They will give you a number on the receipt and call you by the number, they don't check your receipt though to verify you got the right order. Meaning someone else can steal your food without proof. This happened to me. If this place verified the costumer by the number given (receipt) this wouldn't have happened, had to wait another 10 minutes thanks to them, not impressed. Why give a number if they won't check?
I absolutely love my Japanese curry - and what better than a thick juicy piece of tempura pork cutlet! The pork cutlet was fried exceptionally well - the tempura batter makes a really nice flaky coat that was prepared perfectly - a golden brown coat. Served on top of a bed of rice and a generous portion of sweet Japanese curry. Nom nom nom! Absolutely delicious.
Delicious crispy breaded pork cutlet. The tenderloin curry katsu is the best in my opinion.
Those ladies work there are really impolite and rude to customers. They just show an disgusting face to customers and every time just ignore the order line up. Bad service ever
Juicy think pork meat fried just right. Typical katsu sauce which i am not a big fan of. It wasnt bad, but not special enough for me to go back.
Good job with not overfrying.
Tried this place as it was one of the only spots that accepts credit. Had the Saboten set. The batter was flakey with a good texture but the meat was bland.
Noticed that most people got the curry tenderloin while waiting for my order. Other reviews indicate that the curry adds some needed flavour.
For the price there are better options.
Bought the sandwich which I thought it s fresh made but it s not. I got my order within a minute and it s really bad.... it s worse than the one you got from regular bakeries....
Got take out and ate it probably about 5 minutes after at a nearby park. Crunch held up well, didn't go soggy on me in the couple minutes in the take out container.
Good portion of rice, cabbage, side dishes and sauces.
Tenderloin was really tender, the regular cutlet was ok, nothing to write home about.
I had a sampler with other friends the same night at Katsu San and Saku and I think its on par with the other two competitors
The meat is overly cooked, very hard and not juicy at all!!! The soup is too salty and the rice is salty too.
One of the best decorated ramen shop in town. It is pretty comfortable to have a bowl of ramen here.
Ordered their chicken based ramen. Soup base was 5 out of 5. At first I was afraid it would be on the lighter side. But it was a solid soup base for a bowl of ramen. Pork was good especially it's light charred to perfection. Seaweed on it was too salty since i had it with pork and over powered wonderful flavors from the meat. I ordered extra noodle since normal bowl of ramen always left me wanting a bit more.
Their noodle was made in house. At first I didn't really like it that much but it kinda grow on me a little. It's decent for what it is. Cooked perfectly as well.
Not credit card friendly since it takes cash or debit card only. Also on the expensive side as well. One bowl of noodle came out to be $16.xx after everything.
Parking can be tricky since they are destinated parking for shops around it.
4.5 star for over salty seaweed otherwise perfect 10 noodle. One less star for cash only place. So total is 3.5 star.
Very consistent pork chop place. Portion is on the smaller size but it's always great tasting and present nicely
I worked here and I know how they prepare all the ingredients everyday. Hygiene, cleanliness and taste are very good!
worst saboten of the franchise but best in comparison food in vancouver
On last Friday (12 March 2021), I was there around 5:45pm. Then, I lined up to make my order. When the customer who was in front of me, completed ordering. Then, I started to order, the front desk staff had not said anything to me, just point at the sign "Closed". And at the same time, 5 or 6 customers were lining up after me.
I was thinking that did I go there after the business hour. I don't think so, other shops in the food court were super busy for taking care customers. Closing at 6pm on Fridays, does it right?
I also found that all staff who working there are Not happy all the time. It seems that they have a lot hard time from their boss or top management. I will not suggest anyone to buy food from there. Although their food is with good taste, if no service means Nothing !
two kinds of pork and shrimp.
i will say this place use to be better.
This review is for the katsu sandwich only. For $8.25, one would assume it's a freshly made katsu, served warm. It came in a takeout container, pre made, ready to go. Great for convenience if you want a quick, cold bite, but what you get is double the price than what it's worth. They should at least give the option for a warm sandwich, very disappointing.
Video review on youtube: vancity food crew aberdeen centre food court tour saboten
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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.
Actually I think the meal is good, but I am very happy to have the familiar hot rice
The food is okay. The service is okay. I just think being able to provide adequate utensil is the minimum requirement a restaurant should hold. How can you not provide fork and ask you to get it from other stores....
Decent food, but the price wasn't reasonable for the small portion given to customers.
