Just as hot pot is a popular meal for Chinese in winter, shabu-shabu is popular among Japanese.

Shabu-shabu means "swish-swish," referring to the swishing action when you cook a very thin slice of beef in hot water. It is an ideal "date" meal, with diners huddled close together over the steaming pot.

Servers place the raw food in the boiling water a few items at a time, and then scoop them out and into the diners' bowls.

At the end of shabu-shabu, the cooking water is a tasty broth, into which the servers add noodles or rice, and an egg, serving it as a delicious soup.

Meat, seafood, mushrooms, cabbage, tofu and shirataki are typical shabu-shabu ingredients.

While there are many sushi bars in Shanghai, there are not many restaurants
featuring this type of Japanese-style hot pot. During my recent visit to the newly opened Ten Shang, its delicate atmosphere blended trendy eatery with top-notch shabu-shabu, which made for a nice experience.

Unlike the popular Sichuan hot pot restaurants which emphasize hot and spicy flavours, this particular restaurant is characterized by mild flavours, catering to the general Shanghainese, especially young ladies who are afraid of getting pimples.

The pot Ten Shang serves is not steamy, so diners don't have to worry about ending up in tears while enjoying the meal.

The meal I ordered was a seafood set. I've tried many restaurants which use frozen meat and seafood, but this restaurant uses fresh food, which was both tastier and healthier.

The waitress said some high end priced sets even offer fresh lobster delivered directly from Australia and tender Corby beef.

After the food is fully cooked in the pot, diners may choose to dip the food in a variety of sauces such as sesame sauce, crushed onion or hot sauce, according to their own tastes.

I especially liked the scallop and salmon, dipped into Ten Shang's special sauce of crushed garlic, onion, and carrot, which tasted really delicious.

A common set includes an entree, a main course, vegetables, noodles and rice with dessert, at a price ranging from 135 yuan to 198 yuan (US$17-25).

Another wonderful thing about this restaurant is that while its food pleases the palate the atmosphere pleases the other senses.

The Zen-inspired bamboo decoration and rice paper screens and modern glass columns, together with old Chinese songs played in jazz-style make it a wonderful combination of Asian and Western cultures.

Ten Shang Shabu-shabu Bar and Restaurant
Location: No.2068, Nanjinglu
Tel: 021-62499781
Cost: RMB 135-198 (US$17-25) for a one-person set