RAKU Shabu Shabu House

Absolutely love this hotpot spot! The meats are incredibly fresh, and the veggie bar offers a wide variety of high-quality options. The soup bases are delicious, and I didn’t feel thirsty afterward—so it seems they’re MSG-free. I really enjoy that it’s individual pots, so everyone can pick their own soup base and customize their meal. To top it off, they serve creamy vanilla soft-serve ice cream at the end—perfect way to finish. The service is excellent too — special shoutout to the manager, Vanessa, for being so attentive and friendly!

Fantastic meal for three! We had the beef, pork belly, and lamb with the Mala, Chicken, and Sukiyaki broths. Everything was incredibly fresh, especially the high-quality vegetable bar. Only two minor critiques: the experience feels more Chinese than Japanese (especially the rice, which tasted like a different variety). Also, rice isn't included with the meats and is a bit pricey as a separate item. Overall, very high-quality ingredients and highly recommended!

This is my first time having hotpot when I visiting Seattle, especially in raining season, chill weather is great for having hotpot. My friend suggest Raku to me and taste like Taiwanese hotpot, I would say this place reminds me of hotpot place in Taiwan, soup base is favourable and self-serve veggies and ingredients bar. Servers are very friendly and explain the process of ordering, what type of meats suitable which soup base and they will keep asking if you want to add more soup base. I like to their spicy mala soup base, not super spicy but it will get spicier after a while of boiling it. When it gets spicier, it blends in with the veggies that they provide. At the of the hotpot, server will ask if we want free dessert, ice cream!!!! I would definitely visit this place again when I drive down to Seattle.

Came with my family and we had a really great experience. The interior is very tastefully decorated and comfortable. Each person gets their own pot and I had the tomato broth which was perfect and tasted very fresh. Meat was also incredibly fresh and the bar for all the veggies was incredibly clean. Would highly recommend! Service, ambiance and food were 10/10

Great Shabu Shabu/hotpot on CapitolHill. The meat quality is really good as they only use USDA Prime and Wagyu beef. They also have an unlimited refills veggie bar/sauce bar. The ingredients were very fresh. Their soup broth is all house made daily. Service is friendly and attentive, and they refill our broths several times and also gave us a complementary soft serve ice cream at the end of our meal!

Raku is great. The meat is super fresh and the broth is very flavorful (I really like the spicy mala). Awesome spot to bring friends who have never had hot pot before for the experience.

First time trying this new hotpot place, and it instantly became one of my favorites in Seattle for many reasons. They have excellent meat quality, fresh vegetables, and individual hotpot for each person. Most importantly, the broths that they prepare in house daily not only just taste delicious, but they also taste natural and feel healthy. I didn’t leave feeling overly thirsty afterward, which is something I value the most. Bonus: they have a great selection of drinks to pair with hotpot. I would come back!

Super cute dinner date spot! We love their AYCE veggie and fish balls bar - you can get the exact amount you want of each item. Their veggie selection is incredible!! Love the variety, presentation and fresh ingredients. The soups are also flavorful without feeling oily or heavy. The staff is so helpful and nice - absolutely recommend going here! We also tried their fried calamari which had the perfect amount of crisp and panko to filling ratio.

Can't find other hotpot place with better quality in town except at Raku!! Love how fresh the ingredients selections!! Can't wait for the next visit!! Btw the ice cream in the end is a OMG!

Reservation for 6. Arrived and they could not accommodate. Sat is at two different tables apart from each other. The owner offered to comp some food as a mitigation... and then the owner changed his mind after delivering us the bill! AND he has the nerve to add mandatory gratuity. Can't recommend.

We (missus and I) walked in without a reservation at 630pm on a Saturday after a long hike, so we were definitely hungry. The waitlist would have been 35 minutes, so it's a good thing there was another option to "share" a table of 6 with another group of 3 girls. Given how hungry we were, this was a no-brainer yes (our orders stayed separate - 6a and 6b). Verdict: too expensive for what you get, overall "nothing special" (missus quote). We paid $80 each after tax and tip for the sukiyaki plus "beef" combo (which was $90!), along with a glass of tea and a bowl of rice (both $3.50). The sukiyaki bowls each cost $25 each, presumably to cover the "AYCE" veggie bar (which also has a collection of protein balls - lobster, fish, and beef). The meat portions in the "combo for 2" ($80-$90) are smaller than the individually portioned meat plates, which are also cheaper ($35 each). Surprisingly the rice bowl is easily big enough for 2, which was unexpected ($3.50). They give you these salad-looking bowls to use at the "salad" area - which is a collection of green veggies, 3 types of mushrooms (oyster, shiitake, and enoki), along with miscellaneous things like tofu, daikon, bean curd,, quail eggs, balls (beef, cuttlefish, fish, stuffed fish ball, lobster). Ambiance - it smells and sounds like a Shabu Shabu place. What more can you ask for? Service is generally good - they check on you often for water, broth refills, etc. They explain how to use the heat knob, as well as provide you with a sukiyaki dilution in case the initial amount is too sweet for your palate. You order through a tablet so it goes straight to the kitchen. Parking is a huge crapshoot in cap hill - street parking is $7/hour, and you probably only need an hour if you're sitting immediately (they're pretty fast with the bowls and the main protein). I paid for 2 hours but technically only needed one.

