Scott and I have been to Halves in Foothill Ranch at least once a week the past 3 weeks; we just can't get enough! We discovered the restaurant while searching for a nearby Shabu place since we weren't able to make it to our usual Mokkoji in Irvine. I am pretty skeptical of trying anywhere else, but Halves blew us away. It's because they offer the option to order a half shabu pot and half yakiniku bbq grill - it was a new concept for us. If you're not quite sure if you want a boiling pot or grill....why not have both?! And if you do know what you want, you can do just shabu or yakiniku.

The staff is great at taking you through the menu if you haven't been to Halves before. You get the usual ponzu and sesame sauces with shabu and a Japanese bbq dipping sauce for the grill. Shabu is accompanied by a veggie, tofu and noodle bucket. Veggies are paired with any grill meats and arrive on the same plate. For my first time, I ordered halves with angus cut for the boiling pot and short rib for the grill. For the last couple times, I only did shabu. It was delicious and I liked the option of getting to switch between boiling broth and grilling if I do the Halves option. Check out the menu here.

PROS

Multiple Dining Options - Shabu (Boiling Pot), Yakiniku (Grill) or both "Halves"
Amazing Broth Selection (Spicy Tonkotsu "Pork" Broth is my fave)
Quality, Premium Meats Variety
Great Service
Upbeat Atmosphere
Good Price for What You Get

CONS

Wait Times - like most popular restaurants there could be a hefty (30-40min) wait time during usual dining hours. It's not too bad if you come around 5pm before the dinner rush starts, or if you can catch the beginning of their lunch service at 11:30am.
The Shabu Veggie Bucket - the tin bucket is cute, but it is just not functional. All of the veggies and noodles are tightly packed on top of each other. And there isn't that big of a variety of veggies, the tin consists of: a couple carrot sticks, one baby corn, tons of cabbage, mushroom, udon noodles, glass noodles, tofu cubes, and a slice of Kamaboko.