Phoenix shabu shabu (swish swish)

Shabu Shabu is a Japanese hot pot meal, titled for the sound the meat makes when cooking in broth (swish swish). It consists of raw meat, tofu, noodles and vegetables submerged into a pot of bubbling broth. Kind of like soup, but different.

A friend and I had just been talking about Shabu Shabu.

“You know what I want?” she questioned. “Shabu shabu.”
“Too bad they don’t sell it anywhere in Phoenix, ” I told her.

Which I believed until I saw a Twitter from Hana pimping their Shabu Shabu. “We must go!” I told my husband upon viewing aforementioned Tweet.

I gave them a call and made reservations for that very night.

Upon arrival they ushered us to a 4-person table and then pulled another one along side, “There’s going to be a lot of food. You’ll need this,” our server explained.

Oh really?

Soon we had edamame and a crab/cucumber appetizer in front of us.

We set out our giant beer and sake (it’s BYOB) and settled in for an adventure.

Soon they set up a hot plate and brought out a big boiling pot of water along with a plate of veggies and noodles and a platter of raw meat.

Then came dipping sauces (ponzu and shabu shabu) and sides of chopped green onion and grated daikon.

After systematically dunking and eating a plate of veggies and 1/2 a platter of meat, we’re stuffed.

“We had a table of 3 come in an polish off 3 plates of meat,” noted our server eyeing our still-half-full plate. There’s no way.

There is, however, a little room for dessert, which is included in the meal. I’ve got dairy problems, so my husband and I were given the non-dairy option you see below. An airy and light ending to a full dinner.

Shabu shabu isn’t cheap; It’s $40 per person and you must call ahead of time to order. But it is an adventure.

Hana Japanese Eatery
5524 North 7th Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85013
(602) 973-1238

Okonomi-what?

Whenever I tell people I spent a year in Japan, people ask, “Oh my gosh, did you lose so much weight?”

Actually,  I gained 20 pounds.

I blamed my second chin on my host family who fed me a steady stream of fried food, but the start of the third could have been a result of Okonomiyaki.

Even just saying it is a mouthful.

What is it? A Japanese pancake made from cabbage and flour, smothered in “Okonomiyaki sauce,” mayo and fish flakes…and if you’re lucky, paired with noodles and a fried egg. It’s considered street food throughout Japan, but to me, it was a giant plate of wonderful.

After my return home, I was saddened to find that virtually NO ONE serves Okonomiyaki in the states. In L.A., I had to drive nearly an hour to Lomita to find a place that serves it. In New York, there is a tiny stand in the East Village that sells it. But I’m not in the East Village all that often.

My husband and I have tried making it, with some success, but still, it would be nice to be able to stop in somewhere and get the real thing.

Sigh.

Today, my husband told me about a Tweet from Hana:

Say it all together now…Okonomiyaki! You asked for it, get yours tonight at Hana Japanese Eatery.

Elastic pants…here I come!