I’m going to let you in on one of Oklahoma’s best kept secrets. You won’t see a big flashy sign for it, and I even know people who have lived in the area for years who haven’t seen it. But when you find it and make your first visit, I promise you’ll be coming back again and again. It’s tucked away on a side street in downtown Stillwater, Oklahoma. Turn down 10th Street off Main, and look for this little sign.
It’s home to one of the most unique dining experiences you’ll ever have – shabu shabu. Funny name, serious food technique. The name is an onomatopoeia in Japanese for the sound you’ll hear when cooking your food (oh yeah, this is going to be an interactive dining experience) “swish swish”.
You simply pick the meat you’d like – I always go with the large plate of ribeye, and my boyfriend always gets the lamb. We frequented this place when I went to Oklahoma State, and we’ve never ordered anything else in four years. I don’t mess with perfection.
And if you’re a vegetarian? Fear not. They have a heaping plate of vegetables that you can get instead of meat. You then choose what type of broth you’d like to cook with: spicy, sweet, or mixed. I prefer the sweet or mixed, but if you like things hot then go with spicy. I’m admittedly a little bit of a pansy when it comes to spicy food. If you’re particularly tough, ask for Thai chile on the side, too.
All of their entrees come with vegetables and rice on the side. Oh, and ask for an egg. We’ll get to that later. Your broth will come to a boil on a little induction burner in the middle of the table, and then you get to cooking away. If you’re a first timer, your waitress will walk you through the cooking process and explain how it all works. If you’re really lucky, the owner and the legend himself, Dean, will stop by during your meal and insist you try something new or spicy.
Drop in your noodles, carrots, and mushrooms first – the longer these cook, the better they get. The rest of your plate you’ll cook as you go. The meat at Tokyo Pot is sliced crazy thin, so it cooks up in just a few seconds. Grab a slice with your chopsticks and “swish swish” in the broth until it’s the right amount of done for you. Then it goes for a quick bath in the ponzu sauce and directly into your mouth. You’ll probably groan with satisfaction after your first bite. Don’t be ashamed, it’s normal.
The cooking process may seem overwhelming at first and yes, you will drop things in the broth and have to hastily rescue them from doom (That’s what the slotted spoon is for.) But after a few visits, you’ll be a pro.
And you know what pros do at Tokyo Pot? They eat their eggs like this.
If you ordered an egg at the beginning, you’d probably be shocked when your waitress brought out a bowl of raw egg. What the hell are you supposed to do with that?
Grab your rice spoon, then dunk it in the egg so it’s soaked. Then, dip your spoon in the broth to heat up the egg and eat it. It’s weird. Your mouth and brain will be completely confused. Why did you just eat raw egg and rice? And how did it taste so good?!
What I love most about Tokyo Pot is that it’s a totally interactive food experience. You can’t just mindlessly shove food into your mouth while checking Instagram with your other hand here. You’re engaged with your food and the people you’re enjoying it with. You share pots of broth with friends and family, and you’ll argue about who stole all of the noodles from it. Some of my best memories from my time in Stillwater were spent swishing away at Tokyo Pot with the best of friends. Stop in when you’re in Stillwater and tell them Bacon & Braids sent you. Hell, make a trip to Stillwater just for Tokyo Pot. You won’t regret it.
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