Soban Korean Eatery — Restaurant in Hales Corners

This will be a bit long, but if you haven't had Korean food or are not familiar with how it works, please read!

Friendly service! As you walk through the door you are greeted by the front lady or people serving the cafeteria style serving. It may be a bit overwhelming by how their voices echo for the first time but they are all extremely friendly They have "premade" trays but you can make your own tray, step 1, you pick a base of white rice, or purple (mixed black n white rice) or steamed veggies. You can add on a precooked egg. the rice and egg are unsalted and the egg is a bit runny which adds texture. Step 2, choose a protein. They have BBQ pork, spicy pork, bulgolgi (umami taste, marinated beef) zesty chicken, honey garlic chicken, or braised tofu (firm or extra firm so not squishy, and it's in a yummy sauce- but it's vegetarian and or vegan(?) Step 3, you can choose 2 sides. I got japchae -korean glass noodle made from potato starch , there's deep fried mandu aka deep fried dumplings so it has meat in it (pork?) , mashed pumpkin salad and cucumber kimchi(which is usually cabbage that's been fermented with gochugaru (chili flakes), garlic etc, it's also spicy and I can't have it as spicy food gives me a mild allergic reaction :( there is also regular kimchi, stir fried kimchi, coleslaw, slice lettuce, Mac salad and sesame dressing salad.

It comes to about $20 ish dollars for me even with the extra add ons. They gave Korean sodas and Pellegrino's (small and large). And banana, melon, strawberry milk. They also have pink and blue poporo- that's the name I'm not sure what it is sadly- and sweet rice milk (kinda horchata ish). I recommend the Milkis They also have a green grape drink (bong bong) that has .. chunks of grape in it. Now don't knock it til you try it. There's also pear juice and looks like tangerine juice called sacsac - I may try it next time tbh. Oh! Forgot ( idk how as I'm in here typing this on my phone) they have soon-tofu, some kind of vegetarian super spicy tofu soup, and then there's k soup of the day ( it changes, and is made fresh daily- and I don't usually look at that part of the menu so I assume it's some times fish soup- so delish, haven't had it here tho- and/ or miso soup-has tofu and a vegetable usually seaweed in it, I'd assume they have more than 2 kinds but it's a mystery, give it a go!). Both the soon-tofu and the k soup are $4.5/ 6, depending on size I think. Again friendly servers, at least all the ones I've had, so feel free to ask. The food may take a second to cook if they're out of something, but its absolutely worth the wait. They have a soft drink machine and iced tea (can't see the flavors as Im at the far end typing this)

They do take out! I haven't been on the apps or ordered from Google but as I'm sitting here there are many dashers coming in and out and it doesnt usually take more than 5 minutes unless they're cooking something when the dasher gets there, then it may be slightly more wait but I have not seen anything longer than 10 minutes and that was a special case where it was multiple people with massive orders. I would order for pick up from Google if you can as it seems without a coupon from Postmates Uber eats doordash etc it may be slightly more expensive but that's to be expected from the eat apps

Over all I highly recommend this place. That being said it gets busy during lunch rush, so order before then (noon ish). Food is savory, with a rich fresh umami flavor, and a hint of sweet on some items. The server once granted me extra japchae (I love youuuu!) and I would tip as much as you can because the people, the food, the ambience ❤️

You can sit down, it's wheel chair friendly, with plenty of seats and some high chair tables. Family friendly. Has music playing nothing loud...

I was excited to have a korean restaurant close by our house. We visited for dinner. The place was clean and modern. We got a warm welcoming from everyone who was working and was the same for everyone who walked through the door. You order at the start of the assembly line, similar to a chipotle.

The menu is simple and well laid out. You pick your rice type or veggies, you pick your protein, and then you pick two sides.

I got the bulgogi and my girlfriend got the chi-bob. There is one pepper next to the chi-bob, but it still wasn't too spicy for someone who isn't big on spicy food. A bit more on the sweeter side than spicy.

The chicken was good and the sides were good. I got the soon-tofu soup, which was lacking some veggies for my preference, but the flavor was good.

My disappointment came from the bulgogi. It was overcooked and bland. Given the layout and the concept of the restaurant, I understand that speed is key, which is probably what led them to pre-cook the meat and keep it warm instead of cooking it to order, but sauteing pre marinated meat does not take long. The meat also had minimal signs of searing, which often indicates that they might have cooked too much in the batch at once which tends to result in steaming the meat, rather than searing. Bulgogi indeed has different styles depending on region and family, but given the fact that this goes right next to the rice, it's difficult to believe that this was intended. More importantly, the flavor just wasn't there. I was surprised by this, since the sides and chicken had good seasoning.

On a side note, it would be nice to have the braised tofu as an option in the sides as well. 두부조림 has always been one of my favorite side dishes as a kid.

In the end, i might have just gotten a bad batch of bulgogi. My comments on the beef are not meant to be a hindrance to anyone who wants to visit, but rather a suggestion in hopes to seeing the establishment succeed. Since i did enjoy everything else, I am more than willing to visit again and try other things as I want this...

We’re so happy to have such a wonderful Korean restaurant open nearby! Our family ordered three different set menus, and every single dish was made with care and packed with authentic flavor.

The Seoul bulgogi and Soban spicy were especially outstanding! the meat was tender, perfectly seasoned, and tasted just like the home-style Korean food we’ve missed. It felt like a warm, comforting meal straight from Korea.

One thing we really appreciated was the ability to customize certain dishes to our taste. It’s clear that the staff genuinely care about providing a great experience for every guest, and that attention to detail really stood out.

The restaurant itself was clean and inviting, and the staff were very friendly and attentive. From the food to the service, everything exceeded our expectations.

Considering the high quality of the food and generous portions, the prices were very reasonable as well. It’s a perfect spot for a family dinner or a casual meal with friends.

The dishes we tried this time were so delicious that we’re already looking forward to trying other menu items on our next visit.

We’re so grateful to have this place nearby, and we’ll definitely be coming back again and again. Highly recommended for anyone craving authentic, delicious...