Hot Pot

At NeoNabe, it's not your mother's shabu-shabu

I don’t usually go out to eat Japanese hot-pot dishes like shabu shabu or sukiyaki. You know how the old saying goes: They’re just not as good as mom makes.

NeoNabe • 2065 S. King St. Ste. 110 • Sun. through Thurs., 5:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. • Fri. and Sat., 5:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. • 922-4422

My mother is a great cook, but she’s also a terrific shopper. So when there is a special on monster scallops, mega shrimp or premium beef at her neighborhood supermarket, we get invited over for steaming bowls of something good and normally very expensive.

NeoNabe is a new Japanese hot-pot restaurant that puts a contemporary twist on traditional shabu shabu. In addition to a conventional broth made from boiling water and a few slices of dried konbu (seaweed), NeoNabe introduces seven additional brews that include garlic, miso, pho and even kim chee.

Everything is à la carte at NeoNabe, which maximizes choice, but also pushes up costs. After diners select their desired broth, they can choose from five different entrées ($14 to $19), which include a meat and seafood along with a collection of vegetables. The vegetarian entrée ($14) features the standard selection of won bok, spinach and carrots, but also includes bell peppers and three different mushrooms.

If the entrées aren’t filling enough, diners can load up on additional veggies, meats and seafood as well as seven extras, such as kim chee ($3), eggs ($2) and udon, saimin or rice noodles ($2.50). If you’re really hungry, there is also something called ojia ($10), a rice porridge that is made tableside with the unfinished broth.

POT OF GOLD: NeoNabe's new-wave shabu shabu features vegetables and seafood in a richly flavored broth. photo: Jimmy Forrest

I went to the restaurant on an early Saturday night with my wife, 4-year-old son and school-age niece and nephew. We had just come from the beach, so we were a little wrinkled and sandy. However, the NeoNabe staff graciously received us.

We ended up ordering two different broths — katsuo ($3) and garlic ($5)— two entrées: prime rib eye and black tiger shrimp ($19) and vegetarian ($14), along with an extra order of pork ($12), two raw eggs ($2) and saimin and udon noodles (both $2.50).

Our raw materials were delivered to our table promptly and we got started once the broth started boiling. Five or 10 minutes later, we were digging in.

Although our garlic and katsuo broth had nice, delicate aromas, they didn’t add much additional flavor to our meats or vegetables. So if you’re not planning on ordering the ojia, I’d recommend sticking with the traditional nabe broth.

The rib eye and pork were sliced paper thin and fanned out on a large plate. It wasn’t very much meat. The pork was particularly attractive, with its heavy marbling. Both cooked almost instantly and were tender, soft and buttery. I preferred the pork, which had a little higher fat content.

We made quick work of the meats, and my niece and nephew asked for two more platefuls of rib eye, which we never ordered. “All right, we’re just going to have to fill up on rice,” said my nephew, as he rolled his eyes. They spent the rest of the meal eating their veggies and fishing for lost and forgotten shrimp and meat.

We also ended up talking a lot more than we usually do at mealtime. The kids helped cook, and we discussed our afternoon at the beach, the finer points of won bok and spinach and the search for the lost meats.

Our nabe wasn’t as good as mom’s. It was way more expensive, and we didn’t have any leftovers at meal’s end. However, with the warm service and spirited conversation, it felt a little bit like home.

Do you like what you read? Subscribe to Hawaii Business Magazine »