Japanese Shabu-Shabu Chain Slices Meat So Thin It's Transparent; Company Admits Fault
Japanese hot pot chain Syabu-yo went viral after serving pork slices so thin they were transparent. Parent company Skylark apologized, citing a failure to follow standard slicing guidelines.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 21, 2026 at 15:08
- 🔍 Collected: April 21, 2026 at 15:32 (23 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 21:03 (5h 31m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(CNA Reporter Tai Ya-chen, Tokyo, 21st) The Japanese shabu-shabu chain brand "Syabu-yo" has recently gone viral on Japanese social media because the meat slices it served showed "incredible knife skills," being so thin that the color of the tray could be seen through them. The public relations department of its parent company, Skylark Holdings, responded to Japanese media confirming that meat served in some stores did not meet their supply standards, and expressed deep apologies.
What caught attention on social media was a photo of a "pork loin" slice uploaded by a customer. The photo shows the meat resting on a black tray, thin as a cicada's wing, and transparent enough to reveal the tray's color, making it look almost invisible. Once posted, the story prompted many netizens to share similar experiences, and photos of "invisible pork" and "invisible beef" continued to spread.
Some netizens joked, "This is the legendary fantasy ingredient," and "Being this thin without breaking is true skill." Others commented, "If it's an all-you-can-eat buffet, the amount of dishwashing must be skyrocketing."
According to a report by J-CAST News, a PR representative for Skylark Holdings responded on the 20th: "We have confirmed that some stores did not serve meat according to our originally mandated supply standards."
The company explained that meat is delivered in blocks and sliced at each individual store. They have a "standard optimal slice thickness" designed to let customers enjoy the best texture in shabu-shabu. The problem this time was that "some products failed to meet this standard."
The company stated, "We deeply apologize for providing products that fell short of the expectations of our long-supporting customers," and promised to re-enforce the supply standards across all stores to strengthen product quality checks. (Editor: Chen Hui-ping) 1150421
(CNA Reporter Tai Ya-chen, Tokyo, 21st) The Japanese shabu-shabu chain brand "Syabu-yo" has recently gone viral on Japanese social media because the meat slices it served showed "incredible knife skills," being so thin that the color of the tray could be seen through them. The public relations department of its parent company, Skylark Holdings, responded to Japanese media confirming that meat served in some stores did not meet their supply standards, and expressed deep apologies.
What caught attention on social media was a photo of a "pork loin" slice uploaded by a customer. The photo shows the meat resting on a black tray, thin as a cicada's wing, and transparent enough to reveal the tray's color, making it look almost invisible. Once posted, the story prompted many netizens to share similar experiences, and photos of "invisible pork" and "invisible beef" continued to spread.
Some netizens joked, "This is the legendary fantasy ingredient," and "Being this thin without breaking is true skill." Others commented, "If it's an all-you-can-eat buffet, the amount of dishwashing must be skyrocketing."
According to a report by J-CAST News, a PR representative for Skylark Holdings responded on the 20th: "We have confirmed that some stores did not serve meat according to our originally mandated supply standards."
The company explained that meat is delivered in blocks and sliced at each individual store. They have a "standard optimal slice thickness" designed to let customers enjoy the best texture in shabu-shabu. The problem this time was that "some products failed to meet this standard."
The company stated, "We deeply apologize for providing products that fell short of the expectations of our long-supporting customers," and promised to re-enforce the supply standards across all stores to strengthen product quality checks. (Editor: Chen Hui-ping) 1150421