Blood MB9+ Australian Wagyu Brisket - Full Blood MB9+ Australian Wagyu Chuck Eye Steak - American Wagyu Karubi - Seafood platter (tiger shrimp, scallops, salmon, mussels) Of these items, of course we loved the Japanese A5 options which just melted in our mouths, but our personal favorite was the Australian Wagyu Brisket! In fact, we'd probably come back just for that one. It's not as fatty as the Japanese A5 options. There's plenty of parking where Shabu Wara is. We heard it gets super busy on weekends so maybe swing by for dinner on a weeknight. We've never had a wait and you can be right up in the bar area! Highly highly recommend! read more

See all

My favorite Shabu place! The quality of the meat is top tier. American, Australian, and Japanese Wagyu. They also have USDA PRIME. How can you not love this place! And I haven't even started on the flavor of the broth! The spicy Tonkatsu is by far my favorite. Ask for garlics and green onions to make the perfect bowl. I always order the spicy tonkatsu with a large Zabuton and ramen. Also don't sleep on their appetizers. The staff is friendly and they always have upbeat music playing. They also show sports games on the multiple TV's they have. My family and I come here atleast 4-5 times a month. The owners are really nice and treat you like family. Special shout out to Dayton. He has a sauce mixture that he recommended and I haven't looked back since. Thank you! read more

Overall, I was not impressed with Shabu Wara. My friend and I started off with the fried gyoza and the spicy edamame. The fried gyoza was pretty good, had a nice crunch to it. The spicy edamame wasn't great, portion size was small for what you pay for it. The only thing I liked about it was that it was actually spicy, but it didn't taste that fresh. I got the spicy tonkotsu broth and my friend got the sukiyaki broth. I didn't try hers, so I'm not sure how hers was, but as for mine, it didn't taste like tonkotsu at all. Again, the only thing was that there was spice to it, but the broth was not what I expected. As for the beef, I got the beef toro, and the meat fell apart really easily. It was decent though. They give a good portion of rice, and the veggies were okay. I don't plan on coming back unless this was my last food resort. read more

Shabu Wara - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chino, California

See all

After six years, we returned to Shabu Wara because it was nearby, and we were craving shabu stabu. Besides the small disposable cup of unsweetened iced tea filled with mostly ice being non-refillable, not much has changed. The food was good but overpriced for the portion sizes. We ordered two large premium beef meals with Tonkotsu broth, which is the least expensive beef on the menu. We also added a Philadelphia roll. The broth was very good and so was the meat. The accompanying vegetable sets were basic, and the portions were small. The Philadelphia roll was very average. Now to the the unsweetened iced tea issue. The cost was $3.00, and it tasted fine. The iced tea was served in a small disposable plastic cup filled more than halfway with ice. Thus, a few sips, and it's gone. I wish I would have taken a photo of the cup. I asked the server for a refill, and he promptly provided it. The next tea serving contained the same quantity as the first; small but no issues. Up to this point, we didn't have any real issues with the cost because the service was good and so was the broth. Towards the end of our meal, an employee who appeared to be the manager asked if we needed anything, so I asked for a refill. She told me the unsweetened iced tea was not refillable. I was perplexed, since I received a refill earlier. She must have noticed the confused look on my face and offered to provide a "little." I found this odd, since the plastic cup only holds a little anyway. I told her it was okay and thanked her. She then told me again she was willing to provide just a little. Again, I politely declined because it was somewhat offensive since we spent so much money. Speaking of cost, our total check was $80.00 plus a 20 percent tip, so just under $100.00 for two people. Keep in mind we ordered the cheapest meat on the menu. To top if off, the small portion of unsweetened iced tea is not refillable. Perhaps the tea leaves are very rare. I just hope the server who provided the earlier refill doesn't get into any trouble with management. To review: Service: 3.5 Stars Broth: 4 Stars Philly Roll: 3 stars Portions: 3 stars Iced Tea Portion: 1 star Iced Tea Refill Policy: 1 star As a result of the nonsense with the iced tea, we might return to Shabu Wara in another six years. read more

See all

After seeing the five stars we decided to try it. Very disappointed. For the prices they charge, the portions are tiny. The meat slices are big slices but five slices per portion...really? We finished everything and we looked at each other and both said "let's find another place to get some more food!" Not worth it at all. read more

We went last night for the first time and wow were we impressed! We started off with an order of the spicy tuna on crispy rice - it was honestly one of the best we have had and SO fresh! Then on to the shabu, the meat was so lean, tender and FRESH (Certified Angus Beef Chuck Prime) and the broth was so flavorful (I got the Tonkotsu and my husband go the spicy miso). Since it was our first time we added "carbs"/noodles thinking it didnt come with it, but the veggies already come with it so i wouldnt add extra in my opinion. Service was great! Our waiter was by himself and he held it down with a semi packed restaurant! We will for sure be returning! read more

Soup portions could be better, but over all it was a great eat. Taste was mid, nothing too special but for the price I guess you get what you pay for. Service n servers were great. Good place to eat will definitely be back. read more

