Always the best in town!! We always celebrate special family occasions here. Always a warm welcome from the staff
Bill
Very nice hotpot! A variety of choices with meat, sea food, vegetables, deserts and ice cream. Must try??
Teresita Herrera
Monday BIRTHDAY DINNER NIGHT !!GREAT SERVICE FOOD QUALITY, FRESH SEAFOOD, MEAT & VEGGIES!HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Albert Vo
First time at this location and I must say that they have a vast selection of meat, veggies, noodles for shabu shabu. Everything was good and delicious. My party and I opted in the combo menu (shabu + grill) and we regretted with that selection. I think the meat for grilling is not well marinated, super bland, and not fresh cut like you would get at a Korean BBQ place. You should save money and just strictly choose shabu shabu and skip the grill.Vegetarian options: Plenty of vegetables to choose from and they are all fresh.Kid-friendliness: A big place to take your family to and everyone will enjoy something here.Parking: This restaurant has its own big parking lot with plenty of spots.Wheelchair accessibility: A big restaurant where a person with a wheelchair can easily maneuver throughout this restaurant. The food bar is wheelchair-friendly height.
R D
It was my first time at this location, and first time visiting this franchise. My friends chose this place, I was treating them to wherever they wanted to go.Service wise, we had to chase down employees for things like extra napkins. Someone came twice and offered us refills on drinks, we had to chase down someone the other times.I was still finishing my drink when a short man approached my guest, leaned over, cupped his hand and started telling my guest something. My other guest had just finished their ice cream. I had no idea what he was telling my guest. I thought he might be thanking him for the big tip I had just left, or maybe they knew each other. My guest eats out a lot and is well known by the owners of many restaurants.After the short man left, I asked my friend what he has said, he had been told we needed to get out of the booth to make room for all the customers who were waiting. I looked around and there were plenty of empty tables just like ours both in back us and in front of us.The same guest who had been told to leave had to use the restroom, and apparently came across the short man when returning from the restroom and chewed him out. Apparently he told him he was rude, that this was the first time in several years we had gone out to eat together, my first time here, I had just given a significant tip. The short man told him "You're only allowed to be at a table for two hours." Which my friend said was a rule that was only in effect during the covid emergency locked down. I'd never heard of it before.When my guest returned to the table, he told me what had just happened and we left. There was one party waiting to be seated at the front. I counted five empty similar kinds of BBQ booths when leaving.My guest who eats at various Shabu Shabu places around Los Angeles County told me he'll stop recommending this location, and start recommending a different location he frequents. He brought me to this location because he said it has a wider selection of items to choose from, but he liked the environment of a different one better.I promised him that as a Local Guide, I would write a review for this establishment. He made me promise to include how the hostess, servers, and employees here were friendly to us, which is why I left a generous tip.Considering what it was, the three of us picking out meats and veggies from a buffet and cooking them ourselves on a table grill and soup base cooker in front of us, there isn't much special about the food.The food at this location appeared to be fresh, there was a large selection, it was all you can cook and eat (apparently within 2 hours).I wouldn't have chosen this place to bring my guests personally. I think it is over priced at near $40 a person for a self-serve dinner. That being said, I do understand why the price is high.I am happy that my guests had an enjoyable time, despite the inappropriateness of the short man approaching one of them and telling them we needed to leave.It's highly unlikely I'll ever eat here again, and I'd not bring any guests to this location again.My recommendations about the El Monte Shabu Shabu are the following:1. Bring lots of money, it's not cheap. Expect your bill to between $30 to $40 per person. More if any appetizers or alcohol will be purchased.2. Considering Shabu Shabu is more of a self-serve buffet and you cook your own food, the only thing the servers are doing here is refilling your drinks once in a while, so tipping is a courtesy and not obligatory in my opinion. If you are going to tip here, tip based on the actual amount of service you receive, and only leave the tip when you're getting up to leave.Kid-friendliness: You are cooking food directly at the table on either a gas fire grill and/or boiling hot soup pot directly in front of you, with limited other space around the table. Not recommended for children.Parking: This location is at the corner of a shopping complex with tons of open parking currently, due to the larger former store building on the s
Jennifer S.
