You can choose to marinate the beef if you like it to be tender and smooth, or you can choose not to marinate it if you like to keep the original flavor of the beef.

Marination for tender beef: Some people prefer marination because it makes the beef more flavorful and tender, and also removes some of the off-flavors. In addition, marinating also makes the beef easier to cook when shabu-shabu, reducing the shabu-shabu cooking time.

No marinade for beef: Some people prefer to cook fresh beef directly in the hot pot because they think it retains its original flavor better. Directly cooked beef can be more flavorful and tender, and can also be seasoned with your favorite seasonings in the mixing bowl according to your personal taste.