Sakura Shabu-Shabu & Yakatori

This eight-month-old restaurant on Beach Boulevard feels like it was made to make even the least adventurous eater feel comfortable cooking his own meal.

It's not just the servers, who kindly explain what to do with the platter of thinly sliced meats, fresh veggies and noodles when they arrive raw at your table: Cook them in the hot pot — seasoned to your liking — dip them into ponzu or sesame sauce and eat them with some rice.

It's also the atmosphere. Sakura is not a bustling hole in the wall packed with locals. And it's not the hip, minimalist restaurant where shabu-shabu is the only thing on the menu to eat. (BY JENNIFER MUIR, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER)