food's really good! staff very friendly as well. sides given are kimchi, bean sprouts, fish pancake, tofu. the appetizers are quite nice as well. read more

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SO YUMMY! Nothing beats Sundubu-jjigae on a cold day. My girlfriend and I came here after being outside for a while and we were freezing. We got the tofu sundubu, udon, and bulgogi. The sundubus were amazing and the tofu was so fluffy and the perfect texture. It also had the perfect spice level and tasted extremely well with the rice. The udon is not that good, I would suggest ordering this when you come here. And the bulgogi was so good-sometimes it can be really oily though. The service was amazing. I believe it is a family owned business as well. Everyone was friendly and nice. They checked on us multiple times to make sure everything was good. Inside the restaurant it was pretty nice. There were both booths and tables. Additionally they had coat rack holders outside every booth which was so convenient. Overall, this restaurant was so good. I highly recommend coming here, especially on a cold snowy day! read more

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SO YUMMY! Came here in a really big group of 10 people as a celebratory dinner. All the food came at the same time which was really nice. I got the dolsot bibimbap with beef. Came with miso soup and banchan which was so nice! Unlimited banchan! Loved the kimchi. The dolsot was solid. My go to dish at any Korean restaurant. Good portion size too! Also tried a small mandu which was also very flavorful and juicy. Everyone loved their dishes. Our waitress was also so nice, taking a bunch of pictures for us. Overall great spot to go with friends for authentic Korean food! read more

Soban Korea - Dolsot bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Decent Korean food in the Evanston area! I just got back from a trip to Korea and was craving Korean food. Ordered the dakgangjeong (fried chicken wings) with soy garlic glaze as well as the naengmyeon with beef and spicy sauce. The cold noodles were nice and chewy, the sauce I found to be too sweet and a bit overwhelming! I would probably try something else next time. I liked the wings. They had crisp and crackly coating that was almost like caramel. If you like things that are sticky sweet, you will enjoy these! The side dishes were standard fare, some kimchi, bean sprouts, marinated tofu, and fish cakes. The service was great, the lady running the front of shop was very sweet and attentive. The shop is very clean. Seems popular with kids in the Northwestern area! Maybe next time I'll try one of their soups--the budaejigae looked good. read more

Soban Korea - Naengmyeon with beef - Korean Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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As a Korean, this place is legit. Good service and food was authentic. Banchan (side dishes) was a bit scarce and lacking. Korean food is always complimented by the banchan. Ambiance is a typical classic Korean restaurant...little dark, and nothing fancy. For not being near the city or Ktown, this spot has authentic Korean dishes read more

Soban Korea - Bibimbop and Kalguksu - Korean Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

A well-priced and quiet place to enjoy bibimbap or other select Korean dishes. It's conveniently right next to the Noyes stop on the purple line, so it's easy to get here if you live near a CTA station. This was very tasty and the order arrived quickly, no more than 15 minutes. Be careful with the spicy sauces on the table though, it's very easy to put too much on your food and be in agony for a couple minutes! Just use a conservative amount and enjoy the flavors that come with the bibimbap, if you get that. read more

Soban Korea - Bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

This is the best bibimbap I've ever had. The crispy rice at the bottom was just right, and the price was very reasonable. It's about a 10-minute walk from Northwestern University, but definitely worth the trip. read more

Soban Korea - 石锅拌饭+牛肉豆腐煲 - Korean Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Soban it's good! This is one of my favorite places to go in Evanston, not just because of the food but the staff and place itself. The interior is traditional dark wood timber and brick walls, and is quite airy and bright. I love me a booth. It gets big cute points for being freaking...cute. The service is friendly and patient, the food is limited but what they do serve is ...cute and delicious. The Dolsot BBB is wonderfully crispy and fresh, a wonderful light lunch, no weigh down, heavy drowsiness, the hotdog stew is spicy and surprising filling. Everything is in modest portions and thereby justify the affordability. Royal milk tea cools it all off! Go. read more

