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| - Ushabu! On my and Dee's 4th of July Ohio adventure, I came across a Hot Pot restaurant in my research. I'm into the whole Korean BBQ "cook-your-own-food" thing, so I thought, why not give shabu shabu a try!
I actually remember as a kid, growing up crowded around the pot on orange vinyl chairs, my dad dipping beef into the broth to cook and then dipping it into raw egg. I hadn't had it in forever, so I was excited to try Ushabu's concept!
We made a reservation, and arrived on time (though parking was only on the street and tough to find). The restaurant is small but cozy, and I liked the asian inspired style. We got our own booth in the back, complete with electric burners inset into the table for the soup pots.
Browsing the menu, we chose a few appetizers, based on the server's explanation of the dishes. He was helpful, which was nice since many of the ingredients sounded complex. Unfortunately I had had my heart set on a few items from their menu that were just recently removed since they switched to their new "osaka-inspired" menu, which focuses more on cooked dishes.
We decided on the Beni Imo Chips and the Popo, a crepe fillied with a porkfat buttercream. Ushabu just recently started serving beer and wine, so Dee and I split a sake (canned). It might be nice to see their sake menu expanded a bit to include Nigori or sparkling sake.
The Beni Imo Chips were about a cup's worth of smoked purple sweet potato chips. They were a bit too crunchy in my opinion, and would've benefited from a bigger portion size and perhaps a dip of some kind (a sesame / miso sauce perhaps?)
The Popo was definitely like nothing I've ever had. A soft thin crepe filled with a sweet and savory pork buttercream "frosting". It almost bordered on too sugary, but it was creamy and intense. Though the serving was a bit small the richness of the dish made it feel more substantial.
Finally, onto the main event! For my broth I chose a spicy miso base, and for protein I had the seafood. Dee's broth was ginger chicken, and he decided on smoked pork. We also got a side of Ohio Waygu, recommended by the server.
After a bit of time, our broth came out, and our server instructed us on setting the burner temp for optimal cooking. Two bowls of mixed veggies, tofu and noodles were placed before us, to add to the broth to cook and enrich the flavor, along with three dipping sauces. I loved the fresh Ohio tofu, diakon radish and kambocha squash the best, though unfortunately the enoki and greens were sad and wilty from sitting out too long before being served. (We noticed the bowls just sitting out on the bar, probably assembed and sitting for an hour before being served). The ponzu was my favorite to dip in, and helped cool down the food. I might have liked sesame oil with salt, which would have been great especially for the beef.
Wowie though, my broth was spicy! Other yelpers here must have a high tolerance for heat! I loved the deep earthy umami flavor it imparted to the veggies, though maybe it could have been a tad less spicy. (It would be cool if they allowed you to adjust your level of prefered spicy!) Dee's broth was gingery without being overwheming, and quite good as well.
Our protein arrived for the main event, and our server instructed us on cooking times for swishing the meat in the pot. The seafood was salmon, red shrimp, fish cake and squid - the squid being my favorite by far. The portion was a tad on the small side - only 2 pieces of each protein. I actually left the salmon and shrimp in the pot quite a bit longer, to help it infuse flavor. Dee's smoked pork was tasty, though some fatty parts were too chewy for him. We both agreed though that the thinly slided wagyu was the winner. Meaty and robust, not gamey or chewy at all. It was so delicious! If I go again, that and the tofu would be my protein of choice!
The last step was to place the noodles in, and slurp them up! Thankfully I could easily adjust the temp and turn it down if needed. I actually was surprised that with the level of steam there were no overhead vents, or even fans. It got quite warm at times!
For dessert, we definitely needed something cooling. I can't quite recall the name of the dish, but it included a cherry blossom sorbet. The dish came out very modern and beautiful with a lot of interesting flavors and textures...but, I didn't care for it. It reminded me of eating some potpourri or those tiny scented soaps everyone's grandma keeps in the bathroom. I admire the chef's ingenuity and originality, but the dessert wasn't sweet enough. It might be nice to see more casual options like homemade green tea ice cream or creme brulee, especially after eating such a hot meal!
All in all it was a fun and tasty experience, and I'd definitely come back if I lived in the area. I really hope hotpot catches on and we see more places like Ushabu!
Food: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Cost: $100 for 2, plus a drink and apps
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