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  • - All right.

  • Steven, Adam, here we are.

  • The season finale.

  • - That's right.

  • For this episode, we are doing something crazy

  • that we've never done before.

  • Two high priced meals against each other,

  • Omakase hot pot versus a big meats baller board.

  • Is it worth it

  • Make it worth it

  • Make it worth it

  • Worth it worth it

  • - So the two restaurants in today's episode,

  • were actually filmed for two separate episodes originally,

  • but we had to pause production due to COVID-19

  • and we decided that

  • we'd like to still share these restaurants with you

  • and that they would actually make a great comparison

  • in one video.

  • So we'll be hosting this episode with me in the Highlander,

  • Steven and Adam at home,

  • showing you these restaurants which actually make,

  • for a very interesting comparison.

  • - You may not think that a hot pot and a meat board

  • would make sense together.

  • However, they're both incredible steak experiences

  • and both of them, you sit down

  • and don't have to make any decisions.

  • Today,

  • on Worth It,

  • we're going to be trying

  • two delicious beef dishes

  • at two drastic price points

  • and finding out which one is the most worth it

  • at it's price.

  • All right.

  • For the hot pot, we are headed to New York City.

  • And where are we going today, Andrew?

  • - We're on our way to a place called Shabu Shabu Mayumon.

  • We're gonna speak with Mayu and Junki,

  • and we're going to have a very special hotpot dinner.

  • It is

  • omakase style.

  • - That's right.

  • We're gonna get some premium beef

  • and they're gonna be doing the dipping for us so,

  • we literally cannot mess this up.

  • Well, unless you can't transfer the food to your mouth,

  • which in that case is on you.

  • (bright piano music)

  • - Here we are at Shabu Shabu Mayumon.

  • Thank you for having us.

  • What style of restaurant is Shabu Shabu Mayumon?

  • - We offer like a omakase style of the shabu-shabu,

  • a type of that Japanese hot pot.

  • The way of the cooking

  • with the swishing the meat in the dashi broth,

  • then dipping the sauce and then eat.

  • The omakase, it's like type of tasting menu.

  • - And I've heard omakase being referred to sushi.

  • Is it common to see omakase for shabu-shabu?

  • - Not really. (laughing)

  • Only two locations

  • offer like a shabu-shabu omakase, even not in Japan.

  • - [Andrew] What is the menu consists of?

  • - So, it comes three appetizers first.

  • After three appetizers, beef,

  • and then soba noodle and dessert.

  • - We just focus on paying attention to detail

  • and also like the service for the guests.

  • 'Cause, the idea from shabu-shabu,

  • it's like a home style.

  • - I just want customer enjoy the food and the time

  • cause like I do everything

  • so you don't need to do anything.

  • - So this is your shabu-shabu place then?

  • - Yep.

  • - Then the name of the restaurant is named after you?

  • - Mm-hmm.

  • Mon means, the end of the nickname in Japanese.

  • Like Stevenmon. (laughing)

  • (contemporary music) (clinking)

  • - Thank you for coming.

  • We're gonna start with sake.

  • It's apéritif.

  • Thank you. - [Steven] Thank you.

  • - Cheers to that. (Mayu laughing)

  • - Tastes like an Apple!

  • - Yeah. (Mayu laughing)

  • It's so fruity.

  • Wait, I thought you said the hot pot

  • doesn't come until later.

  • - It's not the hot pot.

  • So, it's assorted mushroom.

  • This is ponzu.

  • - [Steven] Should we begin?

  • - I think we better.

  • Because we've got a lot of courses to get through.

  • I like that

  • we're starting off

  • a meat centric menu

  • with a very meaty substitute.

  • - This is our yuba.

  • Yuba is basically tofu skin.

  • - This is interesting.

  • She's dipping tofu skin

  • inside liquid tofu skin.

  • Why is that?

  • - It's just makes it soft.

  • - This is very reminiscent of the tea ceremony:

  • taking your time,

  • really valuing every ingredient.

  • - So it's a one bite.

  • - [Andrew] One bite!

  • Cheers Steven. - Cheers.

  • - I got the word to describe that, contrast.

  • - [Andrew] So the hot pot has arrived,

  • but we still have

  • one more appetizer. - [Mayu] Right.

  • - [Mayu] Dashi is a kombu broth

  • Kombu is a kind of seaweed. Shrimp and caviar.

  • - [Steven] Thank you.

  • - [Mayu] It's also another one bite.

