Jazz Cat Restaurant

Shabu-shabu restaurant · San Gabriel

Jazz Cat Restaurant

Shabu-shabu restaurant · San Gabriel

2

121 Valley Blvd, San Gabriel, CA 91776

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Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null
Jazz Cat Restaurant by null

Highlights

Jazz Cat offers a cozy hot pot experience with a quirky cat-themed vibe and a diverse selection of broths, perfect for a relaxed meal with friends.  

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121 Valley Blvd, San Gabriel, CA 91776 Get directions

$20–30

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121 Valley Blvd, San Gabriel, CA 91776 Get directions

+1 626 703 4583

$20–30

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Last updated

Jul 10, 2025

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@eater

"Hot pot restaurant Jazz Cat closed its oldest San Gabriel location." - Kristie Hang

Parking Lot Dining, Sudden Closures Are New Normal for SGV Restaurants - Eater LA
View Postcard for Jazz Cat Restaurant
@eater

"Longest running shabu shabu/hot pot restaurant closed, with other locations still open." - Matthew Kang

LA Restaurants That Have Permanently Closed During the COVID-19 Crisis - Eater LA
View Postcard for Jazz Cat Restaurant

Ivan Paw

Google
Went here for my first time 12/23/2021 it was amazing they have around 20 different types of soup bases! They have the option for more meat or more veggies with their Shabu. You can get away with spending 25-30 per person unless you want to get excess appetizers and desserts. The main meal itself is very filling. Most of their soup bases are pork but there are many that you can substitute as vegetarian. The meat quality is excellent. I tried the cream corn, it was amazing! They do free refills on broth but charge $1.25 for more rice. Overall it was a great experience and I would go back to try their other broths.

Kevin Kwak

Google
A good portion for $20 plus tax and tip; we went with the regular (more veggies) entrees and I selected Japanese Premium Kelp & Miso and my friend selected Healthy Premium Kelp & Chinese Herbal with taro add-on $4.50). We picked satay sesame and Thai satay sauces after the waiter’s recommendation. I wanted to try other flavors but Jazz Cat only allows one sauce selection. You can request hot chili oil and some green onions with cilantro on the side. It was a packed house and only about a 10 minute wait using the Yelp kiosk in the entrance. The broth was pretty good with plenty of miso flavor, and it does get saltier while it boils, and the waitress walks around to add clear soup to lessen the saltiness. The chicken tasted funky for some reason, and I don’t think they brought me lamb instead. I took the broth home and cooked it with shin ramyun noodles the next day, yum. 3.5 stars. Plenty of parking underneath the plaza, and he Sweethoney Dessert shop in the same plaza is still closed.

L S

Google
Loved the soup! We got a bit of everything...shrimp, lamb, steak. I tried the Taiwanese broth and it was spicy and full of flavor. It was great with all the meats. Loved the mushrooms and other veggies!

Jonathan Prawiromaruto

Google
Great place. So, if you're looking to have a good conversation over good food, this is the place for you. Just beware that your jacket is gonna smell right after. If you're a meat lover, you should order trex. More meat, less veggies, same price. Good value forsure!

Un known

Google
First time ate at this restaurant. They have parking building so that's good. There was long waiting period. We got seated at a table w booth nearby to the entrance and the chairs felt funny, sinking feeling. We ordered the most expensive set from their menu and the taste were okay. Customer service was good. Prices are kinda expensive.

Ce Li

Google
I was introduced to this place by my friend and former roommate Kenny. This place has great menu options, great food but also just the style and presentation. Having the meat and vegetables not already in the pot allow you to just eat at your own pace and not have to rush like boiling point before the jelly burns up. You get to choose your meat, the portion size, then the broth, and then the sauce(s). It's got hot plates so you can adjust the heat and enjoy your meal and music which isn't too loud. Their portion description is great, regular or T-Rex portions (less vege, more meat). Parking is underground because outside parking is usually taken. But definitely came back to this place a few times.

social3ngin33rin

Google
I ordered the donburi (?) rice bowl. It would be good to order but I couldn't taste the toppings on top of the rice because the rice was so moist that I would say it was wet; not wet as in it has moisture, but wet as in it's wet enough to be further cooked into rice soup (jook). (Depicted: only what's in the bowl comes with the bowl)

