Shabu-shabu

I've been wanting to try this restaurant for a long time.  It specializes in shabu-shabu and sukiyaki.  Drew's favorite Japanese dish is sukiyaki, which is prepared by grilling meat and vegetables on an electric skillet, adding in a sweet soy sauce concoction, and dipping the meat in raw egg.  Very tasty!  Neither of us had ever tried shabu-shabu, however, so that was our dish of choice.  Turns out the waiter brings you a bunch of dishes, sauces, a bowl of sesame seeds, a bowl of rice, a cup with a tiny soup packet, and your meat and veggie tray.  We weren't exactly sure what to do with it all.  In the middle of the table is the boiling hot pot where you swish the meat around for a few seconds before dipping it in one of the sauces and eating.

Drew grinding his sesame seeds

The spread

It was a great meal for a cold day.  There is something about getting to eat a bunch of little things that makes it very filling but never heavy.  I enjoyed learning that shabu-shabu translates to "swish-swish" from the sound the meat makes while being cooked when swishing it around in the hot pot.  Fun fact!  Next time we'll have to try the sukiyaki.