Shabusen Yakiniku House

Eh. Wouldn’t come here for Japanese food. Best thing I had here was the Korean bbq short ribs. And even that was just OK.

Tips for enjoying Shabusen:
–The so-​so sushi and sashimi is merely garnish for the plates and plates of delicious yakiniku (Korean meat you barbecue yourself) that you should be ordering.
–Be careful of the occasionally still-​frozen sashimi.
–Don’t be afraid to wave madly to get an over-​worked server if one doesn’t come around for ten minutes.
–Make sure you finish all your food!
–Head to the salad bar and get some fiber. After eating all that meat, you’ll need it — it’s nature’s broom!
This place isn’t fantastic, but it is the only game in town for Yakiniku, so it is worth visiting if you like bbq.

You need to be prepared. This sushi is not very good.
BUT… it is perfectly acceptable when you want to spend 20 bones on All You Can Eat and get a huge array of different bits and bites — a piece or two of nigiri, a couple of avocado rolls, a weensy bowl of sunomono, a cube of agedashi tofu, some gyoza — I want a bite of all the sushis!!! If you are a meat eater, the Korean BBQ is also included in the price and from what I remember it is the best part.
The best deal, hands down, is the lunchtime All You Can Eat special. About 12 bucks, and although it is a limited selection it is still quite varied. The fish is mediocre, but fresh due to the incredibly high turnover — speaking of which — always make a reservation!
This is a classic go-​to for birthday parties in my group of friends — everyone leaves stuffed and tipsy for under 50 bucks. :D

I’ve had mixed experiences here (ie. some more impressive than others), but I still conclude that the sushi is excellent and the variety on the all-​you-​can-​eat menu is better than average, even without the Korean BBQ (which I always ignore in favour of sushi).
My favourites are the house roll, spicy chopped shrimp roll, and the spicy tuna cone, as well as the sashimi. I have been frustrated with some of the servers here, who literally seem to run away from your table before you can make any simple requests for water or napkins, but on my latest visit, our server wasn’t as rushed and we were able to catch his attention when needed.
This will never be the super long and drawn-​out fine dining experience of somewhere more upscale, but I really enjoy the sushi and the overall atmosphere. If you’re with some people who only want sushi (like me) and some who want BBQ, you can get both, which is a bonus.

I definitely prefer this location over the Burrard location.
1) It doesn’t feel as crowded and you can get private rooms for parties.
2) There are actually some nice servers (though some rude ones too during the night rushes)
and most importantly… I love the manager at this location! Always running around and working hard but he’s nice and seems to be enjoying what he does. Unlike the Burrard location manager whom my boyfriend and I nicknamed ’45 Minutes’; he’ll always ask in an angry tone you how many, if you have a reservation, look around the restaurant and say «45 minutes». Even if the restaurant is half empty.
Went here for lunch with a girl friend, and while we are petite Asian girls, we can pack down that food. We stayed there over the time limit eating what looked to be our last meal and the server and manager never rushed us out of there. They smiled if we made eye contact, refilled our drinks and gave us a thank you and good bye when we left. For AYCE, I’d say that’s pretty awesome.

Sushi and Korean BBQ?! I’m in.
Shabusen is a favourite spot of mine in Vancouver. However, I rarely go anymore. The lack of parking is always a problem and really, I’m cooking my own food. I’m paying someone to let me cook. Regardless, when I do feel the need to burn meat on a grill that I don’t have to clean myself it’s gotta be Shabusen.
All your basic sushi selections are available including a rather good spicy tuna cone. The BBQ eel maki is nothing spectacular, but it does the trick.
In terms of offerings for the Korean BBQ, you’ve got your staples with beef, chicken, and pork all marinated and ready to be fired up. There are also mussels, corn, and a few other options to char and/​or sear.
Service isn’t memorable, but I do enjoy eating at the bar since this means that service is more frequently available.
Overall, I’m always up for another session at Shabusen. Just let me in your carpool.