Grace Lee

Google
Haven't been to Jazz Cat in a long time because they normally have a long wait. My friend wanted to get hot pot and he suggested to go here because he saw that they had outdoor dining. Once we arrived, we realized that they didn't open outdoor dining for dinner. Probably because it's cold and nobody wanted to sit there? Ok, so we just had to eat inside. I ordered a premium beef with Taiwan satay broth. It didn't take them too long to bring our orders. I realized they have their own shape of hot pot that is the shape of a cat. That's pretty cute! What I like about this place goes downhill from here. The beef was not really cut for hot pot. They were too thick. They actually became tough once you cook them through. It's like three times the thickness of a normal hot pot beef slice that you could even get in a supermarket. On top of that the vegetable was not even cut to manageable size. I felt like they should give me a scissor so I could cut them myself. Were they that lazy to vegetables? My friend ordered a fried tofu as appetizer and it was not even crispy. All in all, the meal was just not great. At the end, both my friend and I agreed that we would not come back again. It's a disappointment because I used to have fond memories of this place. Maybe they have changed ownership? I am not sure why it has gone down so much. Anyway, it's sad to see a place that was once a good hot pot place to go down like this.

FoodieMommie007 M.

Yelp
We attended on New Year's weekend and the food was great and the service was excellent. It felt a bit overwhelming at first since we don't usually go to hot pot but the food was good.

Yvonne C.

Yelp
From the outside this spot looks like a bar. Never would've thought it's a shabu shabu restaurant. We came here around 5pm on a Sunday and it wasn't busy when we got there but there were already a few other tables. The service was good, they kept checking in to see if we wanted to order more items. We opted for the AYCE and I think we should've just went a la carte. There's not much on the menu compared to other hot pot spots. They also charge $5 extra pp for seafood which is pretty much shrimp, fish's and squid. They have a lot of soup options to choose from though. But I personally prefer more food variety. And on top of that, you're only allowed 2 sauces at a time. They don't have a section for you to make your own sauce. Their meats didn't taste too fresh either. And the corns they have is either corn from a can or those mini corns. They don't have corn on a cob! Oh man! Overall I was unimpressed and unsatisfied with my meal. I got bored of the food quick. This spot is just not it. Don't do AYCE here, I do not recommend it.

Michelle L.

Yelp
As an AYCE option, Jazz Cat isn't worth it. The meats were tough, and the overall quality left a lot to be desired. In my opinion, going à la carte is the better choice if you're dining here. The service was decent, especially for a random weekday night. However, the AYCE selection was pretty limited--only about 4 or 5 meat choices and random veggie options. Overall, it was a disappointing experience, and I don't see myself coming back anytime soon.

Van D.

Yelp
My boyfriend and I were looking for a lunch spot, and I suggested shabu since it's relatively healthy enough. We weren't too hungry to get AYCE, so we decided on Jazz Cat for the individual size shabu shabu sets. This location almost died out during the pandemic, but they made a come back and they seem to be staying strong. Their parking lot has a narrow entrance and the limited parking spots are tight. Bring your skinny compact car if you have one. Service was pretty absentee, but when we finally got their attention my boyfriend ordered their Premium Lamb ($23.98) T-Rex style meaning 50% more meat, and less veggies. He had it with their Premium Kelp and Miso soup base and the Japanese Sesame sauce. I had their Premium Pork ($22.98) regular, which has more veggies. I went with the Creamy Milk and Corn soup base and the Japanese Sesame sauce. All meals come with the white rice, you have the option to upgrade to brown rice or vermicelli for $1. We also shared a side order of the Golden Fish Balls ($10.95) which has the masago filling. Super cute pots with the cat ears and paws on the edge of the pot. The meal was very filling. I gave my boyfriend most of my rice and still didn't finish the amount I had left. I probably didn't need any rice at all and I would have still been full. I really like this creamy milk and corn soup base, cause it goes really well with the pork and veggies. I barely needed my dipping sauce since the food was already flavorful. Staff was lagging down to the end. They were watching something on their tablets and being absentee, as we basically had to flag them down for the check. I would consider coming back the next time I want a healthy-enough filling meal, but the parking and poor service are deterrents.

