Yumi and Sean Patterson never planned to open a restaurant. In April 2022, the couple and their daughters, Micaiah and Mackenzie, left Orange County, Calif., for Reno, intending to relaunch their uniform, embroidery and marketing company. Nothing went according to plan. The low point came when their mover kept the 53-foot trailer holding their equipment and most of their belongings. By the time it was recovered—with help from law enforcement—everything was either missing or damaged beyond repair.
Mackenzie took a job at Papa What You Cooking in The Basement, and on visits to see her, Sean, a serial entrepreneur, floated an idea: a shabu shabu (Japanese hot pot) joint. Yumi, who had worked in restaurants all through school, and watched friends open and close their own, said absolutely not. Eventually, she changed her mind.
Tadaima Shabu Shabu opened in June 2025 with seven seats. As Yumi put it, what started as a nightmare turned into the biggest blessing the couple could have imagined. Tadaima Shabu Shabu is located in The Basement, in Reno’s historic downtown post office building, at 50 S. Virginia St. Dining is by reservation only. Visit renoshabu.com.
What’s the best thing you’ve eaten locally in the last month?
Sean: A pastrami Reuben on marble rye at the upcoming new lunch spot from Chef Shawn (Giordano) of Madein. The pastrami is smoked by Chef Shane (Mathias) of Reno Bar and Grill, and it’s a game changer! (Editor’s note: The lunch spot, Luncheonette, 3594 W. Plumb Lane, at press time, had a sign on the door reading “coming soon.”)
Yumi: I have to agree with Sean on this one. It was perfect!
Your kitchen is on fire—metaphorically! What are you cooking?
Yumi: I don’t know. I haven’t cooked much of anything since opening Tadaima Shabu Shabu. I’m always too tired.
Sean: Yumi’s Japanese fried rice.
Who is/was your strongest culinary influence?
Yumi: Probably my aunt from Gunma, Japan. She was a country woman who cut the potatoes and carrots for her Japanese curry way too big, and I didn’t like it at all. She had to listen to her son, my cousin, complain about it all the time, but she always just did it her way—and it helped me realize that I can cook my own way, regardless of what anyone says.
Sean: Our local chefs here in Reno: Chef Travis (Stehman) from Centro, Marvin (Kinney) from R Town and Dough.cheese.sauce, Chef Shane from Reno Bar and Grill, Chef Shawn from Madein, and Chef Sergio (Romero) and Chef Rene (Preciado) from Toro Bravo. They are my go-to guys whenever I have any questions.
What is your go-to midnight snack?
Yumi: Snyder’s gluten-free pretzels! They’re weirdly extra crunchy!
Sean: Leftover pizza from Smiling With Hope or a hot dog.
Which local restaurant deserves more attention and why?
Yumi: I love Asian food, so probably Yuzu, because they focus on quality and not quantity. Tofu House because I love their tofu soup, and Kwok’s because the shrimp with the head still on is soooo good!
Sean: Chef Denver (Liu)’s Yuzu, because, in my opinion, it’s the best sushi in Reno.
How does food contribute to our community?
Yumi: Food is awesome, because it helps knock down people’s prejudices about other people. Not only does it help bring people together, but it opens one up to listen and see someone else’s culture better. As a kid, I remember most of my friends going “ewww” when I talked about how good sushi and Japanese curry were. Once they tried it and saw how much they loved it, they were more open to other things in my ethnic background. It helps people appreciate people and things different from themselves.
Sean: It brings people together. It’s pure enjoyment. It’s food!
What is the one thing you won’t eat?
Yumi: Balut (duck egg with a partially developed embryo) and chicken feet. I want to try them, but I just can’t get myself to.
Sean: There’s more than one: cilantro, mint, basil and raw tomatoes.
Please share your favorite food memory from growing up.
Yumi: Going to Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse (in San Dimas, Calif.) with my dad, stepmom and brother. Their steaks were cooked on an open wood fire, and it made all the difference. And they liked to cut the ties off of men who dared to wear one to their casual but yummy steakhouse.
Sean: Going to Sir George’s Smorgasbord (in Santa Ana, Calif.) in the ’70s with my mom and siblings. It had everything from crab legs to Jell-O, and I got to pick anything I wanted.
What is the one kitchen tool you can’t live without?
Yumi: A really sharp knife with a good handle.
Sean: A spatula.
What has been your most memorable meal?
Yumi: I grew up in a divorced family, and the four of us siblings got split up, too. We had stopped doing holiday dinners altogether. My most memorable meal is the first Thanksgiving dinner I ever cooked, which brought most of my family back together. I was so grateful, and I will never forget that day.
Sean: My mom’s barbecue chicken legs, mac and cheese, Southern potato salad, deviled eggs, and ambrosia salad with no walnuts.