ゆえっち
I have been to a few Warm Vegetable restaurants, and one of them is in Kokura. The service at this Warm Vegetable restaurant can vary from attentive to a bit careless, especially during late-night hours. So, if you're particular about service, it's better to go early. I even heard voices from the neighboring party room saying things like "That's terrible" and "Watch out, you're gonna get yelled at again" (laughs). However, they will generally accommodate your requests, so if you don't mind, there shouldn't be any problems. The restaurant has a lively atmosphere, much like a chain izakaya with a lot of young staff. On the flip side, it's a place where you can have fun with your friends without worrying about the surroundings. As for the recommended menu items, I haven't had any disappointments so far. If I had to pick one, the current limited edition Golden Soup is tasty as a soup but not the best for shabu-shabu. For first-timers, I recommend trying the standard Konbu, Fire Pot, Gokumi, a bit of Tofu, Tomato, Sukiyaki, and Yuzu Salt. The Konbu is quite ordinary, so I'll skip that. The Fire Pot isn't very spicy but has various spices in the broth, which warms your body gently. It's a versatile broth that goes well with any meat. Gokumi seems to be becoming a staple item. It's the current recommended broth, with elegant bonito flakes that produce a good dashi. It's so good that you might end up nibbling on the bonito flakes soaking in it, which is also delicious. It goes well with any meat and is perfect with enoki mushrooms, eryngii, shiitake, etc. While the default way is to lift the meat from the pot and dip it in the broth using a special container, with Gokumi, pouring the broth into your bowl and dipping the ingredients after shabu-shabu, adjusting the temperature while enjoying the rich taste with plenty of broth, is highly recommended. It's better to eat it when the temperature has slightly dropped, as the flavor of the dashi becomes stronger. The Maroni, cooked al dente, is also delicious. It becomes exquisite when served with Japanese soba as a finishing touch, so be sure to leave some room for it. Removing the scum is worth the extra 100 yen and it may disappear at any time, so be quick. Lastly, the Tofu broth. Some may have tried it, while others may have reservations, but it's a delicious broth that goes well with the premium Wagyu beef on the slightly pricier menu. The saltiness varies depending on the restaurant, so adjust it to your liking with salt and pepper provided on the table before eating. The Mozzarella Cheese Shabu-Shabu is also worth a try. For the finishing touch, it's excellent with Cheese Risotto. If you're unsure about the preparation, don't hesitate to ask the staff. You need to discard a significant amount of the soup before making it to make it delicious. The Tomato broth is also tasty, as the umami components of the tomato complement the meat. It's a bit surprising, so I recommend trying it. The tomatoes sink quite a bit to the bottom of the soup, giving it a healthy touch. It's also great with Risotto as a finishing touch. As for the meat, the Black Wagyu Shabu-Shabu is recommended. If you don't mind processed meat, the Umami Beef is also recommended. It's likely a processed meat injected with flavor, commonly found in all-you-can-eat yakiniku restaurants with marbled ribs, but it's more suitable for shabu-shabu than yakiniku. The Bamboo Tube Dumplings are also delicious. Warm Vegetable offers a wide range of menu items, from appetizers and vegetables to unique hot pot ingredients, so even in a large group, everyone can find their favorite. Try a little bit of everything and enjoy.