Boca Raton Restaurant Guide

FANTASTIC FROM THE FOOD TO THE SERVICE

thanks for reading my review. as a first time diner at saba on federal hwy, boca raton, fl, i was totally satisfied and pleased with my dining experience. i was happy to be cordially received and seated promptly as i entered. a fine meal with a knowledgeable waitperson ensued and finished with a reasonable bill.
my dining companion and i asked for an outside table at lunch and were shown to a table with cushy seats and a beautiful view. the furnishings are spectacular and gave a tranquil ease to our dining experience. we soon placed an order with a smiling and easygoing waitress.
the appetizers were dazzling; the larb kai was well dressed and had nice fresh lettuce, the papaya salad was room temp (releasing flavor) and had a beautifully briny, layered aroma with good spice and deliciously roasted peanuts throughout, the tom khaa had too much acidity for me (i added a little table sugar), but fresh lime leaf floated sublimely with just tender cooked slices of chicken and softened tomatoes, very good texture, and a nice amount of chili oil to finish.
the entrees were no less amazing from there; lunch special pad thai with shrimp (shrimp not particularly recommended) was devoured quickly, not sweet like many others, letting the dry radish and tamarind shine through, with green onion batons generously supplied, this dish was my favorite (i also cook thai, vietnamesse, and chinese food) preparation to date. my companion had lunch special shrimp fried rice (again, shrimp not particularly recommended, kind of rubbery), and we couldn't stop eating each others' dish, and ours at the same time. the black pepper really was a fantastic element to the dish and took the plate to another level, my friend's chinese (born SE mainland china) and loved every bite.
the waitress was kind enough to tell us about the name of the restaurant and a bit of her path in life, a nice treat for a pair of out-of-towners. the bill was reasonable, as i said, and the parking is ample (at least for lunch), a great dining experience! highly recommended for a relaxed and multisensory experience, take a friend to relish in the ambiance with. cheers

I dine at Asian restaurants regularly from Chinese to Japanese. I have dined at Saba's on several occasions, sampling both its sushi and Asian cuisine menu. It is of my opinion that the food which is served at Saba's is of average quality. The food is neither bad, nor spectacular. Nothing I have had (from fried rice, pad thai, sushi rolls, etc.) has made my palette scream out, “Wow!"

However mediocre food is forgivable (I've had so much worse before), but the prices are expensive (however, this is to be expected of a Boca establishment) and the portions tend not to be filling (and that's saying a lot, since I'm a person of small stature; it doesn't take much to fill me up).

Another thing which bugs me is that they never seem to have one of their desserts in stock, mochi. Though it's on the dessert menu, the times I have gone (more than I can count on one hand), they have never had it. If you are unable to stock it regularly either make a note on the dessert menu or do not list it at all.

Why do I give the restaurant three stars then? One star is given because the ambience at Sabas is honestly really nice. It is well decorated and gives off a slightly upscale yet laid back mood. Another star because the food, though not great, isn't bad. The third is because the servers there are quite cordial and these days it is hard to find good service.

My only other gripe with the establishment is their unwillingness/vacillation to server water (vacillation, because depending on who you get as a server, they might/might not serve you water. ). Yes, regular water is not served unless you wish to purchase bottled water. Though my dining partner and I were not drinking, nor sitting at the bar (we were sitting at a dining table), we were explicitly told that they would not serve us water on several occasions, despite the fact that we were paying customers who were regularly dropping $30-$50+ on our bill (and despite the fact we had sat in the same place before and had received water).

So my experience at Sabas has been a mixed bag. Personally, I will not be frequenting Sabas anymore (I’ve given it many tries to impress me) as there are more cost efficient places to eat which are more satisfying. I just don’t feel as if I get my money’s worth at Sabas.