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Posted on March 17, 2014January 21, 2016 by Staff Writer

Chuan Shabu “Hot Pot” Review

The Hot Pot Experience from Chuan Shabu on Park Avenue in Worcester, MA

Located on Park Street, the energy at Chuan Shabu was fresh and new—which is possibly due to the fact that they are relatively new to the Worcester area. The bar was decent size and took up most of the back of the restaurant. The kitchen was partially open to the restaurant and you can watch the hustle and bustle going on as you sit and wait for your food to come.

The wait staff was prompt and when asked about menu items appeared to be very informed. Our waiter took the time to explain to us how a “HOT POT” works and made suggestions for ordering to feed our group. Although they have other items to pick from on a regular menu myself and my dining companions decided to do the hot pot experience. We agreed on two separate broths, the Basic broth which is a chicken flavor and a herbal broth which was very flavorful but hard to explain. It reminded me a little of a vegetable broth.

We ordered several dishes of meat and seafood, including beef, pork, shrimp, squid, sausage. All of this went into the hot pot and then was scooped out to be eaten after it had cooked to the desired state. The assortment of seafood and meat cooked incredibly fast in the hot broth. When we scooped it out of the hot pot there was dipping sauces to be used although I found the flavor of the food after having cooked in the broth to be very flavorful and several times I didn’t use the dipping sauce.

Our meal also included a variety of vegetables including, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, bok choy and mushrooms. All of the vegetables made their way into the pot of simmering broth. After being cooked we scooped out the vegetables and enjoyed them as they were or with dipping sauce. Overall, it was an interesting experience, but I felt this was more of an event then a meal. The pace was slow and allowed you to have conversations with your dining companions in a very relaxed and easy setting. I would recommend this place for a special occasion or for those who enjoy something a little different.

Posted on March 17, 2014January 21, 2016 by Staff Writer

Chuan Shabu Worcester with beef tongue, shrimp, and spice

Beef tongue from Chuan Shabu on Park Avenue in worcester, MA

When I was told about Chuan Shabu, my interest was peaked. The concept of the hot pot was intriguing to me…choose menu items à la carte and cook them in a broth of your choosing. This made me think of fondue, but without the cheese or chocolate. When arriving at the restaurant, we were greeted with a modern, chic environment with an oriental flare. We were then seated in a long row of table which also doubled as our cooking stations for our meal. This is when things began to fall apart.

For a group of 10+ people, we were only seated with one waiter, which is very overwhelming and unfair to the waiter. While he was very friendly and courteous, the menu took some explaining and getting used to. After the first round of drinks were handed out and the menu explained multiple times, we placed our order which consisted of their spiciest broth, with a combination of broccoli, button mushrooms, shrimp, beef tongue and our choice of noodle. First off, only order their spicy broth if you love heat and can handle a lot of it, because while it is flavorful, it packs a wallop. The vegetables were very fresh and plentiful, and cooked nicely in the spicy broth. The shrimp, however were very small and disappointing. The beef tongue, while being cut into very small pieces had a nice gamey flavor to them and was a treat to try for the first time. The noodles had great texture and you could cook them as little or as much as you wanted to, depending on your liking.

Unfortunately, at times, after we got our meals, our waiter was no where to be found. With the heat of the broth, relief was needed in the form of a cold beverage and many customers at our table went wanting for too long. When all was said and done, I had eaten about 2.5 small bowls of soup with various ingredients, but still found myself hungry and looking for more. Given the fact that we had to cook all of the food ourselves (given it could be cooked to our own personal tastes), the bill at the end of the day was around $20 for soup. While the concept was intriguing and the food was tasty, I think that there is better value for your dollar in the city. If you are going to try this restaurant for the first time, I would recommend going in smaller groups (4 people max) to get the best out of this unique experience. I think this restaurant will do well once it gets it’s feet underneath it, but it will probably be some time before I attempt to visit this hot pot location.