What’s shabu shabu dining? New Fresno restaurant is latest from familiar family

When it comes to a fun, fancy and flavorful dining experience in Fresno, it might be hard to top what’s offered at the new restaurant in town called Ichi Shabu.

Serving Japanese food primarily hot pot style, Ichi Shabu strives to give customers a memorable experience that’s interactive and entertaining, while enjoying great tasting food in a sophisticated yet comfortable atmosphere.

It’s the latest restaurant concept centering around Asian foods developed by the Fresno-based Lin’s Restaurant Group.

And it’s raising the dining experience offered in Fresno. Perhaps people’s palates, too.

“We pride ourselves in different concepts that Fresno doesn’t have,” said Jason Lin, owner of Ichi Shabu and CEO of Lin’s Restaurant Group. “Though we are not a prominent Chinese city, we have a large population of different ethnicities of Asians. Even with other cultures, they love Asian foods.”

Located at the Campus Pointe shopping center and next to Maya Cinemas, Ichi Shabu provides an ambience that could rival shabu shabu spots found in bigger cities like Las Vegas, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

From the modern Japanese decor to the low-light setting to the attentive service, the experience at Ichi Shabu is so enjoyable it practically nixes the notion of simply getting food to go for the opportunity to dine in.

Shabu shabu

Not sure exactly what shabu shabu is?

It’s the Japanese version of hot pot in which broth is boiled and simmered in front of you, and you decide the ingredients to add — essentially creating and cooking your own bowl of soup.

But this is no ordinary soup.

At Ichi Shabu, you choose among seven types of broths, including the classic tonkotsu or vegan options like shiitake mushroom or tomato .

Then you pick what kind of noodles (ramen, udon, shirataki) or skip the noodles all together and get steamed white rice.

You also get a variety of fresh vegetables such as enoki mushrooms, corn, boy choy and tofu.

Want beef, chicken or fish?

How about picking among the more premium types of seafood like abalone, tiger shrimp or lobster? Or specialty meatballs made in-house?

The price of your hot pot will vary particularly on what meats you decide on, though there is also a set menu with set prices that helps simplify each customers’ hot pot.

Ichi Shabu will replenish customers’ broth. But it is not an all-you-can-eat restaurant as is the case at some shabu shabu/hot pot places in other cities.

Instead, the restaurant goes with a different approach to satisfy one’s appetite.

“We want to focus on providing the best quality in foods,” Lin said, “and through great service and top-notch hospitality.”

For example, customers wanting beef but preferring something more than choice chuck sirloin can treat themselves to higher-end meats such as Japanese wagyu ribeye, Australian ms9 wagyu ribeye or Superior Farms lamb shoulder.

The majority of the meats are thinly sliced prior to arriving at your table, allowing for cook times to be done within seconds (some meats like the lobster tail have a recommended cook time of 45 to 60 seconds) once added to a customer’s hot pot.

Or, leave the meats and vegetables in the broth for a longer period, then really enjoy a more flavorful hot pot.

And don’t forget the bar, which offers a variety of sake and specialty cocktails, including a matcha whiskey sour and a smoked miso pineapple margarita.

“We’ve been wanting to open a shabu place for some time,” Lin said. “It’s a hot pot meal that you can dine with your family and friends and really enjoy together.

“The atmosphere, the quality of the food, it’s almost like entertainment and food all in one here.”

Growing Fresno’s Asian restaurant landscape

Lin’s Restaurant Group now has eight restaurants, including seven different food concepts and dining experiences.

• Lin’s Fusion – an Asian buffet
• Hino Oishi — Teppanyaki, sushi 
• J-Pot — Taiwanese hot pot and Chinese barbecue
• Spicy J’s — specialty Chinese cuisine
• Ramen Hayashi (two locations) — fast casual, ramen and rice bowls
• O-iza — upscale Japanese experience
• Ichi Shabu — shabu shabu dining

And they’re all located in popular shopping areas around Fresno and Clovis.

“They’re all completely different and each one is unique in its own way,” Lin said.

“It can be challenging at times since it’s a different approach each time. But it’s good to have variety and different options and concepts.”

The Lin’s Restaurant Group also has plans to move the Hino Oishi restaurant to a larger location currently being built at Campus Pointe.

Then, they’ll also introduce a different concept restaurant down the line at where the current Hino Oishi is located.

“I’ve always loved to cook since I was little,” said Lin, who became a tepan chef at 18 years old. “It really pleases me when I’d cook and serve food and the people are happy.

“A lot of people have said they appreciate us bringing stuff that Fresno doesn’t have. We hope our restaurants please people in Fresno and make them happy.”

This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 5:30 AM with the headline "What’s shabu shabu dining? New Fresno restaurant is latest from familiar family."