  • - That was truly spectacular.

  • Wow!

  • - I gotta say that the flavor of garlic and caviar together,

  • I think is not very common, but it is really delicious.

  • So you've brought out the next section of the menu.

  • Right? - Yeah.

  • - This is A5 Miyazaki Wagyu ribeye,

  • which come from the Japan

  • and that's a highest quality.

  • And then we use Washugyu.

  • Washugyu is a crossbreed of

  • Tajima beef and Angus beef from Oregon State. And pork belly.

  • - [Steven] Why are you swishing the meat like that?

  • - [Mayu] Faster and equally to cook.

  • First piece is A5 Miyazaki wagyu ribeye,

  • with Karajiru sauce.

  • Karajiru is a soba dipping sauce.

  • - So soft.

  • - [Mayu] It's melting in the mouth?

  • - It absolutely did melt in my mouth.

  • Yeah.

  • When you're cooking in the broth,

  • what are you looking out for?

  • - It's not the, how long it is.

  • So I'm just looking at

  • the color of the meat.

  • Washugyu with a Karajiru.

  • - One bite?

  • - Yes. (laughing)

  • - The texture is fluffy!

  • - When we do shabu-shabu,

  • we usually do like beef and pork

  • and some vegetable together so people don't get bored.

  • (growling)

  • - [Mayu] Washugyu with ponzu.

  • So I'm gonna make a hand roll now,

  • with Miyazaki beef. - [Andrew and Steven] Ooh!

  • - Thank you.

  • One bite?

  • - Maybe two bite. (laughing)

  • - The rice in the seaweed is a nice reprieve.

  • - That's our pork belly and the lettuce.

  • - This reminds me of...

  • bo ssam, Korean pork belly wrapped in lettuce,

  • but the reversal!

  • - [Andrew] And are we about to see tomato sauce go on this?

  • Oh, that's the tomato sauce. - [Wayu] Yeah.

  • Wow! - Really orange.

  • It snuck up on me. - [Steven] Yeah.

  • - So, all sauces are homemade and we have 12 sauces.

  • One is tomato sauce and one is vegan basil,

  • and balsamic soy sauce.

  • It's kind of Italian, French style.

  • But we use with some soy sauce,

  • still keeping like Japanese flavors.

  • (contemporary music)

  • - It's really good. - I needed that.

  • We've now entered anchovy and garlic

  • based sauce. - [Steven] Whoa!

  • (contemporary music)

  • I feel like I just snuck out to a different restaurant

  • and like ate something off somebody else's table

  • and then (laughing)

  • ran back into - Came back.

  • the shabu-shabu place.

  • - Wait, that's a

  • vegetarian wonton?

  • - Mozzarella cheese inside.

  • There's wonton, mozzarella cheese, and basil.

  • - So, is this a Chinese inspired thing

  • or Italian? (Mayu laughing)

  • - [Mayu] Chinese-Italian.

  • - Could a cheese dish at shabu-shabu

  • be better than all the meats?

  • - Maybe.

  • - Our hand roll with Washugyu.

  • - [Steven] Thank you.

  • - [Mayu] Also, it's a pork bell and spinach,

  • sesame sauce and yuzu pepper.

  • Fig sauce, blue cheese, basil, balsamic soy sauce.

  • - [Andrew] Adam, I'm gonna let you have this one.

  • He's stunned.

  • He's speechless.

  • He's just ratatouille'd himself.

  • (laughing)

  • - Washugyu with wasabi.

  • - That was the best one.

  • - [Mayu] That's a sukiyaki flavor.

  • - And what is Sukiyaki?

  • - A kind of, another Japanese hot pot.

  • - Oh, - [Mayu] Yeah.

  • so this is a play on another Japanese hot pot?

  • - In Japan, we put in the raw egg and then eat.

  • (contemporary music)

  • - The egg gives an even softer sensation in the mouth.

  • - Like, can we just drink this egg?

  • - [Mayu] Yeah.

  • - That's really good.

  • - So now we are moving to the soba noodle.

  • So, we make soba noodle here

  • and it's 100% buckwheat,

  • so it's kind of difficult to make.

  • - [Junki] So, the owner used to be a

  • soba artisan in Japan.

  • He taught us how to make it.

  • - So, the broth is the remaining soup from the shabu-shabu.

  • This is roast beef.

  • - So, is this a traditional flavor for soba noodles?

  • - [Mayu] Not really.

