We may have found our go to spot in Santa Barbara. We tried the bibimbap with pork belly and then with bulgogi. They were both excellent. The pork belly was crispy, tender and tasty. The bulgogi was also very good. I don't usually notice the vegetables in bibimbap, but this time I have to mention it. They were so fresh and tasty, I could even enjoy this bibimbap without meat. What blew me away was the chewy rice cake carbonara. I've never had tteok poki prepared that way, but it was delicious. The pieces of pork belly were tender and tasty. I can't describe the sauce, but it was really good. As much as I love bibimbap, I'm going to go with the rice cake carbonara from now on. My son recently tried a matcha here and he said the drinks here are really good as well. read more

Really impressed with this new addition to public market. Friendly service and fairly quick on a Saturday afternoon. The vibe is really cute and I love the decor. One of the best lattes I've had recently and the peach fizz was perfect not too sweet. The meatballs were super flavorful and moist, all of the kimchi sides were also sooo good. Looking forward to coming back and trying some more yummy dishes. read more

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I've been for dinner. But, the lunch menu? Oh my goodness. We had seoul wings, bulgogi melt and pork belly bites and we loved everything we cleaned our plates! The pork belly comes with a sweet sauce with an undertone of wasabi that is not too strong but still lets you know it's there. The wings are fully covered in a delicious sauce with a big heap of rice underneath and the bulgogi melt is so good with the meat and the cheese and house mayo. We came for lunch so it was not too busy at the market. Staff was really friendly. You HAVE to come try these items. It's a must. I will be coming back here again. read more

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I personally would only go here for their drinks. Staff is kind but it's so crowded and they're overworked but getting through it best they can. They have a somewhat unfortunate spot in SBPM, as they're all the way in the back and in a corner. It's a bit overwhelming with the fact that there's multiple lines, one for ordering/picking up food, and the other specifically only for drink pick-up. As someone that was born and raised in Santa Barbara and is Asian-American, I do very much care about our town and love to see when Asian-owned businesses thrive. Being here for almost 20 years, you rarely see a business like this last longer than 5 or so years. It requires intense community support to uplift and keep things running. The drinks are great, I love that they have such a wide variety available! I didn't even see that they had drink specials until after I ordered, so I was a bit bummed out by that. It's not super visible when you're ordering, but I'll probably come back to try them in the future :) The food, however... I'm just a little disappointed in. It seems as if they have commodified and put TOO much of a twist on a lot of classic foods to appeal to Santa Barbarians, and thus honestly it feels lackluster. The food just isn't good. It pains me to say this as I love a good bowl of pork belly, and would eat truckloads of bibimbap. It just doesn't even have a leg to stand on against other Korean restaurants in southern california. It breaks my heart as I know one of the owners is half-korean and was inspired by places in K-town, but it doesn't really bear any resemblance one bit. Everything seems underseasoned, not incredibly tasty, and unfortunately overpriced for the quality. I got a $12 box of dry pork belly bites, and questioned why I had even bought it as I could've gotten a bowl of marinated pork belly with rice down the street for the exact same price. Again, I hope that Seoulmate still flourishes and stays here in the long run. However, I don't see myself coming back for the food alone and hope that within time they can improve :) read more

Yup. Seoulmate is a Korean fusion joint that is a welcome addition to the Santa Barbara food scene. We are severely lacking in Korean restaurants so I'm very happy that we now have this is an option. This place is in the Public Market at the back. There's a kiosk to order from or you can go to the register. You get a number that will buzz when your food is ready so you can pick it up at the counter. I tried the pork belly lunch bento, the yuzu matcha drink, the yuzu cheesecake, and the kimchi arancini Pork belly is delicious, flavorful with an ample portion size. The bento comes with banchan that tasted fresh but only comes with two options. I'd love to see three or four like you would see at other Korean restaurants. It feels like this would be a great opportunity to do a seasonal selection. They also provide a bottle of fermented hot sauce that is a nice flavor add -- definitely not spicy though. Kimchi arancini was perfectly fried but light on the kimchi flavor. I think this can be solved by serving it with a side of kimchi. The green onion aioli was absolutely delicious, I practically licked the bowl clean. I added some of the hot sauce to this dish to help punch up the flavor. The yuzu cheesecake is delicious, light and creamy with a hint of the citrusy flavorful. I think that it would be great to serve it with a candied piece of yuzu on top to really elevate it. And finally, the yuzu matcha drink was nicely tart and earthy. Refreshing on a hot day. I'm looking forward to coming back for dinner. I hope to see more banchan and more specials, especially on the lunch menu. I would also love to see soondubu on the menu as that is my favorite Korean dish! read more

