Sambong Korean Restaurant

I recently visited this 냉면 (cold noodles) restaurant, and it was honestly the best 냉면 I've had in the U.S. It was incredibly close to the authentic flavors you'd find in specialized 냉면 restaurants in Korea. The noodles were perfectly made, and the taste was spot on. What I also loved about this place is that it's a no-tip restaurant, making it very affordable. The self-service station was well-organized, and I didn't feel any inconvenience at all. Beyond the 냉면, the 국밥, 만두, and 갈비 were just like what you'd find in top Korean restaurants. I was really impressed with the quality of everything. The best part? All the dishes I ordered (which are shown in my photo) only cost me $53! Definitely recommend this place to anyone craving authentic Korean food!

Sambong Korean Restaurant in Troy, MI is a clean, well-organized spot that’s perfect if you want casual Korean food without the fuss. It’s a self-service setup — you order at the register, pick up your food at the counter, and help yourself to water, utensils, sauces, and extra bowls at a designated station. I really appreciate the thoughtful touch of having spoons and chopsticks in a drawer at every table, and their zero-tip model makes dining here even more appealing. It can get busy on Sundays around lunchtime with the after-church crowd, so expect a short wait for a table then. My go-to is the vegetable bibimbap with tofu. While it’s not the sizzling dolsot style (hot stone bowl) you find at some places, it’s more of a fresh salad-over-rice style bibimbap, and they make it well with a good variety of vegetables. I’ve also tried the spicy seafood noodle soup (Jampong) — the broth had a nice spice level, but the noodles were a bit too firm for my preference.

Food is super good but the tables are crammed into the small building with barely any room between them. My dining experience was ruined by a stinky man a foot away from me. They don’t turn on the AC here. The AC is needed to freshen the place up as it is an incredibly small building with tables jam packed everyday.

i love this no tips restaurant! I won't hesitate to reply smile or repeat im good when servants ask again and again. I just need a place to enjoy food. Wherever tips are needed, I would rather take food home or eat in my car. Too far from the restaurant. I just love here so much! Food is really good. I highly recommend here. The atmosphere is not hot at all in summer. Very normal nice indoor temperature.

Some of the best Korean cold noodles that I’ve had in Michigan so far! I love the complementary barley tea and hot bone broth. The noodle broth was iced well and was great on a hot day after work. The noodles and a nice chew and weren’t overcooked. I ordered bibim sauce on the side and ended up dipping my pork neck in it. The pork was tender and seasoned perfectly, slightly smokey, umami, and sweet. They had the tables with the utensil drawers, just like in Korea. Can’t wait to be back!

Surprisingly, this is a self served restaurant more like an easterly inside a mall. I didn't like the atmosphere, and it was super hot inside, making us very uncomfortable while we were eating. Due to its setup, there's really no service. You order, you eat, and you clean up. That's it. Is this a cafeteria in a school? Didn't like it. The food is decent, not the best. Some entrees are quite expensive, but once again, the atmosphere or style doesn't warrant this price range. I would prefer to go to a more traditional Korean restaurant with table service. Once is enough.

You order before finding a seat and self service bar includes water, barley tea, and beef broth as well as condiments and extra utensils (there are chopsticks and spoons at the table inside a drawer). I literally tried the whole menu: Cold noodle soup with beef broth 7/10: could have more beef flavor Bibimbap 10/10: the best I've ever had Bindaetteok 6/10: first I've ever had and not to my taste, definitely crispy and mung bean-y, texture was grainy, sauce is vinegary. Japchae: 8/10: 1 of my fave Korean dishes and this one is just ok. Kalbi: 9/10: tender and savory, yum. Love the self service and price is reasonable. I did find a fault that the tables and chairs are too close together so there may be issue when going back and forth during busy times or if there is a bigger customer. Will have to seat around the perimeter. Very nice that carryout containers are also at self service bar so no need to wait. Overall, great place to dine in.

Food was amazing! While we were there my son said "did we park and walk into heaven?" Beef broth and barley tea was really good too! Loved that it was self service as well!

Great food and service was awesome. The ambiance was very relaxed and family friendly.

