Loved everything about this place - the interiors, the lighting, the music, the service, and most importantly, the food. Also special shoutout to the owner Lamson for his warm hospitality and checking in on us multiple times throughout the night. Cocktails: 9/10 forgot which ones I got specifically but they were photogenic and tasted great, contemporary twists on some classics like the old fashioned. Gem salad: 8/10 only complaint is that it was a bit too lemony but I think thats more of a personal preference. Sauce was good otherwise and every leaf was well coated. Charcoal skewers - fusion style take on Japanese yakitori with south east asian flavours Scallop 10/10 Steak 9/10 Longanisa 8/10 Duck 9/10 Chicken oysters 10/10 Pork belly 7/10 Fried rice: 9/10 very unique fried rice that hits all the taste sensations. Leans salty but the lime adds some acidity to cut through the saltiness and the sauce they give you on the side adds some sweet and spicy elements. Also very generous portion of protein mixed in Barramundi crudo: 7.5/10 light and fresh. The lime leaves add some textural elements and a bit more depth to the taste but felt like it was missing something. read more

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Great ambiance here and great service! Sichuan fries (4/5) - this was soooo delicious at first with that mala numbing spice. Very unique but after a little bit, it got a little too flavorful or too salty or just too decadent in general. The portion is so massive compared to everything else too. Would still get again anyway since it's good for drunken munchies Cold smoked tofu (5/5) - great flavor and balanced out the savoriness of the fries. Maitake Mushroom skewer (4/5) - pretty good. Drinks: Stay for awhile (5/5) - wow this was delicious and recommended by our server since I wanted something that wasn't too alcoholic tasting. But maybe this worked out TOO well because this tasted like a dessert in a glass but I felt the buzz! That can be dangerous. It also satisfied my sweet tooth so I was too full to try the pandan pudding which I was really excited for. Oh well, I'll have to come back for that one! Shugie (5/5) - such a perfectly balanced espresso martini without being too sweet or heavy! So good! They are really on top of it with their drinks. You can't go wrong! There was also some live music when we went on a Sunday night. read more

what a gorgeous place. color scheme is an absolute star. def an inviting and warm ambiance. reservations is easy to make. warmly greeted and seated upon arrival. drinks: 5/5. carefully crafted and delicious. i also ordered an espresso martini (not pictured) food: 3/5. i had to look up what some of the ingredients are, but i commend them for taking risks blending different asian flavors. asian flavors are very distinct and can be challenging to mix-- which is why you don't see other places like theirs. although i appreciate the thoughtfulness in menu curation, there is definitely room for improvement. however, i have no doubt in their ability to do so as their sister concept, kaizen (next door), is my favorite shabu in existence. my favs of the night: - duck breast: SO TENDER. - pandan pudding: why can't this be to-go'd, again? i'd like one right now lol - pork belly also tried: - cucumber som tum (would have liked more citrus in this) - mushrooms (this was overly salty. however, when i brought this to their attention, they were more than happy to remake the item) - burramundi crudo (more salty as well, which i felt took away from the other refreshing ingredients such as the pear.) random thought: i like the variations of dinnerware they have. one of the plates reminded me of my childhood where we never had matching dinnerware, but there was always a sense of comfort sharing a meal with your family. 5 stars despite my thoughts on food because it seems like they are putting a lot of thought and consideration into menu variations, food tastings, events from vinyl nights to sunday brunches to late night r&b vibes so that people may enjoy sonder in more ways than one. if they delve into all of that having just opened less than a year.. they are def bold.. but probably care a lot-- i must say. read more

Sonder - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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Came here for a bday. I was worried because it was a lot of different fusion and I am always worried about fusion. Omg. Everything is a flavor bomb. My least favorite thing was the fried rice and it was so good. Try the mushroom, pork belly and the little gem salad. Best restaurant I have been to in a long time. Try the mushroom again. No one cares if you don't like mushrooms. read more