I ordered the Bibimbap. It was a good portion for the price, and I was really full afterwards. The veggies were fresh and tasteful. I got the chicken as the protein. My friend got the korean meatballs which were great as well. The sauce on the meatballs made them a little spicy! The milky cloud cake had housemade whipped cream which is super awesome! I'd love to come back for lunch as the menu looks great! This is a new place at the market definitely worth a try! read more

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i was craving vietnamese iced coffee and this was the only place near us that had it! loved the vibes and how they decorated the place as well. very cute & cozy. the viet coffee was reallyyyy good! the coconut cold foam...wow. it was so delicious that i came back again the next day. the service was great! everyone was super warm and friendly. def going back here for my coffee needs when i'm around the area read more

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We have been waiting and wondering what restaurant was going to take over the back corner of Public Market for awhile now. We finally had a chance to visit this weekend and we were NOT disappointed! The food was excellent. Everything was tasty, the portions are decent, and the staff was helpful in discussing some of their personal favorites on the menu. We are very excited about this new addition to the Public Market! read more

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The Korean food scene in this town is abysmal, so any Korean restaurant is a welcome addition. I really appreciate that they served the bibimbap in a hot stone bowl, so this is one dish you have to enjoy here and not get it togo. Loved the egg, the sauce, and rice get mixed together to form a crispy crust. Since they just opened this week, here are a few things they could improve. Bibimbap needs more sauce. Have a squeeze bottle of gochujang and sesame oil and let people squeeze it directly on the rice. Same thing with the kimchi, the little dish that came with the rice was too stingy and not enough for anyone who can appreciate Korean food. I picked pork belly as my protein choice and it was too fatty and not rendered down enough. I look forward to trying more items on the menu. read more

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I've been a longtime cafe fan of Seoulmate Kitchen, but today's experience was incredibly special. I work down State St and found that this place has exceptional matcha lattes. They are so good that my mom calls them "Southeast Asian Mama approved" because they are perfectly "not sweet". Today, I popped in for another reason. My dog, Lola, loves their homemade dog treats so much that they are the only thing she's been eating after being diagnosed with late stage doggy cancer. We popped by for lunch, where my boyfriend and I got the bulgogi wrap and bulgogi egg drop sandwich (highly recommend by the way! Super soft, fluffy, and full of flavour). We also requested some dog treats for Lola, who is being out down tomorrow. Their note brought tears to everybody's eyes and I know Lola is looking forward to this being her last meal. Thank you so much for the unparalleled kindness and support during this time. Lola loved you guys just as much as us read more

Seoulmate Kitchen - Korean Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

One of the BEST matchas I've had (and lately I've been having one almost every day!!). Came up to SB from the IE for a bday/weekend getaway and I wanna cry at the thought that this spot isn't close by so I may have one every day - but considering a day trip for this item (and a few others) is worth it!! read more

Seoulmate Kitchen - Strawberry Matcha Cloud (+ hubby's coffee from a shop next door) - Korean Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Good spot in the public market in downtown SB! Left side corner took over the bahmin place. The flavor is pretty spot. I'm Korean and I lived in the OC Asian Mecca for ten years. I got the sizzling plate, since a number of item are not available until the evening. I picked the bulgogi for my protein. I would have liked a little more lettuce for my samm wrap. And the rice to protein ratio was a little off, too much rice and I would have liked more green onion! More green onion the better! Regular kimchee was average, could have been more fermented?! And the oui kimchee was good, that's cucumber! There's a matcha shortage so didn't try out their speciality drinks. Next time I'll go for dinner and hopefully matcha will be available! They just opened up so I hope it stays! The owner was very nice. read more

