Toronto’s katsu scene just got a new heavyweight. Saku, the Vancouver-born chain known for its perfectly crispy pork tonkatsu, had its soft opening earlier this week just steps from Sankofa Square.
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Founded by David Lim, Saku built its following out west with golden fried pork and chicken katsu sets served with rice, shredded cabbage and tonjiru miso soup. In October 2024, Lim took the concept to Dragon’s Den, asking for $800,000 for 8 percent of the company to fund expansion — a deal was struck, and a year later, the Toronto shop is here.
If you’ve ever queued for Saku in B.C., you know what’s coming: perfectly fried pork, chicken, and seafood cutlets, plated with care and served generously. Toronto’s dine-in menu mirrors its West Coast counterpart, with each katsu set coming with unlimited rice, tonjiru pork-and-miso soup, and shredded cabbage.
A must-try includes the Tokujyo Rosu (premium pork cut loin) along with the signature Cheese Katsu (deep-fried breaded mozzarella wrapped with thinly sliced pork loin), and a line-up that spans chicken thighs, prawn-and-scallop ebi-hotate, whitefish, as well as vegetarian tofu-and-veg options.
If you’re craving curry or noodles, Toronto diners can enjoy Saku’s katsu curries—pork, chicken, seafood, and veggie—plus a trio of udon options: kake, chilled bukkake, and curry udon. Perfect for sharing and mixing with friends. Round out the meal with sides like menchi-cheese (deep-fried pork with cheese), jumbo ebi, wild-caught scallops and house-made potato and pumpkin croquettes.
Wash your meal down with a peach or watermelon-flavoured Japanese Soda, Honeydew Ramune or a plain green tea.
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Most katsu sets land in the mid-$20s, while the all-in Zenbu Katsu sampler tops out around $41. Expect lines and plan to get there early and bring your appetite!
Saku is located at 22 Edward St. Soft-opening hours are Mon-Sun, 11:30 am-3 pm | 5 pm-9:30 pm. Reservations aren’t accepted at this time.
Visit Saku for more info or follow them on Instagram.