Such a cute spot! My favorites have been the bone marrow onigiri and the hanger steak! They have a full menu of cool cocktails but we ended up trying one of the beers which was great as well! Waiters are very kind! read more

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A friend and I were actually planning to go to the shabu place next door but ended up here instead because we both had never been but wanted to try. I can truly say literally everything we got was amazing. We ordered the hanger steak twice lol and those cucumbers were fireeee. We of course, had to end the meal with dessert so we ordered the pandan pudding and omg that was also to die for! I love that this place is super vibey and intimate- perfect for a date night or a girls night out. I will say that the portions are on the smaller side so don't come too hungry. read more

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The banh duc completely exceeded my expectations its rich, savory meat sauce paired perfectly with the silky rice flour pudding, making it an unforgettable dish. I also tried their unique spin on a Mexican seafood cocktail, and it was outstanding despite not usually being a fan of the classic version. The light, crystal clear broth delivered subtle notes of tomato, acidity, and horseradish, while the tender octopus and delicately sliced shrimp brought everything together beautifully. read more

This place is ritzier than the ritziest ritz cracker in a box of Ritz crackers. Is there a posh interior replete with deep red booths? Is there a concise & enchante drink & mocktail menu? Does the bar have a cool yet not gimmicky name? Yes to all. The staff here is quite polished & effective. I noticed people being promptly directed to booths by energetic floor staff when I walked in. I sat at the bar myself; I ordered a Soft Static mocktail (lime leaf, shisho, yuzu, verjus blanc, egg white). Keyin, the bartender, pours an impeccable mocktail. The Soft Static was without exception one of the smoothest drinks I've tasted. Maybe it was the ingredients? Maybe it was Keyin's mockail mastery? Maybe it was the pleasant ambience? I do not know for certain. I do know that a few bartenders/barstaff from another local bar were unwinding at Sonder. From the few interactions I watched between Keyin & the other local bartenders, I was convinced Keyin had established appreciable rapport with staff from other local businesses, such as the two other bartenders. So Sonder, and its staff are definitely connecting with the downtown Santa Ana community, & I believe it's only a matter of months before Sonder is recognized by most as one of the bars on the shortlist for best bar in the city. 5 stars for being a study in nascent greatness. read more

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What a gem! We had reservations for a pre-valentine's double date and Sonder was perfect. The host was wonderful and was very accommodating. We had to have our entire party before getting seated for our 6:30 reservation and one of our guest was running late coming from an hour away and stuck in traffic. The host was understanding and allowed us to wait for her and seated us slightly past 15mins after our reservation time without giving us a hard time. We started with valentines cocktails and a couple cocktails from the regular menu, all were delicious. We also ordered an array of food items from which were impressive. We had: Hanger steak skewers 5/5: tender, with the right amount of char, and flavorful Pork belly 4/5: rich, crispy and, flavorful. Don't eat with too much sauce or it could be salty and eating the meat with rice is mandatory. Chicken oysters 4/5: juicy and tender Bone marrow onigiri 4/5: slightly sweet with marrow richness. Small but sufficient source of carbs Crab conserva 3/5: while it tasted good, wasn't memorable and would skip next time Little gem salad 5/5: this was amazing. Unique and refreshing. Even my carnivore partner wanted his own plate of this Chicken wings 3/5: tangy flavor was there but we couldn't get past the gelatinous skin. We may be too accustomed to crispy wings Cold smoked tofu 4/5: another surprise. Was perfect as a palate cleanser Okinawan sweet potato 5/5: one of the stars of the show. Sweet, savory, and unique. This is a must Sichuan fries 3/5: tongue numbing and crispy but the flavors didn't work well for me. We're all french fry lovers and this was a miss. Pandan butterscotch pudding 5/5: may look basic, but it has a strong pandan flavor and was so addictive. Black sesame walnut pie 4/5: reminiscent of a pecan pie and thats what it tasted like. We were expecting something more unique. Still good though. Overall, the service, ambience with well thought out curated playlist, and food selections were perfect for a date. We were all impressed. The only recommendation is that while the cocktails were delicious at $17+ each, please put more alcohol. We had 3 cocktails each and we did not catch a buzz. Luckily, we were all feeling good from eating well. read more

