Gom Shabu-Shabu

Shabu shabu is a traditionally Japanese form of «hotpot», where different items are cooked in a simmering broth. I’ve had my fair share of hotpot and shabu shabu, but this was my first time trying a shabu shabu restaurant in Atlanta. Gom Shabu Shabu is actually operated by Korean owners, so don’t expect an authentic Japanese experience, but the fundamental elements are there: a clean broth and thinly sliced meats, served alongside a platter filled with veggies and noodles.
One thing I love about shabu shabu is the clean, simple taste: you start with a basic broth, then cook and eat the different meats and vegetables; gradually, the flavors from all your ingredients linger in the broth and build a unique flavor into every bite. I was initially surprised by the color of the broth that the server poured into my pot — it was purple, which I later assumed was because they use red cabbage as a main stock ingredient. From what I could taste, they didn’t seem to use a traditional dashi broth as the base of their shabu shabu, one minor con. I ordered the beef (always opt for premium over the regular) and was served a plate of thinly sliced beef (about 15 – 20 slices) with a platter of portioned bean sprouts, napa cabbage, fish cakes, enoki mushrooms, sausage, clear noodles, sweet potato, bok choy, and an egg. Sounds like a myriad of random ingredients, but they all have a relatively mild flavor, which is enhanced by the dipping sauce while keeping the broth clear.
Another plus — the sauce! Most of the hot pot restaurants in Atlanta have self-​serving stations, but if you’re like me, the vast array of options are a bit overwhelming. While there is an excitment in exploring and creating different flavor combinations, I’d much rather go straight to enjoying my meal without having to stand at the station, lost and confused, meticulously sampling each flavor but still failing to create a sauce I thoroughly enjoy (yes, this has happened multiple times). What I appreciate about Gom Shabu Shabu is that their waiters will create a dipping sauce for you, based on your level of preferred spiciness. Out of all the sauces I’ve tried, the one my server made for me was probably the tastiest one I’ve had. Mixed in with chili oil, sesame sauce, garlic, cilantro, peppers (and who knows what else) — it was the perfect blend of spicy and tangy. IMO, this factor pushed Gom Shabu Shabu to the top of my mental list for hot pot in the Buford/​Duluth area.
At the end of it all, you leave feeling satisfied and not as if you’d just consumed a heavy meal. The prices are fair (there are far more expensive hot pot/​shabu shabu restaurants in Atlanta than here), portions are plentiful, servers are great and I was very pleased with my experience. Will definitely go again — give this place a try!

I was there with my dad and my brother for lunch today. This spot is pretty popular. When I got there around 1PM, the parking lot was full and the restaurant was busy. I usually get the premium meat. When you order, you get a plateful of veggies, and the waiters fill your hot pot with broth. You control the temperature of the broth and you can personalize your hot pot by putting in (or not putting in) the ingredients they give you. After you’re done eating your meat and your veggies, you can order noodles or rice to make your own Udon or Congee. Oh, and they also give you a little plate of sauce (you can decide if you want a regular spicy sauce or spicy sauce) to dip your cooked meat and veggies in. My family likes this place, and we always come here for lunch.

I was told this is the place to go to for Shabu Shabu, but I think not. Nice small restaurant and good service but food is YUK!
FOOD: They give you plain water to start your broth but no spices. They bring you a small dish of sauce to dip your food into but that wasn’t good either. The veggie plate was a decent portion but the protein was small. We were disappointingly unfulfilled.

For the money, huge portions. Noodles and porridge at the end really does it. Premium beef combo is the way to go.
Shabu shabu this quality is not cheap. The broth is vegetable base and contains NO MSG. How do you get such deep flavored broth with only vegies?!
No complaints about service like some people below. They are pretty whiny. You come for the food, not to get a massage.

Service is great when you ask for something. Only problem is you have to constantly ask for them to do anything. They forgot our order one time. Food is good, not great. Little pricey compared to other shabu places. And I am being picky here but when you order clams, they give you the tiny small ones where as in other places give you the big ones.
Best is they make the sauce for you. You have 4 choices of not spicy, regular, extra spicy, and super spicy. And the sauce is good.
My biggest gripe is they don’t have a ladle. It’s really annoying especially when you have to dealing with noodles and stuff.
After you finish, you have an option of adding rice to your broth which makes a porridge. It’s not bad.