Yuri Y.

Yelp
I always frequent this place because their lunch menu is such a good deal. I love the name of the restaurant, the vibes inside & the little kitty pots the shabu shabu comes out in! I'm also addicted to their golden fish balls, I highly recommend everyone to try it if you haven't tried it yet :) My usual is the spicy miso but sometimes I'll order the seafood essence. My go to for protein is beef & sometimes I'll order T-Rex which is more meat less veggies. Oh & can't forget side of instant noodles! The service is pretty efficient as long as they're not in a lunch or dinner rush but that's for every restaurant lol I will continue to frequent this establishment & come for my usual girls dinner too

Ingrid R.

Yelp
I've been eating at this place for years. My go to is the normal beef , kimchi soup base, ponzu sauce with a side of egg dumplings. I like the variation tray that is made to go along the hot pot. The interior is nice and spacious & the little hot pots are cute with little cat paws. Overall, a good bang for your buck if you want a filling meal. They also have different snacks to order from or add ons for your hot pot such as noodles or mushroom. The staff are friendly and open to questions. A nice spot with easy parking in their underground level.

Kim C.

Yelp
Located off Valley blvd, it is easy to miss driveway at night. There is free parking available. Upon entry, there is a little odor - not sure if it's their kitchen but smells like a dirty rag. However, it's soon forgettable and great thing is there is no wait. Service is quick and once you order. They leave you alone to eat. The veggies looked fresh, meat was pre sliced and frozen. The individual shabu pots are in front of you and easy heat controls. Menu-choose a protein, then one of many broths, choice of rice or vermicelli, choice of one dipping sauce. There are additional add ons if you prefer. I wish they would allow more dipping sauces, and not limit you to one. I come here when there is a wait at other hot pot places and I'm hungry.

Terence C.

Yelp
My friend and I went for the Dinner buffet which is around $36 per person. The quality of the pork and beef were amazing and the vegetables were great as well. I got the Corn soup base which I highly recommend. Another thing I like was the variety of delicious sauces that they have. If you haven't been here, it's worth the try.

Vanna T.

Yelp
Haven't been to Jazz Cat in such a long time. First time visiting this location. Usually go to the Arcadia one, but this San Gabriel location is the OG. Boy oh boy, this place is super disappointing and completely went downhill. There's a reason why there's no long wait time and so empty inside. People prefer going to Boiling Point or one of the AYCE hot pot places now. We ordered chicken miso broth & angus beef Japanese curry broth. The portion size was very little as compared to before even tho the prices are much higher. Not only do they give you a tiny bit of veggies/vermicelli on the side, but the broths was very bland and watery. The only reason they didn't get 1 star is because their service was pretty good. Their servers kept coming by to ask us if we needed anything. The food came out very quick too. However, we definitely will not be coming back here. It's such a depressing restaurant chain now. There's plenty of parking in the underground parking structure or upstairs near the restaurant. They're located off Valley Blvd and Del Mar Ave, across from Hawaii Supermarket.

Joseph J.

Yelp
I've been going to Jazz Cat for over 12 years. I have no complaints about the food, but I'm sad that they no longer honor the stamp cards. My passion lies in the realm of gastro-gamification and since childhood, I've meticulously collected the Jazz Cat stamp cards, with the thrill of a completed card being one of my life goals. Sadly, a free T-rex hot pot, once a mere two stamps away, now remains ano impossible dream.

Diane N.

Yelp
The reason why I keep coming back to Jazzcat is definitely for their Taiwanese spicy soup. No other shabu or hotpot restaurant has come close to the flavor of it. Their portions regarding meat are definitely less than. I miss the place this was before.

Annie B.

