Shabu-Ya
Harvard Square
57 JFK St
Cambridge, MA 02138
www.shabuyarestaurant.com

Types of Food: Shabu-shabu, sushi, Japanese

Ratings (out of 5 stars):

Food: (2.5/5)

Service: (3/5)

Decor: (4/5)

Price: $20-25 per person for dinner

Price/Value: (1.5/5)

Katherine and I tried out Shabu-Ya today, the new Shabu-shabu restaurant above Wagamama/Staples. It replaced Rendang, a Malaysian restaurant. We tried out the sea urchin from the sushi bar ($6), and got the chicken ($14) and beef sirloin ($15) for the hot pot. I was rather disappointed with this restaurant, and as I sit here writing this review, I can’t really think of much that was good about it. The vegetables were scarce, lifeless, and uninspiring; and the meat was average and in minimal quantities. Carrots and broccoli, by the way, are not traditional shabu-shabu vegetables. To top it off, the normal broth was unremarkable.

Shabu-Ya’s service is acceptable, and probably depends on the specific waiter or waitress – they appear to have been told to be polite, but without special training. The decor is hip and trendy, and would make for a decent late-night bar. However, their prices are high for both the quality and quantity of food given. There’s a lot more expensive restaurants out there, so it says a lot when I received the ~$40 check and felt discontent, hungry, and unhappy.

If you’re hungry, don’t come here. If you want to try out shabu-shabu for the first time, I’d pick a different restaurant, such as Kaze or Shabu-zen in Chinatown.

Not recommended. At all.