Kushi Shabu Restaurant

While I really wanted to enjoy my experience here because it's run by the cutest old Japanese couple and seems to be full of history for them the food is just incredibly mediocre. I get Shabu Shabu is the more bland Japanese hot Pot (I much prefer Sukiyaki) but even the portions and sauces are far from the best here. What's worse is I tried the kushi set as well (skewers) hoping it would redeem things but it tasted even less remarkable. For the price it really just wasn't a satisfying meal.

One of the best Shabu Shabu restaurants I have ever been to. The atmosphere inside is Japanese like; peaceful and Woody. The all you can eat meal plan has amazing quality of pork and beef. Sauces are hand made which is what wins me over. If you like all you can eat and you like hotpot style of food. This place is one of the best in LA for sure. Go check it out.

Don’t waste your money don’t come to this place. This restaurant is awful and the food is trash. Almost 40$ for the seafood dish and it isn’t fresh you can smell and taste it is turning bad after you boiled it also they only give you 1 fishball and they cut it a half. Chicken wings are smaller than a dumpling. They wrapped a skinny beef slide around an onion to make it look bigger to trick you. The beef isn’t fresh also. DO NOT TRUST ALL THE GOOD REVIEWS FOR THIS RESTAURANT THEY BOUGHT THOSE REVIEWS FOR SURE. We had a dine in for 7 people and they add 20% tips by wrote it in the receipt not by their system and all the food in the receipt is same thing just different price. THIS PLACE IS SCAM.

It's a lowkey, average shabu shabu experience. We walked in on a whim and enjoyed our time. We went for the Kobe Beef and regular, it was good but not exceptional. The atmosphere was very relaxing though. It was pretty quiet too. Service was leisurely but we weren't in a rush luckily. If you want a simple Shabu Shabu experience, this is it, but there are better options in Little Tokyo.

This is a quaint little family run business. My husband and I come for the kushi katsu ever since discovering this dish in Osaka, Japan. Kushikatsu is a rarity and this is the only place we've found that has it with such a vast menu variety. The kushikatsu has a very light battered coating that is crunchy and savory. Everything is always perfectly cooked. Their chicken karaage is also lightly battered and flavorful, they serve it with a citrus mayo. Their shabu is light and clean, their broth isn't heavy like other hotpot places. Their meat is soft and tender, very fresh. I particularly like their sesame dipping sauce with the shabu. They have packaged shabu dinners and also ayce. We came today for a nice date night. They are short staffed with only the two of them but their service never wavered. The gentleman that fries all the skewers and meats is so polite, the hostess who serves the drinks and cashiers is also very hospitable. They both alternated washing the dishes between serving tables as well. I hope this business continues to do well and thrives in this small little tokyo plaza.

One of the best Shabu Shabu in LT, the meats are great and with great peanut sauce, their ayce is best for the price. The service was great and they also offer Japanese skewers, which is another great choice on the side! Parking is validated on the bottom!

I first discovered this place about eight years ago, and I’ve been coming back ever since. Every time I visit, I go for the all-you-can-eat option, which I think is the real star here. It’s not just about the quantity—it’s about the quality you get with it. They also have an awesome selection of alcohol, and the staff is always warm, polite, and consistent in their service. What keeps me coming back, though, is the authenticity. This isn’t one of those overhyped, heavily advertised restaurants where everything feels commercial. They don’t need any of that. Their reputation is built purely on word of mouth and people like me who just keep coming back. There’s something really special about a place that doesn’t try to push itself in your face, yet still manages to have a loyal following. One thing that really stood out to me is their dedication to quality. For example, they make their sesame sauce by hand—literally grinding the sesame seeds themselves. I know this because I’ve been coming here so often that they remember me, and I had a chance to interview them about what makes this place tick. It’s that kind of attention to detail and personal connection that makes it feel less like just a restaurant and more like a place where you’re always welcome. The price is honestly pretty reasonable too, considering the times. After the all-you-can-eat and a few drinks, my bill usually runs around $60-70. And for 2024, that feels like a steal, especially for the quality of food and drinks you’re getting. Speaking of drinks, if you’re a fan of alcohol, they have a fantastic selection. You’re not just getting the standard stuff—they’ve got some really high-end choices, and it’s clear they care about what they serve. Beyond the food and drinks, the atmosphere is another thing I love. It’s so laid-back and calming. You can come here to enjoy good food and drinks without feeling rushed or pressured. There’s a sense of comfort, almost like the restaurant itself has a personality—unpretentious and focused on making people feel at home. Honestly, every time I leave, I feel like I’ve had more than just a meal. The service, food, and atmosphere all come together in such a genuine way that it feels like a more special place to come to, and that’s rare, and it’s what keeps me coming back.

