This might be my new favorite spot to grab a bite to eat!! The vibes here are IMMACULATE, and it's evident they carefully craft an energetic atmosphere that really amplifies the dining experience. The decorations, the lights, and the music all come together to give an ambiance that just feels so inviting to where you want to take your time while you're here. The service is top notch, all the staff are lively and accommodating. The menu is very creative including fun drink names and plenty of versatility in the types of dishes you can order. Be on the lookout for special dishes on different days of the week. We ordered the steak and mushroom skewers which are nice appetizers to hold you over until the entrees hit the table. The drinks hit the spot as well and luckily we came during happy hour so we got a little discount on the apps/drinks. We decided to try roasted half chicken with the potato salad which were both absolutely fantastic. The chicken was cooked perfectly, just incredibly tender and juicy. The potato salad was well seasoned, had a great texture, and was a nice compliment to the chicken. As we were eating, a DJ came in and started mixing up some cool tracks which just amplified our experience even more. Also, Sonder is my favorite word so bonus points there (I guess I'm biased). Anyways, I'm thrilled with my first visit here and will undoubtedly be checking this place out again! Would highly recommend you come visit Sonder, you can thank me later!! read more

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I've been a big fan of Kaizen and am so happy I finally got to try out Sonder next door! Sonder is located in DTSA, and there's plenty of street parking plus a parking lot next to it. They took over the old El Mercado restaurant, and while the layout is similar, the vibes are completely different. I love the vinyl DJ setup, along with the colors and lighting they use now. We decided to stop by very last minute, but the host was so gracious to sneak us a spot at the bar. Service here was some of the best I've experienced in OC. Everyone was SO friendly, and made it feel like I was hanging out at a friend's place for great food and drinks. Shoutout to Tony who was taking care of us at the bar, he made the whole experience such a treat. Everyone was super attentive and was on top of everything too, making this such a lovely experience. On the drinks front, this place has one of the best Tequila offerings in the area, and they also have a great selection of unique cocktails to try from. Tony made me something off menu that reminded me of a tequila/gin gimlet, and it was spectacular. On the food front, I enjoyed a lot of the stuff we got, with a few critiques: * 6100 Sourdough: The bread was delicious but the ricotta was completely overpowered by the saffron. If you love saffron then this is for you. * Little Gem Salad: This was a good, standard issue salad. If you're craving some greens it's a nice addition to any meal. * Seafood Cocktail: This was my favorite dish, it was so fresh and flavorful, and all of the seafood was tender. My only critique is I wish that the shrimp was prepared similar to the other seafood instead of being in large chunks, but that's just a personal preference. I will be coming back for this dish again. * Scallop Skewer: Another standout dish, the scallops were perfectly prepared and the sauce used was so good we put it on everything else we ate too. Highly recommend. * Chicken Oyster Skewer: Really tasty, the chicken was perfectly cooked. Wished there was some spice to it, but that's where the scallop sauce came in handy. Overall, Sonder is a welcome addition to the area and I highly recommend checking it out. I think this was easily a 4.5/5 experience, and I have plans of coming back to try more of the food with a larger group. read more

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I've had Sonder saved for so long and I'm so glad I finally made it in for a double date, birthday celebration. We had a reservation and got seated immediately. There was a DJ spinning that evening and she was fantastic. I loved having the music going but also feeling like we were able to easily have a conversation. Going off memory I know we got all of the skewers and we struggled going around and what our faves were. Even the mushroom skewer was out of this world. We also got the charred beets which were a fave of mine and the table also enjoyed the pork fried rice. Some outshined others but there was nothing we ordered that were a disappointment. We also had great service and our waitress was very attentive bringing us our different courses and checking in on if we needed refills on our cocktails. read more

Sonder - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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This seems to be the HOT spot in dtsa and I was there for it. Before 10pm it is more of a grown and sexy lounge vibes-- loud music, dark, great drinks and food. The dj's switch over at 10pm and the younger crowd comes and the music goes up even louder. However, I loved the night, lounge feel and the dj's were on point. I recommend reservations by all means! Protip--If you have a reservation before 10 service will continue throughout the night. We stayed until about midnight and our waitress was absolutely lovely. She kept the drinks flowing. We had about 8 drinks from the menu and bill ended at $148. If you are looking for a lounge feel with good music, service and drinks in dtsa this place is it! read more

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Pro Tip: If you are visiting the restaurant, SIT INSIDE. Outside is not the same vibe. I regrettably was late, and we had to forfeit our inside reservation for an outside reservation. We still enjoyed the food, but the outside lacks ambiance. You cannot hear the music from the outside, the decor is nonexistent, and there aren't any umbrellas available. If you are looking to enjoy the vinyls and the ambiance, sit inside. As for the food, it's mostly very small plates that can be shared, but are small portions, unless you get the limited edition or shared plates. It can get pricey if you try the skewers and appetizers. We got the Bone Marrow Onigiri, Pickled Plate, Pork Belly Skewers, Hanger Steak Skewers, and Scallops, and everything was yummy. I will give this spot another shot and make sure to sit inside before I make up my mind. read more