This place was pretty good. There are many shabu shabu places around here.
The broth was pretty good and the amount of vegetables and meat were good portioned. I really like their sauce to dip your veggies and meat into. And afterwards the porridge they make out of the left over broth is on point! That is what I look forward to the most out of anything! It’s just so good and my favorite! Be careful not to get burnt, the silver pot they heat everything in can get really hot so watch your hands!
Their service is not that great. The price is fairly reasonable for the amount that is given.
My friend brought me here for the first time, because she really enjoyed it. And we came back again because we enjoyed it last time. It is perfect for a cold rainy day or when you are sick. It can get really busy here, so hopefully you’ll be able to be seated in a reasonable amount of time.

1^st time here, food was ok, service was not that spectacklcular. I give it to them that the sauce is on point.
Now let me elaborate a little more on service, you greet us at the door and we don’t know what your saying does not mean good service. We are out of drinks for about 20 mins and I see you greeting your friends and chit-​chat. Coming by the table and smiling then leaving ain’t no service in my opinion. It’s call southern hospitality. Giving me a pen to sign my check that I had to ask for, don’t even work at all Wtf. Then wife is upset and goes to the car. Waiter that didn’t even do no cleaning coming chase me down to my car and ask me why I did not tip. I did not know I have to tip someone that did not clean or give me my water when I was out. Place was not crowed only us and another table. Insulted me that I am suppose to tip, I’m sorry I only tip for great service and people who talk to you when eating. I gave her $ 5 to just go back inside before it was about to get ugly.
Never again I’m coming to this place or recommend to any of my friends. I drove 115 miles for BS.

I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE!
Worst service and poor food quality.
Vegetables were not fresh at all. Other shabu shabu places in the same area give you alot more with much better quality and better service.
I will not return to this place.

I am giving this place one stars because the server actually make a good sauce. But other than that, I wouldn’t return here. The sauce was good but everything else was bad. First off, when you have a competitor right across from your restaurant, you would think that this place would have great service. But nope, I was given a horrible service. The server was rude and mean. I was scared to ask questions because the way they respond to my first question was flat out mean. Another thing, the only soup base that this place offer are vegetable broth and nothing else. Their premium beef, which unlike Shabu Shabu, is thinly sliced and not worth the extra one dollar. Overall, my experience with this place was so bad, me and my boyfriend left feeling hungry and mad. I paid 30 $ for two people and was still very very hungry and unsatisfied when I left. Save your money and go across the street to J’s Mini Hot Pot for a better hot pot experience.

I think this is by far the best Korean-​style shabu place in Atlanta, but their quality of service and upkeep of the store at the Duluth store is declining.
First the good. The broth here is great! If you take a close look at it, it’s kinda purple from the red cabbage that they use. Other Korean shabu places have broth that is usually one-​note and dull. I usually get the beef or the mushroom set, but the seafood one is nice, too. Something about Gom’s sauce is the best! I either get the regular or the really hot (really not too bad) versions. It’s a blend of spicy, savory, and slightly sweet. If you’re planning on a big meeting with the bos sthe next day, remember to ask for the sauce without garlic.
For those of you who are new to this, in addition to the main protein or veggie that you choose, you also get a side of greens, fishcake, cellophane noodles, and an uncooked egg. Once the broth is hot and boiling, you can either dump all your stuff into the pot or cook them one at a time. (Shabu shabu is a Japanese word for this process and is an onomatopoeia of the beef swiping in the water. What a cute language…) Everyone cooks pretty fast, so don’t get lazy! The cellophane noodles just need a quick dip in the broth, and they’re good to go. The nice thing about all of this is that you can eat your meal however you like.
If you still have space in your stuffed belly, get the jook (congee) or noodles. Bonus time! If you’ve saved your egg, you can use it for this portion of your meal. Yum. Don’t forget to ask for the side of kimchi.
Now the bad. The place needs new burners and one can stop functioning without notice at any moment. This happened to two of my friends on previous visits. They also have these weird dividers between some of the tables to create more space for their customers, but getting in and out of your seat without disturbing the others is really difficult. Once 2 of us got seated at this makeshift arrangement but there were only 4 – 5 other people in the restuarant. Not sure why we were crowded into this space.
Overall excellent food but could use some work on the space.