Nice place! The staff were nice and it was a family friendly atmosphere. I got 5 dumplings for a little over $10. Based on the location I understand the pricing however I don't think they were worth $10 personally. They were tasty but given the size and quality, I think they were too expensive. They were an appetizer. Not many vegetarian options so I wouldn't recommend this place if you are looking for a meat free meal. They are self serve so you order and they give you a buzzer to let you know when your order is ready. Water is free and you can get it at the self serve bar.

Sambong is a self serve no tip restaurant! I liked that there was unlimited broth and tea to drink with your meal. The hwe naengmyuns noodles were perfectly cooked however the actual raw fish part was quite hard to chew. If you have dental problems I would not recommend. The flavor was good though! The pork was also flavorful and very good and tasted fresh. A nice to place to stop by and have a quick meal! Will probably just get the bibim naengmyun next time and maybe try the galbi!

I rarely leave reviews, but I feel obligated to share my experience so others can avoid what I went through. I ordered a dish that featured pork neck, which I was excited to try--I've had it before at other places and loved it. Unfortunately, this time, the pork was noticeably undercooked. It was pink in the center, chewy in a way it shouldn't be, and had a concerning texture. I mentioned it to the server, but they brushed it off and assured me it was "just the cut." Big mistake: I ended up violently ill within hours. We're talking several days of nausea, cramps, and an ER visit. The doctor confirmed it was likely foodborne illness--most likely from undercooked pork. I understand that mistakes happen, but this was a serious health risk, and I'm disappointed that the staff didn't take my concern seriously when I raised it. If you choose to eat here, double-check your meat. I wish I had.

It's a you-serve-yourself type of place, and I don't mind that. They have bone broth is available as a drink option, which is quite interesting. We enjoyed the bone broth a lot. The LA Galbi is excellent. The portion seems small and rice is not included. The bibimbap is OK, they have lettuce in there, which is a bit weird. More of a homey style of a dish, a bit different than what I expected. The cold noodles seemed like a big hero on the menu, so we decided to give it a try. That's the only thing I do not enjoy. The noodles are really thin and hard to chew. I wish they offered more small dishes that come with your meal like most other Korean restaurants do.

2025-04-27. Sambong Korean Restaurant. Troy, MI. Sambong joins the fast growing trend of fast-casual restaurants where you place your order, seat yourself, and serve yourself drinks. You're also free to clean up after yourself or not. While there's no designated attendant in the dining area, one will come out and clean up after you if you don't. The fast-casual MO is designed cut costs and speed up turnover. It caters especially to lunch time crowds and people just looking for a bite without the formality of a full service dining experience. Located in the Northfield Marketplace Plaza on Crooks in between 18 Mile and 19 Mile roads, there is plenty of free parking. The shop is right next to Qamaria Coffee (where the Starbucks used to be). Inside, the dining area is bright and casual and there's seating for about 60. Rather than call out your order, they use a pager system that rings when your food is ready. There is a no tipping policy, which aligns with Korean culture, but hey this is America, and Koreans are no exception to acclimating to American culture; there is a "tip jar" just next to the register. The self serve station has water, tea, beef broth, plates, bowls, utensils, napkins, condiments, and take out containers. The tables also have drawers on the ends where you can also find chopsticks. The menu is limited, but I kind of like that, and it aligns with the MO of getting you in and out quickly. With fewer choices, you're going to decide more quickly, or decide to not dine there at all. A restaurant has to be confident in their dishes in order to be able to reduce the menu selection, so every dish should fare well, decent at the least. Today we ordered the Hwe Naengmyun (#3) and the Mackerel meal (#12). #3: Hwe Naengmyun. This is a cold noodle dish with raw fish. It comes in two sizes and the large is about 50% more than the regular. Not familiar with the size, we went with the large to be sure. The dish wasn't as spicy as I thought it would be which was kind of nice, and the glass noodles were accompanied by kimchi, pickled radish, pickled cucumbers, and 1/2 of a soft boiled egg. Flavors were a little lacking for my tastes and there was little fish to complement the larger amount of noodles. I can see this dish being enjoyed on a hot summers day, but I don't think it will cater to most. 3 stars. #12: Mackerel meal. This was a complete meal and caters to the lunchtime crowd. It exudes values with all the dishes you get on your tray, but it's really just fried fish, some sides, and a bowl of rice. The soup with this meal appears to be the same beef broth as at the self serve station but a little more flavorful. The sides included kimchi and picked veggies. Both were on par and the kimchi was not overly spicy. The fried mackerel was deboned, but like all fish, you need to be careful as there will always be some stragglers. The head is removed and the fish is served butterflied. This is a standard simple meal you'd find in Korea and it was well prepared here. 4 stars. Overall, my experience at Sambong was a good one. What we ordered today resembles dishes you'd find in Korea and will be seen as comfort food to some. I'm a fan of the fast-casual restaurants and don't mind serving and cleaning up after myself. When I'm really short on time, I will tip them knowing I will not clean up after myself. My only other notable is that considering this is a fast-casual restaurant, prices are high as they are competitive with full service dining establishments. Would I return? Probably, if I'm in the vicinity and I'm craving Korean, I wouldn't mind trying their Bulgogi or their japchae. I also love Bibimbap, but it's not served in a hot stone bowl here, so I'm still on the fence with that dish... Sambong is a solid 3.5 stars this visit, but I'm rounding up since I would come back. 4 stars. If You would like to experience more, come dine-with-me.yelp.com I'd love to have your company... Bon Appétit!