Yelp
Wait time: I went on a Thursday night and there was no wait. They were able to accommodate 8 people with no issues. Service: the servers were really nice and constantly checked up on us. The food came out very quickly as well. Food: I ordered the Black Angus beef T-rex with Taiwanese Satay broth and Japanese sesame sauce. Fried golden fishballs and popcorn chicken. -This is my go to order when I come here. Overall the food was okay. I think the beef needed to be sliced alittle thinner because it was kind of tough. The broth wasn't super flavorful but I wouldn't say it is bland either. Once i dipped everything in the sauce it wasn't something to complain about. The Japanese sesame sauce is definitely worth trying, i think it's my favorite sesame sauce I have tried. -Golden Fishball: this was very flavorful and delicious. I definitely recommend ordering it on the side to enjoy with everyone. -Popcorn Chicken: very flavorful, crispy and heavy on the five spice powder. Also a nice side to share with others. Overall: Jazz cat is not what it used to be, I remember it used to be very packed and busy especially for dinner. I think their broth isn't as flavorful as it used to be and the beef is tougher now too. However I would still come back because I do like the overall experience.

Vanessa C.

Yelp
***UPDATE: almost 24 hours later and I am still throwing up. Jazz Cat was the only thing I had to eat yesterday and I still cannot stomach anything without having to throw up after only one and a half plates of meat.*** Walked in around 3pm and the place was completely empty, like I mean no workers in sight and the place looked like they were either just opening or someone closed last night and forgot to lock the doors. I sat up front for like 10 minutes before I got up and said "hello??" And still waited another 5 minutes before someone actually came out. I've been to jazzcat plenty of times pre-covid and the places was solid, a bit pricy but the quality was decent. Fast forward to now, the meat quality has gone down tremendously, but apparently so has business and their prices...FOR A REASON. They now have an AYCE option which one would think oh great, who doesn't love ayce hotpot. They have a wide selection of broths to choose from, but very limited options in meat. I felt sick after eating half a plate of pork and half a plate of beef. The beef for sure had a weird taste to it. The veggies were not fresh and they were out of half the veggie options they had listed. In terms of ambience, it was a bit awkward considering I was literally the only person in the restaurant and the server was two tables away on their iPad watching movies.

Celine V.

Yelp
My favorite hot pot place, ever. My friend showed me this spot because it's such a local gem for a reason! Great service, great soup base, sauces, quality ingredients, and parking is not terrible. There's a structure below this plaza. I always get some kind of spicy soup base whether it's Miso or Tom Yum, but there are so many options to choose from. The fish fillets and seafood are good quality and taste delicious. This place never disappoints. I love the vegetable assortment. Great pricing! Super delicious and flavorful, it's the best. We could both eat hot pot everyday! The vibes are casual dining.

Luna L.

Yelp
overall okay. service was fine and forgettable. interior was spacious. pork broth was flavorless so i relied on the sauce for flavor. some vegetables seemed a little old and dried out. the portion size was good for me. but considering the quality, i feel you can get a much better deal at other hot pot places

Matt D.

Yelp
It pains me to give a review this low especially to my favorite Shabu place. My girlfriend and I love Jazz Cat, but even though we only live 2 miles from this location, we would rather drive up to the Arcadia location which is a solid 5/5 from us. I'm not sure what's up with this San Gabriel location, but the service isn't that great and the environment always seems so dark and gloomy (sometimes with no music playing). On top of that, the amount of meat that we receive for the T-Rex isn't that much compared to the Arcadia location which gives us almost triple the amount. I have faith though that this location can improve and I'm willing to give it another shot (after being disappointed twice) sometime in the future.

Katrina N.

Yelp
I got really stupid for trying their ayce with my 3 years old baby. $75 for both! Only ate whatever on the picture with a popcorn chicken and 2 drinks :) For anyone that trying to get ayce just do regular maybe cheaper.

Jessica W.

Yelp
This was my go to shabu place until so many other great shabu places open around SGV. It is still a decent shabu place. My go to order here is the T-Rex beef with spicy miso and Thai spicy sauce. Make sure to ask for the garlic, green onion and cilantro so you can mix it in with your sauce and/or put onto the soup base. Also I would opt for the noodles, even to pay additional $1, since their rice is usually so dry. Service is okay and not the best. I had to ask a couple time when requesting certain thing or to different server.

Lilian T.

Yelp
I got the seafood essence (which I loved to get before) but it really had no flavor. Tried my sister's Taiwanese satay which is a bit better. The service was okay we had to wait awhile to get their attention. If you are debating between regular and t-rex, definitely I think the T. rex is more worth it! The veggie portion isn't thattt much more than the regular and meat is definitely more $$.

