Tempted by so many Instagram pics, we made our way down Robson to Denman, wrote our name on the list and had a short wait for a table on the tiny patio. There was just enough breeze to ensure that our diner would not be overly vehicle exhaust flavoured!
Marie had the Hire Katsu set, deep fried pork loin, with a jumbo prawn on the side ($3.50 extra). Each dinner came with unlimited rice, tonjiro, shredded cabbage and pickles but we didn't find ourselves short of anything. We did enjoy an extra serving of cabbage but only because it was delicious with the sesame dressing on the table and the cabbage was so finely shredded! The pork itself was wonderful and tender. The panko that provided the breading was house made and giant! This giant panko resulted in an extra crispy exterior. The down side is that the large panko retains perhaps a bit more of the oil it was fried in and a lot of the bread crumbs find themselves on the table or in your lap but overall, the result was positive as it was so light and so crisp.
I had the Curry Katsu Set (also with a prawn on the side) almost the same but with a generous amount of a floral sweet and slightly pungent Japanese curry sauce. This was also excellent!
The prawns are not available as a set themselves but are on the menu individually. These were scrumptious, were maybe cooked beyond the point they should be but like everything else, crispy and rich. The tonjiro (miso soup) was interesting and tasty as it is pork broth based with a few chunks of radish.
A cute little tofu taste was part of the pork loin set. Overall, we enjoyed Saku. The wait staff was friendly and on top of things and the location made for interesting people watching. And is hard not to love tonkatsu. I suggest that you try this place.