Seoulmate Kitchen - Sizzling rice plate - Korean Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Tried out Seoul Mate Kitchen at the Santa Barbara Public Market and it did not disappoint. They serve Korean fusion (with some traditional dishes) and have a café with sweets and drinks. We tried the bulgogi bento (our youngest loved it), the bulgogi melt (the tragedy was that I didnt get a photo of the top notch cheese pull) , the kimchi arancini (I'm usually very hot and cold on arancini, but this one hit the spot), and the pork belly (melt in your mouth). I was obsessed with my yuzu honey match fizz too. Highly recommend! read more

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One of the worst customer service I've experienced. The staff was rude, the owner offered no apology - instead became defensive and hostile. After waiting 45 minutes, I asked for an update and was met with a curt, rude response that it was "coming," with no real acknowledgment or apology. While the matcha was good, the food was just so-so and doesn't make up for the bad experience. They've let the popularity of their drinks go to their head, acting as if they're irreplaceable and that customer service doesn't matter. There are plenty of other places to get good matcha without this kind of experience. read more

The matcha flavors were super fun and unique and that was mostly why we wanted to try these. The blueberry one only had matcha in the cloud topping, which I was a little sad about, so it was mostly like drinking fresh blueberries and milk and a hint of matcha. The banana one had more matcha and tastes like your normal matcha, plus the delicious banana. If you want a flavored matcha this is the place to try! read more

Seoulmate Kitchen - Blueberry Matcha and Hazy Banana Whisk - Korean Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Best matcha i've ever had . Thinking and dreaming about it , i do prefer it over kin. So so thick and creamy . Truly nothing i can complain about . I wasn't super impressed with the bento box . I do think it's pricey for what you are getting , inside you get a portion of protein , some carrots and cucumber , i think they had a sesame oil on them but also i feel like only some would have it and some wouldn't . White rice , 1 Marinated egg , which would have been better warm . And 3-4 small seaweed sheets , The pork belly was decent but kinda bland , i think over all it could have more flavor for 18$. They also included a very small portion of kimchi and cucumber salad which i also didn't find super flavorful. The bulgogi melt however was amazing . Super flavorful and some of the most tender i've had , had a yummy sauce on it and bread was nice and crisp , that is something i would for sure get again ! This is in the public market food court area , which i had never been to , cool ambience and lots of places to check out ! read more

Seoulmate Kitchen - Korean Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Bibimbap: pretty good! Some of the veggies could be cut smaller so that it'd actually mix. Def needs the sauce, or it's not very flavorful. Carbonara: Not enough sauce and salt. We added the spicy sauce to it, and it tasted much better! Jasmine matcha: Good. Perfect sweetness level, no adjustments. Matcha blondie: super soft, but also Crumbl-level sweetness. Not for me but still good! read more

Seoulmate Kitchen - Dolsot Bibimbap and Tteok- Carbonara Rice Cake - Korean Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The food is extraordinary here. My son, my wife, and I love how delicious and tasty the dishes are and how hot and fresh they are as well. If you like good food, don't hesitate to eat here. You'll probably love it as much as I do. read more

All I have to say is this is the BEST MATCHA I have ever had. Drove all the way from Oxnard to try. Had to order the blueberry matcha to go. read more

Seoulmate Kitchen - Mango Matcha Cloud, Strawberry Matcha Cloud - Korean Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Seoulmate Coffee is tucked inside the food court, so don't expect a fully authentic Korean café vibe. That said, I was pleasantly surprised--their matcha drinks are really good, smooth, and not overly sweet. Service was also friendly and efficient, which made the quick stop enjoyable. While it may not deliver the traditional Korean coffeehouse feel, it's still a nice spot for a tasty drink with reliable service. read more

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This is a very cute cafe located in the Santa Barbara public market. I ordered the rasberry matcha which tasted very fresh it was yummy but besides the foam I wish there was more matcha mixed in, my sister ordered the banana matcha which I liked better and is one of their more popular drinks. read more

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Great portions, delicious wings, best thing we ate, fan of the kimchi arancini's. Need to come back for lunch and try the bolgogi melt. Haven't had the chance to try the drinks but look great. Friendly staff and customer service. Public market has good vibes. read more

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Matcha has consistently been amazing. I get it like 3x a week. I only had the kimchi soup to eat, it was ok I just wish they used better quality kimchi. read more

