If it’s My Way, It’s Shabuway

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By Emma Krasov,photography by Yuri Krasov

Since I discovered a newly opened Shabuway – Japanese hot pot dining experience in San Francisco – everytime someone is musing about where to go for a casual relaxing dinner sharedwith friends, my hand jumps up without hesitation, “I know! Shabuway!”  I love everything about this place – the minimalist classy décorbased on red, white, and black of Japanese lacquers and calligraphy; the exceedinglyattentive service – efficient and friendly in a calm unhurried way. Most importantly– the shabu-shabu “fast” food concept, based on self-reliance and sharing, witha bubbling hot pot in the middle of the table and platefuls of aged meats and freshvegetables to be dipped in boiling broth and consumed in a circle of people withwhom you want to spend this quality time on a foggy San-Francisco night.   To myself, I pronounce shabu-shabu as “shove-shove,” becauseit really means a quick movement with which you should dip your verythinly-sliced meat into the hot broth, and then pull it out before it getsovercooked. However, since you and your chopsticks rule the game, make it frommedium-rare to well-done any way you want.  To get the juiciest tender pliable slice ofpork, beef, or lamb, swish it around the pot for a few seconds, and enjoy. The meats at Shabuway are all purchased in pallets from topproducers like Niman Ranch, and are aged, trimmed, frozen at extremely low temperatures,and sliced at the in-house refrigeration facilities. Diners choose Prime Angus,American Kobe beef, American Kobe Lean beef, Niman Ranch lamb, Berkshire Kurobutapork, or a combination of the above from the menu.    The broth for the hotpot comes in two varieties – traditional seaweed or newly-invented spicy miso –or both – in the same pot with a median divider. Side orders include udon orramen noodles, tofu, and vegetables, like Napa cabbage, bok choy, spinach, asparagus,broccoli, kabocha squash, carrots, and enoki and shimeji mushrooms.Although both seaweed and spicy miso broths lend subtleflavors to the meat and vegetables, no shabu-shabu bite should go without adipping sauce, and the restaurant provides two – Ponzu (citrus and soy) agedwith dried shiitake mushrooms, bonito flakes, and kelp seaweed, and Gomadare (sesame)blended with 17 other herbs and spices. The sauces and the condiments of choppedgreen onion, garlic, and chili paste with grated daikon enhance the taste ofthe meats to ultimate umami. There are currently five other Bay Area Shabuway locations, in San Jose, San Mateo, Mountain View, Union Cityand Santa Clara – a great testament to the success of the proprietor Eiichi Mochizuki, a native of Japan.The restaurant serves hot and cold sake, beer, and softdrinks, and offers kid's menu. Shabuway in San Francisco is located at 5120 Geary Boulevard.Open Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 5:30 to 10:00p.m., on Saturday from 12:00 noon to 10:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 12:00 noonto 9:00 p.m. Call (415) 668-6080 or visit www.shabuway.com.