Matsuyama Shabu House

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Matsuyama Shabu House

Mastuyama Shabu House Weekday Special



Walking around San Francisco's historic Japantown, I made a surprisingly delicious find: Matsuyama Shabu House. This small restaurant specializes in Shabu Shabu, the Japanese traditional hot pot dish. They honor and balance both Japanese culinary tradition and modern tastes.

Walking in, you will see an elegant dining area decorated in comforting warm tones and wood paneling, a red marble counter that goes in a semicircle, and three wood table tan booths next to windows that overlook Japantown. Each seat has its own heating system for preparing the hot pot in front of you at your table. The windows overlook San Francisco, but it starts to feel as if you are in Japan.

Matsuyama Shabu House offers some luxurious and expensive menu options but also an $18 weekday option that lets you sample this amazing restaurant for less. I have now twice sampled the exciting $18 weekday option, which allows you to pick a base, some meat, and other hot pot components. I prefer the sukiyaki base and wagyu bacon (which is fatty beef). 

The dining experience begins when they bring you a selection of three delicious dipping sauces: ponzu, yuzu, and sesame. Then, they will bring out a pot to your personal heating conductor. You will enjoy watching and smelling your dish as it boils. Once it's boiling, they will bring out the meat for you to cook to your own liking.

The fatty thin cuts of wagyu bacon beef took a moment or two to finish cooking in the tasty warm broth, which was slightly sweet and salty. The vegetables and udon both absorbed the flavor of the sukiyaki broth, but the udon were chewy and the vegetables crunchy.

Dipping the meat was fun, and the results were scrumptious. I enjoyed deciding how long to cook each piece; it depended on my patience and my desired doneness. Overall, it was a complex, interesting, and yummy meal. I ate at a leisurely pace; the meal was long and luxurious to eat.

I would certainly come back! The food is top-notch, and the eating experience is fascinating. It's an exquisite dish for an amazing price.

Location: Japantown, San Francisco, CA, USA

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