The food is delicious and the service is very nice. The ambiance is great as well, and overall everything was truly enjoyable. My only critique is that the broth is à la carte and served separately, which was a bit frustrating. It's also a little confusing because you assume you're getting everything with the AYCE veggie bar, but then the broth ends up being an additional charge. It's not a major issue, but clearer menu explanations would definitely help. Additionally, it felt a bit unusual that even something as simple as udon noodles is $4 à la carte. If you're specifically looking for an AYCE spot with a wide range of included options, this might not be the best fit.

This place is a cool take on Japanese hot pot. Everyone gets their own pot and they have several broths to choose from, including 2 vegetarian (and vegan?) and 3 GF ones. Then you choose your protein which gives you access to the veggie and sauce bar for free (or for vegetarians you can choose just the veggie bar for a smaller cost and there is tofu on it too). The service was friendly and very efficient. You get free ice cream afterwards and they even had nondairy ice cream too! The ambiance started quieter when we got there at 6:30 but picked up and got busier later around 7 or so. With cost I'd say it's definitely solid value because, though the protein is a little pricier, it's a good portion sizes and the veggie bar is as much as you can eat. We definitely plan to return!

Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Only Raku, the shabu shabu master, could master all four elements. Until now... Raku Shabu Shabu is a chic hot pot spot that makes YOU the master. The hot pot is served individual style, so each seat gets its own pot of soup and stove top. The temperature controls are very easy to use and thoughtfully oriented towards you, rather than on the side, so you don't have to tilt your body out 90 degrees and then get whacked by a passing cart. You control the fire. You control the water. Napkins are conveniently located in the table cubby too, so you don't have to continuously ask the server for refills when you inevitably waterbend the soup right onto your shirt. I was most impressed by the ACYE veggie bar (MY CABBAGES!). Every type of hot pot vegetable you could ever want was present, and beautifully sliced and presented. The veggie bar also has multiple types of fish balls, lobster balls, and even Chinese doughnut, which was a super nice touch. All the ingredients were extremely fresh and delicious. There is something for everyone here, no matter which nation you hail from. Vegetarian Air Nomads can opt to pay for just the AYCE veggie bar (finally, a hotpot place that's worth bringing my vegetarian friends to!). For waterbenders who enjoy dabbling with spirits, Raku also serves beer, soju, and sake. And for your picky kids, you can order them french fries. Since I am no air bender, I of course ordered as much meat as I could. The meat was equally as high quality and fresh as the veggies. Especially addicting when combined with my sukiyaki broth and the fresh udon noodles. I could not stop eating until my stomach hurt, and I normally don't love hot pot this much. This has instantly become my favorite new hot pot place. You can tell that a lot of thought and care went into the design, and the the quality of the ingredients. Ever since my previous favorite in Bellevue closed down, there has been a void in my life. But with Raku, the avatar has finally returned. Rest assured, you will leave feeling full in both body and spirit. And for those who are unwilling to try Raku? Well, that's rough buddy...

Raku was fine, but not worth the price point. I felt like it was a typical hot pot place but with really expensive meat. The meat cuts imo were not distinguishable from meat cuts you get at Haidilao, YGF, etc. The AYCE veggie bar is an interesting concept - but there isn't too much variety. I also thought that the workers were skimping on the broth refills. They only do individual pots. I liked the Chicken Broth and I enjoyed having my own pot. They also have complimentary ice cream at the end, which I enjoyed! But probably wouldn't be coming back.

