Mokkoji Shabu Shabu

14041 Jeffrey Rd, Irvine, CA 92620

We came in right before closing time last night and had a blast. It was a friend's birthday last night and we went all out and ordered literally... everything. 

We started out with the shrimp appetizer and oysters. The shrimp you have to peel yourself, but it has great flavor and taste. The oysters were surprisingly super fresh for a shabu shabu place! Love how the oyster shells are rounded so nicely; it was a unique shape that we noticed. I got the spicy miso base that had a light taste before putting the meat and veggies in, and had a more full and robust flavor after all of the food in the pot. 

The toro beef belly was amazing as usual- love the marination and the tenderness of the beef! You could really taste the fattiness of the meat, and I love how the slices are not too thick or thin. After clearing our first round, our server Moses then presented us with two giant sampler platters that was beautifully presented. The platter had slices of imperial wagyu, scallops, shrimp (already peeled), salmon, chicken, and shrimpball and meatball cake. Our server then mixed up the cakes and made us individual shrimp and meatballs for us to put in our shabu shabu. 

Everything on the platter was simply... divine. The beef had a nice thick cut and was of amazing quality- it was so tender that it basically falls off my chopsticks! The salmon we basically poached; we seared the outside and left the inside raw which made it so delicious. Definitely recommend trying this! The scallops were my friend's favorite; it was super fresh and tasted great. The meatballs were my personal favorite as they were super unique and had great texture. 

We finished off our meal with mochi ice cream. Our server Moses was super attentive throughout and helped us with all of our needs even though it was super late. This was a great second visit that definitely changed my mind about my first visit, as the service was awesome! Food was the same great quality as always. Yum!