First Look: Sobban, Decatur


Dining Out

Lunch: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Dinner: 5-9:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays; 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Fridays-Saturdays.

Small plates, $8-$12; entrees, $9-$18; sides, $3-$4; desserts, $5.

1788 Clairmont Road, Decatur, 678-705-4233. www.facebook.com/humblemeal.

Dubbed a Korean Southern diner, Sobban recently opened in the former Kitsch’n 155 location on Clairmont Road. The name of the new concept from Cody Taylor and Jiyeon Lee of the wildly popular Heirloom Market BBQ means “Small Wooden Table Set Aside for Humble Meals.”

The look: Though the freestanding Quonset hut-meets-spaceship structure recalls a '50s fast food joint, Taylor and Lee have re-purposed it to create a cozy lunch and dinner spot with plenty of quirky charms. Outside, the concrete front patio is appointed with round umbrella tables. Inside, a sturdy communal table anchors the center of the dining room, with Naugahyde booths tucked into nooks around the edges of the space.

The scene: At lunch one day during last week's soft opening, an eager crowd of Heirloom fans spilled out onto the patio and into the parking lot. A cadre of friendly servers worked to explain the menu and keep orders moving, while Taylor popped out of the kitchen to check on tables and meet-and-greet guests.

The menu: Opening lunch offerings included Korean fried chicken with sweet chili ginger sauce and house made pickled vegetables ($12), shrimp soba noodles with daikon and crispy tempura ($9) and a beef bolgogi roll ($9). At dinner, look for the likes of a kimchi pancake with shrimp, market fish and squid ($12), and a surf and turf pairing of grilled short rib, tempura shrimp and kimchi sauce ($18). Korean sweet potato, kimchi miso kale, and braised daikon radish are among the Southern-style sides.

The drinks: The imaginative beverage program features "Old School Coke" ($2), Sprecher soda ($2.50), Southern sweet tea ($1.50), Korean instant coffee ($1.50), and an interesting selection of craft beers, including canned Westbrook White Thai and Gose ($4). Look for a small selection of sake, and a curated list of French, German and Spanish wines by the glass or bottle ($8-$38).

The extras: Korean shaved ice is what's for dessert ($5), with combos like green tea ice cream, sweet azuki bean, Korean pear compote and house made rice cake, and chocolate tofu ice cream, black pepper red berries and Cody's pop rocks on the list.