Soban Cafe

I just got the bubble tea here. It was not bad… just a bit sweet. Tasted like your typical chain bubble tea. The inside is pretty nice and spacious though. It seems like a good place to study. except the Wifi didn’t work with my phone. That was a bummer.

My friends and I were craving some sweets after dinner and spontaneously decided on Soban as we were passing by.
You enter from the side of the venue and walk up stairs. You pass by their washrooms on your walk to the café: one women’s and one men’s washroom stall. It smelled disgusting and they ran out of toilet paper…
At the café, we were allowed to sit wherever we wanted because it was only half full. I opted for Fruit crushed ice and it was AMAZING. I recommend it to everyone who wants something sweet. The ice had some sort of sweet drizzled over, and it was topped with cuts of kiwi, strawberry, cherries, and more. It had a large scoop of strawberry ice cream drizzled in what I believe was condensed milk, as well as a strawberry drizzle as well. It was soooo good. I would go back and get through the mediocre customer service just to have this dessert again.
That being said, my friend was served a cake slice without any utensils, so I had to ask for them and they were wet when I got them… also, they don’t do café art like some other cafes in the areas. My friend enjoyed her matcha latte though. The cake was also highly praised. Great food. I’ll be back!

This is a good spot up at Finch to study/​catch up with friends for hours — just don’t expect too much from the food. Came here on a weekend afternoon and it was easy to get a comfy booth. The décor is cute and clean, and the staff are friendly. There is a 2hr sitting limit per order though it’s not strictly enforced when the café isn’t busy. My friend and I got a milk tea, peppermint tea, and a cheesecake — all decently sized/​priced but average in taste. Overall, this was a much more relaxing and spacious spot than Chatime down the road.

Pros:
–Italian soda is just right
–the green tea waffle is pretty decent or what I’d expect at least
–cute and clean atmosphere
–good music
Cons:
–tapioca was really tasteless and kinda soggy texture
–mixed fruit waffle was canned fruits, pretty disappointing for $ 12
−2÷3 of us ordered drinks, she didn’t even offer my friend who didn’t order a drink water. We had to ask for it at the end but I mean it’s pretty standard to get water
Overall an alright place for late night if nothing else is open, and it seems like a good place for studying. The actual desserts and slush weren’t that good though.

Cute café above some sketchy karaōke place. They serve a small variety of dishes as well as dessert and a larger range of drinks. It’s a cute, quiet café to do some work/​studying. I like that you can see Yonge street from the café so you can people watch when you don’t feel like working anymore.
We got here around 8pm and was seated right away. I ordered a London Fog and he got the Red Bean Latte. Both drinks came out soon after but was lukewarm. the flavours were good but no one likes a lukewarm latte.
I would come back because I like the atmosphere/​environment of the place but might try their cold drinks next time.

We decided to give this place a try which is right on Yonge and finch. The location is really nice. It’s on the second floor and if you sit near the big window you get a nice view.
We ordered the Taro Milk tea with green apple jelly and green tea shaved ice. The drink was delicious. The shaved ice came with a huge scoop of green tea ice cream, some fruit, shaved ice, beans and matcha powder. They sprinkled too much match powder over the ice, which got bitter really quick. Even though the portion size was really big, it consisted mostly of ice-​cream and not enough shaved ice. This was not flavourful at all.
The place was a bit pricey but the costumer service was good. There are better cafes nearby which are cheaper and serve more flavourful shaved ice. Will not be going back there!

