Have no fear, Shabu-Zen is here! What a great spot (located in the heart of Allston), surrounded by so many great boba, and Asian dessert places to go after your meal here. Shabu Zen is a staple in the Allston area for anyone who is craving hot pot. The moment you step into the restaurant, you will smell a beautifully symphony of aromas around you - it smells AMAZING, you gotta trust me on this. There are different sets that you can get (ie. Different cuts of beef or pork belly, seafood, etc) which each comes with a platter of vegetables, uncooked noodles, and sauces. I thought portion sizes were a wee bit small for what you get. I really hate how you have to pay for the broth too... it's around $4 for the broth itself and feel like this should just come with the meat sets... since you're at a hotpot place - only makes sense. And would rather much prefer that the hot pots were individualized rather than the shared ones, especially during Covid times. However, I understand that they can't make massive changes to their grills without dropping a ton of extra money. After dining in some of the other shabu places in the area, Shabu-Zen is on the pricier side and it's definitely a lot easier to fill yourself up quicker at one of the other AYCE shabu establishments around. But I think Shabu-Zen is a solid choice for larger groups (especially during Covid) and it's a good place that always has space since they have a HUGE dining area. The food here is solid and you can't go wrong with shabu-zen in terms of food quality and service (seriously... there's nothing wrong with this place aside from the semi-high prices for shabu). But after seeing what else is around and seeing how there are so many other affordable and cheaper Shabu options, don't think I will go out of my way to dine here again. read more

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This used to be my family's go to spot for dinner, but not anymore. Tonight, they DOUBLE CHARGED our tips. We were a party of 9, so we know there would be a gratuity. However, they charged our card with an extra tip on top of the 18% gratuity already- doubling their tip. It wasn't even the waiter who charged it- it was the manager. We walked up to tell them that they overcharged us. They tried to convince us it was only $10 extra. They almost only gave back $10 until more people from the party came up to complain about it. This entire ordeal felt scammy and they did not seem that apologetic about it. Do they think their customers are dumb? read more

Ok so if you want to try out a fun place to eat here it is, You order your food and your broth and you cook it yourself at you table. My son ordered beef and my wife and I ordered surf and turf and shared it, you pick your noodles and the fun begins , you get a couple plates of veggies and your meat is raw,It cooks really fast so you eat at your own pace and can enjoy the time with your friends and family. read more

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What a fantastic experience! Tbh, we initially went to Spring Shabu Shabu and because they were at capacity, we came here. And I'm very glad that we did. We were promptly seated at a table. Our server kindly explained all their combos, how the process works and our food was ready in minutes. She also offered us green tea which is complimentary. We ordered two broths (Thai Tom Yum, spicy Chinese Mongolian) and the vegetarian delight platter. All this was for $22 for two and we still had leftovers. Coming back to the food, there was so much variety in that platter - taro, pumpkin, greens, bok choy, yam noodles, mushrooms, etc. Both broths were spiced well, hot and tasty. You also get a choice of noodles or rice. We got the udon and it was cooked well. The food comes with a side of sauces - peanut sauce, Thai chili sauce and soy sauce that you can adjust to your liking with garlic, scallions, shrimp paste, etc. Everything was amazing. It was great to see that each food item had a distinct flavor profile. Everytime you dipped your veggie in a different sauce, you would end up with a different result but all delicious. Since we couldn't finish our food, we packed up the leftovers in our containers and ordered some dessert to counter the hot broths. We got a Hana sake (lychee) and a small scoop of ice cream. They were kind enough to split it between two flavors, green tea and red bean. Both were great. However, they served it with plastic spoons which really doesn't fit in with the restaurant. I hope they switch over to something reusable! All in all, we had a great experience. We could sit back and enjoy our meal, we never felt rushed. I would be back in a heart beat! read more