  • It's more like Vietnamese phstyle.

  • - Oh, right.

  • (slurping)

  • Wow, those are great.

  • - Whoa!

  • Is it possible to be comforted

  • from something you were already comforted from?

  • You know when people say,

  • "I need a vacation from my vacation."

  • This was like comforting hot pot,

  • but then like comforted from the comforting hot pot.

  • - [Andrew] Yeah, I like that.

  • That's great.

  • - It's a tea, roasted green tea.

  • It's a hōjicha.

  • jicha is a roasted rice tea,

  • and then red bean on the side,

  • and the soybean powder and

  • buckwheat seed on the top.

  • - Ooh!

  • It's like when you're eating

  • s'mores and hot chocolate and you're by the fire, it's good.

  • (chuckles)

  • - I'm blown away, overall,

  • by how gentle of a dining experience this was.

  • - This is actually like a fine dining steak experience,

  • but it just happens to be cooked shabu-shabu style.

  • - This was great.

  • Thank you so much. - [Mayu] Thank you.

  • - Thank you so much.

  • - That was insane.

  • I thought I knew what a hot pot could be but,

  • I was wrong.

  • - And it was so much more than just a hot pot restaurant.

  • - [Steven] Beef fact.

  • - This is actually a Worth It fact.

  • - [Steven] Worth It fact!

  • - Including this episode, there are 66 episodes of worth it.

  • How many episodes of worth it

  • feature the hosts eating beef?

  • - Wait, so did you just go through the library

  • and watch every moment of us eating something

  • and count every single time we eat beef?

  • - Yup.

  • - Respect. (chuckles)

  • My number is 13.

  • - My number is 19.

  • - 34.

  • - What! (laughing)

  • - It doesn't make any sense.

  • How's that possible?

  • - In the salad episode,

  • you guys eat two steaks.

  • In the pie episode,

  • you go to Pie and Burger and eat a burger.

  • (laughing)

  • - Whose fault is that?

  • - [Adam] Pancake episode, you eat a beef and cheese.

  • (laughing) - I forgot about that.

  • - Okay.

  • Well, that was an unsettling fact, Adam,

  • but thank you for that.

  • Next up in this episode on beef,

  • we're gonna be going to Houston, Texas

  • to speak with an old friend of ours.

  • And we've made it.

  • We're back in Houston.

  • - That's right.

  • We're on our way now to a place called Georgia James,

  • which is run by chef Chris Shepherd.

  • Now you may remember,

  • a couple of seasons back for our pie episode

  • when we were in Houston,

  • we also saw Chris at his previous restaurant, Underbelly.

  • Chris has since transformed Underbelly into this new

  • restaurant, Georgia James.

  • So we're going back to the same physical place,

  • but for a wildly different experience.

  • - Today, we're getting something that is called,

  • the baller board.

  • - So you don't know the price of this when you order it.

  • Basically you ask for the baller board

  • and then they put

  • a combination of their best dishes on this board.

  • This might actually be the craziest thing

  • we've ever had on Worth It.

  • The fact that you don't know what it's gonna cost,

  • you just know that it's gonna cost a lot.

  • - I love it.

  • (bright upbeat music)

  • - First of all, thanks for having us back.

  • - It's good to see you.

  • - Georgia James is a steakhouse,

  • but what does that mean for you?

  • - I wanted to do a different style of steakhouse,

  • basically what it would look like

  • if you came to my house on a Sunday night.

  • How would I do the sides?

  • How would I cook a steak?

  • Sides are a little bit different,

  • but it's gonna be cast iron seared steaks.

  • - [Andrew] So, today we're having something called

  • the baller board. - Yeah.

  • The baller board is not part of your menu, right?

  • - [Chris] We don't talk about it.

  • - [Andrew] A lot of people are gonna know about it

  • after this.

  • - Yeah, yeah.

  • At Underbelly, you know,

  • we spent a lot of time just curating menus for you.

  • If you have a four top or six top or eight top of people

  • and they're just like, "We don't really know.

  • We just want to put a bunch of stuff together."

  • And it's like, "Okay, let's see what we're gonna do."

  • And then it became the baller board.

  • It's not the cheapest thing to do.

  • It definitely averages per person.

  • But I mean, if you're like, "You can't out ball me."

  • It's like, "Oh, okay.

  • Yeah, we can actually."

  • It's always like thoughtful and delicious.

  • You know, it's not just a bunch of stuff

  • thrown on the plate.