If I could give ZERO stars, I would. This place is a disgrace to Korean food and their culture. Service was absolutely horrible. I told them it was my first time and she stared at me blankly when I asked for recommendations?? I asked for the Carbonara tteokbokki. And didn't know what I was asking for??? And I said "the rice cake haha..." and she still seemed confused. The carbonara tteokbokki itself was the most horrific thing I've ever tasted in my entire life. It was DRENCHED and sitting in a pool of cooking oil. It had absolutely NO taste, there was nothing in it that tasted even close to "carbonara". The cheesecake..... belongs in the pits of hell. It tasted extremely rancid and sour... and there was also a GIANT piece of plastic embedded into the cheesecake and I found that out the hard way as I pulled it out of my mouth. Korean food is my favorite kind of food... so I was very excited to try this place since Santa Barbara seriously lacks in diverse cuisines... but I am so disappointed and disgusted, and I hope this place gets shut down. read more

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The good part. The staff are super friendly and the service was good. One of the items was missed but I didn't mind going back and reordering. The matcha and coffee drinks are out of the world and very delicious. The not so good post. The food was extremely oily. We love Korean food but the brussel sprouts, kimchi soup although delicious during the first bite were really oily for our palette and we couldn't finish them. It sadly wasn't very pleasant at the end. The price point is also on the higher side but we understand that the rent in this place is super high for the vendors. Would definitely come back for the drinks for sure read more

Fell for the good rating on Yelp. Coming from LA, I have a standard. While the bibimap was OK, the pancake we had was mediocre. Lots of veggies. I got a big chunk of carrot that was not sliced properly. Fine. It's veggie. However the dough was too mushy. The sauce was just dead salty like the cucumber side dish. The daikon and kimchi were bland. Maybe the restaurant could consider buying them from costco? read more

Seoulmate Kitchen - Korean pancake - Korean Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Located in the back corner of the Santa Barbara Public market. The market itself has plenty of seating and was clean. It has amazing drinks and food. Quick service too. I got the Seoul sizzle rice with pork belly and the Viet coconut coffee during lunch service on a weekday. The viet coconut coffee was amazing. The coconut cream was the best part. My husband thought it was too sweet, but I thought it was perfect. Would definitely come back next time I'm in Santa Barbara. Parking available in an underground parking structure or in lots walking distance away. read more

Seoulmate Kitchen - Iced CA Phe Cot Dua- Viet Coconut Coffee - Korean Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The drinks were great. I've eaten there a few times and really enjoyed the strawberry matcha they make. However, I wish they would add a bit more meat to some of their meals like the bento box. read more

The strawberry matcha cloud was a 10/10! The matcha foam was thick and creamy, and I loved that the strawberry purée tasted fresh--not like artificial syrup. I asked for it less sweet (still slightly sweet), and it was perfect. My kids got the banana cloud latte and the kuromitsu latte, and even though I'm not a big coffee person, they were really good. The staff was super friendly and helpful, and even though the line was long, it moved pretty fast. Can't wait to come back and hopefully try the food next time! read more

Seoulmate Kitchen - Located inside of Santa Barbara Public Market - Korean Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Always consistent and delicious!! we love this spot. great serving sizes and great quality to match affordability. wings are great, customer service great. love the vibe as well!! keep up the great work Seoulmate! read more

I am so excited that this Korean-inspired restaurant joined the Public Market and Santa Barbara in general, since the Korean food scene here is pretty scarce. Having it in the Public Market is perfect for me because it is just a short walk away during my lunch break. My favorite dish by far is the bibimbap. Before this place opened, I would have to drive all the way to Koreatown to get a decent dolsot bibimbap, and now I cannot believe it is available just right down the street. I am so thankful. They have so many great options you can mix and match, and they always introduce specials that keep the menu fresh and interesting. I got the Gimbap during a lunch special, another one of my favorites I also love that they incorporate banchan (traditional Korean sides) with their dishes. It makes the experience feel authentic, while still being approachable for people who may be new to Korean flavors. The staff is always incredibly friendly and attentive when I visit, which makes me feel truly welcomed. On top of the food, they also serve café drinks. I usually go for a matcha latte, but they have so many fun variations. The strawberry matcha is a perfect mid-day treat, and the coconut matcha was surprisingly well-balanced and delicious! I really hope this place sticks around for the long haul. It has quickly become one of my go-to spots in Santa Barbara. read more