On the 3rd floor above Kinokuniya in Little Tokyo. This cozy restaurant serves shabu shabu and kushiyaki with options of beef, chicken, pork, and seafood. Different dipping sauce for each type of food and served with miso soup and rice. You have the option of ordering half size, full size, or all you can eat.

Kushi Shabu is one of my all time favorite Shabu Shabu spots in the US. My mother is Japanese and my Grandma lived in Japan for most of my life, so growing up Shabu Shabu was the meal that brought my family together. After trying a number of Shabu Shabu spots in K-Town, I was honestly disappointed at the Shabu scene here in Los Angeles. Poor quality meats, and sauces that are meant to mask the taste of bad veggies were so common. Kushi changed everything! At Kushi Shabu, I feel like family. The owner always greets me with a smile, and remembers my favorite appetizer (natto tofu, which is a MUST-TRY here - prepare yourself for slimey, natto goodness). We typically sit in one of the Shabu rooms, which have a homey atmosphere that make me feel like I'm in Japan. For mains, we usually get the Kobe Style Beef, which also includes all other cuts of beef and pork. Here at Kushi, the meat quality is what stands out, along with endless, fresh-cut veggies and the ability to order a plate of your favorites (I recommend a mushroom & chrysanthemum platter - or shiitake, shimeji, and shungiku in Japanese). They have all of the standard, authentic Shabu Shabu dipping sauces, which complement the flavor of the meats and veggies! Kushi also has wonderful sake and beer options, and is my go-to spot for friends who have never had Shabu, family, and business clients. Kushi Shabu is not just one of my favorite homestyle Shabu Shabu spots, but one of my favorite restaurants in LA altogether. Must try!

This was absolutely the worst experience I've had at a restaurant. I had a group of 7. It was around 6:30 and the place is empty (That should've been our first red flag) There's only a host and one worker that I saw. So we're understanding of our big group. We get seated in this little room and he starts putting on these pots before we order anything. We didn't know what we were planning to get yet so we were confused on what he was doing. We place our drink and food orders and everything's fine so far but this is what happened that made our experience VERY unpleasant Two people in the group order chicken cutlets and two ordered the meat for the hot pot. He bring out the meat, rice and scallions and leaves. For ten to 15 minutes we assume that it's just a soup water and meat that he's giving us because he didn't bring anything else. He finally brings out the veggies and leaves again. Now they have their food and we sit for thirty minutes watching them eat. He had not asked for any refills (Btw we never got refills. He never checked on us) Thirty minutes goes by and he brings a tiny salad for one on the chicken bowls and my side dish. 50 minutes have gone by and he has not checked on us and has not brought our three meals at all. Finally he brings me my one side dish (sushi) and now an hour has gone by and my friends still haven't gotten their food. (I had to leave the table to ask for things multiple times and it's a tight room where everyone has to get up for you to leave the space. Btw he's on the other side on the room but can see us from where he is.) I had to mention it's been an hour and they haven't gotten their food. He talks to the chef and the chef starts frantically rushing to prepare it (HE HADN'T START MAKING THEIR FOOD) btw we only ordered a hot pot meal, fried chicken, sushi and salmon balls. Things that are pretty quick to prepare so I'm not sure why he forgot the chicken dishes or why it took so long to get to us. Now we're all starting to get frustrated with the lack of service as he has not checked on us, checked if we needed water, check that we got all our food and again had to flag him down for the check. (The restaurant is still empty and we're the only customers in the last hour and a half.) When he brings the check we didn't realize that they had a 20% charge for tables above 6 people. So now we're paying over 40$ in a tip fee that he clearly did not deserve. The soup did not have anything besides a spice packet and water. Utensils were not offered until asked. I hate to sound so uptight but we were the only people there and I get a large group and low staffing but there was no excuse to not get our food in increments of 10-30 minutes. I definitely would never recommend it, the guy was nice but I'm surprised they have a bunch of good reviews for such bad service.