Ambience + extras: 3/5 You can reserve ahead on Opentable. Easy access, paid parking lot and restrooms. Indoor and outdoor, bar and dining room seating available. During check in, the front desk person told us we had 90 mins because they were full almost 3 times. I didn't see her or the staff force people out even after their 90 minutes and it was really off putting to hear this after having made a reservation and putting in all our order in at once upon seating. The dining room was also 1/2 empty when we were done (we were out within 60 mins). Food & drinks: Drinks 5/5 - really well balanced and intentionally curated list of cocktails. We tried two milk punches (one Valentine's special), london tea one and the one with vanilla cardamom foam! All great. Food 3/5 - for starters there are no major filling vegetarian dishes. So we did the broccoli, sweet potato, tofu and beats. Tofu was very off putting and a lot of veg dishes either have beef tallow or lard. I had the scallops (5/5) and oyesters (1/5). Service: 5/5 - shout out to Jess who did a fantastic job at manning all tables by herself and making sure we were all taken care of! read more

An unwelcoming, disorganized hostess set the tone for an otherwise underwhelming evening. From the moment we checked in, we were made to feel like an inconvenience rather than welcomed guests. Between forgetting our name, seating later arrivals before us, denying a reasonable request to move tables, and responding dismissively when we simply wanted to pay our bill, the hospitality fell well below expectations. We had a 7:30 PM reservation, arrived early, checked in, and were told to wait--which was perfectly fine. What wasn't fine was watching two parties get seated before us while the hostess forgot our name and had to come back twice before finally seating us, despite plenty of open tables. Once seated, we politely asked to move to a nearby table because the dining room was incredibly loud, with music so loud that everyone had to shout over one another. The hostess declined, saying the table was reserved, which didn't make much sense considering the future reservation could have simply been seated at our table instead. Hostess and service was the biggest disappointment. Water arrived quickly, but after that, the staff was largely absent. We had to flag someone down for the check, then wait again because our server disappeared before taking payment. When we asked the hostess for help, we were once again met with an attitude before she ultimately processed the payment anyway. The food and drinks were decent but nothing memorable. The owner stopping by to say hello was a nice touch, but it didn't make up for the disorganized service. Overall, Sonder fell short. Decent food can't overcome poor hospitality, and we won't be returning or recommending it. read more

This is a really cool place. The service was excellent. The decor is great. The food was unique and so good. This isn't the place for long conversations. It's about the ambiance, music and food. So, go, chill and enjoy. read more

Sonder - Hanger steak, pork belly, mushroom, scallops. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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Sonder is that lowkey vibe Santa Ana needed. Dim lighting, a vinyl aesthetic, and smooth 80s R\&B spinning from a live DJ set the mood--grown and sultry. The space is clean, elegant, and intimate without trying too hard. Service is A1. Greeted with warmth and guided like VIPs. Now the food: the Rockfish Crudo hit like art-- bright, colorful, and refreshing. The Green Curry Mussels were bold, creamy, with a kick that lingers just right. This is an Asian fusion with soul. A must-try. Slide through before the city catches on. Sonder's about to make noise. read more

Sonder - Green Curry Mussels - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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Amazing vibes with the music and decor. They have some unique dishes that are prepared really well. Must order the Stay for awhile cocktail. Service was great all around - Keyin was very attentive and ready with recs. The perfect date night spot. Highly recommend read more

