Shabushabu Mayumon

"Cozy and intimate with only eight counter seats, this four-year-old Lower East Side wagyu shabu shabu spot is a total hidden gem. In fact, Shabushabu Mayumon is New York City’s only respite for wagyu served in the shabu shabu dip style. The 20-course chef’s tasting menu changes around every four months, and centers around varied preparations of the iconic buttery beef. Behind the counter, the restaurant team carefully times how long paper-thin sleeves of Japanese and Japanese-American wagyu are dunked then swished in a kelp dashi broth, before they are dipped into sauces from ponzu to a sesame-soy. One will also find signature dishes like house-made yuba (tofu skin) made a la minute wrapped around sea urchin, and seasonal specials like Hokkaido scallop with an Iwanori seaweed sauce and yuzu kosho." - Kat Odell

"This intimate, 10-seat counter in LES offers a well-orchestrated adaptation of classic Japanese shabu shabu. Quiet and confident, the cooks here literally “swish swish” numerous cuts of prime pork belly, A5 Miyazaki wagyu, and American wagyu in boiling broth before finishing them in sauces like sweet soy, pungent, peppery ponzu and nutty miso. The sheer quantity (and quality) of wagyu alone is impressive and never once feels heavy or overwhelming thanks to lighter pairings like lettuce or mushrooms. At times, Spanish and Italian influences make their way into this tasting menu, but the results are largely convincing. Everything happens at the counter, and the team works to meet your pacing, whether that’s a rapid dinner or a leisurely journey." - Michelin Inspector

"Shabu Shabu Mayumon stands out for its upscale, Japanese–style hot pot omakase complete with premium A5-grade Miyazaki and Washugyu wagyu steak. The philosophy here is to maximize umami. The dashi broth and karajiru dipping sauce are made with seaweed imported from Hakodate, Hokkaido, for its high glutamate (i.e. umami) concentration. According to its website, the inosinate acid in the beef has “an amazing synergy” with glutamate, which compounds the umami “exponentially.” Make a reservation for a luxurious experience at the eight-seat counter." - Caroline Shin, Eater Staff

"Meanwhile, the team behind soba specialist Cocoron and Shabushabu Macoron has debuted its new Chinatown restaurant Shabushabu Mayumon, now open at 115 Division St. near Pike Street." - Carla Vianna

"Dinner at Shabushabu Mayumon starts with a wet hand towel and ends with a mountain of matcha shaved ice. What happens in between is a long omakase conga line of single-bite meats and vegetables, each of which is delightful and abstract enough to be molded, cast, and installed in the sculpture garden at MoMa for ants. Like its nearby sister restaurant Shabushabu Macoron (the only other omakase shabu shabu restaurant in the world), there’s just one chef here, who swishes individual bites of high-quality meat in broth before she dips them into sauce and places them in front of you. But unlike Macoron, where the food tends to be more straightforward Japanese, Mayumon experiments with mashups from other cultures - like Spanish ajillo, Italian bagna cauda, and Vietnamese pho. It’ll cost you $128 (before tip, tax, or drinks), but Shabushabu Mayumon is worth its price tag, especially if you want to celebrate with a lot of red meat in a setting that couldn’t be more different from a steakhouse." - Arden Shore