"I kind of liked it. I ordered noodles and potstickers. I really liked the dragon picture. I ate all the potstickers but I like the potstickers best at home. I would not go back. The noodles didn't taste so good. They kind of tasted like cookie dough. The juice was kind of good. The fortune cookies are good at the place.""Joe" six years old
"I loved the food I just like it because I play. It makes me get hungry."
"Princess Ravioli" Three years old.
Soba is downtown on State Street next to The Brick.
This is one of those places where atmosphere and creativity make up for the food not being the best. The restaurant has an Asian theme with a different country represented at each table. It's like a geography lesson about a part of the world I find very interesting. The menu has curry, teriyaki, tofu, yakisoba, udon, pad thai etc. This last visit I got the Korean Spicy Chicken and found it to be pretty good. It was not too spicy and the portion was filling for lunch. There are so many places that have bento, this place offers a bit more. On the downside there was only one person running the dining and cashier area. this was fine with just my family in the restaurant but I would hate to see what would happen if a rush of people came in. I will be back.
ReplyDeleteSoba asian Bistro is the type of restaurant we need more of in Salem. Too bad the food isn't as good as the location and atmosphere. I love the menu that they offer, especially the kids menu with their clever titles Like "the ninja". They really need to put more effort into the quality of food and it could be a really great place to go!
ReplyDeleteI really don't like the food. I have a friend who always wants to eat here, and I have no idea why. Its a hole-in-the-wall with little style. The food is so bland and unimaginative.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of a fast food restaraunt for some reason, but I can't put my finger on why. Maybe because you pay before you eat? I dunno...
I'd much prefer something that makes my tastebuds spark. This place is ok, but i often leave feeling like i wasted a meal.
The epitome of bland. Someone needs to introduce these guys to some fish sauce, lime, real galangal, etc.
ReplyDeleteGreat location but very very average food.
ReplyDeleteI think they have a flavor-zapper in the back that they use to suck the flavor out of food before they serve it.
Too bad, it really is a cool building.
I think it's alright, but the food used to be a lot better. I'm not sure if the cook changed or what, but I agree with the "bland" comments somewhat.
ReplyDeleteSome of the noodles they used in some dishes changed as well. For the worse.
However, the mango chicken bowl and pad thai are pretty good.
The other downside is their prices went up drastically from when they first opened.
You people are wayyyyy to critical of good food seriously. Goodness.
ReplyDeleteI've read 5 reviews of delicious food and good places to eat, and all of which you had all kinds of crappy comments.
Move somewhere else.
We like our restaurants, so maybe you just need to move elsewhere. :]
We've been here a few times but are ready to cross it off our list. When we go, the teenager orders the mango chicken on brown rice, I get a big salad, and we both have the tasty edamame. The reason we're probably not going to return again is because the average food isn't filling. This is fine for a light meal, but when it costs me $20 for a light meal for two, that's a little prohibitive, especially when we're starving less than two hours later. Not so great on girls' day out and we're spending money on other things downtown.
ReplyDeleteThe husband won't go there anymore. He usually orders two entrees and walks out still hungry and we have to stop elsewhere for more food.
Yeah, the atmosphere is nice and we like learning about different countries on the table tops, but when we spend so much money to still be hungry, it's not worth it.
I think the place is OK........But I think, in a spirit of adventure tempered with no small lack of knowledge, I made a poor selection. I ordered the Korean Spicy Chicken Rice Bowl which was onions, mushrooms and pea pod stir-fried with chicken in spicy Korean sauce and topped with cilantro. The Devil was in the sauce which, to me, gave everything a musty quality. Their menu offered some interesting small bites starting at $1.95. I would also like to try some of their noodle dishes which looked great. The service was satisfactory. It's located in the elegant old spot which housed Pomeroy and Keene Jewelers (a place that had almost mystical qualities to a country boy) when I was a lad. Based on the above assumption, I'm giving Soba the benefit of the doubt and three stars. (BTW I stopped by the Commercial ST location a couple of weeks ago and there was a "Temorarily" Closed sign in the window.)
ReplyDeleteChuck -- that "temporarily closed" sign on the South location may be for the best... I was served raw pork there recently. I wish I'd had a chance to taste their food for reals!
ReplyDelete-guitar4me