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Love Seoulmate Kitchen. The Bulgogi Bibimbap is delicious. Their matcha is the best matcha I've had! 10/10 recommended read more

Seoulmate Kitchen - Korean Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Really delicious! I got the bimpbamp with pork belly! I was hoping the meat would be thinly sliced like kbbq style but it was cut into cubes like chicharrón and I got mostly fat. Next time I'll get the bulgogi, but the sides and the flavor of the sauce was top notch. The wings were soo good too. It was nice that it came with rice. Next time I'm gonna ask for extra sauce. Overall good experience, will try them again read more

Seoul Mate Kitchen is an awesome addition to the Santa Barbara Public Market which is fast becoming a must visit culinary destination for food, fun, drinks, and an energetic atmosphere. The service was excellent with ready recommendations from staff off their lunch, dinner, and snacks menus. Particularly tasty were the wings, sizzling rice, and Mac and cheese. This is a great new venue in a place where you can satisfy everyone's tastes from Mexican (Corazon Cocina), American (Fresco Cafe and Little Bird), Thai (Empty Bowl Noodles), Italian (Ca Dario pizza), Japanese (Wabi Sabi), great drinks at the Garden bar and in the back, and topping it all off with Rori's Artisanal Ice Cream, this is an incredible collection of eateries! read more

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Wow, amazingly delicious food at an indoor food stand. Public market has sooo many different types of "food stands" to choose from. Lots of table, chairs, big screen TV's, and a nice open airy atmosphere. My wifes sister knew the chef at Seoulmate Kitchen so our lunch group got in the short line and ordered. Buzzers went off in about 5 minutes and the feast began. The kung Pao Brussel sprouts were delicious--just spicy enough and cooked perfectly--and quite a large side order to share. The table got three different meals, all with Bulgogi as the protein choice (other possibilities include chicken, pork belly, tofu). Bulgogi--thinly sliced beef--so tender you don't need teeth and spiced just right-no grizzle or fat--just fabulous. Friends got the Bulgogi melt and loved it--get extra napkins!. Sister in law loved the sizzle rice Bulgogi-it was big enough to feed at least two so she had a repeat for dinner! I got the Bento box which consisted of the delish Bulgogi meat over rice with carrots, cucumbers, marinated egg. Don't forget extra sauce--it's very flavorful without being overly spicy--put it on everything!. Meals came with Kimchis (again not too spicy). Prices were very good for Santa Barbara, the amount and quality of food was tremendous. We will be back. read more

I ordered the Gochujang Mac N Cheese, Kimchi Arancini, Pork Belly Bites, Bento Box with Bulgogi, and Bulgogi Melt. This was shared across 4 people, 2 adults and 2 kids. The food was great, and the meats were comparable to the quality you can find at a traditional K BBQ place. I enjoy fusion type foods, so the Bulgogi Melt and Kimchi Arancini were the 2 highlights for me. The restaurant is inside a food court, so the wait for a table, noise level, and suitability for a group is variable, but we went around 1 pm and had no problems finding seating for 6, 3 adults and 3 kids. read more

Delicious! The food was plentiful and the service was excellent. I had a hard time deciding which dish to get because everything sounded so good. The specialty lattes were so wonderful. I can't wait to go back again. read more

Seoulmate Kitchen - Korean Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I got the kimchi toki soup and a strawberry matcha. The soup was super sour. Both my friend and I love kimchi but couldn't eat it. The strawberry matcha was okay. The strawberry flavor was good, but it really lacked the matcha taste. I also don't recommend the carbonara tteok as it's bland. For the price point, I was pretty disappointed. read more

This is our family outing spot. I have been enjoying the Banana Cloud Latte! I hope it stays around its refreshing and a good flavor of Banana Cloud. The staff is alway smiling and happy and nice to see something like this in Santa Barbara! read more

Food, portion, and service are excellent. It's located inside of food court. Bibimbap is excellent, try it with their special sauce. You won't regret it. read more