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Wow where do I begin. Sonder really stands out from all of the countless restaurants in OC. The inside is gorgeous; both grand and retro but with a charm. It's perfect for an intimate date or fun night out. I would describe it has a vinyl bar with great cocktails and a unique menu featuring Asian fusion tapas/sharable bites. Fun fact: Sonder is owned by siblings Diane and Lamson and is located right next to Lamson's first restaurant , Kaizen Shabu! This place sometimes gets booked for private events so I HIGHLY recommend making a reservation as to not wait and guarantee it isn't closed the day you want to come. There is also usually events or a live DJ later in the evenings so check their instagram to be up at date @sonderdtsa. The food here is absolutely delicious and flavorful. It tastes both familiar but also new by putting a unique twist on dishes and flavors you already know. Some standout dishes are the little gem salad, dill milk bread, and charred beets. My only complaint is that the Sichuan fries were not as crispy and I would have liked. They are also quite greasy and heavy. But I understand why it is soggy due to being tossed in the Sichuan oil after frying to achieve the numbing flavor. We also tried the black sesame walnut for dessert and it was to die for; such a toasty flavor that paired perfectly with the creamy ice cream. While there are a few staple menu items, the kitchen seems to often be coming out with different dishes so you're sure to not be tired coming here time and time again. read more

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This was my first visit to sonder and they made a great first impression! Since it was my friends birthday, they brought over birthday shots for both of them. Afterwards, the owner stopped by to say hi and since it was our first visit, he gave us shots for the whole table. Very kind of him. Food was great - we ordered a couple of things to share including the 6100 blue corn sourdough, chicken oysters, pork belly, spring onion pancake, and pork, please and prawn fried rice. My personal favorite was the fried rice, but everything else was tasty too! We also got dessert which was the pandan butterscotch pudding - yummy! Service was wonderful. They were attentive and kind and quick. They brought out some birthday ice cream for the two birthday girls in the party. Ambiance was great. It could be intimate and romantic for couples but also great for celebrations or large groups. I enjoyed sonder very much and will definitely visit again particularly due to their excellent service! read more

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my girls and i wanted to have a nice dinner and chose sonder since the menu looked interesting and the interior looked really pretty. i hate giving low reviews for local businesses, but we felt that the food was overall not good, especially for how expensive the total was. things we ordered: - 6100 blue corn sourdough w/ goat butter: i was excited about this one bc i haven't had the chance to try the 6100 blue corn sourdough yet, but our bread came out with a really burnt crust that made it hard to eat. the goat butter helped a little bit, but overall could not mask the burnt flavor. - little gem salad: this was honestly the best thing that we had! a pretty yummy caesar salad that was slightly tangy from the vinegar and lemon. - hanger steak skewer: meat was pretty tender and flavorful, and this was the best skewer out of the ones we ordered. - scallop skewer: the sichuan chili crunch sounded like a really yummy and unique idea, but the chili crunch ended up tasting very bitter to us and did not go well with the scallop - pork belly skewer: i didn't expect this to have a really sweet glaze since i didn't see it mentioned on the menu, but it was fine. i liked eating it with the rice and didn't mind the sweetness, but my friends were not a fan of how sweet it was. - maitake mushroom skewer: the mushroom was cooked well and the miso butter was good, but i feel like $7 for a mushroom skewer is a bit pricey. - spring onion pancake: we did not enjoy this at all :( i imagined it to be like a scallion pancake or korean green onion pancake, but we got a pancake with a mix of textures and flavors that didn't go well together. the pancake was crispy on the outside but really doughy on the inside, and the fish roe was salty and did not pair well with the pancake. we couldn't finish it bc we did not like the flavors at all :( - zero proof tidal wave: this was a unique mocktail, but i feel like $12 for a mocktail is a bit much LOL i really appreciated the service though and how kind all of the workers were! they gave us a lot of recommendations and explained the menu well and tried to make the environment very cozy and lively. i think the food overall just did not mesh well with my friend group. read more

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Came to Sonder for my birthday. Had an amazing experience. From Matt who helped us. To Lamson the owner who checked up on us. Food was excellent especially the mains. Loved short rib. So much meat. So tender. Flavorful. Pork over fish sauce was also great. Sauce was on point. Not salty or sweet. Drinks were really good. Had the clarified cocktail and another chef special drink. Both so good. Music was so good also. Fun older jams great vibes. Fun spot in downtown Santa Ana to hang out. read more

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Love love love the ambience. Not sure if it was grad night last Sat but the guests were dressed ti the nine. Our server was so friendly and attentive. Now let's get to the amazing dishes qe ordered. For appetizer, we ordered the Little Gem Salad with black vinegar cesar and it was super tasty. It was crunchy and refreshing. I highly recommend it. Next was the chicken wings with chili which was so favorable with every bite. For entree we ordered shared plate of beef short ribs and spring onion pancake. We have been to many restaurants around town and I find the dishes here has its own unique taste in a fantastic way. We plan on coming back with friends next time so we can tey out more dishes on the menu. The atmosphere and interior of the restaurant is sleek, cozy and feels rustic. Thank you for such an awesome dining experience. read more

