The journey to “Shabushi” began nearly 40 years ago when a young sister and brother, Thinn and Thaw Thein, developed a passion for the culinary arts watching their mother as she prepared meals in their kitchen. Growing up in Burma, Thinn and Thaw were introduced to a wide-range of Asian cuisine, which became the foundation for the culinary journey they have been on since 1997.

In 1997 Thinn began her journey as a restaurateur in the U.S. by opening her first sushi business on the University of Utah campus. In 2001 Thinn expanded her culinary offerings to include Southeast Asian she enjoyed growing up. Mandalay Express was born and expanded from the U of U campus to the University of New Mexico, the University of Nevada, and Idaho State University. Her sushi concept evolved into Ikoma Sushi, which also expanded to serving Costco and other hospital and university campuses throughout Utah and the University of California, Davis campus.

Thaw moved to the U.S. and joined the Mandalay Express and Ikoma Sushi teams in 2010. Thaw worked with Thinn learning and building both concepts in Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, and Davis, CA. In 2012 Thinn opened the ISU location and Thaw and his family moved to Pocatello to operate and manage this location.

Together, their passion for the culinary arts, their love for Asian cuisine, and their desire to share a unique and fun dining experience they both love with the community, led them to launch their first ever shabu-shabu concept called “Shabushi” in Pocatello, ID.