Here's the difference between the Japanese shabu and Chinese hotpot: lots of little plates of condiments (diced garlic, ginger, chili paste, etc), various soup base to choose from (chicken stock, spicy stock, fish stock etc), a vast variety of food you can add to a pot (beef, lamb, seafood, fishballs, vegetables) - that's Chinese. When you dip your beef into the pot, you want the beef to pick up flavours of the soup base of your choice.
Japanese shabu is simple, one soup base, simple sauces (ponzu, sesame), beef, more beef, little bit of vegetables on the side, it's all about beef. Boil your beef in the water, dip in and out.
So many shabu places in California adapted Chinese style while retaining the environment of a Japanese shabu place. Shabu House is one of them.
And here's the essence of Chinese hotpot, in Hong Kong and China, whether at home or in a restaurant, hot pot is served in the middle of the table, usually round because it's easier for everyone (in your group, not with strangers) to sit around it. One pot, even if there're 8 of you, and it's not unhygenic because everyone uses 2 sets of chopsticks, one to eat and one to dip into the pot. Sitting round the table is the key, just like when you have dim sums. It's about chit chatting and sharing and eye contact, even with the person sitting across the table from you divided by the steamy pot.
Back to Shabu House, I was disappointed to eat what I consider was Chinese hotpot in such an inauthentic way. We had 2 pots between 4 people, and 1 pair of chopsticks for each person.
Food was ok.
Spicy miso soup base.
www.myshabuhouse.com/
1150 Paloma Ave, Burlingame, CA
No comments:
Post a Comment