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Great place for date night our waiter Billy was beyond amazing made this night a joy! Great recommendations and will be back for what he says is the best espresso martini of our lives. Put this on the go place in OC! read more

Sonder - After Midnight and Karma Chameleon - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Fairly new place that just opened up about 8 months ago as its sister restaurant to shabu spot next door. Sat at the bar for happy hour. Love the vintage feel of the place. Food: our bartender gave great recommendations where I enjoyed the Caesar salad and Wagyu skewer He was also well versed on flavor profile on cocktails. I will definitely be going back to this spot to try other items read more

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Sonder is seriously one of my favorite date night spots in the OC. It is the perfect mix of classy, casual, adventurous, and delicious. I think it's one of the best additions to the OC food scene in 2025. The cocktail service is always just amazing. They change their drink menu so often that I don't see the drink I ordered on the menu anymore and I don't remember what it was called. It has beets and a foam that looks like it has egg white in it as well. Hopefully they bring it back, delicious!! For food I got the charred cabbage skewer, pork belly skewer, hangar steak skewer, sichuan fries, and curry mussels. I love the cabbage at Sonder. It's sweet from the char, has so much umami from the koji butter, some bright citrus notes, and a crispness from the puffed rice. My favorite dish from the night was actually the Sichuan fries. They are crispy fries sauced up in the tingly, numbing, spicy sichuan sauce and topped with kewpie mayo. I would love to sit at the bar with a cocktail, these fries, and listen to vinyl all night. I also got dessert this time-- the pear and black pepper pie. This was great. Not too sweet, and the pears were not too mushy. Start to finish, I had a wonderful meal at Sonder. I recommend this spot to all of my friends for date night. I cannot wait to come back for brunch! read more

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We dropped by for a weekend dinner and had a lovely meal in a trendy, moody setting. There was a bit of a hiccup when the hostess tried to insist we sit at two high top tables (with two young children) and seemed displeased when we stated that wouldn't work with us. Once this resolved, the meal proceeded to be more pleasant. We started with the tom yum cucumber - a hit with family with its pungent fish sauce and tang. The dish paired nicely with the crunchy peanuts although we did wonder if the overpowering flavors of this made it hard to enjoy some of the other dishes later. The wings were decent - a generous, slightly Asian variation of buffalo wings. The charred beets were the best beet dish we've had - the smokiness paired with the incredible natural sweetness of the beet itself was such a delightful surprise - they almost tasted like a sweet potato. The fresh wasabi was an excellent subtle pairing for this dish, not at all spicy, just added the perfect herbal undertones Fiddleheads and speck was the most disappointing, it felt like something was missing, perhaps it was the low acidity in comparison to the other dishes. The fiddleheads also had an difficult astringency to them and was essentially 95% fiddlehead to 5% speck. The spring onion pancake was also disappointing - ours was soggy which made the soft on soft falvors with the trout schmear not so appetizing. Flavor was good but we wanted more textural contrast. Iberico pork secreto was delicious - an amazing piece of meat. This, however, could benefit again from a more flavorful sauce. We ended up dipping this meat into the tom yum cucumber sauce above (see other wayward comment above). We finished with the red bean cinnabon dessert hich was tasty - not too sweet, although we wished the red bean flavor came through more. It comes beautifully presented in its own mini skillet. Unfortunately, the pieces that naturally stuck to the side in the skillet had a pretty strong metallic aftertaste that was quite unpleasant. Would not order this again unless the plateware was changed. read more

Went to Sonder for a comedy show and the vibe was already set for a night full of laughs and good company! Wow, it did not disappoint! I was in for a whole treat. The comedians were HILARIOUS and the place was seriously packed. Love a full house energy! Our host Bree was amazinggg!!! She was out there gracefully maneuvering through the crowd with our bottle of wine and the most delicious truffle fries. Bree also told us they have an R&B brunch happening and l I will absolutely be back for that! Good food, good drinks, and comedy? That's a win every time! read more

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Had dinner next door and came by here for their pandan dessert and drinks. Great spot to end the night with after dinner read more

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Came during their soft opening and only had cocktails, so I was excited to come back for food. Kian was our server and did a great job with drink recommendations. We loved all our cocktails, especially the Stay for Awhile with its creamy foam. We also had the Balance, Kozmic Blues, and London Stock, all solid. Food was hit or miss. The maitake skewer and escargot & pork belly fried rice were good, and the little gem salad was solid. Unfortunately, the baby beets were so over-charred they were inedible, which was really disappointing. My friend enjoyed the shrimp and pork belly. Vibe is a 10/10. Great space and energy. Overall solid, but the price increase since the soft opening, plus still being annoyed about the burnt beets, makes it hard to rush back. I'd consider returning when the menu changes. read more

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A trendy restaurant with creative dishes in Santa Ana. There is both paid street parking and paid structure parking nearby. This location has a decent amount of indoor seating available. The service was mediocre at best. Our server spoke at a level that was very difficult to hear and disappeared frequently. Their menu has a lot of dishes with combinations that were very unique. They also have a great variety of drinks to select from. The food comes in fairly small portions for the price and we ended up ordering a lot more than we initially thought we would have to. The food had really good flavor and we enjoyed everything that we ordered, but it wasn't necessarily worth the price. read more

