Bob's 88 Shabu Shabu
Bob's 88 Shabu Shabu, 316 N. Washington Street, Rockville, MD, 301-294-5888 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | Don Rockwell | Gayot]
The Chinese consider 88, like 66, to be a lucky number, of course this is also the Bob of Bob’s Noodle 66, one of the best Chinese places around. Shabu refers to dipping your food into a boiling pot to cook it. In general I am opposed to this idea, rarely are the results very interesting. But this is a worthwhile restaurant.
You must get your boiling mix to be “very spicy,” then you must order the most complex combination of stuff possible to put into the mix (this will depend on how many people you have). The results are genuinely delicious. I thought the fish was especially good. I might add there is a second menu, small but similar to part of the 66 place, which taken alone would make this one of the best Chinese restaurants around. No matter which route you wish to go, this place is worth trying.