Stephen C.

Yelp
It's been years and I continue to come to this restaurant. The seafood essence with regular beef is the move. The flavors of that broth is so bomb. The dipping sauces are also really good. Service is always good. Parking: parking lot + street parking Overall: Will continue to come to this place

Christine J.

Yelp
I am pretty disappointed after coming here. I ordered the sukiyaki broth and it came out tasting so pungent with salt that it tasted like soy sauce. They kindly added something it to make it taste a lot better afterward. I ordered the angus beef and it came out looking underwhelming as provided in the attached picture. The service was good and attentive. Parking is in a plaza as well as underground. My friend and I both left with very upset stomachs which caused pain and rumbling and are disappointed. I have tried places that provide unlimited veggies with the same price and better quality ingredients.

Sheryn M.

Yelp
Lunch special comes with a drink. Overall it was okay. Portion was a bit small.

Bryn H.

Yelp
Take some meat, veggies, broth. Baby you gotta stew goin' Great food and great service.

Betty C.

Yelp
This is my second time at Jazz Cat, but first time at this specific location. My friend and I came on a Thursday late afternoon (around 3 pm) and there was literally no one except us and another family. Surprisingly even though it was empty, service was so slow and we got sat all the way in the back in this awkward L shaped table that was mean for 3 people. I don't remember exactly what we ordered, but we both opted for the lunch combo and got ice green tea and fried fish balls (which we never got) The place was pretty dark and the vibe was kind of sad. I would definitely still get Jazz Cat, but maybe at a different location.

Tracey V.

Yelp
Pros/ - quick seating, booth seating to be socially distance from other groups - free tea with lunch special - flavorful pork bone soup - can choose more than 1 dipping sauce Cons/ - mediocre service even though the restaurant was practically empty - no T-rex option during lunch, so for the meat lovers you're stuck with their vegetables - did not refill water cups and waitress did not check on tables

Brittney L.

Yelp
I used to come here a lot and there was always a wait. Now I came here on a Friday night and I was seated right away which is typically great but after dining, I understood why. My usual is the T-Rex beef but meat quality was subpar and the portion seems smaller too. Definitely not what it used to be and not worth the price. Wouldn't come back again.

Alice Y.

Yelp
I'd give this Jazz Cat location a 3.5 in comparison to the others due to the food (beef was slightly lower quality) and the space being inconvenient for small parties. Price is the same, ~$25 for dinner before tax and tip, and portions are filling. My bf and I came on a midweek evening. It was quiet, and parking was easy in the small lot above ground plus underground garage. The staff were nice, but there were few seats for 1-2 people. We were given an odd T-shaped table in the corner, which felt cramped and uncomfortable. I got the Spicy Mongolian soup base with Angus beef, Regular ratio of meat to veg. The beef was well marbled, but had crunchy gristle on one edge of each slice. It's like the ligament wasn't removed from the hunk of meat before it was run through the slicer. The soup base was flavorful, with a gentle to medium spice that made my nose run, but I think the chili oil masked the herbal flavor of the spice pouch. My bf got the Taiwanese Spicy soup base with lamb, Regular meat ratio. The lamb was good quality: umami, soft and not smelly, but still had a gamey scent. The soup was standard, but good, and not as spicy as mala in Taiwan. Our hot pots came with egg and jasmine rice. Sometimes the other locations use a shorter grain rice, which I prefer. The veggie platter included bok choy, nappa cabbage, 1 fish ball, 1 imitation crab, 2 pcs baby corn, 2 pcs tofu, 1 roll of thick glass noodle (which cooked up very nice and chewy), 1 pc kombucha. I would have preferred a slice of carrot to the extra baby corn, but I get that times are rough.

Victoria T.

Yelp
Came here on a Friday night and it wasn't busy. Was suppose to go to Cali Hot Pot but the wait was too long. I got their sukiyaki broth and beef trex! I think their broth is way too salty and I even added a lot of water but it wasn't drinkable. I asked if I can mixed brother but was told no. Not as good as it was before sadly

Carly Y.

