saboten

we went to eat lunch here for a post-birthday celebration for my mother after doing some shopping. it was lunchtime so understandably there were many people already. there was no one to greet us at the door so we just entered and when we did they asked us for how many, we were showed were to sit after a while.
we ordered the tuna katsu set, tenderloin katsu set, chicken cutlet set, iced teas for our drink, and the matcha lychee cake for dessert.
we were given service water while waiting, and in a few minutes the cabbage salad was served, followed by our iced tea. the salad was really delicious, and i'm glad my mother liked it since the treat is for her. the rest of our food was served within 10-15 minutes. we asked for spoon and fork since there is soup, and we're really not good at using chopsticks 😄. as for the taste of the food, everything was delicious, the katsu was cooked perfectly and not oily at all. their condiments also complimented it, we really love the dressing provided at the table for the cabbage, and also the katsu sauce. iced tea was also good, and the matcha lychee cake is the perfect dessert to end this lunch.
the only thing that prevented this lunch from being a perfect dining experience was the service, it seems to me that they are understaffed on a sunday. we had to ask four different persons for our iced tea to be refilled, and finally the fourth person we asked refilled it. i don't know if they are understaffed or the staff we asked for the refills forgot about it. anyway, getting the bill was easy, and i still would want to go back to try other dishes.

service and food quality kinda dipped compared before. servings were not as good as before, too. i don't know if it's just for that night but i don't think i'd come back anytime soon. :( sad cos they used to be my fave back then.

good food! good service! requests for refills (rice, cabbage, miso soup are unli) are promptly served. most items in their menu are included in the promo. except for the specialty sets.

super sulit lalo na pag naka zomato discount ka. excellent food and value for money! tonkatsu sauce is not too salty unlike yabu’s. cabbage sides are always served fresh and crunchy. staff are very attentive and anticipative of refills. miso soup are always served hot. this is more of the real deal compared to yabu. this branch serves that which closely compares to the authentic tonkatsu shops in tokyo. oh and nice ambiance too! very zen hahaha. and clean restroom!

the good:

- i ordered the mixed set composed of a deep fried shrimp, 300g of tenderloin and crab cream croquette. super love the croquette and the shrimp!
- i enjoyed the super fresh cabbage.
- the place is great. it is nicely decorated, semi-japanese feel.
- fortunate enough to arrive exactly 6pm. we were able to be seated immediately. after we finished eating, quite a long waiting line outside.

the bad:

- service is quite slow. one of the waiters is quite rude actually. he tried to clean up my plate while my wife is still eating. when i asked him to wait until my wife is done, i saw him make a face. however, other servers were nice and accommodating.

- food plating is sloppy. see picture for proof.
- maybe they should increase the 300g tenderloin included in the mixed set.

the plus:

- it is zomato gold particpant. hence, you get to save in your bill. we only paid 480 pesos for 2 mixed set. such a great deal!

you can definitely taste the difference of the pork/meat served here as they are of great quality. liked it a bit more than the usual restaurants that serve tonkatsu and the like.

wonderful concept. very clear, food is fresh, the chicken is good, the sauces are wonderful, refillable white cabbage, very good value for money

as always food here was very delicious. great service from the employees even though the place was packed. the tenderloin katsu was very good.

authentic japanese experience. very delicious food to satify my japanese food cravings. i ordered the large loin set (rosu) while my mother ordered the medium tenderloin set. i was really excited to try it because i saw many japanese people eating here. i am very satisfied with my order and i will definitely come back.

good ambience and good food. such a steal using zomato gold! having 2 full sets for a price of one! our 1 yr old liked the crunchiness of the tenderloin katsu with rice and miso soup! order the tenderloin as it's really tender! what i didn't like is how slow they work on the waiting list. you can see vacant seats but they are not allowing people to enter. if i hadnt ask the receptionist, they wouldnt give me the vacant seat yet!

obviously, this is just like yabu but with a different name and somewhat a different menu. my colleagues and i dined here at dinnertime. we were a group of 7, and upon arriving at the restaurant, we were asked to wait - but not that long - while the crew were cleaning up the tables. nice ambiance and lighting.

so i ordered the large tenderloin set. this comes with unlimited miso soup (which is the most satisfying and delicious for me), cabbage and rice. i also had a taste of their prawn tempura and that's also good.

food was good. katsu was cooked well and the service was fast. it is worth my money and will definitely go visit this place again. i love the katsu sauce as it was not too thick!

superb tenderloin katsu! katsu sauce is perfect! unli soup, cabbage and rice is sulit. recently tried their strawberry shortcake and it’s delicious! love that they’re on zomato gold.

the lunch was superb. i will definitely comeback. they will always ask what else you need.the lunch has good balanve of meat and veggies so it is good for health buffs too! definitely a must try!

the food is great which explains the long line 😂. still worth the wait. we ordered clay pot tenderloin and classic tonkatsu. for our drinks mango shake. all is prepared very well and the food is delicous.