The only thing that turned me off is the tight small space of the dining table. I am not fat, not tall but I keep hitting my knees under the table. It was a very uncomfortable eating experience. A big or tall person will not fit. Too bad. This is an all you can eat, grilling meat, seafood and boiling soup in your own table. Theres a good variety of meat, seafood, vegestables you can pick and choose. Free ice cream too. I left the restaurant with sore knees from hitting underneath the table.
Camille D.
This place is good. I would've gave it 4 stars if the service was better. Person up front was rude, pushy, and condescending which was off putting. The couple of times I went to grab sauce and/or rice the small bowls were completely gone. I asked an employee if there were small bowls, and she replied "I just refilled them", but didn't offer to bring any out for me, so I just stood for a while until she decided to bring more out. None of the staff was overly attentive so because it's buffet style I just tipped accordingly. I wish they had some sauce suggestions at the sauce bar for first timers. I thought the broth was tasty. We tried two- spicy miso- which had large peppercorns and fennel, I personally do not like either so did not care for this broth. However, we also tried an original and it was really good. Place was busy and clean, and the buffet had a large variety of things to choose from. I would likely return, but a pricey dinner for something that didn't impress me all too much.
Jean G.
Everything was fresh except that one night I chose to eat their blue crabs. I had LBM, food poisoning for 4 days. Now, I stay away from their crabs. Fast service and everyone was friendly.
Randy D.
Large selection to choose from, the woman hostess who took our order was friendly, all of the team assisting us were friendly too. We went at 3:30 pm New Years Eve and the place was pretty empty. It was my first time at this location, and first time visiting this franchise. My friends chose this place, I was treating them to wherever they wanted to go. Service wise, we had to chase down employees for things like extra napkins. Someone came twice and offered us refills on drinks, we had to chase down someone the other times. I was paying in cash, and right after someone else had come and taken the money, the hostess who originally seated us came up to me and said, "Hey, who took my money", which threw me off. She then said she was joking. I'd never had anyone in a restaurant do that before, especially when I was paying cash. I kinda laughed. Considering what happened next though, it probably had been a bad idea. I was still finishing my drink when a short man approached my guest, leaned over, cupped his hand and started telling my guest something. My other guest had just finished their ice cream. I had no idea what he was telling my guest. I thought he might be thanking him for the big tip I had just left, or maybe they knew each other. My guest eats out a lot and is well known by the owners of many restaurants. After the short man left, I asked my friend what he had said, he had been told we needed to get out of the booth to make room for all the customers who were waiting. I looked around and there were plenty of empty tables just like ours both in back of us and in front of us. The same guest who had been told to leave had to use the restroom, and apparently came across the short man when returning from the restroom and chewed him out. Apparently he told him he was rude, that this was the first time in several years we had gone out to eat together, my first time here, I had just given a significant tip. The short man told him "You're only allowed to be at a table for two hours." Which my friend said was a rule that was only in effect during the covid emergency locked down. I'd never heard of it before. When my guest returned to the table, he told me what had just happened and we left. There was one party waiting to be seated at the front. I counted five empty similar kinds of BBQ booths when leaving. My guest who eats at various Shabu Shabu places around Los Angeles County told me he'll stop recommending this location, and start recommending a different location he frequents. He brought me to this location because he said it has a wider selection of items to choose from, but he liked the environment of a different one better. I promised him that as a Local Guide, I would write a review for this establishment. He made me promise to include how the hostess, servers, and employees here were friendly to us, which is why I left a generous tip. Overall as a local guide, I've encountered a lot worse experiences, and I've had a lot better experiences. Wherever I am, the more it costs me, the more I expect the quality of food to be, the experience to be, the service to be. Considering what it was, the three of us picking out meats and veggies from a buffet and cooking them ourselves on a table grill and soup base cooker in front of us, there isn't much special about the food. In Japan, I went to a similar place that cost 75% less even when converting dollars into Yen. For native Americans' I can see how the experience of cooking your own food at your table is a unique opportunity many would be willing to pay extra for. The food at this location appeared to be fresh, there was a large selection, it was all you can cook and eat (apparently within 2 hours). I wouldn't have chosen this place to bring my guests personally. I think it is over priced at almost $40 a person for a self-serve dinner. That being said, I do understand why the price is high. I am happy that my guests had an enjoyable time, despite the inappropriateness of the short man approaching one of them
James N.
