This post is written on an invited food tasting, but it in no way was given preferential treatment.
All views expressed in this post are objective and original.
Hello all!
We hope you've been doing well - we FINALLY managed to conquer our exams so here we are ready to inject this space with some life once more.
Mandy and I have been very kindly invited to try out Saboten Dining; one of the largest Tonkatsu chains in Japan that has been making waves in the industry for its delicious food. A familiar name amongst local Japanese food lovers for their Tonkatsu, Mandy and I were excited to finally give their food a go, especially to sample from their range of recently launched set meals that are only currently available at their IMM outlet.
So let's get straight down to it shall we?
Mandy ordered the signature Wagyu Beef Shabu Shabu and Half Loin Katsu Set ($17.90)
As you can see, the beef was very nicely marbled and had a rich colour going on, and it certainly helped that the beef was thinly sliced to allow for it to melt on your tongue.
It went wonderfully with the rice, which we both appreciated very much. The best part of it was that the rice had this particular fragrance and chewiness to it, just as good quality Japanese rice would.
The soup base was also pretty exceptional, with a richness of flavors that certainly did not disappoint on a rainy day. The both of us enjoyed the rich soup broth and wiped it clean by the end of the night.
The set was certainly generous for its affordable price: it came with plenty of veggies, Tonkatsu and Saba Fish to boot. Each set also came with Chawanmushi and cabbage salad served with a delectable sesame sauce(not pictured); two sides that were a good start to the meal and that we both enjoyed as well.
We found out after the meal that Saboten had been voted the Best Tonkatsu Restaurant in Singapore by users of hungrygowhere, and after tasting it, we believe that there's good reason for the accolade.
Both of us aren't fans of fried food to say the least but Saboten's Tonkatsu was something different.
Tender, succulent cuts of pork loin were encased in a flavorful, breaded exterior that was light and delectable to the taste, without leaving behind an oily or greasy aftertaste and sensation like a lot of fried foods do.
It was full of flavor without being unnecessarily salty or overbearing and we must say that the special Tonkatsu sauce that Saboten makes in-house served as a good complement to the already delicious dish as we were told it would.
Sadly, Mandy and I agreed that whilst the the Tonkatsu and the beef proved to be the better components in the set, the fish was disappointingly salty and generally not done well.
Each set also comes with a bowl of sesame seeds and mini grinder. We were told to grind the sesame seeds for a more aromatic flavour, and after grinding, eat them sprinkled atop the rice, or even with the Tonkatsu, like Mandy did as well, and she commented that she was certainly not disappointed with how the flavors were enhanced with the special sesame condiment.
We ordered some Salmon Sashimi on the side! (:
Because, who would say no to a sashimi fix, really?
I on the other hand ordered the Aba Ebi Mentai & Loin Katsu Gozen, which essentially was a set comprising grilled prawn, Tonkatsu (exactly the same as what Mandy was served in her set) and this pretty exotic looking dish which was explained to me to be Golden Mushrooms wrapped in pork belly.
I know, I know. It sounded pretty amazing to me too.
Pardon the re-appearance of the sashimi though - it's not included in the set but there was too little space on the table so we ended up moving it around on our trays instead.
I loved the sauce on the prawn, which seemed to be flavoured mayonnaise and roe atop the crunchy meat of the shellfish. The other lovely couple sharing our table didn't think this was spectacular, but I liked it nonetheless for the topping, mainly.
The Golden Mushrooms wrapped in Pork Belly turned out to be Mandy's favourite item in my set; which I was okay with but wasn't exactly crazy about. The pork belly was succulent and tender, which served as a complement to the crunch of the mushrooms.
I reckon the sauce killed it for me - it was a little too spicy for my liking.
Nonetheless, we both felt that Saboten is definitely one of the better Japanese places we have tried, and one of our favorite tastings so far, and it has good prices for its quality to boot.
You have to admit that $17+++ for wagyu beef shabu shabu is a steal after all.
They also offered many other wonderful dishes and set meals(there are 16 other new set meals that you can check out when you are there! Mandy and I only sampled 2 of the 18 in their new range of set meal options) that we were not able to try then. We were told by the couple sitting with us that they serve up some amazing grilled scallops so do check that out if you guys ever head down there too!
Overall rating: 4/5
Better yet for you Westies; this Saboten branch we paid visit to is located in IMM, which should be pretty close to you guys. We heard too that they have plans to open another outlet in a Central location; so for the rest of us, we have that to look forward to!
Saboten Dining (Saboten)
IMM Building
2 Jurong East St 21 #01-09, IMM Building
S609601
Opening Hours:
11AM-10PM
If you try it out let us know how you liked it! (:
We hope you have a great week ahead, and we look forward to blogging more that its finally Summer for the both of us!
Love,
Brendy
