“Freestyle Asian cuisine” is what owners and brothers Kevin and Robert Valaika call what they do at Shabu. There’s a lively bar scene where sushi and sake are consumed by happy patrons, and in the dining room, Shabu Shabu is a popular favorite. It’s a sort of Asian-style fondue, where you dip ingredients (meat, seafood, veggies) from a bento box into an assortment of hot, freshly made broths: Thai-coconut, vegetarian or dashi-mirin. Effectively, you cook your dinner yourself at your table, and it’s a fun way to dine, not to mention delicious. If you prefer to have Chef Robert cook for you, try his freestyle sea bass, wok-seared diver scallops, coconut-crusted tofu, or moo shu duck. If you’re of adult age and so inclined, be sure to try one of Shabu’s signature “saketinis.”
