Have it all at Shabu Shabu King

Decisions, decisions, decisions. One of the worst feelings at a restaurant is when you just can’t decide what to have. Luckily for any indecisive eater, you can try a taste of everything at Shabu Shabu King.

Open since last year, the restaurant offers southern Chinese-style hot pot entrees, in which customers select a broth base first, then add meats, vegetables and more to simmer away in the soup. Owner Michael Shi, who moved to Hawaii from China 13 years ago, is the culinary mastermind behind the eatery’s large selection of soup bases. “We have 15 broths – all different kinds of soup,” he says.

According to Shi, Spicy Broth ($7.95) is especially popular, thanks to its homemade quality of flavor. Other diverse options include Sake Broth ($7.95), Tonkotsu Broth ($6.95) and Seafood Broth ($7.95). If you are having trouble selecting just one, try Mixed Broth ($11.95), which offers a choice of any two.

The endless possibilities continue as refrigerators lining the little spot’s back wall hold vegetables, noodles, tofu, seafood, rice cakes, fish cakes and more. No need to choose, because the more you add to your broth, the better it tastes as it boils to perfection.

Diners also may order meats to supplement each hot pot. Shi recommends beef ($4.80) and pork sticks ($3.70) for some added heartiness.

Then there are the sauces – homemade garlic, sesame, ginger onion, chili and satay, just to give you an idea. Dip away into as many flavors as your heart desires.

The restaurant also is a great spot for vegetarians, offering a variety of vegetable-based broths such as Mixed Mushroom ($7.95), Vegetable ($7.95) and the ever-popular Healthy Herb Broth ($7.95), made with a secret recipe of goji berries, red date, ginseng, longan, green and white onion and more.

Shabu Shabu King recently expanded its business hours, offering lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Sometimes, you really can have it all.

Shabu Shabu King

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