We were looking for a restaurant with no wait time on a Saturday night, and this was one of our options where we were like "why not"! So we tried this place for fun. Walking in, you can immediately notice that this restaurant seemed like it has been here for quite a long time. Everything does seem a bit old, and even using the restroom, it smelled like incense lol. So we were immediately seated and we decided on this $45 AYCE beef & pork. So this price is actually quite high for AYCE and let me tell you, it is not worth it. The quality of the meat cuts were really low and thinly sliced. I would say the beef cuts were a lot more better than the pork, because the pork was really fatty. Although overall, the quality was very mid. I would say this is like $20 quality price AYCE... maybe even lower. The veggies they offered were also really basic, just cabbage, some mushrooms, some carrots, and this noodle. The sauces here were okay, the peanut sauce was a bit disappointing because it was pretty liquidy and I liked the texture to be thicker. The service here was pretty okay, the checked up on us a good amount of times. Just the food quality here isn't worth it. You can definitely find better quality meat cuts at other shabu places at lower prices.

Absolutely love this place came once about 6 years ago and been loyal customers ever since the staff is so nice and they always make sure everyone gets the best experience ever. Always chill vibes. This spot has become my sister's and sacred spot. Definitely come with an appetite and have the all you can eat beef and pork Shabu Shabu. Their skiers are amazing as well highly recommend!!!

The owners seemed nice and the ambience was cozy, but the food was extremely bland and portions were way too small for the price. The broth/stock seems to just be water; we were essentially just boiling cabbages, mushrooms, a few slices of beef, and some seafood skewers with tiny pieces on each (one shrimp on a stick counts as a skewer). I wouldn't say it's worth the price.

Avoid!!! This was the saddest restaurant meal of my life so incredibly overpriced with not only the most basic ingredients, but barely any at all either. For 80 some dollars and three portions all we got other than salty soup was a plate of veggies with mostly cabbage that we had to just boil in plain water (and it boiled so incredibly slow) and the seafood platter for 26$ was literally 6 skewers, with one shrimp, one piece of white foam-looking thing, and some fish balls. We sat there and ate in such sadness and despair regretting our life decisions and feeling so defrauded. Please save your money I don't know how these people in good conscience can sell others this (which you can basically just boil yourself at home in literal plain water) and for such high prices. There is a reason the place is empty, it is not a hidden gem it is a sham

I am honestly surprised with the meat quality at this restaurant! Their meat quality is definitely better than other shabu places. This place is a traditional Japanese Shabu so you should not expect a flavored both, they only give you water with kelp. I order the Kobe Style Marbled Beef Shabu Shabu Full Plate and it comes with veggies, rice, miso soup, ice cream, sesame dressing and ponzu. They also have an AYCE option and I think the price is very reasonable for such good quality meat.

Best all you can eat shabu in LA! My 2 year old asks to come here almost every day haha Super nice servers who always go above and beyond to take care of us. I love their private rooms! Highly recommended!

For the first time I tried this place hot-pot with a group of my colleagues. The parking was validated for two hours, but it was hard to find the place and the parking using GPS. The service was pretty rushed. The food, for the price, was pretty small portions. The quality was good. Good experience, but I wont go there again. If you are curious about hot pot, then maybe a good option.

I don't know how this place ended up with four stars. I really wanted to write a good review because the workers are nice, but I had to be honest. I've had numerous Japanese shabu and by far, this place was the worst. The broth was pure water with one piece of dashima (seaweed). The ponzu sauce was too acidic and the sesame sauce was just okay. If you are really into bland food for $100+ for two people, I'd say give it a try. But, if you want to feel like you're actually eating with packed with flavors, please go elsewhere. I understand that Japanese shabu is supposed to be clean, but this place is pure boiled water with meat and veggies. Sad to say, but I would not come back here....

I see that this restaurant is solely know as an AYCE hot pot place nowadays so I'm writing this review for the kushi katsu that they still serve. Kushi katsu is basically yakitori, but everything on the skewer is fried instead. Used to be many restaurants that did kushi katsu but this is one of the few left around this area. I've only been here a few times but my parents have been going here for many years. Went here the other day and it was still good as hell. I typically just get the course and it's a bit pricey but it ends up being about the same cost as the AYCE. If you're not that hungry, you can simply order per skewer. They have a whole arrangement of condiments for your skewer and each skewer is fried to perfection. Crispy but juicy inside and some of the skewers are pretty intricate, like tomato and cheese or chicken wrapped with shiso.

