Sodam Boba & Poke Cafe

It is a pretty small place, almost right behind the subway. I actually walked right past it a few times until I realized my mistake. The place seems like it was made for "to go" since there is a very small dining area, maybe enough for 2 or 3 people. The lady who took my order was very nice and gave me very positive vibes, a welcome change from how lethargic other places can be. I ordered the salmon bento box and it filled me up enough to where I'm not in a food coma but I'm also satisfied. I would have liked a little more salmon and a little less greens but I have been slacking on eating veggies anyways so it works out. The bento box also came with shrimp tempura which were a nice snack to go with the food. All in all, I would definitely come back here since I wanted to try their boba and onigiri. I would recommend this place for all of you people with 1 hour lunches!

This spot just opened up and the food is amazing, I had the poke bowl and the spicy pork on both visits and the portions are phenomenal, you'll get your money's worth with today's economy.The service has been great each time I've been there, extremely kind and went the extra mile to make sure I had a positive experience.Would definitely recommend this spot you won't be disappointed

[Review #811]2024-010Food Order:SPICY TUNA BOWL (1/2 rice & 1/2 salad, cucumber, corn, crab, seaweed, tomato, lemon, ginger, yuzu & kosho dressing; added tofu), WHITE PEACH OOLONG with MANGO POPPING BOBAIt's that time of the week for T3 (aka Thursday Takeout Treats), & I was looking for something in the healthier side... did a search for "hot & new" to see what pop: Sodam Boba & Poke Cafe.The cafe is located in Arjay Plaza on the busy (SW) corner of Hawthorne & Lomita Blvds. behind Subway; yesterday (11/06/24) was Sodam Boba & Poke Cafe's soft opening.Their online order system is via Local by Toast app, but a lot of the menu items are noted as "coming soon" so I called to verify what's currently available, & picked a Spicy Tuna Bowl (or you can customize a bowl) & White Peach Oolong Tea with Popping Boba. I arrived at the right place & had to call to find the entrance. Standing near Cathay Bank/Subway, a woman ran out from the side, smiling & waving me over.The cafe is small & narrow with a handful of seats facing a wall, not ideal but I'm not dining in. SBPC is still in a work-in-progress phase as the open kitchen display glass is covered & wall is undecorated. I met Owner-Chef Chi, who is super sweet & friendly, who clarified that she's still on a soft opening & proudly announced that I'm her 1ST CUSTOMER!! Yippee! ヽ(*‿*)ノ I asked if I could snap a pic of her to share with my fellow Yelpers, & she happily obliged.My poke bowl had some heft to it, as I sipped on the tea to my car. The tea was fragrant with a hint of white peach, & the oolong was moderate with a nice floral flavor. While it doesn't compare to the high grade loose leaves that I typically drink (refer to Wing Hop Fung/Review #568), Sodam's tea is refreshing & complements my lunch bowl. Drinks menu is in the works with Fruit Teas, Smoothies/Slushes, Lattes already here; Tornadoes, Matchas, & additional Teas to come.The bowl seems simple in comparison to our go-to KP in Lomita, but Sodam's bowl is fresh, colorful, & bountiful. Topping mix-ins & dressing options are standard. And if you're somehow hungrier, it's a small surcharge of $2.99 ea. for extra protein & $1.50 for toppings. For a measly $12.99, I'm getting 1/3 more food (worthy of a large serving) & paying 21% less of a large bowl. Fresh & affordable eats... who doesn't love that!?! The spicy tuna is not overdressed & actually spicy, but not overwhelmingly so, & remains cool over warm sushi rice. Lemon wedges are included, which is atypical, but I like the added sour tang; these were mild bordering on the sweet side, so I ate them straight-up. I especially love the extra oomph from the spicy citrusy yuzu kosho dressing! Nom, nom, nom!!The bowl is limited to 2 scoops of proteins: salmon/ahi tuna/tofu poke (ponzu), spicy tuna/salmon, shoyu salmon/tuna. No shrimp, scallop, albacore, octopus, etc. seafood proteins, though this could be a possibility. Burritos, Salad Bowls, & Hand Rolls are pending, & if they're anything like this delish bowl, Sodam will be our go-to for poke bowls because they're SODAMn good!Highly Recommended: Spicy Tuna Poke Bowl (with yuzu & kosho dressing!), White Peach Oolong!

Wow, the amount of poke you get for the price you pay is a literal bang for your buck. I got the tuna poke bowl, and it was really really good. I can't wait to try the other things on their menu. The employees/owners are so nice and the way that they greeted me made me feel so welcome. I totally recommend this place, and I will absolutely be back.

Hidden gem in South Torrance! Have tried a few different bowls and the poke is amazing. Generous portion and the fruit drinks are outstanding (passion fruit tea has chunks of real passion fruit!) Major compliments to the chef and owner. Extremely kind folks, excellent service, and delicious food.

Omg! Delicious! I have to recommend this little restaurant from the food was so tasty! The chef was so nice and welcoming and the food is unbelievable good, fresh ingredients, the rice cooked perfectly and my drinks were also really good! Prices very affordable too

This place is awesome. Park on the side next to El Torito and walk right in. The owner was super sweet and friendly. The shop is small but we ate at the small counter and the owner was so nice to close the door next to us so it wasn't so noisy with the traffic. It was very clean inside too. Ordered the poke bowl and asked for more salad instead of rice which was easily accommodated without any upcharge. Service was great the food quality is great and the prices were surprisingly low for what you get. FYI the bowl included avocado without any upcharge! I'm definitely coming back here.

The poke bowls here are enormous and delicious! Just the right amount of sauce in the fish and the greens are fresh and springy. Very good balance of fish, rice and greens, also comes with a good amount of seaweed salad, cucumbers and fresh imitation crab. Big, fresh California rolls too!Seriously, the portions here are humongous - see pics and water bottle I used for scale lol. Btw boba's on the sweeter side if that helps!

Definitely recommend !! I was looking for a near by boba and found this spot!! Not only did they have boba, but they also had large portions of poke bowls that are DEFINITELY worth the price!

I just discovered this place last week and I've already gone back 2 more times for lunch. Amazing poke bowl and other sushi lunch items with huge portions for very reasonable prices. If you work in the area, I highly recommend going for lunch to go.