My brother and I went for dinner here some time ago. The place was quiet! There is no table service. You pay first at the counter, order, and grab your food. I got the kimchi jjigae and my brother got the yellow tail. I must mention the food was extremely fresh and delicious. The cutlery was spotless. They also provide tea and broth. You can grab them by the table. The banchan was yummy too. Would love to be back! Highly recommend y'all to give this place a chance.

If you are looking for authentic Korean staples, Sambong is where you should go. I love soondubu and they have one of the most flavorful soondubu's I have tried in MI. The LA galbi wasn't overly marinated (usually it's quite sweet) and it had a nice smokiness to it. I appreciated the self serve barley tea and bone broth which were both delicious as well. Each table also has a little pull out drawer with napkins, spoons and chopsticks. Staff were very friendly. Food came out pretty fast.

First and only place in MI that lets you get unlimited hot beef broth, that's a win for sure. However, overall their food was just ok. - mul naenmyun & beef kalbi combo - hwe bibim naenmyun & pork kalbi combo - grilled mackerel - Donkatsu Both pork and beef kalbi was great, meat was tender on both, but I preferred the pork more than the beef, maybe it was the price point. Mackerel and donktasu was decent, nothing special to write home about. The bibim naenmyun was a lot better than their mul naenmyun. The mul naenmyun, no matter how much vinegar/hot mustard you add, it didn't really help with the seasoning of the broth. You order at the counter, they give you a buzzer, when it rings, you go pick up the food, when done, you drop off the tray at the front and out the door you go, no tipping, which is nice, but we all know it's added to the price :) Glad to see they have other food options, as with MI winter, they wouldn't survive just on offering naenmyun. One issue I had with their naenmyun, the mul naenmyun seemed like they pulled the noodle when I ordered it, whereas the bibim naenmyun, the noodle was precooked and ready to go. I got a lot of clumped noodles in my dish, thus can only give three stars. Interior is nothing special, but the tables do have drawers with spoons and chopsticks, so you don't need to get them from the self serve counter area :)

We absolutely love this place!! Although it is a no tip place, the staff is always really nice and helpful. It is a self service kind of place, so they have all of their utensils, water, "condiments"etc on a counter and you help yourself. Everything we've ever gotten is always really good. You can't go wrong here, from their cold noodles, kalbi, to their jjajangmyun, jjambbong. They also have beef broth and recently added barley tea as their drink options for free. Go check them out!

Authentic (not many non - koreans!) Fast service (order to food was 10 minutes) Satisfying (had the beef tendon stew), just the right spice level, leaves a warm feeling inside. Recommend this given it is cold outside nowaday. Dumplings were large and filled with egg and vege. Barley tea self service Beef broth self service Portions decent Thing that resulted in minus one is tables too small, felt a bit cramped. Service can be slow. We can at a slow weekend late evening time so it was quicker. The other time food came out in 1 hr. It is also quite warm inside.

