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Mums Home of Shabu Shabu
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
Hotel Tomo1800 Sutter St
San Francisco, CA 94102
Neighborhoods: Japantown, Lower Pac Heights, Pacific Heights
(415) 931-6986
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 7 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
549 reviews for Mums Home of Shabu Shabu
Review Highlights
"The green tea ice cream is better than Polly Ann."
(in 30 reviews)
"All you can drink sake and beer."
(in 22 reviews)
"If dinner is a madhouse, lunch is a hot-pot oasis of calm."
(in 51 reviews)
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549 reviews in English
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Review from Samantha R.
San Diego, CA
2/2/2012
Had so much fun here last weekend for a birthday!
I mean it is kind of a fun place where you get to make your own food and stuff, all you can eat and drink (beer and sake) for 45 dollars about. I mean it was fun and the food was good, nothing too spectacular. Perfect place for a birthday!
However they did run out of zucchini and broccoli which kind of sucked, and they seemed under staffed that night we were there. The poor waiters were seriously running from table to table. Poor guys!
but the amazing owner/manager came out and gave our entire table shots of "fire water" since we had 2 birthdays in the group!
I LOVE a place that an owner and manager appreciates the business
Thanks for a great night Shabu Shabu -
Review from Zoey S.
2/8/2012
I seemed to have forgotten that, while sushi is Japanese food, Japanese food is not necessarily sushi. That's okay though! The fish wasn't fantastic, but it was still decent. The real shiners seemed to be the ramen and tempura items... shiny from grease but also from yum factor :)
The place was really fun to get to! I liked that it's sort of hidden away... had to work a little to get there. The atmosphere was so spunky, cheerful, and loud! (Ironic considering the center it's housed in). I went on a Friday night so the whole restaurant was packed and by 8:30pm there was sake-bombing, clapping, and entire tables standing for ovation.
I would recommend making a reservation if you're going on a weekend night, but if you don't mind sitting at the bar a reservation isn't completely necessary. Enjoy! -
Review from sophia c.
San Francisco, CA
1/31/2012
Dear Mr. Cow,
I am sorry I ate so many of your friends tonight. But I was a hungry hungry hippo. And my friend he's Chinese so you know he likes to eat too and you know he's got to get his money's worth and then some. I promise to eat veggies for the rest of the week.
Love,
Omnivore's dilemma -
Review from Magda M.
Mountain View, CA
1/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
So, I didn't feel too great the next morning, but darn, I had a great time the night I went to Mums. We made a reservation a week in advance and there were 5 of us who went together for girls night. Lot's of sake bombs... lot's of food... and lot's of fun! This place just has an atmosphere that is F U N. Yes, it's small and hot and loud but come with this expectation and come ready to have a good time.
The servers are so nice and tolerant of the chaos that goes on here. I had a blast and can't wait to come back many more times. -
Review from Jackie M.
San Francisco, CA
1/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here for my co-workers going away party. There was about 15 of us and when we arrived to Mums they were all ready for us! I think all of us got the all you can eat and drink for $40. What a steal! I think by mid-dinner we were all drinking much much more than we were eating. Haha. I must admit the service at Mums is very attentive. Every time there was an empty bottle of booze or empty plate of meat a server would appear out of thin air ready to refill our orders! It was pretty awesome.
By 11 or so, our whole party was drunk and I'm pretty sure, incredibly loud, but that didn't phase the people working or the other people dining there. So that's definitely another plus!
Def. will venture here again in the future. Great for pre-gaming. -
Review from Hannah A.
12/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Very cute.
Very tasty.
Affordable.
Tip Included.
A + for service
A++ for the Spicy Miso & Peanut Sauce. -
Review from Ernest Y.
Rowland Heights, CA
12/28/2011
It's all you can eat shabu shabu for $25. This place is okay. If you get the all you can eat shabu shabu you only get the unlimited beef and vegetables. There isn't anything special about it but there isn't anything wrong with the place. It's just simple.