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I love hot pot and forgot to take photos of everything because I was too busy grubbing! When you sit down you will see them pour the soy sauce into a dish for you; then you can add fresh garlic, scallions, fresh chili peppers, and B.B.Q. paste they provide. Delicious, but not everyone will like the sauce. We had a big party there sat night for my nephews birthday. We've been to this location plenty of time and ordering food was not difficult. We had lots of apps, gyoza, spicy edamame, sashimi, baby clams, beef tongue, and seaweed salad. All were good and would recommend for anyone! Broth we had regular and Tom yum broth. We ordered a1 jumbo, bone marrow, beef tripe, beef balls, salmon, veggies, udon noodles, rice, and ramen. Overall, this place never lets me down. There's a variety of things to choose from to cater to anyone from vegetarian to carnivores. Drinks here are delicious, I forgot to mention the watermelon smoothie w Bobo is good. I ordered there lychee martini and it was a missed that night. It's ok, because food was still good there. Shoutout to our waitress the Thai lady we always talk in Thai/Laotian and she always remembers us. She's so nice and sweet. read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

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Our meal was okay, but the waiter walked out after us and demanded a higher tip! And then he hit my friend on the way out of the door AFTER I raised his tip! Completely unacceptable! Never have I been treated like this. Take your business elsewhere. read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

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My favorite hot pot hot restaurant in the Boston area. I've eaten here 3 times and always great service in a comfortable dining area. Broth is quite delicious, I prefer the house broth, although the spicy is also great. All meat, seafood and veggies are very fresh, makes for a great family meal every time. read more

The food here judging based on taste was not bad judging based on price was not worth it. I ordered A10 which was the combo meat plate and there was a grand total of 10 pieces of meat. The jumbo plates of a singular type of meat seems to be a more worth it option. The "udon" noodles that accompanied it were not udon, they were precooked regular noodles that had been refrigerated. The texture of the noodles were melt your mouth in a bad way, because they were overcooked and mushy. I dipped them into my soup for five seconds in an effort to prevent it getting any more mushy but that was a failed effort. The primary reason why I've rated them as two stars is due to the poor service we received. I'm not sure if our server was new, having an off day, or just plain bad at her job. She didn't offer water, she brought out the wrong item multiple times for us, she checked on us infrequently (we weren't offered soup), and she messed up the orders of the parties around us as well. It was honestly just a hot mess and spoiled the dining experience. read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

I've tried many hot pot places and this will always be the best. Food portion and quality has never disappointed here. Fun and delicious experience. Service was good, nothing that particularly stood out. read more

Go to the one in Chinatown, Boston instead. This location used the be one of my go to hot pot place in Boston but after the last two visits, I will not be coming back. The food quality has gone down the hill. The sautéed beef tongue was chewy and over cooked. The baby clam came in a thick cold sauce which too much corn starch or tapioca starch was used. Both of these appetizers, which used to be good, were just poorly executed during our last two visits. I thought we had an off night but two in a row sealed the deal. Both the broths we selected were watered down, the Chinese herbal ($4) and the spicy Mongolian ($6). Broth alone costed $10.00 mind you we haven't even ordered the meat and seafood sets yet. If the broth is not made well, it doesn't matter how good the vegetables and meat or seafood was. Highly disappointed. The service was slow and we had to remind our waitress of basics like water and utensils. This placed used to be good. I am not sure what happened. I will be going to their location in Chinatown instead. Or Kaze In Chinatown or Happy Lamb Hot Pot in Cambridge instead. read more

If you are craving hot pot this is the place to go!! It's great every time I go! Service is helpful & very attentive. Options for hot pot include plenty of meats, seafood & tons of veggie options! Tons of different broths to choice from, everything from mild to extra spicy. read more