Excited to try this newish local business. Because it's called Raku shabu shabu house, I expected an authentic shabu shabu place with handcrafted Raku earthenware pots and beautifully presented foods. That wasn't the case. Ambience was fine, but not the calm welcoming vibe you get from real Japanese restaurants. Also, it's not necessarily set up for families or large parties. Food was just ok, really limited for vegetarians. "Veggie bar" oddly had raw beef balls, cuttlefish balls, imitation crab meat-type options right next to kimchi and seaweed salad. The broth tasted like soup base you could get from the store, not bad, also not memorable. Service was extremely slow and below expectation. Called ahead few times to get a table. Put on hold for several minutes the first three times then told to call back. Finally made a reservation still ended up being seated at two smaller tables, and asked to yet split one of our tables with another party as we were ordering. Apparently they had only 1 table that seats 6? Unaware of that until we were there. Took them 30 mins just to bring the broth out. Menu was confusing so as pricing. Got charged for an item that we explicitly were told was free. Our interaction with the owner was uncomfortable and beyond disappointing. They made comments about our appearance. Disrespectful and unprofessional. Insisted offering us free alcohol but somehow were unable to take off the charge we were not responsible for. One of my worst dining experience for sure. Not worth checking it out.

Came here on a Saturday night with my sister (we had a reservation), and from the moment we walked in, we were quickly welcomed by the staff. The energy was great, and it set a nice tone for the night Our server Annie was awesome--she walked us through how to adjust the pot temperatures, let us know about the unlimited sauce and salad bar, and checked in regularly despite clearly managing multiple tables. Really solid service We got the beef and lamb combo, and both were great quality. There are five broths to choose from: house chicken broth, Raku sukiyaki, homemade tomato broth, mushroom kombu, and spicy mala. I went with the spicy mala but it wasn't as spicy as I wanted, but still tasty. I'd give it an 8/10 I really mess with how they have an unlimited sauce and salad bar. Like honestly, you could just get one plate of meat and fill up on the salad bar alone. The produce was super fresh, which genuinely surprised me. To top it off, they give you free ice cream at the end of the meal which is a huge win What I wish they had was spicy drops so you could kick up the broth's heat if you wanted (I have a really high spice tolerance. I like that shit burning lol). Also, the drink selection is pretty limited to bottles and beer. They should really add mixed drinks to their menu. Lastly, why don't they have refills on soda? No clue but all good Ambiance-wise, it's clean and has a lowkey modern look, but still gives off that cozy Asian restaurant vibe Overall, I'd definitely come back. Great service, pretty good food, and a solid experience all around. 4.5 stars from me

My friend and I came to Raku on a Thursday night for dinner. Raku recently opened and the interior looks fresh, with light interior tones and plenty of space for you to walk to the sauce bar and vegetable bar. Seating is also comfortable. The place is very inviting. The hostess warmly welcomed us and walked us to our table. She showed us their online menu on their tablet and how to order our soup base, meat and other items. It was very easy and seamless. We ordered our soup base; I got the mushroom base and my friend ordered the Spicy Mala broth. We ordered the beef and pork combo. Their all you can eat vegetable and sauce bar is awesome! They offer a large variety of vegetables that are fresh and clean. I came back several times to get more tofu, spinach and mushrooms! The sauce bar is equally impressive with a variety of choices! The meats are fresh and beautifully arranged on a plate. And they provide tongs to easily select each slice of meat to add in your hotpot. The burners on each table were positioned perfectly so you could easily add vegetables or meat into your hotpot. Everything was delicious! We ate too many vegetables and couldn't finish our meat platter, but we had room for their soft serve cones! Their service amazing. The servers asked us if we wanted more broth throughout the evening and replaced our water carafe when it was low. We enjoyed our dinner and the atmosphere. We're definitely coming back!

The table was adequately adorned with utensils and napkins. I was ready to go once I planted my rear end onto the seat. The dining room is designed with plenty of runway space. Being able to comfortably walk to the veggie/sauce bar whenever I wanted to without much hindrance was a nice/understated perk. In additional to the many soup base options, the protein options were wonderful exceed my initial expectations. And each meat dish we ordered was beautifully presented. And the waiter had lovely sake recommendations. That was an added bonus. I can't wait to go back!

Glad this hot pot place opened up on the hill! Not an AYCE place but the veg bar and frozen meat and seafood balls are AYCE to make up for that. Each hot pot is personal sized so you no issues if you have co-diners that dont share your tastes. The meat selection is modest but has a reasonable smattering of common beef, pork and lamb options. Nothing too exotic. Broth is topped off at your discretion. As of now, they dont have any take out containers per se so if you have extra broth to take home you are out of luck if you didnt bring your own container! Complimentary ice cream cone is always a nice treat after an intense hot pot session!

Came here for dinner and overall had a positive experience. The food was good and I liked the concept of a self-serve veggie bar--it's convenient and lets you customize your hot pot. That said, for the price point, the selection felt a bit limited. There were no carbs included (you still have to pay extra for rice or noodles), which felt a little stingy considering the already high price point. I tried the tomato broth, which leaned more on the tart side. I personally preferred the sukiyaki base which was sweeter and more balanced. The restaurant was clean, staff was friendly, and the meat quality was good, but our bill ended up being surprisingly high for just two people, especially since we didn't order any drinks. With the limited variety at the veggie bar and extra charges for essentials like noodles, I'm not sure the value quite matched the cost.

