Showing posts with label shabu shabu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shabu shabu. Show all posts

Haidilao Hot Pot (Toronto)


The Haidilao Hot Pot experience is unlike others right from the start as diners can make reservations that are honoured. For those who couldn’t secure a reservation, their waiting area is stocked with snacks, games, and even a nail technician on the busy weekend periods. Maybe waiting isn’t so bad if you can have glossy nails afterwards?

Exemplary service is another distinguishing trademark, which starts right when you sit down. Things just kept coming out from drawers at the table: wet naps, hair ties for people with long hair, wipes for those wearing glasses, a plastic bag for mask wearers, and aprons to guard our clothes from any splatters. Discreet drawers also helped stow away jackets and purses to free up bench space and keep them from smelling like food. Chrysanthemum tea and a fruit plate arrived before we even ordered. It’s a frenzy of activity as soon as you arrive at the table.

Ordering is a breeze with the tableside tablet allowing diners to add things on a whim with a cart-style checkout that automatically tabulates the bill. We followed their advice and went with the four quarters soup base keeping one of them as hot water (free), which ended up being a smart choice as the water quadrant allowed us to store the soup and slotted ladles that were cumbersome and bulky to balance on plates while not in use.

The soup bases ranged from $5-$6 each with the three ringing in at $15.85. Their spicy soup base without sediment was great for my hesitant tastebuds as it allowed me to customize the numbness and spiciness levels. The less numb and standard spiciness was perfect so that I could get the heat without that slightly bitter aftertaste that comes from the Sichuan peppers, and I loved that the broth didn’t contain “sediments” that had to be picked out prior to eating.

Bowls of minced pork and diced celery arrived with the tomato soup base allowing us to create a starter soup by adding hot tomato broth into the bowl. It was a bit bland with just the tomato, in retrospect I should have gone with ¾ tomato broth and ¼ spicy broth to create a concoction that has a bit more pizazz.

A gigantic pork bone sits in the pork bone soup base, which by itself is nice and creamy. It does take up a lot of cooking area so be sure to fish out the bone and eat it before everything else arrives.

You will not go hungry at Haidilao. The $3.99 per person sauce charge sauce may seem like a rip off until you visit the station and see what it contains. There are countless number of sauces, herbs, and spices. I loved adding the finely chopped cilantro, green onions, and garlic into the sauces, but there were other interesting condiments like Chinese chive paste as well.

There’s also selection of things to nibble on including fresh fruits, boiled edamame, seaweed (you’ll need to season this yourself), and a great slightly spicy pickled daikon.

While I was way too full to try the desserts, they also have vats of glass jelly soup and a Chinese porridge (seems like the sweet white fungus soup). Needless to say, spring for the $3.99 per person.

This post won’t go through all the ingredients we ordered, but to provide a sense of pricing:

  • Finely sliced marbled beef ($10.95)
  • Sliced chicken ($8.95)
  • Boneless basa fish ($7.95)
  • Prawns ($10.95)
  • Squid rolls ($8.95)
  • Shrimp paste ($11.95)
  • Assorted meat balls ($7.95)
  • Glutinous rice fish tofu ($5.95)
  • Assorted mushrooms ($12.95)
  • Lotus root slices ($5.95)
  • Wintermelon slices ($3.95)
  • Watercress ($6.95 for a full portion)

The above is only a quarter of what Haidilao offers along with “combos” that provide about a 12% discount compared to ordering dishes separately. That is if you like ingredients like spam and seaweed.

Of the cooking ingredients a standout for me was the shrimp paste ($11.95), which arrives in a piping bag that you squeeze into the hot broth. I started doing it myself, only to realize that it’s a thick paste that doesn’t just drop out. Luckily, a server saw my struggle and with flicks of a chopstick created bite-sized shrimp balls in no time.

I also enjoyed the glutinous rice fish tofu ($5.95) where the centre is the soft chewy glutinous paste (like the rice balls served during Lunar New Year). The dish would be even better if they mixed finely chopped scallions and diced mushrooms into the rice paste to give it more flavour. Nonetheless, the combination of springy fish tofu and soft chewy glutinous rice was lovely.