They are really friendly with how much they give you for meat. There are many places where they give you small portion of meat even though it's all you can eat and so we have to flag down waiter/waitress to get us more. This place they give you tons of meat and veggies so we only had to call the waiter/waitress 3-4 times at most and the service was kind. The quality of meat was pretty good. It wasn't the best but it kept a consistent condition from first plate of meat to the 2nd or 3rd as other all you can eat places tend to have GREAT quality of meat to UGHHH quality of meat.
I would actually consider to come back to this place as I find myself in a state of food coma after leaving the place. I felt like a big ball that can just roll around after eating so much meat/veggies. :p -
Review from Kortni S.
San Francisco, CA
12/30/2011
Mmmm shabu shabu is so so good. I can't help but order the all you can eat all you can drink everytime I come here. A steal at 42/person.
Mums is great for groups.
The service is friendly and they keep the food/drinks coming out regularly! -
Review from Albert L.
My favorite Shabu Shabu spot keeps getting better!
Along with the all-you-can-eat endless amount of thinly sliced beef you can devour for $25, they now serve pork and chicken too! (upon request)
They offer a new SPICY miso base for your shabu shabu if your not diggin' the original seaweed broth.
The complimentary ice cream at the end of your meal comes from Polly Ann's.
AND STILL friendly and family-owned serving great shabu for over a decade!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/5/2011
Mums.. Home of my favorite Shabu spot.
Yup, this is my favorite place to Shabu. Or just to grab a… Read more »
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Review from Jennifer K.
San Francisco, CA
1/6/2012
I have a confession to make: I'm a bad Asian. Okay, I also buy into stereotypes. Whew, now that I've gotten that off my chest, I have one more confession to make: Until last week, I had never had shabu shabu. In fact, I had never even heard of it. When a friend first suggested it for dinner, I thought he was talking about some sort of creepy-weird creature-based children's television show, similar to Teletubbies or Boobahs (don't ask me how I know about the latter).
After a panicked Google search, I found out that shabu shabu is brilliant. (Okay, confession #4: I've never had any sort of hot pot - Chinese or Japanese. I swear, while I am not a "foodie," and find the term irritating even if I were one, I am not completely ignorant of gastronomical knowledge). Meat and veggies that I get to cook at my table, then dip into sauces I create on my own? The control freak inside of me rubbed her hands together maniacally.
My friend's friend had suggested Mums in Japantown, so we headed there. It was a Tuesday night, around 7:30 or 8 p.m. My friend, who has the most amazing "car"ma, found a parking spot right across the street from the restaurant, which was tucked away a little bit, so was somewhat difficult to spot. I could see, however, during evenings that the neighborhood is bustling that parking could be a major pain. Then again, where isn't it, in San Francisco?
Our server was super-friendly, and my friend and I only had to wait long enough at the bar to order our drink before our table was set up. We didn't have a reservation, but since it was a Tuesday right after the holidays, I can't attest to whether a rezzie is a good idea.
I was surprised that we already had a huge platter of thinly sliced, raw ribeye, a steaming pot of water, a bowl of spinach, mushrooms and other veggies, plus different types of sauce for mixing and small bowls of a suspiciously white mushy substance. Luckily my friend knew what he was doing and taught me that it's pretty much like fondue, which I suppose, in essence, it kind of is.
You could purchase an all-you-could eat deal, and ribeye wasn't the only meat they offered. They also had chicken and pork, but we stuck with the red meat, and I ate. And ate. And ate. They bring all the meat and veggies you can cram down your craw if you order the all-you-can-eat deal, or you can purchase the extras separately if you don't want to do the deal. I can't tell you exactly the price we paid for the entire meal, since my friend is a gentleman and paid the bill, and since I have no basis of comparison, having just learned that shabu shabu is not a bug-eyed British children's toy, I can't tell you if it is over- or under-priced.
Upsides: Besides the heaps and heaps of delicious meat? Our server was very friendly, and even though there was a huge, raucous birthday party going on behind us, she was attentive and talkative. My friend had brought a bottle of a delicious Cabernet with him, and she opened it without charging a corkage fee because "it's the holidays."