Lately, I've been hearing that a lot of restaurants are having difficulty finding qualified staff. It's not that Spring Shabu Shabu appeared to be short-staffed today, the problem was that the employees on-duty simply came across as completely disinterested. The customer service was non-existent. From the moment my party of six arrived until our departure, the collective staff performance was underwhelming. They simply couldn't have cared less whether I, or my five guests enjoyed our experience in their restaurant. As a paying customer, I have never felt less welcome in a business establishment. I felt this upon my arrival at Spring Shabu Shabu, and I continued to feel that way the entire time I was there.
6 of us came here on Christmas at noon and was seated immediately. The interior decor was quite nice and each individual had their own personal hotpot and selection of broth. Although this place is called "shabu shabu", it's really more of a Chinese hotpot joint due to the broth choices and selection of toppings. Upon being seated and picking your broth, you're now free to go to the different stations to pick up your hot pot items. We made our sauce from the toppings bar which was pretty extensive. Then picked up our meats - lamb, pork belly, rib eye, and some other beef cut. The seafood is all frozen but I did really enjoy the house made shrimp and fish balls. There's also an extensive veggies bar. In addition to all the hotpot items, they also have some deep fried items like spring rolls, sesame balls, fries, etc... Overall it was not bad but not the best quality.
Fidel S.
If you like Korean BBQ then you will definitely love Shabu Shabu. We were craving a soup for this rainy day and remembered we have a Shabu Shabu near by. We definitely love eating here so many selections of toppings for your hot pot. You can start by adding different kind of noddles then your choice of veggies to your seafood desire and much more. This Shabu Shabu location is very big. Then you also have your BBQ side with your different kind of meats to grill. This place is perfect for large family dinners as price per person is not that bad for all you can eat. Service can be a little better but I understand it's a buffet style so every table is filled with empty dirty plates and that maybe a little time consuming to be picking them up from everyone, other than that this place is awesome.
Li L.
This is an all you can eat Shabu hotpot. The packed, I wish they had more bowls for soup.
Tina P.
I love the variety and all the options it has! Lots of raw meats, a ton of seafood, veggies and a huge sauce bar! A small hot food table and even ice cream at the end of the meal! The broth was decent and not salty like other places. That night we opted for shabu and grilled meats. There was too much going on, so I recommend sticking to just shabu. While there was a lot to choose from, it wasn't particularly very good-esp the grilled meat choices. The quality was sub par at best. Less is more, esp in this situation. The service was typical of an asian restaurant, not the best. Meet our needs, but didn't go beyond that. The back house was lacking as there were no bowls for sauce or ice cream. The best thing there was the popcorn chicken and the salted egg buns. Unfortunately, I don't think i'll be returning.
Joy H.
One of the better shabu shabu places I've been too! I came as a guest to a thanksgiving dinner party and was pleasantly surprised by the ambience. The restaurant is located in a plaza and there was plenty of parking. Service was great! The servers were quick to come by and fulfill our needs such as needing napkins, clearing tables, needed more broth, etc. I was needing something light that day and ordered the mushroom broth, which I would recommend :) The food was laid out buffet style in the back which you were free to go and grab anytime. There were tons of seafood, meat, dipping choices, and veggie options to choose from. They had a lot of options that I don't typically see at other shabu shabu places like oysters, shrimp balls, and the array of cold desserts. Also ice cream! Overall a great place for an AYCE outing. Would come back again~
Always the best in town!! We always celebrate special family occasions here. Always a warm welcome from the staff
Very nice hotpot! A variety of choices with meat, sea food, vegetables, deserts and ice cream. Must try??
