Mokkoji

If I ever want a really good shabu shabu experience, this place is always my go-​to. The works are always polite and enthusiastic, and the manager is well-​versed in his trade. if you’re not sure what you’re in he mood for, I definitely recommend won’t Nat. It genuinely feels like his main goal is to ensure that you enjoy your meal.
On top of that, the craft beer selection is always in point. Though it’s somewhat small, they usually cover most of not all of the palette preferences. Feel free to ask for a sample.

Love love love this place! It was my first time coming in today with my parents and we are definitely coming back. My parents are very picky hot pot eaters and were hesitant to try out this new spot. They certainly do not regret coming.
Upon entering the restaurant, we were warmly greeted by most of the staff. Our waiter (I didn’t get his name but tall Asian guy with blond hair and glasses) was super duper patient with us and answered all of our questions. We changed our minds a lot and made him confused but he still provided the best service LOL. Service: ⁵⁄₅
As for the food, I ordered the Tom Yum Shrimp ($ 4 extra) soup base with the M.F. Meat selection (beef with tendon). They provide a generous amount of veggies, which is refillable. Omg they even provide kale with the veggies! Unfortunately, the napa cabbage was quite old and not fresh :(
The soup base is very versatile and aromatic. It gets more and more flavorful as you add in the meat and veggies, giving you the best umami experience! The brown sauce with the crushed sesame is bomb too, sadly we can’t take it to go. Food: ⁴⁄₅ due to old nappa.
It was a bit more pricey than a mom and pop hot pot joint but worth it! Overall, my parents and I had a wonderful experience and hope to return soon to try their Squid Ink Porridge.

The wait here was 1 hour around 6:30PM on a Saturday night. I suppose that’s normal for any good restaurant in this area. We patiently waited, and the person managing the wait was trying his best to facilitate the process (i.e. updating us, bringing us menu so we can pre-​order, etc.) In most cases, I would rather wait for good food than settle for mediocre food. Not every calorie is created equal. :)
Food:
We ordered 2 large orders of beef (house) and 1 mix order (beef and pork). We also ordered the Poke as a side dish because we were starving!
Service:
Overall, the service is great. Daniel, our waiter is awesome. He was receptive to our needs and always there to lend a kind, helping hand.
Price
It is on a higher side, but my philosophy is, paying for better quality is worth it.
We will definitely be back! As I am writing this review I am already thinking about planning our next visit! Drool…

Wow. Just, wow. Incredible.
There are SO many options on their menu. At least 10 different broths to choose from, at least 20 combo entrees that appeal to every eater, and a LOT of sides. They also have great vegetarian options!
I’m pretty positive that even the pickiest eater could find something they like on this menu.
The veggies are really fresh and nutritious, I mean what other Shabu Shabu house includes kale with your meal?
First timers get a complementary berry-​chia soda, and there are great craft beers here too.
New fave Shabu Shabu place!!!

Everything was great. Service, presentation, and food. We waited a bit to get seated but it wasn’t too bad. They have a good amount of seating for people waiting, and the place definitely has a young vibe with dance music playing from the front. First off, roomie was so excited to grind her own sesame seeds. We like playing with food. We loved the broths we picked: miso and some kind of dashi one. The veggies were presented beautifully of which I had to take an obligatory photo before tossing it all into the broth. Free refills of any veggie, of which we both got a big bowl of kale, our favorite of the night. The dinner for 2 pricing isn’t bad and it was the perfect amount of meat (24 slices). It came out to about $ 30/​person including tip. Overall, really great option for shabu.

This Mokkoji in Arcadia is my favorite location. That may change once my local Rowland Heights location finally opens, but even if it does, I’ll still love this particular spot.
Unlike the Irvine location, when you have lunch here during the weekend, you pay the regular lunch price instead of the dinner price. What a concept, right? The Irvine location charges dinner prices all day on weekends, and while it’s not exactly costly, I don’t like that too much.
I always get the spicy broth with a plate of beef belly, which is richly marbled and exceptionally tender. When I dip it in my sesame and ponzu sauces, I literally moan with pleasure.
Speaking of their sesame and ponzu sauces, I always add green onion and garlic to them. The server can also add hot drops. The hot drops have a similar burn to habanero. Most people should do 1 – 2 in each if they enjoy some heat. Personally, I do 3, but I have habanero sauce regularly. Any more than 3 – 4 and your taste buds are either dead or you’re running the risk of ruining your meal.
For people with larger appetites, you can get free refills on your vegetables and rice. From my experiences, the Mokkoji in Arcadia and Irvine don’t tell you that you can get free refills, but you definitely can, as I do it all the time.
TL;DR: Get the beef belly, spruce up your sauces, dip beef belly in both sauces, moan with pleasure. Also, free refills on vegetables.

