Dada Shabu Shabu Buffet

Surviving the pandemic was difficult for buffets – some of our Korean favorites closed, and others returned permanently changed. Like most, Dada Shabu Shabu had a rough patch, but now it has returned to virtually the same experience and standards as before, which make it one of Orange County’s top all-you-can-eat restaurants.

This Korean version of Japanese shabu shabu involves boiling meats, seafood, noodles, and veggies in a two- or three-sectioned soup pot using a multi-level electronic heater built into your table. After selecting broth flavors, six types of thin-sliced meat (lamb, pork, chicken, and three cuts of beef) are hand-delivered by the plate as requested, and you can augment them with seafood, vegetables, and noodles from a buffet area. A sauce bar lets you assemble your choice of dips for the boiled items; sesame, chili paste, soy, and various spices can be used separately or mixed and matched as you prefer.

At the buffet, you’ll also find a small array of cooked buffet dishes with Korean and Chinese leanings, which have included Korean sweet crispy crab, fried chicken, minced galbi, and pig’s feet – fair- to good-tasting snacks while you wait for your broth to come to a boil. On our most recent visit, the crab had been replaced by chili shrimp, perhaps unsurprising given increasing crab prices.