Japche at Sobban

When it comes to culinary mash-ups, there are two categories: the wild and wacky or the subtle and sublime. Thank goodness Sobban’s Korean Southern fusion falls squarely into the latter. We’ve come to expect no less from co-chef/co-owner Jiyeon Lee, whose Heirloom Market BBQ restaurant infuses the flavorful palette of her native Korea into the American South. At Sobban she flips the script, giving traditional Korean dishes the Southern treatment. Of course, japche, a heaping bowl of veggies and noodles made of sweet potatoes, is practically Southern by default. Cultural exchange aside, the real marriage here is between contrasting textures and tastes: The chewy cellophane noodles paired with crunchy black sesame seeds. The sweet squash balanced by acidic pickled radish. The squishy togarashi tofu coupled with crisp bok choy. The lightness of sweet potato chips tempered by meaty shitake mushrooms. It’s a savory hybrid made in vegetarian heaven. $14.