AROUND TOWN: Shabu-Shabu Paradise a unique, fun dining experience

One of my favorite restaurants in the valley is without a doubt Shabu-Shabu Paradise, located at 1716 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway in Henderson.

I have always been fond of different and unique dining experiences, and shabu-shabu is one of the most fun, making eating a more interactive and social experience. The restaurant is ideal for a fun date or a night out with friends. Even if you are a ways from Henderson, as I am, I would highly recommend the drive.

Shabu-shabu, which translates to swish-swish, is a traditional Japanese cuisine in which meat, fish and vegetables are cooked in a pot of boiling dashi, or kelp-based broth, by swishing the pieces of food back and forth with chopsticks. The raw meats are sliced extremely thin and can cook up in about five seconds, while shrimp and scallops take a minute or so. The cooked meat, fish and vegetables are then dipped into sauces—Shabu-Shabu Paradise offers ponzu, peanut, and spicy ponzu, my personal favorite.

The entrees offered are vegetables, scallops, chicken, shrimp and beef, with a more pricey kobe beef on the menu, as well. And no need to worry about getting enough to eat. The vegetables, rice and sauces are all bottomless. And ice cream is on the house.

The menu has grown immensely since I started going to Shabu-Shabu Paradise more than a year and a half ago. In addition to the entrees, the appetizer list includes such items as bamboo salad, edamame and crab.

Even more extensive is the sake list— my favorite is the sparkling sake, which I found to be a little lighter and sweeter than most.

Most of the appetizers are in the $3-$10 range, while the entrees are $18-$25 for dinner, depending on how hungry you are.

To read more about Shabu-Shabu Paradise, check out this View article from last year.

Review-Journal columnist Heidi Knapp Rinella also gave the restaurant a favorable review earlier this year.

The cooking style allows diners to spend time eating, chatting and generally making fun of others’ chopstick-using skills. But don’t worry— If you aren’t good at using chopsticks, they’ll give you a “trainer” set or a skimmer.