We just moved to the Brooklyn area, and our first official dinner together was at this neighborhood joint, Soboku. I thought we needed something light and savory, so Japanese cuisine is what came to mind. The restaurant has a pretty small kitchen, and it is the epitome of a quaint joint. The menu is a mix of a variety of Japanese foods ranging from rice bowls to curry and meat plates. We were able to walk in easily without any issues at around 7:00 PM on a Sunday evening.

Ambiance & Service

As mentioned previously, the overall feeling of the restaurant is of a quaint and quiet restaurant. We were seated next to the window. THe overall decor was very woodsy, almost as if you’re in a rustic tavern.

The service was very quick. When we ordered, the food all came out within 5-15 minutes.

Food

The Salmon Carpaccio ($13) came with raw salmon and scallion with yuzu-soy dressing. The salmon tasted pretty fresh, and the dressing was quite refreshing.

The Karaage Don ($19) came with fried chicken, scallion, sesame seeds with spicy soy mayo. This was basically rice with fried chicken, so I thought it was a bit heavy. The chicken was pretty good, and the portion size for this was generous.

The Kurobuta Katsu Teishoku ($21) came with a Berkshire pork loin cutlet. I love pork cutlets prepared this way, and surprisingly this was pretty good. I think I still prefer Katsu Hama, but for a neighborhood joint, the quality was quite good. The pork crust was crispy and fried perfectly, and the quality of the pork was superb.

Overall Impression

For a neighborhood joint, Soboku was actually pretty good, especially for the price. It didn’t try to do anything extravagant, and it offered good tasty food. If you’re around the area and looking for some fast casual Japanese food, this is a great place to check out.

Yelp & Google Jabs

This seems very authentic. We have been to Japan.

Someone should tell this Elitist that authenticity doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to be from Japan. Nowadays, there are many natives moving to the US and changing up some of the traditional flavors for something more adventurous and different. I’m of the strong opinion that it doesn’t make the food any less authentic.

I was slightly disappointed because I ordered “Hamachi Kama” and it came deep fried

Unfortunately the Elitist didn’t read the menu description. On the menu, the description said, “deep-fried yellowtail collar”.

Revisions

Jul 26, 2026 - Initial revision.