Friday Rainy Day = Shabu Shabu Love!!! :)
I’ve always wanted to try this place and finally got to try it. After a long day of running from one doctor appointment after another in the freezing on and off again rain, I treated my Mom to shabu shabu to warm us both up. Luckily, we got there at 6pm, and was able to beat the crowd that came five minutes after us, whew!
Since we were both new to the place, I got us both the «Set,» combo as recommended by Adrienne K. Before our meal came out, it was fun grinding the toasted sesame seeds. I loved how aromatic it was, ahhh! :) Once the servers poured over the sesame sauce — BOMB!!! The ponzu sauce was alright, but the sesame sauce and seeds together, yassss!!! :D. As for the food:
Mom and I both got the following:
Broth: OG Broth — water with bits of shittake mushrooms in it.
Set Combo $ 26.99: Seafood and Meat Combo: 6 pieces of Toro; 6 pieces of MF (their house flat iron steak strip), a Waygu patty, and Seafood consisting of 1 piece each: scallop, mussel, shrimp and seaweed. Garnished with onions, radish slice and jalapenos.
The meats were sliced thinly and seasoned lightly. The Waygu patty was cute, but loved the Toro and MF more. I also loved dipping the meats and veggies in the sesame sauce. The only time I ever used the ponzu sauce was when I didn’t wanna burn my mouth, and cooled down the food in there, lol!!! The Seafoods were fresh and tasted yummy. Generous portion with this meal.
Served with unlimited amounts of veggies and rice. UDON NOODLES DISCLAIMER — one star off: The udon noodles that comes in the veggies are a ONE TIME deal. Mom was miffed about that since she wanted udon, she didn’t care for the rice. However, I liked the rice: mixture of brown, white, black and sweet rice. The veggies were also tasty and fresh. However, upon request of a 3^rd bowl — all we got were spinach, kale and napa. Mom was annoyed that they started skimping by our third bowl. (Another star off).
We also tried the squid ink porridge too: It was a nice ending to the meal. Mom thought it was too spicy, but it was perfect for me. The server will make it for you in the end. Mom tried making it herself, and failed since you need the squid ink portion to complete it, lol!
All in all, it was a yummy, but pricey meal (at least for my Mom — even though I treated). Servers are sweet, attentive and very patient, especially if it’s your first time here.
I would come back here again, but leaving Mom home next time, lol!

My favorite Shabu place! Expect a wait in the winter at all times, but I went recently for an early dinner, there was no wait since the weather is getting warm.
My go-​to broth is OG since I enjoy drinking the soup in the end and I like to keep it clear, another healthy broth option is the Chick or Beef 12HR! They have a variety of plate options. and high quality meat and seafood. The pork belly was melt in your mouth fatty and so was the beef Toro… My mouth is watering right now as I think about it. I always go for the DUO or DOUBLE. Their dipping sauces are also good. I like how they give you sesames grinders, but I still prefer the Ponzu sauce!
You can get refills on all the veggies that you get on the side (A+)! I never knew shabu kale can be so good, but now I know! Portions are very generous, it doesn’t seem a lot but I always leave with a near-​exploding stomach.
Service is always really good here, the waiters were very attentive. They also have great beer selections! I have always wanted to try the Squid Ink porridge, but they always ALWAYS run out of it.
Will definitely be back!

