As winter approaches, Japanese hot pot (Nabe) becomes increasingly popular to combat the chills. In this all-you-can-eat restaurant featuring two authentic Japanese broths – Sukiyaki and Shabu-Shabu – it is sure to fulfil your food craving, as well as leaving you with a warm, fuzzy feeling. The new flagship store in Kabukicho reopened on October 18th 2016, just in time for winter. It is made more foreign friendly with their newly acquainted iPads which help assist the ordering process. In addition, the restaurant was redesigned for a more modern touch with an outdoor view and new arrangements. There is a drink bar with hot beverages, such as coffee, tea as well as soft drinks. Aside from the usual seats, there are also a number of private rooms. This restaurant is suitable for social gatherings, as well as family dinners. It begins by picking the broth of your choice. Sukiyaki is a traditional Japanese broth from Shoudo Island. Its taste is sweet and salty, with minimal broth in the pot. On the other hand, Shabu-Shabu is a deep pot of hot water to cook ingredients in; however, you can season it with any sauce of your choice such as ponzu (citrus) or sesame. Next, it’s time to select your meat! The meat ranges from standard (2,000 yen) to special Japanese beef (4,000 yen).

Momo Paradise has a wide selection of meat, vegetables and other ingredients you can refill at any time. Different types of meat such as beef, pork and chicken from Australia, America and Japan are all available. As you enjoy your meal, waiters with trolleys come along to every table and will serve ingredients to your needs. Sukiyaki is a unique broth to choose because it comes with a twist right upon eating. After cooking your meat in the hot pot, the traditional way to eat it would be to dip it into beaten raw egg. Instead of seasoning the meat with excess dressing, the pure taste of sukiyaki broth combined with raw egg gives the meat a viscous sensation in your mouth. Throughout the meal, you can adjust the intensity of the broth to your liking by freely adding more water or sukiyaki sauce yourself. Momo Paradise is easily accessible as it is located in metropolitan places of Tokyo (Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Takadanobaba). It is an international chained restaurant from Tokyo, with stores in Taiwan, Thailand, China, Vietnam and United States. Luckily, if you can’t get enough of this wonderful all-you-can-eat experience, it can also be enjoyed from many other places of the world!

Getting there

Momo Paradise Kabukicho is just a 5 minute walk north of Shinjuku Station.
 
By Alicia Ruffier des Aimes