Shabu-Zen - Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

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Open late. Great spot for Hot Pot. PROS: The parking lot in back, although small, is clutch if you come here on Thurs, Fri or Saturday nights. Street parking in the area is a nightmare on busy nights. The hot pot is good. Did veggies, beef, pork, and seafood combo. Would have liked shrimp and more scallops. Most stuff on the seafood combo wasn't to my liking. I did enjoy the meats and the Tom Yum broth. Staff is attentive. The overall experience was great. I ordered a beer, which I was happy with. The waitress steered us away from the "Hello Kitty" martini drink, which we thought we'd get just for the kitschy factor... like how hipsters drink PBR. Thankfully she suggested a better drink, citing that thing was not very good at all. ha. CONS: If that parking lot is full, good luck hunting for a spot. Our meal felt a bit on the expensive side, given you cook it all yourself. read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

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Love the atmosphere and the hot pot but the waiting period is insane when people can't booked over the phone or online?! They need to change the regulations on their waiting list because that's how you lose customers. The parking is insane when there's a side street parking but they have their own parking lot usually it takes up the parking lot it's because people doesn't know how to parked or the vehicle is to big to get in there. read more

I'm just..awe-struck at how I haven't reviewed Shabu-Zen yet. This spot has many moments and sentimental value for myself and my years of college where we were all addicted to hotpot. Quality here is always consistent and the flavors are a call to me now that I've moved out of state. Shabu-zen has it! Worth the waits on the weekends, and asking for a great time. Yes I am in the generation of hot-pot-lovin', bubble tea drinking students in the Boston area. I have many fond memories of this place from where we'd come here if stressed from classes and enjoy what Shabu-Zen has to offer. The space is large and can accommodate many groups, or even parties of one with individual pots at two bars. If ever in a need to catch up with someone, celebrate good times, or even while passing through Boston, I'll usually be here. The platters offered are enough variety and surprisingly get you full once you savor every bite. I'm always going for the surf and turf platter because it gives the best of both worlds. I learned from a friend that you can switch out one of the vegetables for your favorite. For me, that's switching tomato for more watercress in my veggie portion of the platter! Favorite broths are pork (for free) and the Japanese miso. A la carte items that are the best are the wontons and fish roe balls. The sauces here are what is unique. Though at all you can eat places you can make your own, the default soy sauce you get mixed with sha-cha bbq, and chili oil makes a unique combo I haven't been able to replicate elsewhere. If you're here with me don't be surprised if there's a lot of sauce stains where I'm sitting; it's that good! What I appreciate most is the fact that after years of going here, I know exactly what to expect and the quality doesn't go down. It's the same mix of veggies, meats, and seafoods when I order the surf and turf platter. Even the small carrot shaped hearts that are in the seafood platter have stayed the same. And frankly, don't change Shabu-Zen. You're doing great! read more

First hot pot experience did not disappoint! We got surf and turf. Everything was super fresh. Service was fast and good. Ask for the sesame sauce on the side! So good. We did udon noodles, which were thinner than other Udon noodles that I've had. We stuck with the house broth, which was actually really good. It comes with all the sauces and veggies. Overall, this was plenty of food for the two of us, coming to a total of $30 for 2 people. Good value and quality meat and fish for price. read more

Shabu-Zen - Surf & Turf - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

Hands down the best shabu place in Boston. Good food, good service, and very clean. A1 and A2 are my two favorite meats for hotpot. And their sautéed beef tongue is the best I've ever had! Shabu zen is my favorite shabu place in the whole wide world. read more

Shabu-Zen - Lamb - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

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Food wasn't something to write home about but the service was the WORST !!! Ask her questions about the menu she was annoyed, after we ordered n food came out didn't see our waitress again, had to flag someone down to order more food n more water...after we were done eating we had to flag someone down again for more water and had to ask for our bill cuz our waitress was sitting at the bar talking n laughing with her co-worker...didn't have a very good experience at all n for it being our first time I'm sure to say that was our LAST time also...pricey food for poor service NO THANKS... read more

