Rice Box Kitchen brings shabu-shabu to Reno.
Shabu-shabu hot pot is a meal meant to be shared, one that encourages gathering, cooking, and enjoying time together — and it’s not a ritual to rush through. A Japanese tradition similar to fondue, shabu-shabu (which translates to “swish-swish,” so named for the sound the meat makes when it hits the pot) asks diners to cook together at their tables, carefully dipping thinly sliced meats and other foods into simmering broth, an experience reminiscent of the hot pot dinners Perapol Damnernpholkul, owner of Rice Box Kitchen in Midtown, enjoyed while growing up in San Francisco.
The former interior designer and self-taught cook (“I’m no chef,” he insists) opened Rice Box in 2021 with family members after relocating to Reno. Damnernpholkul’s Asian-fusion restaurant was meant to fill a gap in traditional Asian cuisine offerings in the Reno area. This first sparked a menu heavy in Thai-based meat and vegetarian dishes such as Khao Mun Gai, Khao Moo Dang, and Khao Soi Gai, plus weekend dim sum specials. The hot pot came later, but it quickly took diners by surprise.
For Damnernpholkul and his family, hot pot began as an experiment. When the owners noticed a lack of hot pot offerings nearby — Damnernpholkul says his is the only Reno restaurant offering the experience — they wanted to give it a shot. Now, the bookings for weekend seatings fill up days in advance.
To partake in the shabu-shabu hot pot at Rice Box Kitchen, a reservation is needed on weekends and it’s optional on Wednesdays and Thursdays when walk-ins are available. The hot pot is offered during evening hours only (lunch features a separate menu that includes the meals previously listed), with two or three seatings each night from 5 – 6:30 p.m., 6:45 – 8:15 p.m., and 8:30 – 10 p.m. For 90 minutes, the menu is all-you-can-eat.
“Shabu hot pot [is] … a time to gather your family, your friends,” Damnernpholkul says. “We want to give people time to chill, just hang out.”
The intimate experience allows for five tables at a time in the quaint eatery. During their appointed time slot, guests dip meats and vegetables such as bok choy, napa cabbage, and enoki mushrooms into their choice of broth — spicy, for a bit of a kick, or regular, to savor the flavors of homemade bone broth and goji berries.
Everything at the table is prepared from scratch, including the broth and dipping sauces. The goma dare sauce, made with a sesame sake base, is a standout.
While the hot pots have been a success, Damnernpholkul intends to keep playing with his menus, offering new items whenever he feels like it.
“I just wing it,” he says of his laissez-faire approach to cooking. “[It’s just] good, delicious food.”
Nora Heston Tarte is a local food writer based in Reno. You can follow her local and travel exploits on her Instagram @Wanderlust_n_wine.
Rice Box Kitchen
555 S. Virginia St., Ste. 103, Reno
775-384-3401 • Riceboxkitchen.com
Reservations recommended for shabu-shabu hot pot