I usually don't find myself in this part of Evanston, but I will happily be returning after this. For such an unassuming spot, I was surprised to see a crowd for a weekday lunch, but I try and take it as a good sign. For the price you pay, you get great portion sizes (and banchan.) The ramen tteokbokki (Rabokki) was some of the best I've had, and I can already tell this is going to be my favorite spot in the winter! read more

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I've lived in Evanston for four years now and across the street from Soban for two. For the price, quality and quantity, this is definitely the best Korean food I've had in E-Town. My favorites are the sundubu, gimmari, either jeon (seafood or kimchi and always perfectly crispy) and the dukmandu-gook. When my boyfriend visits from out of town he always wants to stop by -- that's how great this place is. Now this is definitely a personal preference but I love the look and feel of the place. It's pretty dimly lit and all the tables, chairs and lamps look like they're from an old dive bar. It's eclectic but I like it. Sometimes the service is a bit slow, but that's generally only when they're understaffed. For the most part, they're quick to help you out whenever you need. Pro tip: finish your first round of banchan quickly and ask for refills, they always give you more on the second round! read more

Lovely Korean spot next to Noyes Station. I came here craving naemyeong (cold noodles) and they had a spicy beef option with sauce or a non-spicy version with broth. I was so glad they brought out scissors right away without me having to ask in order to cut the noodles. Service was super fast and the banchan was great. Kind staff and great music! read more

Soban Korea - Bibim naemyeong - Korean Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Great little spot near Northwestern, small and tidy with a few tables and booths. Seems to be Korean-owned which is always a good sign in a Korean restaurant. We arrived at 8:30pm and even though they close at 9pm and were about to close the kitchen, we promised to order and eat quickly so they let us sit down. The food was solid and authentic. We had budae Jjigae and yukgaejang and both were spicy and had the right ingredients. Nice unexpected find and I would definitely return. read more

Soban is a cozy Korean spot I always enjoy for its warm charm--wooden tables, soft lighting, and consistently excellent service. The food comes out quickly and is always fantastic. The mandu and japchae are standouts. It's also a great BYOB option we usually swing by the corner market for drinks before settling in for dinner. read more

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I was in the area and discovered this place. Small restaurant located in downtown Evanston. For the appetizer, we ordered the gimmari. It was small but still good. I ended up ordering the beef sundubu and it was good. Spicy but good. My sister ordered the rambokki which was also good. We got it a little spicy because the waiter said it's spicy. Good to know though. What I love about eating at a Korean restaurant is the banchan. They had tofu, kimchi, bean sprouts and fish cakes. They were all good but very small portions. I would for sure come back to try other things on the menu. Street parking. read more

Soban Korea - Korean Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Such a cute little quaint place on the street corner! Feels super authentic and intimate. The waiter was super helpful and informed me that the Rabokki was going to be really spicy so he gave me the option to make it less spicy and it was the perfect spice! And it was sweet and flavorful as well! Sundubu was good as well as the banchan! The kimchi is spicy though! Def recommend if you want a quick authentic dinner. Street parking. read more

Soban Korea - Gimmari Budae Jjigae Sundubu Rabokki - Korean Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Brilliant Was going to Dave's Italian - but was full So jumped in to Soban Great food Great prices excellent services read more

Real deal Korean food. Super tasty - love their kimchee pancake and bibimbap. Popular with northwestern students

RACIST I came here with a small group of students. While, I definitely enjoyed the food, the portions were entirely too small for the price that was paid. From the moment I walked in, the waiter was rude. He took a long time to get back to us and was generally unpleasant. I had a very similar experience as other people who rated the restaurant lowly about slow service and unpleasant staff. At the end of our dining experience, the owner ran out after us yelling at us about the tip we left and then told us we could not come back to the restaurant. We wouldn't return anyway. read more

