Awful. This was a very important restaurant to me and my “food journey.” I used to go here in the mid-90s as a little, little kid with my “cool uncle,” and this was basically my first exposure to anything that wasn’t chicken fingers, pizza, or hot dogs. I hadn’t gone since before the pandemic, but had meaning to go this fall after the weather cooled. Not anymore. This place was special, and it’s restaurants like these that make LA the greatest food city I know. I loved Shabu Shabu and I’ll miss it. To borrow a phrase: smoke ‘em while you got ‘em.
Celestron5
Noooooo 😭😭😭
LAeclectic
Aw my mom and I used to go once a month or so when I was younger.
Hugosahn
This is sad. Wish I could’ve gone one last time. Hope he returns somewhere in Little Tokyo.
veeeecious
I’d love to hear the story. While sad, this is life, and the stories are what inspire another generation to consider carrying the legacies forward.
Super901
What the actual fuck? There was a line to get in, every night, all night. And it’s not like they were undercutting themselves on price, cuz that shit was expensive.
Damn dude, bummer. Glad I brought my kid here last year so he got to try it.
sparks1030
This place was the start of my love affair for shabu shabu. My roommate and I during senior year at USC would go nearly every week for lunch and order double meat. The food coma prevented us from ever being able to study that same day.
Good times. Loved the Japanese grandpa who ran the place. Happy I was able to take my fiancée once at least.
daftmonkey
The owner was a complete prick and it made me love it (and him) so much.
Randominvest
Fuckkkk
ayayeron
NOOOOOOO!!!!
zoglog
I haven’t been there in so many years but it was solid before. But since momo paradise opened I’ve found no reason to go anymore
Formal_Discipline_12
I loved this place. I took girls I dated from usc here all the time should never had shabu. I owe this place in more ways than I can properly write here for what happened after dinner. Damn. Good food. Good times
gohomepat
Absolutely love this place! The owner is such a gangster lowkey lol
What are y’all’s alternate SHABU spots?
FridaMercury
I literally cried. My husband has been going since he was a kid, then we started going together when we were just friends in college back in 2006, and we’ve kept coming back…through our engagement, marriage, and now two kids. So many friends and family we’ve brought here. So many birthdays, mothers days, fathers days… we moved away now, 3 hrs away, but make the frequent trips down to LA just to eat here.
For my family, it was more than just a restaurant, it was ritual. We’re going to miss it so much.
Eta: what other place are you going to get delicious Japanese food and country music?!?
lika-sum-boodee
We need to form a human barricade and prevent the demolition
Expert-Climate-4177
If I had to guess I’d bet that Mr Maruyama finally decided to retire, he worked his ass off for over 30 years there. I know he was approached numerous times through the years to expand, even license his concept, but always declined. I happened to be one of those people. He’s a great man and ran an amazing, yet simple, operation that we all would wait an hour or more to get a couple of seats. I’ve been going here since the mid 90’s it holds a very special place in my heart!! RIP to an institution, very sorry to see it close but very happy for him!!!
okaysureidk
This is so sad. It seems like historic businesses are closing left and right in Little Tokyo. The pandemic definitely had a hand in speeding it up. It’s depressing going there these days to see so many bootleg anime stores and street peddlers. I know the current era has a high demand for anime merchandise so it’s probably great for business, but I really hate seeing all the shameless cashgrab shops.
At the very least, I hope whatever business takes over is not another Funko Pop or Demon Slayer store.
lysergicbliss
Noooooo….. where can I get quality shabby now?
bunerzissou
First suehiro, now this. Fuck landlords.
MrChorizoPicoso
I loved shabu shabu house, it started to go downhill after he changed the lunch menu to curry. I stopped going after the lines got longer and longer.
imnowherebenice
Please please let a Japanese person take up the spot. It’s little tokyo.
I just don’t want some gentrifier asshole take up the spot 🙁
pkghaz
Little tokyo should be renamed little weeb town
Excellent-Car-6543
No way.
carbine23
This is sad af lol I’ve worked at that plaza for years :(( this sucks
razorduc
Goddamit it….
RemaxTrinidad
We absolutely loved this place. I took my wife there when we were dating 20 years ago. We got married, had two kids, and have gone monthly ever since. For the last 12 months, we’ve gone every couple of weeks. Our kids a boy and a girl absolutely love this place, they call it their favorite restaurant. They will be so sad to hear the news when we get home tonight. They are now 8 and 9. They loved the thick noodles and the ponzu sauce the most. A sad day in America today. Our Friday night tradition has officially come to an end! 🙁 We will miss the great food, the country music, and the rush to get on the list to make the first cut. Another one of my favorite things about this place was my wife was off her phone for dinner 🙂 We pray he has the strength to keep it going in a new location. Please let me know if he does open elsewhere. Thank you for the memories!
bb-blehs
This city is janky bootleg fucking trash. Everything is gone.
