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What looks like the island’s first Japanese barbecue place has just opened in downtown Bay Shore.
The people who brought us the popular Kashi chain —with spots in Rockville Centre, Huntington and elsewhere — held a grand opening this past Saturday, Nov. 21, for their JBBQ & Shabu Shabu.
“We believe it’s the first restaurant like this on Long Island,” co-owner Sky Lin told GreaterBayShore in March. “It’s very popular in Manhattan.”
At JBBQ, diners choose between two styles of cooking:
One way is yakiniku, a Japanese-cooking method where patrons cook their own meats and vegetables on a circle griddle over a charcoal flame.
After the food is cooked to temperature, the grilled foods are then dipped into a variety of sauces.
According to Lin, this is similar to the Korean barbecue, also known as KBBQ, though what separates the two it is the different Japanese seasonings and sauces.
Then there’s the Shabu Shabu option, which translates to swish swish in English. For this, patrons use a ladle or chopsticks to cook uncooked ingredients in a hot pot with a flavored broth of their choosing.
The food typically takes about 30 seconds to 3 minutes to cook. Both choices can be purchased together as an all-you-can-eat package.
Lin and his partner, Tony Lam, have previously said their 2,600-square-foot space at 13 East Main Street will include 60 seats with a sit-down bar.
The partners also own Cajun Claws in downtown Patchogue.
