Saka Asian kitchen — Restaurant in Boca Raton

After reading here that Saka Asian Kitchen (5030 Champion Blvd SUITE B-4, Boca Raton, FL 33496) opened up a couple weeks ago and had nothing but 5 Star Google reviews, we decided to check it out. We were genuinely blown away.

I've rarely had Asian food with flavors this complex, rich and delicious. Especially considering how inexpensive it is in comparison to much higher end places I've been to that just didn't do it for me.

The restaurant is owned by the eponymous Saka. This woman is legimately some sort of genius and such a sweet lady. The location is nondescript and not huge but in an upscale plaza. The two cooks are her and her elderly mother (with guest appearances around the shop usually by her husband and young son/doorman). We had to ask if she was formally trained. No, she's from Cambodia and grew up around cooking since her mother and grandparents owned restaurants there. These are family recipes passed down generations. After 10 years working in others people's kitchens, she decided to make the leap and start her own place.

My wife forgot her card there the first time we went there (thankfully), so we came back later in the week and got to order a bunch of dishes we were dying to try after the first visit.

Get the grilled beef stick! Only $14.00 for five huge pieces marinated in an outstanding salty lemongrass marinade to the point they were very tender. Then a welcome slight char. When it arrived, I was looking for sauce. It needed no sauce.

The Chicken Satay ($12.00) was grilled but super moist. There was an optional deep and earthy peanut sauce or a light and tasty cucumber sauce that was slightly sweet.

The Fresh Roll ($10.00) also had a sweet dipping sauce. The first bite had a burst of basil to go with the crunchy carrots, cucumbers, celery and crumbled peanuts wrapped around ground chicken. They advertise it's fresh. It feels fresh.

Another incredible item is the Spicy Beef Salad ($12.00). The dressing had ginger, lemon, Asian spices and some hidden ingredient like love or something. I sipped the sauce long after the salad was gone. The first time the beef was cooked fine, the second time I ordered it it was a bit overcooked. Spice can be adjusted to taste.

The Dim Sum Special ($35.00) was a round basket piled with 2 or 3 pieces each of six different items from their enormous menu. The chashu pork bao buns had one of the most interesting and mouthwatering thick sticky brown soy/plum sauces we've ever had. The basket also had separate pork, chicken, and vegetable gyozas, as well as Thai dumplings and two shrimp shumai (another version of dumplings open on top covered with shredded carrots). The homemade soy sauce went with each.

I tried the Pineapple Chicken ($20.00) which had lightly fried chicken with perfectly sautéed pineapples in a sweet and sour sauce on top of fried rice and cauliflower. Every single dish was consistently great our first visit.

The second trip my wife ordered the Tiger Roll ($18.00), which had this great unique eel sauce with crunchy noodles crun pieces on top for texture.

I had the Chicken Pad Thai ($16.00) and the Fried Spring Rolls ($8.00). Literally perfect I wouldn't change a thing. Flavors and flavors upon flavors and flavors. Even the other couple a few tables down were marveling to Saka how good everything tastes and how she packs this much flavor into every dish.

For those concerned about service, it's not great. They're just starting out and don't know the menu very well. English is not their first language. This is all easily forgivable considering they are so nice about it and are clearly trying their best.

I love supporting exciting new restaurants and also families as kind as Saka's. I hope they do well because I am willing to drive 25 minutes if they are willing to keep feeding me.

Damn forgot my card...

I will no longer patronize this business after the treatment that I received today. I ordered my soup to go, then decided that I would sit & eat really fast. Since I had something to take care of. As I was sitting down eating, I was interrupted and asked "Oh I thought that you were leaving...to go". I responded that at first I thought I would leave, however I changed my mind. Shortly thereafter, I was interrupted again. I was asked, with a rude attitude, "How long would I be". I responded that I was almost finished. Two seconds later all of the lights were turned off. I kept on eating, rushing to finish my soup. Finally, I was interrupted once again and was told that I would have to leave so that they could take their break. I told the worker that it was very rude if them to treat me that way. I proceeded to get up from the table. That's when the employee yelled that I was taking too long. I will never return there. There are tons of Thai restaurants that I can spend my $ in. That also know how to treat their customers...

My wife and I just went to this restaurant. My wife wasn’t really hungry so we decided to share a plate, however, the male waiter refused to serve the plate we wanted us by saying, “this doesn’t really help us”. The waiter got upset with us and took the menu away.. My wife and I said, “okay”, and we got up and left.

Why would I have a meal at a place that refuses to let the customer choose what they want? In my perspective, if you purchase a meal, you ought to be able to do whatever you wish with it.

Anyway.. This was such a bad experience, do even waist your time going...