Shabu shabu is nearly always good here. Their broth had a light, delicious flavor. Prices are on the steeper side but some may consider it to be well worth it.
Also, their bean sprouts are complementary!
I got the clam & beef combo and only had the clams. They were huge and super meaty. If you like seafood, I’d really recommend them because it made the broth really delicious.
The servers were all super nice and made the meal a much better experience for me and the family.
I think I may like this place a little more than Shabu & Shabu!

This place gets the job done if you don’t have time for shabu shabu at home, but can’t say that the price is worth it for what it is. Nonetheless, it is plenty of food and you will leave full.
The broth is not tasty at all. Very unsatisfactory actually.
The dipping sauce is everything. It’s really really good.
A little bit annoyed that it was extra for the rice or noodles at the end of the meal that is usually added to the remaining broth. All the other places I’ve been to, it’s always been included.

This is one of my favorite restaurants. I’ve been coming here for number of years, and I’ve found their quality of food consistent and fresh every time.
If you’ve not tried shabu shabu, which is a food cooking derivative from Mongolia, you’ll find the experience refreshing and entertaining. To help sustain their nomadic like style Mongolians sliced their meat extra thin and cooked in its own broth with vegetables to cook them faster and keep them tender.

I’m more a fan of mini hotpot because they give you more vegetables and more varieties of veggies. Plus, at mini hotpot there’s more sauce selection. Here the waiters will make the sauce for you and a nice addition to this place is that you have the option of getting rice porridge afterwards from the left over broth. The meat is rather little. Definitely won’t be back unless mini hotpot closes (god forbids).

I usually go to Mini Hot Pot but today I felt like trying something new.
Gom Shabu Shabu is located on Satellite Blvd. pretty spacious inside compare from the look on the outside. I ordered the shrimp and beef ($ 1 extra for the premium beef). There were like 5 or 6 pieces of shrimp, plate of veggies (1 mushroom, korean cabbage, Bok Choy, corn, sausage, imitation crab stick, rice cake, clear noodle, and pumpkin slice. I ordered dumplings $ 1.99 for 3pcs) as a side and porridge.
There is a bar for you to make sauces but if it’s your first time, you can ask the server to make it for you. I chose mild sauce. Sauce includes lot of green onions, garlic and their special sauce. I added extra sirracha because it was too mild for me. I feel that broth is bit blend but as you cook the broth more, it becomes more flavorful.
Best part of the hot pot is the porridge. Server will come and make a porridge with your left over broth. It was delicious!!!
Service is good, there is a bell for you to ring for service.

It’s a good shabu place. Good broth, good meats.
Service is ok. I wish you didn’t have to ring the button to get their attention.
They have a sauce bar to dip your various meats in which I like. I wish they had an unlimited meat option. Other than that. Not bad. It can get pricey if you are really hungry.

Billy M. is absolutely right. The wait staff stinks if you’re not Korean. My daughter and I went there 3÷22÷14 and were immediately sat in a far corner. The guy took our order, brought our food and only checked on us once during the entire time. There were two other Korean parties across from us and their waiter was constantly checking on them, getting them things and being very attentive. Compared to the Mini Hot Pot just down the road (which we loved but wanted to comparison shop), the food portions were meager. In the end, we were ready to leave and waited for the check. Ten minutes later, I had to go to the counter just to ask for it. Highly DON’T recommend if you’re not Korean.

