Trung N.

I've Sonder-ed twice in the past few months and I really like it. They're owned by the same people as Kaizen so the music is on point. The decor is gorgeous and inviting - perfect if you're meeting friends or taking someone on a date. Cocktails are fire, order one. For their starters, I really like the bone marrow onigiri (2 for $20). This dish is constantly reincarnated so you never really know what you're gonna get. On my first visit, it included trout roe which is so decadently delicious paired with the marrow. The rice is proportionally small so each bite captures the decadence. The skewers are pricey, but if you order one, let it be the maitake mushrooms ($7). It's so meaty that you forget that it's not meat at all. Highly recommend. If you're sharing with a group or need some carbs, I recommend ordering the fried rice. I've had the prawn and pork versions and both are great. The fried rice is solid so any added protein is just a bonus. I've met some dishes I didn't love, but I really like that their menu is ever evolving. I'll definitely be back to try some of their specials.

Laura H.

I've had Sonder saved for so long and I'm so glad I finally made it in for a double date, birthday celebration. We had a reservation and got seated immediately. There was a DJ spinning that evening and she was fantastic. I loved having the music going but also feeling like we were able to easily have a conversation. Going off memory I know we got all of the skewers and we struggled going around and what our faves were. Even the mushroom skewer was out of this world. We also got the charred beets which were a fave of mine and the table also enjoyed the pork fried rice. Some outshined others but there was nothing we ordered that were a disappointment. We also had great service and our waitress was very attentive bringing us our different courses and checking in on if we needed refills on our cocktails.

Michael A.

Wow. Execution of perfectly balanced dishes. Sonder just really impressed me with their balance of light flavors and quality ingredients. No heavy sauces or fillers just delicious dishes to satisfy your craving. Mushroom skewers, steak skewers and the steak plate were my three favorite dishes. The restaurant has a great vibe and is clean with a nice seating area and bar and the staff were all great and service was great.

Nicole E.

This seems to be the HOT spot in dtsa and I was there for it. Before 10pm it is more of a grown and sexy lounge vibes-- loud music, dark, great drinks and food. The dj's switch over at 10pm and the younger crowd comes and the music goes up even louder. However, I loved the night, lounge feel and the dj's were on point. I recommend reservations by all means! Protip--If you have a reservation before 10 service will continue throughout the night. We stayed until about midnight and our waitress was absolutely lovely. She kept the drinks flowing. We had about 8 drinks from the menu and bill ended at $148. If you are looking for a lounge feel with good music, service and drinks in dtsa this place is it!

Charline M.

Pro Tip: If you are visiting the restaurant, SIT INSIDE. Outside is not the same vibe. I regrettably was late, and we had to forfeit our inside reservation for an outside reservation. We still enjoyed the food, but the outside lacks ambiance. You cannot hear the music from the outside, the decor is nonexistent, and there aren't any umbrellas available. If you are looking to enjoy the vinyls and the ambiance, sit inside. As for the food, it's mostly very small plates that can be shared, but are small portions, unless you get the limited edition or shared plates. It can get pricey if you try the skewers and appetizers. We got the Bone Marrow Onigiri, Pickled Plate, Pork Belly Skewers, Hanger Steak Skewers, and Scallops, and everything was yummy. I will give this spot another shot and make sure to sit inside before I make up my mind.

Rishi C.

