Review Saboten Canada - Richmond

they told me the meal would be prepared in 10 mins. when i came back, the egg was microwaved on top of the pork chops, as you can see the bubbles in the egg. inauthentic experience. disgrace to a global japanese chain. a meal i would like to forget. never coming back. go to saku instead!

I came to this place today to have lunch. I should have read the reviews before. It was the most disgusting Katsu Don I ever had. The pork was all soggy and some pieces were full of fat pieces. There was also no egg. Only parts of what is supposed to be an egg. Total rip off. I ended up eating only the rice and the Miso soup it came with. Went to the lady behind the counter and told her the pork was not good. It was all soggy. I guess they reheated the meat in the microwave. She was very unfriendly, didn’t apologize and said it is supposed to be like this. I ate at this place 2 years ago, and it was nothing like that. Plus it’s not the first time I eat Katsu Don. I showed her the meat and the bad quality was obvious, she still denied and said it’s supposed to be all soggy. Well, if you like to spend money for unfriendly customer service and microwave like food, that’s the place. Others, I recommend to stay away and spend your hard earned money elsewhere.

If I could give less than one star I would give this place a zero star. Pathetic portion for tenderloin curry don. And the reviews that mention “authentic” and “delicious” are most likely paid / fake. Words I would use to describe this meal is “Disappointment” and “Never Again”

Authentic Japanese Tonkatsu (panko-breaded pork cutlet) meals at a reasonable price. The fried shrimp is tasty as well, so a combo meal hits the spot. For a quick snack, they sell katsu-sandwich packs that are ready to go. Drawbacks: No vegetarian options & busy food court ambience. The busy parking lot can be brutal on weekends. (I don’t eat meat so this review is based on the experience of my gourmand omnivore teenagers).

Food was good, but customer service is terrible. Have been to this place a lot, but recently I noticed a pattern. The quantity of Katsu they give you is entirely based on how much you tip. The cashier Liu Jihong was extremely impatient. For those of you who have been to this place, you’ll know that usually for the Tenderloin Katsu Curry, you’ll get about 5-6 piece of Katsu, but this time, since I didn’t tip, I only got three, as you can see in the picture. If you are willing to tip food court restaurants, then this place is for you; if you aren’t, you are paying mostly for plain rice.

Nice comfort food when you’re craving for something quick and deep fried, forget about the services. lol

By looking at the reviews I guess I am not the only one with their customer service. Why on earth do they keep such a person to handle cashier responsibilities? She was rude, totally ignore customers, no respect to her working environment. I waited right in front of the counter and she just mind her own business. When she finally served me she had another whole level of attitude. My lord. I haven’t seen this type of services my whole life! Food is decent in this place but this staff must go! She is putting this business in a such bad reputation! I didn’t take her photo but from other comments we all talking about the same person!

i go to saboten at my house in japan. this isn’t amazing in comparison but it’s decent and the price is good plus can pay card (rare in aberdeen…) staff pretty rude tho need a lesson lol

Feels like Japan all over again. Nice set for less than 15$ with soup , pickles, sauce and meal ! Just amazing ! They even have a point card system ! Craving it every week

Curry sauce is mediocre at best, maybe even worse. Tenderloin sandwich is stale... Too much American Mayo.... why not use Japanese salad sauce? Only saving grace is that the tenderloin is very tender. Iced genmaicha is refreshing... Main dishes need improvement.

I don't know why they emphasis they're best service.  I went order No 10 pork chop.  Not only when the cashier forgot to give me $10 change, when the order is ready it's another set.  I told them I ordered No 10, But chef,in return said they don't go by number (not always in order).  I can't believe he uses this nonsense excuse. they why you have numbers attached to all combo you shown.  O......K......then...then....when i ordered No. 10 why your cashier did not confirm what (No 10) I ordered.  At last, I said so you took the wrong order and I couldn't change.  The chef replied as Yes, thank you.  He has an attitude and make it sounds like I am the one who made the mistake and I wanted to change it now.  I can't believe this.  I guess the cashier need to be re-trained, as so the chef what their so-called best service on their web site.  I will not get meals from there again.

