Ichi Shabu opened just under a year ago, and we finally made it in as a family to celebrate my husband’s birthday. If you’re not familiar, Ichi Shabu is a shabu shabu restaurant and shabu shabu is a Japanese hot pot meal including thinly sliced meat and fresh vegetables cooked piece by piece in a simmering broth. Ichi Shabu is the newest restaurant from local restaurant group Lin’s, and given their intense focus on customer experience across all of their restaurants, I was pretty certain this new spot would be a wonderful experience, and it was.
We made a reservation, though it seemed it may not have been necessary. Still, it never hurts to guarantee a table rather a potentially long wait when you know you’ll be hungry. We were shown to our table, which had four burners built right into a smooth stone tabletop.
We were a little intimidated by the menu. There were so many options, and we were hoping to try a little of everything. Luckily, our server was super helpful and knowledgeable and guided us in the right direction.
How Ordering Works
You can order shabu for 1, for 2 or for 4, depending on the size of your party. Each selection is a full meal, including:
- Your choice of broth (one per person the meal is ordered for)
- A selection of proteins
- Your choice of noodle (udon, ramen or shirataki) or steamed rice
- Fresh, seasonal vegetables
- Tofu dumpling money bags and Chinese sausage
There are other non-shabu items on the menu as well, including chicken katsu, tiger prawn katsu and sukiyaki don. Fun fact: “shabu shabu” translates to “swish swish,” named for the motion of swirling your food through the simmering broth.
The Broths
Ichi Shabu offers eight different broths. Our server advised that the classic tonkotsu, spicy Taiwanese Mala and Spicy Miso were the most popular, so we trusted his recommendation and ordered all three. We liked all of them, but we ultimately agreed that the Spicy Miso was our #1.
The Taiwanese Mala is nice too, because you control the heat by adding more chilis and chili oil. The chili oil and spices are presented as a beautiful solid square with the restaurant’s logo pressed into it. The same logo is also embossed into the tofu money bags – it’s the little touches like this that make Lin’s restaurants extra special.
The Sauce Bar
One thing you shouldn’t skip is the sauce and condiment bar. It’s well stocked and includes suggested sauce recipes to try, and it added a ton of fun flavors to our meal. Our server even whipped up a batch of his own favorite sauce for us, and it was super tasty. Between the broths, the proteins and the sauces, you can customize every bite, so don’t be shy about experimenting.
The Food
My husband and son enjoy seafood a bit more than I do, so they ordered the tiger shrimp and scallops with their meals, while I leaned toward the sirloin and chicken. Everything came out beautifully presented, with a thorough explanation of how to best enjoy it and how long to simmer it in the broth. Our broths simmered on the burners throughout the meal and were refilled whenever needed.
The steak and chicken were both sliced impossibly thin, making them incredibly tender and fast to cook. When we ordered, we weren’t sure we’d ordered enough food, but by halfway through the meal, with many plates still piled with food in front of us, we knew we’d be leaving stuffed.
Thankfully, the complimentary birthday dessert was on the lighter side: a delicate layer of crepes with whipped cream between each layer. Delicious!
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a unique, special dining experience that you can take your time and enjoy, with extremely high-quality food and excellent service, I highly recommend Ichi Shabu. Bring your family, bring your appetite, and don’t forget to stop by the sauce bar. We will definitely return!
Ichi Shabu is located in the Campus Pointe Center at Fresno State at 3108 E Campus Pointe Dr, Fresno, CA 93710.
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