Jennifer H.

I've been here twice since its opening and been very impressed both times! Sanbada offers an incredible deal with high quality food, great service, and unique flavors. The lunch prices are really great: for a little over $20, you get a main protein and unlimited banchan, with an additional banchan bar of 12+ options. The soups, stews, salads, and rice are also unlimited, and you can finish off the meal with a refreshing Melona bar (strawberry, banana, melon) as well! The first time, my party ordered a mackerel set and an Akta mackerel set because we were curious to taste the difference, and we both vastly preferred the Akta mackerel because of its softer, more tender flavor that was less oily. I think shelling out an extra dollar for it is absolutely worth it! The mackerel was cooked very well, and the assortment of banchan was full of hits. Our favorites were the black sesame lotus root, fried lotus root and eggplant, pumpkin salad, and radish kimchi. The peppery beef and daikon soup was also very enjoyable, and I think they switch up their soups depending on ingredients because I tried a chicken and potato soup the second time around. During my second trip, I had the vegetable bibimbap, which was surprisingly the best bibimbap I've ever had: something about their gochujang sauce was so incredible! The barley tea is also very enjoyable and especially refreshing when we got seated next to the window the first time, which was a bit hot and sunny. I also tried the raw marinated shrimp, which was good quality, but I wouldn't order it again on account of how stellar everything else was (plenty of other items to get you full). I will definitely be back!

Melanie C.

We love Sanbada, every time we have guests in town, we always make sure to bring them! Our favorite is the Mackerel Set, but we usually add an order of Belt Fish and Spicy Pork if we come with a larger group. Side dishes: our favorites are Pickled Chayote, spicy eggplant, and seaweed soup (when it's on it's weekly rotation) Ambiance: Well Lit, modern, spacious! Servers are also super nice and attentive - shoutout to Lydia! Best korean food we've had so far in Boston!

Isabel L.

BEST KOREAN FOOD IN BOSTON! Unlimited Banchan? Say less. Great bang for your buck for high quality, fresh dishes. While the menu is small, each entree packs its punch as everyone at my table loved their meal. Service is nice, wait can get long, but food is worth it! Free Melona ice cream pops at the end for dessert as well. Just a warning that they do expect each person orders an entree for the unlimited banchan!

Trey T.

The restaurant has a very nice open layout with several booths along the walls and longer tables in the middle for bigger parties. We went for a birthday lunch for 7 people. Our waitress very kindly explained the menu, where to get refills of more banchan (side dishes) and rice, and answered any questions we had. Although, I know every restaurant has their own ordering policy, I just found it odd that every person was required to order a set. But it is what it is and we ended up finishing all of it anyway. We got the belt fish, spicy pork, bulgogi patty, and tofu bibimbap sets and shared family style. Each of them were great. The belt fish had a nice texture and subtle flavor, but I do find it tiring to de-bone it. The spicy pork was sweet, but not overbearingly sweet like at most Korean restaurants I've been to. I found myself eat that the most. The bulgogi patty was good, subtly sweet, but nothing crazy enough for me to eat it again. The tofu bibimbap was really good. It had a nice flavor that I can't really describe other than being sweet and savory. We also got shareables, which were bigger plates than the sets: the raw marinated crabs and beef shank center. I'm not one to eat raw seafood, but my friends there said it was good, but tasted like it could've been marinated longer. The beef shank was alright, it's just like eating a soft cut of steak. For the banchan, I usually don't like kimchi at all, but I think their kimchi is the best so far. I was able to eat it with everything and go back for more at the banchan bar. The lotus root with black sesame paste was good too, a good crunch with a subtle nutty flavor. I'm not sure what the ice cream scoop of yellow paste was, probably pumpkin or something, but it was too sweet. The pickled pork was good, with a vinegary after kick. As much as I loved the cuisine here, I most likely won't come back as we didn't feel welcome towards the end of our lunch. As we called for the bill, another waiter came by to ask us to keep it down because it has been the 2nd complaint already. We have no problem being quiet, let me make that clear. The real issue was them not letting us know from the 1st complaint. If they had just let us know the first time, we would have quieted down no issue. We are a group of people celebrating the life of one of our friends. It's just disheartening to be basically kicked out after we've already paid. Not sure if it's because we're not Korean? I mean, it's not a kept secret that Asians have a colorism issue, and with us being dark and Southeast Asian, I just felt like other older Koreans didn't want to sit next to us because of who we are. They think we don't feel eyes on us, but I could literally see their disgusted glances on us every 5 seconds. It's very upsetting and I really wanted to give 5 stars, but unfortunately I will not.