Wow. What a choice on a rainy day. The food was amazing. If you know shabushabu, I mean, there isn't anything different or extraordinary about this place. Still I give it five stars because dining here was a great experience. We made a reservation and they seated us once our entire party was here. The waiter took our order and the food came out pretty quickly. I like how you can pick 2 broths. We ordered 4 orders of the A5 beef jumbo and it came with more than enough beef and vegetables for 5 adults! The staff came around often to refill out waters and even the broth when asked. When we were almost finished, we asked for eggs and sesame oil to make jook. By the time you're almost done with the shabushabu the broth becomes very rich and dense. This made the jook so much tastier. The inside is very spacious and clean. There are even little stations for people who come to eat alone. Highly recommend! read more

Shabu-Zen - A5 meat jumbo - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

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This place has great service. The waiters were very friendly and they refilled our waters frequently. There were many different options available, but I tried the seafood platter with beef, vermicelli and chicken broth. The chicken broth was extremely flavorful and overall the food was amazing. Would highly recommend this hot pot location. read more

Shabu-Zen - Seafood Platter - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

We have been going here for years but since the prices hike a few yrs ago we haven't gone here as much until tonight . I was surprised at how empty it was given a Sunday's night Father's Day. But it wasn't surprising when I saw the prices had gone up even more in the last year since we been there. $9-10 for broth outside of house broth which is included. The vegetarian delight priced at $26 which is high when other meat combo like seafood platter or single pork/chicken is either the same price or cheaper at $23. WTF???? It's the same standard vegetable selection and the same amount as before when it used to cost a lot less. Given there are so many more hotpot choices in the neighborhood with happy lamb literally a block down I understand why the prices would keep their regulars away. Flavor wise and quality still decent but cost doesn't justify it given its the same quality as before but nearly 1/3-1/2 additional price hike seems exorbitant and unjustifiable For how empty it was the service tonight was unusually lacking. We had to keep flagging staff down for broth refill, napkins and such. At least it was just as tasty as we remembered it but for that price unfortunately we will not frequent it as we used to in the past. We will continue to go to Happy lamb, Qiao Lin and spring Shabu. We will save Shabuzen for the occasional nostalgic trip which is too bad for them given how frequently we go to hotpot restaurant, once every 2-3 wks. read more

The place is very nice and well run our waiter was attentive but missing for most of our duration. Not my cup of tea the Broths we had were bland chicken broth very bland pork broth tasted of something but not pork. Hot pot not really my cup of tea I guess I shan't return to this or any other hot pot places. Next stop Japanese or Korean bbq. read more

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Excellent! Nice dining room and bar. Great hot pot experience. Menu is a bit overwhelming but Ze our waiter was friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. A bit different than the typical ala cart experience. Definitely would return. Crowd is mix of families, students and office types. read more

Favorite hotpot place! Favorite broth is Malaysian spicy. But honestly all their broth are good. Meat is very fresh. Their udon noodles are nice and thin. Love their a1, short rib, fish paste, ton toro pork and stuffed balls ! They do have a parking lot in the back. read more

Shabu-Zen will satisfy all of your shabu cravings. Located in Allston's Asian restaurant corridor, it is the ideal location to explore new and unique flavors. My girlfriend and I picked Shabu-Zen because it had amazing yelp reviews, and we were in the mood for something warm on a rainy, cold day in Boston. The restaurant itself is stunning; there are multiple dining sections with huge capacity, so this is a destination for group outings. The menu itself is ala-carte, so you pick everything from broths to meats to veggies. We opted for the meat combo with beef and pork slices with the addition of a few healthy portions of extra veggies. We also got spam, quail eggs, and ramen noodles. We both ordered the Tom yum broth for something warming but also not too spicy. The raw food was brought out within five minutes, and we got to start cooking and eating rather quickly! I am very happy with the quality meats and veggies at this Shabu restaurant and would highly recommend it to anyone in the area! Come check them out! read more

