Saboten Japanese Cutlets, Glorietta 5
Saboten first opened its doors in Shinjuku, Tokyo back in 1966. The restaurant was named after 'cactus' because of the plant's vitality, even in the harshest conditions.
Currently, it is one of the largest Tonkatsu chains with over 500 shops in South East Asia and Canada - two of which are in the Philippines. Under the Raintree Restaurants group, the first branch opened in Serandra, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig (2013).
I visited the recently opened second branch, which is strategically located as one of Glorietta 5's outdoor restaurants, with blogger friends. We had late lunch with Raintree's Mela and Michele. :)
Saboten Restaurant Review
The restaurant was spacious. It has a high ceiling, walls adorned with colorful Japanese art, and a glass wall that keeps the natural light in. It has a combination of regular group tables and booth type ones, separated by low wooden walls that provide some sort of privacy. They also use classy looking plates and container for condiments.
Food
Appetizers were shared around our table so I was able to try them. I like the radish salad with plum dressing (lower left on the photo). Don't forget shredded cabbage with sesame sauce <3
Choose from different sets on the menu such as Specialty Course (Yuki, Tsuki, Hana), The Original, Original Rolled Tenderloin Cutlet, Miso Katsu, Grated Radish Katsu, Special Sharing Set, Variety Set, Shrimp Set, Katsu Curry, and Clay Pot.
[caption id="attachment_3370" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Saboten Special Set, P525[/caption]
For my main course, I wanted variety and something that I can finish so I chose the Saboten Special Set. This variety set consists of one (1) Deep-Fried Shrimp, one (1) Loin Cutlet 65g, one (1) Tenderloin Cutlet 50g, and one (1) Crab Cream Croquette. It comes with one serving of rice and miso soup.
[caption id="attachment_3371" align="aligncenter" width="500"] That shrimp <3[/caption]
Each bite I was greeted with moist and tender pieces of meat. I prefer the traditional grounded sesame seeds+katsu sauce over the dressing provided with the set. For some reason I like their crumbly breading more than the usual.
Did I mention that their rice, miso soup, pickles and cabbage are refillable? :D
Drinks
Drinks are not limited to soda, smothies and iced tea. Saboten also offers cocktails, coffee, beer, sake and sochu, whisky and cognac, and wine. I had Four Seasons with Yakult which was light and had the right amount of sweetness.
[caption id="attachment_3372" align="aligncenter" width="427"] Four Season with Yakult :)[/caption]
Dessert
The dessert menu in Saboten has three cakes, three ice cream combinations and three parfaits to choose from. Jam ordered the bestseller Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Cake which reminds me of the chocolate bar Mars. Yum! :D
[caption id="attachment_3373" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Cake - P195/slice[/caption]
In a heartbeat, I ordered their Green Tea Ice Cream with Soybean Sprinkles. It was creamy and you can taste bitterness of the green tea without being overpowering. It was my first time to see soybean sprinkle added to ice cream and it gave a nice oomph to it. :)
[caption id="attachment_3374" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Green Tea Ice Cream with Soybean Sprinkles - P75 (two scoops)[/caption]
Note: Specialty courses includes a scoop of vanilla or green tea ice cream with their set.
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Verdict
Honestly, even with an empty stomach, I had a hard time finishing my meal (crazy eating patterns :p). I didn't even stuffed myself with cabbage! >.<
Anyhoo, one thing I love about Japanese establishments (especially restaurants) is how warm they greet customers and Saboten's staff made sure we were comfortable. They were courteous, prompt to requests and patient in answering questions.
People might find Saboten to be pricey, but you get more than what you pay for in terms of the quality of ingredients used (oishii~ <3) and the overall satisfactory service. The amount of food in one set is for sharing, which is also a plus for me.
Unlike other Japanese restaurants, Saboten does not offer any sushi or sashimi in their menu. It wasn't a surprise for me since I'm aware of their culture but some customers might be disappointed.
Thank you Aldous and Raintree Restaurants for the invite! :)
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Saboten Japanese Cutlet
Glorietta 5, Ayala Center, Makati City
Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
I honestly haven't been to Saboten, but I must give it a try the soonest! :)
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to hear/read your review ate! :)
ReplyDeleteI love Japanese food too because of it's natural ingredients. More food varieties in Japanese vocabulary.
ReplyDeleteI just realized that I haven't been to Glorietta for a long time now even if I am from Makati. I should try this place this weekend.
ReplyDeleteI think an order is good to be shared by two people. Saboten's food is really great and price is worth it.
ReplyDeleteWow. it sounds like Tokyo Tokyo because of the refillable rice hehehe.
ReplyDeletePS. I tried to click the heart button on the first photo, thinking that photo likes would increase. You fooled me, Dems. hahahaha. But Im really hoping there would be that kind of widget for real (or whatever you may call it)
Yeah, but much better! It's not fast food and they use Japanese rice. :)
ReplyDeleteHaha! I got fooled too! I thought pwede sya ilike from there. You can click the Instagram logo on the upper right side so you can view the photo on Instagram and like it from there. Instagram widgets/plugins are kinda rare in my opinion but that would be awesome if they added the functionality on the embedded photo :)
It probably is. But then, it's hard to stop eating and you'll end up consuming everything haha! :p
ReplyDeleteAll the photos you posted makes me want to go to Saboten tonight!
ReplyDeleteHehe go! Enjoy po! ^_^
ReplyDeleteNow I'm excited to try this. It doesn't seem to be just another Tonkatsu place. Thanks for this.
ReplyDelete[…] (the first one, Chelsea Grand Cafe in Seranda). They’re the very same group that brought us Saboten, Simple Lang, […]
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