3.75 Good but could be better. Feel like the prawn could have had more of the yuzu flavor. Generally everything was solid but ultimately not very memorable. I did really enjoy the fried rice and desserts. In fact, I think the desserts were the most unique part of the meal. Drinks were ok. I think I enjoyed the candy-o the most. Overall, enjoyed the concept but I would like to see them lean more into it and come up with dishes just as creative as the desserts. read more

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I've been wanting to eat here for a while. They specialize in Asian Fusion and the food was quite unique. However, it was hit and miss due to some dishes being too salty or too sour. With some seasoning adjustments, their food would be much better. Service-wise, the staff was very attentive and friendly. The restaurant had a nice atmosphere. They also played good music, but it was way too loud to have a conversation across the table. It'll be nice if they can turn it down. * The Croque 5/5 - This was one of my favorite dishes. The bread was soft and fluffy. The poached egg, mornay cheese sauce, and ham all combined to make a tasty explosion of flavor. * Karaage Fried Chicken & Waffle 3/5 - The chicken was very crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside (4/5). Unfortunately, the waffle was dry, dense, and hard (1/5). The homemade Sriracha sauce tasted bad, very sour and vinegary. * Sichuan Fries 3/5 - Good combination of flavors but way too salty. * Scallops 4.5/5 - Really good scallop in terms of flavor and texture, topped with crisped garlic and sesame. Some of the toppings were burnt, though, so there was a slight bitter flavor. * Pork Belly Porridge 0/5 - Intensely sour. Like someone squeezed 10 lemons into a single bowl. The pork belly was charred to the point of tasting burnt and bitter. The salted egg was very salty. * Hangar Steak 3/5 - Very salty. It was also not tender or juicy. * Longanisa and Eggs 2/5 - The sausage longanisa just didn't taste good. * Pandan French Toast 4/5 - Pretty simple but good. I didn't taste a lot of pandan flavor, though. The French toast was soft, topped with whipped creme fraiche (similar to sour cream, but less sour) and banana. * Baked eggs 3/5 - Interesting dish filled with silky eggs. The drawback was that it was very sour from the tomatoes. read more

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The food, music, ambience and the drinks. Insane dopamine rush. Such a lovely lit and designed restaurant, with smooth tunes playing. Their BYOVinyl nights sound amazing I must come back for! The scallops and caesar salad were my favorites. All the cocktails are amazingly intricate as well. However the service was non-existent unfortunately. One gentleman came up to us with no introduction and asked if we were ready and then a different gentleman brought us our food and check. Our chicken oysters took 55 minutes to finally come out (30 minutes after the rest of our dishes) and not a busy appearing night. Not that I am expecting a comp, but almost charging us twice as much for the dish, because they had to fire it twice, was a wild mistake. No interest or attempt in making anything better unfortunately. read more

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Food: 4 Service: 4 Ambiance: 4 It's been a while since my visit, as the last time I went was back in August during their soft opening, but it was an experience that definitely stuck with me. I specifically made a trip to Santa Ana to check out Sonder, and I'm really glad I did. We made reservations right before sunset, so when we first arrived it was still fairly bright inside. As the evening went on, it naturally transitioned into a darker, moodier, sultry ambience, which I really loved. Upon entering, we were greeted quickly and made to feel welcome. As the night went on, the restaurant filled up and became lively, but it still maintained that cozy, dimly lit atmosphere. This is definitely a small-plates type of restaurant, so we ordered a variety of dishes to share. We tried the cucumber salad, pork belly, pork belly escargot fried rice, skirt steak, grilled octopus, and I also ordered the little gem salad. We ordered a couple of drinks as well, and while I don't remember the exact names, they were both beautiful and tasty. As for the food, everything was delicious, though I did find some dishes a bit saltier than what I'm used to. There was a noticeable fish sauce-type flavor in some items, which I actually enjoy, but it did lean on the salty side overall. The little gem salad stood out to me -- it was beautifully plated and very tasty. The grilled octopus was also delicious, the cucumber salad was refreshing, and the skirt steak was cooked well and full of flavor. Because the menu focuses on small plates, this is a place you come to enjoy the food, the drinks, the ambience, and the company rather than to leave feeling overly full. One thing I really appreciated was that the owner stopped by our table to greet us, which was a very nice personal touch. The waitstaff also checked in on us often and were attentive throughout the night. Overall, we had a really great time. I would recommend Sonder for a nice date night or a dinner with friends. The drinks were flowing, the food was delicious, the vibe was on point, and I would definitely return read more

