Spring Shabu-Shabu

At Spring Shabu-Shabu, you cook dinner in a pot of broth at the table. Start with dashi, pork bone, kimchi or a mushroom-and-vegetable broth, then visit the buffet for vegetables, noodles, rice cakes and fish cakes. The sauce bar lets you mix something to dip everything in as it comes out of the pot.

The important distinction is the bill: the buffet price does not include meat and seafood platters, which you order separately. Beef, pork, chicken, shrimp and other seafood are among the choices. Finish with vanilla or matcha soft serve. The Western Avenue restaurant seats parties first come, first served and does not take reservations; last seating is half an hour before closing.