The flavour was not bad, but I couldn't believe how small the portion was
pretty good tongatsu place at aberdeen food court. only complaint is that rice is not enough so still a little hungry after the meal
I love saboten tonkatsu. Service could be better and presentation could be better. I mean, it is at a food court, but doesn't mean you have to make it look like food court food. Presentation when it first opened several years back was at least moredescent. Now everything is in styrofoam. I wish it was not an express! Give us the real restaurant please!
Tiny portion for the price, and we waited 15 minutes during non-peak hours.
Poor customer service but the food is very delectable
Food is always consistent and delicious. Set #1 is the go too. Though I tried the curry tenderloin set and it was also tasty.
I will make a complaint though. We visit twice within this week and both times the counter server was quite rude. We figured the first time was maybe because it was busy and she had a long day but this time was also not pleasant. My Japanese girlfriend politely asked for some napkins after we got our sets and she just grabbed a bunch and aggressively waved it at her without even giving eye contact. It's bad customer service. I'm a Corporate Chef and have been in the industry 30 years. This attitude at a counter is unacceptable.
Great pork cutlets and rice! Very similar to the one in Japan. The downside of eating at a foodcourt is the plastic utensils and bowls. Food does look and taste nicer on 'real' plates!
Seating is a problem. Rice bowls were a tad overhyped.
Call it pricey or whatever you want. It's one of the few places I'd eat at if I'm eating at the Aberdeen food court.
We ordered the tenderloin curry rice and fried shrimp curry rice. The tonkatsu and shrimp were juicy and crispy and curry sauce was full of flavour. Food came out fairly fast considering it was made to order. A solid 4 stars. One star off because we found the menu/staff to be a bit inflexible. We wanted to order additional shrimp on the side with our order because they looked so delicious and the answer we got was a flat no. All fried items must be ordered as a meal. There s no way we could finish 3 orders of food between the two of us so we just stuck with the two and were left feeling a bit unsatisfied due to the smaller portion. We went out and got a small dessert elsewhere instead.
Exceeded my expectations as I usually don't expect much from food court food. The wait was not long, and the food was delicious. The meat wasn't over or under cooked.
Probably my favorite place in the mall! Keep it mind that it is actually located in the food court and you will not have a feeling to be in a restaurant.
This is a Japanese restaurant chain and it is delicious!!! If I could I would be coming once every week!
Certainly the best tonkatsu in all greater Vancouver area. Can t believe there s only one store in food court, it s totally proper restaurant quality if there s more options in their menu
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.
Tried the pork cutlet curry. I really like it. The curry acts as a good sauce for the pork cutlet.
Juicy tender cutlets here that are perfectly crisped. It gets very busy here and hence will call you out by your order number. The curry katsu cutlet is a good pick with a great amount of rice to curry to meat ratio. Pricing is $11-13 a dish. Comes with a side of relished cucumbers and miso soup.
They would straight up ignore u while u stand there for a good 3 mins when she s right in front of you like I can t see her thru the glass panel. Third time this happened, and honestly, there s so many better places for Japanese curry.
The best food court food! Very fresh and delicious. I was very impressed! Good value too. The meat is very tender and the batter is tasty. I never liked food court food but this changed my mind! The cashier was very friendly and all the cooks seemed to put a lot of care to what they were serving.
Ordering a meal, Loin Katsu-Don was tasty. A little bit pricey for that size of portion. Decent service.
Got the katsu curry and it was very good. It's busy so you might have a wait before you get your food but it's worth it.
Good katsu, good rice, and good curry. Would come again if I had the chance.
I got the lion katsu curry and it was good. The katsu was crispy and juicy. The rice was fluffy. The curry was strong.
Sometimes, the meat would be overcooked by a bit, so it might be dry sometimes.
It s just good all-round. The panko used on the cutlets is sooo good. The curry sauce is really good too. Good portions as well. Miso soup is great too. The cutlets are amazing!
One star for absolutely shocking lack of customer service. First the server did not speak. No "hello", no "what can I get for you", just a grimace. Was then given the wrong dish. When I advised the same employee I was blamed and told I had ordered incorrectly which was not the case. Despite taking the incorrect meal to a table, opening it, breathing on it, it was served to someone else without their knowing. Seems dangerous, especially during Covid. No words were spoken except "wait" and pointed for me to move. No apology, no anything. How is it possible to have such bad customer service? Food is decent but not worth putting up with staff.
