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.