First of all, come down here for lunch if you can because you will be saving about ten dollars Canadian compared to coming down here for dinner. Dinner is about twenty-​three Canadian dollars for all you can eat sushi and Korean barbecue which is ridiculous because there is nothing like that here in the states that is even remotely comparable to the quality at Shabusen Yakiniku House. Initial parking is a bit to be desired, but after that experience you will find yourself sitting at a table surrounded by such an amount of food that you would feel as if heaven was really just a street in British Columbia.
The salmon and tuna sashimi is cut to almost a quarter of an inch thick and it seems that the food has only gotten better since our last visit here over two years ago. Also, definitely order the beef sashimi because every Japanese restaurant serves salmon and tuna sashimi, but how often is it that you get a chance to feast on endless beef sashimi. Descriptions do not truly do this place any justice nor do pictures, but the pictures posted should be enough to make any person fight off a watering mouth. Advice, try to to fill up on the fried foods or the teriyaki and instead opt for the various maki sushi and spicy tuna or chopped scallop hand rolls. As for the Korean barbecue, order up plenty of spicy beef and a few plates of lamb since you can almost never go wrong with either of those and just to round out a meal go for the cuttlefish and mussels because everything including seafood tastes better when you have to work a little bit for it. The only quip that our group had with this place is that there is only one type of sake served at the restaurant and it sadly is not exactly a sake you would choose to drink over a nice meal. Lastly, try to go with a group of six people or larger to score one of the more spacious rooms near the windows because the smaller tables are lacking in leg room forcing you to sit up uncomfortably straight especially for an all you can eat meal.

Average for what you get. One thing though, you do get stuffed! And the oranges here are real good always. Wish there was more selection on the BBQ part of the menu, as the meats almost taste all the same.

AYCE sushi AND Korean BBQ?! Ideally, this would have been the perfect combo, but when neither of the 2 are up to par, it makes it actually worse.
Came here Saturday night for a birthday dinner. There was 12 of us, we made reservations, and upon arrival, we were seated with no problem.
All you can eat is $ 21.95 here, which includes sashimi, sushi of all sorts, and other basic Japanese AYCE items– gyoza, tempura, miso soup… as well as Korean BBQ meats.
Their sashimi is your typical AYCE quality of fish, really not the best. The tuna was still a little frozen still so with time, it was actually sitting in a pool of water. Not the best tasting either. They have quite a few of rolls. Rolls are better than some other AYCE places. Avocado roll had a good proportion of avocado to rice, and none of their rolls had too much rice. Gyozas were decent. They did have my favourite corn croquette.
Korean BBQ: meat quality was ok, they were all marinated in the same sweet sauce. Made me very thirsty. Beef short ribs were the best out of all the meats.
There’s something about trying to multitask cooking the Korean meats and having sushi that just doesn’t quite work. You will spend time cooking, and then forget about eating.
I used to come here more back when I was still in high school. Back then, there didn’t seem to be as many ‘problems’ with the food. Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by the other non AYCE Japanese restaurant, and my palette is much more experienced nowadays.
Service was slow, but it was a busy Saturday night. They more or so gave us the right portion that we ordered, and minimal mistakes were made.
Overall, I would come back maybe for someone’s dinner party, or when I’m really very very hungry and I just happen to be in the area… otherwise, probably would head somewhere else.

Ingenious combination, sushi and korean bbq, all you can eat!
I love that you order from a waiter and items are made to order. I don’t have to worry about germs and refrigeration issues.
The sushi and sashimi are pretty tasty, as is the meat. Loved that I could sear the salmon and tuna sashimi a bit in the bbq pit. Skip any fried item and the yakisoba, it’s so-​so and not worth the stomach space.
I prefer this Granville location over the downtown one, its larger, clean and easy to find parking. One downside, this location did limit the amount of sashimi we could get, whereas the downtown location did not.
I’m pretty sure they lose money when I come around, lunch is only $ 13.50 CAD, but hey, I’ve brought a lot of friends with me!

