Cafe Japa Bowl

This is a great authentic Japanese restaurant located on Broadway. The food is excellent and the service is top notch. There is a real home feeling when you eat here. This place can get very busy so it is best to call ahead. They have the best Ramen in Saskatoon. I definitely recommend this place!!

Very great place and very great food and very friendly staff, fast service too. Love eating in that place and they always has table for Mel

Good taste of the food. Authentic Japanese flavor but limited selection especially no kid’s menu. Strong miso soup in BBQ pork ramen, very tasty and I recommend it.Meanwhile the venting system in restaurant is not good. When you enter, you can feel the BBQ smell and after you finished eating, the smell kept on your clothes.

The food was delicious and the staff were lovely. She was very genuine and made every effort to keep a busy time service happy. We always have the best service. I recommend to everyone.

The atmosphere makes me feel like I was in Japan, the service was great but the Ramen was just average. The Ramen and the egg were not the same texture as the one you can eat in Japan!

THE FOOD:We are moving to Toronto and as part of an extended farewell to Saskatoon we embarked on a “Farewell YXE Food Tour”. One of our stops just had to be Japa Bowl.Our last lunch was bittersweet: we wanted to eat everything on the menu but of course had to choose carefully instead. We love Japa Bowl’s Japanese coffee (kohee) so started there, though we passed on the available whipped cream with drizzled caramel option (a pandemic pounds thing - lol). For our appetizer we managed to ignore the siren song of their killer Karaage and their outstanding Agadashi Tofu, choosing their Sui Gyoza (boiled dumplings). This is a “dish less travelled” for people choosing Japanese restos in Canada, but the pillowy soft dumpling wrap, flavourful filling and luscious broth makes this one of our all-time favs. For mains we chose two of their classics - superbly crispy and juicy tonkatsu on rice and succulent, decadent spicy BBQ pork belly slices on rice. So, so satisfying.Japa Bowl’s foundational dish is their unique and oh-so-sublime Ramen. Jessica’s homemade broth (she only makes a specific amount fresh every day) graces each bowlful with complex layers of flavour that entice you to drain every drop - even when you’re already full to bursting - the appropriate way to pay tribute to great ramen (if you’ve ever seen the classic Japanese film Tampopo you’ll know what we are taking about here). Everything else on their menu is equally delicious - don’t get us started on our cravings for their Karaage and their limited time creations like Japanese Curry and cold summer ramen - they’re both to die for.AMBIANCE:The small (total pre-pandemic seating is about 20 people), unassuming space is owned and operated by Steve and Jessica, a husband and wife “dynamic duo” who want nothing more than to bring authentic Japanese Izakaya-style food to Saskatoon. Their food is simple, unpretentious, authentic and over-the-top delicious every time. Combining a meal with Japanese Sake, Korean Soju or Japanese beer makes for a great experience with friends, especially if you order lots of small dishes and take your time in true Izakaya style.SERVICE:Like the space the service is unpretentious, welcoming and scrupulously polite. The small staff (usually only two people are there on any given day - one serving and one cooking) are attentive but not obsequious, letting people enjoy the company at their table and, of course, the delicious food.PRICE:A hearty lunch (without alcohol but with tax and gratuity) runs anywhere from $25 - $30 per person. While one can eat dinner there for similar amounts we highly recommend trying their various sake choices (or other alcoholic beverages) to fully enjoy the Izakaya experience. Liquor prices vary depending on what you order, but are very much in line with what you would pay at any restaurant.SUMMARY:The food here is outstanding - top to bottom - and will have you coming back over and over again. If Japa Bowl were located in Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal there would be long line-ups out the door every day. Saskatoon is lucky to have this Broadway gem in the community.

This was sooooo good! We came in for the first time, Both got the BBQ pork ramen and the boiled gyoza! The broth has a nice kind of rich flavor to it, It taste like it’s authentic although I have no idea what authentic is haha It was just really delicious and the price is really good (: We got Gyoza, 2 bowls of the bbq pork ramen, 2 can drinks came up to 47$ Would definitely recommend checking it out!

The food 5 Stars. I had the chicken in Heaven. It was super tasty. Does not come with rice. That’s extra.I found the prices a tad high. The atmosphere nothing special and the service bare bones.I will def return as they look like they have a tasty menu.