Many of you apparently have already hit up Sobban since it opened a few days back, but here’s John Kessler’s initial take…

There are fewer than 40 seats inside Sobban, the Korean-Southern diner set under the horseshoe-bowed roof and soaring plate windows of a vintage Arby’s. That hasn’t stopped the crowds that (mostly) wait patiently to try this exciting new restaurant — one whose time most definitely has come.

You could argue that Atlanta has emerged as one of the country’s (if not the world’s) great towns for Korean food, and many of the area’s best chefs find inspiration from the restaurants and markets throughout the Northern suburbs. We’re ripe for a Western-style restaurant like this, which assumes a certain level of familiarity and comfort with Korean flavors on the part of the customer, both in terms of its chile heat and its twangy funk of fermented vegetables.

Clairemont Road (pic submitted by Alvin)

Eater Atlanta reports that the Heirloom Market BBQ founders are posting fast and furiously on their new Sobban Facebook page about the new restaurant opening up in the old Kitsch’n 155 space…

Tentatively on the menu are dishes like Korean kimchi pancakes with Southern seafood; crispy pork belly bo ssam with local lettuce and pickled vegetables; mini-bingsu, or shaved ice topped with fruits and nuts; hot teas, Korean-style beers, and other beverages; and kal guk soo, or knife-cut noodles about which the team says, “if you like ramen, you will love this dish.” Sobban means “a small wooden table reserved for humble meals.” There’s more on Facebook.

Photo courtesy of Sobban’s Facebook page