Gom Shabu Shabu is a Korean hot pot place. They work like the other hotpot-​like places around the area.
When you order, you get a plate of nappa, red cabbage, hotdog, tofu, dduk, fish cakes, noodles, egg, corn, mushrooms, bok choy, squash, broccoli, and other vegetables.
Like everyone said, their premium beef is good. it’s fresh and tastes good. You have to swish it around a few seconds in the hot broth to have it cooked to perfection. You shouldn’t leave it in the broth too long or it will overcook.
The broth seems like chicken broth. But I’m not sure about that. It has a nice taste. We just add some of the sauces from the sauce bar to kick it up a notch.
The service was good. They didn’t seem too friendly, but they were in a hurry and efficient. You ring the door bell to beckon the servers. And they seem fast to respond.
You can choose to make the sauce yourself or have the employees make it. I chose to make it myself. They didn’t have much sauces to offer. They had chili oil, garlic, cilantro, ponzu, seafood sauce, ketchup, Sriracha, and others. Unfortunately, a few of the containers weren’t labeled. So I didn’t know what they were. But they looked like soy sauce and other.

I’m not Korean, It was my first time in a Shabu-​Shabu and I went alone. Still, I enjoy it :-)
Perhaps not knowing what or how to do it, it did not help. Even though the waiter gave me the «basic rules» I felt I was not doing it right. The waiter was very patient, friendly and spoke a better English than mine ;-)
I chose seafood soup and it was good and plenty. The dipping sauce was excellent.
I will try shabu-​shabu again with someone with more experience.

«Gom» means bear in Korean. Shabu-​shabu is Japanese-​style hot pot. Gom Shabu-​Shabu is a Korean owned and operated hot pot restaurant with a Japanese name. The hot pot at Gom is more akin to Chinese or Taiwanese hot pot (like Mini Hot Pot) rather than authentic shabu-​shabu. Traditional shabu-​shabu includes ingredients such as chrysanthemum leaves, seaweed, carrots, and shiitake and enokitake mushrooms. You won’t find any of that here, so don’t be misled.
If you’re not specifically seeking out shabu-​shabu, however, Gom Shabu-​Shabu is a solid hot pot restaurant. Nicely decorated in traditional Korean style with woods, curtains, and private booths, each diner gets his/​her very own hot pot. The hot pots are built into the tables. This place even has a bar and each patron sitting at the bar gets his/​her own hot pot. Large groups can reserve a private room in the back, which has a table that can seat up to 10.
The ordering process is simple. You order one of 16 items off the main menu, generally consisting of meat and seafood, and then add any additional items off the side menu. The meat and seafood consists of beef, pork, lamb, fish cake, tripe, shrimp, mussels, and squid. You can order additional meat and seafood off the side menu as well as a variety of vegetables.
Each order from the main menu comes with a plateful of veggies, egg, tofu, seaweed, fish cake, sausage, and a clump of noodles. The veggies include Napa cabbage, red cabbage, mini corn-​on-​the-​cob, broccoli, bok choy, and pumpkin. The noodles are described on the menu as «yam» noodles, but they have no relation to the American sweet potato. These noodles are white and when cooked, turn semi-​translucent.
Definitely shell out the extra dollar for the «premium» beef. I think the quality of all the meat and seafood is good and fresh. The beef and pork are thinly sliced and are tender and savory. Consider ordering an extra side of meat because the portions are not generous (though what hot pot place is?).
What can really make the meal is the dipping sauce. The restaurant has two dipping sauce stations where you can make your own sauce. The servers can also help you make your sauce if you have no idea what you’re doing. I recommend having the servers make it. You can request different levels of spiciness. I like my sauce with extra garlic, cilantro, and chili pepper. It’s addictive.
Since there are individual hot pots, each person cooks his/​her own food. Just boil the ingredients you think are good and eat away. Everyone has different preferences. Some people like to cook certain ingredients (e.g. meat, noodles) longer than others. Some people like to crack their egg while others don’t. It’s all up to you.
One of my only minor gripes with Gom Shabu-​Shabu is their lack of wire ladles. Instead, they just give you regular soup spoons. This makes it difficult to scoop up some of the ingredients from inside the pot, especially noodles. Come on, Gom, even Mini Hot Pot has ladles.
Service is typically very good. As with most Korean restaurants, there is a button at your table you can press whenever you need to call the server’s attention.
Gom Shabu-​Shabu is located in a strip mall close to the Pleasant Hill-​Satellite Blvd. intersection. It’s the biggest business in the strip mall, so it’s hard to miss. Just look out for neon lights in the windows and the giant red «Shabu-​Shabu» sign on top. There’s plenty of parking.