Premium Shabu Shabu in a kopitiam?

Yes, you read the title right. The newly revamped kopitiam at Hillion Mall has seen the launch of Shabu Days, which serves Japanese hotpot with high-quality meat and fresh vegetables.

Shabu Days is located on level 2 of Hillion Mall, and can be found when you walk straight into the kopitiam; it occupies the middle section.

While there are booths on both sides of the stall, Shabu Days aims to mirror Japanese counter-style seating, called kappo-style, for a more authentic and immersive experience where the staff can serve you directly and easily.

What we tried at Shabu Days

I ordered the Mega Pork Collar Shabu Set (S$22.90) and chose their Bonito Kombu soup base, topping up an extra S$1 for their raw udon. I was also recommended their Kimura Cider (S6.80) as my drink, and I got the grape-flavoured one.

This set also included their Yasai Garden Bowl and 3-Treasure Bowl. Service was quick, and I noticed that they had pre-made their garden bowls, which consisted of 2 types of mushrooms – shimeji and enoki – as well as pumpkin, 3 slices of radish, a carrot peel, and lettuce.

My bonito kombu soup base arrived shortly after, and there were a few kelp pieces lurking at the bottom of the pot. The broth tasted savoury and had a light umami taste, which I enjoyed.

The mega pork collar really did live up to its name, as a large portion was delivered onto our table. Pro tip: Shabu Days slices their meat in their central station, so if you want a good view, be sure to take up the booths on the right side. My dining companion and I found that the pork collar was good and had a really buttery mouthfeel to it.

Meanwhile, my dining companion chose the Japanese A5 Wagyu Chuck Roll (S$39.90) Shabu Set, with the Sukiyaki with Pasteurised Egg soup base, and Ramen for her carb. Her drink of choice was the Muscat Kimura Cider (S$6.80).

The sukiyaki with pasteurised egg broth had a distinct flavour profile, and its sweetness hit me like a truck. The eggy taste kicked in right at the end. Personally, I felt that this broth was rather overwhelming, but my dining partner enjoyed it.

The wagyu slices were thick, and it took us a while to finish the entire dish. The meat was soft and had intricate marbling and a velvety texture to it, accompanied by a delicate richness.

While the portions of meat were generous, I do wish I had followed my dining companion’s choice in ordering ramen instead of udon, as I felt that the udon portion was rather small and not as filling.

Rounding up our evening, we added on the DIY Egg Risotto for S$3.50, and had to use the remainder of our broth to make it. We were given a card with step-by-step instructions on how to execute it, but we are not the best with interpretation, and a staff member sensed our confusion and helped us make it instead.

He started out by pouring the rice into our leftover broth, then adding pepper and spring onions. He mixed it thoroughly, leaving it to simmer while cracking open the egg, and waiting for another 30 seconds. Only then did he add the egg and mix it all together.

The result was creamy and silky, and a great way to round off our meal.

Overall, I found the experience to be comforting due to the friendliness of the staff there, and the meal had straightforward flavours and quality ingredients. The idea of having a Japanese experience in the middle of a kopitiam is certainly a unique one, so come down and experience it for yourself!

Shabu Bar: Singapore’s 1st-ever solo shabu hotpot concept at a food court