MURA Japanese BBQ & Shabu

FOOD

The barbecue side is broad enough to stand on its own. The lower and middle tiers cover the cuts that make tabletop grilling work well: Angus brisket and beef belly cook quickly, while pork belly and pork cheek bring more fat and chew. MURA layers those basics with garlic, ginger, jalapeno, spicy and miso marinades, so repeated orders do not have to taste identical. Course B adds heavier hitters such as LA kalbi, rib eye, short rib and the Garlic Lover Short Rib, one of the menu’s clearest signature grill choices.

Shabu-shabu changes both texture and pace. The broth choices include tonkotsu, kombu, spicy seafood, sukiyaki and Chinese spicy mala, giving the pot a range from clean and restrained to rich, sweet or chile-forward. Thinly sliced Angus brisket, beef belly, pork belly and lamb shoulder can be cooked in seconds, then combined with vegetables, noodles, tofu-style additions and seafood from the self-serve side. Shrimp, black mussels, clams and squid extend the pot beyond meat without turning it into a separate meal.

Sushi fills the gaps between the two cooking formats. Classic rolls include California, Philadelphia, spicy crab and spicy tuna, while the specialty section moves toward richer combinations such as Rainbow, Call 911, Coco Shrimp and Crunch. Other current menu material lists Lemon Salmon, Jackpot, Kiss of Fire, Playboy, lobster rolls and baked salmon preparations. They are useful in this format because they arrive ready to eat while the grill or broth is still working, and the smaller roll portions encourage sampling rather than committing an entire course to sushi.

The Wagyu Lover tier is where the menu becomes more clearly beef-driven. A Wagyu sampler introduces several premium grill cuts, while separate selections include Wagyu king kalbi, brisket and beef belly. The shabu side adds Wagyu tongue, short rib and chuck, thin enough for quick cooking in broth. Carpaccio choices – including amaebi, oyster, tuna, white tuna, yellowtail and salmon in current menu material – push the premium tier beyond simply adding more marbled meat to the grill.

Appetizers provide another layer of contrast. Shrimp tempura, shumai, gyoza, takoyaki and chicken karaage cover familiar fried and steamed standards; baked green mussels and the chef’s special taco move farther from the usual starter list. Cheese curds are an unexpected inclusion, but they fit the menu’s willingness to mix Japanese, Korean and American AYCE habits rather than enforce a strict regional boundary.

Dessert is intentionally simple after a meal with this many moving parts. Ice cream flavors include ube, green tea, mango, strawberry, coffee and vanilla, and the self-serve area has also featured shaved ice and small sweets. The more important finish may be choosing when to stop. MURA can support a meal built entirely around grilled beef, an extended shabu session, or a sushi-heavy progression, but its defining strength is the ability to keep switching lanes before any one format becomes repetitive.