Downsides: A little "cozy" and could be a little more romantic with dimmer lighting, though I guess there might be some sort of OSHA laws governing dipping foodstuffs into boiling liquids in the dark. Also, their wine list was disappointing, which is to say, they had about three wines. When we asked for red, it was one type of Cabernet or one type of Zinfandel. Ordered a bottle of the Zin, and when it arrived at the table, it was a White Zin. D'oh! -
Review from margaret s.
Daly City, CA
Updated - 12/26/2011
Still a pretty delicious joint. The cuts of meat are so thin! Great veggie selection! It's the best...but
We were only a table of two and were charged a mandatory gratuity fee. We couldn't quite understand her accent when she was speaking so we have no idea why. Girl behind the bar served us. It's ridiculous that they need to explain why they are charging gratuity in the first place. It should be written on the menu as courtesy!
They did not seem to do this when we were there for lunch a couple months ago when we did a single order of shabu..? :( meh, can anyone confirm if they do this with just dinner shabu?
We also did not receive a receipt.Listed in: Shabu Shabu babydoll
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/5/2010
So I popped my shabu shabu cherry here :) my darling friends brought me here when I was picking the… Read more »
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Review from Vivian C.
12/1/2011
I came here for dinner this past Sunday night around 8:15pm with a friend from out of town. It was a chilly night, and shabu shabu was the perfect answer to the cold.
The place was pretty empty on a Sunday night, but I kinda liked it that way. There's something pretty perfect about cooking your food in a giant cauldron of boiling water on a cold night. I think hot pot is super fun in big groups, but it's also pretty ideal for quieter, more intimate dinners. I was certainly pretty happy catching up with my friend over a bubbling cauldron.
And as for the foods, it was all pretty tasty. The beef tasted pretty good, there was a good variety of veggies and noodles. They give you udon, clear noodles, napa, spinach, enoki, button, and shitake mushroom, tofu, and some other stuff I can't remember. You get two different kinds of dipping sauces, I think one was ponzu and the other was that peanuty/sesame-ish brown one. And in addition, they give you a bunch of green onion, daikon, etc. as toppings for your sauce. Yummy indeed. Oh, and tip: feel free to bring your own sauces if you have a personal favorite kind of dipping sauce.
Everything tasted good, and for $24.99 for all-you-can-eat, it's a pretty good deal.
The only things I think they could improve on are the variety of meats and the closing time. I've been to other hot pot places that serve chicken, lamb, etc. in addition to beef. But maybe it's because this is a Japanese-style shabu place, which in my experience only seems to serve beef, whereas Chinese hotpot places generally do a lot more meats (and generally have more side veggies too...have more sauces....and are cheaper = BETTER!).
This place also closes at 10pm, which I think is ABSURDLY early. I think shabu is best eaten on cold nights. NIGHTS. Luckily, we were both pretty full and done by the time closing time arrived, but what if we had decided to eat at 9pm (which isn't THAT late...) and were taking our sweet time because this IS an AYCE place. I wonder if we would've been hurried or shoo-ed out? But yeah, it would be better if they stayed open later.
Otherwise, the food is pretty good, the price is decent, and the service is super quick. Pretty good overall, in my book! -
Review from Tiffany K.
Chicago, IL
12/13/2011
My friends and I were really looking forward to hotpot but decided on shabu shabu instead. Although my mind was set on hotpot all day, I'm surprised this place won me over.
So we walked in, a party of four, waitress told us to wait... and we waited... and waited.. we scoped out the restaurant and saw there were extra tables that had enough room for four but we still were waiting.
Then! We get seated by a wall that wasn't visible to us when we were standing in line. The whole time we were waiting, they set up the table for unlimited shabu shabu. How they knew we were here for shabu shabu? I don't know. And I didn't even bother looking at the menu because the food looked so yummy and fresh. We just dug right in.
