Japanese Shabu Shabu...

[coweepooh]

After a fantastic few times of shabu shabu at LAN NYC in Manhattan and delicious versions of it in LA in Little Tokyo and at Mizu 212 in West LA...I was wondering where else in DC/VA/MD has shabu shabu besides

-Akasaka (any advance notice, went once a year or more ago and dont know if it has changed there at all)
-Blue Ocean (requires 24 hr advance notice it seems?)

Oh and I found out that I love pork shabu shabu a lot more than beef so if anyone has been to any places above or other ones to add to the list, please let me know if you have the option of pork and beef...

Thanks!!

[coweepooh]

so far ive been to

-blue ocean in fairfax, va and its quite good though you have to give 24 hours advance notice

-Yosaku in dc...meat wasnt AS fresh i thought...

[Gigi007]

Thanks, coweepooh. I've heard of Blue Ocean, but haven't been. I've also been to Yosaku many times, but didn't know that they had shabu-shabu. I can say though that their udon noodle soup, which used to be good, is now terribly salty, also with poor quality meat, IMHO.

[Gigi007]

I'm really interested in finding a restaurant in DC (or the nearby Maryland or Virginia suburbs) that serves good Japanese shabu-shabu. The best I've ever had in DC was at the Japan Inn years ago (it has been closed for some time now). Japanese clients of mine took me there several times, and we were served formally (not very formally, but what I mean to say is that it wasn't do-it-yourself), and the quality of the beef and veggies was excellent. I've also been to some good places in New York, but have yet to find another place for shabu shabu as good as the Japan Inn's in DC. Does any one know of places in the area that have good (beef) shabu shabu? Thanks.

P.S. I also saw this thread but am really looking for concrete restaurant recommendations as opposed to a discussion about shabu-shabu itself:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/581883

[Ericandblueboy]

Try the Chinese fire/hot pot. I think it's much better. Unfortunately, we eat it almost exclusively at home so I can't tell you where to find it. I know that Paya Thai does a version of it.

[Gigi007]

Thanks, Ericaandblueboy, Chinese hot pot is good, but I really would like to find a Japanese restaurant that has good shabu shabu!

[deangold]

I have not found a good Japanese restaurant that does a traditional Shabu Shabu set. But the closest to LA Little Tokyo's Shabu Shabu House {don't even know if its still there but your choices were regular or delux beef and drinks} is the AYCE Shabu Shabu at Oe Gad Gib. You get a large plate of veggies and udon noodle, lots of beef thinly sliced and a good sesame dipping sauce. Not int he samle leagus as the stuff I remember from LA but also nowhere near as expensive. And, not 4000 miles away!

[Gigi007]

Thanks, Dean. I appreciate the info (just hope the info doesn't get deleted a la deli thread! ).I really miss the Japan Inn here. I don't have so many Japanese clients these days, but have heard that many Japanese diplomats and business people live in the McLean area and that there are a lot of good Japanese restaurants there. I imagine one or more of them has shabu shabu.

[FoodieGrrl]

The subject of much recent controversy...

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/581883

[coweepooh]

ohhh yess thanks...ive read that but was hoping for some other input from others...i know of blue ocean and akasaka too...