Last October, Ouzo Cafe (776 N. Milwaukee St.) closed its doors after 21 years in business. The Greek restaurant’s departure after more than two decades on bustling Milwaukee Ave. left a sizable hole in the downtown dining scene. Thankfully, the property Ouzo called home wasn’t empty for long. The new tenant is Soban Koren Eatery, which officially opened to the public last Friday.
While the newly opened downtown eatery is the first such location in Milwaukee proper, the fast-casual Korean concept actually got its start last April, when owners Solki Lee and Hyelim Song launched the first Soban in a Hales Corners shopping plaza. Having visited the original location last year (and loving it), we were very much looking forward to being able to procure some Soban right here in Milwaukee. After giving them a few days to work out any kinks that likely come with settling into a new space, we stopped by the local Korean restaurant chain’s second link earlier this week. Then we dropped in again the very next day.
Soban offers six authentic Korean signature dishes, which include pork, chicken, beef, and tofu entrees that are each thoughtfully paired with a variety of sides. However, the restaurant also offers the ability to customize your own meal by selecting between white rice and purple rice (or steamed vegetables in place of rice), then choosing between six protein options before rounding out the meal by picking a pair of sides from the field of 10 options.
Customized meals start as low as $11.50 pre-tax, but depending on protein and side options, can approach $20. The restaurant’s casual, customizable cafeteria-style format has been accurately likened to that of national chains like Chipotle. The efficient ordering process gets the food into your hands less than five minutes after beginning your order, making it a tremendous lunch hour option for downtown workers or a fast and affordable place to grab a bite before heading to a concert or comedy show nearby. You can take it to go or enjoy it in Soban’s bright and cozy dining area.
This week’s maiden Milwaukee meal consisted of a customized box packed tight with heaping scoops of purple rice, zesty chicken, kimchi, and a cup of mashed sweet pumpkin salad. The rice (always get the purple rice!) was warm, sticky, and it complemented the accurately named “zesty chicken”—massive chunks of breaded poultry tossed in a thick and somewhat spicy chili sauce—quite well.
The kimchi, the most standard of the three types of kimchi offered at Soban, helped to break up the subtle spice with a dash of cool freshness and a level of both flavor and quality that bests other kimchi we’ve had at more traditional sit-down Korean spots. Finally, the dense and hearty scoop of cold mashed squash and raisins known as Mashed Sweet Pumpkin Salad rounded out meal one in memorable and altogether excellent fashion.
Less than 24 hours later, we were back at Soban’s counter to continue making a dent in the eatery’s small-yet-stacked menu. We repeated our rice order (again, always get the purple rice!) before deviating from the previous day’s protein by opting for the tender, umami-loaded Seoul Bulgogi (fried and marinated beef) this time. For sides, we happily took the $2 add-on hit with the Japchae (soy sauce-coated Korean glass noodles) and finished off our platter with a mound of creamy mac salad that was put in its own foil dish to prevent intermingling too much with other meal components. Oh, and we added a fried egg for $1.50 because we could! The massive meal was both our lunch and our dinner yesterday.
Other protein choices on hand include BBQ pork, spicy pork, honey garlic chicken, and braised tofu (simmered in a gluten-free soy sauce, ensuring there’s something for everyone). Some sides we haven’t yet touched on yet are the deep fried dumplings, stir fried kimchi, cucumber kimchi, coleslaw, fresh sliced lettuce, and a sesame dressed salad. There are also two soup options offered daily and soft drinks are available behind the counter as well.
With a year under its belt in Hales Corners, Soban seems poised make its mark in downtown Milwaukee—and perhaps far beyond if word spreads the way it should—with its speedy and friendly service, gigantic potions, affordable prices, and a caliber of authentic Korean cuisine that far overshoots any expectations of what a fast-casual, customizable platter purveyor should be. The next time your lunch hour rolls around and/or you’re looking for a quick place to grab a bite on your way to a show at the Pabst Theater, bypass the “slop bowl” in favor of Soban and thank us later.