It’s alright, nice clean and quiet place for studying, pretty solid WiFi too. My friend and I met up here for a study night, and when I arrived around 6:45 pm (Wednesday) the place was nearly empty, but eventually the place was filled up within 30 mins. Unfortunately I did not get the opportunity to try any food items i wanted (dumplings and kim-​chi friend rice) because it wasn’t available. However I did enjoy my Ginger Twist hot tea that I ordered. For the nice ambiance and décor, it’s worth a second visit, just not on an empty stomach.
**there are some paid parking spots nearby, or you can find those side parking on residential streets**
**the entrance is on Finch Ave W shared with a travel agency and a karaōke bar, make sure you take the stairs to the second floor**

Ambience was nice, the view of yonge and finch was nice, the servers were nice. But waffles were overpriced and NOT fresh
My boyfriend ordered waffle with nuts and hazlenut hot chocolate and I ordered waffle with mixed fruits with original milk tea.
Drinks came out first. It was delicious! The waffles were horrible. I felt like they were not fresh at all.
His waffle with nuts was basically waffles with icecream and trail mix on top. Stuff that u get from shoppers drug mart which included peanuts, raisins, seeds, cashews, and almonds.
Mine had fresh kiwi, bananas and maybe fresh strawberries. The raspberries and blueberries were frozen! And the rest of the fruit they used was from fruit cup.
If I am going to pay 11.99 I expect it to be just as good as café Demetre which only charges 11.5 for their waffles.
Even though drinks were good I wouldn’t come back, chatime is cheaper and just as good.
Sorry wouldn’t come back here

I saw this cute and bright lited café at the corner of Yonge and Finch last night and thought I’d check it out with my friend. We were on a bubbletea crave and wanted to try a small local café in the area. As we approached the Soban café it seemed as if we walked into some small gem somewhere in Asia. The place was clean and modern. For such a small piece of space they did a great job in utilizing what they had and maximized it. We chose a seat close to the window overlooking the busy Yonge strip. It felt cozy escaping the rain.
The menu offers a wide selection of drinks from slush, milk tea, hot tea, herbal tea and smoothies. However, the menu did not impress me too much only a few items stood out to me, their specialty drink Orea Milk Tea and shaved iced desserts. The menu looked over priced, fruit waffle was $ 12.99 and to my very disappointment the Chocolate Mint Truffle Hot Tea was merely a Mighty Leaf tea bag which cost me $ 4.99. I mean… I could have bought a box of Mightly Leaf myself and it would’ve lasted me a month for $ 4.99. I also ordered a Honey Butter Brick Toast ($ 6.99). I never tried a honey butter version, since most places serve it with sweet condensed milk. To my surprise again, it was way too much toast to scruff down by one person. The butter to honey ratio was ⁸⁰⁄₂₀. It felt like I was drinking a stick of melted butter and the oily texture did not settle well in my stomach at all. My friend simply ordered a banana bubble milk tea ($ 4.99) that she thought was an interesting flavour they had. I tried some and it tasted like medicine. She also felt her stomach stir. Honestly, never again!!! All the items we ordered were very disappointing. The only 2 employees that were working were not very attentive, either they didn’t want to be working or did not want our service. Koodos to their high rating on Unilocal but I likely will not recommend this place to anyone or go back there ever again. Sorry but NOT SORRY.

I’ve been here a couple of times now and each visit has left a lot to be desired. That’s why I was so shocked to see all the high ratings; to each their own, but here’s my two cents.
This place is quite spacious and the ambiance is nice but the drinks and service are very subpar. I’ve tried their original milk tea twice now, but I guess it’s just supposed to taste like watered-​down milk with barely any tea? The only good drink I’ve had here is the lychee green tea, so if you have to order something, order that.
I can’t personally speak on the food but a friend did tell me about an experience she had where she received an undercooked waffle (batter spilled out when she stuck her fork in it) and then got asked if she wanted it microwaved when she complained. Like what.
The staff here also don’t seem to be in any hurry to fulfill your order or serve you in general. Once I waited 20 minutes for a drink before I went up to the front to ask for it again, only to find the guy doing nothing behind the counter. After that, I resolved never to go back, no matter how convenient the location is.

I LOVE THIS PLACE!
I am always satisfied coming here! Soban always has a good selection of cakes, waffles, and drinks to choose from. Their bingsoo Is also very good as well. It’s fairly priced and the interior is modern and classy, not to mention a good view of the street. Service is pretty good too! But beware of coming here on weekend or holiday nights, you might not get a table!
I highly recommend you to come here and try the dessert, you won’t regret it!

