I'd heard so much about Saku over the years and finally gave it a go! Like some other reviews recommended, we shared a Zenbu set (~$40) which is definitely enough for two people, we had leftovers even! My favourite was the cheese tonkatsu which had a nice cheese pull. Though, it did get pretty heavy. As such, I liked the cabbage and different dressings (particularly the tartar). Note that seating at this location was pretty limited and the outdoor seating was in direct sunlight. I also noticed they have weekday lunch specials so I'd be curious about that next time if I'm ever in the area then. Overall, a decent spot by the sky train. read more

Saku - Japanese Near Me - Coquitlam, British Columbia

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Lovely staff. Really hospitable! This location is smaller than the other saku locations but the service is up to standard with the other locations, if not better. The food was excellent as usual. Just beware, there may be a wait time during busy hours (lunch time, weekends). read more

We put our name down an hour and a half before closing and it took quite long for us to get in on a weeknight. Service was quite rush as I understand their kitchen was doing last call, we ordered quickly outside before we even got seated. Food was still on par up to standard and the servers were still able to get us refills so overall I got my katsu craving fixed! Location is quite small but I would love to return when it is not as busy or close to closing. read more

Saku - saku combo share platter - Japanese Near Me - Coquitlam, British Columbia

It is a small restaurant so we had to wait around 45 minutes for dinner on a weekday. We ordered Zenbu katsu with additional miso, rice & cabbage to share for 2 adults & 1 kid. The portion was very generous and we were all stuffed at the end of the meal. All the katsu had very crispy coating. The pork cutlets were super tender. The cheese pork cutlet still melted by the time I bite into it! The seafood pieces (ebi & scallop) were perfectly cooked - not chewy & not overcooked! The sauce was very tasty and perfectly complemented the katsu. The miso soup was very good too! So flavorful and not too salty. The cabbage was fresh and crisp. My favorite thing was the dressing! The sesame dressing was creamy and nutty! It was similar to Kewpie but 100x way better and did taste homemade! I could drink those dressing on its own (in fact, we literally finished the whole bottle of dressing). read more

Saku - Japanese Near Me - Coquitlam, British Columbia

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Met a friend at Saku and had a delightful experience. The waitlist link online didn't work but we didn't need to worry about that because there were tables open when we arrived. The atmosphere was both aesthetically pleasing and comfortable with bright, warm lighting, and the two waiters were very polite. I tried the Saku on Broadway in Vancouver once years ago and loved it and was impressed again here. I got the veggie curry and also their seasonal cinnamon ginger drink. Their curry sauce is earthy and so rich; I am in love. The veggies were fried to be nice and soft inside and not too oily. The sides are also very good. I subbed out the tonjiru for a mini cold udon. The noodles were tender and the broth was also really flavourful. This was my first time trying cold udon and I was pleasantly surprised by how different flavours come out in the cold broth. The cinnamon ginger drink was very unique with the warm cinnamon ginger flavour in a refreshing soda. My meal with tip was about $40. Although it's a little expensive, the portions are generous as is and you can stretch the value even more by ordering complimentary refills for your sides. I didn't need it since I was full with the first round. read more

Saku - Veggie Curry, Cinnamon Ginger Drink - Japanese Near Me - Coquitlam, British Columbia

Their 2nd location far away from downtown YVR. Quite a small place but very bright with natural light and a good view. Known for katsu meat cuisine, with unlimited rice and shredded cabbage salad. It is always very cravable. Juicy meaty but tender, and a crispy coating, with extra umami from their sauces and condiments, chase it all down with their dashi miso soup, can't complain. While the taste are the same at this location, I found the portion is a bit smaller. But it is still very enjoyable. read more

Saku - Japanese Near Me - Coquitlam, British Columbia

Saku has been on my list of "must tried" for a while. The one on North Road had made it easier to get too compared to going all the way downtown. Saku specializes in Japanese pork cutlet. Bringing tradition and flavours to Vancouver. Using Canadian raised pork with no use of hormones, the chefs select the perfect cut for your juicy, crunchy katsu. Not into pork? No worries! They have chicken, seafood and vegetarian options too. Got picky eaters that only eats noodles? They got you coved with their udon. What we ordered: Hire Curry Katsu $29 Cheese Katsu $26.50 Oyster Katsu $28 White Fish Katsu $26 The food come out on a beautifully laid out tray. With pickled vegetable, salt, sesame seeds (you grind yourself), and a traditional Katsu sauce. All Katsu dishes come with UNLIMITED miso soup, rice and cabbage salad. On the table they have this amazing sesame dressing for you to pour as much or as little for you salad. Trust me it will make you want more. The space was very modern and sleek. Only holding maybe 30-40 people at most. So get there early or place yourself on the YELP waiting list. I'm not sure if they you can make reservations ahead of time or not, but there is paid parking around the corner next to Pizza Factory which is super convenient. The staff were attentive when refilling water and when we order more soup. Great job! Final remarks: Yes, it's pricy. You'll easily be spending $25- 30 per person. But you're paying for quality and great service. Even if it's not a fancy steak house consider this a cute date night place. You'll (hopefully) appreciate the quality and hard work that's been put into it. read more

