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 thecabbagesalad 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.

super sulit lalo na pag naka zomato discount ka. excellent food and value for money! tonkatsu sauce is not too salty unlike yabu’s.cabbagesides 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!

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),cabbageand rice. i also had a taste of their prawn tempura and that's also good.

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

food: we ordered the large tenderloin set and it was very good. the meat was tender and juicy with a bit of crisp from the breading. i was pleasantly surprised that they cut it in squares, because its easier to eat. the shreddedcabbagewas fresh and good with their sesame dressing, which is sweeter compared to the other japanese restaurants we've tried. their rice was sticky and the miso soup was also good.

staff: they were very respectful, responsive, and knew the menu well when we asked for recommendations.

ambiance: the interiors gave a light feeling and the space was well decorated with japanese elements. i love the area with the rock path 😍

overall: great experience

saboten originated from shinjuku, tokyo which is famous for their tonkatsu. it was brought to the philippines by the raintree restaurant who also brought chelsea kitchen, providore, museum café, chotto matte and terraz.

upon entering the restaurant, you can feel the modern japanese vibe of the restaurant. they also have outside sittings for those who want to dine in al fresco. just like other japanese restaurants, they also serve complimentary house tea for every guests.

special note: all the meal sets comes with unlimited miso soup, steamed rice,cabbageand pickles.
for me, this justified the prices of their foods.

katsu curry tenderloin set - served with cabbage, pickles, radish and miso soup.

miso katsu tenderloin set - the tonkatsu was served with rice and hot miso soup which was an original taste from nagoya. this is my personal favorite. if you want something quite different, try this.

grated radish tenderloin set – one of their most popular menu. this dish was served with ponzu sauce, shredded cabbage, pickles, rice, and miso soup. ponzu sauce is citrus-based sauce with shoyu.

all the katsu were crispy on the outside yet soft, juicy and flavorful on the inside. the perfect way to enjoy your katsu!

some people prefer mixing thecabbagewith sesame dressing and citrus sauce but i prefer using the sesame dressing alone. their sesame sauce has the right amount of sweet and creamy flavor.

chocolate hazelnut cream cake – a simple looking cake with a luxurious taste. the hazelnut bits gave added texture and flavor to the already sumptuous chocolate cake. i can call this “a heaven in disguise”. 

vanilla ice cream with black honey and green tea ice cream with soybean sprinkles - the ice cream was not too sweet and just perfect after having your japanese meal fix.

food ratings:

katsu curry tenderloin set: 4.5/5
miso katsu tenderloin set: 5/5
grated radish tenderloin set: 4/5
chocolate hazelnut cream cake: 5/5
vanilla ice cream with black honey: 4/5
green tea ice cream with soybean sprinkles: 4/5

ambiance: 5/5
service: 5/5
value for money: 4/5

saboten is my and my husband's favorite go-to place for birthdays and anniversaries. the dining experience is always superb. servings are generous and the food quality is consistent. our personal favorites are the crab croquettes andcabbagesalad with sesame dressing which are so addicting. we also love the inviting ambience and clean sofas & tables. the staff is also friendly and attentive to our needs. we'll definitely come back again and again.

we usually eat here because we like the place, service and the food - fried pork cutlet with unlimited cabbagesalad, rice, misu soup and pickles. the store also honors zomato gold promos and have a menu to our liking. lately we noted a slight change, they now serve your toasted sesame seeds already grounded, we miss the mortar and pestle for grinding the sesame seeds, it was a ritual that is part of meals in saboten.

did not provide sauce for my tenderloin take out. can’t even take out a small portion ofcabbagewhen i paid for the set. i’ll go to yabu next time. their service is way better.

everything was in point! fast service, great food. you can really taste the umami flavor. what i liked most was the yuzu margarita & croquette. its expensive alright but worth every peso.

they have complimentarycabbagesalad with 2 different dressings, 2 appetizer and house tea. all refillable.

this for me is the best japanese restaurant in the metropolis that offers serene ambiance, appetizing menu, and super delicious bento/set meals. highly recommended is their specialty set named yuki or snow. this bento is served with unlimitedcabbageand pickles for the sides, two salads, pork loin or chicken karaage as appetizers, unlimited rice and miso soup, two deep-fried shrimp and one rolled cutlet for the main dish. you can choose from asparagus, cheese, or plum cutlet. lastly, it also comes with a dessert of either vanilla or green tea ice cream to complete your dainty meal. . aside from this, you can also choose from the other two specialty sets of tsuki (moon) and hana (flower), and other signature set menus to cater your taste and appetite. lastly, you can maximize your dining experience with their 1+1 o food every you dine at saboten using your zomato gold membership.

love saboten! the quality, the sauces. always leaves me full and satisfied. theircabbagesalad is pretty simple but i can't seem to get enough of it. perfect combination with their meat! i would've had it as a rice substitute but their rice was perfect too so couldn't help but finish my bowl.

tried their melon yakult and it's a yummy twist to an old childhood favorite. perfect for hot days. :)

gold offer: for any set meal, you can select any meat from their ala carte menu. the catch is you can't share your initial unlimited rice and sides with another person. so if you intend to eat as a pair, add an additional rice set. i think it was just 250 something. :)

i’ve been doing food blog since 4 years ago, and since this is my first review here, that means its been at least 4 years since i had saboten in serendra.

the recipes of this 6-year-old store must have been consistent. and based on our experience last sunday, i say they are on the right track to last even longer.

we were a group of six and we decided to take turns trying different kinds of katsu. and while we were waiting we had some of the unlimitedcabbagewith creamy, sweet, sesame sauce. some of us got busy with grinding some black and white sesame seeds. we also got to share an order of chicken salad.

so what did we have? here’s a quick rundown- pork tenderloin, tenderloin & shrimp, curry loin, katsudon, and the claypot chicken katsu. all meats were plump, quite lean and not greasy.

everyone found familiarity with the katsudon, a katsu combined with egg, vegetables, and sauce on a bed of rice. this dish was the first to go.

the tenderloin & shrimp was the next popular order. the shrimps were limited but the pork was as captivating since it had a crunchy outside texture and a juicy center.

claypot chicken katsu was a welcome variation, and it went well with its base of tonkatsu sauce. curry loin, on the other hand, got the least attention, but it was my top pick. i’ve always been a japanese curry fanatic.

saboten serendra just in case you haven’t been, is on the ground floor. it is beside the art bar. if you have been but it’s been too long, it’s time to visit again.

i dined here twice in a span of 5 months (the first one was last april and the second visit was last september 2019). i used my zomato gold on both visits and here was my experience:

on my first visit (april 2019), i was able to use my 1+1 food privilege. no specific food item for the second order (shared sets are excluded) so my husband and i got the rolled cutlet meal and a katsu curry meal for him. we only paid for the one with the higher price.

on my second visit (september 2019), i dined there again with my husband and brother. saboten has changed their terms on the 1+1 privilege - the main dish available for the second item are a la carte cutlets (3 choices: tenderloin, loin and chicken cutlets). rice, soup andcabbageare charged with additional fee. i'm not sure if this is still the same or they have changed their terms again. no complaints though as every restaurant has their own terms on using the zomato gold privilege.

food was superb. i love the rolled cutlets with cheese. line is long especially during lunch time but staff is organized in handling the line. service was just okay - hard to call their attention and they sometimes forget your request.

not really a 1+1 deal on food, large tonkatsu set only gets you an ala carte medium tonkatsu with no rice and cabbage. you have to pay extra for rice and thecabbagefor your "+1" meal