I've been a big fan of Kaizen and am so happy I finally got to try out Sonder next door! Sonder is located in DTSA, and there's plenty of street parking plus a parking lot next to it. They took over the old El Mercado restaurant, and while the layout is similar, the vibes are completely different. I love the vinyl DJ setup, along with the colors and lighting they use now. We decided to stop by very last minute, but the host was so gracious to sneak us a spot at the bar. Service here was some of the best I've experienced in OC. Everyone was SO friendly, and made it feel like I was hanging out at a friend's place for great food and drinks. Shoutout to Tony who was taking care of us at the bar, he made the whole experience such a treat. Everyone was super attentive and was on top of everything too, making this such a lovely experience. On the drinks front, this place has one of the best Tequila offerings in the area, and they also have a great selection of unique cocktails to try from. Tony made me something off menu that reminded me of a tequila/gin gimlet, and it was spectacular. On the food front, I enjoyed a lot of the stuff we got, with a few critiques: * 6100 Sourdough: The bread was delicious but the ricotta was completely overpowered by the saffron. If you love saffron then this is for you. * Little Gem Salad: This was a good, standard issue salad. If you're craving some greens it's a nice addition to any meal. * Seafood Cocktail: This was my favorite dish, it was so fresh and flavorful, and all of the seafood was tender. My only critique is I wish that the shrimp was prepared similar to the other seafood instead of being in large chunks, but that's just a personal preference. I will be coming back for this dish again. * Scallop Skewer: Another standout dish, the scallops were perfectly prepared and the sauce used was so good we put it on everything else we ate too. Highly recommend. * Chicken Oyster Skewer: Really tasty, the chicken was perfectly cooked. Wished there was some spice to it, but that's where the scallop sauce came in handy. Overall, Sonder is a welcome addition to the area and I highly recommend checking it out. I think this was easily a 4.5/5 experience, and I have plans of coming back to try more of the food with a larger group.

Katie T.

Wow where do I begin. Sonder really stands out from all of the countless restaurants in OC. The inside is gorgeous; both grand and retro but with a charm. It's perfect for an intimate date or fun night out. I would describe it has a vinyl bar with great cocktails and a unique menu featuring Asian fusion tapas/sharable bites. Fun fact: Sonder is owned by siblings Diane and Lamson and is located right next to Lamson's first restaurant , Kaizen Shabu! This place sometimes gets booked for private events so I HIGHLY recommend making a reservation as to not wait and guarantee it isn't closed the day you want to come. There is also usually events or a live DJ later in the evenings so check their instagram to be up at date @sonderdtsa. The food here is absolutely delicious and flavorful. It tastes both familiar but also new by putting a unique twist on dishes and flavors you already know. Some standout dishes are the little gem salad, dill milk bread, and charred beets. My only complaint is that the Sichuan fries were not as crispy and I would have liked. They are also quite greasy and heavy. But I understand why it is soggy due to being tossed in the Sichuan oil after frying to achieve the numbing flavor. We also tried the black sesame walnut for dessert and it was to die for; such a toasty flavor that paired perfectly with the creamy ice cream. While there are a few staple menu items, the kitchen seems to often be coming out with different dishes so you're sure to not be tired coming here time and time again.

Yun Ping C.

This was my first visit to sonder and they made a great first impression! Since it was my friends birthday, they brought over birthday shots for both of them. Afterwards, the owner stopped by to say hi and since it was our first visit, he gave us shots for the whole table. Very kind of him. Food was great - we ordered a couple of things to share including the 6100 blue corn sourdough, chicken oysters, pork belly, spring onion pancake, and pork, please and prawn fried rice. My personal favorite was the fried rice, but everything else was tasty too! We also got dessert which was the pandan butterscotch pudding - yummy! Service was wonderful. They were attentive and kind and quick. They brought out some birthday ice cream for the two birthday girls in the party. Ambiance was great. It could be intimate and romantic for couples but also great for celebrations or large groups. I enjoyed sonder very much and will definitely visit again particularly due to their excellent service!

Ethan A.

This might be my new favorite spot to grab a bite to eat!! The vibes here are IMMACULATE, and it's evident they carefully craft an energetic atmosphere that really amplifies the dining experience. The decorations, the lights, and the music all come together to give an ambiance that just feels so inviting to where you want to take your time while you're here. The service is top notch, all the staff are lively and accommodating. The menu is very creative including fun drink names and plenty of versatility in the types of dishes you can order. Be on the lookout for special dishes on different days of the week. We ordered the steak and mushroom skewers which are nice appetizers to hold you over until the entrees hit the table. The drinks hit the spot as well and luckily we came during happy hour so we got a little discount on the apps/drinks. We decided to try roasted half chicken with the potato salad which were both absolutely fantastic. The chicken was cooked perfectly, just incredibly tender and juicy. The potato salad was well seasoned, had a great texture, and was a nice compliment to the chicken. As we were eating, a DJ came in and started mixing up some cool tracks which just amplified our experience even more. Also, Sonder is my favorite word so bonus points there (I guess I'm biased). Anyways, I'm thrilled with my first visit here and will undoubtedly be checking this place out again! Would highly recommend you come visit Sonder, you can thank me later!!