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We ordered several different skewers, and they were all delicious! The downside is that they are small portions, and I would recommend ordering multiples. The red lantern drink was really good. I enjoyed some of the spices that they added in there. The szechuan infused gin was delicious; slightly tangy on the lips due to the spice. I liked that! The inside of the restaurant is dim and intimate. It was a cool mid-century modern style decor. The service was very slow; the delivery of the food and drinks was also slow. The restaurant is fairly new so maybe they're still adjusting to their routine. Overall, I think it was a little pricey for the individual skewers, but a great place to try at least once. read more

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Such a cute little lounge/restaurants located in downtown Santa Ana. Had a company holiday party here and the food was phenomenal and delicious. Not only the menus are unique, but the drink selections are very good as well. I love one of their cocktails that has pandan infused in it. The bartender are nice too because even though they ran out one of the sweetest cocktails in the menu, they were able to make me one that's off menu. read more

The food concepts here were unique. It felt like they were trying to fuse a lot of different ideas, but they didn't really come together well. I also felt like the food was expensive for the portions we got, and it wasn't that great tasting. The service was great and the place had a warm, cozy vibe, but the food was just meh. read more

I love the decor of this place. It's very well put together and trendy. The service was excellent from every employee especially Adam our server. The drinks were very tasty The food was delicious and satisfying. Hanger steak hit the spot read more

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We've been excited to check out Sonder since we first heard they'd joined the neighborhood, and I finally had a chance to go last night. It did not disappoint. The vibe is amazing--such a beautiful, cozy, and inviting space that feels like a lounge, with lush colors, great chairs, and stunning wallpaper. The music was great, and after 10pm a live DJ started spinning vinyl, which was the perfect way to keep the energy going after our delicious meal. We started with cocktails--the Balance, The Dove, and Kozmic Blues--all delicious, balanced, and well made. Then we shared a few bites: the fried rice, the crab conserva (my highlight of the meal, featuring bread from 6100 Bakery), and the bone marrow onigiri. Service was excellent. The hostess was very friendly and attentive while we waited for our friends to arrive, and our server was just as great. Looking forward to coming back soon and introducing more friends to Sonder. read more

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Yessss, what a great addition to DTSA! When I heard Lamson from Kaizen was opening something next door, I already had high expectations, but wow. I came during the soft opening on 6/12/25 and the aesthetics, food, service, and drinks blew me away. If you come during soft launch and it's busy, just be patient, it's worth it! I made reservations on Open Table & it wasn't crowded the night I came. We tried the longanisa, pickled beef tongue, hanger steak, pork belly with rice, sea bream crudo, and little gem salad. Everything was PHENOMENAL, but the pork belly with rice was my favorite. Definitely eat it with rice, it's a little salty but in the best way. We had way too many cocktails and I have zero regrets. Golden Hour, Velvet Lantern, Trouble in Paradise, 400 North, Whisper in the Wind, each one was so yummy. I'm not sure which one was my favorite, they were all so unique and tasty. Ended the night with the pandan butterscotch pudding, it was sooo good! Congrats on the new spot! The aesthetics are stunning, the drinks were fabulous, the food was delicious, and the service was a perfect 5/5. Shoutout to Adam, Billy, and Matt...you've got an incredible team. Can't wait to come back!! read more

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Vibes and interior were great. 5* for service! But food did not impress. Maybe we ordered the wrong things? Would come again for a chill hangout spot. Plus half off tequila shots thursdays! read more

Sonder - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Sonder was amazing!! The owner was kind, introduced self and checked in to make sure we were all doing well. Our server checked in numerous times and personable. The ambiance was artsy with a beautiful interior design along with being on the nicer side. The food was phenomenal! I have attached photos of some of the dishes we ordered and here is the list: Crab Conserva, Little Gem Salad, Hanger Steak, Chicken Oysters, Maitake Mushrooms, Pork Belly & Escargot Fried Rice, Sichuan Fries, scallops, and walnut pie. The pictures just don't do justice. All that I tried, I loved except I wasn't a fan of the sichuan fries but everyone else loved them (had to be personal preference)! We had reservations and were with a group for a birthday celebration where they offered a family style menu that was ordered in advanced. We all shared small plates and it added to a new experience. Totally worth a try! read more

