The hungrier I get, the less I know what I want to eat… Anyone else like this?
Last week I found myself going from floor to floor in the mall, vetoing every restaurant I walked by and getting hangrier (hungry + angry) by the moment, until I came across Sobaten. It’s by no means anything fancy or unique, but it’s delicious, fast, and kid-friendly, and they always have a display of their more popular dishes at the entrance of the restaurant so you know exactly what you’re getting. That was enough to get me through the door.
Sobaten has locations all over the city. If you’ve ever tried Ajisen Ramen, you can think of Sobaten as the deep-fried version of that. They’re known for their katsu (deep-fried things). Best of all, they’ve got endless salads and appetizers. It’s kind of like going to a deep-fried Japanese version of Olive Garden. Almost.
They’ve got a small kids’ menu with classics, in smaller portions and for much cheaper prices, high chairs, kids utensils, and enough variations on different types of katsu, sukiyaki (Japanese hot pot), and other grilled, fried, and roasted dishes to share.
For more family-friendly dining options add TBJ Butler on WeChat and request to join the FamFriendlyEats group. Also, be sure to check out the jingkids Dianping account to find the Sobaten locations in Beijing and enjoy!
Images: Mina Yan