Vu N.

Came to Sonder for my birthday. Had an amazing experience. From Matt who helped us. To Lamson the owner who checked up on us. Food was excellent especially the mains. Loved short rib. So much meat. So tender. Flavorful. Pork over fish sauce was also great. Sauce was on point. Not salty or sweet. Drinks were really good. Had the clarified cocktail and another chef special drink. Both so good. Music was so good also. Fun older jams great vibes. Fun spot in downtown Santa Ana to hang out.

Karen N.

my girls and i wanted to have a nice dinner and chose sonder since the menu looked interesting and the interior looked really pretty. i hate giving low reviews for local businesses, but we felt that the food was overall not good, especially for how expensive the total was. things we ordered: - 6100 blue corn sourdough w/ goat butter: i was excited about this one bc i haven't had the chance to try the 6100 blue corn sourdough yet, but our bread came out with a really burnt crust that made it hard to eat. the goat butter helped a little bit, but overall could not mask the burnt flavor. - little gem salad: this was honestly the best thing that we had! a pretty yummy caesar salad that was slightly tangy from the vinegar and lemon. - hanger steak skewer: meat was pretty tender and flavorful, and this was the best skewer out of the ones we ordered. - scallop skewer: the sichuan chili crunch sounded like a really yummy and unique idea, but the chili crunch ended up tasting very bitter to us and did not go well with the scallop - pork belly skewer: i didn't expect this to have a really sweet glaze since i didn't see it mentioned on the menu, but it was fine. i liked eating it with the rice and didn't mind the sweetness, but my friends were not a fan of how sweet it was. - maitake mushroom skewer: the mushroom was cooked well and the miso butter was good, but i feel like $7 for a mushroom skewer is a bit pricey. - spring onion pancake: we did not enjoy this at all :( i imagined it to be like a scallion pancake or korean green onion pancake, but we got a pancake with a mix of textures and flavors that didn't go well together. the pancake was crispy on the outside but really doughy on the inside, and the fish roe was salty and did not pair well with the pancake. we couldn't finish it bc we did not like the flavors at all :( - zero proof tidal wave: this was a unique mocktail, but i feel like $12 for a mocktail is a bit much LOL i really appreciated the service though and how kind all of the workers were! they gave us a lot of recommendations and explained the menu well and tried to make the environment very cozy and lively. i think the food overall just did not mesh well with my friend group.

amy w.

Love love love the ambience. Not sure if it was grad night last Sat but the guests were dressed ti the nine. Our server was so friendly and attentive. Now let's get to the amazing dishes qe ordered. For appetizer, we ordered the Little Gem Salad with black vinegar cesar and it was super tasty. It was crunchy and refreshing. I highly recommend it. Next was the chicken wings with chili which was so favorable with every bite. For entree we ordered shared plate of beef short ribs and spring onion pancake. We have been to many restaurants around town and I find the dishes here has its own unique taste in a fantastic way. We plan on coming back with friends next time so we can tey out more dishes on the menu. The atmosphere and interior of the restaurant is sleek, cozy and feels rustic. Thank you for such an awesome dining experience.

Katrina V.

Fairly new place that just opened up about 8 months ago as its sister restaurant to shabu spot next door. Sat at the bar for happy hour. Love the vintage feel of the place. Food: our bartender gave great recommendations where I enjoyed the Caesar salad and Wagyu skewer He was also well versed on flavor profile on cocktails. I will definitely be going back to this spot to try other items