The table was set up with a plate of veggies, two types of noodles, thinly sliced beef and a pot of soup base boiling in the middle. It was all you can eat for $25. We ordered two pitchers of beer with dinner. I thought that was the worst idea ever because we couldn't eat as much as we normally would have!
Anyway, overall, food was fresh, they just kept comin to refill the beef, spicy miso sauce and our beer mugs! Service was awesome. We stayed til closing and was not rushed at all! The servers were lovely and patient with us.
I was craving something sweet and the waitress told us that we get complimentary ice cream when we are through. PERFECT ENDING!
Oh, beware that the next day, your breath will be stankin' like garlic even if you put a teaspoon of garlic into your dipping sauce. ;) -
Review from Mei C.
San Francisco, CA
11/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
Five years of traipsing around San Francisco neighborhoods and I've never dined here? What?!
This place is amazing. The lovely smells of soup hit you right away as you walked in through the door. The service is quick but no quality in food is sacrificed. Is this place real?
The green tea ice cream is better than Polly Ann. The meat is nicely marbled and tastes great. You have your rice, your tofu, your udon, some greens and two types of mushrooms. You also have your sauces. Lastly you have your strong garlic, if thats how you like it. Yum yum. Nice mix of patrons in terms of age and ethnicity. AND there's a full bar! :D
How can such a place like this be? I don't know but I love it. -
Review from T L.
Union City, CA
1/17/2012
Mums offers all you can eat AND drink! Neighboring shabu shabu places don't feature this on the weekends, and this is the main reason that brought S.Heart, friends, and me to Mums. The total after tip and tax comes out to $55 per person. Pricey, but the experience and unlimited aspect may be worth it.
The broth is simple - water and kombu strips. I know that they are different, but I've had much better broths at chinese-style hot pot restaurants. We requested condiments like chili paste and opted to dump it all in the broth, which boosted the flavor only a little bit. You get two sauces at your setting - peanut and a vinegar soy. I wasn't in love with either of them. The best item at Mums is the beef. It's incredibly tender and flavorful all on its own. I wished that their vegetable plate consisted of a wider variety. More greens to balance out all the meat!
The service warrants it's own star. We had a reservation at 9 p.m., but happened to be in Japantown earlier than that. We dropped in and S.Heart asked if we could be seated earlier. She was able to accommodate us, and did so happily. When the eating commenced, each and every time we were about to finish a plate, someone was right there, fresh plate of food in hand. They are all extremely attentive and I really appreciated this considering how packed the house was! -
Review from seven s.
Oakland, CA
1/11/2012
Went here for my work-wife's bday and had all I could eat and drink....mmmmm hot (well lukewarm) sake and shabu-shabu! You could really hang out for hours! Great for groups, especially loud ones like us...and a perfect place to start your pre-party to a fun night out. This is the one to try if you've never had shabu-shabu and it will definitely break up your boring dinner routine!
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Review from Olivia L.
11/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
There are plenty of pros and cons with this place, but like any establishment, it's really the people you are with that makes the difference. Luckily, I've had a great time here every time I've ever been here.
Be sure to wear layers when you go here. While it can be so cold outside, the ventilation inside just isn't the best. It can get so hot... sitting next to the window could be pretty gross because all the steam condenses against the window.
It can also get pretty loud in here. The obnoxious group of sake bomb revelers may have a table next to you. Seriously, banging on a table to get the little sake cup into a glass of beer is annoying when no other tables are doing the same. And this isn't Miyakes, so when someone says sake, I'm not going to say bomb.
The food is ok. It's probably not the reason most people come here. But the fact that it's all-you-can-eat, cooking around your friends, and unlimited drinks (if you so choose), make this an awesome place. Plus, they bring everything to you, you don't have to get up to get food. And I'm a huge fan of not overdressing food to actually appreciate the quality of meat and veggies. So cooking with just water is cool in my book. Lastly, I've always liked the vinegar soy sauce mixture with a huge spoonful of daikon and green onions. YUM!