See all

There are variety of broths you can choose from, but we got the tonkotsu broth with angus beef short rib and spicy tonkotsu with premium beef toro. We both enjoyed our broth and meat and walked out satisfied. You can ask for the hot sauce drop to get an extra kick to your meal. Beyond the food, the atmosphere at Shabu Wara is clean and inviting. The waiter was very attentive and fast. The restaurant is located in a big plaza with plenty of parking spaces. I would definitely come back to try other broths and meat. read more

Shabu Wara - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chino, California

Shabu Wara has some of the best Japanese shabu I've had in Chino. Their broth is rich in flavor because it takes 10 hours to get the perfect taste (ask for the creamy vegetation mixed with spicy tonkotsu ) All of their sauces are made in-house with premium ingredients The Japanese A5 Wagyu, Australian Wagyu, and American Wagyu Zabuton have the perfect marbling and are super tender The restaurant itself is clean and has a good amount of seating with tables and a bar-style center area. Our server was also super helpful and patient, and answered all the questions we had. Definitely a must-try when you're in the area!! read more

Shabu Wara - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chino, California

See all

One of the best shabu places! Located in an outdoor mall, with plenty of parking. Dogs allowed on outside seating and they have outdoor heaters for the cold weather. Ordered the beef toro, zabuton, and the Japanese burrito. Japanese burrito is deceivingly filling. Looks small but actually a decent amount of food. Large pieces of salmon, shrimp tempura, avocado & rice. Zabuton and beef toro were both delicious in our shabu shabu broth. You also get a free side of veggies and rice when ordering shabu. read more

See all

We decided to try this place since it was cold outside. It's a little hard to find it from the parking lot because you can't see the front of the place from there. They played great music inside. The restaurant was clean and decorated nicely. The service was wonderful, and our server Ryan was very cool. He explained how the hot pot works, considering it was our first time there. I was expecting each person to have their own hot pot, so this was different. So if you go with others, be prepared that you might be sharing a pot, although some of the tables had 2 burners. read more

Shabu Wara - California rolls, Japanese popcorn chicken, and a few sauces - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chino, California

It was date night and my bf and I couldn't decide what we wanted. He was craving sushi and I was craving shabu shabu. Luckily this place has best of both worlds! We ordered takoyaki, Alaskan roll, and crunchy roll for our sushi and appetizer. The sushi menu is very basic but it definitely still hit the spot! For shabu, we shared the premium beef toro, with sukiyaki broth, ramen and rice. The pot comes with assorted veggies and rice. Everything was super delicious but next time we might get two broths for the additional $6. The sukiyaki was yummy but a little to sweet at times, so next time we're thinking of getting something spicy for the second broth to equal it out. We are excited for our next visit to try out other items on the menu! read more

Shabu Wara - Happy Mamba Day! Enjoying shabu and sushi in the same location - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chino, California

Café Wara amazing first time and loved everything about it Arnold was so helpful explaining the menu we started out in the morning for breakfast Poached egg salmon plate delicious the best I ever tasted breakfast closes at 2pm menu becomes Shabu Wara must try Wagyu 3 meat combo i ordered rice ramen noodles and can't forget the chili oil can't wait to go back oh forgot to mention he has a place in Irvine Bistro Wara we'll definitely stop by there soon read more

Heads up... no longer AYCE! With that said, the service was attentive and informative. Very much a date night ambiance. Going solo was fun though! Food was fresh in quality. Although I wish I could request veggies a la cart. read more

We were only offered all you can eat menus $69-$89-$109 I should have left right then, did not allow the 10% discount that popped up on yelp!! Then I saw other ordering A la cart Meat was just ok nothing special Waiter was nice, but we won't be back. I feel jipped. Place was mostly empty and 2 people walked away as soon as they entered. read more

The owner came and introduced himself, very welcoming. Wagu was delicious, and the playlist was fire! # San Francisco #ganggang

Came here on a Saturday night for dinner for a party of 2. We were told only the bar was available. I asked if we can sit at the table with thr 4 seats but was advised it is only available for larger parties. While I understand them thinking in advance for potential large crowds, I still find it a little weird. Like how hard is it to just accommodate considering these was no wait? We sat at the bar and ordered the the Spicy Garlic Endamame, Chicken Karaage, and Seared Salmon Roll for appetizers. For the soup base/meat we ordered the Kombu and the spicy tonkotsu. For the meats we ordered the chuck prime which was what one of the waiters recommended to us. Spicy Garlic endamame - 5/5 Chicken Karaage - a little dry and overlooked. 2/5 Seared Salmon Roll - the rice to fish ratio was off. Way too much rice. 3/5 Kombu - this is just a water base soup with some seaweed, but when you put the meat and the vegetables in there it comes quite flavorful. 3.5/5 Spicy tonkotsu - this broth was delicious. It wasn't too salty and just the right amount of savory. 4/5 The chuck prime - the meat came out tender and not too much fat. 4/5 Overall the food was okay . Most of the staffs were friendly enough. read more