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Sonder is the realization that each random passerby is living life as and complex as your own. This makes sense as this hidden gem in Downtown Santa Ana is serving savory, "complex", and unique Tapas style food using Asian fusion recipes and flavors. Thus, Sonder is about the food that is crafted by unseen hands of a great chef and kitchen team and served by a friendly service team. All of whom are living life! Modern and nostalgic aesthetic. The decor here is exceptional. It is even better than the food. But my favorites were the Hangar Steak and Sichuan Fries The fried rice and other dishes were too salty. I hope they improve on this critical issue because it could help make the food the center point of this place and get people to come back for more! The DJ booth and bar areas are very sophisticated and clean looking designs. I liked the industrial style design for ceiling and the fancy chandeliers are very nice touch! Overall, the best part of Sonder were their cocktails. Their drinks were generous, strong, and colorful. Service was professional, but could improve when serving a large group like our table. I hope to be back for their brunch! read more

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First, we had fantastic service from Nadia; she was great! Next, the food was fabulous; we enjoyed every dish. We started with the bone marrow onigiri and the little gem salad and loved both. The maitake mushrooms and chicken oyster skewers were delicious. For mains, we ordered the short rib, pork and prawn fried rice and the onion pancake. Lots of leftovers that we're looking forward to . We ended with Pandan butterscotch pudding which was amazing! Great ambiance and an overall fantastic date night. Highly recommend. read more

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Overall great experience at Sonder! Food was very good! We enjoyed the scallops, hangar steak, and pork belly. The bone marrow onigiri, fried chicken, and dill milk bread was good as well. We'd definitely come back to try the rest of the menu. The drinks were excellent. The Stronger might have been one of my favorite old fashioneds that I've had anywhere. We tried 5 drinks on the menu and they were all very good. The service was very fast, friendly, and attentive. We went on a Wednesday night and there was a DJ keeping the energy up. Highly recommend this place for a date night or a place to grab a few drinks before starting your night. read more

Sonder - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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Our experience at Sonder was like coming over to your friends house for a night to eat. We came at 6 PM as a table of 3 and was quickly seated and ordered the Snail and Pork Belly fried rice and the Binchotan Grilled maitake mushrooms, hanger steak, and chicken oysters skewers. All three grilled items had a lemon zesty and salt seasoning that was simple and delicious with our favorite being the hanger steak. I wished they had things in their older menu to try like the duck breast or longansia.The fried rice was similar and simple. 5/5 - Hanger Steak 5/5 - Maitake Mushrooms 3/5 - Chicken Oysters 4/5 - Fried Rice Service was okay and took abit longer to get our right orders but given it's their soft opening we can completely understand. Overall, the place has its charm and feels like an outdoor grill kickback, but I do wish there would be more to try for us to come back next time. read more

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We had the good fortune to saunter into Sonder on a Saturday night, and we had the best time! This is a relatively new spot on the main drag in Santa Ana, with a super fun crowd and great vibe! That night a DJ was spinning some cool vinyl, and we danced our way past the bar a few times! The cocktails are pretty fantastic, and service from Nadia was perfect. The owner came to check on us a few times as well. We shared a few small plates for food. The baby beets were my favorite, very well prepared and fresh. The maitake mushroom had great texture but waxed rather salty. And the sichuan fries were well seasoned but got soggy from the mayo on them- I think they would have been far better by keeping the sauce just on the side. Overall, I highly recommend a visit here to enjoy the great weekend scene in Santa Ana. If they just finesse the food a bit more, they'll be a perfect spot all around! read more