Honestly, yes. The interior is very nice; however, the food and beverages tastes just as bad as it did before all the renovation.
You’d think they can improve the taste as well, but…
The location, and the interior atmosphere are good perks though.

I came here the other night and had a really good experience. I ordered an African Nectar tea and it was delicious. My friend ordered a London Fog and he really enjoyed his drink as well.
Once you make your way up the stairs and into the restaurant you will be surprised at how nice and cozy it looks. The restaurant is much nicer than I expected it to be. They let you play board games at the table if you bring them with you and the food smelled amazing. We had already eaten dinner but I would totally go back to try their entrees and other desserts. I saw a lady eating a shaved ice dessert with tons of toppings and it looked delicious. I highly recommend this café if you are in the area.

My friend and I accidentally found Soban Café because we were around Finch Station and heading towards Chatime or another bubble tea place. However, we wanted to try Soban because we haven’t seen this place before. The stairs to Soban are located on the right side of the building. They weren’t too hard to find.
We arrived at around 8:00 p.m. on a Wednesday night, and it wasn’t busy yet. We were seated down very quickly. However, to my surprise, this place is quite popular, and all the tables were filled by around 9:00 p.m. Soban has a very simple but appealing menu, with a variety of drinks: lattes, hot chocolate, milk tea, black and green tea, Italian soda, and lemonade. They also have food options, but I did not have a chance to try any. You will definitely find something you like.
My friend decided to order the peach Italian soda, and I ordered the hazelnut hot chocolate. My friend really enjoyed her soda, and did not have any complaints for it. To be honest, I’m not too big of a fan of hot chocolate, but I really liked this drink. Although there was more foam than I expected, it really complemented the chocolate flavour. In addition, the four marshmallows on the top were very soft and made the drink look very visually appealing. At first, I was a bit disappointed with the price because it was about $ 4.99. However, the cups they have are relatively big, so I felt that it really justified the price. The Italian soda was also the same price, but I thought that it was just in a regular glass you get at restaurants. Thus, you probably get more of a drink if you order a latte, milk tea, or hot chocolate.
My friend and I were a bit disappointed at the end because the service was really slow as Soban got busy. We asked for the bill, and the server came back after two minutes to ask me what I ordered since she forgot. Then, she proceeded to serve other customers and forgot about the bill until we reminded her again. Unfortunately, like most Asian places, they charge $ 0.25 more if you use a credit or debit card to pay. They do split bills willingly, which is great. Just remember to carry cash if you come.
Overall, I’d recommend coming to Soban Café because it’s a great place to sit down and have a conversation with your friends. I would suggest coming in groups of 2 to 4.

Sorry folks, i got the «You are not welcome here» vibe from them. I went there on Friday night.
We got seated, kept looking at the server for a good 10 minutes for them to take our order. All of them were chilling by the counter and gave no heed. The guy behind the counter looked at us and ignored our existence, and the the two servers were just chilling with him laughing and stuff.
This is one of my biggest pet peeves in a restaurant, you can’t just ignore customers like that!
Fortunately, i was with somebody so i was calm, when I had enough i walked up to them with the menu in my hand and said we had been looking at you guys for quite a while waiting for you to take our order, could you please come and take our order?
Then the server came and took our order. I had hazelnut hot chocolate and my friend had peppermint tea.
I went there because i had an intense craving for hot chocolate, and i was disappointed, it was kinda watery and i didnt even finish it. Needless to say that I definitely have had better hot chocolate, second cup has better hot chocolate than them.
Won’t be going back. Please learn to treat your customers properly.

