Tabu Shabu - San Jose

I had a gift card and most recently came here on a chilly Tuesday night. The basketball game was playing on the 2 TVs, we were greeted immediately and there were plenty of seats available. The menu is pretty typical of any other shabu spot. Choose your protein, broth and add-ons. Every set comes with sauce, a plate of veggies and noodles/rice. Each person also gets their own pot. I wouldn't say there's anything extraordinary about Tabu, but the meat quality and portion sizes are quite good for the value! Ramen noodles are +$2, but they're fresh. We opted for the Wagyu beef and lamb options to share. None of the broths are technically spicy, but you can order a spice bomb and/or ask for drops to add to your sauces and broth for free! Some broths like tonkatsu and sukiyaki are $1-2 extra. It just depends on your mood. If you don't want to pay for the upgrade, I also think the regular broths are great. Alcohol was BOGO free because it was a Tuesday. (This deal might change slightly depending on seasonal events ie. Football games, etc). We got some hot sake to go with our meal. Additionally, they offer $1 Sapporo during dinner Monday - Thursday, so I obviously got that too. Hot tea was also free! The servers were super nice and accommodating. Our meal came to about $100 after everything. We left there full, warm and happy. Our waiter even offered to pack my leftover broth for me, so I could make it into porridge at home the next day! It was delicious and lasted me 2 more meals! The vibe here is casual. The seating set up is just one huge island that goes around the entire restaurant, so probably not great for huge groups who are trying to move about and mingle throughout the meal. But they do have a cute lit sign on the wall if you want to pair your meal with an IG photo. Thanks for the delicious food, deals and service, Tabu Shabu! We are so excited to come again back soon.

Tabu Shabu was my favorite hotpot, shabu-shabu spot for awhile, and I feel like they're relatively underrated! It's a cozy hotpot spot, with bar style seating. It isn't AYCE, but they have a step-by-step menu that's easy to follow and the meal comes with a lot of sides. One thing I will say is that the service is always great here, the staff is super helpful and attentive. They even let me and my boyfriend take a polaroid for their wall, so cute!!!I've been to Tabu Shabu so many times now I think I've perfected my order so far ;). I always go with the Spicy Miso and Tonkotsu broth mix and it never does me wrong, always super flavorful and savory. As for meats, I usually go with Prime Beef Belly and Angus Ribeye. The meat here is really good quality compared to other hotpot spots. You also get to choose a rice and noodle, and it comes with a veggie plate! I've also had the Cucumber Salad, which I feel is skippable. I used to love the sauces here too, it comes with ponzu and a creamy sesame sauce but they recently changed the sesame sauce and it isn't my favorite. They have hot drops as well which I usually add to my broth and sauce (if I'm feeling brave). Overall, Tabu Shabu is a really solid spot and was my comfort meal for awhile. I would highly recommend!

We came here for happy hour on a Friday around 5:30. Happy hour is Monday-Friday 5-6PM and you get 20% off your meal! I got the regular short rib with spicy miso broth. I love Tabu Shabu since the portions are perfect for me! If you have a bigger appetite, I'd definitely recommend getting the large since the regular might not be enough for most people. I like getting either kale or udon noodles here. I also recommend getting hot drops if you like your sauces or broth to be spicier!The service is always amazing and I will definitely be coming back!

My friend and I came here and had their $16.99 Shabu Lunch Weekday Special, which comes with one choice of broth, one plate of meat (choose from angus beef belly, chucky eye roll, lamb shoulder, natural chicken), a veggie platter, a choice of noodles, and a choice of rice. Sauce fixings are already included. I ordered the spicy miso broth and chose chuck eye roll as my meat, while my friend got the tonkotsu broth and angus beef belly. Both broths were flavorful but not overpowering, and the meats were a great ratio of marbling. I loved how balanced the meal was and I felt extremely full but not sickly full after eating. I'm used to chinese hot pot and all the sauce options they give, so that's the only thing that I thought was lacking.There was one main waitress working while we dined, and she was super nice! Checked up on us very often and was helpful in turning our heat up or down. The restaurant is set up bar-style on an island.