Yelp
One of my favorite hot pot places in SoCal! So delicious with a ton of broth options. My go to order is the beef t-rex combo w sukiyaki broth and japanese sesame sauce. Hint: ask for a side of garlic, cilantro, and green onion to add into your broth!!The combo comes with a tray of vegetables, which I unfortunately noticed they skimped on this time compared to when I last went about a year ago. I did also notice they raised their prices again ($22.98 for the beef t-rex combo), but it still comes with a bowl of rice and a free egg. Still one of the cheaper hot-pot options in LA, though, and super yummy nonetheless!

Tina N.

Yelp
This is my favorite hot pot/shabu place! I have been coming to Jazz Cat for ~14 years ever since the old location in Alhambra near Noodle World and Banh Mi Che Cali and when the price was only $10. My best friend and I would drive here from OC almost every weekend and we would wait 1-2 hours. It was so worth it every time! Back then each order came with fish paste and fish balls with roe which were our favorite items but they no longer offer that. Now my best friend is in Norcal so I no longer come here as often. I usually go to the City of Industry location but I haven't been back since covid. I recently came back to this San Gabriel location with a coworker and noticed the price is around $20 which is still affordable considering the amount of food you get. The wait was not too bad and the taste is still the same. I always get the thai spicy broth, thai spicy sauce, and with either lamb or veggies. The new pot is so cute! You can ask for garlic, cilantro, and green onions to make the broth taste better. So delicious and perfect for the cold weather! Must try the Thai spicy broth! And Jazz Cat, please open a location in OC!

Caden O.

Yelp
I saw the reviews but was doubtful bc previously I've been here before and the service and portions were good. However, nowadays the portions did decrease and the service and ambience were mediocre.

Phillip D.

Yelp
This place used to be good. Went today for the lunch special and it came with "Premium" beef. The beef was really chewy and it wasn't before. Glad I did not go with the AYCE option.

Adam K.

Yelp
Hooray!! Jazz Cat SG is back open and just as delicious as before!! Sure the prices may have gone up about $1-$2 for each menu item, but it's still a great value for the quality and amount you get. Thankfully, fan favorite T-Rex is still on the menu, and the 50% more meat for the same price as regular shabu is still the best non-AYCE shabu/hot pot deal in the SGV. Going with my family to celebrate its re-opening, we each got our own T-rex sets for dinner. Prices are the same for both lunch and dinner, with the only difference being a longer wait for dinner. I got the T-rex premium lamb with creamy milk and premium kelp broth and Thai satay sauce. This was the first time I got a creamy milk broth (need to take advantage of not being lactose intolerant!), and it was a mellow, light broth that tasted decent! The Thai satay sauce was like a regular satay but a tad sweeter and spicier. The lamb quality was good, and the amount plentiful with no complaints to it. It all came with a usual side of napa cabbage, tofu cubes, a fish ball and imitation crab meat, raw egg and vermicelli. Taste wise, it was as good as before. Portion wise, it was as hearty as I remembered it. Quality wise, it was still super fresh and great as before. My family was definitely satisfied by the end of it. For $75 for the 3 of us, we'll definitely be coming back to our favorite shabu knowing that's it's back in business.

Kelly G.

Yelp
I'm so glad the Jazz Cat in San Gabriel is open again! I am so obsessed with Jazz Cat! I usually get their Premium Lamb with Japanese Miso soup base. My go to sauce is the the Thai Satay and BBQ Satay. The portions are perfect and its very filling. Sometimes, I can't even finish everything and will just give my boyfriend the extra meat. The only think I would say is that they often get very busy. Although this is not their fault, I hate waiting. It gets a bit annoying when they have a yelp waitlist, but you cannot join the waitlist until you arrive at the restaurant.

Jennifer H.

Yelp
I've been to Jazz Cat over a handful of times. It's always a good choice for when it's chilly or rainy out. I usually always get the t-rex option since it's more meat for the same price. One time I did order just veggies and I found it to be a little too much of the veggies I didn't like. As a side note, I wish they would cut the napa cabbage to smaller pieces. The most recent time I went, I tried the spicy tomato broth with pork. The only sauce I get is the Japanese sesame. It pairs really well with all the meats and veggies.

Elizabeth N.