Soban was a good experience. Was our first time going there. We got their beef bibimbap, tofu bibimbap, soondubu, and also the beef bulgogi. The banchan was lacking compared to other Korean spots in town. Only giving us 4 side dishes which were: some sweet soy beans, fish cake slices, kimchi, and some tofu pieces with soy sauce. The bibimbap was good and egg was a perfect over easy. The drinks there were not worth the price. Green tea was a typical green tea from a bag and their Yuzu was simply citron tea from jars. Overall the food was good, would not recommend getting teas here. The service was good and the scenery was very home like. read more

Soban is a winter quarter go-to for their affordable, cozy soups! I can't speak to the authenticity of these Korean dishes but I've enjoyed everything I've tried. Service is also typically friendly and fast. Last Dined: November 30, 2022 read more

Soban Korea - Korean Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Delicious fresh food. My sister and I loved it. It reminds us if the northwestern university days. Every Sunday, food service was not provided. The sorority sisters would Pile into a restaurant for dinner. Low calories, low prices and fresh food makes it a wonderful memory to relive. read more

It was my first-time visiting Soban Korea here at this area. I didn't realize there was a Korean restaurant that was so close to my office. The place is very busy and lots of customers the time I visited but they still managed to give all of their customers a good service. I ordered some of their food such as, Rabokki, the Sundubu with beef, and also their Gungjung tteokbokki. All of it were just perfectly flavored and so tasty. Everything at this place is top-notch! The atmosphere is inviting, staff is friendly, and the food is delicious! I'll be back and will recommend this place to all of my friends and relatives! read more

Soban has a lot of various foods (soups, meats, etc.) and the staff is always attentive. The ambiance overall is cozy but lively, and it's a place where you can enjoy your alone time or catch up with friends. My picture doesn't do a lot of justice because I took it after I started eating, but they really put effort into all their dishes even side dishes/banchan (the kimchi is insanely good). I've been coming back and will continue to Only improvement I could think of is maybe offering a sweet drink/one dessert item! read more

Just come and eat! It's real authentic homestyle cooking. Small menu, but each item is carefully thought-out and ... did I mention traditional Korean home cooking??It's family owned and very popular with the local area. Though I do not eat meat I am told what dishes can be made for my diet, and I love the cold noodles, season, tofu, and the udon is the best of ever had. read more

Bottom line: if you're in Evanston and have a hankering for some Korean food, try Soban! Food: I ordered the budae jiggae. The portions were generous. Spicy, flavorful, and comforting to the stomach on a cold day in January. If you're not familiar with budae Jiggae or Army stew, I recommend trying it here. From what I understand, it's a dish that came to prominence during the Korean War born out of scarcity. In it you'll find, spam, hotdog, rice cake, cabbage, ramen, tofu, and other things. Though born out of scarcity, the flavor is robust and it will leave you craving more-- especially if you try it here. I also shared a plate of chicken wings with my friends. The portion was small so it's debatable if it was worth the price paid but the flavors in the chicken were great. We chose the spicy and sweet gochuchang flavoring. The panchan (or side dishes) were the smallest portion sizes I've ever witnessed in America so that was a bit disappointing but quite tasty. Service: service was okay. Our waiter was friendly enough but you could tell he'd rather be somewhere else and that's not the vibe I like to go for while eating hence the four star review. Atmosphere: it's a cute restaurant. In this time of COVID, they have opted for plastic spoons, and paper cups. I can't fault them for their decision if it has to do with safety but it's a little annoying eating soup with such a weak and shallow spoon (hence 4 stars instead of five). I would have given 3.5 stars if I could because service and atmosphere but I rounded up because the quality of food was high here. Try this restaurant today! read more