  • It takes four to ride, minimum of four people.

  • Even if you're three, it's still gonna be food for four.

  • You really don't get a choice in anything.

  • It's a really good way to eat.

  • So you're probably gonna get things that you

  • may and may not have tried

  • and thought you wanted, but you didn't.

  • - So coming in,

  • I don't know what it's gonna cost in the end?

  • - No, nope.

  • - Is there a range typically?

  • - Nope.

  • We basically just cost like whatever it is on the board.

  • So, it's clearly documented.

  • (laughing)

  • - I'm excited.

  • - [Chris] Greg Peters, who is the chef here.

  • And then Matt Coburn, who is the sous chef.

  • They're gonna put everything together for you.

  • - So you guys are gonna be making the baller board today?

  • - Yes, sir.

  • - Absolutely.

  • - How do you decide what goes on this board?

  • - So, nightly that falls on either one of us, the both of us.

  • Nothing is off the table.

  • There's steak, plenty of seafood, chicken, lamb.

  • Part of the mystique of the baller board is that

  • there are some items on there

  • that are not gonna be on the menu.

  • If we feel like buying things like foie gras,

  • having caviar in the building,

  • sometimes things like that

  • get purchased only for baller boards.

  • So pretty much every steak that leaves in this kitchen

  • is seared in a cast iron pan.

  • Nice sear, a nice crust.

  • - Restaurants use broilers or grills.

  • That steak is gonna leech moisture and blood and juices.

  • On a grill or broiler, all of that is getting lost.

  • But when we're cooking it in the cast iron pan,

  • all of it's staying in the pan.

  • So we're essentially building the flavor.

  • - [Greg] Every other dish kinda gets put on hold for that

  • three and a half minute plate up.

  • - [Matt] One guy is throwing sides,

  • doing a swoosh of whipped potatoes,

  • I'm slicing steaks on the back pass,

  • some guy is coming around with crab legs.

  • It's a - Yeah.

  • well oiled machine that just all comes together.

  • (clinking)

  • - We've come a long way on this show.

  • - In some ways, we've gone nowhere.

  • (laughing)

  • - Oh my!

  • - [Greg] All right, gang, how are we doing?

  • - I'm not sure.

  • It's like when fear takes away your appetite.

  • - Right? (laughing)

  • I'm here to give you a little rundown.

  • First up though,

  • we have some Alaskan King crab leg, cream collard greens,

  • whole roasted snapper filet. - What!

  • Heavy on the creole seasoning. - You missed it?

  • Heavy on the butter,

  • right there. - I didn't see it from here.

  • Next to that, we have some smashed fried new potatoes.

  • And then on top of that,

  • we have about our 20 ounce, 44 Farms tenderloin.

  • Top that with a nice piece of seared

  • foie gras and some caviar,

  • some smoked pork

  • and topped with a little bit of a ssamjang sauce.

  • So kind of a Korean influence on there.

  • The center of the board,

  • is our most unique steak here in house.

  • It's about a 95-day dry-aged long bone ribeye,

  • brown butter roasted mushrooms, loaded mashed potato.

  • Right here's our wagyu zabuton.

  • We have some roasted cauliflower

  • topped with a tomato curry.

  • That about covers it.

  • No right or wrong way to attack it.

  • Dig in and enjoy yourselves.

  • - [Andrew] Thank you so much. - Cool?

  • - [Steven] Amazing.

  • - Thank you all.

  • - Thank you. - Thank you.

  • I wanna talk about what we just witnessed,

  • which I would possibly say is the greatest show

  • I've ever seen in a kitchen.

  • - I legitimately forgot that there was a fish on this board

  • because I can't even see the fish on this board.

  • How about we start with that choice, rare,

  • - I like where

  • you're going with that. - [Andrew] piece of meat.

  • - [Stevens] Let's go.

  • Wow. (laughing)

  • - [Andrew] I'm wasting no more time.

  • - Cheers. (bright upbeat music)

  • Oh my God!

  • The crust is so insane.

  • - Let's compare the wagyu now to the Angus ribeye.

  • - Oh, whoa!.

  • Look at that.

  • - [Adam] Did you already eat it?

  • - Yeah, you're right. (laughing)

  • - Ooh!

  • This is super fun.

  • Let's get the tenderloin.

  • - Yeah, let's go to this tenderloin.

  • Do you want to shmear the foie gras?

  • - You know what?