Video review on youtube: vancity food crew aberdeen centre food court tour saboten<br/>.<br/>This was my first time trying this style of tonkatsu. I got the saboten set with tenderloin, loin, and ebi. It was okay. It doesn't have refills on sides like a restaurant so I left hungry. Even getting it with curry wouldn't make it more filling. I would try this style of food again but in a restaurant.

This is the best katsu place in the area. The batter is very crisp and light and the meat is so tender it just melts in your mouth. The portion isnt too big so I dont recommend sharing...we always drop by here when we are in richmond and just wish there was a location closer to us.

This katsudon was really nice and juicy, i ordered the loin set (9 $ cad after tax). It is served on a styrofoam plate and bowl and for me it was a little bit decrease in term of flavor from the entire meal. The miso soup also nice.

Ordered a Katsu Sandwich, was a bit disappointed by the size and the fact that it was premade and served cold. But the taste was very good the pork cutlet was juicy and the sauce complement the taste so well. Would try again.

This is the best katzudon I've had. It's not just katsudon, but tender katsudon. Until now, every katzudon I've order had been chewy dried up pork. But this pork was super tender, the bread crumbs batter was light, fluffy and crunching at the same time. Just the right amount of soup, onions and tender eggs. The rice was not soaked with soup, so it still maintained the right texture of perfectly cooked fresh rice. Absolutely no trace or after effects if MSG. Yum! I'll defintely order this dish from Saboten again!

I’ve really liked Saboten in Japan and Hong Kong so I was excited to try it in Aberdeen. Got the loin katsudon (pork cutlet rice bowl). Although it doesn’t seem like much, the portion is actually pretty big. I just wished they had provide more sauce for the katsudon. It was bit dry and bland. <br/><br/>Tried the pork cutlet curry. I really like it. The curry acts as a good sauce for the pork cutlet.

Saboten offers a variety of pork cutlet sets like the tenderloin set, loin katsudon (pork cutlet rice bowl) and curry. The entrees are budget friendly and are usually less than $10. According to their website, their tonkatsu is made of premium aged pork lightly coated with house-made bread crumbs to ensure the juice of the cutlet is preserved. The tonkatsu comes with special sauce made of onions, carrots, tomatoes, apples and over 10 different spices to bring out the best flavour.

1st up! Saboten's Loin Katsu-Don<br/><br/>February 6, 2016<br/><br/>What I ate: Loin Katsu-Don<br/><br/>From: Saboten Japanese Cuisine<br/><br/>Payment type: cash, debit, and credit cards (Two thumbs up)<br/><br/>Preparation wait time: Approx 8 min<br/><br/>Flavour Rating: 4 out of 5<br/><br/>Value Rating: 4 out of 5<br/><br/>Would eat again: Yes!<br/><br/>To make it better: I'd love to have Curry Katsu-Don but there wasn't any in the menu. Hence the curry sauce on the side.<br/><br/>Chef's take on it:<br/><br/>Japanese food has always been close to the heart of my culinary journey. As unbelieavable as it my sound (from my origins and culinary education), but Curry is probably my favourite food.<br/><br/>Saboten has done a great job in making sure that their cutlets are crunchy and juicy every time. And that is exactly what I experienced. The heavenly crunchy pork cutlet inter-mingling with beaten egg on a bed of sticky soft japanese rice. (did i describe that clear enough?) but as great as it may sound, for me, it is never complete with Curry!!!<br/><br/>Although I had to order curry sauce on the side, it was totally worth it!<br/><br/>The affair is complete, every bite is heaven, and the dish reached foodgasm level with the curry sauce poured on top...Oh My Gasm! >.<br/><br/>But enough of me talking. You should go out here and eat this!<br/><br/>Thank you Saboten for being my lover although only for a moment. I will be back :D<br/><br/>Well done!<br/><br/>Www.eat-aberdeen.com

3/5 is the score I could give today because their staff has made a lot of mistakes recently. The food is still superb to me, I run into this place almost once a week, still never disappoints me. But sometimes their staff would give you the wrong sauce or not giving you all the sauce...Which I have experienced 3 times already. Better yet, they would even ask you to pay again when you have already paid in full 10 minutes ago with the receipt in your hands, lol. It's okay tho, I would still come back, just not as often anymore.