I came back for another visit since my first time experience was great. The wait for 2 on a Sunday night around 7pm was more than an hour. So if you’re coming around that time on weekends, be prepared to wait a long time!
For my broth I decided to try the curry scallop. Mmmmm the broth was so good! In my opinion it was way better than fire crab. If you like curry, I would def suggest to try the curry scallop broth. Like last time, I ordered the chicken for my entrée. But, I wanted all white breast meat and no patty this time.
We had the privilege to have Daniel help serve us again. It was great being able to chat with him for a little. :)
Mokkoji deserves 5 stars for their food. Their quality is the best compared to other shabu places that I’ve been to. Service can be a little hectic sometimes since they are so busy, but everyone is really nice and they try to be accommodating!

Apparently Arcadia location has the lunch special, but Irvine does not.
The wait for this place is insane! Come before opening to avoid a wait.
Our whole party ordered the same thing: toro (fat on beef belly) and OG kelp shitake broth.
The meat is actually very high quality compared to most shabu places where it’s just mediocre. Also, their peanut and ponzu sauce are super flavorful. You also get unlimited refills on your vegetables if you’re still hungry.
For all you spicy lovers, ask for their hot drops because its an extract they add to your sauces. They only recommend 1 – 2 drops because it can get spicy!

One of my favorite things to eat is Shabu Shabu! I’m so glad Mokkoji opened near me. I’ve been told this place is good so I was looking forward to it. It’s located in a plaza so parking is easy. The only downfall is the wait. It’s busy so expect to wait 30 minutes or more. When you arrive just sign in and wait for your name to be called.
:Food:
The flavor of the sauce is very important to me. Did Mokkoji get it right? Yes indeed. The goma and ponzu is perfect! Now for the broth, I love Spicy Miso. It’s not too spicy but it has the right amount of spicy kick. The broth is made of miso, small slices of shiitake mushrooms, and chili flakes. For the meat, I get the Mokkoji which is un-​split flat iron. The quality of the meat is always fresh. We also get a vegetable bowl, it has udon, tofu with the word Mokkoji stamped on it, spinach, enoki mushrooms, lettuce, and Kale. The rice is purple and sticky. It is a blend of white, brown, black, and sweet rice. The Shabu Shabu is delicious!
:Customer Service:
I’ve been here many times. When this place first opened the customer service was just «ok». After a few months it got better. The staff is friendly.
:Highlight:
Excellent customer service from Nat and Willis. They were both very attentive and helpful.
:Tip:
Free refills on the rice and vegetables.
:M’s Notes:
~Inside Seating
~Parking Lot

Love the quality of Mokkoji, but didn’t really feel the flavors of the broth or the sauces. I tried the Fire Crab broth with Toro, and while the Toro was delicious, the broth was a bit too sweet for me, without much depth of flavor. I also love me some satay and bean curd sauce with my hotpot, which Mokkoji does not offer. Their sesame paste and ponzu sauces seems healthier though lol.
Service was great — we had multiple waiters tend to our every need. I was served veggies that were not fresh, but they were quick to replace it. Overall great quality and service, but not the flavors I was looking for.

Mokkoji has become one of my favorite shabu shabu spots only slightly behind Boiling Point because they’re forever my first love. Despite that, I would love to frequent Mokkoji just as much if the price was as much higher. But with a higher pricing comes a higher quality of dining. The restaurant can be quite narrow with limited seating, but it’s very clean and their service is great.
I come here to order the toro ($ 12.99) with spicy broth everytime. The broth is still quite mediocre, but it’s not a big deal as the only purpose is to heat up your meat and veggies. Of course their presentation is absolutely gorgeous with how the slices of meat are perfectly aligned and the bowl of veggies are plated with such care to showcase their signature Mokkoji-​stamped tofu. The best part is the unlimited veggies that you can reorder once you’re done with the bowl, so you’ll definitely leave here satisfied! I’m not usually a fan of rice, but their purple rice is soft and chewy, which complimented the meat quite well. As a finishing touch, their sesame peanut sauce is out of this world. I can literally eat it with anything and everything –it’s a must!
On my most recent visit, they were also having a poke bowl special to add onto the toro for only $ 3. We decided to try it and it was a unique twist of a poke bowl and they gave plenty of fish. To end my meal, I also finally had the chance to try the squid ink porridge. I tried this dish in shabu spot in SF and fell in love, so I knew I had to try it here. Unfortunately, the rice was still very hard and the flavor was lacking. Even for only a dollar, I will not order the squid ink porridge again. Let’s just stick to their go-​to shabu and you’re good to go.

