Katte Shabushabu 勝手

Shabu-shabu, the onomatopoeic name given to the Japanese art of tabletop hotpot cooking, similar to sukiyaki but with a focus on the savoury over the sweet in taste. There are plenty of Hong Kong hotpot restaurant options about, but Katte Shabushabu in Causeway Bay helps overcome the usual simmering (forgive us) conflicts that arise when you eat this way – here each guest gets an individual hotpot so you don’t have to compromise on soup stock decisions or leave your vegetarian friends out in the cold. This buzzing Japanese restaurant on the ground floor of Vienna Mansion down Paterson Street books out – so book up!

Katte Shabushabu offers an easy three-step programme to get you to Japanese hotpot heaven from its Paterson Street premises in no time. Choose your soup stock (red snapper, sukiyaki, benito and kelp, or Korean kimchi), then your main ingredient (premium Wagyu beef, pork, chicken, or seafood), and an arsenal of sides (including miso and clam soups, inaniwa udon or starch noodles, rice, assorted vegetables and appetisers), and get cooking, right there at the table. Shabu-shabu is a great, social way to dine, and this Causeway Bay example ranks high in Hong Kong’s listings.

If you’re all hotpotted out, Katte Shabushabu offer some solid Japanese-style skewers alongside their more liquid offering. That said, there’s plenty to drink here too, with some great Japanese soda pop for Hong Kong’s devoted gourmet otaku. This Causeway Bay Japanese restaurant also does a fantastic value lunch set, which gets you a feast of edamame, US beef, vegetables, rice or udon, and a dessert that changes up daily. Katte Shabushabu is a stylish joint, with chalkboards where daily specials and one-off delicacies get posted. Close to Victoria Park and Causeway Bat station, this Paterson Street Japanese joint fills up fast – so book early.