Saboten 勝博殿 (日式吉列豬扒專門店)<br/>地址：#3180 時代坊美食中心, 4151 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond, BC<br/>電話：(604) 295-9351<br/>營業時間：Mon-Wed 11am-7pm, Thur-Sat 11am-9pm, Sun 11am-7pm<br/>泊車：商場多層室內免費停車場<br/>付賬方法：信用卡、現金、銀行卡<br/>整體評分 (滿分為 5 )：食物 4│環境 3│服務 2.5│衛生 3│抵食 3.5│推薦 4<br/><br/>勝博殿於1966年在東京新宿成立。勝博殿在日文解作“仙人掌”，此名字代表了創辦人的願望，就是建立一家與仙人掌一樣，擁有頑強生命力的店鋪，即使在最惡劣的的環境下仍能茁壯成長。由於服務到選材都一絲不苟，勝博殿瞬速成爲全日本最大炸豬扒連鎖店，在世界各地包括日本、韓國、台灣、新加坡、泰國以及香港擁有超過500家分店，並於2012將業務擴展到北美，在加拿大列治文Aberdeen Centre的美食廣場內開設了第一間分店。<br/><br/>Saboten的日式吉列猪扒，選用以谷物餵飼的優質猪肉，沾上香脆麵包糠，以高溫植物油炸成，鬆脆多汁，配合秘製醬汁，味道絕對一流！Saboten 處理食材認真嚴謹，堅持即點即炸，從下單到出餐一般不超過8分鐘，出爐超過20分鐘的豬扒和切絲超過3小時的椰菜沙律一概不提供給客人。

The fry on the tempura was definitely on point. It was super crispy and unlike typical tempura, they were coated with breadcrumbs which added to the crispiness of it. It came with a variety of sauces and we weren’t sure which to use for what but they all tasted good and that’s the important part.

Aberdeen centre’s food court snakes around and allows over 20 different stands to have their own dedicated space. Lots of effort was put into decorating each stall. Each had its name in bold, a menu with photos, and some even a display of items served utilizing accurately portrayed plastic food. Not surprisingly, most of the writing used was Chinese characters, but the coloured photos and the glossy fake food helped to bridge the language gap. I will be covering all 20 of the foodcourt dining options across several posts.

Atmosphere 0/1<br/>It's in the middle of the Aberdeen food court... Which means loud and messy. That's not really their fault though. <br/><br/>Service 0.5/1<br/>It's not their slowness that bugs me but rather watching them idle...? It's kind of odd to see the people eat right behind the counter while I'm waiting for my order. Also dislike all the styrofoam containers <br/><br/>Food 0.5/1<br/>The curry I tried was... Lacklustre. However I have to admit their katsu was crispy and tender. Mmmm. <br/><br/>Price 0.5/1<br/>Feeling like I overpaid for what I got... Everything looks so pre-prepared and then manually assembled that it's a bit much<br/><br/>Personal opinion 0.5/1<br/>Maybe again? Although there are so many other yummy choices at Aberdeen that I'll likely just pass by Saboten <br/><br/><br/>

I was deceived by the pictures.  I should have known.  The real thing looked so disgustingly ugly and sweet that it was a turn-off.  However, on the flip side, for being a fast food place, they did a pretty good job.  I just went in expecting that it was some magical sub-$10 wonder that would produce the best tokatsu don ever.  Don't be tricked by this place.  Go to a sit-down Saboten next time (somewhere in the world).  Meh.

The Tonkatsu with Curry and Miso Soup was only under $8 since I received a coupon for 10% off from Daiso while shopping. The Tonkatsu I can tell is made up of fatty meat. It felt like I was eating more fat than actual meat; this is very disappointing. The miso soup is like any standard complimentary miso soup however, the miso soup was cold, the soup was not that good...

