Saboten Canada - Richmond

Saboten is a global chain famous for its tonkatsu cutlets. We visited the location in the mall and ordered the loin katsu-don. It was served with miso soup and pickles. The pork was lacking in seasoning and a bit dry, while the coating became soggy from the sauce and egg. However, the rice was tasty. Overall, it's typical mall food.

After browsing the food court for a while, I decided to have lunch at this restaurant. I opted for the katsu pork loin, but found it to be rather bland. The pork loin had a light coating, but the meat was sliced too thick, throwing off the balance with the coating. The sauce was there, but lacked flavor. The pickles were decent, but the soup was disappointing. The made-to-order pork loin took about 10 minutes, so it wasn't a quick meal. Since this is a chain restaurant, the food is standardized. Although the dish was lacking in seasoning, it may be a healthier option in terms of sodium content. While all the food stalls in the food court had similar prices around $10, I would probably try something else next time instead of returning to this restaurant.

I recently watched a video review on YouTube by Vancity Food Crew where they toured the Aberdeen Centre food court and tried out Saboten. It was my first time trying this style of tonkatsu and I ordered the Saboten set with tenderloin, loin, and ebi. I found the meal to be just okay. Unlike a restaurant, they do not offer refills on sides so I left feeling hungry. Even adding curry sauce to my meal did not make it more filling. I would be willing to try this style of food again, but I would prefer to do so in a restaurant setting.

With many options, all with a replica for you to see how it looks (like often found on Japan), they offer great food at reasonable cost.

SOOO delicious! The shave the bread for the breading of the pork and are breaded right after you order. I've eaten Saboten in Japan as well and they have done a good job emulating what the did in Japan. The yuzu ponzu is delicious!