Been here a few times and it’s a good place to chill and get some work done.
Located with the entrance on the corner of yonge and finch, the café gets pretty packed with Korean college kids studying with their laptops out. I also came here for work as I remember their ambiance was pretty chill. Their music selection went from chill/​indie to dance/​rave-​ish though LOL.
Drinks are pretty expensive here lol. Around $ 5 for coffee/​tea. I ordered a peach black tea expecting it to be hot but the server gave it out cold lol, and then ordered another mocha and then she asked if I wanted it hot or cold? The iced peach tea was pretty sweet and yummy, but the mocha was average. I wanted to take the mocha later to go and I thought she’d help take it for me and put it in a cup but gave me a foam cup and I spilled half of it over the table lol woops. Their dessert menu looks good though!
New modern furniture! I didn’t notice it right away since I haven’t been here in a while but I’m totally digging their new look. Clean granite (?) countertops and new chairs with glazing to divide the space into 2 sections. Now if only they could renovate their washrooms as well…

Recently renovated. Décor now is modern, clean, and beautiful. New furniture that matches the new décor. Slow, soothing music playing in the background. Menu hasn’t changed and their prices are the same so refer to my previous review. WiFi is amazing now.
So beautiful. Must check out.

Date of Visit: 2015-​08-​08
Bill Total (after taxes): $ 9.59
I always liked Soban Café because of its location on the second floor, viewing out onto the cityscape and street corner of Yonge & Finch. The previous two occasions, everything was spot on. However, on my third visit, I will not be returning.
My friend and I met up, and went to Soban. The menus were promptly given to us once we sat down at a table by the window. Once we decided, we waited for 10 minutes for the server to return. My friend had to wave her down. I placed my order first. I asked what cakes do they have today; she told me to walk over to the dessert fridge by the entrance of the café, and choose one. She didn’t explain to me what cake is what, so I just chose the regular cheesecake and a cappuccino. My friend ordered the same cheesecake, and an caffé americano.
The table we sat at was wobbly, and we were afraid of the drinks spilling. Eventually, when the drinks came; neither of our drinks came with a saucer and a spoon. I asked the server for sugar, and she walked away and did not acknowledge me at all. However, she did return with two packets of sugar, a spoon, and a napkin. My friend accidentally placed his arm on the corner where the table wobbles, and a little of our drinks spilled over.
When the cheesecakes came, I was very surprised with the forks Soban provided; THEY’RE PLASTIC! My friend and I were very disappointed as we were never given plastic utensils in our previous visits.
We finished up, and we waited for the server for our bills. She never came by at all since dropping off the cheesecakes and plastic forks. We simply walked up to the front to request for our bills. My friend and I stood there, in front of the server and her co-​worker.
«Yes?» the server said in a stern voice. I asked her for our bills to be separated, and she did so. She handed the bill to me, and said, «$ 9.59». I handed her a $ 20, and as she gave me the change, she did not say thank you. My friend received the same treatment as well. I placed a dollar in the tip jar, and again she did not say thank you. My friend is Korean, and he bowed and said thank you in Korean. The server did not even acknowledge nor replied in gratitude.
At that point, I was so disgusted with the service, I marched out, and waited for my friend outside. My friend was mad to the point that he did not tip at all.
I don’t know why this visit was so terrible. I believe the server had a bad day. However, I cannot accept that reason at all, simply because I still tipped regardless of the server’s inattentiveness and attitude. On top of that, when I tipped, she did not show any gratitude nor respect at all. No smile, no bow, no thank you.
Me: «Should’ve gone to Orange Caramel instead…»
My friend: «Né»

Love this place nothing sure why … I like to come here and do some work over the weekend specially the finch parking is free … It is a bit loud for studying but I get work done … I love the place well designs … The servers are hot (the women servers).
For ordering I like the honey dew bubble tea it is such tasty tea … Although pricy but that is the price of bubble tea in this city for some reason … The owner is the best he will do anything for customer satisfaction … He gave me free cheese cake for no reason such a cool guy.

The staff were very kind and the drinks (my friend got the white chocolate mocha and I got the caramel macchiato) were great! Both drinks were $ 4.99 for a decently sized mug. The café itself has a really relaxing and comforting feel to it with its simple set up and soft Korean music in the background. I definitely recommend grabbing a window seat if you enjoy people watching!
It was a little difficult to find the entrance to the café (you have to go up a stairway that faces finch!) but overall it was a good experience and I’d definitely return another day!