Soban Korea - Budae jiggae - Korean Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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I went with my friends, and we shared the Kimchi-jigae ($11.99), Dakgangjeong ($13.99), Bulgogi ($13.99), and Dolsot Bibimbap ($11.99). The food tasted really authentic, and they even gave us side dishes like a traditional Korean restaurant (which I haven't seen elsewhere in Evanston)! My only criticism would be the service because we waited over an hour for our dinner. My friends and I were understanding since it was a Friday night and they were severely understaffed in both the kitchen and on the floor, but it wasn't ideal. So if you want to eat at Soban, I suggest going at a less-busy time and day or ordering takeout in advance. read more

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This place used to be Mandarin House. This change to Soban Korea is hopefully for the better. I have heard that the old Mandarin House was relatively subpar in terms of quality, but I can only judge Soban Korea for its own merit. ATMOSPHERE/ARCHITECTURE: 8/10 The inside is nice, with large amounts of seating, mostly booths. It's not too spacious, but makes for a cozy space with nice large glass windows along the front for good natural lighting or a nice street view. SERVICE: 7/10 Service was good enough. I ordered online for pickup and the order was correct and done in a timely manner. There were no issues at all. The cashier was nice as well. FOOD: 6/10 - Bulgolgi: The bulgogi did not really taste like any bulgogi that I had ever had before. The meat was rather dry and it only really tasted like beef cooked in bulgogi sauce. Nothing special here. - Ddeok Bokki: This was the weirdest ddeok bokki I have ever had in my life. It was in like a soup. I don't know if this is the traditional way or not, but I have had this dish many times in several cities and I never had it made in this way before. I did not like it. VALUE: 7/10 PROBABILITY OF RETURN: 6/10 I might come back here if I really wanted to try some more Korean food but otherwise, I don't know if this is a priority to retry. TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT: If you're a big fan or Korean, you might like it. I think there are better options though. OVERALL: 7/10 read more

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I love this place. The Bibimbop and bulgogi are sooooo delicious. I feel like I wish I lived next door. Please stay open forever

We recently had lunch here. The food was excellent. My daughter ordered a soup with ramen, bacon, tofu and a variety of other things. It was spicy but very good. My bibimbap was equally good. The kimchi pancake as an appetizer was also very good. I would have given it a five star if it were not for the slow service. read more

Delicious food! Service was great! Highly recommend trying it, I will definitely be going back

The family working here is so sweet and reminds me of loved ones in LA. The food is homey and the ambiance of the restaurant is very nostalgic for me as someone who grew up with a large Korean American community. read more

During the recent SNOWSTORM in Evanston, I was walking over to my friend's place after we canceled dinner plans. We thought about ordering something to be delivered, but when I saw Soban, I knew my body needed some warm Korean food. I walked in around 5:40 and asked for a table for 2. My friend walked in about 5 minutes later, and we placed our orders before 6pm. The place started to fill up with other NU students escaping the snowstorm, so we were glad we got here somewhat sooner. Around 6:15, we asked the server if we could please have our side dishes, but she said that the side dishes come with the first menu item. We were pretty upset because we were STARVING but it is somewhat understandable since they do free refills for side dishes. Another 15 minutes passed, and we still didn't receive our food. At that point, we were getting quite hangry because tables that arrived after us were getting their food before us. 34 minutes after we placed our order, the food finally came. I went through three glasses of water before the food even arrived. The budae jigae was underwhelming. Even though it contained rice cake, ramen, sausages, spam, and green onions, it felt too light to be a budae jigae. Also, the ramen was barely cooked when it came out, and the soup was not nearly hot enough to cook it for much longer. The bibimbap was good though. It comes with a bottle of red pepper paste based sauce that is more sweet than hot. I would recommend putting in little by little and adding more as you go, because it can easily overpower the other flavors in the dish. read more

