We recently discovered Shabu House in Fort Lee, thanks to Jodi’s cousin Jessica and her husband Michael. This All You Can Eat (AYCE) place, specialized in Shabu Shabu, a Japanese hot pot dish where thinly-sliced meat and vegetables are cooked in broth, is phenomenal: for dinner, you can go for the buffet with no meat for $27.99 or for the buffet with unlimited meat for $37.99 (they have the same options for lunch, a bit cheaper). If you choose the former, you can add some meat from $6.99 to $8.99 depending on the cut, but it seems a no brainer to go for the buffet with meat as, for $10, you get unlimited portions of either brisket, top blade, ribeye roll, beef pastrami, pork shoulder, pork belly, chicken, lamb or tripe. However, it has to apply to the whole table. So, on our side, we decided to all go for the buffet with unlimited meat as adding up the servings of meat that Michael and I would get, it was economically favorable, Jodi and Jessica sticking with a vegetarian meal. Meat portions are big, but beware: if you order too much, each 1/4 lb of leftovers will be charged $15.

The way it works is that you first order the broth (vegetarian and non-vegetarian options). They will bring it in an individual pot that will sit on a burner that you can control from a panel on the side of the table. The fact that the pot is individual is a big plus, especially if you do not want to share, want a specific broth, or, like us, if some diners are vegetarian and others are not. On my side, I decided to try the pork bone broth that is made also with beef and is cooked for 16 hours, while Jodi chose the Golden Shiro Miso, a vegetable broth mixed with Japanese white soybean paste. After you order your broth, you take a plate and grab the various items from their buffet that you will cook in the broth. And that buffet is huge: you get a wide choice of vegetables ( with for instance different kinds of mushrooms), noodles, dumplings (frozen), seafood, etc. I have never seen anything like this! Once you pour these in the broth, you have to wait until they are fully cooked. I admit that this is a bit of an art as the temperature needs to be adjusted often as the broth will boil quickly, and ingredients will be fully cooked at different times. But it is quite fun and exciting as there is enough broth to go back to the buffet few times, where you can pick different things at each visit.

At the end of the meal, if you are still hungry, are included some cookies, as well as mango served in three ways: cut, sorbet and granita.

This was great: great company, great food, both broth being delicious, the pork bone broth being creamy, and with endless possibilities. $37.99 for unlimited meat is a great deal, and know that if you prefer seafood, you can just get their meatless option and grab some of the seafood they have in their buffet: this is probably what I will be doing next time I go there. I should add that each seating is limited to 1h30 with a charge for every 30 minutes additional, that I can understand as with all this food, some people could eat for hours there! For sure, Shabu House is a great place that I highly recommend: it is worth a trip to Fort Lee!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Shabu House - 1642 Schlosser St, Fort Lee, New Jersey 07024

Shabu House AYCE in Fort Lee, NJ

I Just Want To Eat!