Newly opened!! Fast casual Korean food - they were really busy on Friday night, which is a great sign! You order at the front and then find a seat and grab all your utensils, water or complementary bone broth (yummy!), condiments and plates and bowls at a self service station. Signs everywhere to remind no tipping and you bus your own food - but prices are very reasonable and staff are friendly! We ordered bulgogi, pork cutlet, dumplings and pancake and total was $60 all in, no tip. Everything was great, fresh, and the main entrees included a small bowl of rice and kimchi. There's mustard and vinegar along with salt and pepper at the self serve counter. We live nearby and will definitely come back - and a good sign that so many Koreans were eating here too! This is a welcome eatery to the area - fresh, reasonable prices and unique! There were some things on the menu that they don't have in stock; Small menu but very well done; there are about 3 vegetarian dishes, so may be limited if that's a dietary restriction. Small seating area that can fill up at busy times. We were a party of 3 and got the last 4 top so there may be a wait if it's a busy time. Big strip mall parking lot High chairs and booster seats Bathrooms but I didn't check them out.

Don't judge this place by how it simple it looks. The food is good and full of flavor! I was impressed with the portions and price. The mackerel was not fishy and the soondubu jigae was very flavorful perfectly cooked. The self serve barley tea and beef broth station was nice. I also love how the tables were all equipped with a little drawer with spoons, chopsticks, and napkins! Such a nice little Korean diner. The staff were so pleasant and nice!

Came in again for their full menu this time! Both dishes were excellent. Service also great. Highly recommend the beef soup. Meat is super tender, falls off the bone. Also a great price for the amount of food! Still love the no tip and free soup. Would recommend!

We love this spot and eating in since there's bone broth and barley tea. So authentic! Everytime I've been there hasn't been much of a wait since it's self serve. They are so kind and everything is always clean

This place was very clean and organized which was nice! It's also self serve in regards to picking up your food, utensils, bone broth, water extra things like to-go containers. They were very clear about the self serving and not having tip which was cool too. The namyeong was very flavorful and tasty! I was definitely full off one along with the galbi. I also had some of their Mandu which was tasty too! I would come again :D

I am so impressed! The concept is like Korean fast food (service) but the food is traditional, homemade, and delicious!! The girl taking orders was so polite and patient too. I tried the dumpling soup - a nice big bowl with 4 giant dumplings stuffed full of scallions, maybe green onion, and some kind of ground meat. I had to eat my dumplings over another small plate because they were so big, over rice that came with. There were a couple banchan too (kimchi and a root vegetable in soy sauce with jalapeños). I love mal naeng myun (cold beef broth soup, highly recommend) so I tried something a little different here - Hwe Naeng myun (spicy cold beef broth noodles) with raw fish! I think the girl taking my order said scuttlefish? It's sushi-grade fish but with rubbery bones in it that she said people chew and swallow but I sort of chewed it and picked out the bones. Definitely not for everyone, especially if you have textural issues, but I enjoyed the novelty of the experience. Not sure I would get the raw fish with bones in my noodles again, but I will definitely be back to try the rest of the menu!

Tried this restaurant twice and disappointed each time. Tonkatsu came out in one large piece even after a request to cut it up; the tonkatsu sauce was more like orange sauce. Not worth the price. Having Seoul Meyong as my go to in Troy for Korean now.

Service was excellent and the food was exactly what I needed. Best cold noodle soup in the entire state of Michigan thus far. Haven't had something this yummy since I've moved here. It is super clean and I highly recommend this place!

New Korean Cold noodle place in the area. Self service but the staff was incredibly nice. Ordered the bibim naengmyun + pork neck bbq and it was top notch. Some of the best Korean noodles I've ever had. The noodles had a nice texture and the flavor profile was perfect. They also had a complimentary hot beef broth to drink which was delicious. Will definitely be going back. Great addition to the SE Michigan area

Delicious and with good amount of servings. Will definitely go back. Crew very polite as well.