Decent food for the price.. I ordered tenderloin and loin set the first time. Meat was tender. The crust was a bit too thick for my taste but crisp. I sensed bitterness on the first bite for some reason but didn't notice afterwards. The flavour of meat was subtle. Not as porky as I hoped. The portion was good enough for me. The dish came with two kinds of sauce and more than plenty to finish it. For a meal under $10 on food court, the quality was satisfactory to me. The second time I tried Loin Katsu Curry. This time the meat was a little dry and tough. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the crisp texture of the crust and curry sauce on rice. Portion was big enough. Again, I found the dish satisfactory for the price under $10

So I've read some reviews and noticed the negative rap for Saboten, and was really surprised. I'm Japanese and love tonkatsu and every time I've gone to Saboten, I've had juicy pork tenderloins and a good portion for what a traditional katsudon is.<br/><br/>Katsudon isn't supposed to be soaked in the "sauce" which is actually the juices from the meat, onion and mixture of sauces it was made in, with some egg. The rice should have some "sauce" but it shouldn't be completely soaked through with it. <br/><br/>Saboten is a good example of a japanese tonkatsu store and for a Japanese person pretty delicious!

The best tonkatsu. They have the best tonkatsu!! Highly recommend tenderloin set, don, and curry!! Love it love it

Stingy portions, little tonkatsu sauce (have to pay for extra) - very bad value...

Bad location,. They should not have opened Saboten in the food court. The styrofoam plates and bowls really kill it. I've been to Saboten in Taiwan and although it is a tad bit more expensive and a bit slow (we complained and actually got a lowered price!), this can't compare to it. The sesame seeds are pre-grounded. Traditionally, they should be grounded against the bowl by the customer with a small wooden stick.

Delicious. I don't understand the low rating. The portion size was reasonable and filling enough.<br/><br/>And the Loin Katsu Curry was so yummy, I went back the next day for the Saboten Set. The Curry was better though.

Katsu don was "okay".. The breading around the meat was uneven and the meat itself was dry in texture. I did not have an issue with the size of the meal but it was the quality that threw me off. The "cheaper" price isn't a good excuse either because there are better places for a great katsu don for around the same price. If you are desperate at Aberdeen for a decent Japanese katsu don and enjoy the convenience of the food court then go for it!

Don't Understand the Bad Rap. I know that Saboten gets a bad rap for small portion sizes or for dry meat (?), but I really don't see why. I grew up on Japanese food, and have had tonkatsu from value priced menus to high end authentic Japanese-run restaurants. I find Saboten's katsu to be high quality and consistent. Also, it's totally consistent with what they serve in Japan. There are some inconsistencies in their rice, but nothing that would not make me want to come back. Anyways, from someone who is very demanding on his Japanese food, I think Saboten deserves better reviews. Also, someone wrote that the cabbage is bland? It's cabbage! That's how they serve it in Japan—it cuts through the fattiness of the pork. Also, it's $9...so I really don't understand what everyone expects?

Saboten. Really good tonkatsu. breading was light, crispy, drained of excess oil. pork was thick, tender and juicy. portions are on the smaller side but the prices are very reasonable. u guys need to give more katsu sauce!!

This place is well beyond overrated! The staff there seems to operate in slow motion, wait.... stop motion should be more precise. The food is average. The katsu is wayyyy too fatty and the side cabbage is just bland.

Tasted better in HK. I had the saboten set in HK before and really enjoyed it there, but since I was not hungry enough I decided to try the katsu sandwich here just for a snack. I have to say for $5.32 - it was a very tiny and expensive sandwich. The bread was super soft and the pork katsu was ok, but I think I enjoyed the katsu more in HK.