The food is really good, overall the quality was amazing. I wish more people about this. The server was really nice, he was quick to assist, he was super helpful and kind. The environment was pretty cool, it was a place i would want to eat again. Definitely a hidden jewel!! would totally recommend!!

This was our shabu shabu spot for years before moving away. Haven't been here for the longest time and I'm happy to see it's still here post 2020-2021 pandemic shut down. My spouse was craving some shabu shabu so we decided to come down to Little Tokyo. We got the all you can eat beef & pork shabu shabu and 2 cokes. We paid $106.22 plus tip came out to be ~$130. You can judge the meat quality for yourself from the picture. It hit the spot for us, but we loved the pork more. Not sure what's up with all these 1 star reviews. The staff was great. The food was good. They kept bringing meat out when they saw we finished one plate of meat. When we asked for something they brought it out pretty quickly. A lot of people are having difficult times so I can understand the staff not being as cheery as I remembered. We'll be back again.

I wanted some fancy shabu shabu and saw this place on Yelp. The reviews and pics looked good so I made reservations for dinner on a Friday. I was treating my friend out so I wanted to make sure the food was good. When we arrived, the place was pretty empty because they had just opened. The service was ok but the food was such a disappointment. They didn't have the regular beef AYCE, so we had to get the Kobe style beef AYCE which is $60/pp. It is WAYYYYYY overpriced for the quality of the meat. Their Kobe style meat sort of tasted like the meats they have at a genghis khan stir fry place at a food court in a mall. The dipping sauces weren't that good either, had a funky smell. It would have been better to go to a shabu shabu place in Ktown like Shabuya or Bon Shabu. It's a lot cheaper and the meat quality is so much better. Plus, you get to choose broths and different types of meat. Paid about $180 for 2 ayce shabu shabu, not worth it. Not coming back. Parking - they validate for 2 hours in the structure

I have been coming here since I was in college, and I always love this place. Outdoor dining is available. It just that the pot might get cold very easily due to the cold weather. Social distance is enforced. A bottle of hand sanitizer was provided on each table. They offer all you can eat shabu shabu for $37 dollar per person. They have the option of beef and pork. Each of these options comes with a vegetable plate as well. My favorite is the dessert. They have the option of a red bean dessert and ice-cream. I personally like the red bean dessert a lot! only 2 servers were working when I was there, but services were great. Both servers were very attentive and friendly. I will come back and support small business for sure.

Authentic, friendly service, high quality food, great ambience and tons of alcohol. If you haven't tried it, TRY IT

Was waiting on Torigoya and just wanted a drink, but I realized that we could have a full on omakase kushikatsu meal here so we stayed. The chef brought out freshly fried katsu pieces 3 at a time and it was great. We must have had 21 courses and there were no repeats. You will get what you pay and prepare to pay for the quality of food here. The owner told me they have been around for 30 years, and it felt like I have arrived in Japan... A+ for ambiance and service A for katsu quality B+ for value ($$)

Incredible, I hadn't visited this restaurant in a long time and prependemic it was virtually impossible to get in. Since the pandemic they've opened outdoor seating which gave the restaurant more space. I ordered the Kobe combination with seafood. My wife and I enjoy the experience, it reminded me of being in a little small town in Japan. Worth the visit.

Was surprised we were the only customers when we walked in at night, but now I know why. The place was ridiculously overpriced for a tiny portion of food. For your reference, I attached some pictures. $40 for a small plate of Kobe beef, and $25 for a tiny plate of seafood. The seafood only came with ONE shrimp, one piece of salmon and the rest mainly cheap fish cakes. As if that wasn't bad enough, the veggie plate that came was supposed to be shared by both of us. I took a picture of the veggie plate after we had taken some off, but you get the idea. Every Shabu place I've ever been to has given us our OWN plate of veggies...it's like the cheapest thing to serve! You will also notice the barely filled plate of green onions. I also asked for an extra sesame sauce bowl and even got charged $2.50 for that. I should have listened to my gut instinct and just gone to Orochon next door but I was really craving Shabu Shabu. Definitely won't be coming back here.

