Soban

I got the bibimbap and it's the best one I've had! The meat was nicely trimmed and tasty. The vegetables were fresh and very nicely seasoned. It was a very refreshing meal! I was blown away by the side dishes were also so tasty and the colors, flavors and freshness were amazing! The fish cakes, peanuts and vegetables were my favorite. Very delicious I would order again

The side dishes were very plain and unmemorable. Nothing stood out in terms of flavor or quality.The soy-marinated crab ($61) was disappointing--not fresh and had a slightly bitter taste. Definitely not worth the price.The tofu pancakes ($25) were also underwhelming, lacking any standout flavors.The only real positives were the availability of street parking and the cozy interior. Service was okay too. The walls were covered in celebrity photos, which might give the impression that the food is amazing, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to the hype. Wouldn't return.

Where the Korean stars come to eat raw crab and other k dishes. This joint is small and personalable. The owner actually seats you and takes your order. I think my favorite thing about this place is its generous assortment of banchan in cute little square bowls all lined up, ready to be consumed. The crab is great too. Fresh and not overly saturated with sauce so you can actually taste the raw crab. Finger lickin' good. But it's not cheap. BUT I'd rather pay for quality especially when it comes to raw seafood.The food especially tastes wonderful after visiting the k spa across the street first. Sorry guys it's only for the ladies.

I do like this place! It's definitely not my favorite restaurant in ktown but it's definitely not a bad option. I don't remember how I found this place but I did! I made plans with a friend to check it out and I was super lucky to be able to find parking on a 6pm Friday in their lot! They do have a very small lot, which is helpful but of course it does fill up fast. Around 6pm, there were spots available and also lots of tables available. Again when I came there was no wait so we were seating immediately. We ordered the short ribs and a soup! The short ribs were really delicious. The sauce for the ribs were amazing on rice! The soup I felt was okay. Nothing special. They did come with a lot of banchan, which I wasn't too impressed by, but still really enjoyed. Overall, I would be open to coming back. It'd definitely be more of a lunch spot for me than a dinner spot just because of parking and the few tables they have. But not a bad choice for sure!

Soban was truly an incredible food experience. The galbijjim was the standout for me. And the banchan were plentiful and noteworthy as well--we kept getting refills on the lotus roots because of their unique depth of flavor. The raw marinated crab was good as well. The prices are higher than what is typical to Ktown but I think it's a worthwhile visit, although more for special occasions. The service is fine, and it seems like a family run business. The restaurant is fairly small and getting a table took a bit of a wait, even with a reservation. It has a cozy, family-business vibe with photos of celebrity visitors on the wall, and minimal dishes and furniture.There is a valet lot and there is street parking available in the neighborhood, although you might need to park a few blocks away.

Went here for an impromptu weekday lunch and it ended up being the best meal we've had in a while; rightfully so as Mark Weins ate here & the Parasite crew after they won an Oscar!The star of the show here was honestly the Banchan (i.e. side dishes); there were 12 dishes (usually its 5-6 at other Korean restaurants) & everything was so unique & refreshing (e.g. lotus root, marinated peanuts and leek, tofu) -- I would go back just for it! The Spicy Galbi Jjim (which includes carrots, radish, jujube, mushroom & rice cakes) was to die for. After our first bite we were like yea, we have to come back soon to try the Braised Cod (which I've heard is really popular here). You can definitely tell the short ribs were braised for a LONG time as it was so tender & flavorful. I do wish they included more vegetables though; found ourselves having to fight for carrots/potatoes LOL! The Seafood Tofu pancake was good, but u definitely get tired of it after the first few bites; we realized the frozen versions @ Hmart pretty much taste the same -- I would skip out on this next time (unless you've never had it) & go for the Kimchi Jiggae as I felt the only thing we were missing was some kind of soup with the meal. Overall, 10/10, would go back, such a cute, quaint, and home-y restaurant, you can just tell everything is cooked with so much love and tradition.

We were excited to try Soban after hearing that the Parasite director came here after winning his Oscar. Unfortunately the food at Soban didn't live up to the hype in terms of the flavors or the value. Their house specialty soy-marinated raw crab cost around $60 for one small crab, which would have been tolerable if it the flavor was stellar, but unfortunately it was just too salty. It does taste better if you ask for steaming white rice to mix with the crab to cut down on the saltiness, but (this is me being lazy), it takes forever and is a bit tedious/messy to pick out the little bits of crab to mix with the rice. The other specialties--the galbi jim and the black cod--were too sweet and also cost about $50 per dish...Unfortunately, don't see the hype and probably won't be back.

Disappointing meal.We made a reservation ahead of time but with the restaurant being empty when we arrived, we wouldn't have had a problem with getting a table regardless.The owner (?) in the pictures on the wall needs to get off her high horse and stop acting like she's a celebrity. Not only did she not greet any diners coming in, but she also refused to acknowledge any presence except her own KOREAN coworkers. We also didn't get banchan served until our entrées arrived whereas other tables got them way before.Food: 1/5 Seafood pancake - These are cut into smaller servings, which isn't the traditional way for these to be served in. Not much seafood and flavor for a whopping $25.Spicy stir fried pork - Meat was dry and the flavor wasn't just there.Spicy stir fried squid - SALTY.For a famous Korean restaurant in K-town, the quality of the food and service just didn't deliver. Would not recommend.

Soy Crab People often compare SoCal and NorCal when it comes to food cuisine, price and qualityThe truth is that the LA area has a significantly higher population (3.8 million vs 1.5 million for the SF Bay Area) that often leads to increased competition and diversityOne area where there is little argument that LA beats SF is soy marinated raw crabs, a Korean delicacy, with almost no consistent availability in the SF Bay AreaI stopped by Soban, a quaint and low-key restaurant that is frequently named as one of LA's best Korean spots for raw crabTheir banchan is frequently cited for both the colors and the variety with twelve dishes for our mealThe raw crab was modest in size similar to smaller crabs used in Korea and the flavor was outstanding, extremely fresh without being too salty and perfect with rice Braised Short Rib $50 ~ Galbi Jjim / Braised Black Cod $50 / Soy Marinated Raw Crab $61Soban (Los Angeles, CA)Dining is indoor only and reservations are available. Service is polite and friendly and credit cards are accepted.

Had 2 of the best meals of my life at Soban! the marinated flower crab was unbelievable, the short ribs were phenomenal and the black cod was absolutely delicious. Some sleeper menu items have to be the spicy octopus, spicy squid, and the bean paste stew. Food was so good I came back twice. Staff was so helpful and friendly and I cannot stress enough how amazing the experience was. 10/10 highly suggest anyone who enjoys good food to enjoy their evening here.