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Conveniently located right off the Noyes purple line stop, Soban is definitely the best Korean restaurant near the Northwestern campus that I've tried thus far! The dolsot bibimbap has that characteristic and delicious crispy rice crust from the piping hot stone bowl in which it is served. The yukgaejang, which is basically a savory and spicy broth filled with vegetables, noodles, and shredded beef, is incredibly flavorful and makes for a perfect dish on a cold Chicago winter day. The only qualms I had were not related to the food, but rather the service. I assume some of the staff are just local students, but that's no excuse for being impatient and terse with your customers. For example, when I asked for a container of ice water for our table, that I also noticed other tables got, our waiter promptly rejected that idea -- with no rational reason for why. Anyways, hopefully the service is better next time I go, since I am looking forward to trying some of the other dishes on the menu. read more

Soban Korea - yukgaejang - Korean Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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DELICIOUS FOOD! I'm sad I didn't find out about this place earlier!!! So affordable and great portions too! Will def be coming back!!!!

Soban is always consistent. We love Korean food and have been to Korean restaurants in a 15 mile radius. While other restaurants will offer more banchan and selection, this is our go-to Korean restaurant because the service is good, the restaurant is tidy and the menu and food is consistent. It's a good place to take novice Korean food eaters. We are not novices and we like it a lot. read more

Amazing! True Korean food none of that fusion stuff. The tteokbokki was amazing as well as the gimmari and mandu. They are not joking when they warn you about the spice though. The staff was super polite as well. The ambiance was a bit older but very cosy. read more

Small, Korean spot near Noyes station that appeared to be unassuming. Being a Korean from Los Angeles and having a grandma that cooked amazing Korean food all my life, my expectations were low. But boy was I wrong!! Soban is a great spot to get authentic Korean food at an affordable price. It honestly felt like I was at home, eating well prepared Korean dishes. I ordered the Budae Jigae and omurice and thought the flavors were spot on. A decent amount of spice for the Budae Jigae (definitely on the high side). Service was also fast and servers were helpful. Soban is the go-to spot for great Korean cuisine at an affordable price. read more

We loved soban Korea. Had dinner last nite while in Evanston. Small gem in Evanston. Friendly welcoming staff. We enjoyed the Mandu, seafood paejon, spicy squid bulgogi, Korean style fried chicken and ramen noodle soup. Generous portions and the food was very delicious. Thanks soban Korea for a delicious meal. Will certainly return back next time we are in Evanston. read more

As someone who has never tried Korean cuisine before, I must say I loved it! The food is delicious and warm and served with cute little side dishes--a great way to try different dishes for free! As a bonus the restaurant is BYOB with a comfortable home ambiance in which to enjoy catching up with good company. It is walking distance to the Noyes stop and has free parking for those who drive. I now find myself craving Soban and go nearly every week. Update: I wrote this review and then had to come again tonight Side dishes (Banchan) are refillable you just have to ask! I always eat so much cucumber kimchi read more

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Honestly, this is one of the best Korean restaurants near by. The food is really delicious and tastes very authentic. I Iove their appetizers such as japchae, gimmari, and pajeon. As for the entrees, I really enjoy their dolsot bibimbap, rabokki, bulgogi, and sundubu! Today's dinner was very tasty as usual and they were really really busy! (+5 stars) However, this place has a lot of flies that lands on our food and is overall really hot inside. The aesthetic of this place is nice though. (-1 star) I have mixed feelings about the service here. Sometimes it's really good and other times it's terrible. Didn't have a good dinner with my friends the other day when we were served by buzz cut lady server! She was very fake and a bit annoying and it made us feel very uncomfortable. Also had a time last week where I couldn't really understand the server and ended up getting the wrong order but I was too disappointed about the service to care anymore. (-2 stars) I'm really glad that the cute nice server is back now. She makes me and my friends I feel welcomed and taken care of. Plus she dresses really well and is amazing for working with those heavy Balenciaga shoes. I don't know how she does it but she always manages to memorize out huge and complicated orders! Thank you! Also see some new faces around, the new guy servers were very laid back but seemed pretty chill. (+1 star) Regardless, we love the food here and will continue to come often despite the disappointments in certain aspects. Soban really reminds me of home sometimes. Thank you!!! read more