Shabu Shabu

The Laksa broth with condiments

Well, it's a dish, Japanese at that too apparently, but the one I had wasn't authentic. The original is a beef broth with thinly sliced beef, but for obvious reasons ( the beef ban, for those still living under a rock) this was just another of those classic Asian soup type broths like tom yum, but we chose the Laksa and boy did we choose right. It's made in the way of a hotpot at this particular restaurant. Comprising basically of a broth, protein, veg and some starch.

Lobster, Crab, Scallops, Pomfret, Bak Choy, Mushrooms, Broccoli, Radish, Carrots, Spinach, Tofu

The protein: Pomfret, prawns, mussels, clam, scallops and chicken were pretty much delicious. The lamb or mutton slice should have just been kept in the bowl with hot broth poured over it and thus keeping it tender. On discovering it in the pot 20 minutes into the meal, the thin slice of meat was chewy and overcooked. The lobster wasn't fresh as pointed out by my friend and neither was it quite delicious. The crab was the biggest disappointment here, as again was pointed out to me, it was not only old but also was one of those packaged precooked types. Sushi was spot on. The boiled eggs were left untouched.

Fish balls, Dumplings, Prawns, Chicken, Fish, Lamb

Veg: Mushrooms (shiitake and button), bak choy, tofu, carrots, radish, broccoli and spinach all pretty much average. The shiitake with its meaty goodness stood out.

Starch: Noodles which I never ate much of; dumplings which were just simple prawn dumplings with a thick delicate layer of the dough around it were awesome and the fish balls were just not appetising.

Condiments: The usual Asian sauces, the sushi accompaniments and a few more to accompany the broth. 

                With 3 helpings of the soup for myself and 2 for my friend, there were still a few to go around. The protein was finished off. A single serving of sushi remained because the rice was just too heavy and the vegetables remained. The tofu here I pretty much enjoyed though the broth had become too fish infused at the end to really savour the tofu. It was soft and delicious nonetheless.

The Sushi

A complaint goes out to the staff to be more attentive and come help us out when we were clearly struggling at times to find a prawn or mussel. Also, whichever broth one takes, the dish does get monotonous after a few servings, and I think we left more full of the taste than the food itself. We did choose to go for the Shabu Shabu combo meal which included everything, should you choose to try only selected stuff, your bill might come a whole lot cheaper with a more tailored experience to suit your palate.
                       Don't get me wrong, in spite of a list of complaints, this is the first of its kind in Mumbai as hotpots go and it was a wonderful meal. Trending as it is on Zomato, it didn't live up to my expectations. Albeit there were many condiments to alter flavours, there was just a sense of love missing in my experience and maybe had we split the hotpot with more people, thereby having a restrained amount of it, we may have appreciated it better.

Place: Haibao, bang opposite Juhu Beach

Rating: 3.5/5

Price: 2400 All Inclusive

Enough for: Easily 3 people, and a massive monotonous buffet for 2

Will I Return?: No. Its a once in a lifetime dish to try, and I would've still died a happy man not having experienced it. Also, this being the unsaid USP of this place, doesn't give me a reason to return.

Taste: 4/5 :The spiciness of the broth did delay the monotony till the end

Value For Money: 3.5/5 : Could have scored it better had I not been a broke foodie. 

                 Again, this is a review pertaining to the Shabu Shabu of Haibao and the place itself. The Shabu Shabu at other places will differ and I bet the beef one will be truly over the top. 

There's something however, charming, about having a delicious spicy broth simmering in front of you. This experience was definitely much better than many other hotpots in the city so if you're around I suggest you try a different variation with this dish and spice things up a little. Then, maybe, you can decide for yourself. :)