Mitsu Shabu-Shabu Restaurant is one of the oldest and most successful Japanese eating establishments in Sibu. Shabu-shabu roughly translates to "swish-swish" and is a Japanese variant of the hot pot. This makes it well suited to local taste buds since the steamboat is already a popular communal dining option over here.
Mitsu Shabu-Shabu is unique in a sense that all the seating arrangements have individual hot pots recessed into the tabletop. The bar dining area and tables all have personal hot pots. A table for four would have four individual hot pots and a table of two would have, well, you know, two hot pots. This must have made it a very popular destination during the Avian flu scare a couple of years back when people jumped two feet back if you even looked like you were about to sneeze.
The proper method of eating shabu-shabu is to take a piece of the thinly sliced meat and swish it around several times in the boiling soup (broth). However, I noticed that it's more common for the fine citizens of Sibu to just dump the entire stash of ingredients lock, stock and barrel into the hot pot. This method is more suited to the coarsely chopped ingredients of a steamboat instead of the thinly sliced meats of shabu-shabu.
This is the Mitsu Mixed Beef Meat Set (RM 25) which contains a selection of thinly sliced cuts - tenderloin, rib eye, sirloin and even bacon (of the beef variety).
The main orders come with a dish of nori (edible seaweed) which is something of a mandatory component of shabu-shabu (or any other Japanese cuisine for that matter).
There are also a wide range of side orders from the mundane to the obscure. This is Taiwanese pork sausage (RM 3).
This is hand made chicken balls (stop snickering) which is priced at RM 2 for six balls.
Crab sticks (RM 2) goes very well with hot pots. It's actually made of fish meat and flavored with crab (no idea how they do that) and I love this stuff.
The more exotic options include premium grade A1 Taiwan Abalone which is priced at RM 13.
Faye is a big fan of shortcuts so she dumped the entire plate into the broth instead of swishing individual slices of meat around. It should be noted that she was born and bred in Sibu. ;)
The poor meat and vegetables (and even the abalone) was practically being boiled alive in the hot pot.
I quickly saved a couple of them by scooping it up into a bowl. Shabu-shabu is eaten with goma (sesame seed) sauce and steamed rice.
The Seafood Dry Dumpling (RM 3.90) in Mitsu Shabu-Shabu is amazing. The gyoza is filled with succulent prawns, squid, and fish before being deep fried.
The flavor and moisture of the ingredients are somehow preserved during the deep frying process, resulting in a burst of flavor when you bite into one of these. Highly recommended!
"What kind of restaurant makes you cook your own food?"
Mitsu Shabu-Shabu Restaurant is open till late and adequately air-conditioned. It's a good destination for hot pots without being subjected to the hyperhidrosis associated with steamboats eaten al fresco.
How much is the damage/$$ ? At least you got the chance to cook yourself in this entries.
How much is the damage/$$ ? At least you got the chance to cook yourself in this entries.
How much is the damage/$$ ? At least you got the chance to cook yourself in this entries.
Heard u coming to Kuching this sat? haha aiks it's TOMORROW to be exact. Anyway enjoy urself and sorry can't hook up since shy devil hahaha. Lastly eat more to health!
Roland: I can't remember coz I didn't keep the receipt. It's the total of the above plus about RM 15 for drinks.
BTW, the line is from the movie Lost in Translation. Very good film set in Tokyo. They were eating shabu shabu too.
DeV|LisH: Yup, I'll be flying in tomorrow. =D
Anyone wanting to meet up can call 016 888 2069.
That's my personal cellphone number.
The seaweed is actually known as kombu or kelp. Nori is the paper-thin variety used for wrapping sushi :)
My dad's cooking isn't always that great so I try to opt for vegetarian shabu-shabu if I go home on weekends. We have tofu, vegetables, mushrooms, and a variety of vegetarian 'balls'.
Have a great weekend!
isn't there ever the worry that the patrons don't cook the food to its full potential?
wow..looks delish...my tummy is growling already~ both of you are looking good and well-fed..hahaha
on one of my first trips to sibu back when dad was stationed there, he brought me here to eat.
was so happy i got to play masak-masak! with a real hot water!
anyway see ya tomorrow. call or text me before you board your plane. can't wait to see ya again. it's been too damn long!
hah.. i didn't know that mitsu shabu shabu is originally from sibu because they just opened a branch here in Kuching, located in one of the new shophouses next to Swinburne.
I must give it a try sometime soon since I read good review of them both.
Looks really good! And the abalone is comparatively well priced, surprisingly, but sticking everything in the pot at *once*? Well, as you noted not the beast way to ensure the premium tastes and cooking experience.
Heh! Wonder how many people had to look up "hyperhidrosis?"
Never talk down to your readers, kudos for that!
welcome back!
I remember I saw a newly opened Mitsu Shabu Shabu at some way Simpang Tiga, Kuching.
Behinds shoplot in front of THe Spring.
