Ordered a lunch special for pickup, and it was amazing. Everyone that walked into the break room told me how good it smelled. I would highly recommend this hidden gem for a great deal. I had the Soban chicken lunch special and upgraded to ssam.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Eric M
Service was quick, and the bibimbap was tasty.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chuck Regenstorff
The food is great for the area but the wait time is too long. The wait is longer than restaurants in the city of comparable quality. The restaurant is quite small and there aren't enough seats/tables to accommodate the dinner rush on a weekend. Service is decent but can definitely tell they are understaffed. They were trying the best they could. We asked for water 3 times before we finally got it. The waiting area is very limited with only a bench for two people. Felt rushed when finishing the food as there were at least 5 other guests onlooking to see when we would leave.If they can fix the wait time by maximizing their space better then this would be a 4 or 5 star review.Parking: There is plenty of parking as it is in a strip mall.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 4
C
Arrived at 5:15pm on Sunday night, larger party… Food was pretty good and server was a nice guy but only one server for the entire restaurant meant everything moved slowwww. Some of us had finished our entrees before others had even received theirs yet. It was very difficult to get refills on drinks or extra utensils… Also people wait at the door and just stare at you while you eat because there isn’t a designated waiting area. Every time the door opened, a massive gust of cold air rushed in. I can’t knock this place too bad because they are a small business and possibly don’t have as much control over staffing or how their space is arranged but I feel obligated to share with others because it absolutely negatively affected the dining experience.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Chive Pancake
Jeffery Zimmerman
Small, apparently family operation. Most excellent food, both carry-out and in situ. Very friendly and gracious, yet clearly swamped by success. Muster some patience, bring your taste buds, and you will be rewarded!
Small family operation. Excellent food, well-maintained restaurant. Take-out available. Attentive, courteous service. Hopefully ours was just an evening shirt-staffed but overwhelmed by success. Worth the wait, gather your patience and go.
Marandah R.
Excellent service, great tasting, authentic Korean food. I love their Chive pancakes and soon tubu chigae (soft tofu stew). I don't eat meat so that limits some of my choices but you can still have the fried mandu, pancakes, chap chae, bi him bap, and some other items. I love this place. I lived in Korea for a year and I ate out at the mom and pop restaurants and street markets. This is authentic.
NO NAME
Personally I wouldn't recommend the double fried chicken It didn't taste right It was so dry it started cutting the back of my throat and when I asked the waiter if this was normal all they said was there should be sauce on the bottom and walked away before I could request extra sauce. He was incredibly rude dismissive the entire visit. I never did finish my meal and as leftovers they only got worse. Some of the other items we got were fine. But with the increase in price clearly shown on the menu drawn over with sharpie I expect quality. This was not that was it merely a bad day for the chefs I don't know but with how bad that chicken was I won't be having anyone in my life or myself waste money on that, chicken should never be that dry. In a good waiter would check on their guest asking how everything was if there was a problem and what they could do to make it better. Not making them so uncomfortable that they don't ask.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
C K.
We went for the first time and the restaurant was packed and people waiting... we waited a short time to be seated and the waitstaff were quick and attentive. They actually jog around the restaurant to make sure things run smoothly.The food was delicious ! Don't miss the fried vegetable dumpling appetizer.I could have eaten them all night- so delicious and crisp & filled with yummy vegetables and a flavorful dipping sauce. We also tried the chive pancakes which were good and the perfectly cooked Galbi which definitely served 2 and all the delicious sides that come with it.If you haven't already tried this restaurant... go and check it out.
Talbot Margraf
Soban Korean Cuisine offers authentic and delicious Korean dishes in a cozy and inviting atmosphere, making it a must-try for any foodie.
The dine-in service experience was horrible and unacceptable! We had dinner there on 10-07-23 for my spouse's birthday and after we were seated it took our server 20 minutes to come to our table to take our order, 45 minutes to bring banchans to our table, 1 hour to bring our first order of spicy pork bulgogi, 1 hour and 15 minutes to bring our 2nd order of beef bulgogi. Our server never came to our table to give us an update on our orders. Several tables who were seated before us were also experiencing extremely long wait times without updates from the server. We had to flag down our server and ask for updates. After I got the check, I told the server that the wait time to get our meals was extraordinarily long. Our server just gave an obligatory "sorry" with no explanation why it took so long.I was seated facing the kitchen and could see there were only two servers who were primarily focused on packing the takeout orders while neglecting the dine-in customers. This restaurant was busy. It seems like 12 times more takeout orders were being packaged but hardly any food was being brought to the dine-in customers' tables. Unfortunately, this restaurant appeared to me to prioritize the takeout orders and placing less emphasis on the dine-in customers, which, is wrong. The restaurant's algorithm needs to be recalibrated to ensure dine-in customers' orders are processed more efficiently and timely along with the takeout orders.Now the food: I'm perplexed how this restaurant got the rating it has. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and we have some very good family owned Korean restaurants and also some higher end Korean restaurants like Michelin Star San Ho Won in San Francisco. This restaurant was acceptable, but not the best I've had for the price point. The banchans were very fresh, tasty, and visually pleasing. The pork bulgogi wasn't sizzling by the time it reached our table (not sure if it was sitting on a counter while the takeout orders were being processed) but flavor was nice and spicy. The beef bulgogi was a bit overcooked, no char marks and had a typical Korean marinade which was a bit on the too sweet side. Overall the food was mediocre, but definitely not worth the wait time, price point, and returning for a 2nd try.