There are quite a few broth options. Lots of protein selections. The veggie bar is plentiful. I love the sauce bar! Service was courteous and helpful. The space is clean. Excellent place to try!

Great place to get Shabu Shabu. I'm glad there's a new Japanese hotpot in Seattle. I spent 56$ after tip. The veggie bar is included and is unlimited. Their sauce bar was also good. The meat quality is great. Overall great experience, I was stuffed. Don't forget about their complimentary soft serve ice cream after!

Thrilled to have a Shabu shabu place in the city. It was pretty packed on a Friday but everything was humming along. Food came very quickly after we ordered on the tablet. The staff came by to add more broth and check on us a couple times. The best part is probably the quality of the ingredients. Beef and scallops are really fresh. Everything in the veggie self service bar was nice and fresh. We got free soft serve in a cone afterwards to finish off the meal. Looking forward to trying other meats when it gets colder.

Made a reservation the day before and received confirmation, but when I showed up, despite showing them my text confirmation, they would not honor my reservation because of an issue with their system. I ended up waiting an extra 30-45 mins. They gave me a free side as an apology. The food selection at the veggie bar was just okay, especially considering the high price tag- lacking in variety and no carb options such as noodles that you would expect at a shabu restaurant other than udon or rice as a side with an additional cost attached. The inside was clean and service was good after being seated but wouldn't return due to my experience with the reservation.

Nicely remodeled former Regent Bakery. The veg bar (with some meatballs and fish balls) and sauce bar are AYCE. The meat was good, have your own pot. However, limited broth choices and veg bar just has basics, limited carb options w just udon and rice so got bored pretty quickly. Sauce bar had bare minimum. Limited drinks, apps. If you have a party more than 4, be warned that you may sit at 2 different tables! (Did not inform us at time of reservation)!!! Service was weirdly super slow and host/manager/owner was gaslighting our group. Meh. Ok for quick basic hotpot, but would go to Haidilao or Dolar for better ambiance, variety/choice, service.

Yay, new hot pot place! I love hot pot! I like places that you get individual broth since I don't eat seafood, that way everybody else can still enjoy seafood without it entering and ruining my broth. There's a standard bar of items that is self serve, meat you order and it comes out separately. The ice cream at the end is really good. I don't think there's a hot pot place in Cap Hill so this is a great addition to the neighborhood. Tell me about your experience if you've been here or is going to after reading this review:)

Awesome dining experience at Raku. Welcoming atmosphere, nice setting whether your party is big or small. Excellent quality of food, fresh meat, seafood, vegetables. You won't find salad bar like this for Shabu Shabu anywhere else! Staffs are super nice and responsive! Definitely will go back and highly recommended!

The food tastes pretty good, not too salty so you can add more salt to the broth if you need more. We all love the idea of AYCE and you get so many AYCE options for veggies. Service was kind, gentle and friendly. The restaurant was clean and open. I like that the seating is so large. And you can do reservations. Would definitely come again!

Food: Ordering is simple and intuitive--you start by choosing your broth and meat, then head to the self-serve bar stocked with all the classic hotpot essentials: bok choy, fish balls, mushrooms, and those irresistible fried tofu puffs that soak up broth in just three seconds. It's all-you-can-eat, so you can sample a little of everything without overcommitting. The DIY sauce station is another highlight, letting you craft the perfect dipping combo to suit your taste. Each diner gets their own pot, which is perfect for hotpot newcomers who might find sharing broth a bit daunting. I tried both the Tomato and Dashi broths--light yet brimming with umami--and found myself sipping the broth straight from the pot at the end of the meal. A real treat. I appreciated being able to portion out my own sides, which helps avoid food waste and that "I ordered too much" guilt. The meats were high quality, just the right amount, and great for sharing. You can also order smaller refills if needed. Oh--and the meal ends with soft serve ice cream included, which is always a win.