Haven't try three yet.
best wishes from germany glad to see the side online again :-).
Like Wilson mentioned, there is a new Mitsu Shabu-Shabu in Kuching. It is the shoplot right in front of Spring. After reading your post, I feel like giving it a try. I hope it is not so expensive. My pocket is very tight lately, with the current inflation. *sigh*
Greetings from Ipanema, Kuching! I am drinking here with Irene. Have a happy holidays and have fun!
LOL Faye is making nabe, not shabu shabu.
HB, I had one of the most wonderful Ancient Canadian meal last night. Stag, wapiti, bison and duck. Yum Yum~~~ Spent Can$200, but well worth!! Quebec will be a paradise for someone who likes to eat like you too! ;)
man how come I never knew all these fancy schwancy restaurants in Sibu ah?
wah... there's so much new place in sibu now.... ha ha, but i still love the old ones more
I'm still catching up on the posts but I'm lovin what I'm seein! :D
Welcome to Kuching Huai Bin. Nice 2 c u coming back
Greetings all! I'm at Starbucks in Kuching International Airport, flying back to Sibu tonight. Had fun at Batang Ai. Will blog a HUGE post about it soon. :)
liquidblackout: Thanks for the correction! :)
I thought nori was the generic term for seaweed...so it's only true for the dried ones. Kombu. Shall remember that.
I've eaten a vegetarian "drumstick" (made of soy and starch) that looks like a chicken drumstick and actually TASTES better than a chicken drumstick. Same flavor but it's much more tender. It's quite expensive though, around RM 18 or something around that range for just a single drumstick. It's very good.
JW: I think the liability would fall on the patron in question if that happens (undercooked) or perhaps it would be their perogative if they don't swish it but dump it wholesale into the hot pot. ;) Mitsu is actually a VERY successful franchise. They just opened up a Taiwanese tea house over here in Sibu. It's doing very well.
Sharon: Thanks! I've been eating well these days...perhaps a little too well, since I've gained quite a bit of weight.
Irene: It was good meeting up with you again and many thanks for the hospitality shown to us. :)
Appreciate it heaps!
(Bad grammar, I know)
jann: It's a Sibu business. I haven't seen the one in Kuching but I know they expanded to other eating establishments - a Taiwanese tea house of sorts serving Taiwanese food. It's a nice place to eat.
Grant S: Yeah, I know. Had to save the more delicate items from being overcooked.
Heh! The one I'm particularly proud of is the time when I said to this girl:
Me: I'm told that I've become quite the cunning linguist ever since I got my tongue pierced. Would you like me to practise my oratory skills on you?
;)
matt: Thanks matt! :)
Wilson: I just went to The Spring. It's nice. Haven't had the time to hit Boulavard (sp?) this trip. I'll be going to Kuching again next month though, business trip this time.
SomeGermanGuy: Thank you, my Teutonic friend. It's good to be back. :)
Choonie: There's a lot of new cafes and restaurants in Kuching! I saw so many new ones and couldn't wait to review them. Perhaps next month on my business trip, I can review the places AND charge it to the company. ;)
Business entertainment. =D
BTW, Mitsu is not cheap but it's not very expensive either. Expect to spend about RM 30 for a main and drinks.
fish fish: Good, good. I have learned another new word today. I read that the Japanese don't finish the rice but put it into the shabu shabu broth after eating and then drink the soup + rice. Interesting method.
OMG! Spending RM 600 on a meal?!? That's something I haven't done before in my life. But it sounds nice though, haven't had stag and bison before and I even had to Google wapiti. I would love to eat that - Ancient Canadian, eh...
It is indeed paradise for people like us. :)
wuching: It's coz you've been abroad for so long, mate! :)
clementwpy: Which ones are good? I enjoy eating Chinese food at the older establishments too when I feel like eating rice.
jess: Thanks jess! Appreciate the kind comments. :)
Hope you enjoy reading.
sylvia: Thanks Sylvia! I'm back in Sibu now though, it was just a short trip for the Wesak long weekend. The next holiday for the year will be the Gawai long weekend on the first of next month. Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. Lovely...
Hi, Huai Bin......
It's me, Lynne here
I would like to recommend Huai Bin for another Shabu Shabu + BBQ cafe in Sibu, which named Haz Cafe and Restaurant (Hao Zhi Wei - Chinese Version).
Location :Jalan Pahlawan, New Terminal Bus of Sibu (Next to Uncle Teh's Corner-Lao Shu Ge).
If Huai Bin even heard about Hang Ziang Kao Rou (Korean style BBQ), then I would like to conclude Haz Cafe and Restaurant, Sibu is the combination of Shabu Shabu and the Hang Ziang Kao Rou...
Well, tat's my recommendation indeed! Hopefully, Huai Bin will pay a visit there whenever Huai Bin is free. =D
O yea, let's rock for delicious food..Yummy!!! ^^
hmm i really donno the price of the shabu shabu at kuching can anyone tell me tat ?