The assorted mushroom fungus bowl ($12.95) was also a good choice. There were loads of different mushrooms (shitake, enoki, matsutake, and shimeji) along with vermicelli and napa cabbage leaves as well.

Except for the watercress - $6.95 for a bundle - Haidilao provides decent portion sizes for the ingredients. Eight large prawns ($10.95) arrive in an order. And if you don’t like peeling shrimp, the servers will do it for you before or after cooking. I found this out as someone asked if we’d like the shrimps peeled as soon as they arrived and someone else asked if they could peel the shrimp for me as I was about to eat it. They even offered me a pair of gloves to use after seeing me peel the prawns myself.

While I love the attentive service, I did find the sheer amount of waste created bothersome. It was thoughtful to provide the disposable gloves, but it’s yet another thing that goes into the garbage along with the wet wipes and other paraphernalia given. So, consider carefully whether you really need everything they are offering.

There to celebrate a birthday, our dinner finished off with the arrival of three servers holding signs and a fruit plate with a candle and ice cream cups to mark the occasion. It’s great that the servers don’t need to sing happy birthday, but the song they play with the Google home device is LONG… like really long so that it becomes almost awkward halfway through. I almost felt sorry for them standing around for three minutes per table waving around signs with fake joy.  As a plus, the birthday girl did get a gift – a handheld manual back massager.

The two hours flew by at Haidilao, great from start to finish. We left uncomfortably full, vowing to order less next time and add-on as necessary. Yet, I will be returning. And while hot pot is normally a once or twice a year festivity during the winter. At this rate, I may even go in the summer. 

Overall mark - 9 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 1571 Sandhurst Circle


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Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!


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Myungdong Kalkuksu Noodle and Shabu Shabu (Thornhill)


If the king-sized dumplings ($10.99) are what attracts you to Myungdong Kalkuksu Noodle and Shabu Shabu, they're worth a try but don’t get too excited. For me, there's a reason the dumplings didn't make it into the restaurant's name (after all, they're highlighting "noodles" and "shabu shabu"); sure the gigantic tennis ball sized look impressive, but they merely taste passable.

The pork filling is combined with a filler, which could be egg white, so there's a crumbly texture to the dumpling with little actual meat flavour. What stands out the most is the chives peppered throughout creating a rather bland dumpling that really requires kimchi, hot sauce, or ponzu for flavour. Moreover, what I love most about dumplings is the juices that collect within the wrapper… at Myungdong Kalkuksu there is none.

Luckily, you’ll get plenty of kimchi and having heard the compliments from reviewers about this complimentary side dish, I can see why it’s so well regarded. The cabbage is fresh and crispy and the spicy sauce spiked with tons of garlic for an aromatic heat. Our table of two almost finished the entire jar.


Their shabu shabu ($15.99 a person for a minimum of 2 people) is a fair size, especially if you add on dumplings, and has a sufficient amount of thinly sliced beef. For “two thirds plate full” individuals, it comes with tons of vegetables (napa cabbage, a slightly bitter leafy green, baby bok choy, pumpkin, and carrot) and mushrooms (prince and enoki). Dig through the leafy greens and you’ll also find four glutinous rice dumplings, filled with sweet potato and cheese, which takes a while to cook, but have a great chewy texture.


The actual shabu shabu broth doesn't have the lump of collagen you’ll find in Japan, so it relatively plain. However, once all the beef, vegetables, and mushrooms infuse into the soup, the ingredients help to add flavour.

After finishing everything, our waitress brings overs noodles and places it into the broth. We’re advised to cook them for four minutes and then dug into a bowl of chewy springy noodles. After adding the infused broth and a couple pieces of chopped up kimchi, it was a satisfying last bowl.

Much of what’s served at Myungdong Kalkuksu is made in-house: the king-sized dumplings, chewy noodles, and the garlicky kimichi. While paying for the bill, the owner joked that even the after dinner mints were house-made – they’re not but could be given their haphazard rustic look. I love the homey comfort food meal, just maybe not the dumplings.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 8194 Bayview Avenue


Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!


Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

Myungdong Kalkuksu Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Shabusen (San Francisco)

Shabu-shabu is like a Jacuzzi for food. Thinly sliced meat poaches with tofu, mushrooms and vegetables amongst a flavoured broth; it’s an easy-going dining method, putting you at ease. Derived from the Chinese hot-pot style of cooking, it somehow seems less frenzied – perhaps it’s due to a smaller menu or the soup steaming on a low boil rather than a feverish bubbling.

Situated in Japan Town, Shabusen’s location puts you in the mood: while glancing outside a five story pagoda graces the skylight. Their lunch menu is affordable and filling, my friend and I sharing the regular beef ($14.99), small pork ($11.99) and a side of ramen ($3.50). With two people, they also offer a split pot so you can sample the dashi and spicy broth – the spicy being my favourite.


The meat is shaved to order, arriving a glorious hue of red and pink. They’re tissue paper thin and simply takes a few swishes in the soup to be edible. Both had enough marbling to be flavourful without being overly chewy.


Each person also receives a dinner plate filled with vegetables (napa cabbage, carrots, green onions), cubes of tofu, rehydrated shitake mushrooms, and bites of bean curd thread & udon. The portion was already substantial enough to be filling, but the extra ramen is the key to enjoying the broth after the essence of all the other ingredients melded into it.


The broth needed more salt as it was very plain on its own. Shabusen does provide a large bowl of ponzu (a lemony soy sauce) and goma (a silky sesame sauce) for dipping, with chilies and garlic paste at the table to add further flavour. Although great for seasoning the meats and vegetables, when it comes to the noodles I just want to enjoy it with leftover broth, so it’s lack of saltiness made for a disappointing last bite.


As a warning, like a Jacuzzi, it can get hot eating amongst the steaming pot. So, ask to switch tables if you’re seated in the sun – a mistake we didn’t realize until later in the meal. Additionally, ensure you give yourself enough time to enjoy the experience; it’s supposed to take time … so, just lie back and relax. 

Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: San Francisco, USA
 Address: 1725 Buchanan Street

Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!


Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:



Shabusen Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


CLOSED: Kochi Fukaba 東風吹かば (Tokyo)

Location: Tokyo, Japan
Address: 21-1, Udagawacho, Shibuya (in the Seibu Store, B2F)

Type of Meal: Lunch 


During cold weather nothing beats hot soups and shabu-shabu, a Japanese method of placing thinly sliced meat and other ingredients into bowling soup, certainly hits the spot. Koichi Fakuba, located on the B2 level of the Seibu building in the heart of Shibuya’s busy scramble by the train station, offers this cooking method at reasonable prices.   


When the pot of soup is first brought over a lump of collagen sits in the broth; slowly it infuses into the soup as it heats up. I’ve heard about the Japanese practice of eating and putting collagen products on their skin for beauty benefits and thus excited to try it. After returning home and researching more about it on Livestrong.com, it’s a bit disappointing to find out that your digestive process would break down any of the amino acids in it and thus there is no benefit. Luckily, there is nothing harmful with it either and I’d like to think that I did myself a great service for eating shabu-shabu for lunch.



Koichi Fakuba offers all you can eat and a la carte options.  We decided to stick with something where we wouldn’t over indulge, so I ordered their pork and beef (¥1,480) meal. A dish of approximately six slices of thinly sliced meat and another filled with vegetables (pumpkin, shredded root vegetable & carrots, spring onions and napa cabbage) arrived. The meat only took a few swishes in the boiling broth to cook through while still retaining its tenderness. There really wasn’t that much taste to the beef or pork but ponzu (a citrus soy sauce) and goma (a creamy sesame sauce) accompanied the platter to help flavour the cooked products.  The goma went perfectly with the meal and I enjoyed how its thicker consistency helped stick to the ingredients more.

A pot containing a ladle and strainer is used for skimming the impurities off of the top of the soup, gathering up all the slivers of vegetables and if you incline for scooping up the broth to add to the rice or drink on its own. Personally, I found the meal was the perfect amount of food so that I was satisfied without being overly stuffed.  Plus, for only ¥1,480 it was also an affordable option.
 
Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10



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____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!