New Beebe
In a word, It was much pleasure to visit this place. It's not a fancy restaurant but has a niceee of everything of what I need for quick lunch. The food was very clean, fresh, and a reasonable amount of salt in it. It's like a real home cooked meal which comes with Banchan. The service was also excellent with a warm smile. BIG THANK YOU!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bibimbap, Soups, Jabchae
gina graziano
Such a gem of a restaurant. The food is presented in a way on par with fine dining, the ingredients are fresh and nourishing and the flavors are out of this world. We are so lucky to have this place and the family who operates it in Petaluma. The staff are beyond welcoming and attentive. One of our favorite spots in all of Sonoma county.
I was pleasantly surprised that there is a Korean restaurant up here in Petaluma. Obviously, Korean owned and operated, the owners work hard and serve the food as fast as they can. Koreans, Asians in general are quite impatient and want the food like lightning quick lol. We ordered mung bean pancake, taegi gogi, sundubu jigae, and I ordered dolsot bibimbap. The food was good considering there are hardly any Asian/Korean markets here. So all of their food has to be made from scratch or has to be shipped in (staples). I know that the food is catering to Caucasian taste buds, so the food is going to be sweeter and less spicy than if I were to order from a restaurant in K-town in LA. Hold up, they do this in K-town, too. The night we went was on a Thursday night and was busy at least for Petaluma standards. *Sidenote most restaurants in Petaluma and surrounding areas close at 8 pm or 9 pm, depending on business. Anyway, it's not too loud or noisy and is not too bright as well. Also, the service is great, and the owners go out of their way to make sure you're satisfied. if you're craving Korean food, these dishes at Soban will get you by. Enjoy!
Steve Trubow
I eat at SOBAN on a regular basisGreat Korean food without the drive to San FranciscoMy favorite is sizzling squidVegetarian options: Vegetarian noodles deliciousness or tofuParking: Hundreds of spaces
Ordered a lunch special for pickup, and it was amazing. Everyone that walked into the break room told me how good it smelled. I would highly recommend this hidden gem for a great deal. I had the Soban chicken lunch special and upgraded to ssam.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Service was quick, and the bibimbap was tasty.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food is great for the area but the wait time is too long. The wait is longer than restaurants in the city of comparable quality. The restaurant is quite small and there aren't enough seats/tables to accommodate the dinner rush on a weekend. Service is decent but can definitely tell they are understaffed. They were trying the best they could. We asked for water 3 times before we finally got it. The waiting area is very limited with only a bench for two people. Felt rushed when finishing the food as there were at least 5 other guests onlooking to see when we would leave.If they can fix the wait time by maximizing their space better then this would be a 4 or 5 star review.Parking: There is plenty of parking as it is in a strip mall.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 4
Arrived at 5:15pm on Sunday night, larger party… Food was pretty good and server was a nice guy but only one server for the entire restaurant meant everything moved slowwww. Some of us had finished our entrees before others had even received theirs yet. It was very difficult to get refills on drinks or extra utensils… Also people wait at the door and just stare at you while you eat because there isn’t a designated waiting area. Every time the door opened, a massive gust of cold air rushed in. I can’t knock this place too bad because they are a small business and possibly don’t have as much control over staffing or how their space is arranged but I feel obligated to share with others because it absolutely negatively affected the dining experience.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Chive Pancake
Small, apparently family operation. Most excellent food, both carry-out and in situ. Very friendly and gracious, yet clearly swamped by success. Muster some patience, bring your taste buds, and you will be rewarded!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Chive Pancake, Bibimbap, Kimchi Fried Rice
Small family operation. Excellent food, well-maintained restaurant. Take-out available. Attentive, courteous service. Hopefully ours was just an evening shirt-staffed but overwhelmed by success. Worth the wait, gather your patience and go.
Excellent service, great tasting, authentic Korean food. I love their Chive pancakes and soon tubu chigae (soft tofu stew). I don't eat meat so that limits some of my choices but you can still have the fried mandu, pancakes, chap chae, bi him bap, and some other items. I love this place. I lived in Korea for a year and I ate out at the mom and pop restaurants and street markets. This is authentic.
