Simple shabu-shabu will cost you $500 in Las Vegas

What's the most expensive meal in the United States? A 10-course menu prepared by a Michelin three-star French chef and his army of kitchen helpers? No. It's a $500-per-person Japanese hot pot called shabu-shabu.

Shabu-shabu comes from a 1,000-year-old Asian tradition of dipping meat, seafood or vegetables into bubbling broth. It's great when the weather is cold. And with everybody leaning over a big pot in the middle of the table, taking from it whatever they want, it's perfect for a fun evening with friends.

Masayoshi Takayama, the sushi chef whose New York restaurant Masa is said to offer the best of Japanese dining in the US, has taken shabu-shabu to Las Vegas. At Shaboo, the restaurant he's just opened in the Aria Casino, his version costs $500 per person — more than the price of an All Nippon Airways round-trip flight to Tokyo.

Shabu-shabu is "the quintessential Japanese comfort food," says journalist Harris Salat in a new book he's written with chef Tadashi Ono titled Japanese Hot Pots: Comforting One-Pot Meals. The Japanese consider shabu-shabu to be the perfect hot pot, in keeping with their principles of using the freshest food, lightly cooked, says Salat.

Shabu-shabu is this year's hip food trend in California. There are shabu-shabu restaurants in San Gabriel Valley and along the Westside in Los Angeles, but instead of playing $500, a bowl will cost you just $10.