Pumpkin season has reached the broth pot. Shabu-Yo’s restaurants in Schaumburg and Naperville, Illinois, are planning an October 24–November 1 Halloween celebration, with themed drinks, a children’s game and purple ghost cotton candy joining the AYCE shabu-shabu routine.
The pumpkin broth gets a longer run than the festivities. According to Shabu-Yo’s October 14 announcement, the seasonal option costs an additional $3 and is available October 22–November 30. The restaurant describes it as rich, creamy and subtly sweet, recommending it with Wagyu beef and Kurobuta pork.
That $3 buys the seasonal broth addition, rather than the meal. Guests still choose a regular dining course, which determines the meats included with their hot pot. The posted menu lists an Everyday Trio course at $29 with beef, pork and chicken, and an Ultimate Wagyu course at $49, with vegetables, noodles, sushi rolls, curry, sides, desserts and soft drinks accompanying the meat courses.
There is plenty happening away from the pot, too. The Vampire Kiss cocktail is $11, with a $7 mocktail alternative, during the October 24–November 1 event. The cocktail description combines red wine and ginger ale with a mojito-style twist and floating “eyeball” ice. The eyeballs are doing rather more seasonal work than the usual lemon wedge.
Children can play a free drop game for Japanese treats and drinks such as Puccho, Ramune and Calpico. Purple cotton candy shaped into a ghost supplies the dessert-side contribution to the theme.
The event announcement lists Friday and Saturday service until 11 p.m., with last seating at 10 p.m. Those are useful hours for planning dinner, though the same closing time was already announced for both restaurants earlier this year. The new development is the Halloween lineup.
The hot-pot format has also picked up a few recent additions. In September, Shabu-Yo introduced a DIY tonkotsu ramen station, where diners briefly cook noodles and add broth and toppings such as pickled ginger, corn and crispy onions.
Shabu-Yo is part of Japan’s Skylark Group. Its U.S. history dates Schaumburg’s opening to September 29, 2021, and Naperville’s to December 13, 2024. The Halloween program applies to those two restaurants: 1180 Plaza Drive in Schaumburg and 1512 N Naper Boulevard, Suite 152, in Naperville.
The Halloween drinks, games and ghostly dessert run through November 1. Pumpkin broth continues through November 30, leaving the seasonal hot-pot addition on the menu well after the decorations have done their work.
