Pinoy Life At Large

“What kind of restaurant makes you cook your own food?” Actor Bill Murray was remembered for having said this line in the movie “Lost in Translation.” Pretty much like Murray’s character, many of us have yet to fully understand and appreciate the experience of dining in a shabu-shabu restaurant. It’s not expensive, as many would think. Keep in mind that the pots are there not because the chefs are too lazy to cook your food. Because for you to appreciate the flavors, you need to eat it as it comes out of the pot.

Famous restaurateur Candy Hwang taught us how to properly eat shabu-shabu. Not because the broth is boiling, you can throw just about everything in pot and expect the flavors to come out right. Like many things, there is a science to it and I will share that science with you. Read on.

Entering the restaurant, you will see pots dedicated per diner. Though shabu-shabu was originally meant to share, Healthy Shabu-Shabu has a 1:1 ratio of these hotpot machines. This is made to make dining and cooking convenient. The tables are wider than usual to accommodate many plates which you will need to use. Aside from the hotpot machine, each diner is provided with a plate, a bowl, a regular ladle, a netted ladle, soup spoon and chopsticks (or a regular spoon and fork, upon request).

The good waiter will first pour the broth into the hotpot. Let it simmer, not necessarily boiling. The spices are there to give you the choice whether you want the soup to be spicy. The barbecue sauce (the dark mushy thing on the right picture) will give flavor to the broth and the sauce. The egg is fresh. Using the netted ladle, separate the yolk from the albumen. Put the yolk in the sauce and the albumen in the broth as thickener and flavor enhancer. They really give you a cold egg so that separating the yolk from albumen is easier.

First thing you need to put in is the meat. You hold it with the chopsticks then swish it in the pot until it looks cooked. This is why it is better to use chopsticks in shabu-shabu. You are not supposed to drop the meat and look for it when it’s done. You need to hold it while it’s cooking. Using a fork won’t work because a fork is made of metal and it will get too hand to hold on to if you let it stay in the pot too long. Same goes with the netted ladle. NEVER overboil the meat, especially beef, because it will become too tough to chew. Just slosh it in and when the meat looks pink, dip it in the sauce and down the hatch. Then, raise the temperature of the pot and blanch the vegetables. Again, try not to overcook the veggies. Last thing you put in are the noodles and the fish cakes. By this time, the soup would have absorbed the flavors of the meat and the vegetables and will taste better than when you started. You may down the remaining soup with rice or noodles.

Every diner, aside from the meats, will get a plate of raw noodles and fish cakes with vegetables.

There are several main courses to choose from. There’s seafood.

Angus beef.

Lamb.

I got fish and chicken.

This eating/ cooking style originated from Genghis Khan’s fuel conservation methods. The Mongols, being steppe people, traveled a lot and carried everything with them, including fuel to warm their bodies and to cook their food. To conserve their fuel, especially during campaigns, the Mongol soldiers would huddle and cook their rations in a communal pot. Food is fresh and the resulting soup was flavorful and healthy. When shabu-shabu was first introduced in Japan during the early 20th century, it became an instant hit, until the name was registered as a trademark by one of Japan’s first restaurants to offer shabu-shabu. Though Chinese in origin, Shabu-Shabu is essentially Japanese. Some people will debate that, of course.

The desserts are served fresh and is included in all group meals.

There are group menus ranging from P1,200.00 (US$26.67) to P4,000.00 (US$88.90) depending on your choice of meats and seafood. The desserts are included. I highly recommended Healthy Shabu-Shabu if you want to eat fresh and healthy food. The experience is quite extraordinary. Special mention is the service in this place. One of the best I have experienced. In Metro Manila, Healthy Shabu-Shabu can be found at The Podium Mall in Ortigas, Powerplant Mall in Makati, Robinson’s Galleria in Ortigas, SM Mall of Asia in Pasay, Alabang Town Center, Robinson’s Midtown in Manila, and Shangrila Mall in Mandaluyong.