Good katsu. I ordered the tenderloin and loin set and thought that it was pretty good. It ws $8.75 before tax which is not too bad compared to other places in Vancouver that make it. The pork had flavor, it was moist, and had a nice crispy batter. The rice was perfectly cooked. The cabbage was good although it could a bit crisper. I think the cabbage wasn't dried out enough. I also waited around 5 minutes for my order - I went there around 2:30 in the afternoon. The other saboten restaurants where you dine in give you a better dining experience where you can grind your own sesame seeds with a pestle and mortar, you get free refills of cabbage and the food is placed on plates. But that is more expensive. The saboten at Aberdeen is cheaper. Your in a food court so your food will be on a Styrofoam plate, sesame will be ground up for you and that and the sauces will be in little plastic containers.

The best Tonkatsu. It's the best of Tonkatsu in BC now, but the portion is quite small. The taste of miso soup is also good. It's better than fancy Japanese restaurants in Vancouver. I expect they will keep the quality.

All hype, not worth going.. Went there with someone who got caught in the hype. We specifically went at a time when the line up is short, but somehow, with only a handful of people ahead of us, we still waited a good 30min before getting our food.<br/><br/>The food was massively inconsistent. On the same plate containing 3 chops, we had one good piece, one piece that wasn't marinated (no taste and dry), and one piece that was over cooked to a tough and dry mess.<br/><br/>Food portion is small, while the price is high for food court. The presentation was... right on the flimsy styrofoam plate, which makes the bottom of the chops oily and soggy. They also charged extra for ponzu. <br/><br/>The ebi fry was over breaded and didn't taste fresh. <br/><br/>Will not be going there again.

Better off going to Ebi-Ten. I had the Loin Katsu Curry, my boyfriend had the Tenderloin Katsu Curry. The rice for both was undercooked. The curry itself had absolutely no substance - all sauce. The pork for the Loin Katsu Curry was good. Don't order the Tenderloin if you're hungry, they only give you 2 pieces. If you're looking for cafeteria styles food like this, head down to Ebi-Ten. The prices are the same if not better and you get way more meat.

One word "Sucks" !!! Never go back again!!!!!!!!!!

Crap. Waited over 45 mins for my katsu curry order. Asked for a refund and they wouldnt give one. Would not go back especially with all the other choices there

Im gonna make this short. Long line up, slow -- and took too long to get my order out. Probably not the best とんかつ （tonkatsu）out there.

Slow~ different from what I thought

Freaking slow service...I would wait if it's a restaurant but we are talking about food court here. They shouldn't call themselves Saboten Japanese Cutlet 'Express' if the service is so slow...

Terrible service, food is mediocre and the pork cutlet was soggy. All hype! Not worth the line up wait.

No good!. Major disappointment. None of their food sets came out looking like their pictures in ads and displays, and the portions are so small; ponzu sauce is like 1 Tbsp., if you ask for some more, they say its extra 40 cents. And the pickles was literally 3 tiny pcs.! The porkloin looks to be about 3.5-4 ounces, and tasteless. It is tender, yes, but only because the piece is just barely done, bordering on raw. Also, the combo sets look cheap, because they use all plastic and styro. I bet this place doesn't look anything like their other Saboten locations in Asia, i.e. in HK, Singapore, etc. If the location here in Richmond is only after a quick buck, they won't last since Richmond has a very competitive food scene. Try it for yourselves, as they might be gone soon like their predecessor Strawberry Cones. Or just save your $10 and spend it at other places in Aberdeen foodcourt!

Yummy Tonkatsu. We shared the Loin Katsu Curry. Our friends chose to get the Katsu-don and the Loin Set. We were impressed by the cut of the meat with the right amount of fat on the side. It wasn't dry at all and at the same time wasn't greasy. The bread crumbs was light and crispy. The curry was tasty and was of the right consistency. <br/><br/>Pricing: Not too expensive but not that cheap either.

I really really like the Japanese pork cutlets. There's this superrr nice pork cutlet restaurant in Singapore's Ngee An City  (Tonkichi, 4th floor). That's my first go to restaurant every time I return to Singapore. I'll start craving for it immediately after I book the flight tickets back.  This is because I thought Vancouver doesn't have a Japanese pork cutlet specialty restaurant, Boy, was I wrong.