Shabu-Zen - Hot pot! - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

The best place for those who like cooking soups. They have a great selection of food. You can choose two broths. Then you have the option to choose from combos that include vegetables, noodles, or rice. As well as, you can choose each product by itself without vegetables and noodles. If you like wine, I highly recommend plum wine. It is sweet but tastes amazing. You have the full experience of cooking your own meal. They have parking behind the building. read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

I've been to Shabu Zen a handful of times and every time is very pleasant. It's located between two green line T stops, Harvard Ave and Packards Corner, so it's very easy to access to. There's a small parking lot in the back, however on busy days it can get full. There is street metered parking around Allston along with some residential parking. It's walkable distance to other shops, where you can grab groceries or boba after! Hot pot is not just hot pot, you can get super creative and add any sort of meats (surf or turf), vegetables, tofu, mushrooms, etc. I also love hot pot because you can be innovative with your sauce. The sauce that Shabu Zen gives you is a light soy sauce blend with garlic, scallions, chili, and Chinese BBQ sauce (sa cha). I always ask for extra BBQ sauce and chopped chili peppers to add to my sauce. My boyfriend also asks for the peanut sauce. I usually get the house broth (which doesn't cost extra!!) or if I'm with friends, they'll get the tom yum or the Chinese mushroom broth. I'll usually order shrimp paste, Ton-Toro pork cheek (make it a combo if you want the veggies), tobiko fish balls, surf clams, and the surf and turf platter. Most meat platters come with a side of veggies and your choice of udon, vermicelli, or rice. I also love getting the surf clams and it's the perfect chew for your seafood tastebuds. Occasionally I'll get the sea bass and those are super light and fluffy when you add it to your broth. The shrimp paste as well, which are probably my favorite things to get, super fluffy, great with sauce, and just adds happiness to your hot pot every time. Everything is just self explanatory. I recently tried the lychee smoothie and that was amazing! Great taste and no watery slush factor. They also add a whole lychee at the bottom of your drink which is nice. Love coming here because service is always impeccable from the minute you get there until you leave. Can't wait to be back soon! read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

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One of our favorite hot pot spots that we take family to as well. Always consistent service and food. Definitely get the Tom yum broth and spicy sichuan broth. They are our favorites. read more

I usually go to the one on Tyler Street in Chinatown but I honestly love Shabu Zen. It is just so good and so fresh and the people have always been friendly. This one is much bigger than the one in Chinatown as it has counter and tables, plus private rooms if necessary. I always order the prime beef which comes with vegetable and your choice or rice, vermicelli or udon. I always choose udon has it's the best in town and it's thin not thick. The beef is so tasty and fresh and red! I order side dishes of Berkshire sausages that are four heavenly pieces of grilled pork. I ordered the pan fried pork dumplings, one order of fish paste and baby sautéed clams, the sauce is so good. There smoothies are really good as well. The place looks super clean and modern and the hot place burner never hits my legs like other places. Parking at rear or street. read more

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I took a hot pot newbie here recently for his initiation into this wonderful dining experience. We came on a Saturday evening. Parking can and was a challenge for me as the lot for the restaurant is very small, about 30 spaces. There is street parking but you need to be lucky or persistent to get a good spot. I usually loop around the area for 20 - 30 minutes before finding a spot. There are parking garages nearby that are 15-20 minutes walk from the restaurant if this is not your style. Because of its popularity, expect a 10 - 20 minute wait when you come here on Friday and on the weekend. Service is great here. The wait staff is nice and attentive. I was asked if I wanted more broth several times and as soon as I was done with a plate, they would clear it pretty quickly. The food is great. The cuts of meat are fresh. The vegetables are clean and vibrant, no old stock here. There is a limited collection of alcohol with a variety of Asian beer such as Sapporo and Singha beer. It's a great atmosphere, albeit a little noisy because there are a lot of things going on. If you're looking for a quiet dining experience, then this is not for you; or you can ask to be seated in the far corner of the restaurant. It's festive and lively -- the way hot pot is meant to be consumed. Price wise, if you stick to an order of meat and drinks, your meal should be around $60 - $70 for two people before tips. Additional dishes can easily bring this number towards $100. I wouldn't recommend getting this every week, but it's definitely something you can splurge on once a while. Overall, it's a great experience and I highly recommend it. read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