Monday BIRTHDAY DINNER NIGHT !!GREAT SERVICE FOOD QUALITY, FRESH SEAFOOD, MEAT & VEGGIES!HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
First time at this location and I must say that they have a vast selection of meat, veggies, noodles for shabu shabu. Everything was good and delicious. My party and I opted in the combo menu (shabu + grill) and we regretted with that selection. I think the meat for grilling is not well marinated, super bland, and not fresh cut like you would get at a Korean BBQ place. You should save money and just strictly choose shabu shabu and skip the grill.Vegetarian options: Plenty of vegetables to choose from and they are all fresh.Kid-friendliness: A big place to take your family to and everyone will enjoy something here.Parking: This restaurant has its own big parking lot with plenty of spots.Wheelchair accessibility: A big restaurant where a person with a wheelchair can easily maneuver throughout this restaurant. The food bar is wheelchair-friendly height.
It was my first time at this location, and first time visiting this franchise. My friends chose this place, I was treating them to wherever they wanted to go.Service wise, we had to chase down employees for things like extra napkins. Someone came twice and offered us refills on drinks, we had to chase down someone the other times.I was still finishing my drink when a short man approached my guest, leaned over, cupped his hand and started telling my guest something. My other guest had just finished their ice cream. I had no idea what he was telling my guest. I thought he might be thanking him for the big tip I had just left, or maybe they knew each other. My guest eats out a lot and is well known by the owners of many restaurants.After the short man left, I asked my friend what he has said, he had been told we needed to get out of the booth to make room for all the customers who were waiting. I looked around and there were plenty of empty tables just like ours both in back us and in front of us.The same guest who had been told to leave had to use the restroom, and apparently came across the short man when returning from the restroom and chewed him out. Apparently he told him he was rude, that this was the first time in several years we had gone out to eat together, my first time here, I had just given a significant tip. The short man told him "You're only allowed to be at a table for two hours." Which my friend said was a rule that was only in effect during the covid emergency locked down. I'd never heard of it before.When my guest returned to the table, he told me what had just happened and we left. There was one party waiting to be seated at the front. I counted five empty similar kinds of BBQ booths when leaving.My guest who eats at various Shabu Shabu places around Los Angeles County told me he'll stop recommending this location, and start recommending a different location he frequents. He brought me to this location because he said it has a wider selection of items to choose from, but he liked the environment of a different one better.I promised him that as a Local Guide, I would write a review for this establishment. He made me promise to include how the hostess, servers, and employees here were friendly to us, which is why I left a generous tip.Considering what it was, the three of us picking out meats and veggies from a buffet and cooking them ourselves on a table grill and soup base cooker in front of us, there isn't much special about the food.The food at this location appeared to be fresh, there was a large selection, it was all you can cook and eat (apparently within 2 hours).I wouldn't have chosen this place to bring my guests personally. I think it is over priced at near $40 a person for a self-serve dinner. That being said, I do understand why the price is high.I am happy that my guests had an enjoyable time, despite the inappropriateness of the short man approaching one of them and telling them we needed to leave.It's highly unlikely I'll ever eat here again, and I'd not bring any guests to this location again.My recommendations about the El Monte Shabu Shabu are the following:1. Bring lots of money, it's not cheap. Expect your bill to between $30 to $40 per person. More if any appetizers or alcohol will be purchased.2. Considering Shabu Shabu is more of a self-serve buffet and you cook your own food, the only thing the servers are doing here is refilling your drinks once in a while, so tipping is a courtesy and not obligatory in my opinion. If you are going to tip here, tip based on the actual amount of service you receive, and only leave the tip when you're getting up to leave.Kid-friendliness: You are cooking food directly at the table on either a gas fire grill and/or boiling hot soup pot directly in front of you, with limited other space around the table. Not recommended for children.Parking: This location is at the corner of a shopping complex with tons of open parking currently, due to the larger former store building on the s
The only thing that turned me off is the tight small space of the dining table. I am not fat, not tall but I keep hitting my knees under the table. It was a very uncomfortable eating experience. A big or tall person will not fit. Too bad. This is an all you can eat, grilling meat, seafood and boiling soup in your own table. Theres a good variety of meat, seafood, vegestables you can pick and choose. Free ice cream too. I left the restaurant with sore knees from hitting underneath the table.
