Seoulmate Kitchen has opened at 38 West Victoria Street inside Santa Barbara Public Market. Seoulmate Kitchen, from Juan Pedro Muñoz (formerly of The Cruisery) has taken over the Big T’s and Three Monkeys spaces at the back of the market. There are two sides to Seoulmate: a café serving small-batch, Korean-inspired drinks and bites—think hand-whisked matcha, housemade syrups, Milky Cloud Cake, and babka French toast on weekends—and a restaurant side highlighting bold Korean flavors with bento boxes for lunch and sizzling stone bowl bibimbap for dinner. Here is a message to you from Santa Barbara’s newest restaurant:
These past three days have been nothing short of transformative. Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude for everyone who’s come out to support us. Whether it was to try something new, show love for Korean cuisine, or simply share in the excitement of our opening we see you and can’t express to you enough how grateful we are. To see people embrace something so deeply rooted in our culture and passion has been both humbling and inspiring.
What started as just a vision on paper has now come to life through sheer dedication, long nights, and unwavering determination. Seoulmate Kitchen was built with heart, soul, and a dream: to bring a little piece of who we are to Santa Barbara, through food that tells a story.
Chef Juan has poured his heart into every dish, honoring our roots while adding his own signature flair to create a menu that’s both comforting and true to us. Catarina curated a café menu that brings something refreshing and innovative to the public market, giving people a chance to explore new flavors outside the norm. Francesca and our front of house staff has been the heart of our hospitality; warm, welcoming, and eager to guide guests through a culinary experience that may be new to many, but feels like home…