Shabu-Zen offers amazing quality and quantity of your standard hot pot fare at incredibly reasonable prices! My friend and I shared a a meat combo and seafood platter which each come with a portion of vegetables. I ordered szechuan broth and my friend got the Tom Yum. Tasty broth, plentiful food, and attentive service (the waitress kept our waters full and would add to the broth when she noticed our pots had boiled low) - what more can you ask for? BONUS: When you ordered a bottle of sake, you get a 750 mL of sake - not just a larger carafe/sake bottle! This was quite the pleasant surprise and a great treat on the cold winter-y night. I intend to frequent this place for my hot pot fix and to try this watermelon frozen drink that everyone in the restaurant happened to be drinking the night that I was there. read more

Shabu Zen Allston is a great place to grab some hot pot. The staff that I have experienced so far has been quite friendly and helpful. The environment and the atmosphere is great. My girlfriend and I have stopped by about 4 or 5 times so far and I have yet to write my review and give them the credit they deserve so here it is. Our usual go to order is the Chinese Mala Spicy and the Tomato Beef Broth. Both broths are quite good and delicious. The tomato beef broth is great because you get 2-3 free pieces of meat with it. Yes the meat is a bit overdone and chewy but thats to be expected for meat thats used to give the broth its flavor. The meat combo where you get to choose 2 meats with the side of vegetables is plenty for 2 people (so long as you get a few a la carte sides). The staff is even friendly enough to exchange a few veggies that you dont like for more of which that you do, especially on busy nights that I have gone to. Acts like that are noticed and greatly appreciated! We also get an extra helping of the tofu skins and enoki. With all this, our bellies are full and content! Overall, great experience and great staff and great restaurant! My only complaint to Shabu Zen Staff: I would greatly appreciate that the bathrooms be cleaned just a bit more thoroughly, with a great restaurant, the smell and cleanliness back there hurts the experience just a tad! read more

Shabu-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

I came to Shabu-Zen on a Friday night coming from the BU campus. My co-workers told me to try another place, but that one was closing early so I decided to come to Shabu-Zen with a couple co-workers. It was definitely not Japanese hot pot or "Shabu Shabu", it was just Chinese hot pot. The space was very large and could accommodate a lot of people and it stayed open until like 11:30pm on Friday night which was nice. I was not a huge fan of this hot pot restaurant because of two things: the food was expensive and the quality/taste of the food was not great. I came with a group of three and we ordered two sets with the meat, rice or noodles, and veggies. We got half miso and half szechuan broth in our pot and then ordered a couple extra sides of veggies, seafood, and some other things. It was not enough food for the three of us and it seemed like we needed to each order a meal with meat, rice/noodles, and veggies each plus some of the add-ons. The quality of the meat was pretty good and of decent size, but the veggie plate was pretty small and the extras were small as well. The rice was very bad and the hot pot broths were not that great either (not much flavor). Overall, it was like $30+ each for a pretty subpar meal, so I would not recommend this place. I've paid $23/person for AYCE hot-pot of pretty solid quality and have left very happy and paid like $25ish for not AYCE hotpot of great quality, so this place seems pricey. read more

Great atmosphere and value. Get a lot of food for not too much and high quality as well

