Shabu Shabu & Sukiyaki buffet @ Shabu Sai

Shabu Sai is a Japanese restaurant that serves Japanese hot pot buffet. Went to the outlet at Orchard Central for lunch. The price for weekday lunch is quite affordable at $16.99++. You can eat from 11.30 am to 3 pm (last order at 2.30 pm).    

You can enjoy 2 soup base and there are 6 to choose from - Seaweed Soup, Sukiyaki Soup, Spicy Soup, Curry Dashi Soup, Tomato Soup and Tonkotsu Shouyu Soup. Every now and then, the restaurant introduces a special soup flavor that is offered for a limited period of time. 

  

I chose the sukiyaki soup and the spicy soup, which was a mistake. Don't be mistaken, the sukiyaki soup is yummy and I love it. But the spicy soup is just a spicy version of the sukiyaki soup. I could just add chili powder into the sukiyaki soup to make my own spicy soup. I should have ordered another soup base to try.

Shabu Sai serves pork, chicken and beef thinly sliced. Yes, even the chicken. It was the first time I ate chicken thinly sliced like that for steamboat. It is yummy! And the pork yummier. I don't take beef so I can't comment on it. 

You can get your seafood, vegetables and noodles from the buffet counters. The spread for seafood is quite limited though. As for noodles, there are ramen, udon and soba. Personally I think udon is great with sukiyaki soup. 

Look at the spread of condiments available. You can concoct your own unique sauce to go with your food. 

While waiting for your food to cook in the hot pot, get some mini donburi (rice bowl dish) and sushi from the buffet counter to eat. I like the salmon don as the fish taste fresh. The unagi (eel) don is a bit salty.    

Pay an additional $1.99 for free flow drinks and soft serve ice cream. Of course the ice cream here is mediocre, nothing like the heavenly soft cream I had in Hokkaido. But after a heavy savory lunch, something cold and sweet is always refreshing and welcomed.        

Shabu Sai: 

181 Orchard Road, #08-09/10/11, Orchard Central, Singapore 238896