Mokkoji is legit and I finally got to come here after hearing rave reviews about it from everyone and their moms.
Damn, the food is worth it here. We decided to go all-​out and get the $ 90 for 3 people deal. That, my fine friends, includes the following:
*6 PC HANDROLLS, CHEF’S CHOICE
–Had special requests, but got mixed up
–Got only blue crab and albacore tuna; still good.
*DRINKS/​PERSON INCLUDING ALCOHOL
–How awesome is that
–Too awesome
–They serve craft beer here, guys!
–I got a Pineapple Sculpin IPA
–It was delicious
–Friends got Ginger Ale; delicious but mine was more awesome.
*SAMPLER PLATTER
–Mixed seafood and meat
–Meatballs and seafood balls
–Nice sampler but awkward to split; just be good about it
*MEATS (Mokkoji, NY, & Toro)
–Mokkoji and NY were good but…
–Toro (beef belly) was THE BEST!
*BROTHS
–Additional charge still applies for the special ones
–Fiery Crab (+$ 5) was AWESOME
–Miso was flavorful; friend asked for more miso to make the broth extra flavorful
*UNLIMITED RICE & VEGGIES
–Say whaaaat?!
–Yeah, you heard me.
-… though I found a piece of plastic at the bottom of the you choy for the last round.
–QA, where are you?!
–Rice had some black rice mixed in. An extra plus.
I also have to point out that service was SPECTACULAR here. That is rare for a Chinese staff establishment. I love it and I left absolutely full.
And I never even got to try the squid ink porridge. Next time!

I see the appeal … unlimited veggies (available upon request), good fire crab broth, B/​B+ meat quality, and the idea of grinding-​your-​own sesame seed (fun but somewhat pointless exercise because the staff will pour sesame sauce and ultimately you can’t even taste your own powdered sesame seed). However, the shabu shabu here isn’t good enough to make me want to wait for than 30 minutes and the meal isn’t exactly cheap ($ 25+ per person for dinner).
Even though I heard there’s generally a long wait (like 1+ hour), I was lucky enough to get a table at 5:45 PM during weekend without having to wait at all. To order, you’ll need to pick a broth (special broths like miso, jambalaya, fire crab, and seafood tomato will cost you extra) first and follow by picking a protein (beef, lamb, pork, chicken, shrimp, or combo). If you are still full at the end of the meal, you can pay additional $ 1 for squid ink /​seaweed /​kimchi porridge.
***
Duo (6 pieces of toro [fat on beef belly] + 6 pieces of MF [topblade with tendon] — $ 19.99) + Fire Crab broth (additional $ 4): Very interesting and balanced broth that actually tasted slightly sour with a hint of both seafood and sweet aftertaste. Slightly more spicy than I would like, but the spice level was definitely manageable (maybe slightly less spicy than Sriracha’s spicy level). Good meat, but not as memorable as the fire crab broth.
***
Really a 3.5-star hot pot experience, but I do like the service here.

I’ve been here several times during their lunch hour special, and I have never left unsatisfied! During their lunch hour, there will most likely be a wait because there is a huge price differential between lunch and dinner. I typically order the Toro meat with the Suki Broth, and while sometimes the cuts of meat may vary in size, the overall taste remains the same.
The presentation of the hotpot constantly remains the same, with tofu stamped with their logo with an assortment of veggies. Ingredients are fresh and you can always ask for refills for veggies, such as bok chou, kale, and spinach.
The peanut sauce that goes with the meat is amazing; personally for me the meal would not be the same without it. Combining all the meats, rice, veggies, soup base, and peanut sauce produces an explosion of flavor in the mouth that is just so satisfying.
However, in regards to the soup base, sometimes it may be a little saltier. I always get the same base, and it has always tasted either a little too salty, not salty, or just perfect. It’s not really a deal breaker for me as I always leave with a happy stomach, but it might be for some.
Overall, I would come here again, the service here is excellent and the workers are very friendly. In comparison to to other shabu shabu places, Mokkoji has a one up on most. Average lunch price for 2 was around 28 dollars, so not too bad!!!