Lunch all you can eat here is probably a better deal than their dinner all you can eat. Overall, this place is mediocre. There’s Korean barbecue and sushi/​sashimi/​Japanese cooked food all in one facility. There’s also a mini salad bar. You can tell the raw meat is over marinated — but at the very least it’s not too salty. The last time I had their salmon sashimi I thought it was quite slimy.
This location is way better than the downtown location. I’ve noticed that the service is above average compared to other all you can eat restaurants.
When I’m craving for all you can eat, I usually think about Shabusen. However, it can be replaced easily as there’s nothing that special about this restaurant.

Who wouldn’t love a place that serves «all you can eat» for $ 13 a head? I came here today with 3 other friends and between the fours of us I swear we ate $ 80 worth of food!
The sashimi and sushi was super fresh, the Korean BBQ meats were all flavored perfectly and the little grill on our table cooked everything to perfection. We had a fun time grilling our food (even searing some of the sashimi!)
With endless amounts of tea and water, dozens of sushi rolls to choose from, and a roomy table to seat all of us, we were certainly very happy campers. Next time I’m in town I’m definitely making a stop here.

Okay I know the lunch only costed $ 13 for an all you can eat lunch but I still expect quality food. The Korean food was pretty good and if that’s what I wanted, I would probably give it 3 ½ stars. But when you put sashimi & sushi on the menu, my expectations go up.
The restaurant was crowded when we arrived, but we still got seated fairly quickly. The service was okay (unlike the reviews I read).
As for their kani, by far the worst imitation crab I’ve ever tried. The only resemblance to crab was the color. I must say the quality of the salmon was pretty good. When ordering thier «spicy tuna or salmon» they just use their kochujong sauce on the fish.
But when I order tuna sashimi & sushi, I expect maguro. What I got was probably albacore tuna (if it was tuna at all)! It was some white mushy fish that probably just got defrosted, as it was was still very cold in the center. Who the heck wants to eat what would be canned elsewhere?!
The rest of the food was okay and I can forgive the super fake crab, but eating fake maguro is unacceptable! Why serve that as sashimi?! I think the Unilocalers failed me on this one. :(

After having experienced both lunch and dinner at this location, I’m giving it 3 stars and that’s being generous already.
It’s funny that I had the same server during both times I came back and it’s good to know that he does provide consistently service at the sub-​par level. I guess he’s assigned to the bar side of the restaurant at which he manages to disappear for long periods of time thereby abandoning any refill duties of drinks. He does manage to come back and show up to warn you of the time limit via a «last call».
As for the restaurant, I called to reserve a table to arrive in 15 minutes by 1:45pm and I was reminded not too surprisingly over the phone that their last call was by 2:15pm. I arrived prior to my reserved time, but they had no record of my reservation. Nice. And that missing reservation carries over to the food items that I ordered. Even the patrons beside me had to remind the server of their missing gyoza which they claim to have ordered right at the start. Just make sure you know what arrived before you remind them or you may end up with duplicate orders and wasted food.
On the other hand, food quality especially for lunch time prices of $ 13.50 (weekends) is good. You get to have up to 8 pieces of sashimi per person along with the usual all you can eat nigiri along with Korean BBQ meat items that you cook yourself.
No need to criticize the quality of the salmon and tuna sushi. I already said it was $ 13.50 all you can eat. That’s all you need to know and your taste buds will understand from there.
Despite the lackluster service, I may go back again. I’ll just make sure I have a reservation so I can have a different table this time and perhaps a better service will make my meal taste like it’s worth more. Or maybe not. Who am I kidding. Did I say it was $ 13.50?

I make it a ritual to stop at this place when we’re in BC doing the day trip for exotic fruit. The service is fast, but I feel like the quality of the food has declined. The concept is great… all you can eat Korean BBQ and sushi. I think they took away their hot pot option which I did not see on the menu this time around. Their sushi is as good as it gets for an all you can eat joint. So that means… not so great.
I don’t really think it’s a kid friendly joint. Really tight on space and the hot grill at the table can be a definite hazard for a kid.
I need to find another spot to hit the next time we’re up in BC.