I had the chicken teriyaki dinner and it was not worth it at 31 dollars... The salad felt hastily prepared. It was mostly iceberg lettuce, but there was also thinly sliced celery and cucumber, and ONE cherry tomato. The dressing was good though. The miso soup was watered down, presumably to make their batch last longer. The rice had too much water and was mushy, and the chicken teriyaki was covered in an excessive amount of teriyaki sauce that was extremely salty. I had to reach for my water with each bite. The chicken was well cooked, but the sauce made it difficult to eat. I will not be coming here again. I felt scammed out of my money.

We love this place for Shabu Shabu! Love that you can call and make a reservation, plus they offer AYCE. Great quality meat. Yes, it comes with water but its supposed to!

We ordered all you can meat Shabu with Top Grade Premium Marbled Beef, which was $73 per person. The first few rounds, they brought out ok looking beef. They were decent, normal type of beef, but definitely not worth the price. When we started to feel full, the lady said, "oh, here's a better plate of beef. The previous ones were end parts and not as good." And she brought out a beautiful plate of Wagyu, the kind that I was expected. Then the next plate went back to normal plate and she walked by and said, "you guys paid the most expensive one, this is not the right, it's the leftover end parts." And switched it. We ended up eating just some actual Wagyu plates (2?) that we ordered and most were cheaper ones. So be careful when you order. They switch your order! Oh and desserts were too sweet. Skip it.

Dropping glasses of water (never seen a server like this - better to do self serving) and even Wasabi seems long time outside - making layers of color changed wasabi. Found that even slide meat putting outside. I wonder how it was so fast to be delivered since I expected high quality of meat when I see the price on menu - but even the quality of meat is questionable... never go again

Warning: Please do not come here, food was disgusting!! Only boiled water and vegetables, made my husband so sick had to throw up in the bathroom within minutes of eating the food. We could not even finish it. Such a disappointment. Please do not come here and save yourself the money and time.

Very fresh meat Very friendly staff Been going here for years now, by far the best shabu please I've tried. When you walk in you don't necessarily expect the food to be good because the place is kind of old but it is absolutely delicious, and fresh. And their ponzu sauce is the best in town! A must try if you like shabu!

Warming!!!!!!! ATTENTION First, read all the feedback before you decided to dine in. 1. overpriced for a small portion of meat 2. vegetable and meat are not fresh 3. NEVER do all you can eat. I ordered two Kobe meat all you can eat. first two plants are Kobe meats (not very fresh), then they switch/down grade your meat to regular meat. I've brought this to their attention, but they will lie to your face and tell you "Yes, this is Kobe meat/Kobe style" (I am not the only who notice that, READ other's review, they will tell you the same they switch meat)

Negative star if Yelp allows it. We each ordered 1 premium Kobe style beef (not AYCE) for $41 & added Kushi Katsu for ad $15. The worst food I ever had in my entire life! Do you know what I got for $41? Very very very thin meat w the worst quality meat I ever tasted. I'm sure it's the same meat as the AYCE. You can buy better Shabu Shabu meat at a Japanese market downstairs for $15. And the portion will be triple. When I cooked the meat in the hot water, it shrunk like seaweed in the ocean. It was a joke. The ponzu had very strange chemical taste also. And they brought one sad looking vegetable plate to share with two people. Are you kidding me? The small amount of tired looking noodles were not worth to eat. There were a few pieces of small tofu but I didn't even eat them. And the waitress dumped the leftover vegetables on the plate in the hotpot like she threw trash in a dumpster. We didn't even ask her to touch our plates. I don't throw food in the pot without using utensils. I'm not a barbarian. And the rice was disgusting. Kushikatsu were not good but they were ok. So we ate them, The best was the ice cream because they didn't make it. We were so upset leaving the restaurant. I didn't even want to pay $1 but we paid. Total bill was $126.47 plus tips. We wasted our money. I don't understand where these 4, 5 star reviews come from. And people who were there actually looked like they were enjoying the food. Just don't understand any of this.