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Had a reservation for Friday, 6:30PM for a girl's night out and didn't have to wait too long to get seated. The interior is beautiful. I love the rich green upholstery and the bookshelves and vintage wallpaper. We were seated near the entrance, which is much quieter than the interior near the bar. The staff forgot to bring drink menus at first, but once we received them, we were ready and placed our full order with the server. We ordered a lot. Here's the rundown of what stood out and what didn't: From the Binchotan Charcoal Grill *Maitake Mushrooms: DELISH. Super buttery, rich, and packed with umami flavor from the miso butter. My favorite bite of the night. *Scallops: Buttery soft and perfectly cooked. 10/10 Shared Plates * Chicken Wings: would not order again. Wing sauce is mild, and the wings don't taste good once they get a little cold. * Pork Belly & Escargot Fried Rice: this was surprisingly better than I expected, though I wouldn't reorder. It leans salty and doesn't need the extra fish sauce on the side, but the rice itself is crispy and flavorful. * Little Gem Salad: delicious, great crunch texture, and snowing with pecorino! I love when salads are served with the leaves intact. * Green Curry Mussels: Crowd favorite among us. I've only ever had mussels in white wine sauce, so the curry version was new to me and really good. The broth is sooo good and we loved soaking it up with bread (which they also did a great job on!) Truly a dish that keeps on giving:) * Barramundi Crudo: First bite of the night. Light, mild, and forgettable compared to everything else. Sides * Dill Milk Bread: omg I love bread so of course we had to get this. Pillowy soft, fragrant with fresh dill, and their butter!! It's creamy, the right amount of saltiness, and silky smooth!! I ate this shit up!! Must order!! We also opted for the caviar bumps ($20/person) and they were served in heart-shaped bowls, which was a cute touch. Fun, but I probably wouldn't do it again lol Desserts * Miso Ice Cream- birthday dessert that was fascinating to eat because we could not figure out the flavor. Guesses included crème brûlée, some sort of cake flavor, panna cotta, salted caramel. There's a cake-like, grainy texture and salty flavor that we couldn't put our finger on. But delicious! * Pandan Butterscotch Pudding: honestly, I was not intrigued by this since I feel like most pandan desserts are a miss for me, but I'm glad we got it. Our server said it's his favorite. Portion is a lot since it's served in a deep teacup. Pandan flavor is very prominent. It's sweet, fragrant, nutty, and lush. It has the texture that's in between a mousse and a custard. I wouldn't call it a pudding because it was more airy in my opinion. The salty butterscotch crème fraîche on top was a nice touch to balance the pandan. Cocktails * Rose Garden: Very floral and delicious. I don't like Blanco, so I substituted to Ocho Reposado, but wish they'd mentioned the $4 surcharge beforehand. * Velvet Underground: a popular pick, seems like everyone had one at their table. I think it's a perfect autumn drink. Very spiced but smooth. * Candy-O: apparently the sweetest drink on the menu (my friend's request). Not a fan of the egg white foam; #3 ranked out of the drinks we ordered. The beginning of our meal easily felt like a 5-star experience. The food came out quickly and everything tasted great! I'm not a fan of Asian fusion, but Sonder does a great job in showcasing the Asian influence synergistically. We were ready to leave at 8PM, but once the restaurant got busy, things slowed down significantly. It took about 30 minutes for our dessert to be ordered and served, and then another 30 minutes just to receive the check, which ended up being miscalculated and had to be corrected. That stretched-out ending brought the experience down to more of a 4-star one. That said, the food was amazing, and the way they infuse Asian flavors throughout the menu is impressive. I'll definitely be back, but I'm a little less inclined to return soon after how long the end of the meal dragged on. read more

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This is one of my new favorite spots! From the food to the ambience to the drinks. Everything was great from start to finish. We came on a Thursday which is BYOV (bring your own vinyl) night so we brought 2 vinyls. They ask you if there's any specific songs from the vinyl you'd like played and then they play it. This spot is very vibey, the DJ plays great music. I was lip syncing almost the entire dinner because I loved the songs haha. The decor is cool as well! We started with a couple drinks. We had The Roots & the Spy. The Roots was really good! Both drinks were strong in a good way - balanced well between slightly sweet but tasting the alcohol. We got the chicken oysters which were juicy & the sauce was sweet & tangy. The We also got the cucumber salad but peanuts on the side. It had cucumbers, onions & tomatoes. It was so citrusy yet had a good kick. I could eat a bunch of this. The pork belly was crispy on the outside yet still succulent on the inside and it comes with a side of rice. Our favorite dish was actually the charred cabbage! It had this miso butter on it that was umami & the cabbage melted in your mouth. The steak was great as well! It was tender and flavorful. The fried rice really stood out. It had these crispy rice bits in it that gave for a nice crunch to the dish. It sort of reminded me of Thai rice dish that has pork in it and crispy rice. THE DESSERT WAS INCREDIBLE. It was a pandan toffee pudding that tasted like Cap'N'Crunch in the best way and the salt added to it. Everyone should order their own - it's that good. The server was very nice & helpful with all our questions/whatever we needed! read more

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Back at Sonder 2x in one week, the most recent one this past Thursday to introduce our foodie friends (a couple) to this amazing restaurant and celebrate our early Christmas dinner with them. Warm welcome from Dara (hostess) and great service from Nadja. It's always good to see Lamson. Our friends were very impressed with the quality and flavor profiles. Love pairing the Cucumber Som Tum with all the skewered stuff especially with Longanisa. We tried the Pandan Butterscotch Pudding and it was amazing! The cocktails here are excellent! So hard to pick a favorite because they are all so good. For the holidays from 12/9 to 12/23 - they have this super fun and creative 12 days of Milk Punch cocktails offering and we all agreed the Two Turtle Doves with rum, chocolate liqueur and vanilla was our fave, amazing and bold yet sophisticated. read more

