Shabu-shabu is another term for a Chinese hot pot. It’s like fondue, but instead of a pot of cheese, it’s a pot of boiling water; and instead of dipping bread, you put in meat and vegetables. That’s the obvious specialty at the newly opened Soga Shabu Shabu, which took over the space previously occupied by Nadia’s on State Street.
Shabu-shabu is an inexpensive communal dish. I had the “lamb and sea” version, which came with sliced lamb, oysters, fish, shrimp, scallops, squid, mussels and the standard plate of noodles and veggies, all for $20.95. This is enough to feed 2-4 people, but you can always add more items (e.g. more meat) to cook.
(For those unfamiliar, you need to make a soup base with your individual bowl, since the broth is bland. You’re given some pastes that combined with the boiling water, make for a flavorful soup to which you add the cooked meats and veggies.)
I thoroughly enjoyed the shabu-shabu, despite a few things. One, the waitress forgot to bring our pot out to begin the water boiling process; she had brought the meat and veggies first. Then, we sat for a while before we realized the water wasn’t getting warm. We flagged another waiter, who realized that the waitress didn’t add a butane tank to the pot. (Are you kidding me?) And among the items, the oysters and scallops hadn’t thawed enough, which was disappointing.
For appetizers, I tried the fried taro cake ($6.99), except instead of a fried turnip cake found on most dim sum menus, Soga serves a sweet cake. I’ve eaten it before, though I forget the name, but it’s definitely not a taro cake, so be warned.
The pork dumplings ($6.99) were at least what they were supposed to be, and delicious at that. Soft skin and lots of meat without being overpowered by vegetables always makes for a winning combination.
From the beverage menu, the mango passion fruit ($3.95) is definitely worth ordering, as is the pineapple coconut bubble tea ($3.95). I also had the green tea martini ($5), which was exactly how it’s described: a martini that tastes like green tea (not necessarily a good thing).
On my next visit, I plan on ordering one of the clay pots, better suited for an individual than a group. That means despite the so-so service, I’ll definitely be back, because the food is that good (and unique to Madison).