Helen Z.

Boston is a bit of a food desert for authentic Korean food and I'm so glad this place is here now, in what was formerly TITS. We came for early dinner on a Sunday and were seated immediately, though it did start to get busy around 5:30-6. I wish they had more options for the main dish, including maybe a gukbap dish, but the focus of this place is more for the banchan (side dishes). They set down the set of banchan with zucchini and potato soup, japchae, and this other soup I forgot the name of (it's like a concentrated bean paste soup you mix with rice). We ordered the spicy pork and the meat patty mains and they took quite a while to come out (especially the pork). They were pretty good, but we filled up so much on the banchan, which were excellent, that we couldn't finish and had to take most of the mains home. I really loved the sesame lotus root and the pumpkin salad ones, and later discovered the jellyfish salad at the banchan bar, which was probably my favorite. I would say that the banchan were most of what we ate for this meal, and now we have leftovers of the main for lunch tomorrow, so this was a very cost effective, tasty, healthy meal. Also they have melona bars for dessert which is always a win. Service was friendly but scant, and as I said, the main dishes took a long time to come out. This place is not fancy and feels kind of like a (nice clean) cafeteria, but the banchan is so good and I would definitely return.

Kylie B.

hyped up spot for a reason! sanbada is a very fun experience. In their soft opening phase, there is a limited menu of "sets" - we had the fish and bulgogi patty - both were great. The sets each come with a setup of banchan. There is also a ayce bar of the banchan to serve yourself to as many refills as you would like. Unique take on many korean classics with a great attention to detail and flavor. The ambiance is bright and minimalist and service is very friendly and attentive.

Jack T.

Went to Sanbada and had a mixed experience. We ended up waiting a long time before getting seated, which definitely took away from the overall vibe and made the meal feel less worth it. Once we finally sat down though, the service was super attentive. The staff checked in often and were really kind, and they brought out a lot of freebies and extras because of the wait, which helped balance things out. The food was good overall, nothing bad at all, but also not quite enough to justify how long we waited. Got a fish dish which was kinda plain and dry. What did stand out the most were the side dishes and they were beautifully presented and kept coming, which made the table feel really full and lively. Overall, solid food and great service, but the wait was a bit much for what it was.

Hanna H.

I can see why this place has been so busy recently! We came on a weekday for lunch so there wasn't a wait. How this place works is that each person is required to order an entree, then it's all you can eat soup, japchae (korean glass noodles), white rice, ban chan (side dishes), and melona ice cream! For entrees, there are a few types of fish (including mackerel and belt fish), as well as spicy pork and bulgogi patty available. I was barely able to touch my entree since there were so many side dishes to try! We loved the japchae and spicy stir-fried eggplant (and I'm usually not an eggplant person). Everything was all very yummy, not overly oily or salty. We finished the meal with melona ice cream bars. For all this food and variety alone, I would definitely come back. What we ordered: - Mackerel Entree - Spicy Pork Entree

Iris X.

