Somisomi — Restaurant in Bellevue

Been wanting to try this place out. Went with some friends after dinner at Japanese BBQ down the street. I wanted to try the Pecan Praline but unfortunately they were out of it. So I opted for the Ube and Cookie Butter Swirl combo.

You place your order on the touch screen and it’s all pretty easy to follow and you type your phone number in and pay with your card or apple pay. Not sure if it accepts cash. They give you a number and you add your name for the order. They were pretty busy and there were only 2 young guys working behind the counter cranking out orders- but they were pleasant and fast which was appreciated since it was busy.

When they call your name- you go up to the counter and they ask what kind of toppings you want and if you want a strawberry. I opted out of having one. I ended up getting fruity pebbles and toasted coconut to go with my flavor combination. I liked the fruity crunch of thr fruity pebbles and the toasted coconut paired well with all the flavors I thought. The soft serve is very smooth and creamy and the flavors werent over powering. I wish there was a little more ube flavor coming out- but that’s just me. I love ube flavored anything.

The Taiyakis were made fresh and they have the box labeled so it shows which fish is what flavor. They were perfectly cooked. Nice and crunchy on the outside and I thought they were perfectly filled on the inside. Although one of our group members said they wished there was more filling. I enjoyed them. The hotteok was a seasonal flavor- I look forward to seeing other rotating flavors. We ordered a cold brew coffee which they forgot- but we also forgot as well. Next time we will make sure we get everything we ordered.

Looking forward to trying more flavors.

Also there is no seats or tables available at this location. Lots of people either stood inside and ate their Somi Somi or took it to go. Not sure if they will be getting...

Came at 7pm (7:02pm to be exact) on August 29. Ordered one soft serve and 5 taiyaki. Figured it take a few minutes and went out for a quick brisk walk. After 5 min came back in. Only two people ordered before us and both were soft serve. The guy at the front seem to have forgotten our order and went back and started our taiyaki. The store wasn't busy at all but I get it. Out of sight out of mind. I asked the guy when it will be done so I can take a quick walk. Said it will be done in 3 min 30 second. Okay. Took a step outside and came back 5 min later. Still not done. The line got long. Okay that's fine. I worked in hospitality. I get it. Another 5 min go by. And another. I see another girl come out from the back taking our taiyaki out. Okay finally . She accidentally drops one. Okay. We waited 30 min at this point. Doesn't say anything about our order. The guys calls me for our soft serve. I told him I saw the girl drop a taiyaki. He goes to the girl and she looks disgruntled. Doesn't look like she wants to be there. Doesn't even look up. Tosses our box on the counter. No apology. Doesn't even look at us.

I get it. We have bad days but don't take it out on the customers and ruin their day too. It's just icecream and fish bread and I'm not willing to mess my day for this. People make mistakes but waiting 40/45 min for 5 taiyaki and icecream is a bit wild and can use a bit of "hey thank you for waiting" or "I'm sorry we forgot your order " or atleast a little bit of eye contact. Also don't take it out on our box of taiyaki. Tossing it was a bit...

Somi Somi – Soft Serve & Taiyaki

Food: I’ve been a fan of Somi Somi for a while, but lately the quality feels like it’s gone downhill. The ube soft serve used to be vibrant, rich, and distinctly purple in both flavor and color. Now, it tastes more like diluted vanilla with just a faint hint of ube and a very light purple hue—far from what it used to be. I was especially disappointed since the ube + matcha swirl was one of my favorites, but it’s no longer offered. On top of that, toppings like sprinkles have noticeably been reduced, which makes the treat feel less generous for the price.

Atmosphere: The atmosphere is okay, but there are some drawbacks. There isn’t any indoor seating available, and there’s no AC, which makes it less comfortable to enjoy your ice cream on warmer days.

Service: Service was fine, but nothing stood out. Given the price point, I feel the overall experience (service, comfort, and quality) should be a bit better.

Overall Experience: While I still enjoy the idea of Somi Somi and their taiyaki soft serve concept, the dilution of flavors (especially ube) and reduction in toppings have been disappointing. Combined with the lack of seating and AC, it doesn’t feel worth the premium...