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We made a reservation for 2 at Sonder on Friday night and were so impressed by the decor and friendly, attentive staff. The lighting and ambiance was great, although the music was very loud and I felt we had to yell to hear one another. Sadly, we weren't super happy with our food. We ordered the a few skewers (Maitake Mushrooms, Charred Cabbage, Hanger Steak), the Pork Belly & Escargot Fried Rice, and the Candy-O cocktail. Starting with the skewers, I had no issues with the textures and I thought the mushroom and steak were cooked very well. The cabbage had quite a bit of char on it and almost leaned on the burnt side which I didn't mind but some might. Something about the sauces on all of these were very sour and salty. I honestly prefer saltier foods but I found myself needing to drink water after every bite to wash it down. I'm not sure if it was just one of the sauces/seasonings I found extra salty or if it was all of them but it was almost hard to eat. I usually love miso and yuzu so I was surprised I didn't like these. It was seriously too salty and sour at some points. The fried rice was much better in flavor but was also pretty salty. I couldn't tell at first and enjoyed my first serving feeling much better about the meal ending on a strong note. By my second serving of rice, I began to notice this was tasting really salty as well. I couldn't stop drinking my water. Overall, I was pretty disappointed with our meal. I thought maybe the food just didn't match my palette but once we left, my partner shared the same sentiment I did about the overbearing saltiness and sourness of the food. This restaurant has so much potential due to the great ambiance and service, and maybe we went on a bad night but I'm not too sure. Unfortunately I probably wouldn't be back anytime soon but I wouldn't stop anyone from trying it. The menu is unique and trendy, I hope they continue to improve! read more

If you're looking a spot with great drinks and great Asian tapas, this is the place to be. It is a little pricey, but you're paying for the ambiance and delicious drinks in DTSA. We loved their fried rice dish along with the many different delicious skewers. The service was fantastic too. read more

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Super amazing and creative vietnamese food. Presentation of the dishes were superb! I would bring my firnds and family for the experience of dinning. read more

Sonder is an interesting experience . Tucked away in a small corner of Santa Ana. One would not expect such exceptional food to be prepared. All the dishes we tasted, which was many, were all very good. The service was exceptional, and the waiter was extremely knowledgeable and apparently had a hand in decorating the space which is very comfortable. Tony, the bar manager is a really pleasant fellow and can introduce you to all sorts of amazing cocktails. A truly great find in Santa Ana. The owner also owns the next door Shabu Shabu restaurant. read more

Delicious food. I love how they support local businesses in the area like 6100 Bread. Cocktails were good too. Service was incredible and attentive. $45 for 6 slices of aged duck breast was a bit steep. But other than the high prices and the overly loud music, everything was great. read more

This place is fuukkkks! Bomb ass food! Music is poppin! Cute Servers and the Own is a vibe. Must check out when you're in Santa Ana!

Hey dawgs this place i liking a lot. Having dj night time and i eating same time. Food and drinks i likeing a lot so much aand music playing cool. Taking your friendship here dawgs read more

I love the vibe so much! Love the color matches throughout the interior which give cozy but fancy vibe. All the servers were super friendly and nice too. We got sichuan fries, mushroom skewer, pork belly skewer, duck breast skewer, and bone marrow onigiri. I highly recommend all the orders except the pork belly and duck breast :( Both had really strong and unpleasant meat smell.... But other than that everything else tasted very good especially the oyster mushroom skewer had wonderful flavor! We really enjoyed the cocktails too. read more

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Came here for date night and it did not disappoint. The place is located in DTSA, next to Kaizen. Interior design is modern with a hint of classic/old school vibe. Love the ambient, very cozy. Staff is super friendly and attentive. Now onto the important stuff, the food and drinks -My husband enjoyed his Back to Black. We both loved the Velvet Underground, must try! It was smooth with a hint of creamy pandan. Hard to describe but I've never had anything like it -Food was DELICIOUS! we had the following dishes: --Longanisa: juicy, flavorful. Good with white rice. 5/5 --Pickled beef tongue: tasted like pastrami. Would've been good as a sandwich. 4/5 --Maitake mushrooms: smoky, flavorful 4.5/5 --Hanger steak: juicy, tender 5/5 --pork belly: juicy, melts in mouth. I dipped in the chicken oyster sauce. 4.5/5 --chicken oysters: flavor bomb 5/5 --Green curry mussels: loaded with tons of mussels. Flavorful. Comes with white rice. Delicious. I love spicy food so would've loved it a bit spicy 5/5 --pandan butterscotch pudding: creamy, sweet and salty. 4/5 Overall, this was a wonderful experience 5/5. Definitely will be back. High recommended for those that love fusion food and to try new food ideas read more