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So I had banh duc which is like a Vietnamese bolognese with rice flour pudding. Utterly insane. A must try. So savory and delicious. Then I had their take on a Mexican seafood cocktail (I hate the original). Amazing. Culinary engineering at its finest. They do some magic to make a clear sauce that has a hint of acid, tomato and horseradish. Octopus. Thinly sliced shrimp. Nate the chef is a master. Top 5 in Oc. The food is basically comfort food married with brilliant technique and execution. A must visit !!!!! read more

This restaurant has a five-star kitchen and a one-star front door. The food is phenomenal. The atmosphere is fun, energetic, and exactly what you hope for. Then you meet the hostess. She manages to make you feel like you're inconveniencing her simply by showing up. No warmth. No hospitality. No customer service. Just an attitude that suggests she's personally deciding who is worthy of eating there. Here's the reality: being condescending isn't the same thing as being exclusive. Great restaurants make people feel excited to be there. She makes people wonder why they bothered. It's amazing how one person can overshadow an otherwise outstanding experience. Management should know that the first impression they're giving guests is the weakest part of an otherwise excellent restaurant. read more

I was so excited to finally experience Sonder when Lamson first told me about it one night while I was at Kaizen. I had been meaning to come out during their soft opening phase, but never really found the time until this past Friday which coincidentally happened to be the official grand opening night! It was meant to be. Since I had just wrapped up dinner next door I was pretty full, but naturally I always save room at the end of my meals. Not for dessert, but for more food. I ordered the pork belly skewer, Thai pork sausage, and chicken oysters. All three were excellent and grilled to perfection. All the flavors were distinguishable and balanced. Nothing was too overpowering or lacking. My favorite? The pork belly skewer. Personally I *love* umami/funky flavors and the nam jim jaew they use on the pork belly delivered on that detail. I haven't even gotten to the best part yet: It comes with a bowl of rice. When the server dropped off the rice I was like, "Oh, sorry. I didn't order rice," and she's like, "It comes with it!" A bowl of rice included with the skewer? In this economy? In this day and age? Anyway, a bite of the pork belly with a bite of plain white rice is just so peak. The umami flavors of the nam jim jaew, the fatty richness from the pork belly, and plain white rice to cut through all the bold and strong flavors going on all at the same time. Too. Good. The chicken oysters were delicious! The pork sausage was good, but my least favorite out of the 3, but just to be clear: There was nothing wrong with it. I simply enjoyed the other 2 more. I LOVE the space and decor in Sonder. Clean lines, modern, upscale, tastefully decorated, the colors, the vibes. It's immaculate. I love the dinnerware they use too. Lots of details going on at Sonder and they nailed each and every single one. Can't wait to come back on Thursdays to bring my own vinyl!! read more

Sonder - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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Japanese-Vietnamese fusion! We had 4 plates: Duck Breast : was soft, juicy, & flavorful Hangar Steak : was strong & tender Gem Salad : Had light vinegrette & crunch Beets : My new favorite vegetable! Mussels & Bread with Milk Curry : A fiesta! Pear Pie : We ended up feeling like we should've tried both desserts Staff was lovely& friendly on Wednesday night there was a birthday some people at the bar and a family having some late dinner. And a couple on a first date...us! read more

Sonder - Mussels in milk curry + duck breast + hangar steak - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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Its a beautiful place located right at downtown Santa Ana, next to the Shabu place- Kaizen. Apparently it's the same owner and was still during soft opening. It specialize in Asian fusion flavors, tapas or izakaya small plate style. We kept ordering more to try since everything was so good. It just opened our appetite to try more of their dishes! Hangar steak- the best! Wow it's cooked perfectly medium rare , with perfect light seasoning and tender meat. 10/10 Chicken oysters- too much sauce but really good and juicy 8/10 Prawns- clean and cooked perfectly 9/10 Bone marrow onigiri- unique and really good. oily from the bone marrow, and includes caviar 8/10 Pork belly escargot fried rice- so yummy! Reminds me of teppanyaki flavorful fried rice. It's unique with the cooked escargot but I rather have it baked in butter and garlic. Pork belly was crispy with the rice. 9/10 Scallops- perfectly cooked and not rubbery , with chili oil 8/10 Pickled Beef tongue- a bit weird since it's a whole piece of tongue. I prefer and would say beef tongue in thin slices is better. It was tougher to cut in pieces and was somewhat dry. 4/10 Order the hangar steak, so good! read more

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Cute spot!!!! The aesthetic is so beyond perfect, I could hang out here all day!! Good job owner :) the food is good! There were some items that I wasn't a fan, the sichuan fries, were too wet, I wasn't a fan . The cucumber som tum was just super sour but good! Im not sure if I'd over it again. WHAT WAS GOOD: 10/10 LITTLE GEM SALAD 10/10 Hanger steak 10/10 Okinawan sweet potato 8/10 whole salted prawn Very small portions but so tasty! The drink was a mocktail, with egg white. Omg it was amazing, I could lick the cup hahaha regardless of what wasn't our fave, they made it better and thats all that matters. Check out this place, just reminder small portions. read more