We had such a wonderful dinner at Raku last night! I read Yelp reviews all the time, and I don't write them, but this is a new and special place and I felt inspired to write ... The food was delicious! Two in our group don't eat meat and there were excellent choices for us: I chose the mushroom soup base and my friend had the tomato one. Both were great! I don't remember which broths the others got, but they both seemed super-happy and said the meats were really high quality cuts. The meat and fish were beautifully arranged with perfect serving tongs. The fish was perfect and I loved the vegetable and sauce bars. Everything was fresh and beautiful and it was easy to get more as needed! And having my own burner was awesome! The space is lovely to be in--beautifully designed and comfortable. The color palette was clean and so pleasing and there were the most perfect pendant lights over each table. It's relaxing to be in such a thoughtfully designed space. The service was really kind and helpful. They offered more broth, brought more water and beverages, and they checked in on us the perfect amount. By the time I left I was so happy and full that I didn't try the ice cream, but next time I'm going to have a cone, too!

Amazing food. Great service. Awesome ambiance. Some of the best shabu meat I have eaten. Cuts looked and tasted a cut above similar I've had.

Looove this place and would drive to Seattle for it! My favorite part was the veggie bar, the options are plentiful to customize your pot the way you want it. Service was good for a place that just opened up so keep it up! Very spacious place but the veggie bar can get a'lil crowded!

Yummmmm!!! It was absolutely delicious and the endless veggie bar was awesome! We also got the Ocean combo and the fish and shrimp were so good! Staff were great and very helpful! We loved it and definitely will be back!

Went there with my family and we love it!! They have very good quality meat, and the vegetables bar is nice, you can get as much as you want. The servers are very friendly, and the place is very neat and clean overall. Happy that we tried this new place, we will visit again soon!!

I love this new Shabu Shabu place! They serve very good quality meats, and they have an all-you-can-eat vegetable bar. My favorite broth is the spicy mala, it is so good! Very clean and neat environment, I will definitely visit Raku again!

Well to start with I would say that this place is definitely not a place you go by yourself. The portion sizes were much larger than I anticipated and I completely over ordered but everything that I got was absolutely spot on. The spicy broth was absolutely delicious. I got a Mixed Plate of red meat as well as a side order of these blue shrimp ( at least eight and maybe 10 ). The meats were beautifully marbled and if you pair that with this amazing fresh vegetable bar along with this sparkling fruit beverage and a bottle of sake it equals stuffed. I couldn't really take the broth home but I did end up taking home a massive amount of the meat and four or five of the shrimp. Was able to make an entire another meal with the extra proteins. And did I mention that the beef is all prime. Most surprising, don't forget to put mushrooms in your soup I don't know which one it was but one of them soaked up the goodness and was tastier than the meat. Also I might add that I feel like ​service has gone downhill in the last few years but the staff here was very attentive which was a nice change. Not only did I have a server but then the bartender came over to recommend a sake and another fellow who is checking on my progress as well as refilling my water. Next time at a very minimum I'll bring a date or some family so we can sit and enjoy this meal for much longer than I was able to dining alone. Side note : finding parking on the hill is not my favorite thing ​.

Meat too thick. Service not optimal. Don't know why you have a call request button if servers don't respond after multiple attempts. The owner/manager guy was nice but servers were not good at their job. I would not put Japanese in the description as this was more of Chinese hot pot. Very limited options in an overpriced self service bar. Their clubby music does not help. The price is quite high for the quality of the food, service and experience. You have better options out there. Try haidilao.

It wasn't that busy when we went and they put us right in front of the door and I was cold so I asked if I could sit somewhere else and the server gave me an attitude and didn't say anything. So I suggested what about the back over there and he said it was reserved and I asked about another one and he finally said yes. I already felt disrespected. He handed me a dirty tablet with oily fingerprints and marks. The seats were oily and wet. He saw me cleaning the seats with napkins on the table and didn't say anything or suggest to wipe it down for us. One waitress was nice and checked on us, the waiter that refused to change our table never came back. Our water was never filled and I finished all of it and no one came. I didn't like the seaweed broth, it made everything bitter. Sauce bar didn't have a lot of options. I honestly don't know how you could go wrong with hotpot but it's the worst one I've had. It was overpriced too, don't waste your money here! We spent more than $100 for the two of us! I remember reading in the house rules that everyone gets ice cream but we didn't get any. Lastly, I saw in a bug in my broth!

The key to this place is the quality of the food. You can tell that the soup base is made fresh daily. The meat and vegetables are top notch.

Omg! You need to go out of your way to enjoy this delicious meal! Broth is over the top. Meat is top quality. And, hot pot bar of veggies and sauces are amazing! Provides gf options which has been proven legit over and over again. Can't wait for our next time here!

Food is so fresh and delicious. We ordered beef combo. The meat quality is the best. We definitely will be back again.

The workers are great. However the food is the worst hotpot/ shabu shabu i've ever eaten. Never going again, threw up from the insanely sweet broth

great hot pot place the food was amazing everything was fresh and the service was great vanessa did an amazing job explaining the menu and giving great recommendations