My Tenderloin Tonkatsu Don ($8.50) came with a small serving of tsukemono (Japanese pickle), and a miso soup. The bowl was small and the egg on top looked rather unappetizing. Not a good first impression. Tonkatsu tasted okay – the flavours were there but it did not wow me. Jac told me that I should have got their tonkatsu set instead, which is probably a better way to experience their crispy pork cutlet and their famous tonkatsu dipping sauce. I wish Jac had told me that earlier. Tonkatsu rookie mistake… Oh well I guess I just have to visit here again.

Date of visit: June 1, 2014 Saboten is a very famous Japanese chain that serves Tonkatsu (fried pork chop). It has many locations in Asia, including Taiwan. The branches in Taiwan are usually located within high-end department stores, rather than in food court. Therefore, I was quite surprised when Saboten decided to open at the Aberdeen food court back then. Time passed by very quickly. Saboten has been in Aberdeen Centre for a while, but I have never tried the food here. I have had great experience with the branches in Taiwan though. I recall the food has always been very consistent for my few visits in Taiwan. Therefore, I decided to have something from Saboten for my lunch. I ordered the Curry Loin Set ($7.95) , because I was craving for curry and I thought curry with pork chop would be a nice balance. My order was really within 5 minutes. The service was definitely way faster than the saboten in Taiwan. It's located in a food court after all... The presentation definitely looked n

A Japanese franchise that serves traditional tonkatsu with sauce that is made of (according to their website) onion, carrots, tomatoes, apples and over 10 different spices. It also comes with grounded black and white sesame seeds to add a wonderful roasted nutty touch to the tonkatsu sauce. I liked dipping the cutlets and shrimp into the sauce then coated them with sesame. The sauce had the right thickness and tastiness that adorned the otherwise less exciting cutlets. Wish they could provide me with more sesame to coat these beauties. The cutlets had really light bread crumbs that gave mouthwatering crisps. And, they were not GREASY! =D The shrimp and cutlets maintained their juicy texture, especially shrimp that had remained its firmness and gentle tenderness despite having gone through the cruelty of high heat cooking process. It was a surprised for the quality it served. Worth expanding my waistline for this

Because the pieces were freshly fried, the exterior was significantly crispier than any tonkatsu that I have had before. As well, the batter was flaky which elevated the crust to a new level.

This was actually pretty impressive considering it came from an express chain/food court! The exterior of the pork was lightly breaded, crispy and flakey. The interior however, was rather bland and a tad bit dry. However, I remedied that by dipping it in the sauce that came with the set. The set also came with pickled radishes and a plain salad on the side. Sesame Seeds 4/5 stars Tonkatsu rice is meant to be eaten with ground sesame. Traditionally, the sesame seeds should be freshly grounded. Saboten's is pre grounded, which is acceptable, considering it's a food court.  The set came with an substantial amount of sesame seeds which were enough for my entire bowl of rice. The sesame seeds were very fragrant and added a amazing aroma/texture to the

Everything else is rather nice though, the portions are small since perhaps the Japanese doesn't eat too much, so I think it's great for people on diet!

Saboten has been on my radar for a while, ever since I started to be a regular at the Aberdeen Centre food court. I ordered the deep fried tenderloin set. I love Japanese tonkatsu, so I expected a lot from Saboten, especially after the 15 minutes wait in line. To my surprise,  it well exceeded my expectations. The tenderloin was crispy on the outside and very tender inside. I’m no expert but I could tell that the tonkatsu were made differently from other restaurants. I later found out that they use only fresh bread in their deep frying process, and all the ingredients are fresh that day. The miso soup was a pleasant surprise, may I’ve been used to the below-average miso soup found in Richmond Japanese restaurants for so long now. Saboten’s miso soup has more flavor and taste. It might just be a little on the salty side for some people, but for me it’s all right. One thing others will probably be thinking of when you get the set might be about the sauces. I had no idea why there were so

...I decided to get the #10 Loin Katsu Curry $8.25. The deep fried pork cutlet was very crispy and the curry was really good. Ah, also reminds me of Japan… It was quite filling. Miso was authentic, though a bit salty for me and no huge tofu or negi pieces like the ones in the plastic model. But nice addition of pickles which goes well with the rice.