Yelp
Jazzcat remains my absolute favorite Shabu restaurant even after trying countless other places over the years. They use quality ingredients, have generous portions and great service. Their extensive menu makes it easy to tailor individualized options to what each one likes. Each person gets your own individual soup base, choice of meat, veggie plate, and dipping sauces. We came here for lunch on a weekday and they were offering their lunch special menu (Mon-Fri 11AM-4:30PM). It comes with your choice of a soup base, meat/seafood/veggie options, side of veggies, rice or noodles, dipping sauce, and green or black tea. The dinner menu is mostly the same but includes the T-rex option (more meat and less veggies) and an extra side of an egg that comes with the meal. You can also get a side of green onions/cilantro/garlic for both lunch and dinner, which I like to mix in with my dipping sauces. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for an excellent and tasty shabu spot!

Christian G.

Yelp
This place has gotten worse now, it looks like the food got worse and the restrooms were not well maintained. Definitely prefer the Arcadia location. Service was decent, ambiance could use some work.

Kachun L.

Yelp
This jazz cat really disappointed me. It used to be very good but as I came in today. There was no wait at all which surprised me. The beef that they gave us was not good. I told to the server and they gave me another one which is about the same quality. As there are many good hotpot or Shabu restaurants in the area nowaday. I think this is almost one of the worst beef quality I had. Location and table is clean quiet but food is bad. Not recommending anyone to here. There are many better option.

Camille T.

Yelp
First time trying this restaurant. There was a 30 minute wait on a Saturday night, which I'd assume is typical for dinner on a weekend. So far this has the best broth I've had compared to other shabu locations. I highly suggest the Japanese Spicy Miso. It does have kick after a couple spoonfuls, but it's so flavorful. The list of broths can be intimidating, but I definitely chose the right one for myself. I went with the Premium Beef T-Rex. T-Rex just means extra meat, less veggies. Quality isn't that great and I had to chew a little more than I'd like to. Cuts were tough and on the thicker side. I may just go with the Regular next time around. I can forego the extra meat and have a little more veggies.

Ching W.

Yelp
Been coming for years every time I visit LA, so about once every few months. The food is delicious, the personal hotpot concept is fun and hands-on, plus much easier on the wallet compared to AYCE (esp for people who can't eat much in one sitting to begin with). I love coming here when it's cold or raining outside. Service can be hit and miss depending on how busy they are. Our absolute favorite is MELANIE, who's just awesome!!! She's friendly, super attentive, and goes above and beyond in a place where each order has so many moving pieces and people constantly need something. I always get the Trex Angus beef, spicy miso base, and satay and Japanese sesame sauces. I think their seafood base and lamb meat are popular too but I don't eat those. They have a small parking lot in front so that's nice. Personal tips: you can request ginger and scallion, and I highly recommend asking for a smaller spoon to eat the rice with because their default ladle is too big for the bowl.

Jamie C.

Yelp
Not how I remembered it from years ago....Maybe I'm just spoiled by other hot pot places that are ayce ..

Anh L.

Yelp
The hot pot here is good, but it's nothing particularly special. I found the place to be humid, with sticky and not-so-clean seats. Overall, it was a very average experience for me.

Ashley V.

Yelp
This was first time at this location (I've been to the Arcadia location before). There are so many soup base flavors, good to have options but a little overwhelming. The dipping sauce they had was okay. I think this is a decent hotpot spot, but nothing super special.

Matthew Y.

Yelp
Jazz Cat has changed so much compared to pre-covid. The prices has increased and the quality has decreased. I ordered the T-Rex Angus Beef and they do NOT give an egg anymore. The quality of the meat has reduced significantly. There were brown shades at the end of the beef and there were even pieces of bones on some of the pieces. The glass noodle they give used to be somewhat decent of a size (similar to boiling point wrapped up in a knot), but now it's abysmally small. It's literally about 3-4 strands. I get that Covid hit restaurants hard, but if you increased your price by about 25% (used to be about 15-16$), you need to make sure quality stays consistent. Service was slow as well. Tables were not all full and it took about 10-15 minutes for a server to come by just to take our order. I will say their Honey Green Milk Tea was pretty good though! The soup base (Spicy Seafood Essence) was good as well. I would probably give this place more closer to 2.5 stars, but just due to the sheer disappointment in this restaurant, I will need to round down. For the price, I'd highly recommend just going to an AYCE hot pot or KBBQ and may another 5-10$. I would definitely not return unless a friend is craving it.

