Your first clue that Shabu Day (8237 Olive Boulevard, University City; 314-755-1075) is less a restaurant than a salve for the cold and dreary Midwest winter are the windows. Completely covered in steam, they obscure the goings-on inside the dining room from the outside, creating a sense of mystery on the approach. Inside, however, the picture becomes clear as a multitude of sensory experiences greets you upon your arrival. There's the warmth that envelopes you the moment you step through the doors, generated by cauldrons of steaming broth atop every occupied table. The scent coming from them, akin to slowly simmering stock, adds to the soothing effect, while vibrant curls of semi-frozen shaved meat contrast the drab, slushy gray outside environs — a sensory symphony that can shake even the most despondent diner out of their SAD-riddled funk.
Victor and Moon Jang may not have intentionally set out to create the culinary equivalent of a weighted warming blanket, but their motives were not far off. As the husband-and-wife team behind the popular Korean barbecue restaurant Wudon, the pair are passionate about feeding guests, but moreso, they see it as their mission to create lively, immersive dining experiences based on the food that they love to eat.
Shabu shabu is one of those dishes. Though Wudon has kept the pair busy for the last seven years, the Jangs have lately made it a point to travel as much as possible with the goal of trying out different restaurants around the country. Everywhere they went – Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, New York – they'd come across Japanese shabu shabu, or hot pot, restaurants and were blown away by what they experienced. It reminded them of the shabu shabu restaurants back in Korea that incorporated the country's unique flavors and ingredients into the dish. They got thinking that such a concept would do well in St. Louis.
After securing the former Tang Palace storefront in University City, the Jangs spent months perfecting their broth, finally opening in July of last year. Their effort is apparent, with each of their three cooking liquids delivering a mouthwatering canvas for assorted meats and vegetables. Shabu Day's signature beef broth, made from short ribs, has a gentle beef flavor that is fairly neutral so as to not overtake the meat and vegetables being cooked in it. The Shabu Day House Spicy Broth uses the beef version as a base, then adds fiery chilis and jalapeños for an intensely spicy kick that gets hotter as the cooking liquid reduces. As a result, ingredients cooked in the spicy broth pick up its heat, just as those cooked in the restaurant's third broth offering, the sake- and soy-infused Sukiyaki, are suffused with its subtly sweet, umami taste.
Broths are presented to diners in a hot pot that sits atop individual convection burners built into each table. The pots are divided into two compartments so that diners can experience two different styles of broth, and all pots are served with a side of ramen noodles and a bowl of accouterments that include Korean mandu (dumplings), bok choy, Napa cabbage, mushrooms and tender fish balls that add a gentle sea flavor to the broth. From here, diners select from different cuts of beef and pork, such as tender sirloin, luscious, well-marbled brisket, premium special pork and pork tenderloin. All are sliced paper thin, served semi-frozen and require mere moments in the broth to cook; whole, head-on shrimp, an a la carte add-on, take slightly longer. Of the meat choices, I preferred the brisket cooked in the Sukiyaki, its generous marbling the perfect sponge for the liquid's sweet-soy flavor.
Shabu Day's hot pots are successful without additional adornment, but the restaurant's trio of sauces, served alongside the pots in squirt bottles, enhance the flavors profoundly. These include the thick House Spicy, which has notes of earth and green chili, the Sukiyaki, which is a more concentrated version of the broth of the same name, and the House Sauce, a vinegary soy condiment similar to what is often served with dumplings. At first, I dipped each individual bite of meat in the sauce, but I soon realized that the far superior technique is to ladle a portion of ramen, broth, meat and vegetables into my bowl, then add sauce to that in order to enhance the taste.
The hot pots themselves are wonderful, but what makes Shabu Day such a delight is the overall feel of the place. Though the decor is minimal, Moon painted a beautiful mural of large red flowers, white leaves and birds on the restaurant's off-black wall that gives the space a whimsical feel. K-Pop music videos light up large televisions, and — thanks to its all-you-can-eat, communal format, there is an upbeat, jovial vibe that makes the restaurant feel like a lively gathering place.
That sort of atmosphere lifts the spirits more than anything you can put in a pot — though a little bit of Sukiyaki-cooked fatty brisket comes pretty darn close.
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