This is definitely my favorite shabu place in downtown. The meat quality is better than other all you can eat shabu places, and they are very generous with their portions. Good service, the owner is friendly. Try their Monday specials! My first time here, it was a good experience. There were three grades of meat, I picked the middle one (around $50/person) it was just perfect, wasn't too dry/chewy and wasn't too fatty. It's pretty good for an all you can eat place. The restaurant seemed pretty clean. Service was also very good. It would be a fun place to just drink and eat shabu with friends on a casual night. Make sure you try the peanut sauce with chili oil!

Kushi is an authentic Shabu Shabu spot located on the 3rd floor of a complex in Little Tokyo. I give this place a solid 3 stars. I do love shabu because of how communal and festive it is. (Lesson time) For the less adventurous... "Shabu-shabu is a Japanese nabemono hotpot dish of thinly sliced meat and vegetables boiled in water. The term is onomatopoeia, derived from the sound emitted when the ingredients are stirred in the cooking pot and served with dipping sauces. Wikipedia". The communal part I mentioned above is that there is a stove burner at your table and you cook your own meal. Kushi Shabu is decorated "authentic." It is a little run down, but that just adds to the appeal in my mind. Also there are private rooms here. No not like a club where you gotta fork out extra money haha. They put larger groups I the rooms. I assume to keep the noice down. My group chooses to come to this spot because we are all World caliber Karaoke singers and the karaoke spot we go to is around the corner. One of the best parts of Kushi is that they have an all you can eat option. They do not rush you out and actually encourage you to eat copious amounts of beef, pork, and veggies!!!! They also have a great Japanese beer selection. Check out my pics. You will get an idea of everything from there. I highly recommend Kushi Shabu Until next time...

Celebrated my brother-in-laws birthday here. It's his favorite shabu restaurant. The staff was attentive and kept bring a variety of meat throughout the dinner. They even gave us a free bottle of champagne since we were celebrating a birthday. The quality of the shabu meat was great. It had a lot of marbling and had a variety of cuts. The best part of the dinner is the quality of the shabu dipping sauce. It's probably the reason why we keep coming back. If you're ever in the area, definitely check out this hidden gem.

Anyone who gives this place a 5 never had shabu shabu. It's literally thin overpriced meat in boiling water. The whole order had no flavor. Pork donkatsu tasted like chicken mcnugget from Costco frozen section. Yakitori 12 piece cost $40 but literally tasted like random pieces of vegetable and frozen seafood air fried. I think I paid for the booth not for the food. Don't go here!

Not sure why no one seems to know about the kushi katsu (the counter is always empty), but it's excellent. Try the omakase. Not stop kushi katsu goodness.

Ordered 2 entrees of the special beef kobe style. Each came on their own plate; however I noticed half way through that the 2 plates were different colors and that the taste of the meat was different. We verified with the server if we did indeed get both the special beef Kobe style and that one of them was not the regular beef entree. My gut was still telling me something else. At the same time the table next to us also ordered the same thing and had the same impression! Also not that the broth was not flavored aka I was dipping the meat in hot water. Sad to say you want to give local business that are trying to thrive in the COVID times but I will not be coming back here.

Went on Monday night and got the premium Kobe shabu all you can eat for like $52 or so. You get miso, rice, pickled radish, veggies, dipping sauce, meat and ice cream. And you get as much of each that you want. The miso is decent worth getting, they make a good bowl here. Rice is decent, but don't get too much if you want your money's worth. The veggie are essentially just the to help flavor the broth for the star, the meat. The meat is marbled beautifully and is definitely tender. I don't know if it's worth the premium price over the regular be though. Service was pretty fast with refills, and was friendly. This place is worth the visit, especially if you are here on a Monday for the discount.

Great food and lovely service! We had an absolutely amazing time! Very quiet place with super personable service.

Theyre open for ayce during covid with outside seating! Service is excellent and food is as wonderful as ever!

I've never had to put beef in boiling water at a kbbq and paid $15 for 5 pieces of meat that came with the lunch special. Service sucks! But the cool thing is each cubicle is separated

What a waste of $200. They charged $40 for skimpy veggie skewers that were pathetic. Plain boiled water for soup base ? Awful.

Small servings! They charge $5 for sauce? $1.50 for green onions? Are you kidding me? What a rip off!!! It's already pricey and that's just crazy.

Worst service I have ever had in my life. The waiter kept rushing me when I was asking questions about the menu and had no manners. I hope this place goes out of a business soon and a real restaurant can move in.