TIPS:
1) you can ask for sriracha sauce;
2) shabu shabu meats include a selection of beef, pork or chicken; you can ask for more marbelized meats;
3) birthday cake? they will store the cake in the fridge, provide small plates, forks, and knife, but we didn't get the ice cream...
4) save your arteries and remove the fat that accumulates in the pot. use the mesh thing and remove the layer of fat throughout the meal. unless you are into eating all that fat
5) wear layers (see reason above) -
Review from raquel t.
11/30/2011
part 2 of 3 for my friends bday surprises..
it was pretty easy to make a reservation for a group of 12 for a sat. i told my friend we were going to dinner so have a drink or two or three before the cab arrived.. i wanted our dinner location to be secret so i ran to cab and told our driver the location.. as we arrived some of the group were waiting outside, when i clearly wanted them to wait inside so it would make a bigger impact.. nonetheless, my friend was surprised i gathered up a group of the closest friends when my friend was under the impression it was just going to be the two of us.. surprise dinner party success!! =)
i believe it was my first time doing shabu so i was pretty excited for the ayce of meat and veggies.. fyi, you're able to get the ayce or ayce AND drink deal.. i was the only one that didn't get the drink deal so it made for one interesting night watching a group of drunkies stuff their faces.. like my friend challenging another bday boy to chug a pitcher of beer.. my friend won..
i had a great time and wouldn't mind going back here again.. -
Review from Shawn S.
San Francisco, CA
The service was fantastic. - Each time you'd think of asking for something, someone is already there by your side offering services. - WOW!!!
All you can eat meat? - We feasted like kings and queens. - woohoo!!!!
*I should come here on all you can drink nights. - I've heard nothing but good things and all you can drink beer & sake??? GOOD THINGS!!!!
If you pass this place up then you're just crazy.
You should park in the J-town parking lot or else you can end up driving around the block. -
Review from Peter D.
8/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Perhaps it's because $42.95 isn't the best deal for an AYCE/D shabu shabu evening, or SF isn't much of a drinking town, or maybe Mums just isn't that popular...but the Wednesday evening we went, we were the only table where certain people (the ladies, obviously) broke glass near babies, loudly discussed inappropriate sexual positions within earshot of a woman who could have been my grandmother, and generally got sloppy.
The food is solid enough. I enjoy a bit of swishing now and again, but this is a bit pricey when you consider that all they had to do was slice some meat thin, and turn on a burner under a pot of water.
The one thing I was pleasantly surprised about was the sake. Normally at sake bomb type establishments, I have to dump the ricewine into a beer and chug it if I hope to get it down. This wasn't great, but it was actually drinkable.
The service was nice and attentive; we never wanted for sake or beer or food. They didn't appear to be grateful for our patronage, but I suppose we can just be thankful they didn't kick us out.Listed in: san francisco eats.
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Review from San N.
Orange County, CA
12/5/2011
Great place and value if you: a) are an alcoholic, b) can eat like a beast, and c) are celebrating a birthday with a large crowd.
The AYCE and drink is a great value. Just be sure to make reservations in advance because you will not get in otherwise. The place is really small and since it's AYCE, most ppl close the place down.
The place is rowdy so you won't hear your friends speak. That may not always be a bad thing. Food keeps coming out but the owners should consider switching to a beef or chicken broth and getting better dipping sauces. -
Review from Yue Z.
Mountain View, CA
8/3/2011
Edit: Downgrading this place by a star as the quality of their beer has deteriorated. I went this past weekend and it definitely was not as good as it used to be. =( The sake was not as good as before either: tasted watered down a bit.
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Love love LOVE this place for shabu shabu. It's an extremely popular birthday place or just place for loud groups in general. Doesn't expect peace and quiet here!
Their beef and veggies are the freshest of most shabu places I've been. Somehow, combined in their fast cooking stove (this is super important if you're hungry), makes one of the best tasting soups I've had. They have the usual choices for sake, beer, meat, veggies, and condiments. The staff will also give you just the veggies you ask for (which in my case is a lot of mushrooms and spinach).
