Shabuzen Kawasaki

In Kawasaki, the lively city in Kanagawa Prefecture that sits between Tokyo and Yokohama, Shabuzen Kawasaki offers a calm setting for Japanese cuisine centered on the hot pot. The restaurant occupies the fifth floor of the Kawasaki Nikko Hotel, a short walk from JR Kawasaki Station, and has been welcoming guests since 1989. Step inside and the pace of the station falls away. Staff dressed in traditional Japanese attire guide guests to their seats, and the service carries the attentive manner of a classic ryotei. The space offers a range of settings, from window-side tables to private rooms with sunken horigotatsu seating and a tatami hall for larger gatherings. Families come to mark milestones, and colleagues gather for business dinners, each finding a room suited to the occasion. The kitchen specializes in shabu-shabu and sukiyaki, built around carefully selected Kuroge wagyu. Rib roast brings fine marbling and a tender bite, while lean round offers the clean, deep flavor of the beef itself. For a special evening, A5-grade Saga beef takes center stage. Domestic pork belly and a generous platter of Japanese vegetables complete the pot. Each thin slice is swirled briefly through broth kept at 78°C, then dipped into the house sesame sauce, rich and gently nutty, or into bright ponzu. Shabu-shabu closes with the restaurant’s own kishimen noodles, mochi and rice, while sukiyaki ends with udon and rice. Seasonal kaiseki-style courses, prepared by experienced chefs, set the beef within a fuller meal. At this premium restaurant in Japan, the evening moves at an unhurried pace, one slice at a time, until the last of the broth is shared.