Came here to share a shabu with my bf since we were still full from lunch. I was intrigued to try this place since I had such a good experience eating kushikatsu in Osaka. We got the Kushi Shabu Combo so we can try both. The kushikatsu didn't really live it up but still not bad, the ones you get from the combo were very basic but I like the thin breading. The shabu was also just mediocre, the meat was not bad but maybe if you opt for kobe then it will be better. You also get ice cream in the end when you get the check. The lady probably thought we ordered two portions so she asked us for two flavors, but when she found out she just took away our ice cream that was in our hand. You can say I'm still sad from that. Definitely won't be coming back since nothing really stood out.

Absolutely love this place. The food is always so fresh and perfect, the staff are kind and personable, and it has a wonderfully calm atmosphere that makes it a true sanctuary.

My wife I had shabu here last night, we decided to try all three kinds of beef by ordering one plate mea of "beef" for me, one plate meal of "special beef" for her, and additional add-on plate of "kobe style marbled beef" to share. As a shabu lover, I have to say that the shabu here is below acceptable. 1. beef was sliced too thin, almost broken when I picked up every piece 2. ponzu sauce is not right, way too sour 3. sesame sauce is not right, too much ginger 4. ingredients provided to add into sauce are not right. The daikon radish should be unseasoned. 5. The best kind of beef that they charge $43 (a one-plate meal) or $33 (single plate add-on) is the same kind as what House of Shabu Shabu sold for less than half the price. I probably won't complain if it was as tasty, but the temprature and thinkness are both wrong and it has lost the flavor it should provide. Service was great, though, I almost feel sorry to write this review, but I like other shabu lovers to be aware of this. I also believe if they were celebrating 30 year anniversity, their OTHER foods must be good. Just avoid shabu here. I will come back to try other things.

This is the first time I tried Japanese style shabu and I was not impressed by taste. In this particular place the constant hum from running fans was deafening. Table service was lacking. I think they expect everybody to order all you can eat. Otherwise, full meal portion is quite small and won't address the hunger of a medium male adult :-) There's no vegetarian option per se. I would not recommend and will not be back.

When I first heard about this AYCE shabu place, I knew I had to give it a try. This place is located in the Weller Court and parking can be found at the entrance on 2nd street. They validate for 2 hours. They do take reservations but I don't think it's completely necessary since the restaurant wasn't really crowded when I went for a weekday dinner. It's neat how they have private booths for your party to sit in. The service is spotty. Even though the restaurant wasn't really filled, it took a while for us to receive what we asked for. We had to ask multiple times for certain things...seems like the waiters just don't register what you ask for in their heads. It's pretty simple though as everything is already pre-cut and all they have to do is put it on a plate for you. The cheapest AYCE selection is $32, which is just the standard beef and pork. It's nice how you have a choice between the two. The slices are cut razor-thin so don't expect thick cuts. It's meant for you to just dip the meat in the boiling water a couple times so don't make the mistake of "overcooking" the meat. You can definitely tell a difference...Super tender and soft when cooked properly. The meat was decent quality and they provide 2 different sauces for you (ponzu and goma). You have to ask for radish/garlic/soy sauce if you want to fix up your ponzu sauce though. As a party of 3, we easily ran through 7 plates of meat. In addition to the meat, they give you unlimited veggies, miso soup and ice cream too. The miso soup was really salty so beware... At the end of the day, Kushi is a decent AYCE Shabu place if you're willing to spend the money. Everything was decent. Nothing leaped out at me as it being the best shabu I ever had.

The food was pretty good. I asked a dumb question since I didn't phrase it right. Server laughed ridiculed my question. Pretty new to this stuff. To be honest I would avoid this place if you a beginner to this food. Bit of elites mentality. Which is funny since the restaurant is not exactly clean or up to date. (Not the entire staff just a few since some were very nice)