Make your reservations early here as it gets crowded quick!
Tip: If you reserve, they lay out the table for you when you come and all the food sits out. Don't be too late! -
Review from Ben T.
San Francisco, CA
I've always thought the food here was mediocre. I've been eating here since i was a little kid, and the only thing i can truly recommend is the tarako spaghetti. it's fantastic. outside of that, you might be totally SOL.
i had an omurice with katsu curry today. the omelette was hard (i prefer soft), the fried rice inside was average, the curry was bland, and the tonkatsu was tough and falling apart.
i rank it around a denny's as far as japanese fare goes. -
Review from RandyCP U.
Palo Alto, CA
7/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Shabby Shabby
Not the highest quality shabu place in the city, but it was the only place we could get into on a busy Friday night. The portable table top burners they use required a technique to master and frequently ran out of fuel.
The meat was cut OK but not of great quality. But I really enjoyed the veggies. The Enoki and Shitake mushrooms were the best part of the meal.
The worst thing were the sauces. You must have good sauces if you want to make boiled beef taste good . They have soy, Hoisen and a bland peanut sauce. Not good.
I was happy when this meal was over. Happy to leave but too full to move.
We found out too late that the restaurant validates 1 hour at the Japantown lot down the street.
Be careful about parking in the Safeway down the street. They were towing away the car next to us when we got back to the car. We would have been next. -
Review from Lily S.
San Francisco, CA
9/4/2011
Some friends and I wanted to go to The Shabu House but the wait was.. 1 hour. So we decided to try another place, Mums.
Sadly, my experience was outweighed by Cons.
PRO:
1. All you can drink as well as all you can eat.
Not cheap though, $55/person for everything.
CONS:
1. Very difficult to find, You have to take an elevator up to it because it's stashed away in a hotel... very odd.
2. Bathroom is in the hallway of the hotel and dingy and dirty
3. Soup base is just water with some seaweed... not for me
4. Gratuity was pre-charged even though we only had 3 people..
5. Not a lot of variety, in meat, soup base, or veggies
Overall, the ambiance and the food just didn't impress me for the price. Shabu shabu at The Shabu House just has more flavor in its soup base, better quality beef (MAJOR IMPORTANCE), and better selection of vegetables.
The only reason I would ever come back again is for all you can drink.
I would rather wait 1 hr at Shabu house for an overall better meal. Now I just need to learn to have patience next time my tummy is growling for shabu =/ -
Review from Aasim K.
7/12/2011
Pros: All you can eat and drink.
Cons: Quality of food, Noise, Confusion
Last friday was my first time going to 'Shabu Shabu' and I was pretty excited. We walked in and were immediately thrown into the fire. The servers really didnt prepare us on how to cook the food and were a little rude when we asked for clarification or additions. On top of that you could tell the cuts of meat were cheap.
In one sense - you get a ton of food and drink for $40 - but given that you have to cook it yourself (with mixed results) and have to constantly mind the stove, it seemed like a very overpriced meal. I wont be coming back. -
Review from Noah C.
6/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
From what I remember of my dinner here (and granted, it's not much at all), I had a perfectly good meal accompanied by a lot of sake and beer. And by a lot of sake and beer, I mean enough sake and beer that I almost don't even remember what anything tasted like after about 20 minutes into the meal.
The service here was prompt and efficient. Whenever we threw the last chunk of meat into the broth, another appeared right on cue. We were able to eat, almost continuously, for the entire 2 hours granted to us. However, I'll say that (again, from what I remember) the quality of meat was just ok - still frozen, poor fat distribution, etc. Unlike other all-you-can eat shabu shabu places out there, you only get beef - no pork or chicken, which is kind of a bummer. The veggies weren't anything spectacular, either.
But in the end, you come out a winner. Paying that flat fee for all you can drink is worth the price of entry alone. Just don't plan on recounting whatever happened during dinner to anyone else later on - you might not remember it. -
Review from Jennifer H.
