Hanaki Offers 10 Percent Discount Through Jan. 31

Hanaki Shabu Shabu has two reasons to celebrate this month. In addition to being the start of a new year, January 2011 marks 15 years that the Manoa Marketplace restaurant has been in business.

As a New Year’s gift to its loyal customers, Hanaki is offering a 10 percent discount on orders made during dinner hours Monday and Wednesday nights now through Jan. 31.

“We really hope people try the shabu shabu,” says manager Mark Mitsuyoshi. “Right now, we have six soup flavors, but there are endless ways to combine the many food items and dipping sauces. You can create any type of thing you want.”

From a light seaweed-based Konbu udon soup to the beef-based special Spicy recipe, the soup bases offer a wide range from which to start your meal. Each costs $5, and you can kick up the heat level and add extra spice for no extra charge.

Vegetables, meats, seafood and noodles are arranged by color-coded bowls and plates, which range in price from $2.50 to $4.50 depending on the size and content of your selection.

There also is a variety of Udon Bowls ($9.95 and $12.95) and Donburi ($11.95) from which to choose. One to try is the popular Nabeyaki Udon ($12.95), an assortment of shrimp tempura, chicken, egg and vegetables over fat, soft udon noodles. Ramen noodles may be substituted in any udon dish.

In order to continue offering a wide array of fresh and unique dishes, menu items and prices are subject to change without prior notice.

On the Side

Last year Hanaki Shabu Shabu transformed from an all-you-can-eat buffet-style restaurant to one that is serving up the latest cooking craze, shabu shabu.

To ensure that Hanaki would be on the razor’s edge of this latest cooking trend, longtime manager Mark Mitsuyoshi traveled to Japan to study up on what makes shabu shabu, well, shabu shabu.

“We traveled to Taiwan to experience their wide variety of Asian-style shabu shabu,” Mitsuyoshi says.

He returned with a wealth of knowledge in the dish that allows customers to create their own meals at their table by using a hot pot of soups and sauces of their choosing.

Mitsuyoshi suggests first-timers start with the medium-heat Sukiyaki base, a sweet and salty medley of sugar and shoyu, or the pleasingly creamy Curry. Add noodles, seafood, tofu, lamb, pork, chicken, vegetables or any of the other dozens of fresh, flavorful ingredients to concoct your very own soup.

“But if you don’t want, we have added an a la carte menu with shrimp tempura, chicken kara age, fish katsu, tako yaki, shoyu chicken, shoyu tofu, homemade gyoza and deep-fried oysters,” he says. Combination Plates cost $9.95 for choice of two items, $12.95 choice of three, and each plate is served with rice and miso soup.

Hanaki Shabu Shabu

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