Hi everyone, Today I'll be talking about a foodcourt restaurant called Saboten that is located in Aberdeen Centre. I've passed by it numerous times and it never attracted me to go buy from there. Our friend Ricky bought either their loin or tenderloin set last time and it made me wanna give this place a try. Also, I didn't have any cash on me so the options we had were very limited. I ordered the Tenderloin Katsu Don  approx. $8.00 & it came with a side miso soup. Surprisingly I was very happy with my meal. Everything was very flavourful and I finished the whole thing! The caramelized onions with the smooth egg that was lathered all over it works perfectly with the Tenderloin. I was very surprised that I got a good portion of the Tenderloin. The one reason why I never ordered from there was because their sample photos just never looked appealing to me nor does the portion looked enough to fill me up. YES, I admit I am an extreme big eater :P Phil ordered the Tenderloin set approx. $9.00 It came with side miso soup, rice & "salad". The so called salad is just a bunch of shredded lettuce, no salad dressing at all. It was such a pointless side and you are paying $9.00 basically just for the 3 pieces of Tenderloin. It was just deep fried Tenderloin and you are supposed to dip it in sauce for more flavour. Phil thinks it was not bad but from what I see, I don't think it's worth $9.00.

Overall, I’d say the pork cutlet is pretty good, but if I’d waited in line for half an hour (like in the first couple of months after this place opened), I’d have expected a lot more.

I've heard quite a lot about Saboten at the Aberdeen Food Court. But, there have been varying reviews, some saying its super super good, while others say its just deep fried meat. Well, I finally decided to try it myself :)

...Not only was I not able to break it apart with a pair of chopstick, I had a hard time cutting a piece off with a fork. What’s worse, there was a piece of connective tissue in my tenderloin that had the texture of plastic. I had to pull it out of my mouth like pulling out a piece of fish bone while eating a fish.<br/>

Saboten Express is great for those who want a fast yet delicious lunch. This restaurant really represents the fast-paced service and quality that food merchants in Tokyo offer. Although a bit pricier for a food court restaurant, the authenticity of the dishes make it all up to me. Go give this a try!

-definitely will go back often when there's no line ups -drinks are too expensive -high quality food for a food court but can also be considered expensive for a food court meal...

Generally I don't blog food court items, but if it is interesting enough or there is a hype I would like to try. So I saw the line up a couple of times and finally I gave it a try when there were less people. This is the pork tenderloin set (around $9.00) includes pork tenderloin cutlet, salad, rice, miso soup. (So many sauce that I almost didn't know what to do with it.)

Last Sunday, Janice ( goodeat ) kindly invited Steph ( Krispy Bites ) and I to the Saboten grand opening/media tasting event. We were joined by Gary and Taya from ( Eating in Vancouver ) as well. Feel free to click on their links to check out their reviews of Saboten! Saboten originated from Shinjuku, Japan and they specialize in tonkatsu which is a style of deep fried pork cutlet. This is their first North American location so there was much anticipation about their grand opening. While we were waiting, we were given a take out menu. Have a look and see what you think. Each meal is around $8-9 except for the Tenderloin Katsu Sandwich. If you just want to try out their tonkatsu without all the other stuff, I suggest getting the sandwich as it is quite affordable.

With such a high reputation, I expected some delicious, crispy and juicy pieces of Pork!The fried pork looked promising but the taste failed to impress. The meat was dry and flavorless, at least it was nice and crispy. 

We got to try all three if their offerings in their Saboten set ($8.95) the loin, the prawn, and the tenderloin cutlets. It also included the lettuce I was talking about earlier.

Saboten isn’t getting a positive buzz, so I don’t really expect it to last. I suspect yet another Japanese chain will occupy this space a year from now. Perhaps it might be time we had a MOS Burger? (Is anyone in Fairchild reading this?)