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A cool modern atmosphere where you can keep the tapas and drinks flowing while the DJ keeps the vinyl records spinning.

So glad to have finally tried Sonder! Booking a reservation an hour before we wanted to eat at 6 pm was super easy through Open Table with plenty of open time slots (it was super poppin by the time we left around 8 though!) Walked in and my first impression is that it was a perfect date night spot! The menu isn't super extensive (which I love) and there's a really comprehensive cocktail/spirits list. Matt was our server (5 stars for him too!), and for 2 people, he recommended 3-4 skewers, a shared plate and 1-2 sides. Me being the over-orderer I am though decided to completely disregard his recommendation and went with 6 skewers, 2 shared plates, 3 sides, and desert -- & boy did we leave STUFFED lol. To my defense, I was not expecting the skewers to be so substantial in size. These are not your standard izakaya yakitori. Here's what we got: Skewers/Charcoal Grill: Maitake mushroom skewer Hanger steak Charred cabbage Pork belly Baby beets Chicken oysters Shared Plates: Little gem salad Green curry mussels Sides: Dill milk bread Cucumber som tum Okinawan sweet potato Dessert: Pandan butterscotch pudding -- My standouts: - Maitake mushroom skewer - hearty in size and well seasoned - Hanger steak - so juicy and perfectly cooked - Little gem salad - bright and refreshing - Cucumber som tum - an absolute flavor bomb and textural wonderland!!! Love the use of lime and nuoc mam - Okinawan sweet potato - the beef tallow made it the perfect amount of savory, and the potato was so smooth - I could not stop eating it! Service was fast/friendly, the ambiance is top tier, and the food was delicious. Can't wait to return to try the rest (maybe with a couple of extra people lol). read more

Sonder - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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Came here for date night, excited to try a new restaurant. The lighting, decor and ambiance were a vibe. Had a DJ playing some vinyls and mixing other songs. The food, on the other hand, was disappointing. It was like a multi-asian fusion of Japanese, Vietnamese and Thai perhaps? Everything was very salty and, fish sauce forward. Cucumber salad: as much as I'd like to say refreshing? It was fish sauce heavy Pork belly/ Escargot fried rice: again, very fish sauce heavy in the fried rice. I'm not entirely sure what the incorporation of the escargot was supposed to complement. It had a grassy flavor that even the additional sauce couldn't take off Bone marrow onigiri and maitake mushroom was probably my favorite on the menu. Although I'm not sure I'd pay for $20 onigiri again. Drinks were...good. Then aiight. I had a wine forward cocktail that really was an expensive sangria. Service was decent. Empty plates were taken away. I sat at the high top booth that does not have a foot rest along the booth or table. I'd advise this to be addressed to prevent numbing of people's legs. Overall, the place has potential. The food just needs improvement. As always, taste and experience are all subjective. Happy tastings everyone. read more

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We had the scallop skewer, hangar steak skewer, chicken oyster skewer, chicken skin skewer and cucumber som tum. I'd order these all again. We also had the chicken wing skewer, maitake skewer and rockfish crudo. I'd skip those. I expected the chicken wing to be more crisp and it was not, flavor was good but I really wanted some crunch. The maitake had a wonderful miso butter on it but I think I really don't care for maitake as a mushroom. Drinks were nice, ambience was wonderful, staff attentive. I'll go back to try more and use my in-kind app to get cash back! read more

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