Shabumi - eat your heart out with all you can eat hot pot

Neighborhood: Strip mall off Balboa Ave. in Kearny Mesa, San Diego

Price: $$

Vibe: Large restaurant space is super casual; they even have a button on the wall to call your waiter over for more food or drink. You are not here for the atmosphere; you are here to eat!

Sure, I’ve heard of all you can eat Korean BBQ and steakhouses like Fogo de Chao, but all you can eat hot pot? Is it true?

Recently, my favorite foodie friend (whom I Food Club with at least once a month) shared a new hot pot place she has been keeping a secret from me. You see, we love our hot pot, and traditionally visit our mainstay, “Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot” for our fix. But Little Sheep closes at 9:00 SHARP. They will literally start cleaning around you until you are ushered out by the smell of Lysol and vinegar overtaking your hot pot steam. So, this calls for an alternative if say you’re having a late dinner and are still craving your Chinese hot pot. Which brings me to Shabumi. This joyous little spot is off-Convoy in a shopping center on Balboa Avenue, open late and providing a much different foodie adventure for the hot pot enthusiast.

Shabumi offers both “all-you-can-eat” hot pot AND Korean BBQ. So, you get to choose your own adventure. A cool option for groups that may want a little variety. Kind of like Fogo de Chao, Shabumi offers this amazing “salad bar” of offerings — this is where you grab your veggies and dumplings for your hot pot from an assortment of options. They also have some cooked offerings like egg and scallion pancakes, gummy rice noodles and more. The assortment changes and they are constantly bringing out new items to freshen up the bar area.

Salad bar

They also have a pretty large offering of different sauces to either use for dipping your hot pot or BBQ, or I tend to take some of that spice and throw it right into the hot pot. One unique feature of Shabumi is that there is no “shared” hotpot or BBQ — everyone has their own personal burner in front of them, so you can create your own flavors and spices and don’t have to worry that someone may not like it. It’s your own personal meal!

We chose hot pot (of course) for our meal - one of these days I’ll try to Korean BBQ, but the salad bar items seem more geared toward hot pot, and I just couldn’t resist those dumpling and vegetable options! We started with the chicken broth base, which I’ll admit, is not the same umami goodness that you get from Little Sheep (the broth that tastes like it’s been steeping for days like a good pho). The broth can definitely use a little spiciness or at least you’re going to want to dip your goods to get a little more flava. For meats, we chose the prime top blade beef, lamb leg and pork belly. The meats are delivered quickly, in smaller portions about 6 pieces a plate. We grabbed veggies, dumplings and some noodles from the bar (unfortunately, no Udon noodles, which are my fave). Everything is marked with a description at the bar, so it’s fairly easy to pick and choose your fixings.

This is a really fun, individual hot pot dining experience— and open late to provide more flexibility for your dining needs. Don’t forget the sake, oh and there’s a button on the wall next to your table for immediate service to meet your needs. Check out Shabumi and have fun!

My individual hot pot creation

The “can I get another sake immediately” button

Shabumi

Located in: Balboa Mesa Shopping Center

5667 Balboa Ave

San Diego, CA 92111

Clairemont

Sometimes it’s better when you make it. Recipe ideas for entertaining or just for you.

Los Dos Pedros, I love you.

Turquoise Street location

Neighborhood: Pacific Beach, San Diego

Price: $

Vibe: Standard taco shop where order at the register and grab your salsa when your order is ready. They have a small seating area, but I recommend taking your grub to go.

When people come to visit in San Diego, they often want to know where to go for the best Mexican food.  I struggle with this request, because if they really want the best tacos or burritos, my suggestion is not typically a sit-down restaurant with mariachis strolling around. It’s going to be a taco shop.  I mean, let’s be real San Diegans, for the legit burrito craving we go to our local spot. Am I right?  Maybe it’s the familiarity, maybe it’s because our spot is minutes or steps away from our house, but we come to really bond with our local taco shop cuisine. 

I feel this way when I get my craving for a breakfast burrito – often the only thing subsiding my hangover and allowing me to function for the rest of the day.  For this craving, there is only one spot that does the trick every time, and that’s Los Dos Pedros.  This unassuming little gem has been operating under the same ownership and in the same location since 1984! That’s 38 years of perfecting their trade. It has even been claimed that Los Dos is the home of the original “California burrito” which actually consisted of carne asada, cheese, egg and potato

The friendly staff here cranks out burritos, tacos, and a whole menu of other stuff I’ll probably never try because I habitually rotate between my 3 favorite things: breakfast burrito, carne asada burrito and “white girl” burrito (nicknamed by my love who thinks I’m crazy for adding lettuce to my bean cheese and rice burrito. Try it before you knock it).  I’ve tried many other breakfast burritos in San Diego and for one reason or another I end up disappointed and wanting my Los Dos.  The tortillas are fresh, the bacon is crispy, and the potatoes, cheese and egg are combined in the most perfect of ratios.  I CANNOT eat this burrito without the “red” salsa (beware, this can be confused with the bright orange Habanero, much different!), and I must have 6 of them.  What is your favorite local spot and your “go-to” order?

Breakfast burrito with red salsa

Breakfast burrito

Carne asada burrito - added cheese

Los Dos Pedros - now has 2 locations!

723 Turquoise St, San Diego, CA 92109

4508 Cass St #D

Animae, Animae!

Whole fried fish

Neighborhood: Downtown San Diego near the harbor

Price: $$$$

Vibe: Absolutely amazing ambience with beautiful olive velvet rounded booths and gold accents throughout, the vaulted ceilings make it feel fancy and somehow cozy at the same time.

Wow.  I love it when a restaurant checks all the boxes for a truly exceptional dining experience: cool ambience, amazing food that leaves you thinking about it (and craving it) days later, and impeccable service.  Animae is a special dining experience in an area of downtown San Diego that you typically don’t dine.  The concept is brought to us by our beloved Brian Malarkey (Top Chef and local SD restaurateur) and Executive Chef Tara Monsod, who brings her Filipino-inspired dishes to the upscale fine dining scene.  Okay let’s get to the good stuff – the FOOD!

The starters on the menu are just fabulous.  We tried the Waygu lumpia and the cucumbers.  I love it when a chef surprises you with something humble like fresh, crunchy, cucumbers that are just bursting with flavor and brightness. This was the perfect start to our meal, and I found myself hoovering every last morsel.  Get them.  And how can you go wrong with Waygu or lumpia – and then combined?  Yes. Please. 

Waygu lumpia

For the entrée we split the whole fried fish and Shanghai crab noodles.  The crab noodles were good, but the star of the meal was the whole fried fish.  Served on a plate of what I can only describe as a curry-like Thai sauce and tons of fresh herbs. This is the dish I am still thinking about months later…and I am certain I will never be able to try anything else because I will order this again and again and again.  What can I say, I’m a creature of habit and I want that fish again!

Whole fried fish and Shanghai crab noodles

For dessert we shared the Pandan Malasadas – which are doughnut-like pastries filled with creamy goodness on a bed of lemon and ginger curd, oh my!  What a perfect ending to this scrumptious meal. 

Pandan Malasadas

Impeccable service fit for royalty; this restaurant pulls out all the stops.  So good you have to say it twice – Animae, Animae!  Book your next special occasion here, you will not be sorry. 

p.s. parking is not ideal, there’s a paid lot half a block away – do this instead of the $20 Valet, unless you’re feeling bougie.

Animae

Marina District, San Diego

969 Pacific Hwy. 

San Diego, CA 92101

619.432.1225

Check out our recipe section for a little inspiration!