I like shabu shabu and its concept. You get a plate of thinly sliced beef and "shabu shabu" the meat in hot pot (FYI Shabu shabu is onomatopoeia term, a sound that comes from stirring the meat in water or sauce). Growing up eating shabu shabu at home, I wasn't too fond of the vibe or the price here. In Japan, you can get a pack of thinly sliced beef at less than 1,000 yen ($10) so I was surprised to see them charging $15-20 a pot. Traditionally it's an affordable dish that is to be shared with a group.
I walked-in and was not greeted or seated for 15 minutes. A worker was busy on the phone which bothered me. She was friendly but not attentive. I would dock a star just for the service here.
I decided to get Yojie's cut which is angus cut and their recommended plate. They have different sizes (3oz, 5oz, 7oz, 10oz) and all plates comes with a bowl of vegetables, noodles and a choice of white or brown rice. I went with 5oz or Geisha which was $14.99 (lunch). You can also choose your dipping soup/sauce option. I went ahead with shabu shabu style and got goma and ponzu sauce.
5oz Yojie's cut came with about 10 shabu shabu meat. Shabu shabu is cooked fast, you just need to dip in water about 10 seconds and is ready to eat. Goma sauce is a sesame sauce and had rich taste to it. Ponzu was citrusy and refreshing with meat. I also got to try their swisher sauce which is my personal favorite.
5oz was not filing even after finishing their bowl of vegetables/noodle and rice. I understand they use quality meat but you are looking at about $20 with tip and tax or even more for a fairly small portion. In addition, you don't share the pot in a group. I guess Yojie has Americanized take on shabu shabu and I am not sure if I am a fan.