Saku - The ever so important WIFI - Japanese Near Me - Coquitlam, British Columbia

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Just Japaneseeee it. These days of blurry food origins and popularization of anything deep fried, Saku shows you how "we Japanese" do it (better). Been eyeing this location for awhile now. Promises of "opening soon this spring", then became "this fall". Finally 2 years later Saku is open. As part of my 2023 New Year's resolution to stay away from anything deep fried, I had strong reservations against trying out Saku. Like sugar, the dopamine effect of deep fried is so addictive. I digress. Inflammation here I come. Saku is having a soft opening this week. Noticed it when I went to my local regular joint-Bjornbar. Saku's space is an awkwardly pointy space in a wedged shaped corner of the building where supposedly the end bench seating is table-less. You'll know what I mean when you see it. Inside is this loopy retro vibe like 19th century meets minimalism with roundish lanterns and dizzying stone tiled patterns. Kind of like a scene out of Stanley Kubrick's movie Shining. Strange yet familiar. In a thrilling not horrible way. We were walk ins as there's no reservation, yet the restaurant is fullish for 2pm. QR code in the middle of the table is a somewhat self explanatory menu. Ordered the lean and fat pork katsu (deep fried). The food came out in a clunky oversized wooden tray. Normally in a Japanese restaurant the food would come in a bowl-katsu on top of rice with some veggies. Here they decided to separate all the components to appear like a bigger portion? Or to prevent the katsu from commingling with the rice. Not sure what the intent is, except the two gigantic trays overtook the table, nowhere even for one's palms to rest. Wait staff came by and mentioned the rice and coleslaw were bottomless all the while failing to look at my direction. (Very Japanese I have been told. So don't feel insulted.) Overall the katsu is on par with some of the best in the city like Kingyo on Denman. Pricing is fairish. Only drawback perhaps is the use of space. They nullified a "fancy" joint by jamming all the tables super close. So close that I can sense the heat radiating from my neighbor. Eavesdropping is a given. Also, all the while we were eating, they were doing stocking/loading through the main restaurant. Right behind our seat, constantly bumping into our chair. I guess there's no loading elsewhere? If you don't mind the cramped space or you're accustomed to Japan's tight quarters and culture, then give it a try. read more

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Beautiful restaurant. I've been wanting to try it for a while as it had been highly recommended to me by a friend. I was quite excited when I found out a location opened closer to where I live. I finally tried it and the food was SO GOOD! Although it is pricy, I would definitely be back to try it again. The place itself is clean and beautifully decorated. read more

Saku - Chicken Thigh katsu curry and curry udon (without pork slices) - Japanese Near Me - Coquitlam, British Columbia

we were a party of three, visiting saku in burquitlam on 567 clarke road for the very first time. we arrived around 7:00 pm and put our names on the waitlist. the approximate wait time was 33 minutes, and the waitlist was pretty accurate. the place isn't very big, and the dimensions of the restaurant are irregular. it's bright with high ceilings, pleasant aesthetics, muted colors, and a stylish minimalist design interior with busy tiles that remind me of a french style bistro. as we waited outside, we noticed the lively atmosphere. despite the small size, the space felt open and welcoming. once seated, we were promptly greeted by a friendly server and used the qr code to retrieve the menu. shortly after we placed our order, our server brought us a mortar and pestle with sesame seeds, lemon salt, and some other condiments. the server explained that we could grind the sesame seeds and mix them with the condiments to create our own personalized dipping sauce. this interactive element added a fun touch to the dining experience. we started with the shredded cabbage salad and miso soup, both of which were included with our meals. the shredded cabbage salad was incredibly fresh and crisp, with a light and tangy sesame salad dressing that was perfectly balanced. the miso soup was warm and comforting, with a rich umami flavour that was just right. surprisingly, these simple starters turned out to be my favourite part of the meal. for the main course, we shared the zenbu katsu platter (rosu, hire, chicken thigh, 2 piece cheese, 1 piece ebi, 1piece hotate and 2 piece vegetables) and one order of the oyster katsu. in addition, we ordered another serving of soup and salad. the pork cutlet was perfectly breaded and fried to a golden crisp. while it wasn't as juicy as expected, the meat was fairly tender on the inside, with a crunchy exterior that provided a contrast in textures. the chicken felt dry, and was more like chicken breast instead of chicken thighs. the meats were difficult to distinguish, the dish was served with a side of rice, pickles, and a small bowl of tonkatsu and tartar sauce. throughout our meal, the service was attentive without being intrusive. the staff were knowledgeable and eager to ensure we had a great dining experience. overall, our visit to saku in burquitlam was a memorable experience. the combination of the stylish ambiance, interactive elements, and delicious food made for a delightful evening. our meal was very filling. after eating all the deep fried foods, is it wrong that i liked the sesame dressing with the shredded cabbage salad and miso soup the most? read more