Through the grapevine, I learned that a new Japanese Pork Cutlet opened at Aberdeen food court. Seeing the name and logo, I kind of knew which one it is. Located at the old location of "Strawberry Cone", Saboten brings in the Japanese style deep fried pork cutlet into Vancouver. It's a chain store in Japan with many overseas restaurants in Asia as well. I've actually been to one in Taiwan and was very impressed by the food and its quality. Needless to say, I was very excited to see how the one in Vancouver measures up. A lot of people probably heard of this new place; by the time we arrived, there's already a long line up. We waited for about 15 minutes to place our order, and another 30 minutes to get our meal. It's good that we're at the food court. At the same time, it's bad we're at the food court. How so? Keep on reading~ Since it took a bit of time to line up, we used that time to decide what we wanted to order. I was so looking forward to getting the pork cutlet sandwich until I

I attended Saboten's grand opening event on Sunday with Janice ( Good Eat ), Kirby ( Eating with Kirby ), Gary and Taya ( Eating in Vancouver ). Saboten is the newest addition to the Aberdeen food court. It's part of a Japanese franchise with over 500 locations in Asia. The signature dish here is tonkatsu, or Japanese breaded and deep fried pork cutlet. We met briefly with the executive chef for a quick Q&A session. We found out that he had attended a full training course in Japan to prepare for this role. He explained that the preparation for the opening of this location took much longer than expected because they had trouble sourcing high quality ingredients good enough to meet the company's standards. Read below for details on the ingredients: the meat: The meat is premium pork that is aged for days to ensure its richness and tenderness. the cabbage: The cabbage for the salad is not sourced from local supermarkets, but directly imported from California. the bread crumbs: The bread c

My go to is Saboten and their express pork cutlet eatery. This time I went with the deep fried pork loin katsu curry plate and tenderloin katsu sandwich.

Saboten is the largest Japanese Chain Restaurant for Tonkatsu chain with over 500 shops across the world. They have been open since 2012 in Aberdeen Centre in Richmond BC. I’ve passed by this place all the time, but I’ve never dined her until now. I’ve always been turned off by the huge lines, but today, there are hardly any lineups. Perhaps the hype has died down. It’s always a busy time in the Aberdeen Food Court, the crowds can be a bit crazy during dinner time, but there are a lot of food options. I loved looking at the display food and you are probably going to be mesmerized by how good it looks. FYI, it’s not going to be looking like this at all. Tenderloin Katsu Curry set comes with 2 pieces of katsu soaked with the curry sauce. Then you have rice and cabbage on the other side. You also get miso soup and a small container of pickled vegetables. Tenderloin & Loin Set has miso soup, rice, sesame seeds, pickles, sauce and the tenderloin and loin katsu. After tasting both of these i

For better quality and price, I'd rather got to Guu on Thurlow or 29th Ave Cafe on Boundary. For strictly quality, it's got to be Kingyo Izakaya.

Fairchild brought Saboten Japanese Tonkatsu to Aberdeen Centre. Here's what we discovered at the media event for the first Saboten location outside of Asia...

Arkensen had a birthday lunch at Ninkazu and he is supposed to meet up with his friends at the Aberdeen Mall. So, Nanzaro and I decided to have lunch at Aberdeen food court after we dropped Arkensen off. I decided to try out Saboten Japanese Cutlet, a relatively new addition to the food court. Since it’s opening, I had seen long line up the couple of occasions I was at the food court. I hate line up and so, I did not bother to try the food the couple of times I was at there. This time, there is no line at all. I ordered the Tenderloin Katsu Sandwich which came pre-packed. The moment I placed the order, the sandwich was packed in a plastic bag and handed to me even before I managed to get my purse out. The Tenderloin Katsu Sandwich came in three pieces of about 3.5″x1.5″x1.5″ dimension. The pork tenderloin is crispy on the outside with a slightly tangy sauce. It was good except that it is very small. The Tenderloin Katsu Sandwich is $5.32 with tax. You can click on the menu to have a la