Fairfax, VA
11/8/2011
This is place is just an average shabu-shabu restaurant. Nothing I ate was super delicious, and nothing I ate was bad. So I feel like this is a true 3-stars. We had a large party of 7 on a Sunday night and they were more an accommodating. I think we went through 5 plates. We were stuffed and satisfied.
Agree with recommendation to wear layers. It's cramped inside and with all the shabu-ing going on it get real steamy. Don't want to be uncomfortable when you eat. -
Review from Steven B.
San Francisco, CA
Mums Home of Shabu Shabu is located in Hotel Tomo. It's kind of a small restaurant that fits only 30ish people. The size of an average classroom so if you're planning on bringing a classroom size party or even 2 people, reserve ahead. They have an all you can eat option, which is 24.95.
Veggie dish is filled with mushrooms, a bit of tofu, and lots of lettuce. They have only meat they have is beef and also there's only one kind of broth so not much of a choice there. The beef's consistency varies hugely. Sometimes you get a good dish that's has a little fat on the edge or you may get one polka dotted fatty meat. The gripe about the polka dotted fatty meat is they melt like butter inside the pot so it falls apart. The beef are frozen, but is left outside to thaw. One of the beef dishes that came was still had some frozen beef in the center. It literally went from awesome to ugly and then uglier for the beef.
Service is a bit slow even though this place is small. It takes a while for the servers to set up tables so their attention is divided else where.
If the beef's consistency was as great as the first dish, this would be a great place. One other small annoying thing is they pre-charge your tip as a service fee on the bill even with only two people. -
Review from Elisha G.
5/21/2011
All you can eat Shabu Shabu = How much can you shove in your face! :)
Ok don't get me wrong, this place has a bunch of negatives. Long wait times, service a little bad, it smells like meat, kinda cramped, decent quality meat but not the best...
BUT... ALL YOU CAN EAT SHABU SHABU!!! Between just me and my girl friend, we ate 5 ENTIRE large plates of meat AND veggies. They have both green tea and vanilla ice cream, and we ate about 4 scoops of ice cream (each), before we were CUT OFF. "Sorry miss, the ice cream isn't all you can eat" hahahaha.
YESSSS -
Review from Erica W.
Irvine, CA
7/14/2011
Such a bad experience I had here.
We came here after shopping around in Japantown, we waited for about 30 minutes before getting seated because we didn't make reservations and the place is quite small.
$25 for all you can eat shabu shabu, with unlimited beef(the only meat selection they offered), veggies, udon, and clear noodles.
the beef slices greased up the soup really fast, and it's more greasy than the ones I've had.
the one good thing about this place is that they give you a scoop of green tea or vanila ice cream at the end.
not coming back for sure! -
Review from Alysha M.
6/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
All you can eat/drink shabu shabu & sake for $42.95 -- too good to be true! They charge an extra 20% gratuity for larger parties + ~10% tax on top of that, so really, it's $56 per person, which is kind of ridic. Plus, there's a 2-hour maximum time limit.
Don't get me wrong, they do have really good service, making sure you always have a full veggie & meat plate, along with sake & beer at your table. However, I think it's pretty BS that you are FORCED to pay a twenty-percent service charge. I've worked in the restaurant industry for many years & have never forced anyone to tip that much. It's not about the money, it's about the priciple.
I would've tipped that much anyways, but because I wanted to, not because I was forced to. Probably the last time I'd go here. I hear Shabu House on Geary & 13th is a lot better. -
Review from Rada I.
5/28/2011
Mums Home of Shit Show
This place is hilarious. Any restaurant that has an all-you-can-drink option is bound to draw some interesting crowds...I loved it. I personally find shabu shabu to be pretty nasty, I mean this is literally boiling beef in your own pot of water... gross. However, I'm giving this place three stars because it's a little Japanese style riot. Situated in the Miyako, Mums made me feel as though I had flown to Japan for a "festive" (include alcohol in this scene) dinner.