Laura L.

Yelp
I would give this 5 stars if the lunch combo came w more than 4 slices of meat LOL. Everything was really good--even the konbu broth was v flavorful like it was soaked for hours. The only thing was when my lunch special was brought out and i legit only saw about 4 pieces of meat! I was shook. I had to break them in half to savor them. Maybe it was bc i ordered the cheapest lunch special @14.99, which i didn't realize was gonna be an all in one hot pot instead of a dipping hot pot. It's always super empty in here when i come in which is fine, but there was also no music playing at all which made it super quite and kind of awkward to talk while i was with my friend. Anyways regardless of the lack of meat in the lunch special i did order some wings and it made up for the protein.

Jennifer N.

Yelp
I was super excited to finally have Jazz Cat again. After going back last night, I really feel that the place has gone downhill since they closed (did some slight changes with table top stoves) and reopened. Looking back at my older pictures from here, wow, the meat quality from the pictures shows a significant change! I ordered the pork bone broth with regular beef. The broth was fine, but the beef I got was more like "fat with a trim of beef". I tried to just endure at first by removing some of the fat, but then I realized every piece was fat after fat. I even unfolded the slices on the right hand side of my recent photos and unveiled even more fat! I couldn't deal anymore so I asked to swap. The next plate of meat they brought looked much better, but for some reason the meat turned super brown (I even compared it to the 3 plates of beef from my friends that I dined with); it was also very chewy even though I dipped for a short period of time. I didn't want to send the meat back again so I just left it. I also noticed that they give fewer vegetables and some were even old (please refer to my recent pics). This is really unfortunate! Jazz Cat was one of my fave places before. With the increase in price (with tax and tip I paid $28) and the decrease in food quality, I can't say that I'm excited to ever come back. I came for the pork bone broth, but the quality has left me not wanting to go back to this location. Plenty of other hot pot places nearby with better quality meat and vegetables (like All That Shabu). I gave 2 stars instead of 1 because the wait staff and servers were friendly, wait time wasn't bad, broth still tasted good and sauces were fine too.

Kevin K.

Yelp
A good portion for $20 plus tax and tip; we went with the regular (more veggies) entrees and I selected Japanese Premium Kelp & Miso and my friend selected Healthy Premium Kelp & Chinese Herbal with taro add-on $4.50). We picked satay sesame and Thai satay sauces after the waiter's recommendation. I wanted to try other flavors but Jazz Cat only allows one sauce selection. You can request hot chili oil and some green onions with cilantro on the side. It was a packed house and only about a 10 minute wait using the Yelp kiosk in the entrance. The broth was pretty good with plenty of miso flavor, and it does get saltier while it boils, and the waitress walks around to add clear soup to lessen the saltiness. The chicken tasted funky for some reason, and I don't think they brought me lamb instead. I took the broth home and cooked it with shin ramyun noodles the next day, yum. 3.5 stars. Plenty of parking underneath the plaza. The Sweethoney Dessert shop in the same plaza is still closed.

Ivy C.

Yelp
This is honestly my to go spot when I'm craving some hot pot but not wanted to do AYCE and just want the perfect amount to fill me up at a good price range. I usually get their Regular Premium Beef with Spicy Miso for my soup base. Before I usually did get the T-Rex option which gives you more of the meat than the veggies, but now I get the regular which gives you a regular portion of meat and more veggies. The soup base is pretty good not too spicy, I normally ask for extra garlic and green onions to add to my broth for more flavor. They do refill your broth but not with the flavoring you chose but probably just normal chicken broth which isn't the best. They also give you a sauce choice and I usually go with their Ponzu and Thai Satay. A small bowl of rice is included in your meal as well as an egg that you could throw into your soup for a poached egg! I love ordering a side of udon noodles at the end as well because it soaks up all the flavor from everything boiling in the pot!

Annie M.

Yelp
Worst hot-pot in the area. Small portion and quality is not good. The hygiene in this place is also not good. I would not go back.