OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT REVIEWS
By Alex Burrola, Staff Writer

PASADENA – There’s more to Japanese cuisine than seaweed and raw fish, as I found out on a recent evening when Marie and I took a visit to one of the newest and more unique restaurants in Pasadena. For the uninitiated, a deeper and more full look into the cooking styles of Japan is a great experience, as we both discovered.

In this case, we are talking about “shabu-shabu” style, showcased at “The Boiling Pot”, located at 345 S. Lake Ave., #101 (facing Del Mar Ave.) in the South Lake Avenue business and shopping district. We were met by Mac Fernando, president of The Boiling Pot’s parent company, who greeted us and gave us the low-down on how exactly shabu-shabu cooking works.

Here’s the deal: there are built in-burners in the tabletops where you take a seat (or at the bar seating). There you’ll find the boiling pots (thus the name) filled with water and a slice of kelp in each for flavor. The kelp is there to add natural flavoring – no salt, nothing artificial. You’ll note that the entire meal is very healthy, as you’ll see. Marie and I both ordered the medium sized beef platter, which come with 9 slices of excellent, certified angus beef, as well as a plate of vegetables with napa cabbage, chrysanthemum leaves, tofu, carrots, seaweed, and udon noodles. There are also vegetarian and seafood platters available.

When the pots are at a boil, sesame oil is added to the mix, then you dump the entire contents of the plate of veggies and noodles in and let ‘em boil. Then use your chopsticks to take a slice of beef, and put in into the pot as well. Swish and submerge the beef for about 7-8 seconds in the water (this action is known as the shabu-shabu), no more other wise you risk overcooking. Remove the beef and immerse in either one of two sauces you’ll have available, either a sesame seed sauce or a bu-bu sauce, a blend of soy, citrus and seasoning. Allow the beef to then sit a moment on the cup of white rice, and enjoy. You will not believe the taste and flavor that’s going to hit you.

Marie and I both found that the best blend (for us) was the beef in the soy-citrus, and the delicious vegetables, but of course each diner will have their own taste. And that’s one of the best things about this establishment: it’s a lot of fun, and you get to fashion what you’re eating to your own tastes and preferences. No having to pick something off the menu and hope you like it, you get to fix it up yourself. The beef is top-notch, the vegetables and seafood are fresh and of the highest quality. In fact, they pride themselves on their food so much, that when a new section of the angus is readied for slicing, they ring a ceremonial gong that resonates throughout the restaurant, telling everyone: “good food is about to be served!”.

And once all your beef and veggies and rice are gone, you’ll be pleased to discover you have a wonderful soup left in the pot for you to enjoy (by this point, it won’t be boiling anymore, it’ll be nice and warm, so no worries about hot soup burns). I decided to finish off my meal with a scoop of the great green-tea ice cream, you should too, or select one of the other fine desserts.

Mac has also assembled a top-notch staff of young and eager-to-please employees, including Adam and James who are also students at the Culinary Arts School. Both have now found themselves in an ideal place to learn their trade.

All in all, the Boiling Pot offers its customers a very fun and very healthy meal. The meal prices are very affordable and the menu also includes wine, beer and sake in addition to soft drinks. They’re open for lunch everyday from 11:30AM to 2:30PM, and for dinner Sunday through Thursday 5:30 to 9:30PM, and until 10PM for dinner Friday and Saturday nights.

Eat Well!

The Boiling Pot is located at 345 S. Lake Ave., Unit 101, Pasadena. Tel: 626-796-8870.