Nick K. W.
Yelp
When it comes to Japanese cuisine, I crave anything and everything... except shabu-shabu, curiously enough. I don't know if it's because I haven't had good shabu-shabu, or if it's because I'm typically lured away by more substantial offerings like ramen, yakiniku, or even Korean BBQ, but when it comes to shabu-shabu, I've never really been impressed by it... until now.
Enter Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House -- located on Spring Mountain Road across from the Center at Spring Mountain, it's tucked away in a nondescript plaza directly adjacent to Tofu Hut. And while it's easy to pass it off as a regular shabu-shabu restaurant, this place is anything but. It might be one of the best shabu experiences I've had in a long time!
Inside, they give you the option to sit either at the bar or at a separate table; the bar has several single-person burners stationed that allow you to have your own personal shabu-shabu if you want it. And my god, is it good. They have multiple tiers of shabu-shabu, but all of them have various succulent cuts of wagyu beef prepared for you! And if you're skeptical about it being wagyu or not, well. They have a meat locker just to the right of the entrance that actually has the certificates for each cow they prepare certifying that you're having honest-to-god Wagyu.
And my god, is it fantastic. They have varying cuts from the Americas, Australia, and even Japan -- so many that I admittedly couldn't keep track of them all! It's hard for me to pick just one cut because everything was just that good. And if you want something else, they also have a lot of seafood, vegetable, and even pork and chicken options! That's the best part of this place, IMO -- you can pick and choose what you want to add to your hot pot to build your perfect hot pot. One caveat, though, is that -- as you can see from the menu -- you have to select a tier of shabu-shabu for your meal. But they're honestly not that expensive considering the meat quality and what you get with each tier.
Admittedly, with the weather getting hotter, shabu-shabu is probably the last thing most people are craving when it's already hot out. But it's still among the most craveable of Japanese foods, especially so in winter once the temperatures drop. I am a convert -- I'm already thinking of the next time I'll be able to get shabu-shabu! Do yourself a favor; if you haven't tried it before, go to Mikiya. You won't regret it.