Shabu shabu, alternatively spelled syabu syabu, is a Japanese culinary dish which descended from the Mongolian tradition of nabemono, or 'one pot' cooking. When serving this dish, thin slices of beef are placed in a communal pot of boiling water and swished back and forth until cooked. Vegetables such as mushrooms, cabbage, watercress and spring chrysanthemums are also boiled briefly and dipped in various sauces. Shabu shabu is similar to another nabemone dish called sukiyaki, but the sauces used are not as sweet.
Shabu shabu roughly translates to "swish swish," referring to the sound made as the sliced meat passes through the water. Although beef was the first meat to be used in this dish, modern Japanese restaurants may also offer sliced pork, duck, lobster, crab or chicken. The water may be seasoned with a type of kelp, which is removed just before service begins. Many shabu shabu restaurants use a round fondue-like pot in the center of the table to allow multiple diners the opportunity to prepare their own food.
It is believed that the legendary Mongol leader Genghis Khan developed a rudimentary form of shabu shabu in order to conserve fuel during military campaigns. Soldiers would gather around large containers of boiling water in order to cook their rations of beef or other game meats. This communal cooking idea would eventually come to Japan through Chinese and Mongolian immigrants.
In the film Lost in Translation, actors Bill Murray and Scarlett Johannson can be seen dining in a traditional Japanese shabu shabu restaurant. A small circular pan of boiling water is located in the center of the table. Both characters remark on the similarity of the menu items, which all appear to be identical plates of sliced beef. This is something all diners should realize when ordering. Most of the time your choices are limited to portion sizes or type of meat. The rest of the meal generally consists of a standard tray of vegetables and steamed rice. Occasionally a soup will be made from the cooking water and served last.