Anyway, go for the experience, not the food. -
Review from Amanda T.
San Diego, CA
8/26/2011
we were here for shabu shabu. But cause tw price and extra charge, we end up ordered a combination and udon.
Food: 0 start.
We ordered a lunch combination(chicken teriyaki and katsu) for $8.95 and yaki udon for $8.95. Pretty bad. I ordered very basic jp food, but they cant even make it edible. I don't cook that much, but pretty sure I can cook better food than they do. Never saw anyone put chicken and teriyaki sauce separately.
Price: 0 star.
They charge $2 extra if you share with someone. Lunch set ($15.95/per person )is a set for 2 people, so you have to order two lunch sets if two people go together.
Never ever come here. I would give negative starts if theres such option. -
Review from Christine T.
Chandler, AZ
8/19/2011
$24.95 AYCE thin slices of beef & veggies.
$42.95 AYCE + all-you-can-drink beer & sake.
My boyfriend & I would've done the second option if it included cocktails. Rather than filling up on beer, we chose to fill up on beef! We got there around 7PM on a Thursday, waited just a minute for them to prepare our table. And when I say prepare, I mean food & everything! A big round plate of thinly sliced beef, a plate of veggies (two types of mushrooms, napa cabbage, tofu, scallions), two sauces (sesame & some kind of peanut sauce), jalapenos, and minced garlic.
Their service is SO fast. The moment we finished the first plate of beef, they immediately replaced it with a new plate! When we asked for the next one, the waitress came back in less than a minute! We couldn't keep up! They also came over every now & then to scoop out the foam from our hot pot. If you don't do that, the soup turns black because of the beef.
The only thing I didn't like about it is the soup was kind of bland. Definitely add some jalapenos into it. And some dashi. My favorite sauce of the two was the sesame sauce. But we like things spicy so we always ask for chili sauce! I would definitely go here again, but I also want to try other shabu restaurants. -
Review from Finnegan M.
San Francisco, CA
6/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
The way my Dad describes shabu shabu is that it is like Fondue except without the cheese and you cook in a broth water instead of oil, and use chopsticks instead of long, small forks. Best way to describe the food is average, the beef seemed to have a lot of fat.
My Dad and I will pass on shabu shabu, at Mums in particular in the future in favor of sushi.
Very healthy meal though, lots of fiber and average service. Waiters seemed to prefer flirting with each other more than waiting on tables when we were there in the middle of the day. -
Review from Eric A.
7/4/2011
All you can eat alcohol and shabu. A bunch of us guys went (14?) and we probably pissed off the whole customer base that was there.
We had the most awesome waitress because she tolerated us, and was really cool about it.
At $40ish, you can't go wrong, here I highly recommend coming here for a fun time. -
Review from Derrick V.
San Francisco, CA
4/24/2011
Not sure why others complain about just boiled water, because it was definitely a kombu broth.
Their sauces of grated daikon and ponzu really complement the beef. I like how they have a bunch of scallions on the table.
Their veggies come in a wide variety and beef slices were fine.
Best part: FULL BAR - awesome!Listed in: Soups of the Asian Variety, Pac Heights, Hot Pot
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Review from Larry C.
San Francisco, CA
1/4/2012
I took one start off because their broth is water. I think they should use broth. I've been here several times and the meat isn't consistent with how fatty it is. But the service is fast and they are attentive to what you need.
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Review from Yvonne N.
San Jose, CA
5/21/2011
Heard great things about this place..maybe I vistited on an off day or wasn't drunk! But ill have to pass on cafe mum.
Soup or should I say boiled water was bland, added the ponzu dipping sauce, salt, pepper, garlic and hot sauce and it didn't help. Hoped that the broth would taste better as I added food but noop.
Was very disappointed...meat was fatty and selection of vegies is limited.
The only good part of my meal was the free green tea ice cream.
Maybe the hubby is right...all you can eat doesn't mean quality and satisfaction over quantity!!!!! Sad face I luvs shabu.