Sonder - Menu - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

I came here on a whim since I knew my sister was going for her wedding anniversary so my husband and I decided to crash it. They arrived first and sat on a table for 2. When we arrived, the owner was kind enough to seat us near my sister. The atmosphere is dark and trendy, good for dates. Families came to dine here as well. Our server was friendly and gave recommendations. There were some items we wanted to try that were unavailable which was a bummer but considering it was a soft opening, that's understandable. My most favorite item was the dessert. I loved the pandan butterscotch pudding! As for savory, I enjoyed the hangar steak. Fresh Dill Milk Bread: doesn't taste like dill at all. Nothing special. Cucumber Som Tum: very flavorful but can get salty Bone Marrow Onigiri: delicious! I would recommend this Maitake Mushroom: full of flavor, it's tasty. Hangar Steak: 10/10 Pandan Butterscotch Pudding: to die for! 1000/10 read more

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Great ambiance here and great service! Sichuan fries (4/5) - this was soooo delicious at first with that mala numbing spice. Very unique but after a little bit, it got a little too flavorful or too salty or just too decadent in general. The portion is so massive compared to everything else too. Would still get again anyway since it's good for drunken munchies Cold smoked tofu (5/5) - great flavor and balanced out the savoriness of the fries. Maitake Mushroom skewer (4/5) - pretty good. Drinks: Stay for awhile (5/5) - wow this was delicious and recommended by our server since I wanted something that wasn't too alcoholic tasting. But maybe this worked out TOO well because this tasted like a dessert in a glass but I felt the buzz! That can be dangerous. It also satisfied my sweet tooth so I was too full to try the pandan pudding which I was really excited for. Oh well, I'll have to come back for that one! Shugie (5/5) - such a perfectly balanced espresso martini without being too sweet or heavy! So good! They are really on top of it with their drinks. You can't go wrong! There was also some live music when we went on a Sunday night. read more

Sonder: 8/10 Came here the week of the grand opening and it's a nice Japanese-fusion date night spot in downtown Santa Ana. Located next to hotpot and The Yost Theater. I came here their opening week and had reservations around 7pm on a Thursday. There was plenty of parking across the street in the lot. Ambiance & Aesthetic: 9/10 very modern, chic vibe with clean upscale design. They have plenty of fun events on their website, but I was there during DJ Thursday's where he played more chill music. The ambiance was quite busy, not sure if reservation is needed, but I'd recommend. It was date night couples, and post-work groups. Service: 7.5/10 The place is a bit newer so expect hiccups in service. Our fries came out almost 20 minutes after the last course (wings) and we put the entire order in at once. Our server Adam was good, he was nice and knew the menu. Drinks: Modern Times: 8/10 tasted like an adult apple juice, not overly sweet. Orchard Street: 7.5/10 delicious, but the lemon was just a little overpowering Food: Dill Milk Bread: 7.5/10 the butter was good, and the bread had good flavor, but the edges were a little over-cooked for my liking. Duck breast skewer: 7/10 the sauce was flavorful but the breasts were very tough. - cooked well though Pork belly: 8.5/10 very delicious, juicy pork with crispy skin; loved the cut style. Hangar stake: 9.5/10 honestly STAR of the show here, cooked perfectly medium-rare, it's tender and flavorful. Bone Marrow Onigri: 8/10 it had a little bit of a sweetness to it, but the sauce helps cut it with a nice balance. Wings: 7/10 they were cooked perfectly and the skin was crispy, but the vinegar was a bit overpowering the other flavors of the sauce and chicken. Sichuan Fries: 7/10 honestly felt a little hyped with the furikake, was more sprinkled on top vs being thrown in, but the crispy-ness of the fries were good, almost like tossed in rice-flower. read more

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Hate to leave a negative review for a small business but there was no way I could go higher. I came on a Saturday night with my 2 girl friends. We were all super excited to try this new spot. Ambiance is dim lit & giving date night for sure. Loved the decor and vibes initially. Staff was kind and welcoming. Not sure if it's typically like this on a Saturday, but there was a DJ and a lot of people headed straight to the bar. This should've been our first red flag. Couldn't converse at all because the music was so damn loud. I swear I'm not the fun police either but the volume was not fitting for the restaurant environment. Straight to the food - everything was SO salty. Incredibly salty. From start to finish. The only dish we actually enjoyed was the sweet potato mash. Great balance and flavor profile. The fries were really salty although I could appreciate the sichuan flavor. The gem salad looked like it would be so bombs but it was missing that addictive acidic tang. The skewers were whatever - could've made the same thing at home. Nothing notable or memorable here. The Pandan dessert we ordered was supposed to have smoked maldon salt on top. We asked the server to forego it and it was the 1 dish that could've used the salt! Oops. Side note, the dessert had crème fraiche on it but it was not seasoned WHATSOEVER so it tasted like straight sour cream with Pandan. For the dessert there was no dimension and it tasted like an airplane dessert. Not business class either. A MUST SKIP. Our server was kind enough to offer us some complimentary shots mid meal. Thank you, but also, I'm here to eat. Not sure if the shots were given with the attempt at trying to make us forget how bad the food tasted. Towards the latter half of the night, 9pm this place was definitely more lounge than restaurant. Overall, pretty dissatisfied with this place. I would not consider returning without some serious adjustments to the quality of the food & professionalism overall. It was giving DTF as in downtown Fullerton and I just wasn't expecting that. Maybe I should've done more research. read more