  • This is worth it, baby.

  • - [Andrew] This is hedonism...

  • defined.

  • - Cheers.

  • (bright upbeat music)

  • - That tastes like, if a Cinnabon was meat.

  • (laughing)

  • I just had a brilliant idea.

  • Here's what I'm gonna do.

  • Potato, do you know what I'm gonna go next?

  • Caviar. (Steven mumbling)

  • - [Steven] Yeah.

  • Oh, you're a crazy person.

  • - We one ate a taco that was only this,

  • and that was the whole episode.

  • (laughing) (rock music)

  • - No, that is so true.

  • This wins it.

  • Like, of any dish we've ever had,

  • this is the most Worth It-esk dish.

  • I want some of the collard greens

  • 'cause it looks like dip.

  • You know what?

  • Actually, because of that, I'm gonna dip wagyu

  • into the collard greens.

  • I think David Chang will be proud.

  • I can't.

  • I can't handle it.

  • My mouth,

  • it's just - Okay.

  • a lot. - I'ma eat some pork now.

  • - Oh, do you want to just share that?

  • - Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

  • Oh wow!

  • - Oh God!

  • It's like I suspected.

  • There's a whole ham on this board.

  • - This board is going ham.

  • Let's go crab with leg.

  • (laughing)

  • - How was that meet luge? (chuckles)

  • Oh my God!

  • Oh my God!

  • - What did we forget?

  • - I forgot about the fish

  • for a second time. (laughing)

  • - [Steven] Fish, let's just get the fish.

  • - All right, let's get the fish over here.

  • It's so good.

  • - Oh, tender and smokey.

  • - This is what the baller board is all about.

  • Not caring what you're eating but it's delicious,

  • and somebody else had to care for you.

  • - You can't do that in literally

  • any other profession. (laughing)

  • - You don't go to a car dealership and you're like,

  • "Baller board my car!"

  • - Baller board me.

  • I do for a one sec I want to say something a bit serious.

  • I think the distinction to make here,

  • that's very important for the audience.

  • A lot of you guys say that, you know,

  • "Oh, those restaurants are just cheating,"

  • cause you know, they add caviar, truffle, yada yada.

  • This restaurant did every single aspect of this board

  • excellently. - Yeah.

  • And that I think is what makes this so worth it.

  • Oh, I haven't had cauliflower yet.

  • - I think there's four things on this board

  • I haven't even eaten yet.

  • - You know me, gotta end every meal

  • with the good old,

  • bone meat.

  • - Look at this, you're eating a big bone,

  • I eating a crab leg.

  • - This is the best piece of meat on the board.

  • - Okay, this is clearly too much food.

  • (chuckles) (clinking)

  • - So, Andrew, we've come near to the end.

  • What was your favorite bite?

  • - I'm gonna go with

  • maybe what will be a little bit more of an unsung hero,

  • and I'm gonna go with the lettuce bite

  • at Shabu Shabu Mayumon.

  • The way that a bundle of hot lettuce

  • can transport broth to your mouth

  • is really unique and I think quite delicious.

  • - All right.

  • So for me, it was also at Shabu Shabu Mayumon,

  • and it was the yuba uni.

  • Oh my God, I have a photo here of it.

  • It's one of those things where I wish I could eat my phone.

  • Andrew, which beef experience to you

  • was the most worth it at its given price point.

  • My honest answer is, Shabu Shabu Mayumon.

  • Like, you're getting some of the best food

  • presented in the best way,

  • but it's also very relaxed and intimate.

  • - You know, I could make arguments for both very easily.

  • If you have four people go with you to Shabu Shabu Mayumon,

  • the prices are pretty similar.

  • - We got some stuff at Georgia James that really

  • made our experience

  • quite a bit more expensive than it could have been.

  • - I think I gotta say

  • the meat board - [Andrew] Really?

  • 'cause that meal,

  • it would feed six to eight people I believe.

  • And it would be just the most grand old time

  • with all that food in front of you.

  • - Adam, how about you?

  • - [Adam] Georgia James. - [Andrew] Really?

  • And that does it for another season of Worth It.

  • Given all the recent news and events,

  • what we've taken for granted

  • is eating at restaurants.

  • And so, I hope that everybody out there stays safe,

  • but also support your local restaurants if you can.

  • And also

  • thank you to all the people involved in making this show,

  • both in front and behind the camera.

  • See you next time.

  • (Worth It theme song)

- All right.

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