Easily one of the best hot pots in the Los Angeles area. Gotta give it up to their manager Nat for always looking out for the customers. Whats different about Mokkoji is that they really care about the food they are putting out on their tables. Ingredients are always fresh.
They start you off with sesame in a grinder bowl and mortar where you grind the sesame seeds. Then they give you their special sesame sauce and another bowl with their ponzu sauce. If you love the sesame flavor, id recommend adding a few drops of sesame oil.
They usually have new broths on rotation so their choices never seem to go stale. I’ve been here a good amount of times and have tried many of their broths. A new favorite they have right now is their seafood cream. It comes with salmon, muscles, and crab. for only +$ 5. Quite a steal when you compare it to their others broths. For protein, Id recommend going for their Toro large size. Says it comes with only 4 additional pieces but in actuality it comes with more. A major plus is they have UNLIMITED rice and vegetable refills!
If you ever feel their broth is not enough for you, or you just wanna do something stupid, as for their hot drop! It’s essentially their hot oil derived from a ghost chili!

I can’t say enough good things about Mokkoji. I’ve been coming here pretty much since they opened and I can’t stay away. Whenever I crave Hot Pot or Shabu Shabu I don’t even think about it — I just come to Mokkoji. All the broth’s are incredibly tasty and flavorful and their meats are fresh and the best quality. The meats and broths changes so you know you get the best and freshest ingredients.
My go-to’s are always the Toro Beef with either the Fire Crab or Spicy Miso broth. My GF also loves the Fire Crab Broth and we get the Congee in the end which is incredible. Every order comes with rice and a veggie bowl that comes with Udon, Tofu and lots of leafy greens. Service is always excellent and friendly. Nat is always friendly and welcoming! I got hungry writing this.

This is one of my favorite Japanese Shabu restaurant. They have 2 locations: Irvine and Arcadia. This place gets super pack and it sucks that they don’t take reservations. So make sure you come early or you will have to wait between 45 – 60 mins. They open at 5:30 pm for dinner. So, make sure you get there early enough to beat the first dinner shift or else you will end up having to wait. The staff here are super friendly. Even though they are busy running around, they still are helpful and will check on you.
The food here is amazing. You can get unlimited free refills on vegetables and rice. The meat quality here is better than most other places. They do come in regular or large size depending on how much protein you are craving for. They offer beef, kobe, beef sirloin, pork, seafood, and chicken. After you pick the protein, next is picking the broth. Depending on the type of broth, you will pay an extra $ 2 – 4. My favorite broth is miso. I love the rich flavor that seasons my veggies and protein while it cooks. The price is a little bit pricer than other places but i think it’s worth the experience and the quality of the meat.
Your dinner experience is not complete until you order the porridge for an extra $ 1. They will mix rice and sesame seeds into your shabu soup until it turns into porridge. I would leave some veggies and cooked meat so you can mix the porridge. I didn’t finish so I ended up taking the rest home to eat the next day. It was still good to eat the next day. I plan to come back and try another broth.

I’m sooooo happy that there’s a Mokkoji near my area! But oh how the wait for this is terrifying! UGH! Me and my girlfriends came here for lunch on a saturday (arrived around 12pm) and we waited about 45 minutes. I guess it wasn’t too bad but I’ve heard their wait can be up to 2 hours! The wait is so long because the place is so small! They only have a couple bar seating and not that many tables. So I would suggest not coming with big parties, I would say 4 max!
I got the mokkoji cut which is an iron flank steak. It’s perfectly marinated and the texture isn’t too chewy or tough. I tried the spicy miso broth and it tasted so good! It wasn’t watery at all. My friend got the beef broth (soaked in beef for 12 hours) and it tasted really good!!! It kinda tasted like phở beef broth but better! It comes with a little beef shank too hayy more meat! The amount of vegetables they give you is very generous! It’s actually more than enough. They have sesame and ponzu sauce which pairs well together and with the meat & vegetables. You can ask for hot drop in your sauces and soup. It’s spicy so get around 1 – 2 drops! Or if you think you can handle it get another 1 or 2. They also have an option of porridge at the end of the meal for $ 1 more. Unfortunately I was too full to try it but I will definitely try it next time!