Korean Restaurant Opens Downtown
Bulgogi, japchae, tteokbokki and more now available in fast-casual format at Soban.
Soban, 776 N. Milwaukee St. Photo taken April 3, 2026 by Sophie Bolich.
Diners lined up for heaping plates of bulgogi, braised tofu and japchae on Friday, celebrating both the end of the workweek and the start of Soban‘s downtown tenure.
Owners Solki Lee and Hyelim Song have expanded their Hales Corners-based business with a second location at 776 N. Milwaukee St., offering scratch-made Korean food in a fast-casual format.
The experience is streamlined, with vats of prepared proteins, sides and sauces moving customers quickly through the line. But Soban sets itself apart from similar chains — the food is made fresh daily from family recipes, and customers are greeted with smiles and shouts of “annyeonghaseyo” as they walk through the door.
“Our core value is hospitality to everybody,” Lee told Urban Milwaukee last November.
Soban’s signature bowls include generous portions of fluffy white or purple rice — a nutritious blend of white and black rice — nestled beside proteins such as bulgogi, spicy gochujang pork, soy-simmered tofu and garlicky fried chicken. Each is finished with sides such as mashed pumpkin, kimchi, coleslaw and japchae, with the option to add a fried egg for extra substance.
Custom bowls allow guests to mix-and-match offerings, which also include deep-fried mandu, stir-fried kimchi, cucumber kimchi, salad with sesame dressing, macaroni salad and lettuce leaves to use as wraps. Soban also offers soon-tofu soup, tteokbokki in spicy sauce and an assortment of soft drinks.
Meals are served on disposable cardboard trays, with lids available by request. The Milwaukee location can accommodate approximately 30 guests for dine-in, also offering online ordering for carryout or delivery.
The Korean restaurant, which fills the former Ouzo Cafe space, is one of several recent additions to Milwaukee Street. It joins Your Office, a reincarnation of the former My Office tavern, which opened with a full bar and pub fare in October 2025. Adjacent is a new convenience store, Milwaukee St Market, which operates on the ground level of the Colby Abbot Building.
Soban is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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