Staff are extremely inefficient. It took 10 minutes to even take my order and I was first in line.
It was satisfying. Made with care...Not oil laden at all. Very nice.
I never tried it when I go to Aberdeen. I ve ordered delivery few days ago and it is great! Very good food. For sure I will order again.
This is located on top floor in Aberdeen mall. Very easy to find as it is just off to the left when you get off the escalator.
I ve had set 4 a few times and like how it is prepared as each order is taken. The set comes with miso soup and several sauces. Ponzu sauce, tartare sauce, katsu sauce, and crushed sesame.
The shrimp is hot and crispy, wished for more than one. The pork tenderloin is good and I find dipping in the sauce and then in the sesame a good way to eat it. There is a small dish of picked something.
Ordered number 11 and the meat was literally two circles the sizing similar to a golf ball each. I paid $10.75 before tax for the WORST meal ever
Best Japanese curries in Vancouver. Consistent quality....try their free range chicken cutlet curries it will change you to curries lovers. The owner are very nice always try to explain new menu. I always buy Saboten set with extra curries on the side $1 or something. That way I can have the best of both world. The tonkatsu cutlet + curries
I don t know if they purposely take a long time to take order. The person in front of me was being ignored for quite some time before he ordered and the same happened to me. However, a long line does not mean the food is good: the curry has no taste. Miso soup is the only thing that is tasty which you can find in a market and make it by yourself.
Nice sized portions for reasonable prices...and the cutlets are done perfectly - fluffy and crisp
I like their deep fried pork! So tender yet crunchy!
Tried the sandwich and it was very disappointing. Thought it d be fresh, but it was premade in a takeout container. Equivalent to something you d get at a grocery store like T&T... Wasn t even hot or crispy. $7 for a tiny, cold sandwich is outrageous.
Maybe their other food/meals are better, but they should have the same level of quality for everything they offer.
The third time I went to this place pork chop is not cook it is still pink and raw in the middle. I have not touch a single piece and bring back the whole plate back to show them. When I bring it back they were rude and said oh is pink and the customer think is not cook. When they finally make a new set they were like you check before you go, don t bother me anymore. I question them do you eat raw pork I don t. And it is not safe to eat. I told them since I did not touch the previous set I bring back, show me how you eat raw pork and you can eat all raw pork you want.
I love this place. It's my favourite katsu place in Vancouver area. I always get the tenderloin katsu set and it's so tender and crispy and heavenly. I wish the portions are bigger though.
Food is good, but I'll never go back because of the bad attitude of one of the staff there. I was standing at the front waiting to make my order and when I asked if I could order, he refused to take it while he just paced back and forth. So I walked away.
Before it was really good, now, the meat is cut half and the amount of rice increases....
The meat was so small that I regret buying their food.
Good tonkatsu at a reasonable price. A bonus was the courteous staff
I am so disappointed. The rice and cabbage were old and the Tonkatsu is not crispy. And also it's lacking flavor. The only thing I like was the Miso Soup. And also, they were very slow.
Had high expectations for this place but was disappointed by how dry the proteins in the Saboten set were. Also, not the friendliest service.
Food is good but don't come here expecting people that care much.
It has maintained standards for many years and has a high cost performance.
Juicy pork tenderloin with batter fried to perfection that is not greasy at all. Cabbage is nice and crunchy. Rice is not overly soft or firm. Curry has a mild kick to it with a hint of sweetness and tang. Miso soup is is full of flavour and not too salty. Overall, a very satisfying meal.
I love their tonkatsu don and their tenderloin katsu! Their loin katsu sandwiches are also pretty good. It's freshly made and the tenderloins are so soft, juicy and so crispy yet not oily feeling at all!
They closed shop at 6PM when the mall closes at 7PM. Absolutely unacceptable
It was really disappointed cutlet taste was used to be good. Crispy bread and soft meat but now meat was so tough and bread kid of wet. Rice was so dried. I was like this place much before but not anymore. I think they made enough money now
Service was slow and staff did not call out order numbers when meal was ready. Quality of katsu cutlets were good. However, for a single set meal, they used one styrofoam plate, two styrofoam bowls, one plastic lid, five plastic dipping sauce containers, and one pair of disposable wooden chopsticks. That was excessive. Corporate environmental responsibility could be vastly improved.