Personally I wouldn't recommend the double fried chicken It didn't taste right It was so dry it started cutting the back of my throat and when I asked the waiter if this was normal all they said was there should be sauce on the bottom and walked away before I could request extra sauce. He was incredibly rude dismissive the entire visit. I never did finish my meal and as leftovers they only got worse. Some of the other items we got were fine. But with the increase in price clearly shown on the menu drawn over with sharpie I expect quality. This was not that was it merely a bad day for the chefs I don't know but with how bad that chicken was I won't be having anyone in my life or myself waste money on that, chicken should never be that dry. In a good waiter would check on their guest asking how everything was if there was a problem and what they could do to make it better. Not making them so uncomfortable that they don't ask.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
We went for the first time and the restaurant was packed and people waiting... we waited a short time to be seated and the waitstaff were quick and attentive. They actually jog around the restaurant to make sure things run smoothly.The food was delicious ! Don't miss the fried vegetable dumpling appetizer.I could have eaten them all night- so delicious and crisp & filled with yummy vegetables and a flavorful dipping sauce. We also tried the chive pancakes which were good and the perfectly cooked Galbi which definitely served 2 and all the delicious sides that come with it.If you haven't already tried this restaurant... go and check it out.
Soban Korean Cuisine offers authentic and delicious Korean dishes in a cozy and inviting atmosphere, making it a must-try for any foodie.
Restaurantji Recommends
The dine-in service experience was horrible and unacceptable! We had dinner there on 10-07-23 for my spouse's birthday and after we were seated it took our server 20 minutes to come to our table to take our order, 45 minutes to bring banchans to our table, 1 hour to bring our first order of spicy pork bulgogi, 1 hour and 15 minutes to bring our 2nd order of beef bulgogi. Our server never came to our table to give us an update on our orders. Several tables who were seated before us were also experiencing extremely long wait times without updates from the server. We had to flag down our server and ask for updates. After I got the check, I told the server that the wait time to get our meals was extraordinarily long. Our server just gave an obligatory "sorry" with no explanation why it took so long.I was seated facing the kitchen and could see there were only two servers who were primarily focused on packing the takeout orders while neglecting the dine-in customers. This restaurant was busy. It seems like 12 times more takeout orders were being packaged but hardly any food was being brought to the dine-in customers' tables. Unfortunately, this restaurant appeared to me to prioritize the takeout orders and placing less emphasis on the dine-in customers, which, is wrong. The restaurant's algorithm needs to be recalibrated to ensure dine-in customers' orders are processed more efficiently and timely along with the takeout orders.Now the food: I'm perplexed how this restaurant got the rating it has. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and we have some very good family owned Korean restaurants and also some higher end Korean restaurants like Michelin Star San Ho Won in San Francisco. This restaurant was acceptable, but not the best I've had for the price point. The banchans were very fresh, tasty, and visually pleasing. The pork bulgogi wasn't sizzling by the time it reached our table (not sure if it was sitting on a counter while the takeout orders were being processed) but flavor was nice and spicy. The beef bulgogi was a bit overcooked, no char marks and had a typical Korean marinade which was a bit on the too sweet side. Overall the food was mediocre, but definitely not worth the wait time, price point, and returning for a 2nd try.
In a word, It was much pleasure to visit this place. It's not a fancy restaurant but has a niceee of everything of what I need for quick lunch. The food was very clean, fresh, and a reasonable amount of salt in it. It's like a real home cooked meal which comes with Banchan. The service was also excellent with a warm smile. BIG THANK YOU!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bibimbap, Soups, Jabchae
Such a gem of a restaurant. The food is presented in a way on par with fine dining, the ingredients are fresh and nourishing and the flavors are out of this world. We are so lucky to have this place and the family who operates it in Petaluma. The staff are beyond welcoming and attentive. One of our favorite spots in all of Sonoma county.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chive Pancake, Bibimbap, Bulgogi Jungol, Kimchi Pancake, Green Onion Pancake, Soups, Jabchae, Spicy Pork
I was pleasantly surprised that there is a Korean restaurant up here in Petaluma. Obviously, Korean owned and operated, the owners work hard and serve the food as fast as they can. Koreans, Asians in general are quite impatient and want the food like lightning quick lol. We ordered mung bean pancake, taegi gogi, sundubu jigae, and I ordered dolsot bibimbap. The food was good considering there are hardly any Asian/Korean markets here. So all of their food has to be made from scratch or has to be shipped in (staples). I know that the food is catering to Caucasian taste buds, so the food is going to be sweeter and less spicy than if I were to order from a restaurant in K-town in LA. Hold up, they do this in K-town, too. The night we went was on a Thursday night and was busy at least for Petaluma standards. *Sidenote most restaurants in Petaluma and surrounding areas close at 8 pm or 9 pm, depending on business. Anyway, it's not too loud or noisy and is not too bright as well. Also, the service is great, and the owners go out of their way to make sure you're satisfied. if you're craving Korean food, these dishes at Soban will get you by. Enjoy!
I eat at SOBAN on a regular basisGreat Korean food without the drive to San FranciscoMy favorite is sizzling squidVegetarian options: Vegetarian noodles deliciousness or tofuParking: Hundreds of spaces
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Bulgogi Jungol, Seafood