We start our
food journey on this blog with a first visit to Shabu Tei. We have been driving
past Shabu Tei almost every day and finally we decided to pay a visit to this
little Japanese restaurant on University Avenue Road for dinner.
Overall, although the beef BBQ was below expectations, we will definitely come back again to
try their other offerings.
Shabu-Tei
No. 20 University Avenue, Bahan Township,
Yangon, Myanmar
Tel: (95-1) 526655
The
restaurant is in standalone house with traditional Japanese décor. Entering the
restaurant, we were greeted by a homely and cozy ambience. Most of the
furniture are made of pine wood and it gave a sense of authenticity. With traditional
Japanese music playing in the background, we were ushered to a private room
that seats 4.
Shabu Tei
offers a wide variety that ranges from beef based dishes such as shabu shabu,
sukiyaki, BBQ to other Japanese food such as nabe, curry rice, bento sets,
noodles and more.
R and I decided
to order 2 appetizers, Potato salad (Ks 2500), Mini Okonomiyaki (Ks 2,000) to start
and one BBQ beef set. It is no surprise that we chose the most expensive grade
of beef, the Prime Wagyu beef at (Usd 89 per 200gm). The set also comes with a
variety of vegetables and rice.
First up,
the Okonomiyaki was served. It was topped with pickled ginger, bonito flakes
and Okonomi sauce and mayonnaise. The pancaked was well layered and well
balanced with the dressing. However, there was too much flour compared to the
other ingredients. The Potato salad came next and we a little disappointing.
The potato was still warm when it was served and the texture was dry.
 |
| Okonomiyaki |
 |
| Potato Salad |
The BBQ set
came next and it was what we really came for. As we ordered the most premium
grade of beef, our expectations were undoubtedly high. The beef was well-marbled
beef was served in slices. However, there was a rind of fat on some pieces.
Grilling the slices to medium-rare, I placed the first piece in my mouth.
Expecting the beef to melt in my mouth, I chewed lightly. But it took more
effort. After a few more slices, the tenderness of the beef did improve. We
guessed that it be as a result of the raw beef warming to room temperature. The
Yakiniku dipping sauce was flavorful and enhanced the grilled beef without
being overwhelming.
 |
| Prime Japanese Wagyu |
Given R is
a big eater, he decided to order one more dish, the Cold Somen (Ks 3000). It was
partly because this type of noodle is not readily found in Yangon and is a good
gauge of the restaurant’s standards.
The somen
was served in a bowl filled with water and ice-cubes around the noodles and a separate
bowl of dipping sauce. Surprisingly, this dish came as the highlight of the
night. The noodle, cooked to al-dente, was extremely bouncy and had a nice bite
to it. The dipping sauce, peppered with spring onions was equally great.
Shabu-Tei
No. 20 University Avenue, Bahan Township,
Yangon, Myanmar
Tel: (95-1) 526655