H_IsForUnicorn
Never cried over a restaurant before, but I live within walking distance and been going there around twice a month for over a decade. Can’t believe I won’t be hearing Yoshi’s hellos and “Thank you Thank you” and Masako’s “No rush” ever again! I’m out of town right now and beating myself for not going last week. My heart is truly aching over this.
Routine_Treat_6012
who knows the secret recipe for house Ponzu and Sesame sauce?
29 Comments
Awful. This was a very important restaurant to me and my “food journey.” I used to go here in the mid-90s as a little, little kid with my “cool uncle,” and this was basically my first exposure to anything that wasn’t chicken fingers, pizza, or hot dogs. I hadn’t gone since before the pandemic, but had meaning to go this fall after the weather cooled. Not anymore. This place was special, and it’s restaurants like these that make LA the greatest food city I know. I loved Shabu Shabu and I’ll miss it. To borrow a phrase: smoke ‘em while you got ‘em.
Noooooo 😭😭😭
Aw my mom and I used to go once a month or so when I was younger.
This is sad. Wish I could’ve gone one last time. Hope he returns somewhere in Little Tokyo.
I’d love to hear the story. While sad, this is life, and the stories are what inspire another generation to consider carrying the legacies forward.
What the actual fuck? There was a line to get in, every night, all night. And it’s not like they were undercutting themselves on price, cuz that shit was expensive.
Damn dude, bummer. Glad I brought my kid here last year so he got to try it.
This place was the start of my love affair for shabu shabu. My roommate and I during senior year at USC would go nearly every week for lunch and order double meat. The food coma prevented us from ever being able to study that same day.
Good times. Loved the Japanese grandpa who ran the place. Happy I was able to take my fiancée once at least.
The owner was a complete prick and it made me love it (and him) so much.
Fuckkkk
NOOOOOOO!!!!
I haven’t been there in so many years but it was solid before. But since momo paradise opened I’ve found no reason to go anymore
I loved this place. I took girls I dated from usc here all the time should never had shabu. I owe this place in more ways than I can properly write here for what happened after dinner. Damn. Good food. Good times
Absolutely love this place! The owner is such a gangster lowkey lol
What are y’all’s alternate SHABU spots?
I literally cried. My husband has been going since he was a kid, then we started going together when we were just friends in college back in 2006, and we’ve kept coming back…through our engagement, marriage, and now two kids. So many friends and family we’ve brought here. So many birthdays, mothers days, fathers days… we moved away now, 3 hrs away, but make the frequent trips down to LA just to eat here.
For my family, it was more than just a restaurant, it was ritual. We’re going to miss it so much.
Eta: what other place are you going to get delicious Japanese food and country music?!?
We need to form a human barricade and prevent the demolition
If I had to guess I’d bet that Mr Maruyama finally decided to retire, he worked his ass off for over 30 years there. I know he was approached numerous times through the years to expand, even license his concept, but always declined. I happened to be one of those people. He’s a great man and ran an amazing, yet simple, operation that we all would wait an hour or more to get a couple of seats. I’ve been going here since the mid 90’s it holds a very special place in my heart!! RIP to an institution, very sorry to see it close but very happy for him!!!
This is so sad. It seems like historic businesses are closing left and right in Little Tokyo. The pandemic definitely had a hand in speeding it up. It’s depressing going there these days to see so many bootleg anime stores and street peddlers. I know the current era has a high demand for anime merchandise so it’s probably great for business, but I really hate seeing all the shameless cashgrab shops.
At the very least, I hope whatever business takes over is not another Funko Pop or Demon Slayer store.
Noooooo….. where can I get quality shabby now?
First suehiro, now this. Fuck landlords.
I loved shabu shabu house, it started to go downhill after he changed the lunch menu to curry. I stopped going after the lines got longer and longer.
Please please let a Japanese person take up the spot. It’s little tokyo.
I just don’t want some gentrifier asshole take up the spot 🙁
Little tokyo should be renamed little weeb town
No way.
This is sad af lol I’ve worked at that plaza for years :(( this sucks
Goddamit it….
We absolutely loved this place. I took my wife there when we were dating 20 years ago. We got married, had two kids, and have gone monthly ever since. For the last 12 months, we’ve gone every couple of weeks. Our kids a boy and a girl absolutely love this place, they call it their favorite restaurant. They will be so sad to hear the news when we get home tonight. They are now 8 and 9. They loved the thick noodles and the ponzu sauce the most. A sad day in America today. Our Friday night tradition has officially come to an end! 🙁 We will miss the great food, the country music, and the rush to get on the list to make the first cut. Another one of my favorite things about this place was my wife was off her phone for dinner 🙂 We pray he has the strength to keep it going in a new location. Please let me know if he does open elsewhere. Thank you for the memories!
This city is janky bootleg fucking trash. Everything is gone.
Never cried over a restaurant before, but I live within walking distance and been going there around twice a month for over a decade. Can’t believe I won’t be hearing Yoshi’s hellos and “Thank you Thank you” and Masako’s “No rush” ever again! I’m out of town right now and beating myself for not going last week. My heart is truly aching over this.
who knows the secret recipe for house Ponzu and Sesame sauce?