Long Island JBBQ

This past weekend I had my first JBBQ experience and it was amazing! I visited JBBQ & Shabu Shabu at their new location in Smithtown. I was blown away with how clean and big the restaurant was. There are tables and stoves of all different sizes, making it the perfect location for any event. With that being said, I was shocked with how fast the space filled up. We made sure to arrive early to beat the crowd. When we left there was a crowd waiting to be seated. Pro Tip: I highly suggest making a reservation. If you choose otherwise, make sure you get there no later than 5 PM.

Now as I said, this was my first JBBQ experience and I am not going to lie I was slightly overwhelmed when we sat down. The options were endless! Our waiter did a great job on settling my nerves and explaining how everything works. At JBBQ & Shabu Shabu, you get an option of the following: AYCE Hot Pot only, AYCE BBQ only or AYCE Hot Pot and BBQ. We of course opted for the AYCE Hot Pot and BBQ option.

Once we got comfortable, we got busy ordering. We started off with picking the broth for our Hot Pot. This was an easy decision- a split pot with miso and spicy broth. We kept the plates simple for the Hot Pot since this was a completely new concept to us. Our order included

• Pork Gyoza

• Sliced Ribeye Steak

• Shiitaki Mushrooms

• Potatoes

I found the Hot Pot to be delicious and ended up liking it more than the BBQ. The pork gyoza mixed with the spicy broth was delicious!

We ordered many rounds of plates for the BBQ. Fair warning, we went heavy on the meats. Our order included

• Original Pork Belly

• Angus Steak

• Marinated Short Ribs

• Thin Beef Brisket

• Marinated Beef Cubes

• Beef Tongue

• Sliced Onion

• Zucchini

The meat was thinny cut, tender and fatty- just how I like it! The sauces they served with the BBQ were sooo delicious, I only wish they gave bigger servings. I did have some difficulty with the meat getting stuck to the grill, but that was probably due to us not buttering the grill enough. I would have preferred if they gave us a serving of butter, rather than individual butter packets. That would have made it much easier for us.

Overall, I had a fun dinning experience at JBBQ & Shabu Shabu and would recommend it to someone looking to change up their dinner plans. This is a great spot for any occasion- birthday parties, double dates or family-friendly dinners. If you never had Hot Pot, I highly recommend giving it a shot!