Tabu Shabu is a great shabu shabu place with individual pots and more options for protein than other establishments I have seen. There are also additional add-ons to really elevate your shabu experience if you wanted or you can keep it classic.The layout of the restaurant is a little unusual as they are side by side seating, so no sharing of a communal pot. Something to keep in mind if you are dining in a large group and looking for that social aspect. However, the interior is clean, not too steamy or greasy feeling. IYKYK. Music is also not too loud, so you are able to hear the person next to you just fine.Seated promptly on a Friday night with no wait and was served. I appreciate that they ask each customer about any food allergies or restrictions so they can educate them on the menu and/or what sauces to provide. Ordering is easy, just follow the menu. You get to choose broth, protein, rice and type of noodle. Be mindful that some broth is premium that comes as an extra charge. I like that they offer not only beef or pork for protein, but chicken, lamb, salmon (sashimi grade) as well as shrimp. You can also get two proteins as a combo. I would estimate about 12 ounces of protein for their large plates.The assortment of vegetables that you get with your meal is plentiful and the rice and noodle serving is more than enough for one person. I appreciate that you can cook your noodles or rice at the end of the meal for you to take home as a second meal. I was not a big fan of the brown rice, but just a small thing to pick at. Sauces provided are the usual ponzu and gomadare with grated daikon, scallions and garlic to dress them up. For those who want more of a spicy kick, they do offer pure cap hot drops in either your broth or sauce, just let them know!Service was pleasant and prompt!Happy Hour is weekdays 5-6 pm for 20% off your meal price, which is a great deal! You can always add yourself to the Yelp waitlist and check status if there happens to be a wait.

I want to start by saying the service was very good. The service deserves 4 stars. However, the food was just mediocre. I was excited to try this hot pot place based on the reviews but I was quite disappointed with the soup options and the meat quality. My son ordered the short rib which was better than the beef belly I got. We both ordered the spicy miso which did not have much flavor. Nothing was as good as another Japanese style hot pot - One Pot. The prices are fairly similar, too. The meat at One Pot is way more substantial and better quality. It does not disappear into the broth. It was a bit disappointing.

Tabu Shabu offers a unique hot pot dining experience in San Jose. The majority of their seating is counter-style, with individual hot pots for each diner. While this setup is great for solo diners, small groups, or couples, it might not be ideal for larger groups.The ordering process is straightforward. You choose your broth, protein, rice, and noodles. Each hot pot comes with a generous serving of local vegetables, including napa cabbage, baby spinach, carrots, tofu, and various mushrooms. If you have dietary preferences or allergies, you can request substitutions. However, availability can be limited, as we discovered when some vegetables were out of stock during our visit.Tabu Shabu offers four broth options, which can be mixed to your liking. The sukiyaki broth was the most flavorful - the sweet and salty broth complemented the meat well.We ordered a variety of meat options, including lamb shoulder and ribeye. The lamb shoulder was superior to the ribeye. Overall, the meat quality was decent.While the food was satisfactory, the service was a bit inconsistent. Our order was mixed up, and we received the wrong meat portion and missing vegetables. However, the staff was friendly and accommodating, and they allowed me to switch my broth halfway through the meal.In conclusion, Tabu Shabu offers a unique hot pot dining experience with a focus on fresh, local ingredients. While the food is okay, the service can be inconsistent, and the counter-style seating might not be ideal for everyone.

$16.99 weekday lunch set is an absolute steal! I would recommend getting their chuck eye roll instead of beef belly if you prefer lean meat like me. The meat is cut on the thinner side but it came in a generous portion. I paired it with their tonkatsu broth and it also came with a plate of veggies and rice on the side. Safe to say, I walked out feeling pleasantly satisfied with the shabu shabu. I hope this lunch deal is here to stay!

One of the best places in the South Bay for Shabu in my opinion! Their meat quality is great especially for the price and definitely fills you up. It's a perfect spot for either lunch or dinner and a great alternative to premium/ayce shabu places. Service was great and the entire staff was very friendly and accommodating:)

Came for the $16.99 lunch special (M-F, some broths are an up-charge) and honestly fairly happy. + Vegetable plate is slightly customizable. They let you substitute veggies for the others. No more wasting or needing to hand off unliked veggies to others in your group like mushrooms. + Meat marbling looks pretty nice for the price+ Service is great. Kenny, who I believe was our host/server was pretty on top of ensuring everything was going smoothly. Water check ups and lowering our heat (since its not customer controlled) without needing us to flag him down. + Menu/inclusions, most shabu places I know, either give you rice or ramen, so its nice to get both here- Not really a fan of limited broth choices, only 2 options are free and the other two have an up-charge. If they pick up Shabuway's curry tonkotsu I think I'd have no downsides. Nonetheless, very limited downsides but overall a great lunch option with their special. Service is great as the seating arrangement guarantees you can be seen when you need help.