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Small restaurant filled with oily air; poor ventilation.... Good and attentive service Free parking but.... The curry taste and pork cutlet flavors are not comparable to the Robson St Saku. The curry is just warm and looked like good curry but doesn't taste anything like curry. Something is off here... read more

Saku - Ventilation is not ideal here oily air - Japanese Near Me - Coquitlam, British Columbia

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The closest store to where we live great service good food definitely worth a visit. I think the best item is their sampler menu to give you all kinds of Tonkasu read more

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A small location so we had to wait a bit but luckily people weren't taking too long to finish their meals. The service was great and servers were really polite and efficient. Our food was really good and I wish my stomach was bigger so I could take advantage of their refillable sides! My pork katsu was juicy and perfectly cooked. Will definitely be back to try the rest of the menu. read more

Saku - Japanese Near Me - Coquitlam, British Columbia

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We've been to the West Broadway location many times and this Coquitlam location is just as good. The unlimited salad, soup and rice is always welcome. The wait list is helpful but often inaccurate in terms of estimated time. However the food is just as good. read more

Saku Coquitlam opened recently and on a Friday afternoon, it was full house. Overall, it was good. Food was good and service was very good. Servers topped up water regularly. The restaurant was bright and modern. We ordered: Rosu Curry - 3.5/5 stars - pork katsu was crispy and tender and the curry sauce was good. Chicken katsu curry 3.5/5 star - chicken was juicy and crispy. All order came with a cabbage slaw and soup. They were good and you can refill. Rating: 1 - Poor, 2 - OK, 3 - Good, 4 - Very Good, 5 - Excellent read more

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What I can say is that this place is fantastic! I love that you can ask for as much rice and cabbage as possible. The various katsu were of crunch and excellent quality, even the seafood. And the curry was great as well. We ordered quite a few things and got packed. The service was terrific, and the staff were friendly. And the seating area was exquisite, adding to a pleasant experience. And considering the price, it is reasonable as well. read more

How is there no line?? Or the place isn't packed. It's the best spot in town and even in Coquitlam now. The GOAT spot. Shoutout to staff and chefs. Getting seconds real quick. read more

We came around 30 mins after opening on a weekday and the tables filled up quickly after us! It's a very small location so they've got some kinks to iron out in regards to seating (they had a few awkward 2 seat tables after seating bigger groups). The staff were very attentive and helpful though! Onto the food! We ordered 4 sets for 5 people, since my mom and I shared the large zenbu Katsu (we added the extra rice+salad+soup set for $8). All the dishes were very fresh, but took quite a long time for them to arrive. Good portions just like the other locations, with unlimited refills of the sides as requested. We were stuffed after this, and although on the pricey side, you get good quality and quantity for the money you pay! read more

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The food quality has slightly declined, and the portion of zenbu katsu is smaller than before. Good service and clean ambience

I have been eagerly awaiting this opening for over a year! Huge fan of the original locations in broadway and robson , which are solid 4/5s. Tried this new location recently. Will rate 3.5 for this as compared to the other locations, ambience a bit cramped, miso soup flavour lacks a bit of dashi, vegetables and umami, and Katsu was just a tad too long in the fryer. Service was alright but a bit inexperienced. Probably growing pains. Hope they get consistent food quality like the other locations and we will be back! read more

Excellent fresh meat and salad! Great service and clean atmosphere! I definitely will come back with my family

Amazing experience in Saku with my friends tonight! The server Momo and the team was on top of the highest service! The food is just spectacular. All of the food was irresitablly great and tastey . I loved the chilled ambiance as well. Definitely coming back again!! read more

Trying saku for the first time at the Coquitlam location was a nice treat, the staff was really friendly and, the food came quick and was really delicious, I would recommend that others try this location. The only thing was that the food was a bit pricy. read more