This place is good. I would've gave it 4 stars if the service was better. Person up front was rude, pushy, and condescending which was off putting. The couple of times I went to grab sauce and/or rice the small bowls were completely gone. I asked an employee if there were small bowls, and she replied "I just refilled them", but didn't offer to bring any out for me, so I just stood for a while until she decided to bring more out. None of the staff was overly attentive so because it's buffet style I just tipped accordingly. I wish they had some sauce suggestions at the sauce bar for first timers. I thought the broth was tasty. We tried two- spicy miso- which had large peppercorns and fennel, I personally do not like either so did not care for this broth. However, we also tried an original and it was really good. Place was busy and clean, and the buffet had a large variety of things to choose from. I would likely return, but a pricey dinner for something that didn't impress me all too much.
Everything was fresh except that one night I chose to eat their blue crabs. I had LBM, food poisoning for 4 days. Now, I stay away from their crabs. Fast service and everyone was friendly.
Large selection to choose from, the woman hostess who took our order was friendly, all of the team assisting us were friendly too. We went at 3:30 pm New Years Eve and the place was pretty empty. It was my first time at this location, and first time visiting this franchise. My friends chose this place, I was treating them to wherever they wanted to go. Service wise, we had to chase down employees for things like extra napkins. Someone came twice and offered us refills on drinks, we had to chase down someone the other times. I was paying in cash, and right after someone else had come and taken the money, the hostess who originally seated us came up to me and said, "Hey, who took my money", which threw me off. She then said she was joking. I'd never had anyone in a restaurant do that before, especially when I was paying cash. I kinda laughed. Considering what happened next though, it probably had been a bad idea. I was still finishing my drink when a short man approached my guest, leaned over, cupped his hand and started telling my guest something. My other guest had just finished their ice cream. I had no idea what he was telling my guest. I thought he might be thanking him for the big tip I had just left, or maybe they knew each other. My guest eats out a lot and is well known by the owners of many restaurants. After the short man left, I asked my friend what he had said, he had been told we needed to get out of the booth to make room for all the customers who were waiting. I looked around and there were plenty of empty tables just like ours both in back of us and in front of us. The same guest who had been told to leave had to use the restroom, and apparently came across the short man when returning from the restroom and chewed him out. Apparently he told him he was rude, that this was the first time in several years we had gone out to eat together, my first time here, I had just given a significant tip. The short man told him "You're only allowed to be at a table for two hours." Which my friend said was a rule that was only in effect during the covid emergency locked down. I'd never heard of it before. When my guest returned to the table, he told me what had just happened and we left. There was one party waiting to be seated at the front. I counted five empty similar kinds of BBQ booths when leaving. My guest who eats at various Shabu Shabu places around Los Angeles County told me he'll stop recommending this location, and start recommending a different location he frequents. He brought me to this location because he said it has a wider selection of items to choose from, but he liked the environment of a different one better. I promised him that as a Local Guide, I would write a review for this establishment. He made me promise to include how the hostess, servers, and employees here were friendly to us, which is why I left a generous tip. Overall as a local guide, I've encountered a lot worse experiences, and I've had a lot better experiences. Wherever I am, the more it costs me, the more I expect the quality of food to be, the experience to be, the service to be. Considering what it was, the three of us picking out meats and veggies from a buffet and cooking them ourselves on a table grill and soup base cooker in front of us, there isn't much special about the food. In Japan, I went to a similar place that cost 75% less even when converting dollars into Yen. For native Americans' I can see how the experience of cooking your own food at your table is a unique opportunity many would be willing to pay extra for. The food at this location appeared to be fresh, there was a large selection, it was all you can cook and eat (apparently within 2 hours). I wouldn't have chosen this place to bring my guests personally. I think it is over priced at almost $40 a person for a self-serve dinner. That being said, I do understand why the price is high. I am happy that my guests had an enjoyable time, despite the inappropriateness of the short man approaching one of them
Lately, I've been hearing that a lot of restaurants are having difficulty finding qualified staff. It's not that Spring Shabu Shabu appeared to be short-staffed today, the problem was that the employees on-duty simply came across as completely disinterested. The customer service was non-existent. From the moment my party of six arrived until our departure, the collective staff performance was underwhelming. They simply couldn't have cared less whether I, or my five guests enjoyed our experience in their restaurant. As a paying customer, I have never felt less welcome in a business establishment. I felt this upon my arrival at Spring Shabu Shabu, and I continued to feel that way the entire time I was there.