This review is for all-​you-​can-​eat only.
Pros: Grilling your own food
Cons: Declining quality; Chicken is a pain to cook
I’ve been going to Shabusen for years since my parents took me while growing up. I’ve since moved away, but every time I come back home I make it a point to indulge myself in this unique restaurant.
Shabusen has Korean BBQ and Japanese sushi, along with various other items available for the all-​you-​can-​eat. There is a healthy variety of food that should satisfy all but the most devout of vegetarians. Over the years I’ve even managed to advance my skills in grilling to make the most out of my meal.
With that said, Shabusen isn’t one of these restaurants you can go to too often, lest you become morbidly obese. I don’t think I’ve personally been there more than a dozen times, and I’ve been going here since I was in high school. It’s more of a once per year thing.
I do notice that the restaurant’s been in decline over the past few years. They’ve gotten more and more skimpy on the amount of food they’ll give you, especially items like the sashimi. It doesn’t matter the quantity that you write on the order; they’ll give you as much as they feel like. The food gets salty and oily, probably because they want you to be full quicker so you wouldn’t eat as much. The staff seem to be comprised mainly of apathetic high school kids with dyed hair and a lack of professionalism. You have to push them to get any results.
Whatever the case, Shabusen is a must-​go for any visitor to the city.

The emphasis here isn’t so much quality as it is quantity. Everything here is generally okay and you can definitely get more than your fill on a mere $ 20 for all-​you-​can-​eat (tabehodai!) – provided you don’t indulge too much in the Asahi. They serve sushi, sashimi, grilled seafood and yakiniku prepared Korean-​style.
To call this place a fusion restaurant is a bit misleading in that it doesn’t serve food that demonstrates a blend of two different kinds of cuisine. Rather, they serve two different kinds of cuisine, each one being very distinct. The seafood is generally quite fresh and they’re too stingy when it comes to providing customers with higher quality meats.
This place is consistently busy so a fifteen-​minute wait is on-​par with the Shabusen experience. The service is generally good but be patient as it does take some time to flag them down and get the Sapporo you ordered twenty minutes ago.
Rec: leave your knits at home unless you want them to smell like grilled meat for the rest of its life.

All you can eat had a great selection to chose from. The food was all good, but what I liked the best was our cute little sushi boat booth. I loved being able to cook the meat at our table too.
The service was not all that good. I asked several times for my water to be refilled and every time, I was assured that I would get more water. I did not appreciate being lied to. A BIG no no from them was when we informed our waiter that one girl in our party was highly allergic to fish so to keep the fish separated from the veggie, fried shrimp, california rolls, etc. We specifically asked for the fish to be on a separate plate but when they came with our food… it was all on one plate.
Needless to say, I think their staff has communication issues. The food and atmosphere is great, but service needs work. I would have docked it down to 3 stars, but I really liked the food, eventually got my water, and my friend didn’t experience any anaphylaxis.

The Best all you can eat Japanese restaurant in my Unilocal Book =D
The Quality of Food was really great since I last remembered. Since Unilocal Finally allows Canada Reviews, This is my review of past memories.
I will go here someday again to update this, but all I can say is this place has always been in my Sushi Raw Goodness Favorites. Imagine all the all your craving foods desire. Oh Canada eh, eat sushi eh now @ The Shabusen Yakiniku House.

Shabusen is a must visit for gluttons and Japanese food lovers coming to Vancouver. The location of the restaurant overlooks a nice part of Vancouver and features fairly upscale décor. However, the major sell for this place is the all you can eat Japanese BBQ and Sushi. The last time I ate here it was roughly $ 20 for everything and the food was pretty decent.
Service was nice but slow during my last time here. As a result, my group and I didn’t get as much food as we thought we could have. The BBQ was good and the sushi was okay. I will have to come back here again and take an opportunity to sample everything. No matter what, this is a great destination for couples and groups, hungry for Japanese Yakinuku and Sushi.