Consistently, uncompromisingly excellent tonkatsu. Breaded and fried to perfection served with all the dipping sauces or curry. My family loves this place and our only disappointment is when we are not first in line the moment they open!
Foods tasted not bad. Serve speed is a bit slow. Order speed is fast. Credit cards accepted. Price is a pretty high with its portion. Employees are basically nice and friendly, however some are unfriendly and bad attitude. Located at food court. Public restroom available nearby. Free mall parking lot available, but space is crowded.
Effectively exactly what you would get from a katsu place in Japan except for the little metal grill that they d serve the katsu on top of. Too much fuss for a food court situation.
This place used to be a pretty good tonkatsu restaurant. Now, their tonkatsu is overcooked, and the service is very slow. Quite disappointing.
They will not offer free water, they charge the cup for 5c.
DISAPPOINTING tonkatsu and hirekatsu.... the texture was spot on (crispy on the outside and soft on the inside), but the flavor! The stuff that makes your mouth water and gives you vivid dreams of Japan is close to non existent! The only flavor one would taste is the watered down bulldog/tonkatsu sauce or the salt. I'm a big tonkatsu fan and have had a fair share of it in both Vancouver and Japan... and this place just ain't got it. If you're looking for orgasm in the mouth I'd say skip this place! It's got a Japanese brand, but its taste for sure ain't authentic. Astalavista baby.
My go-to place to eat at Aberdeen. The tonkotsu is always crispy and tender. The standard combo is excellent, and the curry is also great. Prices are on the high end for a food court restaurant, but it s worth it.
Fresh. Absolutely delicious. Like sit in authentic Japanese restaurant quality food in a food court. Would eat again and definitely worthy trying.
I really like the food here! I had Loin Katsu Curry ($8.75) that came with shredded cabbage, pickles and Miso soup and Katsu Curry was good.
Meat was thick and juicy in a crispy batter (YUM!). It was fresh as well. Miso soup was okay actually. If you re regular customer at Aberdeen, I suggest you get a stamp card to get points from here Saboten, Mazazu Crepe and Frappe Bliss. Yoy can get free food from collecting all the points.
I really liked Saboten in Japan. This one is westernised in my opinion (less cabbage, smaller tonkatsu and weak miso soup), but still a good tonkatsu place for a food court. Normally they're fast to serve. Since it gets really busy around lunch time, I go there after 1:30 so that I can have a seat and enjoy my tonkatsu.
Order a katudon surprisingly hard to eat pork chops. The meat quality is completely different from pork. Don t know that it s too salty and super hard to eat. It s a lot of stars!
This restaurant locates at Aberdeen center food court in Richmond. Variety fried food with curry source. Lots of restaurants in the food court take cash but Saboten takes cash and credit card payment , convenience if you ran out of cash
It one of the pork chop place you can go everyday
Service is ok since it's a food court vendor
Pork chop must order with the curry or else it's dry
AND DO NOT ORDER THE PROK CHOP SANDEHICH
They made it in the morning and just leave it beside the counter till it's sold
Which make it taste really bad and I dnt think that's the right one to store the cook food as well.
Extra curry is expensive for $3
They charge for tea and water as well
Always great food here. Definitely our go to place in Aberdeen Mall
Just go to Vancouver for your Japanese curry needs - the price is equivalent to eating at a restaurant anyways.
Use to be really good. was always decent when you see the regular guy at the till. The sandwich is more expensive but the meat doesn t seem as good as before. The rice is drier and inconsistent (some parts are really mushy) and the fried shrimp depends on who s making it. If I m craving this and I m at Aberdeen I ll still get it because it s not a bad set as there s no other place and it s enough food (maybe for a guy it won t be enough).
Today, the service was bad. Went for food at 3:30 and there s no line, but they re being quite slow and taking their time. Not bad if the quality was good but today s shrimp tempura is not crispy at all. It s very smooth and isn t at all like how it use to be. New guy almost put in the wrong order but saved it at the last moment by double checking (thought I wanted the shrimp set when I said shrimp curry).
I told him it was to-go, and he looked surprised and he had to repeat it- I confirmed and I saw him tap the screen. Then when I saw that it should be my order out next (there was only two people ahead of me) I saw it was being put on a tray. So I told the lady prepping it was supposed to be to-go, but the lady argued back saying it didn t say on the receipt. Then I saw her gossiping with another and they gave each other an expression like I was being an annoyance. - I always tip 10-15% since I work sales too, but why do I bother wasting my money?
