Shabu Zen Restaurant

On the first full day (March 26, 2012) that our friends from St. Marys, Ohio, Pat and Gary, were here, we went to lunch at Shabu Zen in Shibuya.  We had reserved a private room (with the help of Bill's coworkers) and planned to meet Bill, Takako, and Satomi for lunch.  We had pre-ordered our meals of shabu shabu and sukiyaki.  We cooked our own meal in pots at our table.  All the ingredients are set before us and we proceed to prepare our meal.  Both are similar dishes. Thinly sliced beef and assorted vegetables are cooked in the pots. Shabu shabu is derived from the "swish swish" sound of the cooking of the beef in the hot water.  You cook your meat and vegetables in the pot of hot water and it is served with several dipping sauces.

Sukiyaki is also cooked in a hot pot but with broth.  After you cook your meat and vegetables, you dip it into a raw beaten egg.  Note:  I don't trust eating raw egg, so I poached my egg in the broth-delicious!