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The banh duc completely exceeded my expectations its rich, savory meat sauce paired perfectly with the silky rice flour pudding, making it an unforgettable dish. I also tried their unique spin on a Mexican seafood cocktail, and it was outstanding despite not usually being a fan of the classic version. The light, crystal clear broth delivered subtle notes of tomato, acidity, and horseradish, while the tender octopus and delicately sliced shrimp brought everything together beautifully. read more

Loved everything about this place - the interiors, the lighting, the music, the service, and most importantly, the food. Also special shoutout to the owner Lamson for his warm hospitality and checking in on us multiple times throughout the night. Cocktails: 9/10 forgot which ones I got specifically but they were photogenic and tasted great, contemporary twists on some classics like the old fashioned. Gem salad: 8/10 only complaint is that it was a bit too lemony but I think thats more of a personal preference. Sauce was good otherwise and every leaf was well coated. Charcoal skewers - fusion style take on Japanese yakitori with south east asian flavours Scallop 10/10 Steak 9/10 Longanisa 8/10 Duck 9/10 Chicken oysters 10/10 Pork belly 7/10 Fried rice: 9/10 very unique fried rice that hits all the taste sensations. Leans salty but the lime adds some acidity to cut through the saltiness and the sauce they give you on the side adds some sweet and spicy elements. Also very generous portion of protein mixed in Barramundi crudo: 7.5/10 light and fresh. The lime leaves add some textural elements and a bit more depth to the taste but felt like it was missing something. read more

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An unwelcoming, disorganized hostess set the tone for an otherwise underwhelming evening. From the moment we checked in, we were made to feel like an inconvenience rather than welcomed guests. Between forgetting our name, seating later arrivals before us, denying a reasonable request to move tables, and responding dismissively when we simply wanted to pay our bill, the hospitality fell well below expectations. We had a 7:30 PM reservation, arrived early, checked in, and were told to wait--which was perfectly fine. What wasn't fine was watching two parties get seated before us while the hostess forgot our name and had to come back twice before finally seating us, despite plenty of open tables. Once seated, we politely asked to move to a nearby table because the dining room was incredibly loud, with music so loud that everyone had to shout over one another. The hostess declined, saying the table was reserved, which didn't make much sense considering the future reservation could have simply been seated at our table instead. Hostess and service was the biggest disappointment. Water arrived quickly, but after that, the staff was largely absent. We had to flag someone down for the check, then wait again because our server disappeared before taking payment. When we asked the hostess for help, we were once again met with an attitude before she ultimately processed the payment anyway. The food and drinks were decent but nothing memorable. The owner stopping by to say hello was a nice touch, but it didn't make up for the disorganized service. Overall, Sonder fell short. Decent food can't overcome poor hospitality, and we won't be returning or recommending it. read more

what a gorgeous place. color scheme is an absolute star. def an inviting and warm ambiance. reservations is easy to make. warmly greeted and seated upon arrival. drinks: 5/5. carefully crafted and delicious. i also ordered an espresso martini (not pictured) food: 3/5. i had to look up what some of the ingredients are, but i commend them for taking risks blending different asian flavors. asian flavors are very distinct and can be challenging to mix-- which is why you don't see other places like theirs. although i appreciate the thoughtfulness in menu curation, there is definitely room for improvement. however, i have no doubt in their ability to do so as their sister concept, kaizen (next door), is my favorite shabu in existence. my favs of the night: - duck breast: SO TENDER. - pandan pudding: why can't this be to-go'd, again? i'd like one right now lol - pork belly also tried: - cucumber som tum (would have liked more citrus in this) - mushrooms (this was overly salty. however, when i brought this to their attention, they were more than happy to remake the item) - burramundi crudo (more salty as well, which i felt took away from the other refreshing ingredients such as the pear.) random thought: i like the variations of dinnerware they have. one of the plates reminded me of my childhood where we never had matching dinnerware, but there was always a sense of comfort sharing a meal with your family. 5 stars despite my thoughts on food because it seems like they are putting a lot of thought and consideration into menu variations, food tastings, events from vinyl nights to sunday brunches to late night r&b vibes so that people may enjoy sonder in more ways than one. if they delve into all of that having just opened less than a year.. they are def bold.. but probably care a lot-- i must say. read more

Sonder - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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Such a cute spot! My favorites have been the bone marrow onigiri and the hanger steak! They have a full menu of cool cocktails but we ended up trying one of the beers which was great as well! Waiters are very kind! read more

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