Finally tried Sanbada in Boston and now I understand the hype. My husband got the atka mackerel and I ordered the spicy pork; both were delicious, but honestly the real star of the meal was the banchan. They just kept bringing out dish after dish until the entire table was completely covered. Every time I thought we had tried everything, there was somehow more food appearing. And the best part? Unlimited refills on the banchan, which made the whole experience feel so abundant and worth it. The presentation was beautiful too-- everything looked colorful, fresh, and thoughtfully plated. We did have to wait about an hour to get seated, and they require each person to order an entree, but the staff handled it really well and brought us a complimentary beef side dish to apologize for the wait, which we really appreciated. They even gave us free Melona ice cream at the end, which was such a cute finishing touch after such a massive meal. Overall, really good customer service, generous portions, and one of those meals where the table is so full you don't even know where to start eating first.

Nhung N.

Sanbada is a Korean restaurant located in Brighton, MA. The restaurant is located on Brighton Ave, with street parking on both sides of the street, and easily accessible by public transportation. Sanbada stands out with their unique and unlimited self served side dishes station. Each member of the party is required to order a main item. One of their main, belt fish, is a must try. I usually pass on this fish but Sanbada's was very enjoyable. The mackerel main was another surprised. Both were more enjoyable because they were cooked in a brick oven, a healthier choice. The bulgogi pattie set was a hit with the kids as was the spicy pork. As for the many side dishes to accompany your main dish, there were plenty of standouts. My two favorites were the mixed seasoned seaweed and the fried eggplants. We ordered two additional dishes to try. First, the marinated shrimp is something I work order again. But I recommend it be shared with a group as I didn't want more than one piece. If you do not enjoy raw seafood, I would absolutely skip this dish. The sliced beef tendon was a hit with my daughter with a simple clean taste. Also where the side dishes buffet was, there was also an additional soup station as well as a good variety of Korean ice cream to end your meal with. I will absolutely be back to try more items. See my pictures.

Emi H.

Finally tried this restaurant and it is definitely worth the hype! I went on a Saturday and waited around 30 minutes after getting on the Yelp wait-list. Note that you can't do this through the mobile app so you have to go in person to get on the wait-list. It was worth the wait though! I got the Belt Fish set ($30) which came with 2 fillets of fish, unlimited rice, japjae, salad, soybean stew and an assortment of banchan. The food came out fast and everything was delicious! The belt fish was the most buttery and tender fillet of fish I've ever had and the skin had a nice char. Beware of the fish bones though! The banchans were the perfect pairing and they helped cut through the richness of the fish. I especially loved the crispy eggplant, kim chi, and pickled chayote. The japjae and the soybean stew were tasty as well! Overall, this is probably the best new Korean restaurant in town. The value and quality of the food can't be beat! I love that they have a banchan bar so you can get refills and they even offer free melona for dessert. The service was friendly and efficient and the restaurant was spacious, brightly lit, and modern. I would 100% come back again!

Yanni P.

Service was great. The food could have been hotter though. The soup was lukewarm and the pork was warm as well but wasn't hot. There food has good flavor and the banchan were delicious. The unlimited Melona fridge was novel and I liked it!

Connie C.

Okay, I get the hype now. One of the newer additions to the Allston food scene, and I'm already looking forward to my next visit. The banchan were incredibly fresh and flavorful. My favorites were the kimchi, sweet potato mash, and pickled chayote, but honestly every single one was delicious. The grilled belt fish was cooked to perfection with crispy skin and tender meat. It looked like it was prepared in one of those high-heat pizza ovens, which gave it an amazing finish. The spicy pork set was a generous portion and arrived sizzling on a stone plate, staying hot throughout the entire meal. Each person is required to order their own set. It's a great spot for a casual meal. My one request: please sell the banchan to-go. I would happily take home containers of those sides. The restaurant gets busy, but there's a Yelp waitlist available at the door. Be sure to stay nearby--your spot is canceled if you don't check in within five minutes of receiving the text. Food comes out quickly, making this a great option for a satisfying and efficient meal. Plus, there's self-service for additional banchan, rice, and miso soup. Bonus: unlimited Melona popsicles toooo!