Soban

About

Soban opened on West Olympic Boulevard in 2010 as a compact homestyle Korean kitchen named for the low tables used in traditional dining. Chef-owner Jennifer Pak and her daughter Deborah Pak run the room today with husband and co-owner Renxi Park; the family deepened the operation after taking fuller control in the mid-2010s. There is no tabletop barbecue. The signatures are ganjang gejang (soy-marinated raw crab), galbi jjim (braised short ribs), and eundaegu jorim (spicy braised black cod), plus a rotating grid of house-made banchan that arrives before the mains. Jonathan Gold called it Koreatown’s most compelling homestyle restaurant on his LA Times 101 lists; Michelin, Eater, Time Out, and The Infatuation have kept it in the conversation since. The dining room is small, closed Tuesdays, and finishes early (last orders often around 8:15 to 8:30 p.m.). Reservations help when available; otherwise arrive early, especially if you want the crab or short rib before they sell down.

Menu highlights

• Ganjang gejang (soy-marinated raw crab)
• Galbi jjim (braised short ribs)
• Eundaegu jorim (braised black cod)
• House-made banchan grid
• Seafood tofu pancake
• Kimchi jjigae

Diners say

Public reviews repeatedly praise the banchan, soy crab, braised black cod, and galbi jjim. The same threads note a tiny room, early closing, weekend waits, and a bill that rises once crab and braises are shared for a table. Service reads as brisk more than chatty. Diners who like it usually want Koreatown cooking without a grill and are willing to plan around the hours.

Review synthesis as of 2026-07-28. Synthesis of recurring themes in public Yelp and Google Maps reviews sampled July 2026; not a rating or ranking. Cross-checked against Time Out, The Infatuation, Resy, and the restaurant’s own site.