Absolutely NO! Overpriced, mediocre quality, small portions, and poor service. I had called and made reservations. When we arrived, they had already prepared the sauces ahead of time and placed them at our table; however, when I ordered the veggie option, they literally took back the sauces because they said sauces are meant for meat only and not included in the vegetarian option. If you want sauce, they charge you $5 extra. Really? I've been going to shabu shabu places for over two decades and this is the first time that I have heard this. Dipping sauces are for meat, seafood AND vegetables too. Then I wondered what they did with the sauces which had touched my chopsticks (saliva and all). Do they pour back the used sauce into a container back in the kitchen? The Public Health Food Inspectors would've had a field day if they were here. My wife and friends who had ordered the half meat entree each, had to share the vegetables among three people. And the rice was mushy like porridge. Sad, very sad. And the whole time we were eating, the waitress/hostess kept giving us the stink eye. Was she mad cause we didn't order the all you can eat $50+ per person meal? On top of that, they charged my credit card twice (in two different amounts) and now I'm having to dispute the duplicate charge with my credit card company. There's so many other options in the Weller Court Plaza. This is not one of them. Stay away!

Yum! AYCE shabu shabu! I've only been for their Tuesdays and Wednesdays early bird specials - 20% off everything before 7pm. Gotta save every dollar that you can! :D You get two choices of meat - beef or pork. We get both and just keep them coming. There's also veggies - napa cabbage, dandelion greens, enoki and shitake mushrooms and noodles. You can get the full sampling of veggies each time or pick and choose what you want. You can also get miso soup and a bowl of rice! I don't eat the rice (fills you up!) but I use it to put all my cooked meats and veggies on :) They also give you ponzu sauce and sesame sauce. At the end, there's dessert! There's black sesame, green tea, red bean, mango and lychee ice cream. There's also this almond jello thing with fruit and red bean. Beer and alcohol are also 20% off! We usually eat for about 3 hours, and the service is excellent! They clear away plates really quickly and are always checking on us. The restaurant itself is never really crowded anyways so that's nice. Parking is validated for the garage downstairs, but street parking is also available.

$30 per plate. def not worth it! would give it a 0 star if i could! Look at how little and thin it is. Worst shabu ever in the US.

Prefacing this review by saying that it might be a tiny bit biased as I've been coming here since I was 14 and I didn't pay at all until I got a job and stopped mooching of my family. The review is of the food only without price playing a factor although I know it is pretty expensive (thanks mom!) for a family of 8-10 to eat their AYCE dinner option. Kushi Shabu is located on the top floor of a famous WELLER COURT where all of the instagram models and aspiring instagram models come to take their photos. The bottom floor has the corridor of rainbow lights that has been super popular to take photos at. I've been visiting this place since they installed that so it's been pretty cool and funny to see that it has brought a lot of foot traffic to the plaza. There is a parking garage with an entrance on 2nd street that Kushi Shabu validates for (I think up to two hours) - however most of the time I end up paying $2-$4 upon exit so be prepared! (Cash only I believe) The restaurant is pretty narrow with a few booths and maybe enough to seat around 40 people. There might only be around 10-12 tables with a few options for bar seating. The cashier is RIGHT NEXT to the door so be prepared for an intimate experience with you and your party. You might be seated in a private room (my favorite) or in the "general area" which is fine as well. I've only ordered their AYCE meat option which is pretty amazing as you get the option between beef or pork. There is a higher priced option available but I think that runs upwards of $40+. The meat is sliced SO thinly and cooks within seconds which is how you know it is legit. They provide ponzu (citrus-y dark sauce) and goma (sweet-ish sesame) sauce for dipping. I typically enjoy the sesame sauce here since it's a bit sweeter and goes well with the thin meat. FAIR WARNING - this is more traditional Japanese so the ponzu sauce might be sour for those who aren't used to it. They provide grated daikon and sliced scallions to put into your ponzu sauce. VEGGIES are SO GOOD. They provide as much Shinjuku, mochi, tofu, enoki mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, shiitake, kishimen (like a flatter and thinner udon noodle similar to linguine) as you want. You just need to ask for it! They also provide UNLIMITED DESSERT which is AMAZING since me and T like to eat the anmitsu. Broth is ONLY KELP BROTH. Japanese hot pot typically only uses Kombu (which is kelp) and water and it really lets the ingredients shine without making the dish feel too heavy. Don't forget to validate parking on your way out! I believe they do 20% off on a certain weeknight (Wednesdays?) but I would call just to confirm. Definitely on the pricier side (I think we paid like $35+ per person for the two of us last time) but definitely a good place to go if you are hungry/am able to take full use of the AYCE meat. Worth a visit!