I've been going here for years from the first day it opened its doors in Chinatown and the second location in Allston. I'm pretty surprised I didn't reviewed this place before. THIS IS THE #1 TOP PLACE I ALWAYS verbally suggest for out of towners friends and family. Even to strangers I meet randomly at work: Me: "Your going to Boston?? Do you like Hot Pot" Stranger: "Well uhh.." Me: GO TO SHABUZEN. ITS SO GOOD. ITS NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER had before. There's a parking lot in the allston one. Sometimes you get your own pot and you get your own plate of meat, veggies, and a side of rice or noodles, it looks small but will fill you up, yada yada etc. I can be scary sometimes when I get TOO EXCITED over food. I don't really know how it is in other places outside of Boston, i've just heard from friends in Cali that they never been to a place like this before, basically all positive comments. Another tip: I wouldn't go here before going to the clubs or else you may be smelling like the restaurant. If you do go out after this, bring febreze-smell fresh! read more

We came for dinner and had a wait of about 40 minutes on a Saturday night which is to be expected. There was also a long wait before the waiter came to take our order. But once the order was in then everything came out efficiently. Food was great and we enjoyed the experience. There is a great selection and the kids like the smoothies. read more

Shabu-Zen - New menu 2020 - Japanese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

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I've been meaning to update this for over a week, but grad school and Zuma Blitz on Facebook keep me busy. Went there again (a little over a week ago) with a different friend, and service was SO MUCH BETTER even though the dining room was much busier this time than the last time. If you are running low on broth don't be afraid, even to ask a random server, to put water in your broth when it's getting low. And DEFINITELY get Chinese Szechuan broth! I talked about flavorgasms in my last review- these 'gasms were much louder and happier!!!! read more

Worst place in Boston. Scalp you for every item, places like this should have at least unlimited rice and noodles. 1 person will spend at least $35 just for a single meal. Quality isn't that great. Go to spring shabu shabu or happy lamb instead. read more

Clean and have really polite staff The meat and seafood was fresh Just need to add more flavor to their broth read more

Roni introduced me to Shabu and now I am addicted. Despite Roni's one start from years past I was very pleased. While on a mission to get to MIXX I parked in front of Shabu-Zen and lured her in to try something new and broaden her eating palate. We got high seats up at the high bar. You can get individual hot pots or a big one to share. We went with the individual ones since my Princess is not a red meat fan. She got the chicken broth and chicken with mix veggies and I got a combo of beef and lamp with mixed veggies with the pork house special broth. I really enjoyed the mixed veggies. It came with tofu, three types of mushrooms, bok choy, napa cabbage and a mini corn on the cob, sliced carrots and a tomato wedge. We each selected one rice and one udon noodles. I usually love the clear thin vermicelli noodles and was surprised at how much I like the udon. With strainer in hand we added our meat and veggies into the broth to cook. Similar to a fondue we cooked each item and drew them out for a dip into the soy, scallion, ginger sauce we had created. They gave us a little plate, a little bowl and our sauce dish. With my soup I drank some of the broth as I munched on the tender pieces of meat. I wasn't sure if my Princess (at 15) would be freaked about the raw meat but since it is shaved into think rolls there was no ooey gooey raw messy image. All a hug plus. Our host and waiter were very patient and took time explaining how things worked and what to order. It was truly a fun mom and daughter experience giving us a good fun memory as we shared stories and had some bonding time. The mango banana smoothie she ordered was also a big hit and we ended the meal with sweet red bead soup. It had small pieces of what looked like oatmeal but could have been barley? mixed it. Yum so good. We were so stuffed but since I promised her MIXX we headed over there for a small taste of the Red Velvet. Now my next trip to MIXX will have to have another pit stop at Shabu-Zen. I'll be more adventurous and order some items off the Ala carte menu. The place was nice and big with lots of different types of tablet so pick from. The bathrooms, however, need more cleaning and/or an update. I was disappointed to leave a nice meal and then get the geebs. read more

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I love Shabu Zen's broth flavors and their most of their dishes but holy wow their prices has gone up! It is so expensive for an entree. $31 for 8 oz of prime rib eye, plate of assorted veggies, and a side of udon is crazy. Their assorted veggies no longer consist of enoki, tofu, or broccoli. Ever since there's been a new owner, the old staff must've all quit. Their new staffing needs retraining. Very slow service on an early Saturday afternoon. read more