(Visited in March, 2011)
Saboten is a Tonkatsu restaurant from Shinjuku, Tokyo. I haven’t heard of
this restaurant until I saw in Taipei. In Taiwan, this tonkatsu restaurant (勝博殿) locates in
some department stores; SOGO and Mitsukoshi. I tried “Anzu”, which is another
Japanese Katsu restaurant in Taipei, and it was OK, so I was not sure if I
should have tried this restaurant… Yet, my friend asked me to, so… let me
report this.
I chose the branch in ZhongXiao SOGO. It was a long line, so we waited for
30 minutes or so. The waiter guided us to the comfortable table. Our seat was
in good place, and I was quite happy about it. The décor was simple, but it
looks old. Also, some families with kids and babies were eating dinner, so it
was quite noisy.
The other waitress came to us and explained their menu and system since it
was a first time for us to visit them. According to them, shredded cabbage, rice,
miso soup and appetizer are all refill free. Yes! (^^) Their workers were well
trained, and friendly.
Compared to Anzu, Saboten’s items are slightly expensive. I hoped that
their katsu taste better. I ordered Negi Oroshi Rosu Katsu (ねぎおろしロースかつ) (NT$ 300),
and my friend chose Tender Hire Katsu (やわらかヒレかつ御膳) (NT$300).
Appetizer
Their appetizer was black beans and Japanese radish pickles. This Daikon
pickles reminded me of one Japanese restaurant my friend and I always went in
the states. Good memories… Black beans were a bit sweet, tasted alright.
Shredded Cabbage
Shredded cabbage (キャベツの千切り) is always served with Katsu. I always
eat a lot.
Sesami
Same as Anzu, sesame was served.
Item was served in front of me.
Negi Oroshi Rosu Katsu looked great! Katsu
was politely laid on the plate, covered Daikon Oroshi. I thought their Oroshi
was a bit dry, but it was still tasty. Katsu was juicy and chewy enough to
enjoy the taste of pork. Unfortunately, my rice was already cold. What
happened!?!?!? I asked Okawari, and the second bawl was warm enough.
Negi Oroshi Rosu Katsu
Hire Katsu Set
My friend’s Hirekatsu was, to be honest, so disappointing. I don’t know
what happened. Did they serve different item or what? This katsu was quite
different than we expected. Meat was thinly sliced, and wrapped to make it
katsu shape. I found the similar item on their menu, which was called “Kasane
Katsu” (千層錦豬排). But…
Hire is usually not Kasane Katsu, right? I really want to know if we ordered it
wrong, or they served wrong item… Taste of meat was not bad at all, but still
quite different than Hire. Sorry my friend…
Oshiruko
Green Tea Ice Cream
Both katsu set included a small dessert. Both dessert items were good: Oshiruko
and Green tea Ice cream. We enjoyed it.
Overall, I liked their appetizer and everything but Katsu, such an ironic. I
believe Anzu’s Katsu matches more to my taste, and it is close to a real
Japanese style, although their sauce and other appetizer are alright. As a
Japanese, Katsu in here couldn’t satisfy me.
I would like to visit them again to confirm their Hire katsu... If that was
all they have, then I’d rather cook it by myself. It is all about a quality of
the meat. I hope I will be satisfied with their food next time.
Total: NT$ 660 (for 2 people + 10% service fee)
Saboten: Japanese Tonkatsu Restaurant