Restaurantji Recommends
6 of us came here on Christmas at noon and was seated immediately. The interior decor was quite nice and each individual had their own personal hotpot and selection of broth. Although this place is called "shabu shabu", it's really more of a Chinese hotpot joint due to the broth choices and selection of toppings. Upon being seated and picking your broth, you're now free to go to the different stations to pick up your hot pot items. We made our sauce from the toppings bar which was pretty extensive. Then picked up our meats - lamb, pork belly, rib eye, and some other beef cut. The seafood is all frozen but I did really enjoy the house made shrimp and fish balls. There's also an extensive veggies bar. In addition to all the hotpot items, they also have some deep fried items like spring rolls, sesame balls, fries, etc... Overall it was not bad but not the best quality.
If you like Korean BBQ then you will definitely love Shabu Shabu. We were craving a soup for this rainy day and remembered we have a Shabu Shabu near by. We definitely love eating here so many selections of toppings for your hot pot. You can start by adding different kind of noddles then your choice of veggies to your seafood desire and much more. This Shabu Shabu location is very big. Then you also have your BBQ side with your different kind of meats to grill. This place is perfect for large family dinners as price per person is not that bad for all you can eat. Service can be a little better but I understand it's a buffet style so every table is filled with empty dirty plates and that maybe a little time consuming to be picking them up from everyone, other than that this place is awesome.
This is an all you can eat Shabu hotpot. The packed, I wish they had more bowls for soup.
I love the variety and all the options it has! Lots of raw meats, a ton of seafood, veggies and a huge sauce bar! A small hot food table and even ice cream at the end of the meal! The broth was decent and not salty like other places. That night we opted for shabu and grilled meats. There was too much going on, so I recommend sticking to just shabu. While there was a lot to choose from, it wasn't particularly very good-esp the grilled meat choices. The quality was sub par at best. Less is more, esp in this situation. The service was typical of an asian restaurant, not the best. Meet our needs, but didn't go beyond that. The back house was lacking as there were no bowls for sauce or ice cream. The best thing there was the popcorn chicken and the salted egg buns. Unfortunately, I don't think i'll be returning.
One of the better shabu shabu places I've been too! I came as a guest to a thanksgiving dinner party and was pleasantly surprised by the ambience. The restaurant is located in a plaza and there was plenty of parking. Service was great! The servers were quick to come by and fulfill our needs such as needing napkins, clearing tables, needed more broth, etc. I was needing something light that day and ordered the mushroom broth, which I would recommend :) The food was laid out buffet style in the back which you were free to go and grab anytime. There were tons of seafood, meat, dipping choices, and veggie options to choose from. They had a lot of options that I don't typically see at other shabu shabu places like oysters, shrimp balls, and the array of cold desserts. Also ice cream! Overall a great place for an AYCE outing. Would come back again~